Evening star., 1921-04-04
Bulldog Drummond

got himself in moments of stress.
HIS master glanced uD quickly, and
removed the letter from his hands.
I'm surprised at you. James," he re-
marked nnn. severely; sever "A secretary should
perfect secretary is an it: an auto
matte Machine thing incapable of
He read the letter through rapidly,
and then. turning back to the begin
nimg. ne read It slowly through again.
MY Dear Box X10-I don't know
whether your advertisement was a
Joke; I suppose it must have been.
But read it this morning, and it's
lust possible. x10. just possible, that
you .s mean it. And If you do. you're
ne man want. I can offer you ex-
element and probably crime.
I'm up against it. X1O For a girl
I've bitten of rather more than I can
cheW. I want help-badly. Will YOU
come to the Carlton for tea tomorrow
afternoon? I want to have a. look at
eou ana see II I think you are gen.
buttonhole."
Drummond laid the letter down, and
pulled out his cigarette case. TO
morrow. James" he murmured That
Is today-this very afternoon. Verify
=. ! believe that we have impinged upon
.ne COCOA He rose and stood look
ing out Of the window, thoughtfully.
Go out. my trusty fellow. and buy
thing white"
,. You think It's genuine. sir?' said
His master blew out a cloud Of
smoke Il know it is." he answered,
dreamfly. Look at that writing: the
decision in it-the character. She'll
be medium height, and dark, with the
sweetest little nose and mouth. Her
But James had discreetly left the
room. 'Ae
At 4 O'Clock exactly Hugh Drum-
mond stepped out of his two-seater
at the Haymarket entrance to the
Carlton. A white gardenia was in his
outtonho!e: his gray suit looked the
last word in exclusive tailoring. For
a Few moments after entering the ho-
tel he stood at the top Of the stairs
outside the dining room. while his
eyes travelled round the tables in the
lounge below.
A brother officer, evidently taking
two country cousins round London.
noooeo resignedly; woman at whose
house he had danced several times
smiled at him. But save for a cour-
teous bow he took no notice; slowly
and thoroughly he continued his
searcn. 1t was early, OF course. vet.
and she might not have arrived. but
he was taking no chances.
Suddenly his eyes ceased wanderinp
and remained fixed on a table at the
far end of the lounge. Half hidden
Dehlnd a plant, girl was seated
alone, and for a moment she looked
straight at him. Then with the faint
ess SUSPICION OF a smile she turned
away. and commenced drumming on
the table with her fingers.
The table next to her was unoccu.
pied, and Drummond made his way
toward it and sat down. II was char,
acteri of the man that he did not
hesitate; having once made up his
nina 70 go through with a thing. he
neither to the right hand nor TO the
LEFT. Which. incidentally. was how he
got ms ID. 8. O.; but that, as Kipline
would say. is another story.
He 1eit not the slightest doubt in
his mind that this was the girl who
had written him, and. having given
an order to the waiter. he started to
study her face as unobtrusivelv az
possible. He could see only the pro-
file; but that was quite sufficient to
make him bless the moment when
more as Jest than anything else he
had sent his advertisement to the na-
per. VIC ="
. Her eyes. he could see, were verv
hlu plue; and and great masses Of goide n
under a small black hat. He glanced
at her feet--being an old staeer: she
was perfectly shod. He glanced at
;; her hands, and noted, with approval
the absence of any ring. Then he
looked once more at her face, and
round her eyes were fixed on him.
This time she did not look awav
! She seemed to think that it was her
turn to conduct the examination, and
Drummond turned to his tea while the
scrutiny continued. He poured him
self out cup. and then fufnbled in
his waistcoat pocket. After a moment
he found what he wanted, and, tax
ing out a card, he propped it against
the teapot SO that the girl could see
what was on it. In large block capt.
tails he had written Box x1O Then
he added milk and sugar and waited.
She spoke almost at once. You'll
do. X10." she said. and he turned to
lhae With q smile
It's vary nice Of you 10 say so,~ he
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