The Dolores star., 1923-11-30

EttntT very wei. We HthiN ''''' "
girl always refuses you once-a sort
of convention"
Tommy caught his arm.
Refuse? Did you say refuse"
-"Sure thing. Didn't | tell you thati
She just raped out no without any
kind of reason to IT, But she'll come
round right enough. Likely enough. ]
hustled her some"
But Tommy interrupted regardless
of decorum.
What did she say in that noteE' he
demanded fierccly.
The obliSing Julius handed it to him,
The note, in Tuppence'S wcll-known
schoolboy writing. ran us follows:
Dear Julius:
IT'S always better to have things In
black and white. | don't feel can
be bothered TO think of marriage until
Tommy is found. Let's leave 1t till
then.
yours affectionatey.
"TUPPENCE."
Tommy handed 1t back. his eyes
shining. His feelings had undergone
sharp reaction. He now felt that
Tuppence was all that was noble and
disinterested. Had she not refused
julius without hesitation? True. tine
note betOkened signs Of weakening,
but he could excuse that. 1t read al.
most like n bribe to Julius 20 spur him
on in his efforts to find Tommy, but
he supposed she had not really meant
it that way. Darling Tuppence, there
was not n girl in the world TO touch
herl When he saw her-His thoughts
were brought up with sudden jerk,
"As you say" he remarked. pulling
himself together, there's not hint
here as to what she's up 10. Hi
Henryw
The small boy came obediently.
"One thing more. Do you remember
what the young lady did with the
telegram
Henry gasped and spoke.
"She crumpled 1t UP into n ball and
threw 1t into the CRATE, and made
sort of noise like 'Whoopr sir"
They hurried upstairs. Tuppencs
had left the key In her door. The
room was as she had left 1t. In the
fireplace was crumpled ball OF
orange and white. Tommy disentan-
gled and smoothed out the telegram.
Come at once. Moat House, Ebury,
Yorkshire. great developments -
TOMMY"
They looked at each other in stupe-
faction. Julius spoke first:
81 guess it means the worst. They've
got her"
"What?"
"Sure thing, They signed your
name, and she fell into the trap like
q lamb"
my Cd! What shall we do?"
Get busy. and 20 after her, Right
now. There's no time to waste. It's
almighty luck that she didn't take the
wire with her. If she had we'd prob
ably never have traced her. But we've
got to hustle. Where's that Brad.
shaw"
The energy Of Julius was infectious.
Left to himself Tommy would probab.
ly have sat down to think things out
for good half hour before he decided
on plan of action. But with Julius
Hersheimmer about, hustling was in
evitable.
Here we are. Ebury, Yorks. From
Kings Cross. Or st. Pancras. (Boy
must have made a mistake. 1t was
Kings Cross, not Charing CROSSE - 80
that's the train she went by. 2:1O,
that's gone. 800 IS the next"
81 say, julius, what do they want
her for, anywayT
"Eh? l don't get you?"
what | mean is that don't think
it's their game to do her any HARM"
explained Tommy, puckering his brow
with the strain of his mental proc
esses. "She's hostage, that's what
she is. As long as they've got her
they've got the whip hand on US See?-
Sure thing" said julius thought.
fully. That's so"
Besides" added Tommy, as an af-
terthought, 1--WE great faith in Tup-
pence"
The journey was wearlsome. with
many stops, and crowded carriages,
Ebury was a deserted station with n
solitary porter, to whom Tommy ad-
dressed himself:
Can you tell me the way TO tbe
Moat house?"
The Moat house? It's tidy step
from here. The big house near the
sea, you mean?"
Tommy assented brazenly. After
listening to the porter's meticulous but
perpleXing directions. they prepared to
leave the station. 1t was beginning to
rain, and they turned up the collars of
their coats as they trudged through the
slush of the road. Suddenly Tommy
halted.
tTo BE coNTINUED.)