Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-10-02

son laughed.
"Our friend is getting quite agitat-
ed, my dear" he remarked, and the
girl came into sight.
you're an awful idiot, my Hugh,
aren't you? she said. "And you have
given us such lot Of trouble. But I
shall quite miss you, and all our hap
py little times together"
She laughed gently, and glanced at
the clock.
"They ought to be here fairly soon,"
she remarked. Hadn't we better get
him out Of sight?"
Peterson nodded, and between them
they pushed Drummond into the bath
room.
you see, my friend" remarked
Peterson affably, ut Is necessary to
get you out Of the hotel without arous-
ing suspicion. A simple little matter,
but it is often the case that one trips
up more over simple matters than over
complicated ones"
He was carefully inserting a pin
into his victims leg as he spoke, and
watching intently for any sign Of feel
ing.
'Why, l remember once" he con-
tinued eonversationally, that 1 was
so incredibly foolish as to replace the
cork in bottle Of prussic acid after
l had-er-compelled a gentleman to
drink the contents. He was in bed at
the time, and everything pointed to
suicide, except that eonfounded cork.
l mean, would any man, after he's
drunk sufficient prussic acid to poison
a regiment, go and cork up the empty
bottle? 1t only shows how careful
one must be over these little matters"
The girl put her head round the
door.
They're here" she remarked alb
ruptly, and Peterson went into the
other room, half closing the door. And
Drummond, writhing impotently, heard
the Well-modulated voice of the Rev
erend Theodosius.
"Ah, my dear friend, my very dear
old friend! What joy it is to see you
again. l am greatly obliged to you for
escorting this gentleman up person
ally"
mot at all, sir; not at all Would
you care for dinner to be served up
hereY
II will ring later If l require it."
Peterson was saying In his gentle,
kindly voice. my friend, you under
stand, is still on very strict diet, and
he comes to me more for spiritual
comfort than for bodily. But 1 will
ring should l find he would like to
stay"
Every good, sir"
And Drummond heard the door close,
and knew that his last hope had gone.
Then he heard Peterson's voice
again, sharp and incisive.
Lock the door, You two-get |
Drummond. He's in the bathroom"
The two men he had previously seen |
entered, and carried him back into the |
sitting room, where the whole scheme |
was obvious at glance. Just getting
ont of an ordinary invalid's chair was
a big man Of more or less the same
build as himself. A thick silk muffier
disguised his face; a soft
nat was pulled well down over his
eyes, and Drummond realized that the
gentleman who had been wheeled In
for spiritual comfort would not be
out.
The two men pulled him out Of his
chair. and then, forgetting his condi-
ton, they let him go, and he col
lapsed like sack Of potatoes on the
floor, his legs and arms sprawling in
grotesque attitudes.
They picked him up again, and not
without difficulty they got him into the
other mans overcoat; and finally they
deposited him in the invalid's chair,
and tucked him up with the rug.
I'VE will give it half an hour" re-
marked Peterson, who had been
the operation. "By that
time our friend will have had sufti-
cient spiritual solace; and until then
you two can wait outside. l will give
you your full Instructions later"
"Will you want me any more, sir?"
The man whose place Drummond had
aiken was speaking.
"No," said Peterson curtly. "Get
)ut as unostentatiously as you can.
10 down by the stairs and not by the
ift."
With nod, he dismissed them all,
and once again Drummond was alone
With his two chief enemies.
Simple, isn't it. my friend?" re-
marked Peterson. "An invalid ar
Ives, and an invalid will shortly 20.
And once you've passed the hotel
ioors you will cease to be an invalid.
You Will become again that we'll
inown young man about town-Capt.
Hugh Drummond = driving out of
london In his cara very nice Rolls,
hat new one of yours-bought, I
hink, since we last met. Your chauf