The Washington times., 1937-10-18

All that man could do he had
done. His personal commitments
he had brought to a triumphant
finish. Matresser was a free lance,
and he took leave of no one. He
stole out of Berkeley Square at q
little before In the morning.
A haf-past II he passed
thorugh the wide-flung gates OF
the Great House and received his
first shock. There in corner Of
the Park, amply protected by every
description of improvised shelter
stood the aluminium airplane in
which he had made his two fa-
nous cruises across Europe. He
stopped for a moment, staring at
it.
How long has the plane been
there?" he asked the lodgekeeper.
PILOT WAITS
About ten days, your lordShip,"
the man replied. The same pilot
who took you off brought her lady,
ship back and they have been out
on several flights.
THE pilot has engaged a me.
chanic from Norwich. We under.
stood that he was waiting for
your lordShip's return"
Matresser nodded and drove
slowly through the inner gates and
round the great circular sweep to
the front doors.
Henry Yates, his hair more di.
sheveled than ever and his face
one broad grin, was standing there
to greet him. MatreSser descended
from the car, took his hands and
Wrung them.
"All well, Henry?" Matresser in
quired.
"Her ladyship has been very
anxious to see you, sir" Yates re-
piled. "She is in her boudoir
now"
Matresser nodded. "I will come
at once" he said.
Magda approved of her sur.
roundings. She followed her mas
ter down the hall, keeping an inch
or two from his heels.
Cant help it, Yates" MatreS-
ser observed, STOPPING to pat the
dogs head. "She was given to
me by keeper at the shooting
lodge and she means to stick"
They passed on to the small re-
ception room where the Countess
Of MatreSSer was awaiting her son.
She was seated in her usual
highbacked, tapestry covered
chair. her eyes as wonderful as
ever, always watching. Neverthe-
less. he received a shock as he
drew near to her.
WARM WELCOME
"At last, my dear Ronald" she
sighed. II cannot tell you how
welcome you are. Why did you
not warn me that I might wake
some morning and find myself
famous?"
How did know?" he asked.
What have you done?"
1T is not I, dear" she answered.
"It's you"
"You have been reading those
newspapers. he explained.
After all, I am your mother"
He waved the subject away, his
eyes fixed on her wasted features.
Il want to talk about you," he
said. This Norfolk winter has
been too much for you."
She smiled. You find me
changed?" she asked anxiously.
you are a little thinner" he
answered, "but your eyes are as
beautiful as ever and your voice
is quite steady"
How I wanted to see you and
to confess, dear Ronald" she said.
Nov that we are here alone, you
shall know the truth.
Lately I have felt so tired at
times and I have wanted to be at
my best when you came back that
I have taken one or another Of
these fashionable medicines Of
the moment everyone is talking
about.
If I lived in France or if I
were not the Countess of Matres-.
ser. they would be called drugs.
Always before your arrival home:'
I used to send to that Doctor
Lacon. whom I wish I had never
met, because I hated that you
should find me looking old.
This time I have learned my
lesson. I have taken nothing. You
see me as ana very tired old
lady"
CHAPTER XXXVI
Matresser recovered quickly
from his first shock.
"Lacon, after all, has a large
clientele" he acknowledged. Il
am sure that the drugs he would
recommend might be dangerous
only if you took too strong a dose
or stopped taking them too sud-
denly"
do you know why I stopped
using them?" she asked.
I hope because you felt well
enough to do without them"
Not at all. 1t is because of that
terrible Scotland Yard man who
came here. I felt so i'll on that
Monday when the storm came
that I asked Elisabeth to go into
Norwich and get me syringe.
THE only one I had was broken.
They made her sign for it and
when a broken one was found
near that poor fellow Fergus, the
detective began to make inquiries
and he actually discovered that
Elisabeth had bought one Of ex-
actly the same make at the chem
lists in Norwich.
tn re Hontiuuadl