The Holbrook news., 1921-09-02
CHAPTER II-continued.

CHAPTER II-continued.
 Hes so motIonless." answered Hugh. 'The bally fellow hasn't moved a muscle since I've been here. I believe he'd sit on a hornets nest, and leave the inmates guessing. Great gift, Mir. LakingtOn. Shows strength of will but rarely met with-a mind which rises above mere vulgar cu- riosity."
 Tt is undoubtedly a great gift to have such mind. Captain Drum mOnd." said Lakington. And if 1t isn't born In a man, he should most certainly try to cultivate it. Shall we be seeing you this evening?"
 Drummond shrugged his shoulders. ~I'm the vaguest man that ever lived" he said lightly. T might be listen ing to nightingales in the country ; or I might be consuming steak and onions preparatory to going to a night club. So long. |. Hope you don't break down again so suddenly"
 He watched the ROlls-ROyce start, but seemed in no hurry to follow suit. And his many friends, who were wont to regard Hugh DrummOnd as a mass of braWn not too plentifully supplied with brains. would have been pug zied had they seen the look of keen concentratIon on his face, as he stared along the white dusty road. He could not say why. but suddenly and very certainly the conviction had come to him that this was no hoax and no III In his imagination he heard the sud den sharp order to stop the instant they were over the hill, so that Peter son might have a chance of inspect ing him; in a flash of intuition he knew that these two men were no ordinary people, and that he was sus- pect. Two thoughts were dominant in his mind The first was that there was some mystery about the motion less, unnatural man who had sat be- side the driver; the second was a dis tinct feeling of relief that his auto madc was fully loaded
 THREE.
 At half-past five he stopped in front of GodaIming pOstOflce. To his sur prise the girl handed him a wire, and Hugh tore the yellow envelope open quickly. It was from Denny, and it was brief and to the point:
 Phone message received. AAA. Must see you Carlton ten day after tomorrow Going Godalming now. AAA. Message ends"
 With slight smile he noticed the military aseOlOgy-Denny at one time in his career had been a signaler and then he drowned. Must see you" She shouId-at once.
 He turned to the girl and inquired the way to The Larches. It was about two miles, he gathered, on the GulIdford road. and impossible to miss A biggish house standing well back Tn its own grounds.
 'Is it anywhere near a house called The EIms?" he asked.
 Next door. sir" said the girl. "The gardens adjoin."
 He thanked her, and having torn up the telegram into small pieces he got into his car. There was nothing for it, he had decided, but to drive boldly up to the house, and say that he had come to call on Miss Benton. He had never been a man who beat about the bush, and simple methods appealed to nina trait in his char acter which many a boxer, addicted 10 tortuous cunning in the ring, had good cause to remember What more natural, he reflected than to drive over and see such an old friend?
 He had no difficulty in finding the house, and a few minutes later he was ringing the frOnt-dOor bell. It was answered by a maidservant.
 "Is Miss Benton in?" Hugh asked with a smile which at once won the girls heart.
 "She has only just come back from London, sir" she answered doubtfully -T dan't know whether . :"
 "Woufd you tell her that Captain DrummOnd called?" said Hugh as the maid hesItated. "That happened to find myself near here, and came on chance of seeing herr"
 Once again the smile was called into play. and the girl hesitated no longer. twill you come inside, sirT" she said. q will go and tell Miss Phyllis"
 She ushered him into the draw Ing-room and closed the door. It was a charming room, just such as he would have expected with Phyllis. Big windows. opening down to the ground, Jed out on to a lawn, which was al- ready a blaze of color. A few great