A LOST WITNESS, OR THE MYSTERY OF LEAH PAGET

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 298, 23 December 1897, Page 10

A LOST WITNESS, OR THE MYSTERY OF LEAH PAGET

BT LAWRENCE L. LYNCH, Antbor of "Shadowed by Three," "/ Blender Cine," "Dangerous Ground, -Madeline Payne," "A Mountain Mystery," "The Diamond Coterie," " Romance of a Bomb Thrower," <;out of a Labyrinth.

■£' CHAPTER LVH. " BEGINNING IN EARNEST. •At last we may begin in earnest. It was Francis Ferrars who spoke, with Captain Connors and the elder Talfourd sitting opposite him. me place, his new 'headquarters, and tbe Jour, midnight, following upon the Say which law the. examination of the Coroner indefinitely. Phoned. Once at the end of this ceremonial, the detective had lost no time m calling upon the two, and laying Mfore them an outline of some of hjs plans together with his reasons for the 6affis two auditors I^*™^ but somewhat startled, while PbJ« was his usual composed andj^rave self. And when they had listened for a half hour to. his low, fi«nly-^oken terse sentences, this gravity w* reflected in both their countenances. - In ?he face of the elder Talfourd there was regret and anxiety, and Captain Connors remarked upon it. 'I confess,' Talfourd said that I:m thinking about Fred Qumlan. And my son feels a bit uneasy yet. Some-, how, it looks as' if we_ were putting all the weight of suspicion upon him. S a% Sd aMaS rWt been too as iffhe were enjoying immunity at bi <I SSSfak you quite know young Ouinlan said Ferrars., 'He wouldn t ?roubl? himself with such scruples. What he wants is conviction or vindication, and I have promised him one or the other.' _ When Max Talfourd's father left them, the Chief drew his chair close to the round table and took up a pen., •Now,' he said, Til write you that littie document,' He began to write, and Ferrars, with a serious face, paced the floor. ". , . 'The little document' consisted o± only a few lines, and as he signed, folded, and enclosed it in an envelope, the Chief began to talk. 'I've been asking myself what would have become of this precious muddle if you hadn't dropped down among us Mr Ferrars. I confess that 1 should have-floundered at the first bog I wish I might ask you one question. Ferrars stopped short, just opposite the Chief. 'Ask,' he said. 'Is the course Quinlan has taken that of a guilty man?' •It's the course Quinlan would take —if he were guilty.' 'By which you mean, that, if he nad committed a murder, he would be the man to ask himself, "What would I do if I were an innocent man?" and then to do it.' . 'Yes,' assented Ferrars; 'Qumlan s quite equal to that.' ' •- it all.' The Chief pushed back hf^hai^^M^t^-^'^here's your note,- Commander; excuse my forcible language. What I wanted to ask is this: Is Quinlan guiltyT Ferrars came nearer and looked at him steadiljnacross the table.

'No,' he said at last. Another 'forcible' ejaculation burst from the lips of the Chief. 'Then —then^ what aibopt Max Talfourd? Aren't we—excuse me —but are w not rtlining a great risk?' 'Are you jumping to the conclusion that if'Quinlan did not do the deed, Talfourd must have done it?'

'Doesn't it look so?'

'Not to me.' He came closer to the Chief and lowered his tone almost to a whisper. 'I do not believe that murder was committed by any man alive.'

The Chief opened his lips, but a gesture from Ferrars stopped his speech.

There was a hasty step outside and gome one knocked loudly at the door. It was the man Michael, already entered upon his duties. He came in panting, his shrewd face and alert eyes telling as usual half his story.

'Well, Michael?' said both his superiors, in the same breath.

'It's this, sir,' said the man saluting both. 'The new firm is out in full cry—watchin' the Dresden Mats place, and,' with a grin, 'after Fred Quinlan.'

'The new firm?' Ferrars turned a look of inquiry toward Captain Connors.

'It's a' new Detective Agency,' explained the captain, with a touch of scorn in his voice. < 'Private, you know; working for rewards, for glory, for anything.' Then his sense of justice came to the defence of the absent 'new firm.' 'They have got two or three good men, though; I can't deny that.'

When upon interrogation it was found that the 'new firm' had done' nothing, as yet, more startling than to place shadows about the Dresden Flats and the rooms of Frederick Quinlan, Michael was duly instructed as to his further duties and dismissed. Then Ferrars obtained from the captain all the information he could give concerning the new Detective Agency. 'I don't think you need anticipate much trouble from these fellows,' said the chief at the end.

'Possibly not. Certainly not so long as they devote themselves to Quinlan.' 'And Quinlan—by the way, I have thought over the story he told you. Do you think what he said about the career of Hortense Novalis abroad is to be relied upon?' 'I have the best of reasons for thinking so,* responded Ferrars, gravely. •If I had not, I could easily verify any statements concerning the Paris or London business.'

'Well,' said the chief, rising, 'I wish we were all well out of this. There's your letter—l suppose I am not to be let into the mystery of its meaning-?'

'Not yet,' replied Ferrars, with a ■mile.