New Britain herald., 1922-07-28


 comes" Miles attended to the check and they rose.
 It was almost dinner time when he reached Brooklea but instead of returning at once to the Drakes' he paid call at a neat. od-fashoned cottage nearer the village.
 Carter and Pierre were hurrying about the kitchen busted with the serving of dinner and as he passed the servants dining room scottie waved an emphatic dissent and hur- ried up the back stairs
 At the flst landing he came upon Hitty.
 Mir Rogers condition hash t changed since last night?"
 No. an don't knows it'll be any harm If do leave him." She shiv- cred. "I'll be right back before the family leave the table"
 She scuttled off downstairs and Miles softly entered the sick room and took the chair beside the bed. He leaned over and spoke gently:
 Mir. Drake! You can hear me ?"
 The eye which had turned eagerly toward him at the first word closed swiftly. gratefully and then opened wide.
 T meant what said yesterday. The past is buried and must not be resurrected, but there is one who must be silenced, the one whose name you tried to tell your brother yesterday. I knew-I guessed-but must have your assurance that I am right The man you fear, the man who can bring ruin and worse upon you all-is this he?'
 Bending more closely over the pros trate form he breathed a name
 There was a pregnant pause while Roger Drake's eye seemed to dilate. Then, unwaveringly, inexorably, the lids closed.
 CHAPTER XVII.
 Man, but I've news for VOL" Scottie exclaimed when Miles came down stairs Dick Kemp has found what's been under our very noses. Do you mind when Rip told us of meeting two men in the garden Last night they came again and Dick frightened them away but not before he'd discovered the spot they were after. We'll beat them to it tonight but how we're to get rid of the lad"
 "1ll find way Miles responded briefly. Its only the last link in the chain, anyway but it will be best for him and his little bride to be far from this house later tonight.
 When young Dick meets you tell him to pack his grip and wait with his runabout in the back road tilli Patricia joins him"
 Miles was passing through the hall when Andrew Drake emeged from the library fuming with exasperation.
 "Confound that pettyfogging Wells." he explained to Miss Drake. He's coming down on the ten o'clock train tonight and insists that I meet him at the station.-Wants private talk"
 'Sh-h!" Miss Drake warned and 1 vanished up the stairs. Andrew grum- blingly following,
 As Miles turned Patricia appeared | in the door of the music room
 T heard!" she whispered. "Oh. Sergeant why is MT. Wells coming and where have you been all day? | When is all this dreadful suspense going to end?"
 Tonight, for you, my dear young lady,' the detective replied. T want l you to go away again now tonight. MT. Kemp will be waiting for you on the back road in his car in an hour and you must take your travelling case and slip out and join him. He will keep in touch with me and when you come back in few days it will be to find that all the trouble has passed"
 She held both her hands out to him impulsively.
 "Oh! l have always had faith in you even when I was living a night mare. You have found the terrible old woman who tried to have me ab- ducted and the man with the tat tooed arm?"
 He will never cross your path again." Miles replied evasively, "One thing more not only. was your own sanity never in question. but that of your people also"
 It was midnight when Miles and Scottie, equipped with shovels, set to work with will and soon had a hole waist deep where the floor of the sum- mer house had been.
 i've struck something, lad," Scot tie announced in an unconsciously lowered voice.
 Miles leaped down into the excava- ton beside him and felt about with his hands.
 Machinery" Scottie exclaimed. "Rusted and broken as though it had been crushed with a sledge- hammer"
 Our friends hoped it would be in better condition, I think" Miles re- sponded. Can you guess what it is?"
 Iris not a wee printing press, though I own I've had that in mind since you took the counterfeit bill from me-" Scottie shook his head slowly. If I had a chance to try to assemble it, now-?"
 "You're close enough to the truth | old man." Miles wedged down the lid once more and began heaping the loose dirt back upon it. Put the boards back over the hole as we'll as you can and follow mel"
 Scottie obeyed and the two walked to the road where a machine had halted. With its three grimly busi- ness-like occupants the brietest of greetings were exchanged.
 You understand boys, that you're on a confidential case, and Scottle IS here just by accident?' Giles spoke with authority but there was a note of uncomfortable elation in his tones. Sure. we understand all right, Ser peant the purifier of the trio replied