A DEEP GAME

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 59, 8 March 1912, Page 10

A DEEP GAME

OB THE HONOUR OF THE TREVEIXANS.

By MRS. DE WINTER BAKER, I Author of "The Sin of Carine,' - "Sir Blandford's Protegee." "For Weal or Woe," etc.

CHAPTER XLIX. A RECONCILIATION. It was well after midnight when Nordan Cole returned, utterly exhausted, to hi> rooais in the Albany. His search for Sir Eric had been a total failure. The man seemed to have \u Half Moon Street Sir Eric's valet hnJ been surprised to hear that his master was not still at-Trevellan Castle. In n-jiv to Norman Coin's inquiries he had voiu'licdsafed the information that Sir Kri: had never returned to his rooms since his departure for Cornwall. Tliis was a poser for Cole. He hurried off to Sir Eric's club r to be "m%t -with similar news there. Sir Eric had not been seen at his club for several days. Colo happened to be a member of this club himself, and he made inquiries of several mutual friends and young men abou-t town whom he found gathered together in the smoking-room. No,, they had "quite lost the. sightrof Sir ~Erier None Of them had run across him in his* Usitr,l haunts.

It was well after nine o'clock at] night w.hen he. reached.this stage of his search Norman Cole found himself faced by -lie unpleasant task of informing Lettice that she must possess her soul iii patience until the morrow. He sat down in the club and wrote her an. encouraging note, dwelling lightheartedly on his failure to find Sir Eric, ami assuring her that her lover was bound to turn up on the morrow. Briefly he recounted the result of his visit to the Pigeon Alley. "There is not the slightest stain on the Trevellan "honour," he wrote. "Lady Trevellan i has the victim of the cleverest and most outrageous trick I ever heard of." Summoning a district messenger, he despatched the lad in a cab, and once jr.nre set off, this time to visit half a dozen men of his acquaintance who might possibly have seen Sir Eric. This again proved abortive, he peeped in at nfost of the fashionable restaurants of which Sir Eric was a habitue, but the waiters were one and all convinced that they had not seen the young baronet.

His final move was to pay another visit to Scotland Yard and to obtain the assurance of his friend the inspector that every help would be forthcoming from tliat quarter in the endeavour to unearth the missing baronet. Here, too, he learned that Grace Omer was already being shadowed. The plainclothes man had telephoned to say that flip had duly turned up at Pigeon Alley, had remained there some time, and had •then gone off to a cheap hotel in Bloomsburv.

It was now arranged between Norman Coin . and the inspector that William Omer's signed declaration should be taken down without delay to Lady Trevellan, and that the dowager should be to give such evidence as would enable the police to apply for a warrant for tbe ."trrest of both Grace Omer and Mark Jason. The inspector informed Cole that the records at the Kensington Registry Office had alrtVfty been searched and William Omer's had been thoroughly authenticated. He laughed when Cole told him that Jason had probably escaped to the Continent by this time. "We'll find him when we want him, Mr. -Cole.—That -type of cowardly blackguard" ia small fry to" us here at the Yard.'.'. :

Nothing more could be done that night,._so, as has .already been related, Cole went, faggeinmt, «T his rooms In the Albanv.

To return to Lettice—she was pounced upon Tiy her elder sister as soon as she arrived back at Lexingham Garden*. Adelaide thought Lettice had been playing sooip kind of practical joke down at TreveLLan Castle, and spoke sharply. As soon, however, as she was permitted an opportunity of doing so, Lettice related the story of her terrible experiences, and the two sisters now sat discussing the mater.

Adelaide, who was five years Lettice's senior, was an exceptionally handsome girl, with dark, flashing eyes,jmd raven black hair. Ever since their mother's death ?he had taken charge of Lettice, and perhaps Ler treatment had, at times, been unduly harsh toward ore whom she could never regard as other than a mere child. She was vastlv indignant when she heard that no effort had been made to arrest Omer and Jason immediately their villainy was unmasked. "Yes, dear—l know." replied Lettice; ,f but I never for a nent ceased to think of the man iove, and what would it mean to him if this dreadful scandal were made public. As long as I am sure of his love and faith in me nothing will induce me to lay a charge against those wretches. Adelaide, dear, you have; never been in love—you don't realise what St mains to me to know

what my poor boy's name and repute' tion are'at the mercy of these two dia bolical fiends."

"But you say that this Mr. Norman Cole thinks the whole affair is a huge trick?" asked Adelaide.

"Yes—yes," assented Lettice eagerly. "Oh—be is such a clever man, I'm sure you will like him —so quiet and confident in all he says and does. lam expecting him at any moment with Sir Eric now. But as the hours went by and brought no sign of the man she loved or his friend, Lattice's excitement changed into despondency.

Adelaide watched her little siatcr in silence for some time, and seeing her disappointment, felt a novel sensation growing within her —a sensation of pity for this soft, fair baby girl who had borne such a horrible fate with so much courage. Love of man had never come to thrill Adelaide's heart- She had always been stand-offish to the many men who were ready to make love to her. And now, when she saw what love could do for a girl—how it could be all-sufficient, inspiring courage and fortitude beyond belief, she began to see Lettice in a new light. She rose and crossed to where her •younger sister sat with eyes fixed on the street outside.

"Lettice," she began, a little confusedly, but none the less resolutely, "this is a wonderful thing you have told me of —this love. My heart has neveT known it-—perhaps never will—but, oh, ■ow I envy you! Sear, we have not been very-good friends before, I know. It has~ been my fault —I have treated you to much like a child, forgetting that you were growing up. Will you forpive me and let .us begin all over again? I "want"to"be a good sister "to you, for I think you are the pluckiest, dearest little girl in all the world!" "Adelaide!" Lettice was up in an instant from her chair. She caught her sister by the waist and pushed her into the vacant seat. Then, like a little trusting child, she nestled herself on to the elder girl's knee and put her arm around her neck. "You old dear," was her only remark as she kissed her over and over again. The grinding of brakes and the throb of a motor engine brought both girls to their feet some minutes later. Lettice rushed to the front door to discover a, district messenger boy with Norman Cole's letter. Feverishly she tore it open. * I

Sir Eric not found yet—but the Trevellan honor dear and unsullied? She held out the-letter to Adelaide, and together, with their arms around each other's waist, the two sisters read the t range mixture of disoppointment and joyous news-

CHAPTER L. NORMAN COLE EXPLAINS.

A dreary period of blank.suspense fol-1 lowed for poor little Lettice. At one moment overjoyed to think that her lover's name was forever cleared of any suspicion of scandal, the next moment she was groping inthe depths of misery and despair because he did not come to her. For Sir Eric Trevellan was still missing, and despite the herculean efforts of Norman Cole and Scotland Yard no trace of his whereabouts was forthcoming.

Norman Cole paid daily visits to LezGardens, ' bringing the latest news, but, alas, little consolation to the waiting girl. Knowing how much he was doing for her, Lettice tried her hardest to be brave, but she found it a thousand times more difficult to be so now than it had been when she was face to face with actual danger in the dungeon depths of -Trevellan Castle. At first Lettice was content to wait, sitting patiently for endless hours at the window and watching every passing vehicle and person with eager, restless eyc3. But as the days went by she began to implore Norman Cole to take her with him during his daily search. Patiently and tactfully as he could Cole restrained her loving ardour, pointing out that the keenest and cleverest wits in London were busy on the track ; of her sweetheart, and that he could do I nothing more than was already being I done. ...

In his efforts to console her, he canvassed Adelaide's assistance, and they would try to distract Lettice's mind by getting her into conversation. The three of them sat one afternoon in the drawing-room of the cozy little Bayswater villa, going over the story of Lettice's balloon signal and other incidents in the exposure of the Trevellan Castle mystery.

In Adelaide Lascellcs Norman Cole found a wonderfully sympathetic listener. He caught himself. several times that .afternoon watching the light and shade in her purple-black hair, and the changing expression in her big, tender eyes. This was a woman with a soul, he told himself, not easily to be won, but strong to love the man she chose. He flattered himself that his momentary lapses and little fits of absent-mind-edness passed unnoticed—but he was •trong. He forgot that Lettice's eyes sharpened by love. She guessed. "I really had my way made clear for me from the beginning. For instance, as soon as Sir Eric toid me about Mrs. Parfitt's suspicions, and about Grace! Omer, the leg of mutton, the "Hack

Room,' and the plash curtain, I guessed that there must be a secret door leading to some unfrequented part ai the castle. Then, again, it was sheer luck my seeing the paper bag on the chimney pot. I thought at first some chiWren might have been flying a. kite or something, and that it had got entangled on the roof of the castle. But when T had satisfied myself that 'this was not the case, I naturally wanted to have a clover look at that bag. I think it was atscut the cleverest thing I over heard ofi Miss Lettice, and I give you all credit for your eventful release. Of-course, I made for the 'Black Room' as soon as t read your message, because I guessed that would be the only way of getting at you."

"Tell us about this Mr. William Omar. How did you find him?" urged Adelaide,. "Very drunk, indeed, I am sorry to say, Miss Lascelles. The way I discovered his address was quite simple again. Sir Eric happened to hear that Mark Jason had sent off a telegram, so I brutally frightened the little postmistress into showing me her file." Cole smiled good-hnmouredly. "Then about those letters of Sir Thomas Trevellan's?"

"That is the cleverest part of the whole sordid affair," quoth Cole. "I will tell yon the story as I have reconstructed it from all the evidence I have been able to obtain. The late Sir Thomas Trevellan was a prosperous city merchant of the old school. Grace Jason and William Omer' were two of his employees. She was a typist and he wa3 an office messenger. These two got married on the sly- After the girl Margaret was born Grace Omer fell ill and went to live with her brother, Mark Jason, in the country. She took her child with her and left her husband in London. He, being an idle, drunken loafer, left Sir Thomas' employ. Grace Omer had not told Sir Thomas about her marriage. She probably only told him she was going to another situation in the country. Anyway, when she reached her brother's roof she found that funds were beginning to run short.

"Her husband was out of work and not sending her any money. So she bethought herself of Sir Thomas and wrote to him cautiously—feeling her way, so to speak. He replied kindly and graciously, whereupon she grew bold, confessed that she was married and in poverty and distress, and asked outright to be taken back in hie employ. He replied this was impossible, so she began to write him begging letters. He sent her money from time to time out of the kindness of his heart, bu£ in the end grew tired of her importunity and refused to send her any more. Shortly afterward he died.

"Now begins the tragedy. When Sir j Thomas dies hia ex-typist conceives the outrageous plan of using his letters to blackmail Lady Trevellan. Whether this was her own idea or whether Mark Jason put her up to it I can't say. Anyway, she takes her child and Sir Thomas' letters down to Trevellan Castle and confronts the old dowager. Lady Trevellan is a proud old lady, possibly rather weak on the subject of family honour, and, being overwhelmed with grief and alarm at the threats of exposure, yields to Grace Outer's proposals. The child shall be' concealed underground and Omer shall be installed as attendant.

"Finding everything going well, Omeri pays her aueband twenty shillings a week to keep out of tbe way, and introduces her brother Jason —who, by the way, is no more a chaplain than I am. She probably feels she needs a man's assistance in continuing this lifelong blackmail. Lady Trevellan doubtless gets restive at times and tries to kick over the traces, so to speak. Meanwhile Margaret grows up, a weak, bloodies* girl, a sort of human mole, indeed, poor thing—and her concealment becomes increasingly difficult. Lady Trevellan is called upon to pay more and more for the silence that is so much to her. The rest of the story up to the time of Miss Lettice's abduction and the discovery of Margaret is known to you. I need not Tepeat it." "And how much do you think these blackmailers got out of poor Lady Trevellan?" asked Adelaide.

"Ah, that we shall know when they are arrested. My latest information Is that Lady Trevellan has now given her evidence, and that warrants have been issued for tie arrest of both of them."

"And so the Trevellan Castle mystery is all cleared up? How happy Lady Trevellan must be," pnt in Lettice. "I am afraid I felt rather annoyed with her when she objected to my engagement to Sir Eric. But it is quite easy to see why she objected. Omer and Jason must have frighten** her into doing so, because they wanted to get hold of me—as they subsequently did." "Just so— we shall hear it all in court, Miss Lettice, and you will have the satisfaction of seeing your two beautiful jailers receive their full deserts, I sincerely trust." Norman Cole rose to go at this juncture. Already he had overstayed his time, having promised to meet the Scotland Yard inspector that afternoon. The two sisters saw turn to the door, and listened to his encouraging farewell-

"Sir Erie mast be found," he declared, with vigour; "and I hope, Miss Lettice, that you will give him a jolly good —*A*mg when you get him to yoursell for giving us all this trouble."

Adelaide was conscious that her hand lingered a trifle longer than was absolutely necessary in the firm, confident grasp of the departing man. She wondered whether it was because she did not withdraw it, or because he continued to hoid it. It was a little problem that kept her awake long after she had retired to bed that night. (To be continued dally.)