, 1925-10-21
She laughed gently. and glanced at

luey OuSnt u DC ItIe IdlTly sOOnt
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, cit 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 i~ntently for any sign of feel
ing.
"Why, l remember once" he con-
tinued conversationally, that I was
so incredibly foolish as to replace the
cork in a bottle of prussic acid after
l had-er-compelled IA gentleman to
drink the contents. He was in bed at
the time. and everything pointed to
suicide. except that COMPOUNDED cork.
I mean. would any a 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 e~ll-mOdulated voice Of the Rev
erend Theodosius.
"Ah. my lear 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"
Not at all. sir; not at all! Would
you care for dinner to be served up
here?"
~ will ring later If l require it."
Peterson was saying in his gentle.
kindly voice. my friend, you under
stand. is still on a very strict diet, AMI
he comes to me more for spiritual
comfort than for bodily. But l will
ring should l find he would like to
stay"
Very good. sir"
And Drummond heard the door close,
and knew that his last hope had gone.
Then he heard Peterson's voice
again. sharp incisive.
Lock the door. You two-get
Drummond. He's in the bathroom"
The two men he had previously seen
entered, and carried hin back into the
sitting room. where the whole scheme
was obvious at Il glance. Just getting
out of an ordinary invalid's chair was
a big man of more or less the same
build as himself. A thick silk mufier
partially disguised his face; a soft
hat was pulled well down over his
eyes. and Drummond realized that the
gentleman who had been wheeled in
for spiritual comfort would not be
wheeled 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 a 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 n finally they
deposited him in the Invalid's chair,
and tuc,ed him up with the rug
"We will give 1t half an hour" re-
marked Peterson, who had been
watching the operation. by that
time our friend will have had suffi-
Client spiritual %,~'lace: and until then
you two can walt outside. l will give
you your full Instructions LATER"
"Will you want me any more. slr?"
The man whose place Drummond had
taken was speaking.
mo-" said Peterson CURLY. "Get
u as uno%stentatiously as you can.
Go down by the stairs and not by the
lift"
With n nod. he dismissed them all.
and once again Drummond was alone
with his two chief enemies.
simple, isn't it. my friend7" re-
marked Peterson. IAN invalid ar
rives. and an invalid will shortly go.
And once you've passed the hotel
doors you will cease to be an invalid.
You will become again that WELL
known young man about town-Capt.
Hugh Drummond - driving out of
London In his cara YER nice Rolls.
that new one of yours-bought. I
think. since we last met. Your chauf-
feur would have been most uneasy
when he missed 1t but for the note
you've left him, saying you1l be away
for three days" Peterson laughed
gently as he stared Mt his victim.
You must forgive me II I seem to
gloat a little, Won't your" he contin-
ued. "Tve got such a large score TO
settle with YOU. n I very much fear
I shan't be In mt the death. l have an
engagement to dine with an American
millionaire whose wife Is touched to
the heart over the sufferings Of the
starving poor In Austrin. And when
the wives of m~lllionnlres are touched
to the heart, my experience Is that the
husbands are generally touched to the