Evening star., 1921-04-05
CONTINUED From Yesterdays STAY

The girl fell silent. and Drummond
eyes. Things seemed to be rather
deeper than he had anticipated.
Then there was another case" She
was speaking again. DO you re-
| member that man who was found
dead in a railway carriage at Oxhey
station. He was an Italian-Gluseppe
by name; and the jury brought in
verdict of death from natural causes.
A month before he had an interview
with Lakington which took place IN
our house: because the Italian, being
a stranger, came to the wrong place.
and Lakington happened to be with
US at the time. The interview fin
ished with a fearful quarrel" She
turned to Drummond with a slight
smile. Not much evidence. is there?
Only 1 know that Lakington mur-
dered him. I know it, You may
you may think I'm exaggerating. l
don't mind if you do-because you
won't for long
Drummond did not answer imme-
diately. Against his saner judgment
he was beginning to be profoundly
impressed. and, at the moment he did
not quite know what to say. That the
girl herself firmly believed in what
she was telling him. he was certain;
the point was how much of 1t was
as she herself expressed it-fanciful
imagination.
what about this other man." he
asked at length.
"I can tell you very little about
him." she answered. He came to
the Elms-that is the name of LAX
He is about medium height and
rather thick-set: clean shaven. with
thick brown hair flecked slightly with
white. His forehead is broad. and his
eyes are a sort of cold grayblue.
But it's his hands that terrify me.
ruthless" She turned to him ap-
pealngly. "Oh. don't think I'm talk
ing wildly" she imp1ored. "He fright
ems me to death-that man: far. far
worse than Lakington. He would
stop at nothing to gain his ends, and
even I,akington himself knows that
Mr. Peterson is his master"
'Peterson"' murmured Drummond.
1T seems quite sound old English
name"
The girl laughed scornfully. ooh!
the name is sound enough. if it was
his real one. AS it is. it's about as
real as his daughter"
There is lady in the case, then?"
by the name of Irma." said the
girl briefly. She lies on a sofa in
more English than that waiter"
A faint smile f1ickered over her
companions face: he had formed
fairly vivid mental picture Of Irma.
Then he grew serious again.
"And what is it that makes you
think there's mischief ahead?" he
asked abruptly.
The girl shrugged her shoulders.
What the novelists call feminine
intuition. ! suppose" she answered
the last words very low. "He hardly
ever sleeps at night now: I hear
him pacing up and down his room
hour after hour. hour after hour.
Oh! it makes me mad. Don't
you understand? I've just go. to
got to get him away from those
devils. before he breaks down COM
pletely."
Drummond /. nodded. and looked
eyes. and. like every Englishman:
he detested a scene. While she had
been speaking he had made up his
mind what course to take. and now,
having outsat everybody else. he de-
cided that it was time for the inter-
view to cease. Already an early diner
was having cocktail. while Laking-
ton might return at any moment.
And If there was anything in what
she had told him. 1t struck him. that
it would be as well for that gentle
Il think" he said. wed better go.
My address is soA Half Moon street:
my telephone 1924 Mayfair. II any
thing happens. il ever you want me
at any hour OF the day or night
ring me up or write. II I'm not in
leave a message with my servant,
Denny. He is absolutely reliable.
The only other thing is your own
address,"
"The Larches. near Godalming,"
answered the girl, as they moved
toward the door. "Oh!5 II you only
knew the glorious relief of feeling
ones got some one to turn to ."
She looked at him with shining eyes,
and Drummond felt his pulse quicken
suddenly. Imagination or not, SO far
as her fears were concerned, the girl
was one of the loveliest things he
had ever seen.
asked, an they stood on the pave
ment but she shook her head.
'No, thank you. I'll go in that
taxi" She gave the man an ad-
dress and stepped in. while Hugh
stood bareheaded by the door.
Don't forget" he said, earnestly.
"Any time Of the day Or night. And
friends. % Can nth that BE- be dones In case ase
1 come and stay, you see."
She thought for a moment and
then nodded her head. "AN right"
she answered. We've met a lot in
London during the war"
With a grinding of gear wheels
the taxi drove off. leaving Hugh with
a vivid picture imprinted on his