AURA DURAND

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 34, 10 February 1891, Page 6

AURA DURAND

A DETECTIVE STORY-

By E. M. MURDOCH,

AUTHOR OF *« THE RIVAL DETECTIVES," " THE PETEC

tive's daughter," etc,

CHAPTER IV. THE DUE AND I-OBBERV. At noon on the day following that of the meeting between the two detectives, Neil Babhursb sab lunching in solitude at his favourite restaurant. He was sipping his coffee in a preoccupied manner, and now and then would knit his brows and entirely forget the viands before him. 'Strange,' he muttered to himself. It s incomprehensible to me ! Rob can't have fallen so suddenly upon the trail of his fair murderess, and yet what else can have caused him to quit the Tremonb so suddenly and to leave no word for me? He is on a trail of some sort, of thab I am sure; and I wanbed his help so much jusb now.' Just here his meditations were rudely broken in upon. A hand fell lightly upon his shoulder, and a familiar voice said in his ear : ' Bathursb, old fellow, you are the man 1 came after, your professional services are wanted; have you finished this?' meaning the lunch as yet almost unbasted. Neil Bathur3t shook off the hand and looked up rather ungraciously at the speaker. ' Hang it, Arteveldt,' he said impatiently, * what do you want, and why will you persist in talking aboub my profession ?' Arteveldt dropped down upon the seat nearest Bathurs., and leaning toward him with his elbows on the table, said, 'Don't go offab a tangent, Bath.,—you know blamed well that I have nob giveu you away, and don't mean to. None of the boys to whom I have introduced you know that you are not a " heavy swell." Some friends of mine have been robbed, and bhey. want a shrewd detective ; they sent me for one, and I came straight here in the hopes of finding you, just as I have, only nob quite so glum. I have a carriage outside ; will vnu come ?' 1 If its a case, of course,' said Neil, rising quickly and beckoning a waiter. 'Bring my bill, Charlie. Arteveldt, I beg your pardon for my rudeness. I have been a little upset this morning.' He settled.his score; then they hurried out and wevfl driven rapidly away. ' Whaf. is .our case ?' asked the detective in a lowvjice, as chey rattled over the stone paveme .t. 'They are family friends.' replied Arteveldt lushing slightly, and unuerceivea oy Bathurst. ' Old lady an intimate friend of my mothers, arri mil that Wall, the old man *. rich as * ~* w., and nob over castious. Yesterday, quue Jate. he negotiated the sale of some real estate on the vV-st Side, and received in payment something like twenty-five thousand dollars. Well, mat nigbt "it was stolen, and the thing was dene so neatiy that) they did not discover the loss until a short time ago, whe. old Du--and. went to u r et the money to deposit with ni. bankers. J Durand !' repeated Bathurst reflectively, ' Is that not) the name of the heiress Fordham W..3 chaffi. %' v->, ..bout a few days ago ?' •Well, y-jf.. mifted Arteveldt with an uneasy laugh: that was noted by his companmu, • Miss Durand is one of my lady friends, but it's the old gentleman who wants

yon. , Which means I am not to cast any languishing glances towards the heiress, eh ?' sarcastically. ' Pshaw,' ejaculated Clarence Arteveldt, contemptuously ; 'my affair with Miss Durand is old, and never was serious. You can " languish " after her as much as you please.' " Then, with sudden animation, ' By «he powers, Bathurst, but you should have been with mo last night. I met the loveliest girl that Chicago sun ever

shone on.' , _.»__._. .. ' I should say you had made thab statement twenty times in as many months concerning as many ladies.' « Well, I'm in earnest this time. «Bub I though, you expected to meet several strange beauties ?' * Well, and so I did. There was Mrs Warren, a blonde, pussy-cat sort of a widow, and a Misa Van Something, from Washington, but this one, Miss Armyn,_ is fresh from the country, as innocent of city wickedness and folly as a very babe, and as sweet as—as ' ,__.,_ «Your lasb love at firsb sight, finished Bathursb, dryly. . . 'Oh ! you may laugh. lam in earnest this time.' . . 'You are in earnest every time, carelessly ; ' bub let us change the subject. How came you on hand at the scene of the robbery ?' ..... v * Why—the fact is,' with sudden embarrassment, ' I had a sort of half engagement with Au—Miss Durand, for last evening, which I quite overlooked in going to the Buthven blow-out, and I called to make

that right.' 'Oh ! Well, mark my word, Arteveldt, you will yet come to grief because of your too frequent changing of sweethearts.' Without knowing it, Neil Bathurst had uttered a prophecy. _ . ' Bah !' cried Arteveldt, snapping his fingers at an imaginary Nemesis, ' you are a modern raven, but here is Michigan Avenue, and here we are.' Ab thab moment the carriage drew up before a stately residence fronting the lake, and Neil Bathurst followed hie guide up a flight of marble steps, through a magnificent vestibule, the door of which swung open at their approach, across a wide .hall, and then into a magnificent library, hung with forest green, and rich with volumes of merit in costly bindings, wall statuettes and bronzes, antique tables, cavernous, ease-inviting, satin" and velvet cushioned chairs, and all thab could beautify and adorn the library of a luxury-loving man of wealth. At a word from Clarence Arteveldt the liveried servant, who had ushered them in, disappeared, and in a very few moments the rosewood door swung inward, and James Durand, the master of the dwelling, appeared upon the threshold. As he moved toward them, young Arteveldt advanced to meet him, saying: 4 Mr Durand, this ia Mr Neil Bathursb, l_te of the New York detective force ; if anyone can help you in this matter, he is the man.' The old gentleman extended his hand to Bathursb in a hearty way thab won that young man's admiration straight, and said,

kindly : 4 Glad to see you, sir; very glad ! I have heard of your 3kill in several cases. I will be glad to geb your theory on the subject of this robbery.' * Then, sir,' said the young detective, bowing respectfully, * you will allow me to examine the receptacle from which the money was taken, as well as the surroundings, before I listen bo anything aboub the case ?' * Certainly. The money was taken from a desk in my sleeping-room, and that, as well as every door, was closed and locked again. It was a cunningly devised robbery, sir. . * See,' continued Mr Durand, as he led the way upstairs, • supposing that they came in at the front, there would be two doors locked and bolted ; then here,' throwing open a door leading off the hall on the pecoud floor, 'there is the drawing-room

door, then the chamber door, and last, the triple lock of my desk.' Neil Bathurst paused at the outer door and examined the lock in silence, then he entered the drawing-room, and began a grave scrutiny of the contents of the room. It was richly "upholstered in bronze velvet, the two opposites being filled by two enormous wardrobe dressing cases, with great mirror doors, and pearl-handled drawers and lower openings. Opposite the entrance door was one leading into bhe bed-chamber ; in the niches on either side this door were lace-draped toilet tables; opposite these, on either side the outer door, were two splendid full-length mi-.ors ; in the centre of the room stood two great dressing chairs, and this was all. After a brief examination of the dressing cases, the detective turned his attention to the lock of the inner door ; then he entered the chamber and carefully scrutinised the desk, examined the windows, to assure himself that bhey were not accessible ; peered behind the hangings and two tall cabinets, to see if there were other doors opening from the room ; and then went back to the draw-ing-room, where Mr Durand and young Arteveldt were conversing, threw himself down in one of the big chairs, dropped his chin upon his breast, and thought. After a long silence he lifted up his head and asked, gravely, ' How many servants have you, Mr

Durand?' ' Seven,' replied the old gentleman, looking somewhat surprised at the question. "And members of the family ?' ■ Myself, wife, daughter, and daughter's companion.' 1 Ab what hour did you receive the money from your purchase ?' ' Early in the evening. At about six o'clock.' ' And you locked ib away immediately ? 'Yes. Where, was the business transacted ?' 'Downstairs. In tho library.' ' Who saw you conceal the money ?' 'No one.' ' Not your wife ?' ' No, sir. I was alone in the room.' ' And who saw you receive the money ?' ' The papers were all drawn up. There were no witnesses.' ' Did you mention to any member nf your household thab you had received this money?' ' Let me see—l did say ab the dinnertable—we dine at half-past six—thab I had , sold the Falton-streeb house, and received the money, bub nob in the presence of any servant—l distinctly rememDer that.' ' Then only your wife and daughter heard the statement ?' _ « And my daughter's companion. « Yes,' absently ; then, after a moment's silence, and moving nearer to the old man: . - _ C 1 •Mr Durand, if you desire me to find your robber, you must allow me to proceed in my own way.' ' Certainly, sir. Ido desire you to nnd the thief, nob so much because of the money lost as from principle. No citizen does his duty who leaves a stone unturned in a case like this. It was no ordinary thief wire fsnte-ed my house lasb night. Is not that your belief ?' _ ' 'I will scarcely venture an opinion yet, replied Batherst, with a slight smile. 'I have scarcly taken a look ab the grounds. Do any of bhe members of your family, or any ot your servants, know the nature of my business here? 'I think not, sir. Miss Aura is nob yet out of her room, and my wife is quite ill from the fright caused by the idea of a burglar so near her. Mrs Durand is excessively nervous.' Neil Babbujsb took up his hat suddenly, and turned toWa/d tbe door. ' Then I will leave the house before this visit becones known, and, Mr Durand, I must impos. myself upon you as a guest this evening. Can you manage ib?

'On, easily! You and Arteveldt can come together.' «Then will you announce to your family that Mr Arteveldt will come, bringing a friend with him ?' ' Cerbuinly, sir, looking puzzled. ' But may I ask ' « Ask no questions now, sir. Let me do my work in my own way. As soon as we are well out of the house you will please announce to your servants and all of your family, that* you are every moment expecting a detective to investigate the robbery.' 'But, sir—' •Within an hours time a man will come who will wish to go over the entire premises, perhaps to interview every member of your family. Let him do _ whatever he wishes, and ask him no questions. Ab six o'clock I will be with you as a guest. You can then assist me by talking of this affair whenever one of your servants happens within bearing.' 'Bub yoti surely don't ' ' Above all, don't confide to your wife or daughter anything thab I have said and am saying to you.' "« Upon my v. ord,' ejaculated Mr Durand in undisguised astonishmefit. * I am all in a fog as to your meaning, but I'll follow your directions to the letter. For, by my soul, I believe you know whab you are about.' 'I hope I do, sir,' answered the young detective, gravely. * Come, Arteveldt. \ And bowing to his employer, he hurried from the house, followed by bhe silent bub admiring young man of pleasure. ( To be Continued. )