The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-08-26

a. IAAn6o hbLhAiAh6 oh Az ObhOA oiAO,
and If il hadn't been for the Captain
here and his friends, they'd be hum
ming STILL"
I'm obliged to you, sir" said the
American, speaking for the first time
to Hugh. The words we're slow and
hesitating, as If he was not quite ure
Of his voice. II seem to remember
your face he continued, "as part of
the awful nightmare I've suffered the
last few days-or Is 1t weeks? / seem
to remember having seen you, and you
were always kind"
That's all over now, Mr.. Potts" said
Hugh gently. "You got into the
clutches Of the most Internal gang Of
swine, and we've been trying to get
you out again" He looked at him
quietly. do you think you can re-
member enough to tell US what hap
pened at the beginning? Take your
time" he urged. There's no hurry"
The millionaire passed his hand daz-
edly over his forehead.
II was stopping at the Carlton" he
began, with Granger, my secretary.
l sent him over to Belfast on a ship
ping deaI and" He paused and
looked round the group. where is
Granger?" he asked.
"Mr. Granger was murdered in Bel
fast, Mr.. Potts" said Drummond quiet
ly, "by a member of the gang that
kidnapped you"
Murdered! Jimmy Granger MUIR
dered !" He almost cried in his weak
ness. what did the swine want to
murder him for?"
Because they wanted you alone"
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
darlington! That was the name OF
the man l met at the Carlton. And
then there was another . Peter
Peterson. That's IT. We all
dlned together, | remember, and it
was after dinner, In my private sitting
room, that Peterson put up his propo-
sitiOn to me. . 1t was a sugges-
ton that he thought would appeal to
me as q business man. He said-what
vas it?-that he could produce q gil
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 q lot of the British
carrying trade. He wanted two hun
dred and fifty thousand pounds to do
it, paid n month after the result was
obtained. Said there were others
in it. . ="
"On that valuation" interrupted the
detective, thoughtfully, at makes n
million pounds sterling" and Drum
mond nodded. "Yes, Mr.. Potts; and
then?"
II 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 / felt something prick my arm.
And after that l can't remember any
thing clearly. Your face, sir"-he
turned to Drummond-"comes to me
out Of a kind Of dream and yours, too"
he added to Darrell. But 1t was like
a long. dreadful nightmare, In which
vague things, over which 1 had no
power, kept happening, until I woke up
last night in this gentleman's house."
He bowed to Ted birmingham, who
grinned cheerfully.
"And mighty glad / was to hear you
talking 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. at was just part of the
dream"
ut shows the strength Of the drug
those swine used on YOU" said Drum
mond grimly. "You went there in an
airplane, Mr.. Potts"
"An airplanel' cried the other in
amazement. 81 don't remember it.
I've got no recollection of 1t whatever.
There's only one other thing that / can
lay hold Of, and that's all dim and
muzzy. Pearls. great rope
Of pearls. . . . I was to sign a paper;
and / wouldn't. . / did once, and
then there was a shot and the light
went out, and the paper disappeared.
.. :"
"It's at my bank at this moment, Mr..
Potts." said Hugh; 81 took that paper,
or part of it, that night"
did your" The millionaire looked
at him vaguely. II was to promise
them a million dollars when they had
done what they said. . l remember
that. And the pearl necklace.
-. . the duchess Of :" He paused
and shook his head YEARLY.
1.-The duchess Of L~ampshire's?"
prompted Hugh.
That's It," said the other. 1.-THE
duchess of Lampshire's. 1t was say
ing that I wanted her pearls, / think,
and would ask no questions as to how
they were got"
1 The dntectivo pr1,pted