The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-05-20


YOU" she said. "Have you seen the
evening papers today?"
Il looked at the ones that come out
in the morning labeled six p. m; be-
fore | had lunch" he answered. us
there anything Of INTEREST,""
She handed him a copy of the
Planet. Read that little paragraph
in the second column" She pointed
to it, as he took the paper, and Hugh
read it aloud.
Mr.. Hiram c.. Potts-the celebrat-
ed American millionaire-is progress
ing favOrably. He has gone into the
country for a few days, but is suf-
f~iciently recovered to conduct business
as usual" He laid down the paper
and looked at the girl sitting opposite.
zone is pleased" he remarked in a
puzzled tone, ''for the sake of Mr..
Potts. To be i'll and have a name
like that Is more than most men
could stand. g.. . But I don't quite
see =.
THAT man was stopping at the
Carlton, where he met Lakington,"
said the girl. Gle is a multi-mil-
lionaire, over here in connection with
some big steel trust and when multi
millionaires get friendly with Laking-
ton, their health frequently does suf-
fer"
'But this paper says he's getting
better" objected DrummOnd. "'Suf
ticiently recovered to conduct business
as usual"
'lf he is sufficiently recovered to
conduct business as usual, why did he
send his confidential secretary away
yesterday morning on an urgent mis-
sion TO Belfast?"
search me-" said Hugh. Incl
dentally. how do you know he did?'
81 asked at the Carlton this morn
ing" she answered. II said I'd come
after a job as typist for Mr.. Potts.
They told me at the inquiry Office that
he was i'll in bed and unable to see
anybody. SO l asked for his secre-
tary, and they told me what I've just
told you-that he had left for Belfast
that morning and would be away sew
eral days. 1t may be that there's
nothing in IL; on the other hand, it
may be that there's a lot. And it's
only by following up every possible
clue" she continued fiercely, that /
can hope to beat those fends and get
daddy out of their clutches"
DrummOnd nodded gravely, and did
not speak. For into his mind had
flashed suddenly the remembrance Of
that sinister, m~otiOnlesS figure seated
by the chauffeur. The widest guess
work certainly-no vestige Of proof
and yet, having once come, the
thought stuck. And as he turned it
over in his mind, almost prepared to
laugh at himself for his credulity-
millionaires are not removed against
their will, in broad daylight, from n
Of the biggest hotels in London, to sit
in immovable silence In an open a
the door opened and an elderly man
came in.
Hugh rose, and the girl introduced
the two men. can old friend, daddy"
she said. you must have heard me
speak Of Captain Drummond."
II don't recall the name at the mo-
ment, my dear" he answered courte-
ously-a fact which was hardly sur
prising-"but / fear I'm getting a little
forgetful. You'll stop and have some
dinner, Of course"
Hugh bowed. 81 should like to, Mr..
Benton. Thank you very much. I'm
afraid the hour of my call was a little
informal, but being round in these
parts, / felt l must come and look
Miss Benton up"
His host smiled absentmindedly,
and walking to the window, stared
through the gathering dusk at the
house opposite, half hidden In the
trees. And Hugh, who was watching
MIN from under lowered lids, saw him
suddenly clench both hands in a ges-
ture of despair.
1t cannot be said that dinner vas
a meal of sparkling gaiety. Mr.. Ben
ton was palpably i'll at ease, and be-
yond a few desultory remarks spoke
hardly at all while the girl, who sat
opposite Hugh. though she made n
or two valiant attempts to break the
long %silences, spent most Of the meal
in covertly watching her father. If
anything more had been required to
convince Drummond Of the genuine
ness of his interview with her at the
Carlton the preceding day, the atmos-
phere at this strained and silent party
supplied it.
AS II unconscious Of anything pecu-
liar he rambled on In his usual in
consistent method, needless Of wheth-
err he was answered or not; but all
the time his mind was busily working.
He had already decided that a Rolls
Royce was not the only car IN the
market which could break down mys-
teriously, and with the town so far
away, his host could hardly fail to
ask him TO stop the night. And then
he had not yet quite settled how
he proposed to have a closer look at
The Elms.
At length the meal was over, and
the maid. placing the decanter in
front Of Mr.. Benton, withdrew from