The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-09-01

sheer fiuke on his part, that a man
dawdling by the counter aroused his
suspicious. He was a perfectly or
binary man, chatting casually with
the girl on the other side; but it
CHANGED that, just as Hugh Was hold
ing the postofiiee pencil up, and gag
ing at its so-called point with an air
OF resigned anguish, the perfectly or
binary man ceased chatting and
looked at him. Hugh caught his eye
for a fleeing second; then the con-
versatiOn continued. And as he turned
TO pull out the pad of forms, it struck
him that the man had looked away
just a trifie too quickly.
A grin spread slowly over his face,
and after a moments hesitation he
proceeded TO compose a short wire.
He wrote it in black letters for addi-
uOnal clearnesS; he also pressed his
hardest. as befitting a blunt pencil.
Then with the form in his hand he ad-
vanced TO the counter.
How long will it take TO deliver
in LondOn?' he asked the girl.
The girl was not helpful. 1t de-
pended, he gathered, on a variety Of
circumstances, of which not the least
was the perfectly ordinary man who
talked so charmingly.
Il don't think I'll bother, then"
he said. thrusting the wire into his
pocket. Good morning. :"
He walked 10 the door, and shortly
afterward his car rolled down the
street
With what the girl considered pecu-
liar abrupncSS. the perfectly ordinary
man concluded his conversation with
her, ana decided that he TOO would
send wire. And then, after a long
and thoughtful pause at the writing
bench, she distinctly heard an unmis-
taxable Oh" Then he walked out,
and she saw him no more.
Moreover. il is to be regretted that
the perfectly ordinary man told Il lie
a little later in the day, when giving
his report 10 some one whose neck ap-
parently Inconvenience him greatly
But then lie is frequently more
tactful than the truth, and TO have
announced that the sole result of his
mornings labOrS had been to decipher
a wire addressed 10 The Films. which
contained the cryptic remark, "Stung
again. stiff neck. stung again." would
not have been tactful. So he lied,
as has been stated. thereby showing
his wisdom.
But though DrummOnd chuckled to
himself as the car rushed through the
fresh morning air, once or twice a
CLEAN that was not altogether amuse-
ment shOne in his eyes. For four
years he had played one game where
no mistakes were allowed; the little
incident of the pOstOffice had helped
TO bring Ia his mind the certainty
that he had now embarked on another
where the conditions were much the
same. That he had scored up to date
was luck rather than good manage
ment, and he was far too shrewd not
TO realize il. Now he was marked,
and luck with a marked man cannot
be tempted too far.
Alone and practically unguarded he
had challenged a gang of international
criminals; Il gang not only utterly I'M
scrupulOuS, but controlled by a mas
ter mind. OF its power as yet he had
no clear idea; of its size and imme-
date object he had even less. Per-
hapS II was as we'll. Had he realized
even dimly the immensely of the is
sues he was up against, had he had
but an inkling of he magnitude Of
the plot conceived in the sinister brain
Of his host of the previous evening.
then, CHEEKY Optimist though he was.
even Hugh Drummond might have
wayered. But he had no such inkling.
and so the CLEAN in his eyes was but
transitory, the chuckle that succeeded
it more whOle-hearted than before.
Was it not sport in a land flowing
with strikes and profteers; sport such
as his soul loved?
Il am afraid. MuIlings." he said
as his car stopped in front of his
club. that the kindly gentleman with
whom we spent last night has re-
pudiated his obligations. He refuses
10 meet the bill I gave him for your
services. Just wait here a moment"
He went inside. returning in a few
moments with a folded check.
Round the corner, Mullings, and
an obliging fellah in a black coat will
shovel you out the necessary Brad
burys."
The man glanced at the check.
Fifty pounds, sir!' he gasped.
"Why-it's too much, sir.
l
1.-The labOrer. AIullings, is worthy
OF his hire. You have been OF the
very greatest assistance to me; and
incidentally, it is more than likely that
I may want you again. Now, where
can get hold OF your
"13 Green Street, 'Oxton, sir, II al
ways find me. And any time. sir. as
you wants me, I'd like to come just
for the sport OF the thing"
Hugh grinned.
Good lad. And 1t may be sooner
than you think"