The Washington times., 1921-09-04
(Continued from Preceding Pd0e)

Daimler; ana i went Dack nome q
little later, leaving instructions for
word to be sent to me II anything
turned up unexpectedly. But of
this there seemed little hope.
was thoroughly tired by the ex.
citement of the day and the long
hanging about, which I often think
takes more out of one than any
amount OF honest exercise and real
ly doing something; and 30 was
Ann. But We were both nightly
cheered up in the middle of dinner
by a telegram from Lincoln Osgood
to say that he had arrived in Lon
don and would be with us the fol.
lowing afternoon.
No news could have been more
welcome at any time, but II was
more than ever so at such a juno
ture, when ] felt the need Of q
friend to talk things over with;
and ! knew what a profound in
terest he would take in the extra
ordinary mystery, though / did not
then imagine that It would be he
who would hold the key to It, and
put his finger with bold, unerring
instinct upon the unthinkable clue
which was battling the cleverest
detective brains in the whole coun-
try.
After dinner smoked a large,
soothing cigar in front of the -blaz-
ing wood fire in the hall, glad to be
cosy and indoors with the outside
elements shut out; and naturally
we talked over the strange events
of the day and the mysterious fate
of Tony Burlington and Miss Yvette
st. Clair, whom we had seen in
the revue at the Castle" only a
month previously little dreaming
what the morrow was going to
bring forth TO link us both up so
much more closely with the weird
affair.
Anyhow the Brighton Road will
be well patrolled tonight" I said,
as I kissed Ann good night soon
after ten, when we both felt quite
ready for bed; and. sensation or no
sensation, / must confess to having
dropped off to sleep almost at once
and slept soundly all night.
I was up again at six the next
morning thoroughly refreshed. and
was on the spot again by seven,
after an early breakfast. Fortu-
nately, It was lovely morning,
bright and warm, with the sun
shining; and 1t seemed to infuse q
spirit of optimism. which had been
sadly damped by the weather and
lack of success the day before, into
Inspector Mutton and his now con-
siderable army of policemen and
officials. both in uniform and in
plain clothes.
Nothing, learned, had trans
pired in the might, and we were
doomed to. another futile morning
which led to nothing, kicking our
heels and reading the sensational
articles in the London and Brighton
papers, which ran to columns in
each, mainly imaginative journal
ese, eliminating in the trite assur-
ance that the police had the matter
we'll in hand, but were not in a posi-
tion at the moment to issue any
statement.
Fed up with doing nothing, re-
turned to the house about noon for
an early lunch, hungry after nv
six-thirty breakfast and long morn
ing in the open air.
When I had finished I tried to
settle down. but somehow I could
not; and something seemed to
draw me back to the spot irresisti.
bly,. So. whistling to my wire
haired terrier, Whiskers, who is
ever my constant companion in nv
perambulations round the estate, I
decided to walk down through the
woods, putting a flask and plenty
of tobacco in my pockets, mindful
OF the discomforts Of the previous
afternoon, and leaving orders for
Wilson to pick me up with the car
in good time to meet Lincoln Os-
good at Crawley.
Ann volunteered to accompany
me part Of the way. and I was only
too delighted to have her company.
We walked through the gardens,
examining the progress Of the
bulbs as we went, and let ourselves
out into the park by the little gate
at the corner. striking across dag
onally to the left through the
woods.
About halfway, where they are
thickest, under half a mile to the
left OF the Dover House, Ann sud-
denly stopped.
II don't think I will come any
farther with you, DEAR" she said.
II don't want to get among the
crowd or go to the place ITSELF"
/ agreed with her thoroughly and
nodded my approval.
w think I'll go across to the
Dover House and fetch Dorothy
back to spend the afternoon with
me. It won't be so lonely with you
away"
"Quite a good !dea," I assented
"I'll take you across to
the bridle-path and 60 that way.