Middletown transcript., 1921-09-17
The Adventures of a
Den10bilized Officer
Who Found Peace Dull
By CYRIL McNEILE
"SAPPER"
Copyright By Geo. q. Doran Co.

fast, Mr.. Potts." said Drummond quiet
ly, 'by a member Of the gang that
kidnapped YOU"
| Murdered! Jimmy Granger mur-
dered!" He almost cried in his weak
ness. "What did the swine want to
murder him for?"
Because they wanted you alone. y
explained Hugh. private secretaries
ask awkward questions"
After a while the millionaire recov-
cred his composure, and with many
breaks and pauses the slow, disjointed
story continued:
| "Lakington That was the name of
the man l met at the Carlton. And
then there was another Peter
/. Peterson. That's it. We all
dined together, 1 remember, and it
was after dinner, in my private sitting
room, that Peterson put up his propo-
sitiOn to ne. It was sugges-
ton that he thought would appeal to
me as business man. He said-what
was it?-that he could produce gl-
gantic syndicalist strike in England
revolution, in fact; and that as one Of
the biggest shipowners-the biggest,
in fact-outside this country, should
be able to capture lot of the British
carrying trade. He wanted two hum
dred and fifty thousand pounds to do
it, paid one month after the result was
obtained. Said there were others
| in 1t. :"
''On that valuation" interrupted the
detective, thoughtfully, ut makes one
million pounds sterling" and Drum
mond nodded. Eyes, Mr.. Potts; and
then?''
Il told him." said the millionaire,
| "that he was an Internal scoundrel,
and that I'd have nothing whatever to
| do with such a villainous scheme. And
then-almost the last thing I can re-
member saw Peterson look at LAX
ington. Then they both sprang on me,
and I felt something prick my arm.
And after that I can't remember any
thing clearly. Your face, sir"-he
turned to Drummond-"comes to me
out of kind of dream; and yours, too," "
he added to Darrell. "But it was like
a long, dreadful nightmare, in which
vague things, over which / had 40
! mower, kept happening, until ! woke up
last night ii thls gefltleman's house
He bowed to Ted birmingham, who
grinned cheerfully. -r~.---
"And mighty glad was to hear you
talking sense again, sir" he remarked.
'DO you mean to say you have no rec
objection of how you got there?"
"None, sir; none," answered the mil
lionaire. 1T was just part of the
dream"
1T shows the strength of the drug
those swine used on you,"> said Drum
mond grimly "You went there in an
airplane, Mr.. Potts."
"An airplane!' cried the other in
amazement. Il don't remember it.
I've got no recollection of it whatever.
There's only one other thing that can
lay hold of, and that's all dim and
muZZy. Pearls. j.. A great rope
of pearls. =. l was to sign a paper !;
and 1 wouldn't. did once, and
then there was a shot and the light
went out, and the paper disappeared.
>.
Its at my bank at this moment, Mr..
Potts." said Hugh; Il took that paper,
or part of it, that night"
did you?" The millionaire looked
at him vaguely. II was to promise
them a million dollars when they had
done what they said. i. remember
that. And the pearl necklace:
the duchess Of - He paused
and shook his head wearily.
"The duchess of Lampshire's?"
prompted Hugh.
"That's it," said the other. "The
duchess of Lampshire's. 1t was say
ing that I wanted her pearls, l think,
and would ask no questions as to how
they were got
The detective grunted.
"Wanted to incriminate you proper
", did they? Though it seems to me
that it was q blamed risky game.
There should have been enough money
from the other three to run the show
without worrying you, when they
found you weren't for It,"
"Wait," said the millionaire, "that
reminds me. Before they assaulted me
at the Carlton they told me the others
wouldn't come in unless did,"
For while there was silence,
| hro1.on ~ 1oprt1, 11r u,1oh o
"Well, Mr.. Potts, you've had moldy
time, and I'm very glad it's over. But
the person you've got to thank for
putting us fellows on your track is a
girl. If it hadn't been for her I'm
afraid you'd still be having night
Mares"
Il would like to see her and thank
her." said the millionaire quickly.
"You SHALL" grinned Hugh. "Come
to the wedding; it will be in a fort
night or thereabouts."
"Wedding!' Mr.. Potts looked a lit
tie vague. ..
"Yes! Mine and hers. Chastity
proposition, isn't it?"
"The last straw" remarked Ted Jer-
ningham. "A more impossible man as
bridegroom would be hard to think
Of. But in the meantime l pinched
half a dozen of the old mans Perrier
Jouet 1911 and put 'em in the car.
What say you?"
"Say!" snorted Hugh. 'Idiot boy!
Does one speak on such occasions?"
And it was so. ;.
THREE.
"What's troubling me-" remarked
Hugh later, "is what t, do with Carl
and that sweet girl Irma."
The hour for the meeting was draw