A DEEP GAME

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 57, 6 March 1912, Page 10

A DEEP GAME

OS. TTTi HONOUR OF THE TREVELLftJTS. By MRS. BE WINTER HAKER, of "The Sin-of Caxine,'" "Sir: Elamlioid's Protegee," "For Weal or Woe," etc. - CTTAPTr'.K XLVI. Slli TITjOMAS Tlll-A -O.UX-S LETTERS., ••This, is a iri--k !"' ilmer turan-il hotly from Norman Cole io Lettice, who had .-Nearly turned the kr\ iii th.- l'x-k. and now stood with her i M . k to-the door. •'lour c.vpcriiuce of tricks makes you unduly suspicions, Mr- Omer."' retorted Co!'-, bowing pi.liteiy. "1 asked Miss JLa.-ii'iles to bring you down hero_becausc J ■n-antiil to a-k you a few--questions, that's- all."' I shan't- a Dswer any questions." "IWau.-e you are afraid, perhaps?" "I'm nut-afro id of anyone!" "Brave creature: I really do admire yr.nr fortitude in otnying here when your t-uvardiy skunk of a brother, .Mark ,'a.-on. dr.-rrt* you and runs.away. By i H- bag you are carrying -.uiTt the hat.' ion arc. Scaring, I think ! may safely \i-ulnre to deduce-. thuL you were about' ii icp in qiie,-t vt .him \vheji Mis* Las(m.= asked you ti> come down": here ?"' o:n-;- slirul helplessly. She-wondered in niiirhrthi* siirnvd-looking man knew. ••WeJJ7 And -uriiut if I -was4!"' she a-ked, this time. "lioor <U> you know lie is my brother?" "1 donvt profess to be a Sherlock Holmes —but your, daiighter callexL-him '1 ne!f-Jlark.* 1 Need f say mprr?"

•■Oh—so-you've liven trying to pump •- H.irgaxet, eh? I know -tjuiu: well what - ymi are,.3lr XormtiH (.'ol<v- -You're-one " of those nosey private detectives—but you won , U-gct-anyf3vingont'Cf me. - ' De- '. e| a- 1 her bra.\«ido, Oarer's lingers were . '. tr.-iuMng-ovcr the packet-of. letters she 61:1 carried. "I ;:imk. 1 >lia'T:!" replied Cole, calmly. Keeping his eyes fixed steadily, on. her 1.1 e. In --ad vsi need closer. "How mucl] liiivc you-and. your precious brother got ojit if Lady Trevellan during all these ye.irs':" he asked suddenly. I know wimt you arc aiming nt." Omer flinched a little beneath hissearehin;_' gaze. "isut»can y-PH prove, nothing—d<.thing." She put her hands behind her b.i k and'-staTed'back with :fferee eyes. "1 want-to have a look jit-those letters of the late > s ir Thomas Trevellan," ob"hciviil ( ole. Omer- thought her move-' nn nt ha'l -escaped his notice. S>he*tart-' ©1 angrily. I shan't show them. They are nrivate leU.ers~writi.cn. to-me. 1. don't le: nhiiiisifchrc- stranp-rs -read SpiNmVoL'C." ■Hill, y-ou offered to let me sei-them," Lettiee intcrrnpted. for the first time. ' I didn\ tixpeet-to .be tricked. like-this." Oner tiixned to uddrcss the girl. instantly Norman Cole's Land shot out and srrctfcched-the letters. Utterly-taken ai>.Lck -at his -unexpected move,-Outer ""retorted to-vulgar abuse. Cad'.'' she shouted. "You're no genlLenian to-do a thing like-that!" T rescrsrc my gentlemanly belraviouT fur ladies, Mrs* rimer," responded Cole, ' without lifting, lus eyes S'Slfi the-detters which he was already reading. "L suppose you thinfc that's-smart," she retorted. "Oh —go-on, the-t Ajßead; t! •■ letters a-nd enjoy tnenu-.-- They're,' Tf \ fi.irgcries,-4f tliafs thinfcTJ I'll read-them-aloud. Miss Lascclles i might like to lieaj-.'' slowly Colo began to read, addre.-sing » -ff-iv be (ore-doing .so.. . .._, „..-. „ -TEcrcTiXTr four "leffers in all, ifiss Lascellea—all written from "the.'Carlton Ceib. - London, an<l dated variously from rlanuaay to October,, in the year ISO - eighteen As they haye evi> c«' tty satisfied Lady Tnrv-elhin, -we- may taJ.e. th~m to be genuine letters written by thiOate - Sir Thomas Trcvieftjn.-Tliey ar all quite, short;., I will read them in the"ordT;r in which they are- daiedj- - - " -" "Jaurraryi3, 1892. '•Dear Miss .Jason, —1 am-pleased to hear you'-aTrr-gettJng— in the country. You must certainly call and .so. me when you come to-town, if jl am. up here then.—Yours sincerely, TJrIOMAS- TBEVETiLAX." " •• "Dear >lis&-.Jasarirr-Many thanks foi the portrait. I consider it an.-excel lent - Likeness. Of .cm>r^,_y*m-»ha^ : -have one -of mine. 1 will tell uiy photographer to senit vou some to choose from. —Yours £ir:cej'-J;" T 'THOMAS 'i TBdWELCAN." - "Tebruary'l2,-1892. '. " -Dear Mi=s. Jason: 1 am afraid 1 cannot liave-you'-back here you Suggest. You rarest remcmhecStlat .you of jour-o-wnf ree -will. _.{ ' :• a- " "Xoura truly, '• "Thomas 'Trevellan." •' •October-."27," 1592. r *• *iir Thomas iniorm Jilrs. Grace -Omor that he-cannot 'ftirtber b^^Tig"lettera-Tifrom Lie . He iucloses a-jtcn-poiind Any in r i her- vommuniextions- irom -iirs. .Gra'ie. •Onier-nil! r^^ignoFed.'-■ , ' _\ormun Cole" ceased fea<luig,"*fo]ded: np tlte letters, and handed them back to Lpucc Omej- He. was debating inmaidly Uow lie shoufd proceed. AVhat tjuiiS'tionsiahbulrJPhe a3k*"4his 'oiangerousw..manX" .' he scvoid? Anrthing.. iit> the natitre of 'a ' leedin;.' questidn be-perfectly-use--L-s he was well' aware. Grace Omer vv.i-s an adept liar.. Omer smiled -snctrrrmrlyr --The letters hid obviously made a deep impTression upon the detective, judging by his face. -Why does Sir Thomas refer to.you as. .Mrs. Grace Omer in his last letter, prtryj" he asked sharply. "1 Ttas known as Mrs. Omer then," came tlre_ ready Tesponse. "What Tnade you chpoge the name of 31 rs. Omer?" tt"*~" • "" 'I had taken a fa?i<jy_:t«r- ife r i--think -IZ ' l . '" a "sbe-said-fluHenly. ■'- That* all- F want *o ask,'?- retorted oie. )ou certainly--have plavcd tout game remarkably -weli; ,r " "-What do you mean.?" Omer's- eyes n ' W fe listenil « attentively. S .fc T^mas ' dea *. and £ ;.ver ne s i nPp m ??'?* »i»«j V\awi'i it-natural ta a f Ci^lii \B-|! open r Zr TMf\olner- . 51 **^^"-- k. "in- \L T

Grace Omer tossed her head and laughed scornfully. "So you've realised that at laat, have yo»?"-"she sneered. unparalleled effrontery she flicked her fingers at. Let-, tice us 6he passed out. you enjoyed those letters, my dear?" Lett ice-shut the-door-with a bang and (fanned heFself -wrth her handkerchief. 5 "A hit poisonous, isn't she?" asked itXoirmm Cole, with'a smile.' "Yes. But those letters. They're rible, aren't they V- -- ■- ~-' : ..^" '•Terrible '! Yes, in the use that TiR3 born made of them. In themselves absolutely harmless!" "1 let Mrs Omer believe that - 1 thought to. because 1 don't want her to suspect." "Oh! you have found out something? Tell me, Mr Cole, please." Lettice spoke imploringly, with outstretched hands. "Listen, Miss Lascelles! I was only quite a lad when-old .Sir Thomas- died, but I ,ised to sec him at my father's house. 1 fancy he must have been about fifty-one or two when he died, and as far us l~can recollect" he was a very mild," benevoleat person," cbaftaing and ami l able, and happily married to Lady Ttbvellan. lie died early in 1893. This ivnman's claim is perfectly preposterous! But that-is-not a4f: - Yeu-have •Jieard"•hat Mrs. Thner said" afcout her name!' That she took it from a book? "Yes/' "That, was, the licAKhick .knocked the bottom out of an otherwise extremely clover etory, supported ;by the strongest and- yet; -.strangest proof I have ever aeen." - ST-Chcre no Mi\~Omer? Where"3K he?" inquired Lettiae breathlessly. "There is the crux of the whole matter. It happens by a most fortunate chance that 1 have learned that a certain .Air. William Omerns UvJnwiat"a No,10 Pirreon Alley, Aldgate, London, E.C., Miss Lis-eelles, and I'm going to pay Mr. William ("hner a visit this evening. Run and get your hat on and have your boxes brought down. I've ordered the dogcart. We've got half an hour to eaMi the train for London." Lettice ruehod excitedly out of the room, while Cole nonchalantly lit up a cigarette. CHAPTER XLYII. "MISTER WLLUAM OMER."

Before leaving the castle Lettiee ran up to the dowager's room rather nervously. She did this more out of politeness than anything else, fervently hoping all the time that Lady Trevellan would be unable to see her.

This, indeed, proved to be the case. .Mrs. Parfitt answered her knock at the door of the turret chamber. "1 am off now, Mrs. Parfitt. Can 1 say good-bye to her ladyship?" asked Lettiee.

"Tin; doctor's in with her at present, raise," was the housekeeper's reply. "I don't think she's fit to see anyone, and if I were you J wouldn't worry about saying good-bye. I'll tell 'her ladyship you've gone later on vehen she's oetter. I expect you're not sorry to learve Trevellan Castle." Lettiee smiled at this naive interpretation of her inmost thoughts. "But what are you doing up in this part of the house?" sue asked.

"I brought the-doctor up here, arias, and as that Omer woman wasn't to- be •found anywhere I reckoned I'd better stop here and look after her ladyship!" explained Mrs. Parfitt. Having no time to lose, Lettiee now bade the housekeeper good-bye. i , , *y6u. Have been" l *a good, End friend 1 to me; Mrs. Parfitt," she said, "and you. may ..be sure.l snaJL not .forget.it." t'J've otner.|j|rsott,'.'would llave done, .miss. -^However, it's'heen "£-pteaSttre.l&o do^vea^hatrfittle;; fox one so grateful as you,and-I do> hope as how well be meeting again some day. Good luck to yon, miss, and a . happy TTeddimj when you- meet Sir -&*&_ .. "Somehow I fancy that we shall meet again." Lettiee flung a brilliant eSSleat the pleasant-faced woman, and gave her a hearty farewell kiss before tripping off downstairs once more.

Her boxes were already safely stowed away in the dog-cart,- and- Norman Cole was waiting for her. A moment they were roiling down the drive behind the speedy mare. Not a pang of regret haunted Lettiee a*they swongJout on to the high-road. >fo —£he future was all Ithafe Lattice cared about now. The past was over and" (lone with. She had heard Graeo Omer's story, and had seen the proofs which supported.it, and her heart leaped with joy to think that this kSnd, clever mari: at her side might possibry bo able to disprove it all." . ■How glorious it would be to he able to take the:good news to her darling, to tell hxm-that the TYevdhvn Iwnour was unterawhed— tliat he and hnMnoUM* had been t*c victuns «f"a"pair of anHow she hoped tlutf ilir.- Norman Cole veould be But, even if he failed, ihe .would atUl l>e .able to comfort her lover with tender words and cafessefl. •Resolutely «Ke -kept hexjnind fixed <»n that supreme moment in waiting for Tier, when- .herself held tight in those arms for vrWdwahe pined—when she would feel those, dear lips pressed close to hers. Norman Cole gave the mare 1-ief head, and they arrived at Bickleigh Station with five minntes--to-«pare. Driving through the vfllage they were so in tent.on., the mission in hand that they f ailed to notice the Treveilari' Castle 'brougham" "drawn-up'outside the little post office. But Grace Omer,"hearing the sound of wheel*, peered-otft fromlhete. She was just -then in the act of sending a wire, and her face grew dark with anger as she noticed Lettice's boxes and the three occupants of the dogcart—Lettiee, Norman--Cole, and the "groom. "Going off, are they?" was her inward comment. "I must wait for the next train,' That's all. T don't want that noisy detective -following me." She was about to make- an alteration in. the,~tcJegram she had written out and addressed to William Omer, when, on second thoughts, she tore it up and walked on* of *the post office.. i

Telling the coachman to wait for her, she walked- on tip ir> the littia station, arriving there just as the train steamed in. Furtively she watched Lettiee and Norman Cole , -enter a first-class compartment." ' '. '"".':'.'. "Thank goodness, I've got rid of them," she muttered to herself, as the train drew out. "Now I can give my undivided attention to. yon, my dear brother Mark." (To be continued dally.) .