The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-08-26

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In fact, think you'd better sit in
his room.''
James, with curt every good,
sir" left the room. Almost at once
he returned, and fiinging open the
door, announced Mr.. Peterson.
Drummond looked up quickly and
rose with smile.
"Good morning" he cried. "This is
very pleasant surprise, Mr.. Peter
son." He waved his visitor to a
chair. slope you've had no more
trouble with your car"
Mr.. Peterson drew off his gloves,
smiling amiably. "None at all, thank
you, Captain Drummond. The chauf-
feur appears to have mastered the
| defect"
1T was your eye on him that did
it. Wonderful thing-the human
optic. as l said to your friend, Mr..
Mr.. darlington. hope that he's quite
well and taking nourishment."
"Soft food only" said the other
genially. "Mr. Lexington had most
unpleasant accident last night-most
unpleasant
Hugh's face expressed his sympa-
thy. "How very unfortunate" he
murmured. 81 trust nothing serious. /"
Il fear his lower jaw was fractured
in two places" Peterson helped HIM
self to cigarette from the box be-
side him. 1.-THE man who hit him
must have been boxer"
mixed up in a brawl, was hep"
said Drummond, shaking his head. Il
should never have thought, from what
little I've seen of Mr.. Lexington, that
he went in for painting the town red.
I'd have put him down as a most
abstemiOus man-but one never can
tell, can one? l once knew fellah
who used to get fighting drunk on
three WHISTLES, and to look at him,
you'd have put him down as parson.
Wonderful amount of cheap fun that
chap got out of life"
Peterson fiicked the ash from his
cigarette into the CRATE. "Shall we
come to the point, Captain Drum
monde" he remarked affably.
Hugh looked bewildered. "The
point, Mr.. Peterson? Er-by all man
ner of means"
Peterson smiled even more affably.
| Il felt certain that you were young
man of discernment," he remarked,
| 'and wouldn't like to keep you from
| your paper a minute longer than nee
| eSsary."
mot a Bit" cried Hugh my time
| is yours-though I'd very much like
| to know your real opinion of The
| Juggernaut for the Chester cup. 1t
seems to me that he cannot afford
to give Sumatra seven pounds on
| their form up to date"
Are you interested il, gambling?''
asked Peterson politely.
"a mild f1utter, Mr.. Peterson. every
now and then" returned Drummond.
Strictly limited stakes"
eff you confine yourself to that
you will come to no HARM" said Pc
terson. ut is when the stakes be-
come unlimited that the danger of a
crash becomes unlimited too"
"That is what my mother always
told me-" remarked Hugh 'She even
went further, dear good woman that
she was. Never bet except on a GER
tainty, my boy was her constant adj
vice, and then put your shirt on 7
l can hear her saying it now, Mr..
Peterson, with the golden rays of the
setting sun lighting up her sweet
| face"
Peterson leant forward in his chair
young man." he remarked, "we've
got to understand one another. Last
| night you butted in on my plans, and
| l do not like people who do that By
| an act which, / must admit, appealed
! to me greatly, you removed something
require-something moreover, which
| intend to have. Breaking the cleo
| trio bulb with a revolver shot shows
resource and initiative. The blow that
smashed Henry Lakington's jaw in two
places shows strength. Ali qualities
which / admire, Captain Drummond-
admire greatly. / should dislike hav-
! ing to deprive the world of those quail
| tiles"
Drummond gazed at the speaker
open-mouthed. my dear SIR" he pro-
tested feebly, you overwhelm me.
Are you really accusing me Of being
a sort of wild west shown" He wag-
gled finger at Peterson. 'You know
you've been to the movies too much,
| like my fellah, James. He's got re-
volvers and things on the BRAIN"
Peterson's face was absolutely i'm
passive; save for a slightly tired
smile it was expressionless. "Final-
ly. Captain Drummond, you tore in
half a piece of paper which l re-
ouire-and. removed very dear old
friend of my family, who is now in
this house. I want them both back,
please, and If you like I'll take them
now"
Drummond shrugged his shoulders
resignedly. There is something about
YOU. Mr.. Peterson" he murmured,
(which 1 like So masterful, so COM
pelling, so unruffled. / feel sure
when you have finally disabused your
mind of this absurd hallucination-
that we shall become real friends.
TELL me, why did you allow this
scoundrel to treat you in such an
offhand manner?"
Unfortunately a bullet intended
for him just missed" answered Peter
son casually. "A pity-because there
would have been no trace of him by
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