Nabob and Knave.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 115, 15 May 1906, Page 6

Nabob and Knave.

By NICHOLAS CARTER, yAuihor of " Tangled Threads," "An Artful ScJumer," " The Crime of a Countess," etc.

CHAPTER V.

AN OPEN QUESTION.

The house at which the carriage had etopped was an imposing Fifth Avenue residence, one that had been occupied by the Bradshaw family for several <*enxations. It had teen built at a time when land in that locality was not worth a. fortune a foot, and no other dwellings -had yet encroached upon the original goodly estate.

Tbe residence occupied a corner lot of considerable size, with a stable and conservatory at the rear; while the grounds were adorned with a number of ■fruit and shade trees, the life of which the city environment had not yet impaired.

Skirting the grounds in front, and •long the adjoining street for some fifty yards, was a high stone wall, capped ivrith pointed spikes as a means of protection against intruders; and the place, Jis a whole, bore the stamp of ancient ■wealth and eminent respectability. As Dr. Planehet conducted the two defectives into the grounds, and toward the house, the front door was opened lay a slender, dark man of about 30, obTiously a Frenchman.

"This is Louis, my valet," said the jphysieian, as they entered. "My darling •—how is she. Louis?"

"Madame is better, sir," said the ser Tant, bowing low. "She is in the draw ang-j-oom."

Nick Carter merely glanced at Ferxot'i face, and the glance did not par tieularly please him.

In the thin, white features, and narrow eves of this ofcsequ'jus French servant, there was a vague look which, Nick could not regard quite favourably.

Accompanied by Chick. however, he followed the physician into the parlour v a splendidly furnished room off the inaiii shall.

Here the doctor's wife, clad in an elaborate grey morning wrapper, was seat«d near a table, with a jewel casket in her lap, and talking volubly with a group of people gathered about her, the rfaees of all of whom still reflected a consternation natural enough under such a misiortune as that then being discussed.

Mrs Planehet. who was short, stout, and nearly 50. and not at all handsome, despite her husband's complimentary allusions to her, at once arose to receive the detectives.

As she approached, however, Nick murmured commandingly to the doctor:

"Get rid of these people at once. Send 4hem to their rooms. Too much talk about such a theft makes detection only the more difficult. Away with them at once, my dear doctor."

Planehet nodded understandingly, and remained only to introduce his wife, then hastened to comply, in whispered phrases of explanation., with the instructions given him.

"I am so glad you could come to our aid, Mr. Carter," said Mrs. Blanchet, with a hearty pressure of her soft, warm hand. "'I have heard my late husband speak,,of you many times, and I, of course, know yo\i by reputation. Who, indeed, does not? I do hope you can get some clue to my lost jewels, and in the end recover them."

Kick bowed gravely while she was speaking, yet with a furtive eye he took the measure of the several people who, at the physician's request, were quietly withdrawing from the room.

Two of them were middle-aged—the couple from Cincinnati.

Perry and .his sister were younger, evidently friends of a tall, pretty girl with whom they were talking, and whom Kick readily guessed was Annie Bradshaw.

Standing somewhat aside, near one of the front windows, was a girl in a white muslin apron and dainty cap, whose figure and face chiefly claimed Kick's cursory attention.

She was of medium beight, perfectly formed, and her grace and suppleness were at once obvious. "With dark hair and eyes, a thin, straight nose, and firm lips, a finely modelled jaw and chin, a clear complexion, and well-poised bead— her face and bearing indicated strength ■both of mind and body, a forceful will, and, possibly, a violent temper.

There was something about her which struck Nick as being vaguely familiar, yet he could not recall having seen her before; and he had no- further time for studying her, as Mrs, Planehet had now ceased speaking.

"I will do what I can for you," he gravely rejoined. "It "will help matters df you will let mc take hold of the' case at once, and in my own way. With that object In view, I bad had your husband esk your guests to withdraw."

"Dear mc!" gasped Mrs. Planehet, \ritb. a look oi righteous norror. "Surely you do net suspect any of them?"

"I am absolutely without suspicions,

"I could not think of liaring any one of them accused of this crime, unless"— and the lady of the house -quickly qual\fied her declaration- -"the evidence was irrefutable, Detective Carter, absolutely irrefutable." "You need have no fear, xnadame," said Nick, appreciating her delicate position. "I shall be very discreet", I promise you." "Abj I thank you! I feel grateful." Having got rid of the several guests, there remained only the doctor and his wife, together with Miss Bradshaw and the maid in the muslin apron, and Nick now prepared to look into the matter more deeply. First turning to Chick, however, he said in a whisper: "Step out of doors, Chick, and look for some evidence of a break." "All right." murmured Chick. "Note the ground wnder the windows, also the window-sashes and the basement doors." '"I'm wise, never fear." "Also, keep an eye open for any in- ' discreet display of interest of the servants, in ease any of them observe you. Xote particularly that Franeh valet,

whom we passed ■when entering. I did not like his eyes." "Nor I. They looked to mc like rat eyes." Chick nodded understandingiy, and passed out through the hall.

Nick turned to the physician and his wife, bowed in introduction to the daughter, and glanced once more at the striking girl near the window.

Naturally, he was not awfere of it, but not once since be entered bad ber sombre, dark gaze left the detective's face.

" Do you ■wish Lueette, also, to leave the room?" asked Mrs. Plfenehet, with her insipid blue yes raised to Nick's. " Is that the girl yonder?" " Yes."

'*' She is your msaidf " Yes."

" She may remain," said Nick shortly. " I may presently wish to question her."

" You may remain, L-ueette," chirped Mrs. Planehet, with her head perked in the girl's direction like that of a canary.

"I infer that this is the casket from which the jewellery was stolen," said Nick.

" Yes, exactly," cried Planehet, taking up a rich jewel case from the table. " It was found just as you see it, my dear Carter. It was found just as you see it —empty."

Again that curious mingling of gravity and frivolity on the part of this man.

It was not lost upon Nick, though he evinced no sign of having observed it, and he merely glanced at the jewel case.

'" Of what pieces were you robbed, Mrs. Planehet ':" he inquired.

"• The most valuable piece was a diamond crescent, worth about eight thousand dollars," the lady hastened to reply. " There was also a necklace of pearls, with a heart-shaped diamond pendant. Besides those, there were four ring.=;, two solitaire diamonds, one set with a ruby and two diamonds, and one of plain gold. My watch, also, with a gold corsage pin, were likewise taken. 7.

"" Is that a complete list?"' : ' Yes."

" Did you place all of the several pieces in this casket last evening?"

'■' I did, sir, immediately after returning from the opera."

" Were you alone in your chamber at the time?" " I was."

"Was the room lighted?" " Naturally."

"Were the curtains up, so that the interior might have 'been seen by a person in the front street?"

" I think they were. I remember ■drawing them down when we retired."

"When going to your room, Mrs. Planehet, did you see any of your servants, either in the hall or on the stairs?"

•'■' I did not," was the reply. " 1 t.hink all of them were abed. My husband admitted us to the house."

" Yet you had lunch after returning, I am told?"

" That was prepared by the cook, and left for us before ehe went to bed."

'• Your sleeping-room is upstairs, I presume t" ,

" Yes, above this one."

" Were you accompanied" by any of your guests, Mra Planehet, when you went up to remove your jewellery?"

" No, sir, I was not," she replied. " They all remained in the library, where my husband had joined them after extinguishing - the lamp in his study. I was absent about five minutes, I think, and to went to the dining-room to lunch as soon as I came down." '• >To\v, think a moment," said Nick, more impressively. "Did any person or persons leave the dining-room before the others, or during the lunch?" " I do not think so." " Pardieu, yes! " cried Dr. Planehet, with rather startling abruptness. " Mr. HoJJey—don't you remember, my d&rling? He excused himself, and left the room for several minutes."

"■ Dear mc, I do remember now," murmured his wife, colouring.

The significance of Nick's question was not to be evaded, and it had, along with the physician's abrupt declaration, the most effect upon one who had jiot yet spoken.

This was Annie Bradshaw. By slow degrees a wave of red had imbued her lovely cheeks, and her girlish figure was drawn a little higher when she turned her frowning eyea, glowing resentfully for a moment, upon the dark features of her stepfather.

2>7iek caught the fleeting look she gave him, one of mingled bitterness and contempt; but she turned almost immediately, and said, a bit proudly: "I can. tell you why Mr. Holley left the room, Detective Carter, if you wish to know."'

" You may inform mc." said Nick, simply.

" He found himself without a handker- ( chief at the table," explained the girl, '•'and he went into the .hall to look for it in his overcoat." " Ah. I see." "Failing to find it, however, he spent several minutes in searching the various pockets. He did not find it, and could only infer that he must have lost it." '• Pardieu!" exclaimed Dr. Planehet, with a slight snarl stealing into his voice. '"He was long away for that only. He had time enough to have slipped upstairs, and —" "Sir!" The single word broke from Annie Bradshaw with volcanic asperity. She had turned pale, as pale as the knot of lace at her throbbing throat, and her lips were quivering with suppressed passion.

"You insult both Mr Holley and myself, Dr. Planehet," she added, scarcely above her breath, yet with terrible feeling. "I will not remain to suffer another such affront. If you wish to question mc further, Detective Carter, I will see you alone."

And she bowed politely, even in her overwhelming anger, and swept haughtily from the room.

"H'm!" thought Nick, without a change of countenance. "There is a skeleton in some one of the closets in this house."

"Hey! the madcap!" exclaimed Planchet, not the least disturbed by the girl's resentment. "I but said that I thought."

"You were wrong, my love," protested his wife, with a murmur of disapproval.

'Saere! Absurd, my darling! I but voiced the very suspicion which Detective Carter himself had suggested. He implied that any person who left the dining-room might have "

!C Ex«use mc. doctor," Nick curtly interrupted, with a, flashing stare At th*

physician's eyes. "My question implied very little—least of all, my suspicions. I may ask questions far more, suggestive* than that, and I warn you, Dr. Planehet, Hot to be misled by them. . Take -care that you heed the warning." .'.'-■ "But, my dear Carter—— Alas! I hope I have not offended V'x ,c Not in the least, in so far as I am concerned," said Nick, "I am accustomed to investigating such eases as this without interference, however, and I shall brook nothing of the kind. Either this, or I drop the case entirely. Now, Mrs Planchet, we will continue." Under the rebuke which Nick Carter had bluntly administered, Dr. Victor Planehet had not changed countenance by so much as a shadow. Nick noticed it, and he decided that only a man of an iron will, or a man calloused beyond affectation, could so have governed a natural feeling of embarrassment or disapproval. It is not necessary to further detail his inquiries then and there. In brief, assuming that no evidence was found indicating that the house had been forcibly entered, it appeared tolerably dear that the jewellery must have been stolen either by one of the servants or one of the guests. The latter being stragers to Nick, he entered their names in his note-book, also a list of the missing jewellery. The servants be left for' subsequent consideration. Concerning Dr. Plancbet and his wife, Nick could draw but one conclusion from his observation of them. Thfc woman, who was nearly a dozen years his elder, evidently loved her husband, admired his fine figure and handsome face, and very probably took much pride in her possession of him. This appeared in her every look and action, and Nick saw that he held almost absolute sway over her, which would last as long as her pride was not wounded. Of the physician, however, Nick did not feel quite so sure. There was a subtle lack of the true ring in his endearment 3, an air of conscious superiority not seen in one who truly loves; and Nick was inclined to believe that the fortune of Mrs Edward Bradshaw, rather than her pudgy figure and ordinary face, had been Planchet's chief incentive to matrimony. That there existed between him "and his step-daughter no very friendly fecK ing, moreover, had been too obvious to be ignored, and Nick wondered to. what degree it might have estranged them. Nick made all of these observations, with the conclusions suggested, during the brief interview in the parlour, and he had barely closed his note-book when Chick returned to the room. "Nothing doing, Nick," said he tersely. Nick did not need to ask him if he had examined every available place outside, by which a burglar could have forced an entrance into the house. He knew well enough that nothing would- have escaped Chick's keen eyes, and be merely bowed and said, turning to Mrs Planchet:

"I have had my assistant examine your lower windows, with a view to finding some trace of a burglar. Now, with your permission, I will Have him visit your chamber. You and the doctor may accompany him, and give him what information he may desire. I will ask your maid a few questions."

Nick's air denoted that he prefeiTed to question Lucette J3irard alone, and neither the physician nor his-wife demm-red at the suggestion. Without a word, they conducted Chick from the room, and up I the hall stairs. i

To Nick's way of thinking, it was an open question as to who, in or out of this house, had been guilty of the robbery.

(To be continued daily.)