Page:Edgar Wallace - The Man who Knew.djvu/20

 "Yes?"

"Never mind," growled John Minute.

As was his practice, he sat a long time over dinner, half awake and half asleep. Jasper had annexed one of the newspapers, and was reading it. This was the routine which marked every evening of his life save on those occasions when he made a visit to London. He was in the midst of an article by a famous scientist on radium emanation, when John Minute continued a conversation which he had broken off an hour ago.

"I 'm worried about May sometimes."

Jasper put down his paper.

"Worried! Why?"

"I am worried. Is n't that enough?" growled the other. "I wish you would n't ask me a lot of questions, Jasper. You irritate me beyond endurance."

"Well, I 'll take it that you 're worried," said his confidential secretary patiently, "and that you 've good reason."

"I feel responsible for her, and I hate