The Mystery Queen. Hume Fergus

Dan with a shrug. "I'm not even going to think of the beasts. We go North to get the machine which will enable me to win this two thousand. And then-"

      "And then?" echoed Laurance with a grin. "Then I shall discover the truth, crush the gang, and marry Lillian." In this way, therefore, the muddy water was stirred up.

      CHAPTER VI

      THE INVENTOR

      Freddy Laurance usually opened his mouth to ask questions, rarely to talk about himself. In the newspaper world, confidences may mean copy, given that such are worthy to appear in print. Therefore, as the young man found, it is just as well to be sparing of personal details, and having made this discovery, he was careful to keep his tongue between his teeth in all matters dealing with his private life. This reticence, useful in business, but wholly unnecessary in friendship-particularly when the friendship had to do with Dan Halliday-had grown upon Laurance to such an extent that he said very little about his love affair. Dan, being a genial soul, and a fellow-sufferer in the cause of Cupid, and having a heart-whole liking for the journalist, resented being shut out in this way. He therefore made it his business to extract Freddy's love story from him when the two were in the train making for Sheepeak, viâ Thawley and Beswick. "Where did you meet her?" asked Dan abruptly, as they had the compartment to themselves, and he had exhausted not only the newspapers but the magazines. "Her?" repeated Laurance, who was calmly smoking, with his feet on the opposite seat, "what her?"

      "The her. The one girl in the world for you?"

      "Oh, bosh!" Freddy colored, and looked pleasantly embarrassed. "Is it? Perhaps you are right!" and Dan began to hum a simple little American song, entitled, "I wonder who's kissing her now." Laurance took this personally. "No one is! I can trust her."

      "Trust who?" asked Dan innocently. "The person you mentioned now. Miss Vincent, Mildred."

      "Did I mention her? Well, now you recall her name, I did. Old man, we are the best of friends, but this fourth estate habit of holding your confounded tongue is getting on my nerves. Give yourself a treat by letting yourself go. I am ready to listen," and he leaned back with a seraphic smile. Freddy did not fence any longer, but came out with details. After all, since he could trust Dan, he was beginning to think that it would be delightful to talk his heart empty. "She's the dearest girl in the world," was the preamble. Dan twiddled his thumbs. "We all say that. Now Lillian-"

      "Mildred! We are speaking of her." Freddy spoke very fast lest his friend should interrupt. Since Dan wanted confidences, Dan should have them given to him in a most thorough manner. "Mildred is an angel, and her uncle is an old respectable, clever beast."