A CONSPIRACY of SILENCE

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 249, 17 October 1908, Page 17

A CONSPIRACY of SILENCE

BY SIDMEY WARWICK,

CHAFTEK XXIV. I TTjO MEN rovTEiSTED. Jove, that* Trent: Wonder: *iat*"f bxonght him h^re? Damis Garth was smoking a cigarette ! jr. tie spacious paim court of the Bout- j - HoieL which commanded a view of j -ie hall of the hotel. He had seen Ail- | Trra Trent enter hurriedly &ni walk to offk-e to speak to the hotel clerk. Trent frequently put up at ihe Bour- i ■bon when in town, ne If Trait and his wife were eomins to stay ■ it tie hotel, the sooner he cleared out: tie better. Dennis Told him-elf. He ; and tie new baronet had b«>en friendly enonsft afr ' er a fa - h!,: ' n - >,v: l!liZ * before Airwyn 'Dec-am? tb«" rival who had supplanted him. and Denni: —as waonlv Inman nature, perhaps—could not . Jielp a certain bitterness tmfeing hi= , liougiis of the other man. Besides, in the same hot-el constant laeetiiLEs with Oiive would be more or less inevitable —would only keep alive the feelings that he rnurt endeavour to jnppress- Love and frienasiup arr such finerfflt things. No: if the Trent? were etEnms to stay a: the Bourbon. he jnnst leave. Wnile Trent stood makinir some ;n----oniry of the hotel cierk another man iad entered the hotel. Tor a moment garth wondered wher*ie had seen the new..-.>mer's face before —to remember alnio-t instantly. His man, who. after speaking a word or two to the clerk, strolled leisurely toward one of the marble pillars, ani ■Qkt? stood in the shadow, half-hidden, trifle fie kept a watchful eye on Trent. Et '"'s time Treßt. in quest of Garth, had approached the rtairca-e. ur> which s strange lady was at that moment a?To all appearance th- man !>?- iisd the pillar was g-laoc-ins at t:i]&dv. bnt his eve never left Ailwyn Ireat. The watchful "b-erver was tnScotland Yard detect:v- who had been emnged in the K.oden and ha.d IDimd the prisoner's cigarette-ease near tie scene of the tragedy. The detective had not looked in Garii's direction, so interested did he appear in Treni's movements. Evidently it "k as atv-ut Garth tiiat Treat was -niaking inquiry. The former saw Trent's eye- turn in his direction as the clerk said something, then Trent came quickly toward him. Garth had not particularly desir-d the meeting—their nr»t =;iu-e Aiiwya Trent's marriage—but he put the liest iac-e on it. He beid out his hand. "Hello. Trent: ibis is a surprise! ar? you doing h^re?" As he spoke the detective lounsred easrially forward and esrtianired a word cr two with the hotel v!--k :n the efnee. It stnjck liarth thai tii- man.. ■Eitiout appearing to do -o. u-.i- watc-h----ing his meeting whii with interested curiosity, as thousb. even Tfhea off duty be couid not forsrel iis profpssionai iabits. and a trivie3 fact gave colour to this eoniectnrc. Ai Gaxth's glawe tb~i the detective'- the Latter instantly looked war, uDder lie of lightJBg a eigzx. and movt-d firrther av.-^-r. 1 Aii'arTß- Treat did r.n- take the out SSHsSsd hand. His face was dark and iru»jina. fid] of suspic-on. H.» first veris startled Garth: "Hiiere is my wife:" _Gartfl stared a: him. What do you mean?" .*se- where :- my wifet I>:m"t TVbo »hou!d know beiter tiuii yon?" returned Trent in a low. passionate voice. "She ha» left me— bnt. by Heaven. 1 am going xd and her: I know she t-arce to LondoiL = The werds took GartL'? breath away far a moment. Then he cried; ~1 taink you must have snddenh "S* yonr reason." Afl'ifyn's excited raanser was almost sa«& as to lend credence u> the a=-er-iwa. His eye* stre restless and hasgsrd. He had been drinkir.sr heaviiy— cr 2iknig and brooding. -Oihe xrith mc? Tie charge is preDosterou-. I seen her. I had" no id*-a that sap war not with yon." "That's a d lie." came the respense in a ; O w. intense voice. ,_ TreilT brood-d over his suspicions *ffl a his drbik-esciwd brain it hid wsean absolute conviction. His face dark with jealou- hatred—a hatred tot perhaps the iniurv he had done to Garth had deepened, as a man is =F to hate tbo-e he ha- urongpd ■ferth's j 2 w squ=rei. A »ob eiine int.;, his face. *"I don't wart 10 knock tm in Trem-, it -K-onid mai» a sT-eiie—besides.! are Olive'; husbani fral T I warn Jon to be earefaJ." he sairi "his voice rhe dfw e f restraint. "I don't Dro» a-here your wife it or you like Your ord , are aE 2Ba?t to her. Yo-j ma?t - M Mji ~_ saeh an assertion " laere TEi a „_- ~f ia -. redu; j- v abo , Jt Trent's lips. -Kdift sic ?0 to see you faj goal? siie half-admitted to mc that JM.and she were jov er ,: > h e took Preeoui ? ood care m ncr lnt« to -ye » hat—but 1 surprised her sruiltv s«-ret sor all tnat: I know the came to London r*ae same da;.- that you cam* —tou *» «W lover. Do you think 1 caa't P* two ai>d two tc-iiier. for ail fosr vn-raous denials *" " Garth restrained himself with n difenli effort. "-On dare you speak uf your wife a guiitv secret—you of all T 3l -- Er sail, looking hard at the other"? *», is 2 snddea remembranfe fla*he-4 Jj* • h» aaad-tht remembrance of «al ne aad last seen this man's fa-:-e. **J* ac fiesh. but a rivid likeness sxaned with a quick intake of ""vfliat are yon hintiag at?" he hoarseHe looked quickly round the KHm wa* almost deserted. vj 1 *f= M one seer en 0112b. to over- - I don't kn&w what tot can fad U cX^ resiioll 0E that one fa-c-e that OUX of eVr * the theatre the of figure, o^ l « screen was before Denni- Garth ■5 Hampfri on Ailwyn Trent'- featnres !c«k of d-£c:v fear that V* 5 tsi2n into a strange suspicion. «aotE teiEeidenve of mm and the fact 2 ■* nr Presses outside a certaia house aartbiag:" stid Garth slowly. ; iJo you Hsnember a en?wd that outside a bniidin- ia -R-hieh been do ae -« angry mob the murderer of Mrs. *■*?£ —ll» vis—aad a man on tie out<n X wiii a scarsd face, "s-ho * an « l nj his collar a≤ he slnnk airayT^

! "It i= madnes= to talk like this." ' Ailwyn Trent"- fa-ec wa* ghastly. He ' =etmed to have difficulty in articulating the words. "What bave I to do with j ; any Mrs. Georire Ailwyn? The coincidence j i of the name i- nothing —how c-ould it j ' be? I wi.*. never near th-? street you | : speak of in my li/e." "Never near?" cried t.anh contem- j ! ptuou.-ly—"when nijrhtly at the Alfre-co ' j your movement!! of part of the nisht j when that murder took place, caught and : . nse-d on 3 telltale film, are nurur on a i I screen for ail the world to look at: Yon ! ; xer? on the outskirts of that crowd—i ; you kno"W btst why you were there, or why yon skir.k off hiding your face that you :: .2-' :;": be rec -^nized'" The !-i-r-K-ion that last Diiht he had I ; f ought a_rain-t w?- a fact. Garth was: ?ur? E 'W that the missing rcysterious | I l>ec'rgir Ailwyß —b- Aiiwvn Trent as he wa- Mire o: anything in hi? life. The eviden: lie confirmed it: the man's fa.cc 1 confinnei i~~ At that in-tiinr 'iarth'= eye? acain ! fell on the detective. The man was ' still there, though rtandin; a!m.>-t out | of tisrbt —still watvbing: and the fart j tcf'k a i-.iii-n signilic-ance for him. He added quickly: "What if t-iie poli:-* sr* already asking tb-Tii-rivr- tnat questionr" "Good heavens:" broke from Trent. "What do you mean by that?" At Garth"; word* he had bec-om? white: to tjf f>o pitiably abject was liis ■ look of terror that <iarth's . mi" a contemptuous pity, njmgied wita a borror that thi- wa- Olive's husband.' "Don"t turn cr look round." he -aid in a low vii-v. "or you"! let the man ■ know that ;. c>u su.-ppct. But 1 believe you ar? ;«eing fhadowed." By whom?" "A man you into the hotel, j 1 ihouch* at the time hi- movements us now. a- though h* , i- nut to let you .;i: cf iji- -ight. 1: i- t!itectivr Scotland Yard ha.? *ent here in PonnectioE with the Roden Keep j your-elf in hand. M^!" "Then i: ;- Detective Dermoid:" A -Vaddv.-in.: horror Trent.; T!:- i-".tsrt:ve fro::; rx-oilanj Yard—it iviir tn? man who yesterday at the rai'-.:;> --.aiion had tried to snatch that photogra;/::. Kvea if he had not ?een thf j-onrai:. be 2:ust "have r«-aJ the inscripii •- on the bark: "Mr. and Mrs. It(---tz- Ai'.wyn." to accour;". :"• r hi* aotion tft^n—musx have noticed Aiiwyn's agita;. >r.. n stru k by tiie coin;idence of th a name*, had hi- su?picioa= aroused. Doubt]—s from London -.2* ir~iir. hai tri-srafh- i to have n.—Ailwyn'—movement? watched and reported: and had been informed of his. journey to London that day. "can you save mc? 1 s-" I wa- wroas & bo ut '.'live. -])- ha- Ifft :t:- —anj 1 thouiiht i; wa- yr.u -h- :.>: ■. ome 1". I am sorry. If you are righ: about Detmold. 1 an: in a de'perati corner. W..i you help a- , " "But how sre you in a corner—if you are no; "Gf-org*- Ai'wyn"?" Trent rave a tralv. "I may a- well adimt it—l am. But I didn't perpetrate the deed: before • God I am £? inncV-er.t of that a- yu:~ ■, he said in an a!i"-; inaudible whimper. C'U were that w..ruanand yet yon married CHjve?*" "I —I '«; free. That woman's death \ofx tee -" i- *— R-- " "But yon dared to ina—y '.-I:-.- w:;b this terribi? haEjing over > you:" And indigiiaEt s'-orn anJ anirer gieamed in Garths face. Then, a- a - sudden thought r:im: "I remt-ra-ber the murder happen-i a!mo-t immediately before my arrest. You mu-t have asked (.'iive—used what pressure I don't know: hut p-rer-r-urr- wa- u~-ri — to marry you while that w.man was living! You un:-jreakabie cur: You did - her that wrong —the woman I Jovt-d: ani yet you a-k mc to help you:" "You must help me—for Olive's sake: Think of the that will fa-ten on 1 her name i: the truth com-s out. For 1 \^. r the other wh ■ hu-kily. imploringly. i -for Olive'- sake! That was unanswerable. Tot 'wt sake he must help this ™<ti if j* were Ganb plance-d a= if ca-jallv in the ' detective'- direction. Dermoid still stood thenj. under ' pretence of chairing to the hotel clerk. ' no doubt by the fact that Ailwyn Trent ii i n it once giaiK-ed hi- way • that the latter -α-pected nothing. Two person.* «pr- -niering the hail, h strjek Garii' an .±.'3330-1 :t~ γ-^tcppt • ibie signs: passed between ]>fi:-ud and j . . - • w :."=• toresiost 01 mc newcomers. • "I wili beip yr, u if I <-an— bu: h ■« ?'' '" Garth -aid quickly to Trent, who Irx.k-J ' whit*- ar. i utterly unnerved. "Are you 3 afraid b* mean- to arre-t you a- lac- ' missing "GfOrg-e Ailwyn'? But if -o. L the hole!?" "1 know hotv h.is suspicions may have - j'r r,ri J "Dc-nt "urn: idov* as if casually to the left—tnis palm will you. You 3 mustn't let your face be s-een. Tw,, men have come into the hotej. by arranfem?at. 1 haven't a d >übt. with j DetmoVd. Ctae looks iik" a piam-cioxbe-man. The other i- a -bort chzv wiih 2 m-utt-00-chop siiirker-. black frock coat. and derby hat. a broad shin-fronr. and _. b narrow tie " , j "The agent of that flat at Batter-ea: . Detmold ha- >ent I' >r one \^no j knew the d&ad woman r husband 10 -: identify mc. to coaSrm Li.- -u-;-icions.~ Ailw-yc £ra=T»~'d. aimo-t inartic-uiateJ v. ; "Good heaven-.' Once that man rees j me— What's to be done?" "Until this chap in the frock coax sees j your fa-ce they car: do nothing. And i don't think that the detective gnesse- _ ■ we suspect his move. You know mv old i chambers: in Meta J'quare* Here is the key." whispered Dennis Garth hurried!v : - "so there. I'll follow when it is safe. 1 I'll go and keep Detmold engaged a minute or two: sjdze your opportunity. t ; and slip out by that side entrance and c lake a cab." z Desni- strolled off. calling back to a Trent as he did so: ; ""Sha'n't be five minutes. Trent. I t want to speak to a friend I see over there.-" I He walked up to "the detective with a 5 oieasant nod. t i "Surprised to see you aeain so soon. c J Mr Deaoid." he said blandly. Thf detective re;urn€-d the salutation t respecrfaHy. He had heard Garth's last h j words to Trent —as ihe speaker had mbb tended he should do—and this man, i. : who laid traps for others, had no snspi- :- j don that a coonter-trap was being laid o : for >iTm e=t>eeially as he eonld sxill see ~ I the figm-p of Airwyn Trent, waitina for

Garth as it seemed, behind one of the raims. ; Seeing Detmold ensaged in conversation, the two men -who had just entered stood waiting at some little distance. "Yes. fir: and I'm glad to see yon at i liberty again."* responded Detmold. He glanced toward the palm court. On a =-e-ai behind the spreading palm Trent • wa- lighting a cigarette. ""1 had to give i evidence against yon. sir. but I agreed J with the jury's verdict. Glad to have in* opportunity of telling you so. But i I'm afraid I"m keeping you from your i friend—it was Ailwyn Trent, wasn't j ! it. you -were talking to?" a.sked Detmold. i I with much appearance of innocence. | j "Tee. You know him. do you?*"—a= | jif in surprise. "Oh. of course, you must ' ■ have seen him at my trial! No you're I • not keeping mc: he's in no hurry. I j ! franted a word nr ten with you—about j : that cigarette case that you found. You i se-. it didn't convict mc. after a!]'" , he '■ , added, ■with a laugh. As he spoke Dennis was edging into such a position that tn face him Del- ! i mold must turn his ba-ck on Ailwyn I i Trent. ! "I carry it for luck now. you know." j ' He took it out of his pocket with a I '■ smile, and offered a cigarette from it to i Detmold. "Thank you. Mr. Garth: not being on ; duty, as one might say. I will accept . one." "Let mc give you a light. I suppose you thought you had made a discovery j when you found this a: th<» foot of the cliff?' Here, you haven't sot it properly ' ■ What's your candid opinion about that ciirarette-ca-e t"?ine found ' there'The detective was off his guard. The ' subject interested him. and he rtood ; with his bark to the palm garden as he i said sententiou-ly: "Well. sir. since you didn't drop it I ther* , . and ynu -ay it was stolen from ■ your room, whoever put it there «a- the person who kill--d Erne-: Rc>den. You may vi«w that a- h fr.c-*.." ■'I believe you ar<- right." cried DennK ""and :hat it iva- dropped there deliberl ately. to take suspicion off some one else by the cuih on mc:" ! Detmold nodded. "But who eouM kv« stolen it from the drawer? I'll defend the honesty of Perhaps Detmold noticed that Dennis' i eye* wer- looking intently beyond him. ■:n -pile of the easy manner of the speak--r. ln?tant'v the detective wheeled ; re\'t)d. -Where's s ir Ailwyn Trent?" he cried. The fia-ure that had been behind the pain a f-w moment 5 apn was gone. "Isn't he where 1 left him 1 " asked Garth. i—.-'.'.r.z a -u-iden ru-h of reiiei. Perhaps D-nni- over-acted. Detmold'- eves suddenly filled with a swift su-piri^n. He ran quickly forward. Trent had eviaentn ":■■ >:tel throuch th» side en trailer j'. the nicaient hie attention had \.*en di-tracted by lighting the cigarette. A.- he reached the side door Deimold r-aw :i cab moving swiftly away. He bit hi.- !:r> in bitter c-hasrir. he haJ ~>> nearly efTevted his purpose. Within twenty yard- of w'r.ere Sir AilwvTi Trent iiad br-en nj: b~ had a man who knew the niir-T-.ng "fieorue Ai'«'vß." and couid have -etti<-d the , c:u*rtif>n of identity: and to be bauikcJ like this: H- walked 'ack to Dermic* X ! ' "You did it vf-ry "well. Mr. Garth. j and yon took mv in." b* said quietly. concealing his kern mortification. ""What do you mean?" ~>~e«"d we k—r;i up the pretence now. Mr. Garth? 1 am a tit of a sportsman. and 1 bear no malic*. You gave Mr Aiiwjn the tip. and diverted my attention for a m:r: it- to cover his retreat. C'f course, it - ■■nh deferred the evil hour—oniy deferred it. Mr. Garth: anJ 1 i] u.i if y. -i aouid have done it ;i—" "1 bis -Jr. Xreni. as he was. then, didn't do much to help you out wiien you were a prisoner. Mr. Gartn." aalJ Deimo'd. a- :i irrelevantly. "The old "■enu<-ruan —re-t hi? soui—he tried to hri;. you. If he had ppoken —well, uhatrvt-r it was cm hi? lip*, his son had a minute of pretty bad s"j»pen=«. ju.-t before that stroke ■which stepped th~ disclosure. I wa- watching the two of them: we ! r, arn to read fa.cc- in our profusion. "My lord: My ,on ' he began: <-nd «iv: n-- would have said had s-ome connection w;th that cigrar-ette-ca=-e of yours:" Dtnms Garth stared at the man. with a -t-jriled, in-.-reiuiou- look dawning in his face. Thf detective's words read? no deSnite a-senion. but his listener could not doubt what underlying meaning they hinted a;. "It can't !►? possible, man. , " he cried. "If you mean to imply that Ailwyn Trent " Xijc- n;her interrupted hixn ""1 i.itve :-jid nothing against :-ir Ail~yn Trent. But yot: know ] was in chars- of that n-». and there were one or two odd circumstance? about it. wa- something curious about that ha-:v marriajre. wa-n't there I" :he detectiv* -aid reflectively. "As for that been -tolen from a drawer in your room ante \ our arrest, and that you vouch for the kf.m«rty "i all the ? er\-ant= r "Yt-f. every one of them." "No doubt you have made inquiries as to what visitors may have called about the time you were arre-ted?" y r -. Aiiwvn Trent had called, had even been -hown into the room in question to write a now. as Dennis had incidental! v heard. But. to suspect Trent cif this—it wa? monstrous, unbelievable. i The man wa; a cur: the circumstances of his marriage immediateiy after his ■ firrt wife's death showed that. But Derm;- refused to believe him guilty of this unspeakable crime —at least, with- ■ ' out proof. "You said that, in your opinion, who- . ever dropped That cigarette-case was the man who actually killed Roden?" .' he abruptly aiked. "I do think that— jl. as I believe, it was "planted' there in order to be [ found again." * , i "But if your suspicions are right, what possible motive could the person in your thoughts—for you do suspect i ( some one—have had for killing Eoden'i:" Garth demanded. I I The detective looked round him. j "1 ought not to tell you. but under i I the circumstances 1 am going to take ' yon into my confidence." Detmold saio[j He had a very definite motive in view - in leading the conversation to thjs J point. "Among the dea-d man P.oden's t effect? we found a private account-book. In it we came across this entry: "George Ailwyn—£so:' then anotier . another similar entry for another sum. !. At the time of the trial we had no su- ; picion who George y'l**> h was. and - the entries suggested nothing. Now, . i t-onpled with other discoveries, doa'i - i they suggest anything to you. Mr. 1 J Garth f And Detmold" looked" hard at ; j his companion. "Don't they suggest a • j possible motive ior a desperate man

yrho was in the frrip of a black-mailer ? r, "You mean that Roden tra= blackmailing this—this George Ailwyn. whoever he -wa;! , "' "It iooks like it. And in th<? course 1 of our investigations we fotind out that j he was not above shady trick?, this dead j man. Blackmail, not a doubt: And if ' it should prove that "Georjre Allwrn' and j a certain jrentleman I won't name are ! one and the same, the threads draw a bit closer, don't they? Whoever "flunir , Roden down to hi:- death had an interest I in "planting" that ca>e of in that i spot. And between "em. father and son. ' \ the Trents knew r-omething abojt that I c-isra rette-ra se!"' i In spite of himself conviction was ( ' in on Garth. He remembered j old >ir Lionel's outburst in court, the ! I pain and horror in hi- tone*, and Ail- : urn's white fate: remembered that interview Y\ith Olive in prison, and some I strange, enjermatical words that had paz- \ 1 zled him. And he was of much the same height and build as Trent: it would be' I easy for Margaret Roden in her distracted i I state to mistake Trent for him a.s the I guilty man rushed away in the dusk. | i And Roden had 'been blackmailing i "George Ailwyn"! J Ailwyn Trent had killed Roden: the i conviction was not to be denied —not ' '• only had been jrailty of the crime, and silent while another lay in prison on the shameful charge: not that on!;,: Thii man rohbed him of Olive had deliberately tried to fasten the sruilt more ; securely on him by fabricating apparent ' evic»nc-e. Thi- wa- the cowardly. treacherous I Trreti-h he had jj-t helped to escape: Watching him. Detmold saw the pas- | sionate ansrer rising in Dennis liarth. a? the conviction swept over him: saw the j blazing eyes, the clenched hands. AnJ ,he sn.ilei inwardly. 1 A detective U naturally the rnnst micent of men a'nout any case he i* .-ngajed upon, and certainly Detmold would never have made this disclosure to Garth with- . out a very strong motive. The time seem- ' ed almost ripe to play the card he had been le-a-ding up to. "Great >:-.-n! The mar. who cruld havo . let mc runs for his crime—and 1 have j helped him to evade hi- desert-:" Gartii j muttered, scarcely for the mo- j ment of Oetmold's presence, his face dark \ with intense. pa-sic>naTe ang*-r. j The detective ca-ught the words. He I smiled, and said sau^'ely: "It seems a tine bit of irnny that you ! should help this man who. if evidence ' goes for anything, ought \r liav* -ton.-J in j your place-—in the dork chars—J with I murder: I 7-uppor-e that he laughing in his sleeve that he had hoodkinked you: ' But you can tell mc where he ha- g-one. Mr. Garth. Give mc the tip. and I will I so--.n rectify the little rTii^take:" It wa- for this that the ;«i?-in» ha] so artfully been playme. Doubtles- Garth had more than an inkhns whither their bir i na>i flnwn. ani. in the fa^ , of this revelation, aould no longer >pare him. ! For a moment D-tiths !o •ke.l at the man'- -m:iir:2 facv without answering. He wa- no laint : the pa--ionatp desire ' to reveng" himself ng the man who. ahe wa.- now. ha.d made him hi- ■«• tingling through him even as the words ncr,- spoken. And it wa- in hi- power to deliver h>enemy L»-"ind into the hand? of the law! Only, ET»n in his hot r-sentment. he ' that he had promised Trent j his help. H.- ".uld not gn ha.-k r. n hiI word. Hi- h>nour wa- pledged. And there »a- r 'iire. "j"h:s man was Olive's hu-Lant. If he were brought to i ju.-tice. the -\i>srr.a of the man's .rime w.-.uki cast it'- -haa.iw over the man'wife. His ihame v ovid fall on Olive, too. ~C ome. Mr Garth, this is r.o occasion for any fa!-* ideas of ,-ilen-e." >aid thman of the law. -You can tell mc where I 'hall 2nd him. and yon little enouffh nws i" '""ant to spare ium. Where i; Ailwyr. Trent*"" IVnr-.i- r.arth tooled full into tli-? marj'.connierj- a- hr told the lie: "'it'- quite u-eless u> ask me-. 1 have no idea where Trent is to be found." iTo be continued W«-dn?sdav nest). :