The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-05-30
Dear CAPTAIN Norwood.

write. Won't ycu please call as
soon as you can and let me explain.
I mentioned, without thinking, some
thing that occurred this morning.
To my horror, I have now learned
that what I said has been repeated,
and that the result may bel can't
write it! Please, Captain Norwood,
please believe that what said was
merely thoughtless; and that what
have heard about you I refuse to
believe. ! know you are an hon.
orable man. Please help me to undo
my very bad mistake. I will be
waiting for you at the palace. Won't
you call as soon as possible?
Lynn Harding"
Norwood returned to Mrs. Hard
ing. How long have you had this?"
Don't try any of that hoity-toity
arrogance on mel" she retorted.
I'm Harding, I'll have you under
stand! | sent messenger for you
because"
Norwood was gone before she
could answer. He dashed into the
house, seized the phone and gave
the Residency number. Then he
lowered his voice:
That you, sir? Norwood speak
ing from the guesthouse. Can you
come to the palace? Yes, I
know you told me to keep away.
But I'm ghost. I'm supposed to be
dead You say you'd heard it
already? My God, they were quick!
No, no, I wasn't hurt. The
point is this, sir: they are betting
even money in the bazaar that the
Maharajah won't outlive the night.
suspect poison What's that?
Well, for one thing, know
for fact that Mrs. Harding has
been given poisoned toast to make
her vomit Well, sir, obviously
to keep her away from the niece
Yes, yes, have that letter.
I've just read it If I'm not
too late, and I don't think I am, I'm
going in to upset someone's apple
cart.
He hung up, thought for a couple
of seconds and then returned to
Aunty Harding.
Thanks" he said. "Good night.
I'm in hurry
Stop. Come back. Captain Nor
wood, ] didn't send for you to use
my telephone! Here are my trunks,
and ! can't get anyone to wait on
me. can't get away and I can't
go back in! I paid contractor in
advance, and he hasn't turned up.
Please do something"
Were you running out on Lynn"
Norwood asked her.
Captain Norwood, how dare you
say that!"
"Were your"
''No, I was not! I was bluffing."
"Uh-huh. Shall I tell her you
were bluffng?"
Don't you darei If you know
where she is, you bring her here"
Rundhia was punch drunk. All
the physical fight had been knocked
out of him. He knew his nose was
bleeding. He knew Lynn was in
Norwood's grasp. That Norwood had
escaped death was staggerer al
most worse than the punch on the
jaw. For the moment, he could
think of nothing but Norwood. Like
man in the ring, who is almost out
on his feet, he obeyed the instinct
to deliver a foul blow.
He reeled and staggered, gradu-
ally recovering, along short cut
toward his own palace. AS his
nerves and muscles recovered, so
did his brain. He began to think a
little clearly. By the time he
reached his palace and had sent for
the Bengali doctor, his nose had
ceased bleeding and he needed moth
ing more than a bath and change
of clothing. There were plenty of
servants to lay out clean clothes.
He talked to the Bengali doctor in
the bathroom, where the shower
drowned the sound of their voices.
Even so, he spoke English, lest one
of the Wallets should overhear.
"Now listen. Don't answer me,
or I'll have you hanged. Damn you,
! mean that. I'm desperate. Thanks
to your letting me down in a pinch
and refusing to have anything to
do with it, the attack on Norwood
was bungled."
"He is alive? / heard they killed
him.
''Do look as if they'd killed him.!
He's on the rampage. I'm going to
get him.
Careful"
"Watch your own step. If you fail
to kill your man tonight, up goes
your number! Is the old fool null
ing over his stamp albums?"
Eyes. His Highness is studying
stamps. He has with him that stamp
salesman from Lahore, who can
speak nothing but Punjabi, but can
| swindle without speaking at ALL"
"All right, I'll talk English to
him. The old sheep shall do one
useful thing before he dies. You
| have the poison ready?"
eyes, but this is a crisis" the
Bengal answered. "Are you in a
| fit condition to control a crisis? To
me, you seem very nervous. Let
me feel your heartbeat. Why not
| postpone this until tomorrow"
Because tomorrow the old sheep
might change his will. I've had q
warning from the Resident. BY the
day after tomorrow, they might al.
ready have vetoed my succession
to the throne. If he's already dead
they'll let me succeed, to save them.
selves trouble. So poison the old