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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1921)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. AVIS nnmiiiiiiim w nnnw DRUMMOND The CHAPTER VII Continued. 12 "What," Laklngton asked curiously, "does ho think you aro?" "A charming yoUng girl," answered Irmn demurely, "whoso father lost Ills life In the war, and who at present ekes out a precarious existence In a government ofllce. At least, that's what he told Lady Frumplcy she's the woman of unassailable virtue. She was profoundly sentimental and scents a romance, In addition to being n snob and scenting n future duke, to Rdy nothing of n future duchess. By the mercy of Allah she's on a com mittee wltl) his mother for distribut ing brown papor underclothes to des titute Belgians, and so Freddie wan gled an Invito for her. Volla tout." "Splendid," said Laklngton slowly. "Splendid. Young Laldley comes of ago, In about a week, doesn't he?" 'Monday, to be exact; and so I go down with my dear aunt on Satur day." Laklngton nodded his head ns If satisfied, and then glanced at his watch. "What about bed?" ho remarked. "Not yet," said Peterson, halting suddenly In his walk. "I must see the Yank before I go to Paris. We'll have him down here now. Give him nn Injection, Henry and, by God, we'll make the fool sign. Then I can actually take It over to the meeting with me." Ho strode to the door, followed by Laklngton; ami the girl In the chair stood up and stretched her arms nbove her head. For n moment or two Hugh watctad her; then he, too, stood up right and cased his cramped limbs. "Make tho fool sign." The words echoed through his brain, and he stared thoughtfully at tho grey light which showed the approach of dawn. Wlia't -wos tho best thing to do? "Make" with Peterson generally Im plied torture, If other means failed, nnd Hugh had no Intention of watch ing any man tortured. At the same tlmo something of tho nnturo of the diabolical plot conceived by Peterson was beginning to take a definite shopo In his mind, though many of the most Important links were still missing. And with this knowledge hod come the realization that ho was tio longer n frco agent. The thing had ceased to be a mere sporting gamble with himself and a few other chosen spir its matched against n gang of crim inals; It had become If his surmise was correct a national nffalr. Eng land herself her very existence Was threatened by one of tho vilest plots ever dreamed of In the brain of man. And then, with a sudden rage at his own impotence, ho realized that even how he had nothing definite to go on. He must know, more; somehow or other ho must -got to Paris'; ho must attend thnt meeting at the Rltz. Then u sound from tho room below brought him back to his vantage point. The American was sitting In n chair, and Laklngton, with a hypodermic syringe In his hand, was holding his arm. I Ho made the Injection, and Hugh watched the millionaire. He was still undecided as to how to act, but for tho moment, at any rnte, there was nothing to ho done. And ho was very carious to .hear what Peterson had to sny to tho wretched man, who, up to date, had figured so lurgely in every round. After n while tho American ceased staring vacantly In front of ,1dm, and passed his hand dazedly over his fore head. Then ho halt rose from his chair and stared nt the two men sit ting facing him. Ills eyes came round to tho girl, nnd with a groan ho sunk back again, plucking feebly with his liands nt his dressing gown. "Better, Mr, Potts?" said Peterson, nunvoly, "I I " stammered the other "Where am I?" ' "At Tho Kims, Godalmlng, if you Wish to know." "I thought I thought " Ho rose swaying, "What do you want with mo? D n youl" "Tush, tush," murmured Peterson. There Is a lady present, Mr. Potts. And. our wants aro bo simple, .lust your signature to a little agreement, by,whlch In return for certain services .you promise to Join uh In our or lahorH In tho nenr future." "I remember," cried tho millionaire, "Now I 'remember. You Bwlne you filthy swine, I refuse . , . absolute ly' "The troublo Is, my friend, that you uro altogether too big an employer of labor to be allowed to refuse, as I pointed out to you before. You must )n In with us, otherwise you might wreck tho scheme. Therefore 1 ro- cjulro your signature." "And when you'vo got It," cried the American, "what good will It bo to you. I shall rcnudluto It." . ,v frQhl no. Mr. Potts." said Peterson jv'lth a thoughtful smile? "I can assure ' jou, you won't. The distressing ma! dy from which you have recently been Adventures of A Demobilized Officer Who Found Peace Dull CYRILWNE!LE IHushattons by IRWIN MYERS Copyright by Geo H Do ran Co suffering will again have you In Its grip. It reiylers you quite unfit for business." .For n while there was silence, and the millionaire stared round the room llko a trapped animal. "I refuse I" he cried at last. "It's an outrage against humanity. You can do what you like." "Then wo'H start with a little more thumbscrew," remarked Peterson, strolling over to the desk nnd opening n drawer. "An astonishingly effective Implement, as you can see If you look at your thumb." Ho stood In front of the quivering mnn, balancing the Instrument in his hands. "It was un der Its influence you gave us the first signature, which we so regrettably lost I think we'll try It nguln. . . The American gave a strnnglcd cry of terror, and then the unexpected hap pened. There was n crash as a pane of glass splintered nnd fell to the floor close beside Lnklngton; and with an oath ho sprnng uslde and looked up "Peep-bo," enme a well-known voice from tho skylight. "Clip him one over the Jaw, Potts, my boy ; but don't you dlgn." CHAPTER VIII. In Which He Goes to Paris for a NlQht. ONE. Drummond had acted on the spur of tho moment. It would have been man ifestly Impossible for nny man, cer tainly one of his caliber, to have watched tho Amurlcnn being tortured Without doing something to try to help him. At tho snmo time the last thing ho had wanted to do was to give awny his presence on the roof. Tho Informa tion he had obtained that night was of such vital Importance that It wub absolutely essential for him to get awuy with It somehow ; nnd, at the mo ment, his1 chunces of so doing did not appear particularly bright. It looked as If It was only a question of time before they must get him. He watched Laldntrton dart from tho room, followed more slowly by Peter son, and then occurred ono of those strokes of luck on which the Incor rigible soldier ulwuys depended. Tho girl loft the room as well. Sho kissed her hand toward him. nnd then sho smiled. "You Intrigue me. urIv one." sho re- marked, looking tin. "Intricuo mo vnst- ly. I urn now going out to get a renlly good view of the Kill." And tho next moment Potts was nIOne, IIo was staring up at tho sky light, apparently bewildered by tho "I Am Now Qolno Over to Get a Really Good View of the Kill." sudden turn of events, and then ho heard the volco of tho man ubovo speaking clearly and Insistently. "Go out of tho room. Turn to tho right. Open the front door. You'll see a house, through some trees. Go to It. When you got there, stand on tho lawn nnd call 'Phyllis.' Do you get mo?" Tho American nodded dazedly; then ho made u great effort to pull himself togother, as tho voice continued: "Go ut once. It's your only chance. Tell her I'm on the roof here," With a sigh of relief he saw tho mil lionaire leave tho room; then he straightened himself up. and proceeded tp recoimoiter his own position. Thero was a bore chance that the American would get through, nnd If ho did, every thing might yet be well. If ho, didn't Hugh shrugged his shoulders grimly nnd laughed. It had become quite light, iftid nftor a moment's Indecision Drummond took n running Jump, and caught the ridge of the sloping roof on tho side nearest tho road. From where he wns ho could not sec Tho Lnrches, and so he did not know what luck tho American hail had. lint he realized that It wus loug odds against his getting through, and that his chief hope lay In himself. It occurred to him that far too few un biased people knew whore he was; It further occurred to him that It wus a state of affairs which was likely to continue unless ho remedied It himself. And so,Just as Peterson came strolling around a corner of the house followed hy several men nnd a long ladder, Hugh commenced to sing. He shouted, he ronred nt the lop of his very pow erful voice, and nil the time he watched the men below with n wary eye. It was Just as two laborers came In to Investigate the hideous din that Peterson's party discovered the ladder was too short by several yards. Then with greAt rapidity the audi ence grew. A pnsslng milkman; two commercial travelers, a gentleman of slightly Inebriated aspect, whose trous ers left much to tho Imagination; and finally more farm laborers. Never had such a tlt-blt of ggsslp for the local alehouse been seen In the neighbor hood; It would furnish a topic of con versation for weeks to come. And still Hugh sang nnd Peterson cursed; nnd still tho audience grow. Then, at last, there came tho police with notebook all complete, and the "singer stopped singing to Inugh. The next moment the laugh froze on his lips. Standing by the skylight, with his revolver raised, wnp Laklngton, nnd Hugh knew by tho expression of his face that his finger was trembling on the trigger. Out of view of the crowd below he did not know of Its existence, and, In a flash, Hugh realized his dan ger. "Good morrow, Henry," he said quietly. "I wouldn't lire If I were you. Wo aro observed, as they say In melo drama. If you don't believe me," his voice grow n little tense, "Just wait while I talk to Peterson, who Is at pres ent deep In converse wfth the village constable and sOvernl farm laborers." It Is doubtful whether any action In Hugh Drummond's life ever cost him such an effort of will os the turning of his back oh the man standing two ynrds below him, but he did It ap parently without thought. He gave one last glance at the face convulsed with rage, nnd then with a smile h6 looked dqwn nt tho crowd below. "Petorson," ho called out affably, "thero's a paP of yours up here deur old Henry. And he's very annoyed at my concert. Would you just speak to him, or would you like mo to be more explicit? He Is so annoyed that mere might be nn accident at any moment, nnd I see that the police huve ar rived. So er " Even at Umt distance he could see Peterson's eyes of fury, nnd he chuck led softly to himself. But when the leader spoke, his volco was as suave ns ever ; the eternal cigar glowed even ly nt Its normal rate., "Aro you up on the roof, Lnklng ton?" Tho words came clearly through tho still summer air, "Your turn, Henry," said Drummond. "Prompter's voice off 'yes, denr Peter son, ntn "ore, oven upon the roof, with a liver of hideous aspect.' " With a mighty effort Laklngton con trolled himself, and his voice, when he answered, was culm. "Yes, I'm here. What's the matter?" "Nothing," cried Peterson, "but wo'vo got quite a largo and apprecia tive audience down here, attracted by our friend's charming concert, and I've Just sent for a largo ladder by wl)lch he can come down and Join us. So there is nothing that you can do nothing." He repented the word with n faint emphasis, and ilugh smiled genially. "I'm Interested In quite a number of things, Captain Drummond," said Lak lngton slowly, "but they nil count ns nothing beside one getting oven with you. And when I do . . .' He dropped the revolver Into his coat pocket, and stood motionless, staring nt tho soldier. The next instant he opened a door In thO skylight which 'Hugh had failed to discover during tho night, and, climbing down a ladder Insldo the room, disappeared from view. "Hullo, old bean 1" ' A cheerful snout from the ground mnde Hugh look down. There, ranged round Peterson, In nn effective group, were Peter Dnr rell, Algy Longworth, and Jerry Sej mour. "Bird's-ncstln'?" "Peter, old soul," 'cried Hugh Joy fully, "I never thought the day would como when I should be plensed to see your face, but It hnsl" "Ted and his pnl, Hugh, have toddled off In your car," said Peter, "so that only lenves us four nnd. Toby." For a moment Hugh stared at him, blankly, while he did some rapid men' tal arithmetic, no even neglected to descend at onco by tho ladder which had nt last been placed In position. "Ted nnd us four nnd Toby" made six nnd six wns tho strength of the party ns It had arrived. Adding tho pnl made wven; so who tho deuce was tho pal? Tho matter was settled Just as he reached the ground. t Laklngton, wild eyed and almost Incoherent, rushed from the house, nnd, drawing Peter son on ono side, spoko rapidly In a whlspor. "It's all right," muttered Algy rap idly. "They're half-way to London by now, and going like h If I know Ted." It wns then that Hugh started to lough. He laughed till tho tears poured down his fnce, and' Petersen's livid face of fury made him laugh still moro. "Oh you priceless pnlrl" ho sobbed. "Right under your bally noses. Stolo nwnyl Yoteksi" There was another Intcriudo for further hilarity. "Give It up, you two old dears, and take to knitting. Well, nu rovolr. Doubtless we shall meet again quite soon. And, nbove all, Cnrl, don't do anything In Paris which you would bo ashamed of my knowing." With n friendly wave he turned on his heel rind strolled off, followed by the other three. The humor of the situation was Irresistible; the absolute powerlessness of the whole assembled gang to lift a linger to stop them In front of. the audience, which ns yet showed no signs of departing, tickled him tp death. In fact, the last thing Hugh suw, before a corner of the house hid them from sight, wns the majesty of the law moistening his In delible pencil In the time-honored method, and advancing on Peterson with his notebook nt tho ready. "Ono brief Interlude; my dear old warriors," announced Hugh, "and then wo must get gay. Where's Toby?" "Having his breakfast with your glrL" chuckled' Algy. "We thought With Her Hands on His Coat and Her Big Eyes Misty With Her Fears for Him, She Begged Him to Give It All Up. we'd better leave someone oa guard, and she seemed to love him best." "Repulsive hound I" cried Hugh. "Incidentally, boys, how did you man age to roll up this morning?" "We nil bedded down at your girl's place last night," said Peter, "and then tills morning, who should come and sing carols outside but our one and only Potts. Then we heard your deafening din on the 'roof, and blew along." TWO. , "Go away," said Toby, looking up ns the door opened and Hugh strolled in. "Your presence Is unnecessary and uncalled for, and we're not plensed. Are we, Miss Benton?" "Can you bear him, Phyllis?" re marked Hugh, with a grin. "I mean lying about tho house all day?" "Whut's the notion, old son?" Toby Sinclair stood up. looking slightly puz zled. " wnnt you to stop here, Toby," said Hugh, "and not Jet Miss Benton out of your sight. Also keep your eye skinned on The Elms, and tet me know by 'phone to Hnl Moon street anything that happens. Do you get me?" "I get you," answered the other. With a resigned sigh ho roso and walked to the door. "I've got live minutes, little girl," whispered Hugh, taking her Into his arms as the door closed. "Five min utes of heaven. . . By Jove! But you look great simply great." The girl smiled nt him, "Tell mo what's happened, boy," she said eugerly. "Quite a crowded night." With n reminiscent smile he lit u cigarette. And then quite briefly he told her of the events of the past twelve hours, being, ns in the manner of a man, more interested In wntchlng the sweet color which stnlned her cheeks from time to time, nnd noticing her quickened breathing when he told her of his tight with the gorilla, and his ascent of the murderous staircase. When he had finished, and. pitched the stump of his cigarette into the grate, falterlngly she tried to dissuade him. With her hands .on his coat, and her big oyes misty with her fears for him, she begged him to give It nil up. And even as sho spoke, she gloried In the fact that sho knew it was quite useless. Which 'mndo her plead nil th'o -liurder, as Is the wuy of a woman with her man. Then, quite suddenly, he bent and kissed her. "I must go, little girl," he whispered. "I've got to be In Paris tonight. Take care of yourself." The next moment he wns gone. THREE. "Have you got him nil right, Ted?" Hugh flung the question eagerly at Ted Jerulnghnm, who was lounging In a chair at Half Moon street, with his feet on the mantelpiece. "I've got him right enough," an swered that worthy, "Imt ho doesn't strike mo us being Number Ono value. He's gono off tho boll. Become quite guggu again." "H II" said Hugh, "I thought we might get something out of him. I'll go and have a look at the bird." He left tho room, nnd went along tho passage to Inspect tllo American. Unfortunately Jerningham was only too right: Tho effects of last night's Injection hnd worn off completely, nnd the wretched mnn was sitting motion less in n chair, staring dazedly In front of him. Thoughtfully Hugh stood in front of tho millionaire, trying In vain to catch some gleam of sense In the vacunt eyes. "What luck?" Jerningham looked up as he enmo bnck Into the other room. "Dam' all, ns they say In the ver nacular. Have you blighters finished the beer?" "Probnbly," remarked Peter Dar rall. "What's the program now?" Hugh examined tho hend on his glass with o professional eye beforo replying. "Two things," he murmured nt length, "fairly leap to tho eye. The first is to get P,otts nwoy to a place of safety; the second Is to get over to Paris." "Well. let's get gay over tho first, ns n kick-off," said Jerningham, ris ing. "There's a car outside the door; there Is England nt our disposal. We'll take him away; you pad the hoof to Victoria and catch the boat train." "It sounds too easy," remarked nugh. "Have a look out of the win dow, Ted, and you'll see a mrtn fright fully busy doing nothing not fur from the door. You will nlso see a racing enr Just across the street. Put a wet compress on your hend, and connect tho two." A gloomy silence settled on the as sembly, to be broken by Jerry Sey mour suddenly wnklng .up with a start. "I've got the 'stomach-ache,' '.' he an nounced proudly. His listeners gazed at him un moved. "You shouldn't cnt so fast," re marked Algy severely. "And you cer tainly oughtn't to drink that beer." To avert the disaster he immedi ately consumed It himself, but Jerry wns too engrossed with his brain storm to notice. "I've got the 'stomncli-ache,' " he re peated, "and sho ought .to be ready by now. In fact I know she Is. My last crash wasn't a bad one. What about It?" "You mean . . f' said Hugh, staring at him. "I mean," answered Jerry, "that I'll go off to the airdrome now, and get her ready. Bring Potts along In half an hour, and I'll take him to the governor's plnqe In Norfolk. Then I'll take yoil over to Paris." . "Great 1 simply great!" With a report llko a gun Hugh hit tho speak er on the bnck, Inadvertently knock ing him down. "Off you get. Jerry. By the way, how mnny will she hold?" "Two beside me," spluttered the proud proprietor of the Stomach-ache. "And I wish you'd reserve your en dearments for people of your own size, you great, fat, hulking mon strosity." He reached, the door with a moment to spare, nnd Hugh came back laugh ing. "Verily an upheaval In the grey matter," ho cried, carefully refilling his glnss. "Now, boys, whnt about Paris?" "Is It necessary togo.at all?" nsked Peter. "It wouldn't have been If the Yank had been snne," answered Drum mond. "As It is, I guess I've got to. Now listen nil of you. Ted off you go. and raise, a complete waiter's out fit, dicky and all complete. Peter you come with me to the airdrome, and nffcrward look up Mulllngs, at 13 Green street, Hoxton, nnd tell him to get In touch with at least fifty demobilized soldiers who are on for a scrap. Algy you hold tho fort here, and don't get drunk on my nle. Peter will Join you. when he's finished with Mulllngs, and he's not to get drunk, either. Are you all on?" ' Ten minutes later he wns at the wheel of his car with Darrell and the millionaire behind. But Hugh seemed In no grent hurry to start. A whim sical smile wns on his face, as out of the corner of his eye he watched the man who had been busy doing nothing feverishly trying to crank his car. which, after the manner of the brutes, hnd seized thnt moment to Jib. Still smiling, Hugh got out nnd walked up to tho perspiring driver. "A warm day," he ' murmured. "Don't hurry; we'll wait for you." Then, while tho mnn, utterly tuken aback, stared at him speechlessly, he strolled bnck to his own cur. "Hugh you're mnd, quite mnd." said lVtor resignedly, as with n splut tering ronr the other car started, but Hugh still smiled. On the way to the airdrome he stopped twice after a block in the truffle to make quite sure that the pursuer should have no chance of losing him, and, by the time they were clear of tho trnillc nnd spin ning toward their destination, the gen tlemnn in the ear behind fully agreed with Darrell. (TO DB CONTINUED.) Great Minds Linked With Geneva. 'Genevn and Its lake early becam the mecca of leuders In science and literature. Voltaire, Mme. de Stnel, Georges Sand, Dumas, Daudet and Byron, Gibbon, Dickens, Ruskln, Frances navcrgal, Slsmondl, De Sau sure, Amlel n veritable parade of Il lustrious poets, novelists, essayists, philosophers and scientists have linked their names forever with that fair city and Its cnvlrqns., Seconded. Correspondent opines thnt some les sons In elllclency nro needed by our legislators they muke, he says, so many unnecessary motions. Boston Transcript. FROM REMOTEST 1 PARTS OF GLOBE Tanlac Elements Come From Many Lands Far Away 1 From Here. ' The Ingredients from which the cele brated medicine Tnnlnc Is mode, cotiio from remote sections of the earth, and are transported thousands of miles over Innd and sea to the great Tanlac Laboratories at Dayton, Ohio, and Wnlkersvlllo, Canada. Tho Alps, Appenlncs, Pyrenees, Rus sian Asia, Brazil, Wdst Indies, Rocky Mountains, Asia Minor, Persia, India, Mexico, Columbia and Peru are among tho far nway points from which the principal properties of this re markable preparation are obtained. What Is said to be the largest phar maceutical laboratory In the United States has been completed at Dayton, Ohio, for the manufacture of Tanlac, which, according to recent reports. Is now having the largest safe of nny medicine of Its kind In the world, over 20,000,000 bottles having been sold In bIx years. The new plant occupies 00,000 square feet of floor space and has a dally capacity of 50,000 bottles. Uni form quality Is guaranteed by n series of careful Inspections by expert chem ists from the time the roots, herbs, barks and flowers are received In their rough state from nil parts of the globe, until their medicinal properties have been extracted by the most npproved processes. The finished medicine Is then bottled, labeled and shipped out to tens of thousands of druggists throughout the Untted States and Canada, to supply n demand never before equalled by tills or any other medicine. Tanlac la sold by leading druggists eveiywhere. Advertisement Taking Her Order. His parents "were what Is popularly known as "high-brow," but they also were good sports. So when he sug gested taking them to a restaurant in the market district they agreed. The mother's exquisite clothes stamped her as a society woman, but democracy reigns supreme at that res taurant. They sat down at the table. The wnlter handed the mother n menu and then leaned confidentially for ward over the back of the chair and said: "Well, sister, what's the good news?" Indianapolis News. ASPIRIN Name "Bayer" on Genuine Warning I Unless .you see the name "Bayer" on package or on tablets you are not getting genulno Aspirin pre scribed by physicians for twenty-ono years and proved safe by millions. 7ake Aspirin only as told In the Bayer package for Colds, Headache, Neural gia, Rheumatism, Earache, Toothache, Lumbago and for Pain. Handy tin boxes of twelve Bayer Tablets of As pirin cost few cents. Druggists also sell larger packages. Aspirin is tho trade mark of Bayer Manufacture of Monoacetlcacldester of Salicycacld. Adv. ' All in Good Time. It was ut a children's picnic, and they were playing at farmyard, each youngster pretending to be his or her favorite animal. Tho woods echoed with grunting, bnrklng and crowing but one little girl sat silent. "Why don't you play?" nsked one of the' teachers. "Please, miss, 1 am playing," she re piled. ' ' "What aro you, then?" "Please, miss, I'm a hen, and I'm laying nn egg. When I've finished I shall cackle!" WHY DRUGGISTS RECOMMEND SWAMP-ROOT . .Vor many years druggists have watched with much interest the remarkable record maintained by Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, the great kidney, liver and bladder medi cine. It is a physician's prescription. Swamp-Root is a strengthening medi cine. It helps the kidneys, liver and blad der do the work nature intended they should do. Swamp-Root has stood the test of years. It Is sold by all druggists on its merit and it should help you. No other kidney medicine has so many friends. Be sure to get Swamp-Root and start treatment at once. However, if you wish first to test thin great preparation send ten cents to Dr. Kilmer & Co., Binghamton, N. Y., for t sample bottle. When writing be sure and mention this paper, Adv. Women in Commercial Clubs. The San Francisco chamber of com merce, recognizing tho valuable serv ice and successful achievement of women In business, has amended Its by-laws to permit women to become members. All of the women thus far admitted are unmarried and engaged la school work.
