The Girl a Million Knew

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 57, 14 April 1914, Page 2

The Girl a Million Knew

.(By HERBERT SHAW y author of '"The House of Many Secrets," etc.)

[Copyright.]

CHAPTER' XXIX. (continued)

THE TERROR OF THE PLAT.

"When he began walking again, ha; had a purpose plain in his fevered mind. No matter what the hour, he ■would see his enemy, and demand of him the truth. Should Fawcett not satisfy his demands, he would thresh him again as he had thrashed him once already. And so it was that he found himself in the silent square that held Max Fawcett's flat.

He stood at last before the building, and then, and not till then, he knew that sill his wanderings in circles, aimless though it seemed, had brought him here—that, when he let himself out of his own flat, he had in his heart meant to come to this place. 1 Three o'clock. The night porter, believing his work was now over, dozed comfortably in his box. Dick went -slowly up the stairs. Fawcett might forbid his servant to let him in. Dick smiled. He'd raipe hell. He 'if jolly well see to that.

"He isn't here."

He'd hammer the door down if need be. \

But there was no need at all, for as Dick had his hand on the knocker of the flat, the door yielded to his slight unconscious pressure. It had been shut, • but not latehed. , Surprised, he passed in, and, vaguely disturbed, almost ready for an attack by he knew not whom, stayed for a moment in the black dark of the passage.

''Halloa! Are you there?''

Coufoiind it all! What did this mean? This easy entrance, and the shadowy eeriness of the place? With an instinct amazingly odd and strong, as he stood there in the darkness, listening for any sound, and hearing none, he knew that something had happened. Something had gone wrong with this pla<ie. What was It#; Then Dick Tempest pulled himself upright as the.iusistent jarring of the telephone bell cut through the pitch blackJiess of the place. Again and again, as though wound "up to be eternal, that summons came.

Well, he must find out what the matter, was. Dick's cuiyosity was greater than his strong presentiment of evil.; He groped forward, swore as he blundered against something in the hall, found the switch, clicked it, and gaVe a little shudder &s he blinked at the bright light which now flooded the passage.

The telephone in the sitting room continued. It was maddening. Retracing his steps, he stood in a few Beconds in the sitting room, and switched the light on there.

Surely the whole flat was empty. No slightest feeling, no slightest sound of human presence. Deuce take that bell with its senseless whirring. And he picked up the receiver. Whose voice was that? A lady's—he had heard it before. He knew it, but it would not come to him whose voice it was.

"They'll think, whoever it is, that I'm Faweett's servant," he reflected, when the enquiry came for the second time, "Mr Fawcett there, please? Is that Mr Fawcett speaking?" "No."

And immediately, with a feeling of creepiness unreasoned and indefinable, Dick Tempest wished he had not answered the call, had not spoken. Yet another feeling, as indefinable, drove

him on. "Whose voice was that, in heaven's name? It seemed familiar, but still he could not trace its owner.

He was dazed by- the sombre emptiness of the .flat. He was heavy with wonder. He would feav-e slammed up the receiver , without further ado, but for the feeling; "that the strange voice somehow reminded him of Christine. The sound of it was dimly associated some way or other with her. That he knew.

"I want to. speak to Mr Fawcett specially, please."

He must make her speak again, to give him another chance. Queerly, it seemed important as life itself that he should know who it was at the oilier end.

"Don't you expect him back to-night —this morning, rather?" There was surprise in the voice. "I expect not, now. Shall I give him any message if he does return?" "No, thanks; it'll be* too late. I'm sorry to have .troubled you. Good-bye.'' Wait a moment. Say, are you there ? Halloa, halloa! Who is it speaking, please?" v But now there was no answer. :

No answer still. And in the bright light Pick sat there, and nervously glancing once or twice over his shoulder. There was a wry smile on his as he told himself the truth. Witjx fingers drumming restlessly on the table, he knew welt-what was the matter with him. He was afraid to move from his chair for the moment, at any rate. He was afraid to make the first step towards investigating the mystery of this silent flat. - And at the other end of the wive Florence Kent said to Leila: —

"I've drawn blank. Max is sleeping at the club, or something of that sort. We shall have to go by ourselves. I suppose it was his man who answered the 'phone; but'somehow, do you know, I seemed to recognise the voice. Why, what's come to you, Leila'? You heard it. Did you know the voice? It seemed as plain as daylight to me that I'd heard it somewhere before.''

"No," Leila answered, curtly. There was an odd arresting look on her face white with the strain of many .hours , since she had last steptl' One might have thought that she had received strange tidings of some sort*. She looked puzzled, and her tired eyes flickered with a kind of eagerness. f; ' • : ' "Well, hurry up, anyhow. There's Parr at the door. He's been pretty "slick. We're both ready, I think." She moved to the door, Leila following. Her chauffeur stood there, Wis eyes dull with sleep still. " It's a ■shame to pull you out of bed, Parr," said the elder woman, with laughing apology. "But it was important, or I shouldn't have bothered you. You can take the remainder of the day off."

'' Thank you, madam,'' said the man, touching has cap. Daylight was coming fast when the three stoqd in the street by the car Florence Kent, flrst in the car, exclaimed with surprise. Leila was making no move to follow her example.

"If you don't mind, I won't come, after aJI." she said. "If I don't get

into bed jolly soon I shall faint or do something silly. I over-rated ray strength just now, I'm afraidj I seem to have been up for years. You'll forgive me, won't you? But I feel I can't possibly manage it." Florence .Kent was very disappointed., "Very well," she retorted,.crossly.. '' If you won % you won't. Englefield, please, P.arr. Take the North Road; it's only a mile or so longer.'' "Well, good.luck." Leila whispered. "I'm awfully sorry, really. - I meant to come, -but—" The big car had swept away. A belated taxi came into sight, running slowly into the dawn. Leila raised her hand. ,

Dick Tempest moved at last. With a great effort he shook off the paralysis that held his limbs, and, rising, stepped away from the table. Outride now the dawn had come to Londoti, and even this square in the heart of the city was beautiful with a clean freshness and the singing of birds in. the gardens with their high railings. Through an opening in the curtains Dick Tempest saw that it was day. He switched off the light. Then, as he pulled aside the curtains and turned away, a great cry of horror came from him. •

Across the angle of the walls nearest the window a large settee had been drawn, and between the settee and the wall he had caught-'sight of the s taxi tig face of a man. . Nov/ the fear that had hovered joiind him all this time took possession of him. Sudden, sweat stood on his face as, with shaking hands, he pulled the settee violently away. Then he dropped to his kuees with another cry. . He knew the secret of that strange silence now.

The staring face, with the open, sightless eyes, was the face of Max Fawcett, his enemy, and the pulling away of the settee had also disclosed", tying grim and evil on the floor, the knife, with its carved ivory handle, that had stabbed him to the heart.

Dick Tempest's heart had been hot with revenge, but no revenge could touch his enemy now. The chin had gone forward a little, and this, with the fixed eyes, gave the dead man an intolerable expression of vacancy. And the wide, sensual mouth looked more distastefully evil than ever it, had looked in life.

With a gesture of repulsion Dick lifted himself to his feet. Hardly knowing what he was doing, he went swiftly from room to room of the flat, knocking at door after door; and each time, as # no answer came, lie pushed open the door and quickly searched the room. All the time he knew his action to be utterly foolish. But for himself, the flat was a house of the dead. Then he came back into that dreadful room, and, kneeling upon the settee, looked again at the face of the dead man. And now there came into hiin a new fear, a dominant fear greater than before. He exclaimed aloud:— 'My heaven !"

He could escape from the cursed place; no one would be stirring yet. He must get clear away at once. But who was the unknown caller on the telephone? He had thought to know the voice. Supposing she had also known his voice, known who answered to her, at 3 o'clock, from the place where this thing lay. The thought quickened him to action. See, now, what had be brought with him? He must leave no traces behind. His hat, his stick —that was all.

Gathering them up, he stole softly into the passage. The door was still unlatched, as he himself had found it. Steady, steady! He dared not open it yet, for somebody was coming up the stairs. His heart gave a thump. For

the steps had slackened. That second was the longest of Dick's life. Then the door was pushed open, and he encountered Leila Mayne. Her face was pale and strained enough, but his was worse; and 110 word was needed to inform her that something bad happened, that her quick suspicion when slie had heard Dick answer her mother's call was not without cause. So she pushed by him jn silence, and he made no movement to prevent her. He did not even attempt to follow her, but stood, shaky and ill, in the passage. But for the wall he would have ; fallen. And 110 cry came from Leila within the room. She might almost have expected the thing she saw. Indeed, as she looked down upon the dead man, a grim, smile twisted her lips. Then she came back into the passage. "You haven't shut the door," she remarked, calmly. * i That's rather foolish.'' He pushed the door home, and she said, quietly:— ''Well, Dick, what are you going to do?" CHAPTER XXX, Her Price., .For a second Dick did not answer. This unexpected interruption to his plans for stealthy flight had dazed him. Then the significance of Leila's twisted, malicious smile became apparent to him. "Why do you look at me like that, Leila? I didn't do it. I swear I didn't kill him!" But her expression did not change. It confused him. Hurriedly he began to explain how, unable to sleep, he had wandered out into the night streets, found the door of the flat open, and then discovered the thing that lay in the inner room. And still, when he ended, that Smile was the same, and she did not speak. "You don't believe me!" She gave a little lift' of her shoulders. Suddenly her face hardened and became altogether'cruel. . ".Let's look at things as they are," she said blandly. "Y6ur story now,' Dick shall I call somebody else ..to hear it, and .see liow jt impresses them! '' Her voice changedv " You fool ! How you're wasting precious time! Don't you see yoxi're safe with me, if I chooset It was I who recognised your voice over the telephone; my mother was puzzled, but she couldn't place it. I knew at once it was you speaking, and wondered what you might be doing in -this flat; But I said nothing. And now you want to stay and. argue with me, when, every second, you ought to be putting; distance between yourself and this house."

" You're right, Leila/' he said. '' But I didn't kill him. I know nothing about it—l swear it to you.'' '' Would .anyone know you had left your flat? " ' 1 No one. If I can get away unseen from here I shall toe in no danger." After an unconscious glance over his, should in the direction of tiie dead' mail, Dick moved quickly forward. Suddenly, to his astonishment, she bar-, red the way, standing directly in front of the door. He uttered .an: angry exclamation. • " " What's the matter? "

Leila's answering laugh was not less evil than the quick gleam in her eyes. '* You've forgotten something, Dick; That's all." What do you mean? " "I said you were safe with me —if I chose."

Before that cruel and triumphant glitter in Leila's pale eyes. Dick recoiled, and at his heart was a new fear.

- , "Let me open that door." The girl' did not 3tii*. "Do you hear? '' demanded Dicl^ ; " Supposing I don't choose to let you slip away unseen? " On impulse his hand shot out to seize her wrist} she •laughed scornfully. 41 If you struggle I scream,'' she said. '' The porter's asleep in his box, but I'd take care to wake him. Then you're done for. You'd better stop quiet, and listen to me !"

-Dick saw instantly that he was powerless before her threat. He fell back.

" You're playing with me. You mean you'd give me over to the police?" '' I haven't said so. But, as I say, you seem to forget something, Dick. The Jast time I saw you—it was only yesterday, but it seems a year." • Leiia was enjoying this moment of her triumph. Her eyes were blading, but her voice, was steady and cool. " I offered you my love, Dick. You. east me aside with scorn. You threw that girl Christine in my, face; you told me I wasn't good enoughto speak to her; you used cruel, wounding words. You had finished with m«y you said, and you were glad of it. You've forgotten it already, but I've remembered it. It's the last thing any woman forgets." Her calm voice, his own danger, goaded Dick into fury.

"It's a lie! " he burst out. "And yon know it's a lie.. It's monstrous for you to talk of love. You came to me. with no such idea in your mind yesterday. You came because you had learnt of my,poor brother 's death and .knew. I took liis place as heir! " His thrust left -her unmoved; she shrugged her shoulders. " We won't quarrel about it. Misunderstandings are so easy, Dick. So we'll leave yesterday out of it, and come to this moment. It's much mora important, especially for you. Th« point is that I've got the whip hand. If I choose to get somebody up lierc —the porter, or anybody else —it's t serious job for you."

Leila lowered her voice. "An awkward business to explain —a murder charge. You're known to have had, quarrels with. Faweett—repeated quarrels. You used violet threats towards him; you told me yourself that once vou started in. to thrash him, and only the corning of his servaut saved hin:. On the other hand, I can help you to get away quite unnoticed." " Well," Dick interrupted her, with cutting scorn, "what ,do you want? Money, of course. How much!"

At that Leila flung aside her restrained manner, and lier swift words were alive with passfbn and the certainty of her triumph over Christine, her enemy, and over the man who had scorned her but a few hours before. "That's where you're wrong," Leila sneered. "My price isn't rfioney at all. Now listen. I mayn't be good enough to speak to your precious Christine—l'm a bad woman —but I guess I 'in good enough to marry you. That's my price—marriage. You threw me over when it suited you " "You lie again."

'' I say you did. And now, to please me, you've got to throw Christine over. I hope it may hurt her as much as it hurt me. Otherwise you go to a police station within ten minutes, with a murder to answer for. No, there's no alternative. The odd trick's mi no, Dick. I've come in at tire top of the game, and its very, pleasant. I'll have your promise to marry me before you go from here!" ""You daren't, you fiend."

"Really-I" Leila's voice was unconcerned once more. "Refuse to do what I ask, and you'll soon see." As she spoke, she opened the door a little way. Still he did not answer. "We'll, shall I go to fetch the porter, bring him up here, and then send him for the police? It's either thiat or your promise to marry me within two months from now." Dick looked at her with infinite loathing, a loathing which he made 110 attempt to conceal. Then he said, slowly, "I afccept your terms." Leila bent low in a graceful, mocking curtsey. "I'll make you a good wife," said she. This she spoke in utter sarcasm, and then, quite suddenly —the wonderful capricious" mind of such a wdman! — her manner changed altogether. Dick had no feeling for her but hate—hate, bitter and savage. She knew it well. She stepped swiftly forward, and her arms were round him tightly; it sent a shiver of repulsion round his whole body. "Kiss me, Dick!" she eried. "You think nothing of me, but I love you — in my way!" The next second she had stepped away, and once again she laughed scornfully; but the love-hunger stiil glittered in her eyes. It was her moment of triumph, and it was very sweet. She began to speak rapidly: — "I'll go down the stairs first, Diek. If I don't come,back, you'll know it's all right, and you can get safely away. If he's awake, don't be afraid. I'll find another plan, I'm fighting for you now. I'm not your enemy any more!" (To be continued to-morrow.)