The Washington times., 1920-06-27
Continued from First Po9e,

dreds meant very little, with Vivian
Il was everything.
No one. save himself and his
creditors. knew how hard pressed
he was, and that the few coins
which he fingered In his pocket as
he stood In inlecision were all that
lay between him and a debt'en-
numbered destitutionZand Vivian
Renton was not the man to be IN
that condition long.
The fog. moving In slow wreaths,
hung round him In a heavy still
ness, broken only by the sound OF
some cab bearing belated reveller
home wards. or the peeVish chatter
OF su animal In the Geological Gar
dfps near by.
Another and more sinister idea
crept nto the evil brain OF Vivian
Renton. Why should he not return
TO No. 8 and tap the little fair
haired man on the head? He knew
him to be alone In the house that
night, and he could bind and gag
him without seriously injuring him.
The fog was all In his favor, and
he would be out OF the country be-
fore any hue and cry could be
raised. He turned on his heel, and,
with his chin buried In his muffler,
slowly retraced his steps.
The man who had shut the door
upon Eddie and Vivian returned to
the card-room and, mixing himself
a brandy-and-soda, the first he had
tasted that night, sank into
leather armchair and chuckled
softly as he pulled at cigar.
The furnishing of the room
showed refinement and taste. Nor
timer Terrace was a row OF de-
taehed stucco residences. the
rooms of which strangely belied the
small exterior appearance OF the
houses. The room in the front
where the men had been playing
windows reaching nearly to the
ceiling and giving on to little iron
rallied balconies. Heavy red cur
tains hung in severe lines from
brass rods and, between them. a
circular convex mirror showed the
gleam of the fire in the Adam fire
place and of the candles which gut.
tered on the baizecovered card
table. The furniture was Shera on.
the pictures few but choice ,'and on
the mantelpiece steelfaced clock
pointed to a quarter to two.
No. 9 had been in the possession
VI the Baxenters for more than a
century and had descended from
father to son, as had the old-fash.
ioned solicitors offices in the
Strand. The present owner of the
business and the house had come
into his Inheritance early, and, his
mothers death following SO closely
upon the accident to the Scotch
express which had robbed him Of
his father, for the first time in its
history No. 9 had bachelor owner
There were rooms on the hoors
above, sacred and unused. their
furnishings shrouded in dust-sheets
and holland coverings. They were
waiting, perhaps, for woman to
come and reopen them. woman
under whose hands the house In
Mortimer Terrace would again take
on the mantle of home, and would
give life and brightness to the for
saken apartments. For the mo-
ment, however, the ground-hoor
fiat, and the kitchen below, sufficed
for the needs of the owner and his
modest household. Hubert Baxsn-
ter was not yet thirty, and for him
the world was a playground and
the wanderlust still claimed him
for its own.
He rose from his chair, and,
opening the folding-doors, passed
through into his bedroom. His
eyes rested lovingly upon the
scratched and be-labelled leather OF
his kit-bag, which, together with
his golf clubs and camera, stood
ready for removal in corner and
spoke eloquently of holiday.
He discarded his dinner jacket
for a much-worn Norfolk and. re-
turning to the fire, he threw away
his cigar and selected a briar from
the rack, then took his place again
In the chair He drew the stack OF
notes and gold to him, and from
drawer Ill tllb DuGtdu dt ulS ii6hc
hand took out two similar heaps.
Putting them together. he ran
roughly over the total amount
three hundred and fifty pounds and
fifteen shillings. He sat for some
moments arranging the sovereigns
and half-sovereigns symmetrically
on their mats of bank notes.
Hubert Baxenter was still smiling
cynically as he took seat at the
bureau and drew toward him note
paper and envelopes. With a pair
OF scissors he carefully shipped off
tho die-sunk heading and COM
menced to write:
ITO the Secretary.
Suburban Hospital,
London, S. W.:
Dear Sir-I am enclosing here
with the sum of three hundred and
fifty pounds in bank notes for the
furtherance OF your extension
scheme. They have been won by
me At cards-by means OF cheat
- condition.. l,nu-,unr ara