AURA DURAND

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 82, 8 April 1891, Page 7

AURA DURAND

A DETECTIVE STORY.

CHAPTER XLVI. capturing counterfeiters. Another day had passed away, and this night set in, dark and chill; Heavy clouds are hanging athwart the sky, and heavier clouds hang athwart the lives of some who, to-night, sit in fancied security, and think and dream of new crimes and fresh triumphs. Mrs Rogers' genteel boarding-house is aglow with lights to-night, for it is early and Mrs Rogers' boarders are assembled in the parlour, some of them, at least; for the niceJooking young men who find the ' comforts' of a home in the house of that buxom lady seldom go out evenings ; they havo few bad habits. Down in tho basement the cook, who is somewhat given to ' followers,' sits peering out through half-closod blindß, in expectation of seeing tho good-looking young man who sells chromos, and "who has given her several, not to mention two or three wonderful productions in tho way of love letters, from him, that the postman has left for her. Cook is getting quite fond of this young man, but she entertains him ander difficulties, for Mrs Rogers does not approve of followers, and cook is forbidden to admit them to the kitchen. Presently the chromo young man appears ; she knows him through tho gloom, and goes to the door. They talk in whispers for a time, and occasionally the young man starts, fearing the approach of the majestic Rogers. He is even more timid than cook. But tonight his fears seem groundless: Cook becomes brave ; she even suggests that they sib on the basement stairs, that ascend, after the manner of mosb basement stairs, straight up from the street door. But _i* ' follower' will not dare too much. The night is chill, but cook wears a shawl over her head ; so they stand in the open doorway and eat bonbons—ho has brought her delicious bonbons to-night, fresh from Gunther's. But bonbons beget thirst; the young man eats, and now and then glances out toward the street, and presently he is very thirsty. Will cook get him a glass of water? Of course she will. She tiptoes away toward the kitchen, and the young man waits in the open doorway. Scarcely has her back turned, before a shadow approaches the door : it steals past the nice young man, glides up the basement stairs, and disappears above. Presently comes cook with the water, and then they talk again for many minutes, Finally, the * follower' takes a farewell sip of water, whispers a few fond words, and goes ; but the shadow has not come down.

It grows later; the lights begin to be extinguished above stairs, and Mrs Rogers comes down, looks to the fastenings of dO'-rs and windows, and then goes upstairs and repeats the process. Her doors are guarded by double locks, her windows double barred. Never was house more securely fastened than is this. But the shadow is locked in.

Mrs Rogers is a very careful landlady ; Bhe goes about peering into closets, and all sorts" of places, where an intruder might conceal himself, could ho once got within these walls. But she finds no intruder— the shadow has disappeared. And now the lights are all out in Mrs Rogers' boarding-house ; doubtless the family has retirod. An hour passes ; still darkness and silence ; Mrs Rogers and her family are, probably, now asleep. Half an hour later, and then four men come slowly down the street and station themselves at the different doors opening from the silent, darkened house.

A few minutes more, and two men pause beforo the door of the ill-fated dwelling fitted up by Clarence Arteveldt for his unwilling bride; one of these ascends the steps, noiselessly unlooks the door, and speaks in a low tone to his companions, who instantly joins him, and together they vanish within. Carefully they close and bolt the door behind them, and then one of them produces from somewhere a dark lantern. Lighted by this they mount up the stairs, then up another flight, until they stand underneath the very roof. Then, while one holds the lantern aloft, the other unfastens the trap door, which, since the murder and investigations of Neil Bathurst, has been securely fastened. Then they raise the trap cautiously, undone of them whispers, « Are you there, Rob ?' 'Yes,' tho answer comes, and they open the trap ; a hand from outside takes it and folds it back, and then Rob Jocelyn lowers himself through the opening. 'Here we are,' he whispers; 'how did you leave the old woman, Ferrars ?' • Perfectly calm ; she never dreamed of your presence. Did you encounter any difficulties f ' None. The way was clear, and tha trap is now ready to open.' •Good,' said Neil Bathursb; 'then we may as well proceed. It's all right below.' One after another they clamber upon the roof, and then, coming to the corresponding trap in the other house, they open that with the greatest ease. Then Rob Jocelyn lets himself down with the agility of a cat, and vanishes.

' It's all right,' he whispers, reappearing a moment later; ' tbey are hard at it, have been for an hour back. Come down, parde.' Then Francis Ferrars, who has so recently Dersonated a nice young picture seller, and in this character won the cenfidence of Mrs Rogers' cook, goes down into the darkabyss of Mrs Rogers' attic, and Neil Bathurst follows after. Then they raise the dark lantern, and look about them. It is a, genuine attic, filled in with everything old and useless. A partition forming an L runs across the front and lefb side of the attic, and the stairway is protected by still another partition. While tbey are taking these observations they can hear the low murmur thab causes Rob Jocelyn's eyes_ to flash as if in anticipation of something refreshing. It is but the work of an instanb to unfasten the door opening upon tha landing of the attic stairs, and then they pause between tbe two doors, one in front and one to the left, as if undecided which to approach. Af tor listening for a moment, Rob Jocelyn, who seems to lead this expedition, signifies by a gesture that the left-hand door is the one, and then Francis Ferrars puts his hand to his side and draws forth a pair of revolvers. Neil Bathurst had armed himself in the same manner and now they are ready.

The door at the front is opened by Rob Jocelyn, and, pistol in hand, he enters the attic room. Six men start up at his entrance ; six men who at thab momenb were bending over plates and dies, all the paraphernalia of a counterfeiter's den, A little furbher a young woman stands at a desk, busy with somo newly-printed bogus bank notes, and beside her sits George Fordham, tho reporter, affixing tbe signatures to these same bogus bills. Rob Jocelyn has opened the door noiselessly, and he enters the room with a spring like a cab. For just one second the counterfeiters are off their guard, and then weapons flash in the gaslight. But thab one Eecond of panic, of irresolution, ia the second that tells. Rob covers George Fordham with one pistol, and the nearest counterfeiter with another; and while bhey lay their hands upon their weapons, his voice, low and calm, Eays, with telling effect: ' Surrender, men, the house is guarded, resistance useless ; make the first attempt at it and we shoot you down where you stand.'

Suddenly there is a rush towards the lefthand door. But while they have been gazing at Rob Jocelyn that avenue of escape has been cut off.. Four bright weapons menace them, and Francis Ferrars says, sternly : ' Your case i? hopeless, sirs ; surrender in the name ot the law.'

The counterfeiters are bewildered ; they are seven to three, but six of the seven are covered by revolvers, held in firm hands, while thoy, because of the suddenness of the attack, stand, armed it is true, but, in the face of those deadly weapons, not daring to aim a nistol. Suddenly the girl at the desk leans over Fordham ; the detectives are watching the men, they will not think of her, so she thinks ; but one there knows her and knows her to be as dangerous as tho fiercest man of the gang. She turns quickly; she raises a pistol: she is taking aim at the heart of Rob Jocelyn.

' Mrs Pomeroy.' The pistol falls from nerveless fingers. The woman turns a white, scared face toward the speaker. • I would not attempt that again, Mrs Pomeroy. You have_ damaged officers enough.' It is Francis U'errars who speaks, and his weapons are still aimed at the men. * I shall shoot you if you make it necessary. Do you know me V Tho woman uttered a cry of terror. •Yes; you are — Ferrars,' ehe gasped, 'Why are you here?' 'To take you back to England, if you mako it necessary. Will jou obey me, if I spare you that ?'

* Yes, yea!' * Listen then. This house is so securely guarded that you can escape in no possible way. I shall deal with you according a 8 I find you. Come here.' Like some tamed animal tho woman obeyed him. * Stand away from these men and thoir weapons, over there. Now, Mr Jocelyn, shall we fire upon these fellows ?' * We shall ! if they don't lay down their arms pretty quick,' replied Rob, in his characteristic way. ' George Fordham, do you surrender ?' George Fordham had been sitting like an abject coward before bin desk. Suddenly he lifted his pistol, placed it against his breast and fired. There was a shriek from the woman ; a murmur of horror from the now panic-stricken counterfeiters ; and then Rob Jocelyn moved nearer the men he had under his weapon.

' Lay down your pistols, men, and hold up your hands. Quick !' They hesitated but a moment, and then obeyed him ; and the remaining lour, seeing this, did likewise. In less time than it takes to tell it, the six were handcuffed and helpless, and Rob Jocelyn was tilling his capacious pockets with the pistols of the gang. Neil Bathurst approached the bleeding would-be suicide. He was not dead, but might be dangerously wounded. ' You had better go below,' he said to his comrades. ' I will attend to the—lady.'

The six men were marched downstairs, at the mouth of the pistol. Here they came suddenly upon Mrs Rogers ; she had been aroused from sleep by the report of Fordham's pistol, and almost before she knew it, she, too, was handcuffed. They found, likewise, two men below, who had been used to circulate in various ways and places the spurious money of the Fordham manufacture. It had scarcely been five minutes since the shot that aroused thorn was tired, and they were all overcome and made captive. The servants wero allowed to go free upon being assured by Mrs Rogers that they were entirely innocent of anything carried on above tho basement stairs.

The door was opened now. and tho officers who had been stationed without were called in. Ono of them instantly departed to summon others, and while they waitod, Jocelyn and Ferrars made a thorough examination of the house. They found largo quantities of the manufactured paper money, as well as considerable coin. The house was elegant in all its appointments, aud, but for the suspicions aroused in the mind of Neil Bathurst, while investigating the Arteveldt murder, might have prospered for years under the guise of a first-class and highly-respectable boarding house.

The officer who had been sont for reinforcements was also commissioned to call a physician for tho wounded Fordham. Neil Bathurst had remained beside him, and in charge of the woman whom he had known as Nina Annin, and who had been addressed, with startling effect, as Mrs Pomeroy, by Ferrars. Neil was at a loss here. He knew nobbing of the Mrs Pomeroy business, and was inwardly wondering about it, when the physician and Francis Ferrars mounted to the counterfeiters' operating room. After a careful examination, the man of medicine pronounced upon Fordham's case. He was badly hurt, bub would live with proper car«. Then Neil Bathurst turned to the woman. •Miss Annin,' he said gravely, 'youare under arrest as one of the gang taken in this house in the very act ot counterfeiting. I can't help you there, if I would, but you may be held upon other charges that will make your case utterly hopeless. This I may be able to prevent, or rather you • What do you mean V asked Miss An-

«I mean that you are charged with being an accomplice in the murder of Clarence Arteveldt, and also having a hand in the Durand robbery.'

« What P The woman sprang up in unfeigned astonishment. '1! Mr Bathurst, who accuses me ?' ' Miss Durand, indirectly; directly, myself-' ' Aura Durand! Dare she so much as hint such a thing?' ' She has dared that and more. Are you ready to tell all ycu know concerning Aura Durand and her connections with Clarence Arteveldt t , ~, The woman hesitated and while she aid so Mr Ferrars moved nearer and looked in her face. . « Which will benefit you most,' he said, •to tell what you know of Miss Durand, and so assist the officers of justice, or to have me tell what I know of Mrs Pomeroy, and so insure for you a double, perhaps a life sentence V •If I do tell what you wish me to, you will denounce me.' . «If you tell Mr Bathursb what he wishes to hear, and if he assures me of his belief in your truthfulness, I will tell him and no other whab I know of you. American justice shall deal with you as it will.' She turned toward Neil Bathursb. * Are you hunting her down ?' she asked. «I am hunting down Clarence Arteveldt's murderess. You know who that is.' 'And —will my evidence turn the scale against her?' 'No. With or without your evidence, she will be under arrest within twenty-four hours.' 'Ah !' with flashing eyes ; she will come down from her stilts then. Mr Bathurst, I will answer your questions.' _ 'Very good; they must be answered in the presence of a lawyer and others. And now —come, Miss Annin.' ' Come ! Where will you take me ? ' With the others—to the station-house.' With drooping head and vanquished spirit Nina Annin obeyed, and soon tha eieht'counterfeiters and their two female accomplices were marched through the bleak and silent streets, and safely lodged between stoub stone walls and behind hopeless iron bars.

The doctor and two policemen were left in charge of the wounded man, who was removed to the hospital at dawn. And then, having seized upop the counterfeiters' outfib, Mrs Rogers' boarding-house was closed, (To be Continued,