The Washington times., 1913-03-03
CHAPTER TWELVE (continued.)

(rY HAD your telegram, and besides
heard your car just now
OH There was a signifi
canoe in the ejaculation which
Whitaker chose to ignore as he bIandly
accepted his frosted glass. You weren',
-ah-lonely?" Ember persisted.
Not in the least
fancied saw the flutter of a petit
coat through the trees as came up to
the house.
You did
Found down here?''
Friends of yours, i believe. Miss
Fiske."
Miss Fiske,' There was unfeigned
amazement in the iteration.
anything wonderful about that?' in
quired Whitaker sharply. Il fancied
from what she said that you two were
rather we'll acquainted"
Just surprised-thats ALL. said, EN-
Der, recovering. You see, didn't think
the Fiske place was open this year.
He stared suspiciously at Whitaker,
but the latter was transparently ingen-
uous.
She expressed an traordinsry wish
10 see you-told me to tell you.''
'Oh. Such being the case, one would
think she might've waited"
She had just started home when you
drove i'm Whitaker explained with
for a moment to inquire after my ankle.
and couldn't wait"
Thoughtful OF her.
Wasn't it?'' To this Whitaker added
with less complacency: .'You'll have to
call after dinner, ! suppose?"
''Sorry,' said .Ember, hastily, but
sha'n't be able to. Fact is. 1 only ran
in to see If you were comfortable-Inust
get back to town immediately after din
Eer-friends S case at critical stage"
-;.ze
about my interesting conditon-even
you. wretehed host that you arc
Il apologize"
Don't; You needn't I wouldn't for
the world interfere with your desperate
business. I'm really quite happy here.
alone
'.Alone-I think You said.'' Ember in
uuired after brief pause.
alone" Whitaker reiterated firmly.
I'm glad you Ike the place"
Its most attractive, very. j say, who
are the Fiskes anyway"
''well-the Fiskes are the people who
own the next cottage"
Il know, but"
oh. never troubled to inquire;
have a hazy notion Fiske does some
thing In Wall street" Ember passed
smoothly over this lapse in his profes-
sional omniscience. How did you hap
pen to meet herr
Mere accident. over on the beach
j
ankle. She-ah-happened along and
brought me home in her motorboat' -
On mature reflection Whitaker decided
that il would be as well to edit his
rather sketchy explanation Of all ref
erencc TO the putatiVe spy who waSn I
Drummond; in oIl:eT words, to let En-
ber's sleeping detective instincts lie.
And with this private understanding
with himself he felt a little aggrived
because of the quarter toward which
L at...,- mr. cay IN q h..
talk
You haven't seen Drummond-or any
signs of him-have you?''
"Eh-what?' Whitaker sat up, start
led mo, I-er-hGw should IL"
II merely wondered. You see, I-weI.
to tell the truth, ! took the liberty of
camping on his trail while in town. with
the Idea of serving him with notice to
behave. But he'd anticipated me, sp-
parently; he d cleared out of his accus-
toned haunts-sot away clean. i could
not find any trace of him.
you're a swell sleuth," Whitaker
commented critically.
Never mind, That's the real reason
why I ran down today, when ] really
couldn't spare the time; I was a bit
worried-afraid he'd maybe dopcd out
my little scheme for keeping you out
Of harms way"
"Oh. ! say" Whitaker eKpostulated,
touched by this evidence of disinterested
thouRhfulness. You don't really"
''On the contrary, do really hold him
responsible for that attack on you the
other night. The mans a dangerous
monomaniac; brooding over his self
wrought wrongs had made him such"
you persuade yourself too much. old
man. You set up an inference and idol
10 Il as an immortal truth. Why, you
had me going for while. Only last
night there was a fellow skulking round
here, and I was just dippy enough
thanks to your influence, to think he
looked like Drummond. But this morn
ing I got q good look at him, and he's
No more Drummond than you are"