The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-10-09
CHAPTER XI-Continued

lently," remarked the Reverend Theo-
dosius, and Drummond found he could
hear quite normally; also his sight
was improving; things in the room
seemed steadier. And his mind was
becoming less confused-he could
think again. But to move or to speak
was utterly impossible; all he could
do was to sit and watch and rage In
wardly at having been such a fool as
to trnst Peterson.
But that gentleman appeared in no
hurry. He was writing with gold
!. pencil on ia letter pad, and every now
and then he paused and smiled
thoughtfully. At length he seemed
satisfied, and crossed to the bathroom
door.
I'VE are ready now" Drummond
heard him say, and he wondered what
was going to happen next. To turn
his head was impossible; his range Of
vision was limited by the amount he
could turn his eyes. And then, to his
amazement, he heard his own voice
speaking from somewhere behind him
not, perhaps, quite so deep, but an
extraordinary good imitation which
would have deceived nine people out
of ten when they could not see the
speaker. And then he heard Peter
sons voice again mentioning the -tele-
phone, and he realized what they
were going to do.
Il want you," Peterson was say
ing. ito send this message that have
written down to that Misunderstanding
this gentleman's voice."
They came into his line of vision,
and the new arrival stared at him
curiously. But he asked no questions
merely took the paper and read 1t
through carefully Then he stepped
over to the telephone, and took off the
receiver. And helplessly impotent,
Druhmond sat in his chair and heard
the following message spoken in his
own voice:
is that you, Peter, old bird? I've
made the most unholy bloomer. This
old bloke Theodosius isn't Carl at all.
He's perfectly respectable pillar Of
the church."
And then apparently Darrell said
Y something, and Peterson. who was
Ylistening through the second ear
piece, whispered urgently to the man.
Phyllis" he went on-"she's as
right as rain! The whole thing is a
boss shot of the first order. :"
Drummond made another stupendous
effort to rise, and for moment every
thing went blank. Dimly he heard
his own voice still talking into the
instrument, but he only caught word
here and there, and then it ceased, and
he realized that the man had left the
room. 1t was Peterson's voice close
by him that cleared his brain again.
II trust you approve of the way our
single has started, Captain Drum
nond," he remarked pleasantly. "Your
friend Peter, I am glad to say, Is
more than satisfied, and has an
nounced his intention Of dining with
some female charmer. Also he quite
understands why your wife has gone
into the country-you heard that bit,
I hope, about her sick cousin ?-and
he realizes that you are joining her."
And suddenly the pleasant voice
ceased, and the clergyman continued
in tone of cold, malignant fury.
1You rat You id interfering
young swine! Now that you're help
less don't mind admitting that / am
the man you knew as Carl Peterson,
but I'm not going to make the mistake
he made a second time. / underesti-
mated you, Captain Drummond. I left
things to that fool darlington. /
treated you as laundering young ass,
and / realized too late that you
weren't such a fool as you looked.
This time am paying you the COM
pliment of treating you as danger
GUS enemy, and a clever man. / trust
you are fiattered."
He turned as the door opened, and
the man who had telephOned came in
with two others. One was a great,
p0werful-looking man who might have
been a prize-fghter; the other was a
Iean swarthy-skinned foreigner, and
both of them looked unpleasant Gus
toner's And Hugh wondered what
was going to happen next, while his
eyes rolled wildly from side to side as
If in search of some way of escape.
1t was like some CHASTITY nightmare
when one is powerless to move before
some dreadful. Pigment of the brain,
only to be saved at the last moment
by waking up. Only In Hugh's case
ne was awake already, and the dream
was reality.
He saw the men leave the room, and
then Peterson came over to him again.
First he took the little bag of dia-
monds out of his pocket, and it struck
Hugh that though he had seen the 9TH
er's hand go into his pocket, he had
felt nothing. He watched Peterson and
the girl as they examined the stones
he watched Peterson as he locked them
lp In steel dispatch-case. And then