Show oft o ft the 1 lie AdI adventures ventures of a L L mobilized demobilized De officer who A PRU M M by CYRIL SAPPER mcneile copyright by geo U H wran co PROLOGUE continued 2 genius gelus that lie was in the rending reading of mens minds lie he folt felt that lie know lie result of that ton ten minutes deliberation and then what blien in tits ills imagination lie saw himself supreme jn in power glutted with it a king icing tin nn autocrat who had only to lift ills ids linger finger to plunge tits his kingdom into destruction destination anti and annihilation ali and when he be had done it and the country lie hated was in ruins then lie ho would claim ills his million and enjoy it as a great mail inan should enjoy a great reward thus for the space of ten minutes did the count see bee visions and dream dreams that the force he proposed to tamper with was a dangerous force disturbed ilni bilm not nt at all nl 1 lie I was a dangerous man mail that this scheme would bring hiang ruin perhaps denah to thou thousands sands of innocent men tind and women cause caused jilin him no qualm lie he was waa a supreme egoist all 01 that appen appealed appended led to jilin him was that lie he had seen the that hat existed and that lio lie had I 1 alio llio io nerve nene and the brain to turn that opportunity to ills own advantage oni only the necessary money was lacking and with 6 a quick movement lie ji pulled tilled out his lil watch they had lind hod their ten minutes i the matter ans settled tile the dlo was cast lie rose and walked across tile lip lounge for an appreciable moment tile he C count aunt paused by the door and a faint anille come came to ills his lips lip then it ral passed into alte Atner american lefin was still chewing ids toothpick Stel was still breathing hard only von gratz grata had changed ills occupation ond and lie he was sitting fit at the ho table a long 0 thin thill cigar tito count closti I 1 the floor door and walked overto the fir fireplace elInce well gentlemen he fie said quietly what have you jou decided it was the american who answered it goes goer with one amendment alie money Is too big for three of w us there must bea baa fourth eliat will be 66 a quarto quarte it a million ea enca 6 the count bowed w jince billave you ou any ally suggestions ns as to whom the fourth should be yep said the Abi erlean shortly these two gent gentlemen men agree aglee with me that it should be ba another of my countrymen so that we get equal numbers the man we have decided ou on Is coming to E egland in a few weeks C U potts if you get him in III you can count us in too it if not the deals off the count nodded and if 1 lie he felt any annoyance at this unexpected development lie he showed no sign of it on ills his face lenow i 1 Lk I know now of sir mr potts he answered quickly your big shipping man he be I 1 agree to your reservation good said the american lot lets I 1 19 discuss some details without a trace of emotion on oil ills his fac ii the count drew up a chair to the table it was only when he sat down that thai he started to play a tattoo on ills his knee with ilia his left liand half un an hour later he en entered his luxurious suite of I 1 looms nt at the hotel magnificent A girl who had been lying fly by the fire reading a arenci novel looked up it at the sound bound of the door she did not speak for the look on his face told tier her all she wanted to know lie ile crossed to the sofa and smiled down at her on our own terms tomorrow irma tile tho comte comie de guy tiles and carl peterson and his daughter ter leave for H england A country get gentleman I 1 think is 13 carl Il ickerson eterson Ic terson ile he might keep hens aal possibly pigs the girl on oil tha sofa rose yawning 11 mon dieul what a prospect I 1 pigs and hen lien r bild in england I 1 how long Is it going to take the count looked thoughtfully into the tire lire perhaps a year perhaps six months jt it la Is on the lap of the KO da CHAPTER I 1 in n which he takes tea at carlton and Is ls Surprised ONE 1 captain llumi bruni 1 ond 01 title line of ills Maje will was whistling in its ills anih heing hv by e ot it disposition on the symptom did not sur girlee his st avont Eini uit late ate of ue famous who was laying breakfast I 1 in it au an adjoining room after a while tho the whistling ceased nud and the musical gurgle of escaping water announced that the concert wafts was over it ans the signal for james denny the square jawed ex batman to disappear into the he back regions legions and get from tits ills wile wife the kidneys and bacon which that most excellent bodian woman had find frilled to a turn but on oil this particular nicular morning the invariable routine was broken james denny seemed I 1 preoccupied distrait v once car twice lie scratched ills hla head arid and stared out of the window with a puzzled aroya you looking for or james denny the irate voice of 0 tits tila wife lit at tile tho door made him look round gullibly gull itly them kidneys Is ready find and wait waiting 1119 these he alve minutes her PCS eyes fell on tho the table and she advanced into tile room wiping tier her hands on tier her apron did you ever see such a bunch of letters she said forty five returned tier her husband grin trinity iTy and all more to come lie ile picked up the newspaper lying beside the chair and opened it rhems the result of that lie he continued cryptically indicating a paragraph with it i square inger and thrusting the paper under ills cifes nose De mobilized officer she rend read slowly finding peace incredibly tedious would welcome diversion legitimate if possible but crime it if of a comparatively humorous description no objection excitement essential would be prepared prepare to consider permanent job it sult suitably ably impressed by applicant for or ilia his services reply at once dox box she put down the paper on a chair and stared staled first fit at tier her husband and thon then lit at the rows of letters neatly arranged on the lie table JI 1 I calls call sIt lt wicked she announced at length fair hying flying in the face of oc providence vi crime detiny crime dont you oil get to do with wad mad pranks ny iny man mail or you and me will bo be having words she shook an all admonitory finger at him find and retired slowly to 0 o the lie kitchen A moment or two later hugh drum mond cattle came in slightly under six fee feet t in height lie was broad in proportion pio porton ills cud would not him good looch looking k 9 aut b ut lie ho was tiie 1116 fortunate possessor 0 of f that cheerful clie erful type 0 of f ugliness which which inspires immediate confidence in ili ita owner ile he paused as lie he got to the lie table and g lanced glanced at the rows of letters who w would uld hove have thought it james lie fie remarked great I 1 shall have to get a partner 11 with disapproval allowing in every line of tier her face mrs airs denny entered tile lie room carrying the kidneys and I 1 drummond glanced at tier her with a smile good morning mrs denny lie he said wherefore this worried wonted look on your face lias has that reprobate james been misbehaving himself the worthy woman snorted lie ile lias has not sir not yet leastwise and it if fie BO be that lie he does iier her eyes traveled up and down the back of all the hapless apless li denny who was quite officer she read I 1 slow ly finding peace incredibly y tedi ous ou would welcome diversion marily pulling books oft off shelved and putting them back again if so BO he that lie does she continued grimly him OIK aw mo me will have word ax as ive old fold him already ahli morning 11 she stalked from the room after storing staring pointedly nt at the lottoe s in hand and the two men looked at one another its that there reference to crime calm sir torn it said denny in a 0 honree whisper thinks im going to lend you antray doea site she james Jaine sIll lie was TOS opening the first envelop ond and sud deuly lie he looked up with a twinkle lu in his ryes eyes just to set tier her mind at rest lie he remarked gravely you might tell tier her that as fur far as I 1 can call see nt at present I 1 shall only under undertake murder in exceptional cases ile propped tile tho letter up against tho the toast const rack and commenced ills breakfast where Is james and one might almost ask why Is no town ties lias any ally right to such an all offensive name lie ile glanced gin need through the letter and shook ills hla lead head tush I 1 tush I 1 and tho the wife of the bank manager too the bank manager of jamesl james I 1 can you yon conceive of anything so BO dreadful dut but im afraid mrs hank manager Is a puss a distinct puss its ita when texy get on the soul koul mute flinte stunt that the furniture begins to hy fly drummond tore up ill the letter and dropped the pieces into the basket beside him then he be turned to his servant and handed him the remainder of the enve envelopes lopos go through them james while 1119 I 1 assault the kidneys and andvick pick two or three out fo for me I 1 see that you will have to become lie my secretary tary do you wont want me to open them ahem sir asked denny doubtfully youve yoi ie lilt it janies james hit it in one classify thorn m for tile me in ili groups criminal sporting amatory that means of or pertal pertaining ning to love stupid and merely boring and ad a last resort miscellaneous lie ile stir stirred ted tits ills coffee ill thoughtfully ough trully 1 I feel that as a first venture lit in our now new career ours I 1 said imald janies james love appeals to mo me irresistibly find roe me a damsel in jI distress stress a beautiful girl helpless in the hie clutches of knaves let we me feel that I 1 can call fly to her succor clad in my new grey suiting 1 ile he finished tile last piece of bacon and pushed away ills his plate denny was engrossed in a letter ile he had just opened A perplexed look was spreading over oer his face und and suddenly lip ho sucked ill ills teeth loudly it was it a sure sign that tames james was excited and drummond Dru nimond glanced up quickly nial the letter from ills his hands im surprised sui nt at you sames james lie remarked severely A secretary should control itself dont forget that tile tho perfect secretary Is tin an jt it ann nn inn it t tiling in capable of I 1 feet feeling I 1 I 1 I 1 C 7 no ile read the letter through rapidly and then lien turning back to the beginning he read it slowly through again my aly dehr dear box XIO I 1 dont know whether your advertisement was a joke I 1 suppose it must haye been tint hut I 1 r rad nd it this morning and its just possible just possible you mean it and it if you do youre the ninn man I 1 want I 1 can offer you excitement find probably crime irm fro up against it for a girl ive bitten on off rather moro mom than I 1 can chew I 1 want licup badly will you yet come to the carlton for tea tomorrow afternoon I 1 want to have a look at you and see it if I 1 think you are genuine wear a white hower flower in your buttonhole ton hole drimmond Dru inmond laid the letter down and pulled out tits his cigarette caso tomorrow james he fie murmured that Is 13 today tills this very afternoon verily I 1 believe that hint we have d upon lie file goods lie ile rose and stood looking out of the window thoughtfully you think its genuine sir said jakres ills master blew out a cloud of smoke 1 I know it Is 18 lie ho answered dreamily look nt at that writing the decision in it the character shell he be medium height and dark with the sweetest little nose and mouth her coloring james will bf be hut but jam james es had discreetly left the room TWO at four exactly hugh drummond stepped out of hla his two seater at the he haymarket entrance to the carlton for a few moments after entering the hotel ho he stood at the top of the stairs outside the dining room white while ills eyes oyes traveled round the tables in tile the lounge below slowly and thoroughly lie he continued tits his search it was early of course yet and she might not have arrived but lie was taking no chances suddenly ills eyes censed ceased wandering and remained blied flied on a table lilt at tile the far end of the lounge unit itria hidden behind it plant a girl wits was seated alone and for n moment she ahe looked straight nt at him then with the gus sus clelon of a smile phe turned away find commenced drumming on the table her fingers the table next to her ber was unoccupied and drummond Dru nimond made his wily way to lo word ward it and eat down lie ile felt not the ho slightest doubt lit in ils ids mind that this was the girl who hail had written him and haying having given an ceiler to the me v waiter niter he stArt started cv to study tier her face ns as unobtrusively ns as pos sible lie ile could only see tile the pr profile but that was quite sufficient clent to make him film bless the moment when moie as a jest than anything pise else he fie find sent tits hla advertisement to the inper her eyes he could see pee were very blue find grant of golden brown brorn hair colled called owr over tier pars ears from tinder a small black int lie ile glanced nt at tier her hand bando and noted wath approve nl at tile the obscure absence of any ris ring then 10 looked once mote at tier face and found vr V r eyes ces were fixed on oil him tills this little she did not look away silo seemed to think mini that it was tier her turn to conduct tile tho examination and Drum drummond mohd fumbled in tits lila waistcoat pocket after a moment lie found what lio lie willi wonted ted and taking out a card lie propped it against the teapot so flo that the girl could see beo what wall on oil it in largo large black capitals lie he lind had written box XIO she sloko almost it fit once do 11 she said nud and ho he turned to tier her with 11 its very nice of you to say so BO lie ho murmured it if I 1 may limy I 1 will mil return tho the compliment so will you she frowned slightly this foolishness you know what I 1 sold said in my letter Is literally truo true I 1 want you to t tell we tile find there was no trace of jesting lit in tier voice tell me on oil your yord word of honor whether that ad was bona lido fide or a joke ile answered tier lier in ili tile ho same vein it started more or less na as a joke it may inny now be regarded na as absolutely genuine she nodded os as it aro are you prepared to risk your ufa life Drumn ionIs eyebrows eye browa wont went up lip arid and then lie smiled mulled granted that the inducement Is sufficient lie ho returned slowly 1 I think I 1 may say that I 1 arn ile he saw that she was was staring blaring over lila shoulder at some one behind his back dont look around she ordered tint and tell nie me your arime quickly drummond captain drummond Druin roond late of tile lie ile leaned back lit in ills chair and lit 14 it ft cigarette my aly dear 11 phyllls hyllis 11 sald said iii n voice behind ills back this thin Is it pleasant surprise I 1 had no ideh idea that you roil were in lil london A tall clean shaven man stol stopped pl d beside the table throwing n keen glanco glance at drummond the world Is full of such surprises it answered tile girl lightly 1 I dont suppose you know captain drum donl do you oil sir La kington urt connoisseur and or er coll collector octor tile the two men bowed slightly and sir bullied 1 I 1 do not ri re over ever having heard my iny hum les afaro 0 you interested in such mutters matters not very im afraid answered drummond just recently I 1 have been rather too busy to pay much attention to 0 o art tito other man smiled again and it struck hugh that rit rarely iely it if ever had lie ho seen such lucli a cold merciless face of course youve been to france La lackington kington murmured unfortunately a bad heart kept me on oil ills his side of the water sometimes I 1 cannot help thinking how bow wonderful it must have been to bo be able to kill without |