Evening star., 1926-08-22
BY II. C.. BAILEY

lose control of his eyelids. And II
he did it would break him all up
| and he is broken
! But what does it all come to-"
Lomas protested" You say the stuff
| would be good for his cough. Well,
Langton pFescribes it, finds the dose
| too big. and cuts it off. You say
yourself the symptoms had stopped.
All quite reasonable"
Yes. And what did Wilfred want
to confess that he couldn't get out ?"
"The boy was dazed with drugs"
Eyes. Mr.. Ingram Langton,
who is bit of blood as a chemist,
takes boy with lung trouble into his
house and pours into him drugs that
affect the nerve centers till he doesn't
know where he is. Oh. quite reason
able. Lomas."
But Langton saved his life. He
can't mean the boy any HARM"
HE saved Wilfreds life a month
ago. Hc may want to murder him
today"
II don't see my way" Lomas pro-
tested. "The rational explanation of
your facts is that Langton took up
the boys case out of affection for
the mother and hasn't handled It
well. / suppose he's more of a chem
list than a doctor. Very likely he has
too good opinion of himself. These
experts always think they know
everything" He cooked a sarcastic
eye at Mr.. Fortune. Very deplor-
able. Reginald. but not criminal"
My innocent boy" said Reggie.
Never believe anybodys murdered
till YOU have the corpse. Never see
anything till it's over"
and what the deuce Go you see?"
Possibility number one: Mrs. Har-
ford wants Wilfred killed and Lang
tons doing 1t. Then she'll have the
estate. Possibility number two: Lang
ton wants Wilfred killed SO he can
marry Mrs. Hartford and the estate.
Possibility number three: Geoffrey
Hartford wants Wilfred and Mrs. Har-
ford killed SO he can take the lot. and
Langton's arranging It,"
And you say you've no imagina-
tion." Lomas laughed. Good Heaven,
Fortune, you don't believe any of
that, do you?"
mo. No. I've an open mind. Lots
of other possibilities. But one thing
certain-that boys going to the
dogs He started up. Cant you feel
it? There's something-malign-be-
hind all we know"
Lomas was impressed at last. 1--WE
have nothing to take hold Of" he
complained. What can you do?"
Il can save that boy-if have time.
I want Bell. Lomas. Well 60 down
and reconnoiter Mr.. Langton. I want
to deal with this little murder be-
fore it's done"
EOR some days afterward an artist
was sketching in the forest near
the house of Ingram Langton. The
artist made many sketches in many
places. till there came an evening
when he was Joined by sturdy man
who carried the vasclum Of the botan-
iSt.
i've got to 1t now, Mr.. Fortune"
said the botanist. -
"Reen maxim love to the maids.
Bell?"
"It was the gardener" said Supt.
Bell. The old fellow we saw was
Geoffrey IIarford sir. He often comes
over to Langtons place. Langton
don't go 10 him much"
"Langton's looking after his pa
tient. of course. Very proper"
"Geoffrev Harford's coming to dine
again tonight. They're cutting the
first asparagus for him.
Reggie gasped. THE blighter." he
said pensiveiy. And what does the
gardener think of things?"
Hes not the kind of man that
thinks much. sir. He says Mr.. Lang
tons q funny gentleman"
Yes. ] thought that, too" Reggie
murmured.
"Langton's been here some years.
Godfrey Hartford got the house for
him. He had a laboratory built on.
Very seldom had anybody to stay with
him till Mrs. Hartford and her son
came. BY the way. she's gone. sir"
II know And that leaves Wilfred
here alone. 7 saw him. Seemed quite
happy in his mind. Even affable. He
talked to the wandering artist Said
he liked the place. Liked being here
when he wasn't bothered. Now when
I saw him with his mother he wasn't
liking the PLACE. He wasn't liking
anything. That means. when his
mother is here. he is bothered. When
she was with him he wasn't drugged
Today he was. His eyelids were