Evening star., 1921-04-04

than-shan we say-that earnest eat
er over there with the tomato in her
hat"
He waved vaguely at the lady in
question and then held out his cigar
cite case to the girl. Turkish on this
side-Virginian on that" he re-
marked. And as I appear satisfac-
tory. will you tel me whom I'm to
With the unlighted cigarette held in
her fingers she stared at him gravely.
II want you to tell me-" she said at
length. and there was no trace of jest
word of honor. whether that adver-
tisement was bona fide or a joke"
He answered her in the same vein.
| 1T started more or less as a joke. 1t
may now be regarded as absolutely
| genuine"
She nodded as if satisfied. Are you
prepared to risk your life?''
Drummond's eyebrows went up and
| then he smiled. Granted that the in
ducement is sufficient" he returned
slowly, Il think that 1 may say that
| 1 am
| She nodded again. you won't be
asked to do it in order to obtain
half-penny bun" she remarked. "If
you've match. I would rather like
| light"
! Drummond apologized. "Our talk on
trivialities engrossed me for the mo-
ment." he murmured.
! He held the lighted match for her,
and as he did so he saw that she was
| behind his back.
| Don't look round she. ordered,
| land tell me your name quickly"
| "Drummond-Capt. Drummond, late
Of the Loamshires." He leaned back
| in his chair, and lit cigarette him.
self
And are you going to Henley this
l Z -
| than before.
Il don't know" he answered cas-
! ually. Il may run down for a day
possibly, but
"My dear Phyllis" said a voice be-
hind his back, this is a pleasant sur
| prise. I had no idea that you were in
London"
A tall. clean n-shaven man stopped
beside the table. throwing a keen
glance at Drummond.
The world is full Of such surprises.
isn't it?' answered the girl lightly.
Il don't suppose you know Capt
Drummond, do you? Mr.. Lakington-l
art connoisseur and-er-collector"
The two men bowed slightly, and
Mr.. Lakington smiled. Il do not re-
member ever having heard my harm
less pastimes more concisely describ-
ed" he remarked suavely. "Are you
Not very, I'm afraid" answered
Drummond. Just recently 1 have
been rather too busy to pay much at
tention to art"
The other man smiled again, and it
struck Hugh that rarely, if ever, had
he seen such cold, .merciless face.
"Of course, you've been in France"
| Lakington murmured. Unfortunately
a bad heart kept me on this side of
i in
ways-regrets it immensely. Some
times I cannot help thinking how
\ wonderful it must have been to be
able to kill without fear of conse-
quences. There is art in killing, Capt.
Drummond-profound art. And as
| you know, Phyllis he turned to the
| girl, II have always been greatly at
tracted by anything requiring the
artistic touch" He looked at his
watch and sighed. ALAS! must tear
myself away Are you returning home
this evening""
| The girl, who had been glancing
round the restaurant, shrugged her
shoulders Probably" she answered.
II haven't quite decided. might stop
with Aunt Kate"
fortunate Aunt Kate" With a bow
Lakington turned away, and through
the glass Drummond watched him get
his hat and stick from the cloakroom.
Then he looked at the girl. and no
! dced that she had gone a little white.
whats the matter. old thing?" he
asked quickly. Are you feeling
faint"
She shook her head, and gradually
the color came back to her face.
| I'm quite all right" she answered
finding us here"
"On the face Of it, it seems a harm.
less occupation" said Hugh.
"On the face of it, perhaps" shl
said. But that man doesn't deal with
face values" With a short laugh she
turned to Hugh. You've stumbled
| right into the middle Of it. my friend
sooner than I anticipated.
That is one of the men you will prob.
ably have to kill.
Her companion lit anothe cigarette.
There is nothing like straightfor-
! ward candor," he grinned. Except
that I disliked his face and his man
| ner, I must admit that I saw moth
ing about him to necessitate my GO
ing to so much trouble. What is his
particular worry?"
First and foremost the brute wants
to marry me-" replied the girl.
Il loathe being obvious" said Hugh.
! but I am not surprised"
| But it isn't that that matters she
! went on. Il wouldn't marry him even
to save my life" She looked at Drum
mond quietly. Henry Lakington is
| the second most dangerous man in
England"
only the second" murmured Hugh.
| Then hadn't I better start my new
| career with the frst?"
She looked at him in silence. "I
| suppose you think that I'm hysteri-
| CAL" she remarked after a while.
You're probably even wondering
whether I'm all there"
Drummoned flicked the ash from his
| cigarette. then he turned to her dis
passionately. You must admit" he
| remarked. that up to now our con-
| versation has hardly proceeded along
| conventional lines. I am a complete
| stranger to you; another man, who is
| a complete stranger to me- speaks to
| you while we're at tea. You inform
| me that shall probably have to kill
| him in the near future. The statement
is. think you will agree. a trifle dis
concerting;"
The giry threw back her head and
| laughed /merrily. you poor young
man." she cried; put that way it
does sound alarming" Then she grew
serious again. There's plenty of
! time for you to back out now If you
like. Just call the waiter, and ask for
my BILL. Well say goodbye, and the
incident will finish"
She was looking at him gravelv as
she spoke. and it seemed to her COM
panion that there was an appeal in
the big blue eyes. And they were
very big, and the face they were set
in was very charminR-esneciar, Of