Evening star., 1925-05-24

1T is time 1 took a hand in the
game"
Sir Francis made not the slight
est secret of his visit to the Mag
nificent at Shoreborough. He booked
his rooms under his own name. At the
end OF three days he was prepared to
scoff at the idea of Londe's being. or
having been at any recent period,
visitor there.
On the psychological day, however,
the Thursday when the Lancet was
delivered there was a dramatic change
in the situation. The copy Of the paper
was surreptitiously removed from the
pigeonhole in which it had been placed,
notwithstanding the vigilance OF three
or four people, and the waiter. young
Frenchman, who had served Sir Fran
els was picked up at the bottom OF
the cliffs. mile or so out of the town,
with a broken neck and sundry very
suspicious wounds in the back of his
head. Sir Francis telephoned to
Daniel.
Il am coming up to town for an
hour, by the 11:40," he announced.
You had better arrange to come
back with me. Wfndergate is on his
way down.
Il will be ready" Daniel promised.
PITY you seem to have let the fellow
slip through your fingers"
"Eleven-forty." Sir Francis repeated.
I'll come straight around to see you
after / have called for a moment at
my rooms.
Sir Francis, however, neither called
upon Daniel that day nor returned to
his rooms, and within "a hours every
newspaper in London was announcing
in prominent headlines: MYSTERIOUS
DISAPPEARANCE OF A WELL
KNOWN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.
Worton spent the first Of those fever.
ish days following his disappearance in
pain, discomfort and fear. He had a
blurred but more or less connected,
recollection Of his taxicab having been
stopped in block Of vehicles at the
entrance to the station; of man put
ting his head in at the open window
as though to ask question:; Of a
faint odor, followed by an amazing
paralysis of mind and body.
He did as he was told weakly and
tremblingiy. Assisted by his guide he
stepped out of the vehicle, entered the
station, passed across the bridge to
the arrival platform, left the station
again, entered a closed motor car and
was driven rapidly away. His guide
had taken the seat by the chauffeur,
and he found himself next to a woman
who, even in those blurred minutes,
he seemed to realize was beautiful.
He found strength TO ask her a fall
tering question. She smiled, patted his
hand and made an evasive but encour-
aging reply. Presently the car left the
road for narrow lane. They bumped
their way across a field with the sea
in full view. and stopped before what
appeared to be lighthouses white
plastered, round building. A light
house. The whole thing was too ridicu-
lous. There followed a period Of
further oblivion
When once more he recovered con.
sciousness he was lying on a plain.
hard mattress in a small circular room
with white-washed walls. and looking
down at him critically was keen
faced man Of powerful appearance. BY
his side stood the woman.
Where am II" Worton pasped
What has happened?"
You are in good hands," was the
calm reply. Lie STILL
The tenant of the lighthouse
stopped down and felt the PROSTATE
mans pulse. Then he turned to the
woman.
Most annoying. An absolutely
perfect subject
Then the whole truth came like a.
swaying flood of horror to the man
who lay there powerless. These two
could be no others than Londe, the
lunatic butcher surgeon, with his
lunatic wife. He was in their power.