BLACK WEDNESDAY

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 141, 13 June 1912, Page 10

BLACK WEDNESDAY

By ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT.

l_Z. J__A_T_R M, .. v."-; - _he assassi>^t_6n7 ' Trj>a_sed some very gloomy after .the General-, otrttageoas tee-iment.of .mc, and _he'o__y scrap of consqlai-on 1 .had wns-__fc'he couid not drive mc out oi the city. He had tried that once, -jbefare and had failed. I 1 had an old 'vaxsity friend.. iAJec Peter- j son, on the staff of the British Consulate, I ami I set him to work at once to do _4__t -was necessary to checkmate any move of the sort. ""'' _ ' . Bnfc __ ■would not prevent the old tyrant from forcing her to marry Count Kaspar. The only chance in that direction was to try and induce her to leave jthe country at once; and as I could, ircckou on -_Eadsine de Courtrames' help i- tried to communicate with her. But the attempt failed; andl was largely ■the desire to seed." distraction from my flespadr that induced mc to keep my appointment to sup "with Gortoff-at -the 33.__.ie. ■> •- -• • •• - It -was very late when I started—aiw2d, 'pitch _usk, stormy night—and on ■_uu_K___g a. corner I blundered into - a man hurrying in-the -opposite -dirertion-.-__js __rt fell -off in the encounter amTT jaefced it--nji;rfind~h___ded-it to-him-'with' __i apology, 'wheii"ie""_fa„l__ "it""from" SMi-wrth-an oath anA-darted away. He was holding a handkerchief to h_ _tee% hrat-I got a glimpse of _-_.-i-_ii-.es amd, to my astonishmeart, I recognised Mm. It was Count. Kaspar. He was TCefiing ■a, long .dbafe—_ very different .garb- from, his usoal dandified dress; and. to ; «s<-_pe .eeog3iiLw__ -The incident mystified we. Why __QUld he he disguised? Why harrying «tead «f-_«_£rd*"it.' J "WKen~ had lie resumed from Orel? Had the marriage itaken place, or had Alma been brave enough to refuse? I was utterly baffled. I found _o_±off in no mood to listen to _te story of my troubles. He wae in a condition of intense excitement and eouid talk oi nothing hut political affairs an which in my present temper I took Too" interest whatever. I had indeed always been scrupulonsly ____ not to lake any port whatever in them; I tried to stop him now; hut it was useless. __fis. will be a great night-for Bnssia, __n__sri>y;_nd you should be one of us." "".' "7" "'■'.. "I would much rather you did not teil one ' . ■"Yet ytf_ sympathise with us. You __st. You are .English; and you must rejoice of our.Jibcrty haV_"t(.ia"yo_. of the?man of mystery," lAnlonin Gregov, the man".who .-works.behind, .an impene-±rahle-T_it-o_ per-Bona^y^et__iow_ng-TO-idij--w_tp6e. eyes and _j_*kre over- all- _ussia; who will come "to' the 'vicfco_y Tvbaeh means the •freedom of the people and the reign of justice!." - _• • ■■ ■ '■■;'■< I had -in^eed^^axd-^a : great deal of ibis -htysteiious -Liatonin _regov. The rw_trle!.^M_E^r;'6f- _oing __u_s__, __u:;iS' him __fcj4?-dic_-: reBu t 'dr-wa.'into the reply e* c - con-" the j^^il 'he was i. h?H3t._r.teering: at Jhe. other end «f the garden, •_>_!__•£ T saw a-young man whose thin long face was deathly pale, speaking to a group of men and women. Gortaff TO *e, and jfointed to.hjtm_ ex- , ciiedly.-—*_&dl-_ee-___£ man. Mark Mm well, Enderby. Ihat is Andreas Eskajtoff." '.'A woman rushed across to our table, aiid drsn_ng Gortoff aside whispered to ihim eagerly,, .and -with almost fierce de-iUg-rt. %,'.,_,. :He _c--ed __ >&at. "God he-.ha-_ked! 3r "■he; c_-___u__al, .tensdv. '■"■■- r-'What is _t?" I asked. ' —. . . ___ehesfr, , _fe;rep-ied, : si_g -with. _x___a___trt. "The-.tyranty Kasa■loir, is deadi" '.""•»,. - I sprang to my feet, •iOwt --S___to_f^--^: , ',.•' "". -"'"• -■ ',' Our eyes met-and there, was no-need to. ; finish the sentence. "You had bet_x go-ho-Mj-Ende-hy. Afcaajr-ate hctter. •awt-he tfotnnd here _i£h _s." Titen. ___aito_f began-"to -make his way 'jtowaxd' vsi and again I met • G-Tto_Fs was- a he_rp," he. __j_ --. ■ ■--, *-- : -_ •. - I-had" no--wfeh "to take-, the haiid"»pf ifcba. •sort'o£ : iiero,_aiid 'was'tuming away Mc_ten there came a ciy-of __xc jxjliceJ _he p<dice_" and in■■-a moment iher-gar-idens - -were plirngetLin. _ark_te_s. •IT. was h-t_ndering""a_n<__g"%he-- tables _v-he_ _ny-arm ■ -was gripped..-an_l'■Gbrtoff's wcHee-Ttii_pe«edJ.-__iis way'. 1 ?-,- He hadna acoiupaii-on, and by -then.-i" _*sled-out -of "';the place. "I. have forgotten my anoney r^J^H»y;> :, can L yoTi lend ine~ some 3m£il __t_row2 lAb much as y<_.?«an ispaie." .::::;;;:'':.. ;tr.L -_. I : h___ded him.-a hunch of notes; and" direcUy- afterw«_ds he 'told' mc I was safe and which direction to take. 1 hesitated in the . dark, and. heard jhim say_to Iris■ei.mpaarion, "Take.«»_«___, J_si.a±o_f. You krrpw the arrangements j-or.-yaur escape. DonJt lose a second.'' Ifc w_> to- help the tha£ my money', had been needed! As ithe- notes migfat- possibly—be traced to ane,"l reaEsed __at a fod. I had been to gerb mixed up in One affair. j 'But lfiic thought of Alma's plight at such a the Sews was true soon chased everything else- from my mind, and I hurried straight to her ' jhouse. It; was -true. The big -vonsewas in ib& 'possession of the police; and* I was xefu3ed adr__tta_jc. until Madame "de Couite__ies came to .voi-eh 'for "Al-ana-Tis prostrated by the shock, .and. , told me-to send for you. 1 vaas just-doing so _hen I heard, ypor weoreheie. She will as soon as possible. Thercmqst ' be apnreone to arrange- matters. __very- • Gbmg 5s <hs_s. ,, i , The wbxjki household was. ire an up- ' .Toar, indeed. Many of the-servants had been arrested; the police appeared to -neve goneJha3f_ crazy in their. : nnent; and the only person who had ' kept- bis head was ibe doctor, a man I . __ew-w_l < --i-m"ed "Biiseih ~_.s -mrrdear, of course." he said. "TheyVe got him this-.tim_!. Come np •with mc yoT-rself." .aSirder it cetf__in_y v_s, of^-saa^bui. I^! a * he i;. c£z *=_!«• 3aad heeh tl_rn_t sfeep into *h__beaffcTa--iroi__fc.i-| a »..^i tfe . Übo wards: \SI. :. ...'. ,- '—.- ... "By order «_■ _c ; But. this was not Wl. The. «__»__«_ 'had been ouried away by a W-fiye frenzy of rbe dead Ctore- , *!_. was aressed in iris *___fox_a_ __j _J (dozen.rents and sEts shewed -where tbel •knife-had been driven again _nd agah_| 'jnto-Sfie body. The -epaiilettei bad been

_aeked:off,*andV-he Orders and ribbons sliced away;"but, most revolting abaost of all, the face had'been sfershed and battered and mutilated almost out .ot recognition, " ' "" "' , I. gazed at tie-dead, sick with _ie _orror and disgust of the deed; and then [ with a shudder I remeniber-d £h-rt T had found the money for the-esfcape of the I human fiend wbosc work it was. Des--1 perately perplexed whether I ought to tell the police What I'knew, 1 was tearing the room,.the doctor having gone on ahead, when a small g_ittexing object lying close to the skirting caught my eye. To my surprise it was a hypodermic syringe and I slipped it into my pocket, intending 'to give it to the-doetor .later, and—hurried downstairs to learn ,_nc_. facts as had been discovered. A servant was awaiting with a message. _hat_.Ahi_a. .-would, like to_see.._ne. She wa_ very white and shaken, but calmer than I bad . anticipated, and. Madame de Oo.urtenne3 whispered that she had begmrttrpickup from the'moment she knewl was in the house. "Is it not teTrible ?" she asked wistfully, as she laid her trembling hand in. mmc. .."I thought the.shock wouidhave killed mc. You know that I was the •first;to _sopyer it.--Oh7 that eight '." and she shuddered violently. "Don't speak <rf it, Jdma," said ma-* d_aae. • ■ - - "Bttfc I wish to tell Enderby." My father and I had another terrible quarrel this evening. I refused to n_rry" __aspar and—oh, he was so violent! He—he--struck mc and——" She shuddered -again, and covered her' face in her hands. "He was-like a madman," added madame. "He swore to Alma that themar._age'.should. .tak'e.jplace.'.to__iorrow and that, ill as he was, he would go out ■there and then and see that you were sent out of the country. Oh, he was •mad !" and she gestured vehemently. did he go out ?" I asked. "He'was too ill. He cannot have «one,"' "answered Alma. "He sent for his valet, Eikov, and must have dressed, because he was in his uniform when— "~ "1 know," I nodded. "Try not to think of it." " I" was frightened for him because of what Dr. Busch had told mc about his heart—.that any great excitement might prove fatal — and 1 waited up and went several times to his door to listen. Fedora, my maid, saw mc there twice, and-urged mc to go to bed. I was almost beside myself. But I must have slept, because it was much later; when- Fedora came;and told mc his door was open. I went there at once and saw—oh, I shall never get the sight out-'of-my eyes! I screamed and do not know anything more." "Alma's scream roused mc, and I found her lying unconscious in the corridor at the head of the staircase," said madam c. "You had heard no noise in your father's room?" I asked after a pause. " I had -heard him moving about. At least I thought it was my -father, but Dow —I don't know. It may have been —the others." The horror of the remembrance returned, and she began to tremble-so violently- that Madame de Co_te_ies snatched up a green scent bottle from Alma's bureau, and shook-some of the contents on to a handkerchief, and handed it to mc. I was sitting by the head of the couch on -bidfiT"_____£"lay. "'" "Give her this eau-de-Cologne, Alonsieur," she said. I took it from her and then nearly cried out in my amazement. I knew a great deal-bout drug, and I knew this. It was prussic acid! I tried to conceal my consternation. "This is not eau-de-Cologne, I tiiink," I said, retaining the handkerchief and getting possession of the bottle. _Madame de - Cqurtennes. looked very confused. "Perhaps I have taken the wromg bottle, __she;stammered, and took up -the companion. "This must be the ~one." "I will get this other filled; it is nearly, empty." It -was, but it contained enough -poison to have killed half a dozen.people; and I slipped it and the handkerchief into my pocket. ' As I _id-so,-my-fingers-came in -con-tact-with the hypodermic .syringe I bad picked up in. .the murdered man's room. T turned cold with dismay - at the thoughts which flashed through my head;'hat madame was so occupied in attending to Alma that neither of them ; noticed my agitation. When Alma had if .covered from the passing faintn'ess, I heard some more of "the'-details. " The.valet; Eikov, who bad been the last to see his master alive, had disapj*eared;_and ;a large sum of money ■and a-.quaiitity of*:Jswels were missing. This pmnted_tp him as the murderer, with robbery as "the motive; but the -police theory-was that it was Terrorist -work, and that Eikov,- knowing he would ie suspected, fright, stolen "his hands on, -and"bol-ect -~ ""__" "- • My own knowledge enabled mc to see some light then. Eikov -was 'clearly a and had admitted - Eskatoff to the-house and let him out of it after the murder. But I kept all these -thoughts from the others. --As Alma-was" obviously feeling the strain severely, I urged her to go to bed, "shd'madame agreed to remain with her ?£dt the' rest of the night. " Try to sleep," I said, as we shook hands. ."It is .sleep more than anything else you need."' . ." And what will you do ?" she asked, "wistfully. "You would like mc to remain in- the house?" "I think I can sleep if I know you are. here." "Of course I will stay; but mind, it is a .condition-that-yon sleep." A warfb. pressure of the hand and a ■trustful-smile rewarded mc, and when they had gone* . .lit a, cigar and sat down to" think things over. I I had. not been long alone, however, -when madame returned. "I wish to ask you a question, mon__»eur. You know that I suffer much from sleeplessness ■and use a narcotic at times. Do you think that a slight'injection of morphia would be good for Alma? She is so restless." I looked at her keenly. She was smiling with all her customary frankness. "On no account, madam," I said decidedly. "In her excited state it would probably do mora barm. than, good." |: . _C. thought-.1 would ask.yo_.,L.have | everything, and I" know how I aim I soothed by ifc at times. But 1 will do noi"thing against your advice." I "Mademoiselle Easslov "has never • done |<_tcb [a-thing, has she?" 1. She smiled agajjrt. «.Oh, 80. She It-"* 5 »ry-weakness, that '+_***■ * he -aiin g s - So*has see__me«-e -ttotsyr-Rge. But _e_C*--.

"Anwflier. leason for not doing it •now/ I said, and with that she went leaving 4me mare pcrplexßd than ever. How had that prussic acid got onto Aim—- possession? That she was as pnre as Kfe. I but thank heaven it was I who had made the discovery -ot it. I knew that the bureau from wh_h it had 'been taken was her own; and that as a rule she kept it locked. She had locked it now before lewin . i f room. Conld it be possible that in -the misery caused by her father's systematic cruelty she had ever contemplated the terrible thought of potting an end to her own life? I scotrted the idea. Yet there were the means. And there was the statement of Madame de Couitennes —that Alma knew of her. possession of a needle syringe, and had seen her use itADd what of madame herself? I was no judge of -things if they had not both been absolutely ignorant of the nature of the contents of that green scent bottle. Any other thought was impossible. The inference was obvious. Someone in the household had put that poison where madame had found it; and had done it secretly and with some purpose. Was that purpose the wish to throw suspicion upon Alma or upon madame? Or was it with_.the- abominable intention that it might be used inadvertently by one or other of them? Co—d there he another murder plot in the house. If so, who was the plotter? Alma would not be safe for an hour if my latter surmise were correct. Immersed in the fearsome speculations which these thoughts started, and in considering what steps I could take to secure Alma's safety, the time passed rapidly until Dr. Busch came into the room and announced that he had finished his work for the present. "You've been quick, doctor," I said. "Or you have been asleep," he retorted, with a smile- ''It's nearly four o'clock. But I wanted to see you before I left." "What is it? You look Tery serious." "I am going home to bed—and to think. Look here, Mr. Enderby, in what relation do you stand to the dead man's daughter? Madame de Courterracs told mc you were going to loos after her in this terrible affair." "Yes. That's so. Why?" Ho clasped his hands behind him and walked once or twice up and down the room, his face heavy with thought. Suddenly he stopped in front of mc. 'You want to get at the truth of it all, I suppose?" "Isn't the truth pretty clear?" •[ A short laugh broke from him. -Co, it isn't. It's all the most infernal tangle possible. How do you suppose that man was killed? But there, you can't suppose. You don't know anything yet." "A dagger thrust through the heart like that up there tells its. own tale, I should think." j He gave an impatient lift of the shoulders. "Tells its own lie?, rather. I've told no one as yet; but, of course. U-morrow 1 shall have to make my official report. 1 tell you now, so that if you find it necessary—mark what I say —if you find it necessary in the interests of anyone in the house, you may have some hours in which to do, something. 'That dagger thrust Iwas given, after, the man was dead" '•"What?" I cried, in profound astonishment. "But the blood from the wound and on the clothes?" "Yes. That's what puzzled mc at first. But what I tell you now is the fact. General Kasslov was poisoned. T have one or two laboratory tests to make. But I'm certain- He killed himself, I believe. He dreaded the weakness of age which he felt coming oil; he had hinted of that to mc. But whether it was his own hand, or another's, he died of poison—prussic acid, administered by means of a. hypodermic syringe." I was speechless in consternation; and before I could pull myself together, he bade mc good-nigbt and promised to tell mc all the. results of the tests on the morrow. I sat on. amazed by the doctor's statement, and a prey to a thousand fear-filled thoughts which it started. Stealthily, and like one in dread of some felt" but unseen terror, I drew out the hypodermic syringe I had found in the general's room and examined it closely. There was a slight stain of blood on the sharp point, and it had been charged with prussic acid! If the doctor was right, I held in •my hand the instrument of murdpjr, and I had found the poison itself in Alma's possession! (To be continued daily.)