Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-10-12

In which thankfulness and apprehen-
sion seemed mingled the girl left the
room There was an unnatural gilt
ter in her fathers eyes-a flush on his
cheeks hardly to be accounted for by
the warmth of the evening; and
1t struck DrummOnd that during the
time he had been pretending to look
at his car, Mr. Benton had been forti-
flying himself. 1t was obvious, even
to the soldiers unprofessional eye,
that the mans nerves had gone to
pieces, his daughters worst forebOd-
ingS were likely to be fulfilled. He
talked disjointedly and fast; his
to be always waiting for something
to happen.
Hugh had not been in the room ten
minutes before his host produced the
whisky, and during the time that he
took to drink a mild nightcap, Mr.
Benton succeeded in lowering three
extremely strong glasses of spirit
And what made it the more sad was
that the man was obviously not a
heavy drinker by preference.
At eleven o'clock Hugh rose and
said good night.
You'll ring if you want anything,
won't y0u?" said his host. 1--WE don't
have very many visitors here, but l
hope you'll find everything you re-
quire. Breakfast at nine."
Drummond closed the door behind
him, and stood for a moment in
silence, looking round the hall. 1t
was deserted, but he wanted to get
the geography Of the house firmly inn
printed on his mind. He stepped
across toward the drawing-room. In
side, as he hoped, he found the girl.
She rose the instant he came in,
and stood by the mantelpiece with her
hands locked.
"What was it?" she half whispered
that awful noise at dinnerY'
He looked at her gravely for
while, and then he shook his head.
"Shall we leave it as a night-bird for
the PRESENT.? he said quietly. Then
he leaned toward her, and took her
hands in his own. go to bed, little
girl" he ordered; "this is my show
And, may l say I think you're just
wonderful. Thank God you saw my
advertisement y
Gently he released her hands, and
walking to the door, held it open for
her. IF by any chance you should
hear things in the night-turn over
and go to sleep again.
But what are you going to do?"
she cried
Hugh grinned. 81 haven't the re-
hottest idea" he answered. Doubt
less the Lord will provide"
The instant the girl had left the
room Hugh switched off the lights, and
stepped across to the curtains which
covered the long windows. He pulled
them aside, letting them come to-
gether behind him; then, cautiously,
he unbOlted one side of the big cen
fer window Silently he lodged across
the lawn toward the big trees at
the end, and leaning up against one
of them, he proceeded to make a more
detailed survey of his objective, The
Elms. 1t was the same type of house
as the one he had just left, and the
grounds seemed about the same size.
A wire fence separated the two places,
and In the darkness Hugh could just
make out a small wicket-gate, clos
ing path which connected both
houses. He tried it, and found to his
satisfaction that it opened silently.
Save for one room on the ground
floor the house was in darkness, and
Hugh determined to have look at
that room. There was chipk in the
curtains through which the Ii ght was
streaming out, which struck him as
having possibilities.
Keeping under cover, he edged
toward it, and, at length, he got into
a position from which he could see
inside. And what he saw made him
decide to chance it, and go even closer.
Seated at the table was a man he
did not recognize; while on either
side Of him sat darlington and Peter
son. Lying on a sofa smoking a
cigarette and reading a novel was
tall dark girl, who seemed completely
uninterested in the proceedings of
the other three: Hugh placed her
at once as the doubtful daughter Irma,
and resumed his watch on the group
at the table.
A paper was in front of the man,
and Peterson, who was smoking
large cigar, was apparently suggest
ing that he should make use of the
pen which darlington was Obligingly
holding in readiness. In all respects
a harmless tableau, save for one small
thing-the expression on the mans
face. Hugh had seen it before often
only then it had been called shell
shock. The man was dazed, semi
unconscious. Every now and then he
Storad rouDd the room as if he-