Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-14

and he saw in the window beside him a
head and shoulders.
"Hoy." observed the head in a voice
like lorry full of steel girders passing
over cobbiestones. i've brought you
| q cuppertea"
The head was red in color and orna-
mented half way down by large and
impressive muStache, waxed at the ends.
The shoulders were broad and square,
the eyes prawnlike. The whole appari-
ton, in short, one could tell at glance,
was a sample or first installment Of the
person of a sergeant-major. And unless
he had dropped from heaven-which,
from Johns knowledge of sergeant
majors, seemed unlikely-the newcomer
must be standing on top of ladder.
And such, indeed, was the case.
Sergt. Maj. Flannery, though no aero
bat, had nobly risked life and limb by
climbing to this upper window to see
how his charge was getting on and to
bring him little refreshment.
Take your cuppertea, young fellow,
said Mr.. Flannery.
The hospitality had arrived too late.
In the matter of a-drinking John was
handicapped by the fact that he had
Just swallowed approximately third
of jug of water. He regretted to be
compelled to reject the contribution Tor
lack of space. But as what ne desired
most at the moment was human society
and conservation he advanced eagerly
to the window.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Flannery's my name. young fellow. >"
How did I get here?"
"In that room?"
eyes"
81 put you there"
"You did, did youP" said John. open
this door at once
The sergeant major shook his head.
'You Just drink your cuppertea, and
don't let's have no nonsense. II you'd
made a 'abit in the past OF drinking
more tea and less of the other thing,
you wouldn't be In what may call your
present predicament."
will you open this door,"
mo, sir. I will not open that door.
There aren't going to be no doors opened
till your conduct and behavior has been
carefully examined and we can be sure
there'll be no verlence."
Listen" said John, curbing desire
to lab at this man through the bars
with a teaspoon. Il don't know VINO
"Ffannery's the name, sir. as I said
before. Sergt. Maj. Flannery."
". but I can't believe you're IN
this business y
Indeed, am, sir. I am DR.. Twists
assistant"
But this man is a criminal you
sergt. Maj. Flannery seemed panied,
rather than annoyed. ,, 4.
Come, come, sir. A little clvIity, II
you please. This, what may call con-
fl1nnacious attitude, isn't helping you.
Surely YOU can see that for yourself.
Always remember, sir, the voice with
the smile wins"
"This Twist burgled our house last
night and all the while you're keeping
me shut up here he's getting away"
"Is that so? What house would tnat
be?"
'Rudge Hall"
"Never heard Of it."
"It's near Rudge-in-the-Vale, 20 miles
Mr.. Lester Carmody, who was mere
taking the cure?"
Eyes. I'm his nephew"
His nephew, eh?"
eyes"
Come, comet"
"What do you mean?"
at so 'appens," said Mr.. Flannery,
with quiet satisfaction, removing one
hand from the bars In order to fondle
his mustache, that I've seen Mr.. Car
mody's nephew. Tallish, thinnish,
over here to visit Mr.. Carmody during
the latter's temp'ry residence. had
him pointed out to me"
Painful though the process was, John
felt compelled to grit his teeth.
THAT was Mr.. Carmody's other
nephew"
"Other nephew, eh?"
my cousin
your cousin, eh?"
"His names Hugo"
Good heavens!" cried John. Are
you a parrot?"
Mr. Flannery, If he had not been
standing on a ladder, would no doubt
have drawn himself up haughtily at
this outbburst. Being none too certain
of his footing, he contented himself
with looking offended.
mo, SIR" he said with a dignity that
became him we'll "in reply to your
question, "I am not a parrot. am a
salaried assistant at DR.. Twists estab-
lishment, detailed to look after the pa
tients and keep them away from the
cigarettes and see that they do their
exercises in a proper manner. And as
I said to the young lady, understand
human nature and am match for art
fulness of any description. What's
more, it was precisely this kind OF art
fulness on your part that the young
lady warned me against. BE careful,
sergeant ajor,' she said to me, clasp
ing her lands in what I may call an
agony of appeal, that this poor, mis-
guided young man don't come it over
you with his talk about being the lost
heir of some family living in the near
neighborhood, because he's sure to try
it on, you can take 1t from me, SER
geant-major,' she said. And l said to
the young lady: Miss, I said, he won't
come it over Egbert Flannery. Not
him. I've seen too much of that sort
OF thing, miss said. And the young
lady said, I wish there was more men
in the world like you, because then 1t
would be sight better place than 1t is,
sergeant-major' He paused. Then,
realizing an omission, added the words,
she said"
John clutched at his throbbing head.
Young lady? What young lady?"