The Washington times., 1937-09-07

He pulled down the coverlet anc
examined his patient briefly
When he turned away he was
clearly puzzled.
Anything wrong?" Matressel
asked.
Andrews shook his head.
mot actually wrong" he re
piled. "A trifle confusing-that's
all. There's only my old house
keeper, Anna Foulds, in the place
and she's a model of neatness.
This fellow has not been out
Of bed since I left. I can tell, be
cause I arranged the pillow and
blankets myself. His clothes were
all neatly folded up and laid out
on that sofa.
Nov, as you can see, it looks
as though an earthquake had
struck them"
How do you account for it?'
Matresser asked quietly.
FULFILLING SITUATION
II can't"
do you suggest that a third
person has been here-a non-resi
dent of the house?"
"It seems absurd" the doctor
replied, but what else is there tc
think? Mrs. Foulds would never
have left his clothes in that con
dition and I'll wager my patient
hasn't left the bed"
"She may have let in a caller
during your absence" Matressel
suggested.
! Anything like this is possible
Of course" Andrews admitted
Anyhow, it is not worth while
making a mystery Of it. You car
wake him up quite safely, Matres
ser, and ask him any questions
you want.
st will just step across to the
police station, then I'll come back
and bandage his head up for the
night"
Matresser acquiesced silently
He waited until Andrews had de
scended, until in fact he heard
his footsteps in the street below
then he moved over to the bed
sid1 and laid his fingers upon the
sleeping mans shoulder.
Fergus" he cried softly. "Wake
up! Do you hear? Wake up!"
The man opened his eyes. HI
stared hard at MatresSer, with
only a troubled sort of recogni
ton.
pull yourself together. Fergus
You seem to have been in the
wars, but you are all right now
You recognize me?"
The sick man raised himself 6
little.
"You are Matresser, aren't you?'
he asked in a puzzled tone. where
on earth am and how did I gel
here? Did I reach the Great
House after all?"
NASTY BLOW
"You were picked up in fielc
within a half mile Of the Great
House." his visitor told him.
"They brought you to the loca
doctors. You will be all right
in a day or two, but you have
had a nasty blow. Remember how
you came by it?"
The man raised himself a little
further in the bed. He was still
pale, but there was a livid spot
of color in each cheek.
It was obvious that he was only
making troubled progress towarc
recovery.
IT remember perfectly we'll" he
) confided. 1T all came back tt
me in a sort of dream about ar
hour or so ago.
Ever since then I have beer
lying here kicking myself. I de
serve to be thrown out of the
service. I probably shall"
Tell me about it, anyway,
Matresser persisted.
II was motoring down." he re
counted, "in a small government
car, and just as was mounting
the hill to Cley, someone on {
motorcycle passed me, wheeled
round and stood with his hanc
up in the air.
II thought he wanted to ash
the way, or something. and
pulled up, too"
"On Government service" Ma
treSSer reminded him quietly.
ORDINARY REQUEST
mo use rubbing it in, sir" the
man replied. Il would not have
stopped anywhere, in any other
country, but here I was in one Of
the quieteSt corners of England
and very near the end Of my
journey and, frankly. it never en-
tered my head that this was any
thing but an ordinary request fol
help of some sort.
"No use making excuses, know
did it. The person who had
descended asked me if I coulo
Oblige him with q wrench. He