Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-13
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Start
ri rs most extraordinary case"
said Maj. O'Neill.


It seems incredible that he
should know hts name is Laydon, and
not know whether he's Jim Layton
or Jack
The crimson curtains were drawn
across the dining room windows.
There was pendant light in the
middle of the room, and reading
lamp with a green shade on the writ
Ing table at which Manning was sit
ting. O'Neill was in a big armchair,
and had the air of man who was
comfortably intrigued by a problem
that did not touch him personally.
whats the good of saying incredi-
ble?" snapped Manning over his shout
der. He folded the letter he had been
writing, put it in an envelope, ad-
dressed 1t rapidly, and tossed it onto
the dining table. Then he swung
round and said:
I'm putting in for leave on urgent
private affairs. The colonel's prom
tsed to push it through.
It's a most extraordinary case;
can't understand it. You say you
don't recognize him at all?"
No." said Manning, "and that's a
fact. The Laydon boys were nice
looking lads Of two and twenty, the
spit and image of dozens of English
boys of their class-gray eyes, brown
hair, fresh skin-you know the sort
of thing; England's chock-a-block with
them. This poor chap in there"-he
flung out hand in the direction of
the bedroom door-"he weighs an
ether three and half stone, to start
of with; and you can't really see him
for hair"
'were the cousins alike?"
$50 sesame heights and general
type. with a family likeness on the
top Of that"
ssMost extraordinary repeated
o'Neill. 'But his psople1l be bound
TO recognize him; there's sure to be
something they can go by. BY the
way though. who are his people? Any
parents?"
'sHim-no," said Manning. There's
q grandfather, old Sir Cotterell Lay
don. He lost both his sons in the
Boer War. Jim's mother was already
dead. And as for Mrs. Jack, well, the
less said about her the better. The
family was immensely relieved when
she married again and went out to
Australia. I don't think they've ever
heard from her since. The old man
had both his grandsonS at Layton
Manor-brought them up in fact. MY
people live quite near, you know; ana
nv wife's mother was a Lagoon
half-sister Of the old mans, and ABOUT
thirty wears younger. The families
are all mixed up because the girl Jim
Layton married was Prothero. too
q cousin Of Lacy's.
O'Neill exclaimed, and sat up.
married? Good heavens! You don't
tell me one of them was married?"
Manning, who had been pacing up
and down, came to standstill yard
away.
Eyes. Jim Laydon was married. It's
q bit of complication, isn't 1T? He
married Lacy's cousin, Evelyn Protn-
ero. was at the wedding. Lacy
was bridesmaid"
"Good heavens!' said O'Neill again.
ssT,It she'll know-if one of them was
married, the wife'll know-bound to.
al don't know. She might, or she
rnightn't. It's not an ordinary case,
because they never lived together.
Roth the Laydons were recalled on
the wedding day, and something be-
tween a week and ten days later they
were both missing. They were in the
same squadron in the Flying Corps.
They both went out on the same raid,
and never came back. This chap says
he remembers running into a fog and
being fired at. Lord knows how he
landed up in the SchwarZwald. But
I've driven a car myself when I've
heen asleep or next thing to it, and
it,s nv belief he just went on flying
his machine mechanically after he
was hit"
has he spoken about the girl at all?
If he were the married one he'd surely
remember something. Hasn't he asked
any questions?"
xNo. he hasn't. AS a matter Of
fact. he hasn't had much chance, l
foId YOU Lacy tainted. And then I had
"a take Anna Blum home. l rather
thought it was UP to me, because
rveil"-Manning grimaced - 81 was
nretty short with her while she was
Yelling her story. And, after all, If
he's one Of the Laydons, the family
owes her a good deal, for it's pretty
certain she saved his life: ana dead
rartain that she risked firing party
every hour of the three years before
che armistice."
aHonestly, O'Neill, the woman's
courage staggers me. They'd have
sbot her as soon as look at her IL
4hey'd found out. When we were
goir,s. along I asked her if she knew
g.. and all she had to say was ia
yewiss. Herr Major Astonishing
Creatures, women" He broke off and
crossed to the writing table again
GAS SOOH dS hhS" 81 80
leave, / shall wire to my father-in
law. Sir Henry Prothero. And Their
come one will have to tell Sir Cot
+ereIl. He was most frightfully broke
about the two boys, and it'll want
careful doing"
1T suppose" said O'Neill slowly
"that whichever Of them it is is the
herr" 49,
laugh. There's one man who won
- oyerioyed, and that's Cotrel Alb
bott, the nephew who's nao Laydoi
Manor in his pocket for the last MIN
years. / loathe the man myseiI, out
,,oust say I think it's hard lines OF
him--and you can bet he'll think SC
"By the way" said O'Neill "wer
the Laydons regular soldiers?'
Manning shook his head. He wa
writing, and spoke. frowning at tn
paper: o..o. .
fact, they had both just come dow
from Cambridge. Jim was going I
study scientific farming and be agen
TO his grandfather, and Jack mean
70 have a shot at Indian Civil.
course they both joined up at once.
O'Neill got out Of his chair an
stretched himself.
"Well, thatIl probably save con
plications. must be going ATOMS
I'll 70 round and see Hooker, an
borrow some clothes-he's the oni
Aht~tr - lossOA annIlQSk