A HERITAGE OF HATE

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 71, 24 March 1910, Page 8

A HERITAGE OF HATE

CHARLES GARVICE,

" 'Author of "The Marquis)" -"Lorried "A M " chapter ssaccs. "- , " Stella slept badly on the night of the ] - murder. Her foot was less painful— . thanks to -poor Nita's care— she was restless and feverish, and her .snatches • .of sleep were disturbed -by .dreams. She ' dreamt of Bath, and of Lord Lisle, fancied thai she was once again drifting in the ! ~.l boat that was bearing her away from the ' isiand, and that she could see Bath . '; standing on the shore with outstretched ] caKls, and heard his voice calling to . her in accents of despair. ; She was awakened from one of these " dreams by a knocking at the door, and ( . thinking it was Nita, she called ''Come • in! -, and, to her surprise, the landlady entered. The woman seemed in a great state of agitation, and stood beside the . - bed as if she • were scarcely capable of speech. "What is the matter, Mora. Sewell? ' Is it time to get up?" Stella asked, sit- ( ting up in bed and pushing the hair ' irom her face, flushed with sleep. "No, —that i≤—it's early; but ■ Oh, miss! 1 couldn't keep away from " telling you any longer! Something j dreadful has happened. Poor Madame j Stella sprang out of bed, her injured i foot quite forgotten. "Oh, what is it? Is she ill? Let mc • go- to her!" and she snatched at her : clothes. The landlady- fought with her ! agitation. ' •> "Go to her, miss! Oh, dear, dear! Don't be frightened, miss. I meant to break it to you. but 1 don't know how!" "What is "if?" asked Stella, proceeding hurriedly with her dressing. "Is she ill —very ill? Whatever it i≤, I must go to her. Oh, I am so sorry! Oh, please . tell mc at once!"—for the landlady had •burst into tears. —she's dead, miss!" she sobbed. .". : Stella went white and - staggered. "•"Dead! Oh, yon cannot' mean it! She was quite well "last night when she went .to the theatre. Dead!" "Yes, miss. And that ain't the worst. The poor thing came to her death un- ~ iairlv. She —she was murdered last ■-; night." —■- - Stella struggled against the shock and - the deathly faihtness it caused, and sank • on to the bed, her hands clasped" tightly. It was so hard to realise that the woman who had been so good to her; whom she . had . seen only a few hours ago in full ' possession ■ - of health and strength, should be dead! - Tell mc- " she began . chokingly. "Oh, poor woman! Murdered! " Oh, there must be some mistake— cruel mistake! She cannoW-eannotJbe dead!" " " It's true, miss. The police have been here already." - -"The police?"--"Yes, miss. They've searched' the -- rooms," and xine- of T'em's;:in7 the - sitting ~ roonTiow"; and" I—rcCuJdift .help com- - ing- to you."' "_~ - " Help me—help mc dress," said Stella, - brokenly, for her hands-shook .so that she could. not 'Hold her clothes. "When— - adhere?" ■ -—-^t-was-jast-nightrJn-lEattanTWiQQd^L £aid She landlady in a hushed voice. '" Don't take on " so, miss " — Stella was-crying bitterly. " The poor soul's at lest, anyway; and I don't think she was happy, for all her being so famous and celebrated. She's at rest and out of her —_tFGwt)les r -wha.tever_th.ey..w.eie.. She was murdered "inWood—stabbed -to death. It was a man, and they've gat him, the brute, thank -God!"-- ~- "I But—but who—why did he do- it?" asked Stella, with horror in her face. JEhe . landlady..shook her-head. " The police -wouldn't answer any questions; but I" bear-.from- the talk that's going round that -he's-a stranger. But, of coarse, he must have known Madame. You.see, miss, ladies in her profession lead strange krnd-of-lives, and know all. sorts of people, and you can't tell what mystery was connected with her." . Instantly there Hashed across Stella's mind the- story -Nita-had told her of her irasb£md, the man who bad deserted her, the -whom Nita, thought she had seen from the window two "days, ago; _ bat Stella said nothing, and Mrs. Sewell -went on: - - — '■ '• There's a policeman in clothes, a detective, miss, and another gentleman Mr. Workley—in the sitting-room, and they vrant to see you." "To see mc?" said Stella,shrinkingly; ; then she said quietly. "I will come at once: please tell .: them. Where— " where " She could not finish" her "sentence, but Mrs. Sewell understood, and replied in a hushed voice: '" At the inn in Eatton village. 11l go and tell them you're coming, miss." Stella finished dressing, and went into - the sitting-room. Workley and the defestive who had just arrived from the county town were standing by the table upon which were the contents of some of Nits-'s travelling-boxes and a small heap of letters and other belongings of hers. _- —Workley's fece-'was-white-to-the-lips,-his ™ eyes glistened -with a fierce and dogged - determination; and both men .scanned her — sharply and. keenly". - -'"~ _ .;.

dodem Juliet," "By-Devious Ways," etc. "This is the young lady who Has been lodging -with, nadame," said the landlady, nervously. The detective bowed and drew a chair forward, but Stella stood, gripping the edge of the table with her hand. Sorry to disturb you so early, miss," said, the detective. "You've heard the news— dreadful news! —and I'm sure i you will ie ready ie help us -with any information regarding the deceased. Win you tell mc your name?" Steila told him. Will you- tell mc -what you know or the deceased? I ought to say that this gentleman, Mr. Wo-rkley, is deeply interested " Stella looked at Workley with pity and commiseration in her beautiful eyes, and Workley bowed his head for a moment. — And he will be grateful to you if you can "help us clear up this mystery." "I knowshe told mc," .: faltered -Stella. Workley made a gesture with his hand. I "I — loved her," he said, huskily. "She ■was married, I know, but her husband i had deserted her. I did not know whether 'he -was alive or dead —I was trying to find wit. If she had been free—we should have ma-rried " His voice broke, and he turned his head a-way. Stella's eyes were full of tears as she said: ... "I know so little—except that she was good and tender-hearted " She struggled for composure. " She found mc ill and helpless in"the street outside here, and brought mc in and cared for mc as if she had been my sister. She told mc something of her life, that she was married, and that her husband had left her, and tbat Mr. Workley " The detective nodded. "Had she any visitors, Miss Mordaunt?"

"No," said Stella; "I saw no one, and I was here all the time. I had hurt my foot, and cou*u not go out. No; no one came to see her." " Did you notice anything in her conduct that conld help us?" asked the detective. *' Won't you sit down, Miss Mordaunt? This is very painful for you." Stella struggled with her emotion. "I cannot think! lam confused," she said, piteously. "No; I don't remember —except that she was out very late the night before last, and that when she came into my room she seemed very tired and sad." The detective nodded and made a note. "Did she say where she had been— whether she had met anyone?" Stella shook her head. "Do you think she went to meet anyone?" Stella hesitated. "I do not know. That afternoon she — she thought she saw her husband in the street. She was standing by the window and called out; but—but--she was not certain it was he." Workley started and looked at the detective keenly. "Did you see him, miss—the man she thought was her husband?" - '\No>" said-Stella. - "It's plain enough," exclaimed Workley, hoarsely. "It was her husband. She must have found the villain and met "him that night, and he enticed her into meeting him again, and—oh, it is plain enough, the scoundrel!" _. Stella, sank .into covered her face with her hands. "I think you're wrong in your surmise, Mr. Workley;" said the detective. "The prisoner only arrived in Katton yesterday evening." "So they say," said WqrkJey, doggedly; "but it's her husband,- right enough." "Is that all you can tell us, miss?" asked the detective. Stella inclined her head. : 'Thank you. May I ask you to tell no one what you have told us, until the examination to-morrow. I am afraid we shall have to trouble you to attend. -Will you remain here —in this house?" ■ faltered Stella. Where else could she go? "Qjuite so. I think, if I might make a suggestion, that I wouldn't see anyone until after the examination. People are so curious, and will bother you with questions." "I will see no one," said Stella. "But may I not go to—to her?" The detective shook his head.

"I dont—think—l- would, miss. She —she was badly hurt, and— No, miss; I understand what you feel; but I think 3 r ou'd like to remember .her as you saw her last."

Stella shuddered and wept, and the detective held open the door for her to go out.

"There's a mystery here, Mr Workley," he said, when they were alone. "It's not quite so plain a case as you think. Try to prove that the deceased -went to meet the roan who killed her, two nights ago —thai is, before last night—and you'll prove the prisoner's innocence; for, mark you, JMr Bryan's evidence, that hV and -the prisoner only- arrived- yesterday evening, is not to be shaken." Workley shook his hands -with a gesture of impatience.

"It was her husband, and she saw him from the window right enough," he said, doggedly. •"What was her married name?" asked the detective. "I don't know," replied Workley. "I've always known her as Madame Nita. She was always called so." "The question is, where are her marriage lines —her certificate? It is not here." '"On —on the body?" The detective shook his head. "Not very likely if she went to meet him," he said. "She'd be afraid of his getting it from her —that is; if he was the bad lot you think him." 'Be deserted her—the villain!" "Oh, well, every man who leaves his wife isn't altogether bad," remarked th« I detective, philosophically. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Workley, I don't see the motive for the murder. She was a-good-looking woman, a woman most men would be proud of, and she was earning a very large salary. Unless he had some.reason for getting rid of her, onless she was in his way, and he wanted to marry again, had married again, say—" Mr. Workley made a gesture of impatience. ■ "All these theories don't shake mc, Mr. Green," he. said, grimly. "You forget that I saw him standing over the body, that the knife was found, and that he owned it." "I know—l know," said the detective, thoughtfully. "It looks black enough against the man we've got, but, all the same, I doubt his being her husband." "And I don't, and I'll see him hanged!" said poor Workley; and, as if he could bear the strain no longer, he hurried from the room. (To be continuea dairy.)