The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-12-08


rad ii e8ther" Tie. looked 81 Peter
500 critically "rm inclined 70 think
It's great pity ! didn't hreak youf
ne~f willie ! aas ahou; a." Hugh
sighed and drank some cofTee ! see
nat shah have "a DO il ~0me aay
and probably Iakington's as wea
Hs fhe way. how is our Henryf
trust MS Jaw i not updl's sAeoa
venlencIng him.
Peterson. with Ms cnTee cup in his
hand was storing down the drive
ayour ear Is 5 little early Captain
prammond." he said AZ length How
ever perhaps Il can uait two or three
minute, while Ne get matters perfect
Is clear should dislike you not
knowing where sou stand He turned
round and faced the soldier eu
have deliberately against my advice.
elected 10 tight me and the Interests
I feep.seut So be- r. From now Oh
m. gloves are 90 You embarked IN
This course from q spirit ~ adventure.
N the iualsation o. the girl next
door. She. poor little fool, Is CON
cerued over that drunken waster-- her
father She asked you 10 help her
you agreed. and, amazing though Il
may seem, up to now you have scored
a certain measure OF success. adj
init IL, and | admire you for II. ]
apologize now for having played the
fool with you lat night. you're the
type Of man whom one should XIII out
right-or leave alone
lie set down his coffee cup and care
fully shipped the end OF a cigar,
You are also the type Of man who
will continue on the path he has start
ed You are completely IN the dark
you have no idea Whatever what you
are up a-uIusu lie smiied zrmls
and turned abruptly on Hugh. "lon
fool--you stupid young fool. DO you
really imagine that you can beat met
The soldier rose and stood In front
OF him.
II have few remarks OF my own 10
make" he answered, "and then We
might consider the interview closed.
ask nothing better than that the gloves
should be off-thqSgh with your tilthy
methods Of fighting, anything you
touch will get very dirty. As YOU
say, am completely in the dark as 10
your plans; but have a pretty shrewd
Idea what I'm up against. Men who
can employ thumbscrew on poor
defenseless brute seem 10 me TO be
several degrees worse than an aborigi-
nal cannibal, and therefore II put
you down as one of the lowest types
of degraded criminal ! shall not be
very wide of the mark. There's no
good you snarlng AT me, you swine
II does everybody good 10 hear some
home tr>ths-and don't forget II was
you who pulled off the gloves"
Drummond lit a cigarette; then his
merciless eyes fixed themselves again
on Peterson.
There is only one thing more" he
continued. you have kindly warned
me OF my danger; let me give you
word Of advice in my turn. I'm going
to fight you; II ] can. I'm going to
beat you. Anything that may happen
TO me is part Of the game. But II
anything happens to Miss Benton dur
ing the course Of operations then. as
surely as there is God above, Peter
son, TIL get at you somehow and muir
der you with my own hands"
For a few moments there was ST.
ience. and then with short laugh
Drummond turned away. Shall we
meet again soon7" He paused AZ the
door and looked back.
Peterson was still standing by the
table. his face expressionless. VERY
soon, indeed. young man." he said
quietly. very soon indeed. :"
Hugh stepped out into the warm
sunshine and spoke TO his chauffeur.
"Take her out into the main road,
Jenkins" he said, "and wait for me
outside the entrance 10 the next house.
I shan't be long"
Then he strolled through the gar
den toward the little wicket-gate
that led 10 The Larches. Phyllis
The thought OF her was singing In his
heart 10 the exclusion OF everything
else. Just a few minutes with her;
Just the touch Of her hand. the faint
smell Of the scent she used-and then
back 10 the game
He had almost reached the gate.
when. with q sudden crashing in the
underground Jem Smith Numbered out
into the path His naturally rudy
face was white, and he stared round
fearfuly.
"Gawd sir" he cried. mind out
Ave yer seen ~"
"Seen what. jenny" asked Drum
mond.
THAT there brute. rs escaped
and n e meets a stranger" He
left the sentence unfinished, and
stood listening From somewhere
behind the house came deep
throated, snarling roar; then the
clang Of a paddock shooting home IN
metal. followed by a series Of heavy
thuds as II some big animal was hurl-
Ing itself against the bars Of cage.
saTbevfve got IT," muttered Jem.