The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-06-02
girl, and noticed that she had gone q

asked quickly. Are you feeling
faintT'
She shook her head, and gradually
the color came back to her face. "Tn
quite all right" she answered. TT gave
me rather Il shock, that man finding us
here. You've stumbled right into the
middle Of 1t, my friend-rather sooner
than / anticipated. That Is one Of the
men you will probably have to kill. y
Her companion lit another cigarette.
"What is his particular worryY
First and foremost the brute wants
to marry me-" replied the girl.
~ loathe being obvious" said Hugh,
but | am not surprised"
'But it isn't that that matters" She
looked at DrummOnd quietly. Henry
Lexington is the second most danger
Gus nan In England"
"Only the second" murmured Hugh.
"Then hadn't l better start my career
with the tirst?'
She looked at him In silence. IT
suppose you think that I'm hysterical,"
she remarked after a while. You're
probably even wondering whether I'm
all there"
Drummond fllcked the ash from his
cigarette, then he turned to her dis
~passionately. You must admit" he
remarked, that up to now u CONVEX
sation has hardly proceeded along
conventional lines. l am a complete
stranger to you; another man who Is
a complete stranger to me speaks to
you while we're at tea. You inform
me that l shall probably have to kill
him in the near future. The state
ment is, l think you will agree, a
trife disconcerting."
The girl threw pack her head and
laughed merrily. You poor young
man." she cried put that way 1t does
sound alarming" Then she grew Sc
rious again. There's plenty Of time
for you to back out now If you like"
She was looking at him gravely as
she spoke, and 1t seemed to her COM
panion that there was an appeal In
the big blue eyes. And they were very
big: and the face they were set in was
very charming-especially at the angle
1t was tilted at, in the half-light Of the
room. Altogether, Drummond reflect
ed, a most adorable girl. And ador-
able girls had always been q hobby Of
his. Probably darlington possessed a
letter Of hers or something, and she
wanted him to get 1t back. OF course
he would, even II ne had to thrash the
swine to within an inch Of his life.
SWELL" The girls voice cut into
his train of thought and he hurriedly
pulled himself together.
The last thing l want Is for the
incident to finish" he said %fervently.'
"Why-it's only just begun"
Then you'll help me?"
That's what I'm here for" With a
smile Drummond lit another cigarette.
Tell me all about It," ,
The trouble" she began after a mo-
ment, sis that there Is not very much
to tell. At present it is largely guess
work, and guess work without much Of
a clue. However, to start with, l had
better tell you what sort Of men you
are up against. Firstly, Henry LAX
ington-the man who spoke to me. He
was, l believe, one Of the most brilliant
scientists who has ever been up at
Oxford. There was nothing, in his
W line, which would not have been
open to him, had he run straight. But
he didn't. He deliberately chose to
turn his brain to crime. Not vulgar,
common sorts Of crime-but the big
things, calling for a master criminal.
He has always had enough money to
allow him to take his time Over any
coup-tO perfect his details. And
that's what he loves. He Is quite I'M
scrupulous; he is only concerned in
pitting himself against the world and
winning"
can engaging fellah," said Hugh.
"What particular form Of crime does
he favOr?"
Anything that calls for brain, iron
nerve, and refinement of detail" she
answered. principally, up to date,
burglary on a big scale, and murder"
my dear soul !" said Hugh incredu-
lousy. How can you be sure? And
why don't you tell the police?"
She smiled YEARLY. Because I've
got no proof, and ever If / had . q. :"
She gave a little shudder, and left her
sentence unfinished. But n day, my
father and / were in his house, and,
by accident, l got into a room I'd new
err been in before. On a desk lay
some miniatures, and, without think
ing, l picked them up and looked at
them. l happen to know something
about miniatures, and, to my horror, 1
recognized them. Do you remember
the theft of the celebrated Vatican
miniatures belonging to the duke Of
MelbOurne?'
Drummond nodded; he Was begin
ming to feel interested.
'"They were the ones / was holding
In my hand" she said quietly. and
Just as l was wondering what on earth
to do, the man himself walked into
the room"
Awkward - deuced awkward"