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Show n, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEtobhk raised D' only months." a STANOAKu-iwAhaNL- i. England p OppQumim y few troyel, acd the club house 'Supposing your position to be what I believe It is," Sydney credulously. " sented. "I am now on my way 'back to civilization. By the by, what is your name?" "David." "And your profession? '.. Don't think me but having just snatched you, as it were, from the jaws of death I feel a mild interest in you." r "I am a at Grunby's I was at leasts until yesterday." For the first time Mr. Sydney Grunby seemed a little taken aback. He eyed his companion with a shadow of disfavor. "I say, I hope you're not mixed up in this trades union dispute?" "Not In the least," David assured him. "Naturally I think that Mr. Grunby is very not, to allow his men to belong to their trade union, but personally I have very little interest in the matter. I em studying industrial conditions .In this country on a broader basis." "The little fracas to which I am indebted for your presence," the young man persisted, "was not due to any unpopularity up at the shop." "I can assure you that It was not," David replied. "It seems an odd. thing to tell you on a peaceful Sunday night In London, which is, 1 suppose, the most city In the world, but those three men have probably never been in England before in their lives. They have been brought over from a country from which I am at present exiled to make sure that I shall never return to it. This is their first attempt, and, thanks to you, I have escaped." "God bless my soul," the young man declared. "It sounds like Anthony Hope or the 'Arabian Nights. Aren't you English, then?" "Only partly. Do you mind if I suggest that I am a little boed with my own affairs? Let me imitate your candor. May I? Yon have told me your name what Is your . profession?" "I am a professor of sociology." "Indeed? Of what school? And in what universities have you . studied? You interest me greatly." "I shall interest you much more before we part company," Sydney Grunby declared. "I believe that we were made to exchange confidences of a baffling nature. I am of my own school, and my university Is here. Get out, please; we are far from the possibility of anys, skin-sorte- short-sighte- d them-selTe- J I. " , .;S . "Unpleasant," David murmured, "like a rat. In a hole to die like that," No. 17." "From which," Sidney continued. ' ' chap. He was a real wrong 'un, I be- - i , , 'v V' i y . ' ,!" -- " v . , - : ,-- J Y ' - . . i. ' - s - - ' . - " ... - V- 4 -.. i' f y C tv:xV..-x..v.,s.-- ..'v' .'..:.'..-,..-.- , rYrr ? vV'' : i- - 7 i f ; t ? .. . 7 V I've X to-nigh- . A -- ; . v' - . V-- ' . i , .,: V . - r 1 - A'-- , - - " " , ; . ' - - :- - r ..vv . '...vjMiijri - j . - e. tante in life and its emotions. , - , ,'":.;v: r -,. v. . V . . '7-;--- - V - ' : i , nave, ... - ; ?. thanks 50.000? ::777V; 7' fst' P''w ;V7 M n -- v 'vv 4 fil 77 . (; ' ; , V.- " T - " . . . - ' v : ' . ."' i'.-- ' - , ; ,f V to To commit oneself to a definite calling is, to my mind, to court boredom. "Your professor- Virginia's. . "It's Grunby's slaves who have done this," he cried as they gated Into the seething mass of destruction, saw the tall flames leap up to the sky and watched the dense clouds of smoke twisted Into strange shapes by the wind. "It was bound to come." ship?" "Chaff f - "What about tlie war?" replied, with a reminiscent smile. "There were discomforts, but on me whole it was the most fascinating three years of my life." "Why didn't you stay la the ier-vlIf you liked V -- V- - - - '?v. 7, - - , .. . k - - - : - ltr ' i , . , ' - . : ' - TV--Jr- t - '::: V'. " He got pushed amongst Ihei machinery horrid business." "Spies and reputed spies must take their risks, I suppose," David Here. -- observed. "Notwithstanding which' philosophic admission," was the dry re-- 4 Joinder, "1 am bound to confess that 1 consider you've been somewhat lucky up to now." "I was lucky In coming across you Just when I did, David agreed. "Frankly, you were, I believe if those two men who were following you, had boarded the car, they would, in the expressive language of their kind have done you In." David considered the matter for a moment. -- . .V V v r- i.V7:4r7.;: - . . ,. . v 7 ' . ". ' ' . ; "I wonder! Do top hink they would really have risked their skins to that extent?" "From the!. ignorant point of view It would not have been a rl3k a$ alL They believe that England Is on the verge of a revolution." David looked out of the window to where the lights of a great hotel flared up to the sky The pavements were crowded with Sunday evening loiterers, the streets with taxlcabs and motor cars taking to their homes the diners-ou- t at the various restaurants. Men whistled as they walked, the women laughed. It was a little vignette of a happy and prosperous city. "Doesn't it occur to them some , l7" .. 7 make-believ- e, semi-Intellige- nt y -- ," David mused. "That is because I am so Interested In myself." was the prompt reply. "It delights me to reach down into the bran tub of cay being and fish up whatever I find there. "How far does your individualism go? David asked, accepting a second whiskey and soda. "Supposing the revolution which these fanatics prophesy, but which you and I and ail people of sober common sense know to be Impossible supposing for a moment that it were imminent, would you go out of your way to stop It if you could?" Sydney Grunby considered th matter carefully, seeking apparently for Inspiration In the clouds of tobacco smoke with which he had surrounded himself. "Weil, I don't know," he decided. "The physician will tell you that disease is best out." "On the other hand. It may bring - hsp-penic- r." -- t times that their point of view Is a country Is being governed by the little ridiculous?" he queried. people for the people. Neither the "Very often, I should think. They aristocracy nor the bourgeoisie are very good at the game of have any real power." however. They say that "Quite so," the other agreed, "but the crust Is all right, but underyou must remember that the proleneath Is a small furnace. The tariat 1 never led by people with smoke Is finding Its way out common sense; You and I have a through a thousand cracks. Oh, I sense of Justice and proportion becan assure you that there are cause our education is real and our plenty of people, even amongst the understanding elastic The agitator class, who believe and his victim have not." that trouble la at hand." "You seem to be quite a student of present-daconditions," David "It isn't a matter only of sympfunda"The remarked. David toms," argued. "I am a student of nothing." Sydmentals are so completely absent. You have in England the most ney Grunby declared, throwing democratic form of government away his Cigarette and lighting anthat exists In the .world. The other. "I have learned the secret Great Britain Rights Iteservcd. 1921, International Feature Service, Inc. . (C) A: ? . MRS. . self-expression- V CHAPTER XV. GRUNBY sat in the cor of her resplendent drawing room, alternately fanning henelf, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, and taking appreciative sips from a tumbler by her side. A few yarsd away, with heryhands clasped behind her back. Edith stood at the window, watching the panorama of Came and destruction. "How you can stand there as calm as though nothing were Mrs. Grunby complained, in broken toaes, "watching your ce "I didn't like It I hate discipline, I detest militarism, I loathe destruction. The only thing I cared about In my Job was the flylng itself, and X can do that as a civilian." "You have a queer gift of . ... "Iflew. Sydney -- t, David leaned out of his window an hour later and listened to the shrieking and tearing of fire engines rushing northward. At the top of St. James's street a crowd of. people was gathered together gating at a lurid patch in the sky. There was an undercurrent of excitement everywhere. Even David.'' as he bent over the telephone, found himself recalling his conversation of a short time ago. If the danger of which they had spoken had been real, might this not indeed be the lighting of the torch, the beginning In of the cataclysm? Charltoa Terrace Blackman, in a state of great excitement, his frock coat streaming behind him, his shock of white hair blown about his face, stood on the flat roof of the house and passed his arm through "You have no oo ctrpatlon, then?" ' "Why should I that - - -- K:y- night." to-morr- "I neither seek to instruct, debaodx nor ameliorate. The consequence is that I Jog along fairly My comfortably. brief epoch of only cnhapplnefls was when my father, with a ghastly lack of perception, endeavored to initiator ' me into the rays "teries of hoemak-log.- " m David shook his head. "Before my, time perhaps. X cf the unified exiit-encI am a dilet- pursuii. David, stepped, with a smile, out. on to the pavement of St. James street. . "You must allow me to settle with this man," he begged. "I promised him double, fare." "I should not dream of it," the other objected with a little wave of the hand. "This is the people's money on its way back," he added, passing a note to the chauffeur. "Now, you must pay me a visit," Mr. David. I have a small flat in this .'building. We will drink a whiskey and soda together Vnd exchange a few more confidences. Follow me, .please. We, are destined, I am sure, to be better acquainted." af- i : : V - - ' t- : 4)C: v '..':;;V 1 I - r';.- - : i - " - ,v- ' 1 V' iv , ' nr "' - - r- V-- '. U I V . morning to the talk of sorting skins at my father's factory?" "To tell you the truth." David confided, "I rather fancy that that Job has come to a somewhat pre. mature end, X have registered Tottenham in mind as a permanently uahealthly neighborhood. la any case, though, I was scarcely so blantant as you suggest. had a quite suitable abode in the neighborhood, which I shall now, alas, be obliged to forsake." Sidney stood tapping with hlst fingers upon the tabls. He was' suddenly thoughtful "My friend," he fall, "1 have taken a fancy to you. So far as I could do It without any inconvenience to myself, should like to help you. Tell me the truth about and that attack upon you those men." "I have told you the truth," David answered quietly. Sydney shrugged his shoulders with the air of one who has finished the subject- - Suddenly there was a change la his face. David had moved a few steps toward the door and In his new position he stood in a different and clearer light. Perhaps, too, there was some alteration la his carriage, some faint r sentment cf the other's disbelief. At any rate, his host abruptly abandoned his Incredulous attitude and held out his hand almost apolo. getically. "I beg your pardon," he said. "We shall meet at the Milan Hotel V '.jr..,. : v. $ " . r 4V, . ijfty)) ; S, - - ' - '- r : - - 'YMxi-- I v-- J fi '.J :i - - asked Sydney im perturb ably, "you proceed every "Then there was another ut w ..r.V hang fifty people, you know, and there was no evidenge." . have nasty habits." "Indeed," David murmured. "You remember the Chlgwell ' fair?" ' con-plcuo- .,. 7 law-abidin- g CHAPTER XIV. followed his new friend DAVID ths lift, and was presently ushered Into a.' small suite on the floor below his own. The was comfortable, well sitting-roofurnished and remarkably neat. Its prominent characteristics in the way of decoration were reproductions in every form of the art treasures of Italy and Southern Europe. There was not a single original bronze, watercolor or print. In a recess were gun cases, flshln g rods, golf clubs, badminton an tennis racquets, each kept carefully distinct and in excellent condition. The young man indicated one of the two easy chairs to his guest and seated himself in the' other. Between them stood a small table, on which was set out x whiskey and soda. "Say when," he invited, tilting the bottle. "Soda, of course. I dare say you feel that you need a drink." "As a matter of fact, I do," David assented. "I had a bit of a scuffle in the house." "Try one of those cigars." ,'Td rather smoke a cigarette, if I may." Sydney thrust his hands into his trousers pockets and looked across at his visitor with a faint smile. "Look here." he said, "supposing we drop that fairy story of yours for a few minutes. I'd like to give you a word of warning. That little gang at the factory, who I am very much : afraid are substituted by my father, are a pretty dangerous lot. They Besides, one's friends., I s any of them who had made In the least dont think I am sentimental, but one must have friends to plsy golf and bridge with would probably be torn to pieces. Yes; If I didn't have to sacrifice too much of my comfort I would stop the revolution If I could." David glanced at the clock sod rose to his feet with, a little smile. "I cant make up my mind," be confessed, "whether you are a poseur or not. My suspicion Is that in a time of crisis you would find f omething of which you were fend, and fight (or It like any other man. Come and dine with me night. I will return you my thanks then more formally for your timely rescue this evening." "With pleasure, if you are still upon the earth." was the cordial reply. "Whereabouts?" "The Milan Restaurant, at 8 o'clock. If you wUh to communicate with me before. I will inform I have a you of a coincidence. small fiat on the fioor above you. i I should have thought that local gossip would have kept you posted to a certain extent. Chlgwell had after surreptitious hankerings West-End, visits to the although he was not nearly such an obvious person as you must seem. He was one of the foreman clickers at the works, who had a great deal to s"" about the betrayal of labor 'the present Government, and that sort of thing. He was a visitor at Charlton Terrace, whenever he could get his nose in there, nind then one day he was seen coming out of a certain building in Whitehall. Fifty of them closed in upon him that night. He was found beaten to death. You can't van- dalism. "It's Grunby's slaves who have done this," Grunby continued reflectively, "you seem to have gone Into this busi- he cried, as they gazed ness with very little information into the seething mass as t6 what you were up against. of destruction. boot manufacturers?" "Eldest son but not In the business, believe me. I pay an occasional visit to the parental roof, !but not oftener than I am obliged." "Have you been there this evening?" David inquired. "I have," the young man as- over-curiou- in been Continued. his eyes in THE OGUEN Widi csJon $0 'JlJ CHAPTER XIII. ix, father's property burn to the ground, and him very likely being torn to pieces, is more than I csn understand. Come and sit down, for goodness sake, do, Edith I" ' It's rather a fine sight," Edith remarked, turning her head. "The tall chimney has Just commenced to burn. It's Ilka a great pillar of fire." Mrs. Grunby sobbed, and turned for relief once mere to the tumb'er. "You hearties." - good-for-nothin- child!" she exclaimed. "That chimney was the one your father was so proud of. He knew the height to a foot. It's- the fourth tallest in - . London." From another window Mr. Harry came strolling across the death. Then the epiet to one's Grunby room with his hands in his pockets, daily life would be Intolerable. There was an evil of anticipaOne's favorite restaurant would , tion in his eyes. gleam 4 probably be sacked, and all the best do-in crowd! th soma wine In London drunk by the mob. all"That'llwhen It falls," cf TxzvrY.a. he right One's reasonable amusements viciously "the more the better I would naturally be attacked. I can Mra. Grunby sat up in her chair see the golf course at Ranelaga Continued on Next PB, ploughed up, the tennis courts de-- Not. i: , |