The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-07-16
CHAPTER II-continued.

Hes SO motionless," answered
Hugh. 1.-The balIy fellow hasn't
moved a muscle since I've been here
/ believe he'd sit on a hornets nest
and leave the inmates guessing. Great
gift, Mr.. darlington. Shows a strength
of will but rarely met with-a mind
which rises above mere vulgar Gu
riOSity."
1T Is undoubtedly a great gift to
have such a mind, Captain Drum
mond," said darlington. "And if it
isn't born in man, he should most
certainly try TO cultivate it. Shall
We be seeing you this EVENING""
DrummOnd shrugged his shoulders.
I'm the vagueSt man that ever lived"
he said lightly. 81 might be listen
Ing to nightingales in the country
or l might be consuming steak and
onions preparatory to going to a night
club. So long. . Hope you don't
break down again so suddenly"
He watched the Rolls-Royce start.
but seemed in no hurry to follow suit.
And his many friends, who were wont
TO regard Hugh DrummOnd as a mass
of Drawn not too plentifully supplied
with brains, would have been puz-
zled had they seen the look of keen
concentration on his face. as he stared
along the white dusty road. He could
not say why. but suddenly and very
certainly the conviction had come to
him that this was no hoax and no
leg-puli-but grim anu sober reality.
In his imagination he heard the sud-
den sharp order to stop the instant
they were over the hill, so that Peter
son might have a chance of inspect |
ing him; In q flash Of intuition he |
knew that these two men were no |
ordinary people, and that he was sus-
pect. Two thoughts were dominant |
In his mind. The first was that there
was some mystery about the motion
less, unnatural man who had sat be-
side the driver; the second was a dis
tinct feeling of relief that his auto
matte was fully loaded.
THREE.
At half-past five he stopped in front
Of GOdalming pOstoffice. To his sur
prise the girl handed him a wire, and
Hugh tore the yellow envelope open
quickly. 1t was from Denny, and it
was brief and to the point:
"Phone message received. AAA.
Must See you Carlton tea day after
tomorrow. Going Godalming now.
AAA. Message ends"
With a slight smile he noticed the
military hraseology-Denny at one
ime in his career had been a signaler
and then he frowned. Must see
'ou." She shouldn't once.
He turned to the girl and inquired
he way to The Larches. 1t was
bout two miles, he gathered, on the
iuildford road, and impossible to
Mss. A bigglsh house standing we'll
ack in its own grounds
els IT anywhere near a house called =
he Elms?" he asked.
"Next door, sir" said the girl. 'The Y
ardens adjoin." +
He thanked her, and having torn !.
p the telegram into small pieces he =
OF into his car. There was nothing
,r 1t, he had decided, but to drive
Dldly up to the house, and say that ?
2 had come to call on Miss Benton. =
e had never been a man who beat
bout the bush, and simple methods =
)pealed to him-a trait in his char =
ter which many a boxer, addicted :,
tortuous cunning In the ring, had -
'od cause to remember. What more
ltural, he reflected, than to drive
'er and see such an old friend?
He had no difficulty in finding the :.
use, and few minutes later he
as ringing the frOnt-door bell. It :,
rs answered by a maidservant. =.
"Is Miss Benton in?" Hugh asked ~,
tn a smile which at once won the
rs heart. n,
"She has only just come back from IN
ndon, sir" she answered doubtfully. n
don't know whether =" 10
would you tell her that Captain
calledT said Hugh as the cd
i'd hesitated. "That / happened TO in,
myself near here, and came on co
lnce of seeing herr" fic
)nce again the smile was called as
play, and the girl hesitated no an
ger. sWill you come inside, sir?" 30
said. Il win go and tell Miss pu
rllis." Pc
ne ushered him into the draw lik
room and closed the door. 1t cot
charming room, just such as he see
id have expected with Phyllis. Big
dow opening down to the ground Ca
on Sd 10 a lawn. which was al sal
~ blaze q color. A few great lior