Evening star., 1927-04-26
CHAPTER XXVI.
A Talk with DIR. Latin.

Bill had not seen Latin since the
night the doctor had lost his golden
| buckle He had very wisely left the
police to interview him concerning
Betty Carew's strange disappearance,
| with what was, to a reporter, the
utterly unsatisfactory result of exoner'
ating that gentleman from any com
plicity in her abduction.
| When he arrived at Camden road
| the door was opened to him by q
| strange servant--strange also to the
! tated when, as Bill suspected, she
| should have told him that DR.. Laffln
was not to be seen.
Come in, sir" she said, closing the
| door behind him. 'If you'll sit down
in the hall for a minute, I'll find out
whether the doctor will see you"
There came from the study the
sound Of voices raised in alteration,
and she had to knock twice before q
sharp voice bade her come in. sShe
heard the Doctors smothered excla-
nation of annoyance. heard his snarl
and the flow of cold.blooded vituper.
alton at the mistake which the un-
fortunate servant had called forth.
Then a man came out Of the room,
flushed and angry, but with a ready
smile for Bill.
You're Holbrook. aren't you? I'm
Lord Lowbridge. I think we've met
before. Are you seeing this old devil
to find out his responsibility for the
outrageous treatment of Miss Carew?
You can save yourself a lot of trouble.
I've been trying for the last hour.
Nevertheless. he's in it up to his
neck" he said, lowering his voice, and
then, seeing the frightened servant
in the doorway, he nodded and went
out.
Whatever fury Bits arrival had
evoked in the bosom Of DIR. Latin. all
trace OF emotion had vanished when
the visitor stumbled into the dark
room and CROPPED his way toward a
chair which he would never have
known was there to receive him but
for gleam Of light upon its polished
back.
Il understand that you wish to see
me, Mr.. Holbrook?" The doctor was
his old, mincing self, soft-voiced su-
perior, iinperturbable. 1T is fair that
you should know that I have little
sympathy with the methods of the
modern press man. Even the highest
and most intellectual newspapers in
the land seem to have adopted the OBJ
1ectionable hustle of the cheaper
press. Fortunately, Newspapers are
not necessary to me, and publicity is
my bette noir."
THANK you for those encoura gine
words said Bill cheerfully, "but I
haven't come to interview you about
Miss Carew's disappearance. 1 under.
stand the police already have seen
you and that you knew nothing what
ever or the matter until you were
informed"
Miss Carew and I are not on terms
or confidence" The doctor put his
long finger tips together and was lean.
ing back in his chair looking, down at
the table. THE opportunities which I
nave offered to her have been SO often
fiouted. my authority so continuously
despised, my charity--for have been
charitable--so ungraciously rewarded,
that / have almost ceased to take an
interest in her future"
by charity / presume you mean
your adoption of her when she was a
baby? I've been wondering, doctor" "
said Bill, quietly, whether you knew
| when you took that child from the
poorhouse that her father was Leiff
Stone"
The Doctors hands were palm to
palm beneath his chin. He was ridicu.
lously like some medieval saint in the
act OF devotion. But at Bill Holbrook 8
words both hands dropped with a thud
upon the table and the hard, black
eyes met his.
Continued in Tomorrow's Starr