The Holbrook news., 1921-08-26
TWO.

The 30 h.p. two-seater made short
 work of the run to Godalming. As Drummond thought of the two guns
 rolled up carefully in his pajamas- the harmless toy and the wicked little autOmatic-he grinned gently to him. self The girl had not rung him up during the morning, and after a com fortable lunch at his club. he had started about three o'clock The hedges, fresh with the glory of spring. flashed past; the smell of the country came sweet and fragrant on the air. There was a gentle warmth, a balm mess in the day that made 1t good to be alive, and once or twice he sang under his breath through sheer light heartedness of spirit. Surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the fields. with an occasional village half hidden by great trees from under which the tiny houses peeped out. 1t seemed impos sible that crime could exist-Iaugh- able. Of course the thing was hoax. an elaborate leg-pull, but being not guilty of any mental subterfuge. Hugh DrummOnd admitted to himself quite truly that he didn't care a d-n if 1t was. Phyllis Benton was at liberty to continue the jest, wherever and whenever she liked. Phyllis Benton was a very nice girl. and very nice girls are permitted lot of latitude.
 A persistent honking behind aroused him from his reverie. and he pulled into the side of the road.
 An open cream-colored Rolls-Royce drew level. with five people on board. and he looked up as 1t passed. There were three people in the back-two men and woman. and for a moment his eyes met those of the man near est him. Then they drew ahead. and DrummOnd pulled up to avoid the thick cloud of dust.
 With a slight frown he stared at the retreating car; he saw the man lean over and speak to the other man: he saw the other man look around. Then bend in the road hid them from sight. and still drowning. Drummond pulled out his case and lit a cigarette. For the man whose eye he mad caught as the Rolls went by was Henry Lakington. There was no mistakin5 that hard-Iipped. cruel face.
 Presumably, thought Hugh, the other two occupants were Mir. Peter son and the doubtful daughter. Irma Presumably they were returning to The Films. And incidentally there seemed no pronounced reason why they shouldn't. But. somehow, the sudden appearance of Lakington had upset him; he felt irritable and annoyed. | What little he had seen of the man he had not liked; he did not want | to be reminded of him, especially just | as he was thinking of Phyllis.
 He watched the white dust-cloud | rise over the hill in front as the car | topped it; he watched 1t settle and | drift away in the faint breeze. Then | he let in his clutch and followed | quite slowly in the big cars wake
 There had been two men in front the driver and another, and he won- dered idly if the latter was MT. Ben ton. He accelerated up the hill and swung over the top; the next mo- ment he braked hard and pulled up just in time. The Rolls, with the chauffeur peering into the bonnet, had stopped in such a position that it was for him to get by.
 The girl was still seated in the back of the car, also the passenger in front. but the two other men were in the road apparently watch ing the chauffeur, and after a while the one whom Drummond had recog- nized as Lakington came toward him.
 'tI'm sorry," he began-and then