, 1925-10-07
CHAPTER X-Continued

couiuut ildVe knOWn. But-what Il
fool I've been! And this time wasted.
when I might have been doing some
thing"
But what on earth's h~appened?"
cried Algy.
"She eve turned up at the Ritz,
Algy: Phyllis never turned up for
lunch. AT first thought she was late,
and we waited. Then l thought she'd
run into some pal and had gone to feed
somewhere else. And then, what with
talking to Peterson, mt later that
~hunchback, 1 forgot all about her."
but, good heavens, Hugh, what do
you mean?" said Ted. "You don't
think that"
"Of course l think it. L know 1t.
They've got her: they've kidnapped her.
Right under my nose" He rose and
began to pace up and down the room
with long. uneven strides. while the
others watched him %anxiously.
THAT id girl heard me say that
n was coming to lunch. and Just
after that h went upstairs. And
Peterson, being Peterson, took a chance
and he's pulled it Off"
Algy Longworth stood up, serious for
once in n way.
There's no time now to beat about
the bush, Hugh. If they've got Phyllis
there's only one possible thing that you
can do. Go straight to Bryan John
stone and put all the your cards on the
table. Tell him the whole thing from
A to Z-conceal nothing. And then
leave the matter in his hands. He
won't let you down"
For a moment or two Hugh faced
them undecided. The sudden danger
to Phyllis seemed to have robbed him
temporarily of his power of Initiative;
for Inc time he had ceased to be the
leader.
"Algy's right" said birmingham
quietly. ut doesn't matter what hap
pens to us, you've got to think about
Phyllis Well get 1t in the neck-but
there was always that risk"
81 believe you're right" muttered
Hugh looking round for his hat. "My
brains all buzzing. / can't think"
And at that m the telephone
bell rang on his desk.
Answer It, Ted" said Hugh.
birmingham picked up the receiver.
"fes-this is Captain Drummond's
house. No-it's not him speaking.
es-l1 give him any message you like.
Who are you? Who? Mr.. Longmoor
at the Ritz. I see. Yes-he told me
you had lunched with him today. Oh!
yes. certainly"
For n while Ted birmingham stood
holding the receiver to his ear, and
only the thin. metallic voice of the
speaker at the other end broke the
silence of the room. 1t went on, mad
deningly indistinct to the three men
crowding round the instrument. broken
only by nm occasional monosyllable
from birmingham. Then with u final
II will certainly tell him." Ted laid
down the instrument.
what did he say, Ted?" demanded
Hugh agitatedly.
HE sent a message to you. old man.
1t was approximately to this effect
that he was feeling very uneasy be-
cause your wife had not turned UP Mt
lunch. and that he hoped there had
been no accident. He further went on
to say that since he had parted from
you n most peculiar piece of informa-
ton had come to his knowledge, which,
Incredible though II might appear,
seemed to bear on her failure to turn
up ut the Ritz. L. most earnestly
begged that you should go round and
see him at once-because II his infor-
nation was correct any delay might
prove most dangerous for her. And
lastly, on no account were you TO 20
to the police unel you had e him"
For "A while there was silence II the
room. Drummond. frownlng heavily,
was staring out OF the window; the
others, not knowing what TO say, were
waiting for him to speak. And after
n while he swung round. and they saw
that the air OF lndecislon had gone.
THAT simpllnes matters consider
ably" he said quietly. at reduces II
to the old odds of Peterson md me-"
But you'll 20 to the police, old
man." cried Algy. "you Won't my
any attention TO that message. Hen
never know that you haven't come
straight to him."
Drummond laughed shortly.
Have you forgotten the rules 40
much. Algy, that you think thatY Look
out Of the window. man. only don't he
seen. There's n fellow watching the
house howl couldn't 20 n yard with.
out Peterson knowing. Moreover I'm
open to n small bet that he knew I
WIS In the house when he was talking
To Ted. Good heavensl No. Peter
son II not the sort Of man "a play
those monkey-trlcks with. He's got
Phyllis. the whole thing Is his show.
And II ! went to the police. long be-
fore they could bring II home TO him.
or get her back-she'd be-why"-nnd
once ngnin the veins stood out on his
forehead Lord knows what the
swine wouldn't have done TO her. It's
A.. -