Evening star., 1926-06-07

mischief which I fear I helped to
start. We'll. that Is my last growl
For the rest. I am with Eileen and
you to the death.
I'm useful in a scrap, but all the
same YOU had better be prepared for
ructions. Some bad lad turned up
here today in Fergusson's bus. We
were at luncheon when his card was
brought to Alistair. and l thought for
moment that our troubles were
about to end, because the Asp's red
face grew purple and then mauve.
However. he went out. but not before
Uncle Hector had asked who the
visitor was. Alistair had evidently
lost his nerve, and could not prevent
dear old TimmS from answering: "A
Mr.. Ferdinand Connington, Milford
Your father seemed to recognize the
name at once. What does that man
want here?' he demanded. Alistair re-
covered slightly and said he would go
and see, but Oban followed. None of
us understood what all the blessed
fuss was about until old Timms whis-
pered in my ear afterward that some
one named Connington, he had been
told years ago, was the chief witness
against Master John.
There must have been a short but
spirited confab in the hall, because
Alistair and Mr.. Ferdinand Coming
ton walked into the village, and Oban
crossed the loch in the direction OF
Glen Inver. That forebodes a council
of war tonight; he Is sure to bring
Col Grant back with him. And. just
to thicken tho plot, Timms confided
that the Asp gave Brown a letter some
mornings ago which he said he had
forgotten to post overnight. That
wasn't true, OF course. A. was terri
fed lest your father should have writ
ten you without consulting him. and
he wanted to examine every letter In
the bag. I happened to twig that part
of it. But the amazing coincidence Is
that when Alistair produced his miss
ing letter out of pocket 1t was ad-
dressed to this very man Connington.
II think YOU ought to know these
things, so write them, as Mary Ian
sing has explained the car and bag
gage scheme. OF course, had busl.
ness in the village about 3 o'clock, and
saw Ferdinand supporting barrel of
potatoes outside Minter's, the new
grocer, who married one OF the Stew
ard girls. I cannot connect the TEL
low with his surname, which is rather
swank. Ferdinando! Yes. A spien.
did fit, followed by De Silva or
has the look of a former service man
who suffers alternate attacks of shell
shock and d. T.'s. You have not for
gotten, I'm sure, that had an unholy
experience in Italy during the war. so
I know a bit about both those diseases.
That's all. Nothing I can say will
prevent you from arriving at Mac
donalds place. Luckily, it Is round
the corner and two hundred yards
away from Minter's, but I'm told you
have brought with you some wretched
hound, which advertises you over TWO
parishes at a time. And have Eileen
and you settled what you are going
to do? That's stupid question. l
know, seeing that you only exchanged
about six words, most Of hers being
choked with tears, / understand. Why
do some women want to weep when
oh, we'll. I'd better shut up. may
see you tonight, but / shouldn't be IN
the least surprised II the house IS
barricaded inside and out before the
dinner.
"P. S. am writing this behind my
locked door. From my window can
see Alistair deep in consultation with
the village constable. a dour Aber'
donian, who. by the way, has never
met you. 1 wish / dared sick him on
to Ferdinando."
Bettys budget was Of some I'M
portance - far greater importance
than either she or John could pos
sibly imagine at the moment. But
it's immediate purpose was to warn
him that, by some mischance, hostile
influences were afoot already.
1t was certainly a bit OF luck that
Connington should have timed his
visit to Inverlochtie so as to get there
before the man who, little more than
twenty-four hours earlier. would have
denied any intention of going within
twenty miles of the place. This vital
fact was not admitted by many people
when 1t assumed peculiar signir-
canoe. Yet it was true. But for the
letters John received at Windermere
he would have gone, to Oban, followed
the Caledonian Canal to Inverness,
and thence travelled south rapidly.
According to that itinerary he Nxou4