THE MAYFAIR MYSTERY

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 19

THE MAYFAIR MYSTERY

giad Dramatic Story of Love, Intrigoc, and High Society.

By J. B. HARRIS-BURLAND, \ Zaihor of "Workers in DarL-ness," "The Bouse of the Soul;' "The Gold Worship- ' pen," "Life's Golden Web," etc., etc. ' i

CHAPTEK XVI. "WelL Caamp'-'nowne?" queried Bleazi,v. looking ap I rum the paper- on the desfc m a"Bi °- hir.i. Lord Champ*THovrne sh raised hia ciionideTS. _ -It's no sroo.i." he =a.i. "My wife won t pro any more money to the cause. 1 - •. press lb o fUtittPT wilh arrv cast pre.j decenry. 0 . .. ->'o. no. --: v.-jm not my aeir hoy. said Bleazhy. hurriedly, '.-he ins i>,-~ toT ed .splendidly .1= it is. _ ri;:y_triougjad POTK "-'.:.= a t-nncely girt »A month's i.irr.rcr. Ban! i hamperMwne , taking Ml ■■-- hat aD ' haashig 1. " . t,j<t "I'd Ike :i nave 'lone more. BeoTby.bm -i- rtiVl he,, of it." Waiam F.l-.-.viy '"■-"'• a: the - T " BaD "5 face. wMf and hapard a. tl.oui.-i te had been i? ail n-l-t. These were strenaocs time. v..in .3 e.ertion in the .ear latere, hu; R eazby fancieJ that irf work was not entirely responsible ior the weary look in the eye? ot nu private secretary "Well "e won 1 bother ajxt'lt trtat, • Qumtiernowne." he sail. cheerily. ■TSanks to you an., yonr j, P we w - jot a good n.-htiu- fun.l ot nosr!> ha., . » nTfliion." . , . „ 1 Lord CbaTtrpernnwrie loung lumsci -1 - t hs chair -ir<i began to or ti nrto Bis ami mm ( igtjers' Hea.-.rw eved hitn uneasily. -Tou're cot well, old chap." he said. j ifiCT a pans*. i -TTeD' <"*. vrs. .m qmie well. Am 1 , -to n? to speak at Manchester f-v-moj- ; ££«■ are yon p«K! to send Dancoy : . "Well. I'd rather you went: bit., ot worse ,ifyo C Tf ot up to the mart: , -Tin cprte up to the mark. • Ton don't look it.' _ _ =Ko: I'm worried. Rleazny. •Invthing t can help yon in?" __ I ■"iothino' " w <?ca-r old chap, sard "I'm worried abotrf my j ifirt HI. 5k she."' asked P-leazby. j -So" «id !---rd Cha-nrpemotme. ar- I -gLfrg the letters in piles in front ot j jbjd. -Bet 6he---weli, i bar-cry lice >o | tell -rot:." . . u . _.. 1 -Doirt. « it's nothing to fio '" r:JI n,e " ; -]t - evervtbire to do with TOO. Blealby. 3«7" wife *«» taken -a violent f (Selike our work. "ilerdfal iieavens. vcm con „ e=.y tbat, | ChamoeraoTrae!" And there was an aaiioos look in Eleasbys eyce. -Tes, ii s tree, Tin afraid. I've seen j- conrnc for some time. We have been married for j"J.=t over a yeaT, ami at fiart -for eboet srs months — fho was ss ieen a* I am. Then sbe began to be bdiffe-reut, arrd she made an objcrt'ioc to thai last ten thousand I pave yon. •\'oi ehe eaye that it's the fev.l s wnrk. or som«sfhUrs to that effect. c ie .tas even hinted that she'd like to fonnd a prevt Liberal tialon in Locd-on.-Bleazby l.iushed. bnt there was no jang-hter in bis rj-isi. '•"Women are like that." he said. "I eiivrt yoe've talked to her so nrnoh of oar work thai she's trred ot it. ' rhampemowne pic'urod r>p a RW-af of letters and went into rhe next room. wbere there w*re fl dozen cierks an.i p 1 lists. ' K lca?i'v stroked his rt-d bfard thouffhtttdJv. '•"H's msTth.-r stHI an rnv-arid." he said to b'arselL "Hies wife trying to hamper him in the work o: his heart aad brain. Xo wonrkr tee poor boy looks worried. And we ccdld do' with a great deal mere rrroney jr»J TtOW. But P.li-izby did not rfaerto-theinarftter asain when rbtrmpernowire, after an abksc? of Vraif an hour, retnraed to tbe room. ±rid for the reiFt o>f the day they were bn*T> bnyy a-rra-nTrintr election carnpiijns all over EnCTland. Int-erviewins ottp caller sfter another. dJcTattnp:, te!egrapbirrc. aa.i Beeinff to the thonsand and one oVtaiV of a work that reritrred ttare7rTrttitt? patiPTtce, nrtirir.fr pyion-v. anrl a clearness ot brain that rnuist not ftik>vr itself t-o be dttlled. even by honrs of office roTrt^rK. At baK-TW*st s; : ic rh.inir-. n rt left tie offic '—, 01. Qtt"en ,-sirr-Tt. W---r-----smsTcr, piep.pe.-! -ira-o th** biff Trotor 'iat was wt>;: : "- onts'de and wn = driven brrk to his pplendtd T 'r in Park Lane. TO? lips were tig-htiy prp?se,l to.j,rthe-. and h : s bT- i puckered in a frown. "I don't trndenst ami >L*rmie at ail." h • tkongirt. "It isn't h"r refusal to give cor*! menev that matters -■> tnttoh. Tt is her attitudn. < iuc a wife to syTMathJse. to hp?t> in ••nets work." And as b" -ieint back or. th» cushions with foWed arms he thu-th: of the sroH that-was wid.-nin."; brtwei-n hjm an-i bis wife. Htr I"vp. a Spree fiame of pa.saea. had troparentiy burnt itself viz in less than a year. Perbaps — h<» said to lhaself—thrr" bad been btit little fuel to feed it. lie had «ked the sirl a-s a feend, btrt his pri>t-er.<-<> of l<.v ? ha4 tieen z very poor thi.-rcr indeed. Mamie, shr?-sd little Atnencan that she wis. aad soon res'lMfd that ho hrul maTrtfii ker for aer money, and had not rt-aib-:€si tiat he had mads- .t. for bis oothefs sake. If there btid b-eu atry open breach ■betwe-n ttu-m. attv -.i-.tnt Kens, he might have tokl iu the tn.rrJi. Sat at present iv?rv:iiin«r iay s.ier.eath tie sarfaee. w'ai a was earm. Tloth bail ivided a qtiarrH.. Even over the "matter oi the OTbscrrpiioTi to the Freedom liapie there had been nothintr in the trtare of a st-ene. I'orhaps. thonpht dasrpenrowne. tha wss rrnforrtmate. A SMce wnald c'rar the a.:r. II» wius <-••; taia that his wife thous-b: h-m a forr 3ne-lnintF7. h-tt >.<■ never cotri.i ac«:ts.' kerofthinting or' =n-'h a thine. He e.iuM "Ot 6efend hims.d: till he was attacked. _ ffis mother's iilnf'ss was another on'asii ;:i! Misiety. _As the raonthj had P»sed, and 'Lady Cha-mperrKiw-ne stffl f'tttd herself an "invali-i confined to her Jw. Ae had <mrwT. morbid and rrrits-b'.e. it wa« a harder taojk th?.n ever r-o irive ner borw—that hone witho-rt which che °«at smk into an apathy that would ra, i is death. T.ord Champemowne bad manfn'lv -o hid- the aching P?« of hh heart, but the task was -;„•-£ than he *a3 the =trccrrth to ?*<naplisa. Hla mother sreme.i to fin-J p only bapriiness in a conttnn.il -itream *• risitors, ' both at Park Lane an I iu «ei! Tolhrtrst. - = ,J in the pTtrcha.se of gs™»ns qaartititea 01 r.-s=t!y and beau- ; "•s- clothes. She never wort-, tiietn, but bad had a, m >cei nrade. — a mode! y& a iraaie of ctet-li, ami a woader- *•? I:ifi --ike head ac>! bust of he-s,:f ?*j«»«l -in wax. Thii was placed in •ss f»dr<jom, and two or tliTie times a . *! <he «esses W ere changej on it. ihai U MjrabeSe," she used to sav ™»y fn-sh visitor. - wh-.-n I am talkr ' yon. j OAi _ at that, j i, : lho?= -ilothes if '. w& wcii Z*&- IloaH k.rji;"n at tie faurcias of •S IS* 1 ' It g»»os ise plcaaur-e to i?7* SVe--!&at = Jtnd. fMamae

paid eheerfnlly for the clothes, paid I 1 cheerfully for everything that tlie sick I woman f.iDcird. It almost seemed as 1 • tri'.ntgh she <irew closer and closer to,-' 1.1- Dowager La<ly < .'hanvpernowne a-s • I t-'.iif moved farther and farther away j ■ irc.i Lie man she had once loved. Her i iiiiAiand thankej ii.-r for that at anv rate. ' • , And lai-t'.y there .ins the shadow of ' i Liaiicrg.-* Scott—itrini. silent ami implacable. Looi ri.ajnpernawne, on his.; I'turn iroin his Iviieyrijuon. had had an ' ' interview with the liiraneier, and j ' had endeavotierd to tiirasli matter* ..„:. ißuanerjres Scot- had ! . - iKi Ih.it for the pre.-ent he ii. .tided to | i <-!.. nothing, for tlie sake of tin Dowager I : Lady < ''-juiperr.ov.:.e. Ue iiad added Uiat ! • if Lord iiampernowne card to brine - an action ior libel, all information would \ : ip placed in the bauds of the police. • • In that cu"=e, of coarse, the biarue for; anything tbaf rr.it:bt happen to I ' 'Lf.mpemowr.e would fail on t-he I shoulders of her son. Lord l.'hampernowne had ieft the financier's house, vowing 'o have tbe matter eleared up at ! on-,. Rirt the months had eyine by and : i.e. nad .iijiie sorbin™. And every time ! • he saw his mother, h> realised that he ; could do nothiru. There was just the • i han'-e that he could not prove his iu- ! . nocpiite. azxl thaj.. thoutrh the evidence i i might irot be stron? enough to condemn j ; lirm. the Tid woxtLl believe that be was ! | guilty, , ne scimial of the inquest bad ; . almost died away, but. any fnrther cir- . j enmstaniial evidence against bun woold piace hhn for ever amonu the ranks of : those individuals who were looked irpvin : r.s fortunate to escape the punishment , of their crime, For "the present he was safe. I'.ut Roanerges Scott was always . ; tiiero—a gigantic menace to his mother's ! life—a bard, cruel man who would strike , j when it pleased him to do so. | ! Small wonder that Lord ("hamper- i j r.owne's face w.is white and haggard, and i \ that there was -a look of weariness in I his eyes. A man "annot carry burdens I ! like these without showing some signs of j • mental and physical fati-rne. i When he entered the rreat marble ; ' ;v.:ace in Park Ijtne. a footman told •lira that his wife wished to see him in ! hei boudoir. lie made iiis. way straight j to the drawing-room that looked over the Park. It was aglow with the rays of tiie sotting sun. ! He s-rnilrd. and kissed his wife, as be , ! alwnvs did when he returned from his, j day's" work. It was a worthless piece | j of "formality, but h: believed that it was ! i required of him. His mother had tolii '■ ! him that it was quite middle class, and j j be had admitted that perhaps it was. j \ ,; Tbat woman has been to see yon," j j said Mamie, coldly. i ! "What woman, my dear girlf _ I '"iMiss Kenyon." she answered. "I told | her yon were ont, and I had a talk . with her." j "Why do you speak of her as 'that woman'?" he said stiffly. "Oh. I don't know." she Lingheil. . ! "Isn't ft just a—a little bit vulgar.: i Mamie! Well, what did she wan'.':" j "She wanted to see you- on business." 1 , i fh-; watched bis fate carciully as she j spoke She noticed that the colour had . .'onu- into bis white cheeks. j j -What business, Mamie?" he queried, I j cvlnilv. ! -Something to do with her Golden, ! Light Gaud. I believe. 1 told her that , I she had better fee you at yonr office." ; I "Ves." he answered, quietly. "she j i ousrht to have called at my office. How j I is my mother this evening i ! "Quite in good spirits. A new evening ; : dress lias trust come. Tt has cost a ' ! hundred guineas." ; ! "Yon are kind—generous to her. You : gr'-ldgc her nothing." ! "N.-thinj. Jack," was the cold reply. • : "She can hare anything she chooses to 1 .ask for." I lie laughed. "I—l am a littie inclined ' to envy her." he said, reproachfully. '. ! "It is wrong of you to say that — ! ajve vi.ut all you ashl have given yon all T have in the world. Rut I won': , pour money into tie.- coffers <•: tbe p-ee- , ' .inm League any longer. I want you to; -iinke yourself free of these robbers, I ' They're only after your money." j | "1 don't think so." be answered, | 1 sently. "I told Rleazby to-day that he j • -oiilrint have any more money. Tie was I [iiitP p'.pasant about it. Well, what d ; d ; •.-on wart to see me about. Mamie?" > "To tell "on of Miss Kenyon's visit." j "Was. that all?" I "No. 1 won't have her calling at tbe ! : house. If yon like to see her at your . ; office, that is r.o affair of mine. But j . I won't, have her calling here." i "I will see "bat she does not- come ' asain." he answered qnietby; '"and now 1 think I'll have a chat with my mother j before dinner." ; He left Thv boudoir and made his -way ; trp to his mother's bedroom. It was a large apartment on the second floor of | the house, over part of the trreat salon. : an i bad two hi? bay windows ov-prlook- j ' iriT tbe park. Tbe iumiture was in Lady • ' 'himpernowne's favourite Louis XV. I ?t"rle. ajid was even more costly and ' .nagr.ifjorn: than that at Maiden Tol- . hurst. In one comer of the. room there j was an elaborately chair of j mahocany and silver. It had four pnen- i iv.-itie-tyred wheels and was latere enough i for the invaGd to Be lull length trpon | it. This could be wheeled on to the i landing, where there was a lift, and ! ' taken down to the rrrotmd floor, and j thence out of doors into the park or | wherever else Lady CThampernowre | wished to go for her afternoon drive, | Sear one of the windows, so that the j . evening light sb.ine full upon it. stood the lav figure, elothed in one of Worth's | tnagniri-cnt creotions. a irlittering cohimn i or white hue an.! black silk and gold. . '!'h« fa'-e, nacnra! and life-like, was a ; remarkable portrait of Lady Champer- j nowire. There was a smile upon tbe lips, ! and sometinn s, in ti'-p diiEk, Lord fliani- j peniowr.fi could almost fancy that it was i his mother standing there, as well and 1 itrons as she had ever been. He luted I the thing v.-ith a bitter hatred, and eould j liartTly even look at it without a shudder. j ■ "illiw do you like it, dear?" asiett ' Ijiidy flhampernowne. as be came to her ' bedside and kissed her. "My new dress, i I mean." "i think it is beaulafnl, mother, dear," ; : lie reptu-iL with a mere zlance at tbe I . figure by the window. "I thick so. too," oits said rap- j i tuT'rtts'y. "I'ejliaps I sbali wear it I mvseif this autumn. The doctors say that it I go c-r. as well as 1 am j going on now I jp.ay tie a?>ie to put ! on ray dothos in a moatfii ox two —not j walk, you know, &rert iasrt.-'pjerfe-irfto my j ' cio-t-bes-o&d se-dasra.° |

'■' I am ?"jre yon will." he eaid, with a ■ 'rrnie: "and by the winter you will be ■ i' ] th- bolter lor your ioG£ rest. You have be.-n a dear littie -patient mother." ■■ Eighteen months of it." she said. "It has seemed like eighteen years. I am j .retting an old woman. Jack. There are ; many <TTey hair? in my head, or there ] wouid be if I allowed t.hem to remain ' there-" " You look as young as ever,"' he said, ' earnestly, " and far more Jwantrfni!." j •' You dear. flattering boy," eh» laughed. ■ "' -No. I mean it," tie said. •■ Yon 4ook I yoxmeer. and you are certadidr more • beautiful." " " I It was true. The long rest, the ab- 1 sence nl continual excitement, se<?.med to j have t:ik"n a. yeaT or two from Lady i Oianrpemowne's air". And her "beauty! was more striking and wonderful than • pver.—the delicate beauty which i is so often j_ r ivi-:i to invalid.-*, even if nature had n--t blm».*«l them with their sh-i,rr of -rood looks. ■ " It is because yon have made mo hjfppy." she said, stroking his hand, ' "But 1 sometimes think «if wliat weald have happened if you hadn't married j Mamie, 1: is like a horrible nightmare. Aiamie i≤ so sweet, and kind. If she were my own daughter she cowl not Ac more for mc. You are the luckiest of men. . Jack.'" " Yee, I am," he answered, and lie tried ■ his ibest to speak, as though he meant ' it. i "'Diana Keuyon has "bern here this afternoon," Lauy Champernowne continued. "I had a few 'iu'mjite.3* chat ; v.-ith her."J "''Did yon? iMaiiiie did not tell mc 1 thai." " ! " Yes. T wished to «■? her. Sh* was ' vp.ry kind, hut I am n:irp than over ' thankful that rothinjr cam of that | affair." " I Lord Ohiiinpernowne did noi reply. I Often durinir the !a.-f tliree or four! nicotic hit* thoiigut iui timiPd to j Diana K.nwr.. and he hail f«lt an iTrefub'.ib"..- to sit hr-r a<5111). He had even .ixrjjun to think ihnt he Ifad judged her har-.ily. that he. had rraPy bivn a coward, ami tha.t it wtao he himSv»lf who had made their nj&xri.ifre rnpo3.«S>le. Jiut he tt>!d himscii ajrain an. , . ! aram that .-be ..•oiil-l never have revred j for him. and he thrust the new idea's out of his head. In any case, he said ! ts> himself, it did rot. -matter now. Diana j Kenyon b?lon<r-;il to his pn.«t life. Hi* [Ham d'Jty was to be loyal in word and ! thon-riit to the woman who wa.< \v,& . wife— the woman -..-bo had {lone ?.) mil ■!] ] f.»r him. j "Tlie. jriri has not imTiroved." Ijuly ' •Ghampernowne <".'nur.-uoii. " .Sho ha > ] irrowTt ha.rd and businesslike. lit-r t0: 1, . , '■ is louder, too. I s-upposp that, is due to | her epeitking =o much. 1 <ion't approve i of her work ai all. nor d">es hej - mother." | "1 hear she is doinj jrriO'l wod;," the i young man answered, tpiiotly. ~CeJtainly the Golden Liylrt 'Uuild will soon be a political tnrre. to he reckoned -with.' , "It doesn't appeal to mc. It did oni'.e before I knew more about ft. 1 used to subscribe, hut I thoihjrht then that ks main object ■wan charity. But all this enflrajierte busrnesel have more respect for tie women who brawl and go to prison. Wei:, we won't talk of it. or I ishail get angry, and. that is Kid for mc. flow is your own work, dear!" lie told her about the forthcoming election, of the possibility of winning j a-s many as a. bimdrtvl seats, and hold- j the abso-lute control 01 the House of j Commons, of the little Itami, scrare ! thirty in number, who caQjed them j serves Tory Socialists "in tire House of Lor'is. of the frro'wnn; feeling a.rnon£ the riciv that it would be betSyer to fight on the side of the poor than on. the side of j the middle elates, and so on and so on, ' till there was twiligbst ill the room, and the slim fUrnre by tjie window stoor out asraitjst a red i?iow of sky and looked nv.rr-e~life-lfke than ever. At last Lord ChampeTrtowTVe looked at the dock, then ktein» hi£ mother rang the. bi-l\ for the and made his way to his room to dress for dinner. Hve mirait-es Juter his wife's maid 'brought 3. note. "I thai! not be at dinner," Ire read, "*bu- I with i-o e»n you in hit boudoir as soon as possible. -All right." he said to hie valet. "Tell Sadip that I will be "with -hex ladyship in twenty minutps." Ke continued his dressing, ■wondering vrhr-.: thf etranye mcaiagc meant. Quarts - of an bo'jT later eirUTed the bouficiir. ajid focn<i hie wife in the samp •.-fnthfs •arhic'a ehe -Tad ctih an hemr and 3 -half previous'.y. "What's nr., i.U-aieV" he queried, closing tiie dixjT. **Aren't yoa well?" !>he did not antvwer him. Her face wae very white, and there Wat -a looi: of herrror in her eyre. He was friphtenpd, thinking tbj.t she had suddenly been taken if!, and came towards her. She h"Jd oat her hands as though to prevent him from coming arry nearer. "What is the -matter, my dear child , ?" he e-aid. moTinp nearrr to hex. She remained icotirmJtss for a fpw i ser>or.tip. then she ea<WenJy fVmwl into I life. Sh? dropped her hands and thrust j iJHTn mit at 'him again. I ""J did not }m\>w." she gasped, in a ! ehokir.tr void*, ""wien I married yon— 'that 1 hail married— mrrrdeTeT!"* To be corriiiKKd daUy.