The Holbrook news., 1921-09-02

! oOAlC us olCCA U Qol millionaires get friendly with Laking- ton. their health frequently does suf- fer.''
 But this paper says he's getting better" objected DrummOnd. "'Suf- ficiently recovered to conduct business as usual.'"
 If 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. 'Inci- dentally. how do you know he did?''
 "I asked at the Carlton this morn ing" she answered. 'I said I'd come after a job as typist for Mir. Potts. They told me at the inquiry office that he was i'll in bed and unable to see anybody. So I 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 sev- eral days. It may be that there's nothing in it; on the other hand, 1t may be that there's a lot. And it's only by following up every possible clue" she continued fiercely, that l can hope to beat those fiends 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, motiOnless figure seated by the chauffeur. The widest guess work certainly-nO vestige of proof ho, fHn thought stuck. And as he turned it oyer in his mind, almost prepared to laugh at himself for his credullty- milliOnaireS are not removed against their will, In broad daylight, from one of the biggest hotels in London, to sit in immOvable silence in an open car the door opened and an elderly man came in.
 Hugh rose. and the girl introduced the two men. "An old friend, daddy" she said. "You must have heard me speak of Captain DrummOnd."
 q don't recall the name at the mo- ment, my dear" he answered cOurte- ously-a fact which was hardly sur prising-'but fear Pm getting little forgetful You'll stop and have some dinner, of course"
 Hugh bowed. q should like to, Mir. Benton. Thank you very much. I'm afraid the hour of my call was little informal. but being round in these parts, I felt I 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 him from under lowered lids, saw him suddenly clench both hands in ges- ture of despair.
 It cannot be said that dinner was a meal of sparkling gaiety. MT. 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 one 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 if unconscious of anything pecu- liar he rambled on in his usual in consistent method, needless of wheth- CT 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 on 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 Films.
 At length the meal was over, and the maid. placing the decanter in front of Mir. Benton, withdrew from the room.
 You'll have a glass of port, Captain Drummond?" remarked bis host. re- moving the stopper, and pushing the bottle toward him. "An old pre-war wine which I can vOuch for"
 Hugh smiled. and even as he lifted the heavy old cut glass, he stiffened suddenly in his chair. A cry-half shout, half scream, and stified at once-had come echoing through the open windows. With crash the stopper fell from Mir. Benton's nerve less fingers, breaking the finger-bowl in front of him, while every vestige of color left his face.
 "It's something these days to be able to say that" remarked Hugh, pouring out himself a glass. ''Wine, Miss Benton" He looked at the girl, who was staring fearfully out of the window, and forced her to meet his eye Tt will do you good"
 His tone was compelling, and after moments hesitation, she pushed the glass over to him. twill you pour it out?" she said, and he saw that she was trembling all over.
 Did you-did you hear-anything?" With a vain endeavor to speak calmly, his host looked at Hugh.
 "That night-bird?" he answered easily. "Eerie noises they make, don't they? Sometimes in France, when everything was still, and only the ghostly green flares went missing up, one used to hear 'em. Startled nerv- ous sentries out of their lives" He talked on, and gradually the color came back to the other mans face