New Britain herald., 1925-07-20

ui4H e@N U VIII Apu ldhb Hlb DH hs an honorary assistant?'
 "proud to, my lord"' Roake posi- lively blushed with pleasure.
 Sir Trevor Hardmans answer was received couple of hours later and Lord Bulpeter took it up 10 the Grange, whither the Inspector had
 gone after breakfast. The c. l. D. man was engaged on his favoritc
 pastime of bullying servants, but hc came running when he was fetched out to his noble recruit. His Chiefs reply r,Icd him with ecstasy.
 Now where will you begin, my lord ?" he purred. You mustn't soil your fingers with dirty work" Bulpeter laughed with an aristo. crats tolerance for snobbery, My fingers will bear the strain,' h, said. 'l would suggest that you pu, me on some minor and unimpor- tant duty for which you have no time yourself, not requiring much brain power. What about my going over to Latchf1eld and sizing up the Honeybuns for you? l rather pride myself on reading character. In fact in my own circles I have q reputation for it. I might be able 10 wipe them of the map for you as suspects and burst the red rain bubble once for all"
 Garry on, niy lord" Roahe ap- proved the suggestion. You are simply splendid. If you can put that Honeybun bogey to bed you will as- sure a conviction when I collar Sir Guy. With that fairy tale still in existence no treasury counsel car ries guns enough to persuade jury that man of title could commit a murder
 Now you've let another cat out of the bag. my dear old Roake,' he replied. T believe you're d demo- crat CT socialist, perhaps even a Bolshie. If ever l commit mur- der, which is quite likely, l hope I shan't have you after me. For am not I man of title?"
 The Inspector disavoued any such sentiments and treated my lords" jest at his own expense as little short of lese majeste. With mutual good wishes for success the peer and commoner parted, Roake to re- sume his congenial task Of bullying the Grange servants, and Lord Bull peter to carry the war into the Honeybun camp.
 On leaving Roake he had return ed to the inn and procured his own gorgeous car and immaculate chauf- feur, During the short drive he took the latter into fuller conf- dence, though the nature of their conversation showed that Peters, the chauffeur. had been initiated in the general trend of things already,
 Some 800 yards from the Honey bun home the car was stopped and the noble owner got out.
 You know what you've got to do," he said. See that you do it to q tick. Half a minutes deviation from the time table might make all the difference between life and death to several people,"
 Peters touched his cap and watched his master swing off along the road and disappear into nle gates of Mir. Honeybun's abode. Talk ing out his stop watch, the chauf- feur carefully counted off eleven and a half minutes, then restarted the car and cravled to the mere tricious scrolled iron portals which had swallowed his employer. Then he loosed of three ear-splitting blasts on his Gabriel horn and waited.
 He took out his watch again and counted - seconds this time. AS he ticked off the tenth, Lord Bulpcter emerged from the gates. escorting a lady. They literally jumped into the car and Peters, acting on previous instructions, headed for a town 20 miles away, where at the principal hotel Inspector Roake's noble re- cruit played the host at a small and select luncheon party.
 It was late in the afternoon when Lord Bulpeter returned 10 the Grange 10 report the result of his Latchfeld expedition to Inspector Roake. The latter was still bully ing, though having exhausted the servants, from housekeeper to scull- cry maid, he had transferred his at tentions to Mrs. Vansittart, Mar garets aunt and chaperon.
 Any luck come your lordship's way" Roake was changed from an official tyrant to a sycophantic toady as by magic wand.
 Lord Bulpeter sank into a great leather-covered easy-chair and emit ted the gusty sigh of sheer weari- ness.
 Nothing doing" he said. There is no evidence that the red rain had 10 do with the murder of Sir Francis Lathrop, but on the other hand l have been unable to procure proof that it had no con- nection. I can assure you that have done my best"
 Lord Bulpeter's chastened drawl carried conviction. He did not men, ton his adventure and luncheon party.
 II don't doubt you for 8 moment, my lord" Roake hastened to reas- sure him.
 You have no news of Miss Mar saret Lathrop, I presume She has not returned?"
 T ann ot worrying about her in the least, my lord. She is as artfuI AS a wagon-load of monkeys. and expect that she has gone of 10 warn Sir Guy that the police are in charge of the house. I should have