Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-29
UNDERGROUND n7s 59x5 s ASs
By JEFFERSON FARJEoN Observation-Disclosures
By JEFFERSON FARJEoN
Copyright. 1899. by Central Press Association. Inc.

! cause I'm going to follow her to the
last ditch"
80 help us heaven!" murmured
| Charlie; and then added, with rath-
er surprising sagacitv: Don't worry,
| old sport. Your instincts are pretty
sound. Perhaps the fact that you're
following her to the last ditch is the
strongest argument we've had yet
that she isn't a wrong 'un. Any
how. my lad. Bvford Moore has got
us both by the throat, and I'll stick
to you if you'll stick to me. Good
Lord!" he cried, jumping up. "Twen-
ty-seven pastl"
you've got three minutes" re-
piled Rupert. Wait a second, man!
Hi! I'm going TO Coomber-"
But Charlie was already across the
lawn.
With an uneasy feeling that he
had wasted too much time in con-
versation. Rupert left the inn only a
few seconds after Charlie. AS he
Jumped into the waiting car, which
was facing the lane that wound to
Coomber House, he glanced in the
opposite direction. and saw the large
back of his friend just before it dis
appeared through the un~pretentious
doorway to "Dace, Confectioner."
Then he settled himself in his seat,
started the engine, and began his
second trip that morning to the
house of mysterious happenings.
he travelled fast. He felt wretch
edly anxious. When he had first
read Charles note after returning
from the photographers, his impulse
had been to go straight to Coomber
House and to Sc whether he were
needed there. Then it had occurred
to him that, afr all, Miss Mar
loves danger would hardly be likely
to materialize during the next few
minutes, and that it would be better
to get into touch with Charlie, HIM
self. and to learn a little more about
the position at Moor View. In this
decision he may have been unWiSe,
and in his present growing anxiety
he called himself a fool. But he had
been frankly doubtful of Charles
capacity to describe a situation &C
curately in ink, as also OF his ability
10 deal with a situation in action.
In this, as has been shown. he rath-
er underestimated the value OF his
friend.
So, wisely or unwisely. he had gone
to Charles assistance first. and now
he wished he had left Charlie a little
longer to his W resources. 1t was
nearly two hours since he had last
seen Joscelyn Marlowe, and nearly
two hours since the unSavory Pip
had been deputed to watch out for
her. Suppose they had already met?
Another factor had entered into
Rupert's considerations. Ted, the
laborer, already represented Respect
ability in the danger zone. 1t was
questionable, however, how service
able Ted would prove in a scrap!
What if he had overestimated the
laborer, as he had underestimated
Charlie?
Tortured by these thoughts, he
gave the Armstrong-Siddeley every
thing it could stand, and his pace
nearly caused him to miss the Royal
George when he reached it. He ap-
piled the brakes suddenly, stopped
the car, anG jumped out.
The public hoyae stood silent and
surly by the roadside. Thanked by a
steep hill which o almost to its
bank windows, it gave the appear
ance of having tried to shrink into
it away from the road, and, since 1t
could not do so, of standing in sullen
defiance Of the eyes it had desired
to cheat. Il have a story" it said,
v~oicelessly. you needn't expect me
to tell it," 1t certainly told Rupert
nothing.
Ted was not visible outside the
inn. He was not visible inside the
inn. A glum innkeeper, with a bald
head. didn't know nothing about
nobody nor no one" Rupert climbed
into the car again, and continued on
his way.
His next halt was outside Coomber
House itself. It did not look quite
as cheerful as it had looked by the
! early morning sunlight. A heavy