AURA DURAND

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 35, 11 February 1891, Page 6

AURA DURAND

A DETECTIVE STORY.

Br E. M. MURDOCH,

AUTHOR OF " THE RIVAL DETECTIVES," " THE DEXEC tive's DAUGHTER," ETC.

In less than half an hour every member | of the Durand household was aware bhab a detective was soon bo appear upon bhe scene, and all were excibed, anxious or curious, according to their various dispositions. Still another half hour, and a sboub, middle-aged, roughly-dressed man sbood ringing at the door of the Durand mansion. Presenbly downsbairs rushed bhe footman, bursting into bhe kibchen wibh the announcement : ' The debecbive has come ! he is upsbairs now. He is going to examine every door and window in the house !' ' Oh, my !' cried the cook, letting fall a big spoon in her consternabion. ' What do he look like ?' ' Oh, a biggish man with sandy hair and whiskers. He looks to me like a man who drinks.' ' La.' cried the cook. ' Yes ; and I heard him say bhab he musb see all bhe servanbs.' 4 Well, leb him,' sniffed bhe housemaid. • I don'b suppose any ot us are afraid. We didn'b steal Mr Durand's money, goodness knows.' ' Didn'b you, my girl ?' drawled a voice direcbly behind her. • Well, you don'b balk like a dishonesb girl.' There was achorus of little cries in various keys, from the members of the kibchen cabinet, as they turned their eyes toward the doorway, where stood bhe debecbive smiling benignly on them. 'Of course I don't suspect any oiyou,' resumed he, coming towards bhem as he spoke. 'Bubsome of you mighb accidenbally help me to a clue, don'b you see ?' .. : " Then he burned his abbenbion bo bhe fasbenings of bhe doors and windows, which he examined with great care. Nexb he insisted upon peering into the cellar, the pantries and closets, and, finally, he lounged down in a big splint-bottomed chair, the especial property of the cook, and began talking of the robbery in a pleasanb, off-hand, carelesß fashion, interlarding his discourse wibh frequenb complimenbs and commenbs of an irrelevanb nabure.calculabed bo edify his audience and render them quite ab ease. Ib would be difficulb bo bell where bhe discourse lefb off and the quesbioning began; bub when, afber an hour spenb in bhe kibchen, bhe free and easy detective ab last lounged up bo bhe library where Mr Durand awaibed him, he was in full possession of every idea entertained by the servants below stairs in relation to the robbery. •I have done with the servants, Mr

Durand.' he said, standing respectfully before the old man. ' Now, if you please, I will see your daughter's maid.' Mr Durand rang the bell immediately, and made no comment. «Send Miss Aura's maid to me directly, Jacobs,' he said to the bowing footman, who promptly appeared. In a short time the maid, a simpering affected little being, with very few ideas beyond her calling, entered the room. A very brief interview seemed to satisfy the detective. And then he said, ' Now, if you please, I will see your daughter and her companion.' In obedience to the command of her master, the simpering girl tripped away, and then the detective asked, ' How long has this young lady, Miss ' * Annin,' supplied Mr Durand. 'How long has Misa Annin been in your daughter's employ ?' 4 She ha 3 been with us some two months.' * And—pardon the question, sir—is she a favourite with yourself and Mrs Durand?' Mr Durand hesitated a moment, and a look of annoyance flitted across his face. Then he replied : ' Candidly, my wife does not like the young lady, although I see nothing to find fault wibh. If Miss Aura is more contenb wibh her society than without ib, she should nob be unwelcome bo me.' The debecbive made no reply bo this speech, and they awaibed in silence bhe appearance of bhe bwo young ladies. They waited so long bhab ab lasb Mr Durand arose, and, wibh a mubbered exclamation of impatience, sbrebched oub his hand toward bhe bell rope. As he was aboub bo ring, bhe door suddenly opened, and a young lady entered bhe room quite hurriedly. ' I beg your pardon, sir,' she said, addressing Mr Durand, and never one glanccing ab bhe detective. ' I have kepb you waiting, but it was because of Miss Durand ; she is quite indisposed, and begs that you will excuse her from coming down.' ' Indisposed 1' cried Mr Durand, in evident surprise, ' bhis is bhe firsb I have heard of it.' The young lady made no answer, but stood respecbively before him as if awaiting his commands. •I am sorry bhab Miss Aura is ill, Miss Annin ; is ib anything serious do you apprehend ?' 'Oh no, sir,' replied Miss Annin promptly; and just for one instant there was a queer glimmer in her eye, a glimmer which bhe detective did not fail bo notice. • She will be betber by evening, I think ; it is a sorb of nervous headache.' ' Well, well, poor child, anobher time musb do bhen. You will give bhis man any information bhab you can, Miss Annin. He is investigating bhis robbery, you know.' She bowed her head and bhen burned to the detective, saying simply, * I am at your service, sir.' Miss Annin, the hired companion of Aura Durand, the heiress, was a decided brunette. She was by no means a beauty, and yeb one would have paused anywhere bo take a second look ab Miss Nina Annin. Her nose was boo large and boo prominenb, her forehead too low, and nob broad enough ; but her eyes were large, dark, and handsome; her teeth white and regular.; her,hair dark, glossy and abundanb, was manife3bly all her own, and she wore ib in a simple and becoming fashion ; her head was well shaped and was poised somewhat haughtily upon a slender neck and above gracefully-rounded shoulders. Sho was below the medium . height,'neither slender nor plump, just one of those firm, compacb, little bodies thab impress you at once wibh the idea bhab bhe owner bhereof had a decided will of her own, and a prebby sure method of making ib bell upon obhers. All of this the detective comprehended at a glance, and as she turned her eyes full upon him, be was conscious of a vague impression bhab bhe face was nob quibe unfamiliar to him.,,„,. Mv.J' e %£ ~.'. <4s

~ Afterall beseemed to have, little to say to Miss Annin, and the libble bhab ho did say seemed bo ell6ib ho Satisfactory replies. When he had signified bhab he had no more bo ask, and bhe young lady had bowed and rebired from bhe room as composedly as she had enbered ib, he burned boward his employer, saying:

'For bhe piesenb, Mr Durand, I have finished my invesbigabiona here. If you will now wribe for me the address of the party who paid you the money last eveniug I will take my leave.' Mr Durand silently complied with his request, and then said, • May I be allowed to ask a few nob so much perbaining bo bhis case as bo your sysbem ?' The debecbive bowed: ' Then will you bell me why you have so carefully examined every door and window of bhe house ? Was ib in the hope of finding some trace of the robber ?' • Not ab all. I wished bo assure myself as bo the possibiliby or impossibiliby of entering your house eibher by door or window.' ' Well ?' expecbantly. ' I find bhab your bolts and bars should be burglar-proof; no thief enbered lasb nighb, eibher by door or window.' • VVhy, sir, how aboub bhe open street door ?' ' The thief may have been secreted before your doors were locked, or even in the daytime, —bub I am nob ab all convinced of that ; if such were the case, however, he would naburally leave by bhe mosb accessible door; namely, thab opening directly upon the street.' • You have questioned my servants and addressed a few questions to my wife and Mi3S Annin ; pardon me, bub I could nob quibe see bhe drifb of your conversabion— somebimes ib seemed a little irre'evanb.' •No doubt,' dryly, • Why did you dismiss my daughter's maid, and afterwards her companion, so summarily?' • Because there was nobhing more to be gained from them.' • Your questions eeemed to me quite unimportant.' .' They were unimportant. I have been questioningfaces, nob minds, in myexaminabions bo-day, sir. The mind, bhe bongue, soon learn bo dissemble, bo guard a secret well, bub bhe human face is a window. The quivering of a nostril, a chance gleam of bhe eye, a movemenb of bhe hand or head, can convey bo me more meaning bhan will hundreds of words. For years I have made bhe human countenance my study, and I have been well repaid.' • And whab have you learned from the faces of my servanbs?' « Thab I must look farther before I find a clue to this mysterious burglar* Your servants are honest.' ; • Then we are at sea again V ' Nob quibe, sir; bub Mr Bathurst musb take the next step. I will now go.' And without another word this rather eccentric personage took his leave. • These detectives are a queer lob," muttered Mr Durand, as he went thoughtfully up to his wife's sitting-room. • And if I am not mistaken this man has a suspicion after all.' • It's a queer brail to strike,' thought the detective, as he walked briskly away from the avenue. • But I will follow it up for all that—the only person in thab household who has roueed a suspicion in my mind is bhe rich man's daughter, Miss Aura Durand.' As if undecided where to go.he turned ab the corner of State Street, and lookod up and down. As he did so his eyes fell upon a man lounging before a confectioner's window, and seemingly inbenb upon counbing bhe cakes wibhin. 'Upon my word,' muttered our detective with a sudden start. • Here he is. And he hurried across the street, and was soon within speaking distance of the stranger, who was a ball man wibh a Blouching hangdog air, a shabby costume, and a head of brick-coloured hair thab fell down almost

to his collar. The face was smooth shaven, excepb for a daub of red beard upon bhe protrading chin, and was further ornamented by a patch jusb under the left eye. The nose had a very inflammable look, and a shabby beaver hat worn very much over one ear completed the ensemWe of the veriest' bummer' bhat ever trod the flags of State Street. , , , „„„„ There was the usual bustle and hurry upon the street, and having surveyed _the lounger to his satisfacbion, our debecbive manfged to wedge himself in among the foot-passengers in such a manner that when opposite the red-haired man he_ was suddenly brought up against him with considerable force. «Whab the dcv ' , .. The stranger suddenly checked Me wrath as his eye fell upon the detective ; and bhen bhe bwo gazed at each other in silence tor a moment. , _ . +ll _ v You couldn't bell me the way to the Tremont House, could you, granger. asked bhe debecbive, wibh a co«mcal drawL The man thus addressed turned away suddenly, and retreabing until »« b * c * could be brought in contact. With the confectioner's wall, sa'.d wibh a jerk of the head in bhab direcbion, 'Maybe I've got the ad dress in my pocket, pardner; come hither ""Thus* invited, the detective approached and said, in a low, quick tone, «R o b, old man, I spotted you by accident ; didn't set oub to run you down. IX l am in the way I'll move on.' ■ • You are nob in bhe way, Neil,' said bhe disguised Jocelyn. «I am afber a chap who is upstairs now with a lady. Just stand here and talk while I wait-thab is, if you are not in a hurry on your own account. 'I'm in no hurry now, Rob, replied Bathurst. ' I have bwo good hours before me. and, as usual, am restless while idle from necessity. Lord, man, whab a makeup, and you have sacrificed your moustache, boo. Thab's a confounded shame. ' Had bo do ib,' replied Jocelyn, indifferently. ' You see I tumbled up early this morning and came oub ; almost the firsb man I saw was a party who must have crossed bhe waber very labely-he is a swell gambler and a rascal of the finest out. 1 knew some of his games in London, and am ready bo wager bhab he ia here for no good. I've been ehadowing him all day and don t intend to let up until I find out his game. « All right, Rob, bub don'b leb me lose track of you-I am looking up a queer job myself and may call on you for assisbance.' At this moment a man and woman came down the stairs near them, and, Neil Bathurst knew by one glance from Rob Jocelyn's eye that this was the game. A carriage was standing jusb below them ; the man hurried the woman towards it, assisted her in, lifbed his hab gracefully, and burned away, walking swifbly up State Sbreeb, while the carriage rolled off in the opposite direction. Without a word Rob Jocelyn turned hie face northward and walked swaggeringly after the man, while Neil Bathurst sauntered slowly down tbe street as if following the carriage. Scarcely noting whither his feeb turned, after the carriage had whirled out of sight, he paced on, lost in thought. A crowd of people were gathered upon a corner listening to the lively chatber of some street vendor, and to avoid these he turned Sown one of those streets of doubtful repute that are t>o ,plehtifufcin Qbicago. Ib was comparabively quiet here, and bur hero moved on, sbill losb in a labyrinbh of cogitations. As he was passing a somewhat showy house before which a carriage was standing, a sudden movemenb of one of bhe horses attracted his abteobion, and looking up quickly, he caw bhab ib was the very carriage which had driven away from the Scatesbreeb restaurant. *Ah !' mubtered he, • Rob's Englishman is not above bhe demi-monde, ib seems, and yeb bhe woman* can't live here. - I have gbfe inbo a bad locality, and will turn back.' He was suiting the action bo bhe word, when '.bjs. steps. w«jejro?tfllii.fa__-„9Wft. shriek, which seemed to come from the upper rooms of the gaudy home. He paused irresolute until the sound was repeated. • Help ! help !' cried a woman's voice. * Murder ! murder ! Murder !' / To be Continued.)