THE ANNEXATION SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 10

THE ANNEXATION SOCIETY.

M-LL EIGHTS EESERVED.};

f By 'J. S. IXETCHEKi

-: ■ CHAPTER XXI. THE HANDWRITING. Jimniie oalmly finished eating the c<™ Th + W i was J' us t then engaged fl' a p a eke c ' tUnied and lo ° kcd Ca£ll^ "I quite expected that," lie remarked. 1 supposed they would want her natur-i"-T," t ow have ? ou S°t to hear of 1 aeke threw a newspaper on t:ic table and pointed to an advertisement..' /here you are," he answered. "I believe that's in all the papers this morning. Xve seen it in three, anyhow." Jimmie pickea up the newspaper and glanced at the column which Pack.> pointed out. It was a simple request to Miss Eva WaJsden to communicate With the police, as her evidence was desired at the inquest about to be held on the body found after the fire at the shop of Valeric et Cie in South Molton Street, believed to be that of Madame Charles. "Of course I knew tiiere'd be &n inquest," he remarked, throwing the paper aside. "And I guessed they'd want -Miss Walsdcn to be there. All right." Packe looked at him questioningly '•How—all right?" he asked. ''[ say—all right," replied Jimmie. 1 11 go and fetch her as soon as I've breakfasted. Of course she's rr O t to show up.' , '•You aren't afraid of—questions eh?" said Packe.

'Afrnid of nothing," responded Jimmie. "Why should I be? Heard anything since I saw you, Packe?" "Mo," replied Packe. "I've heard nothing. I had a chat last night with the detective who has this affair in hand. Of course, they know nothing about the theft of Scraye's cross or the other things—they haven't an idea that there's anything of that sort. Their attention is being given .solely to the mystery of this woman's death." "Let 'em concentrate on that at present," said Jimmie. "The other business can wait—for them." ''You heard anything?" asked Packe. "Found anything out about the registered packets?" "Yes," answered Jimmie. "I speedily found out that friend Schmidt was wrong in one of his conclusions. But I'll tell you all about itUatcr—shall you be iu<to-night? - ' "After eight o'clock," replied Packe. "That will suit mc. I shall run down to St. -Margaret's Bay, fetch my aunt and .Miss Walsden to town, lot Miss Walsden sen the police and arrange to give her evidence, and I shall put the two of 'em up here for the nigh,t. I'll come round to you at eight-thirty. And I'll tell you what, l'aeke—l should like to see Scraye to-night. There's something I want to ask him." "AH right," said Packe. "I'll arrange that. He's staying in town. Eightthirty then." He presently walked round with Jimmie to tho hotel garage, and a few minutes later saw tho Triekctt automobile depart, apparently for Dover, nut before he had gone far Jimmie leaned over to his chauffeur, and bade him drive to a certain police station. Arrived there he sought an interview with the official, whose name was appended to the advertisement which Packe had pointed out. "You are anxious to be put in communication with Miss Eva Walsden," said Jimniie, privately closeted with this person. "You wish her, 1 see, to give evidence at the inquest referred to in your advertisement. Now, when U that inquest to be held?"

The oflicial who had from hie window observed .Jimmies arrival, and taken due notice of the magnificence of his car, glanced at his visitor's card. "Well, Mr. Trickett," lie replied, "it's fixed for'four o'clock this afternoon. We want Miss Walsdcn's evidence, because we understand that she was the assistant of. the woman whose body was found. We hear that she went to Paris the day before this occurred, but we've heard nothing of her since. You know Miss Walsden?" Jimmie pulled out and glanced at hU watch. "Mise lie answered, "is staying with my aunt in the country— in 'Jient. It's now half-past nine. Give mo the address of the place where the inquest will be held, and I'll bring Miss Walsden there at half-past four —can't do it earlier. Will that do?" "Excellently," answered the official, hastUy ecribbling a line on a sheet of paper. There's little we want to ask Miss Walsden, but she may be able to throw some light on this affair." "You think the woman was murdered?" aeked Jimmie ns lie turned to the door. "Think she didn't shoot herself?" The oflicial smiled grimly. "If she'd shot herself, Mr. Trickett," lip answered, "there'd have been come remains of the revolver there. But there wasn't." Jimmie ruminated over this answer as hid car traversed the Kentish highways. He had also canvassed iifany other mat- ! tens of moment by the time he reached the quiet house at St. Margaret's Bay and startled its two principal inmates into instant activity. It was fortunate for them that they had lunched early; Jimmy satisfied his hunger with a hastily-made sandwich and a whisky-and-tsoda while h« studied a railway timetable. For it had struck him that it might be to his advantage to hear whatever evidence was given at the inquest, nnd he thought he might save an hour by returning to London by train. In the end he found what he wanted; raced liis' two companions into Dover just h time to catch an express, and left his chauffeur to bring the car home at hie leisure. And by live minutes to four he hand handed Eva over to the polite police official, giving her v whispered word of warning as he left her. "Answer anything they nek you, but don't volunteer any information," he said. To Jimmie and his aunt, interested but unobtrusive spectators, the proceedings before the coroner and his jury seemed singularly dull and uneventful. The police witnesses told of the fire and of the finding of the body; the police surgeon gave evidence as to the condition of the body, and the wound in the head, caused, in his opinion, by a shot from a revolver, fired at close range; 1 the firemen proved that no part of any revolver wae found anywhere amongst the debris on the premises. Nothing very personal transpired until the. ■women who had been employed at Madame Charles' establishment, one as cookj the other as housemaid, appeared

in the witness-box. The cook could tell nothing. .That evening had happened to be her night out. She had gone out at five o'clock as usual. She had returned at eleven—l<? find the whole place on fire and the fire brigades there. She had known of nothing unusual; into tho business part of the premises she never went, and when she last saw madame, madame had' been in her accustomed good spirits. The housemaid, however, had something to tell that was interesting, slight though it was. She was in the kitchen, taking her tea, at six o'clock that evening. As was usual on the cook's night out, Madame Charles was going out to dine. Just after six o'clock she heard madame brinsf sonic visitor upstuirs into the drawingroom —she heard voices. She heard madame's voice distinctly; the other was not so distinct, and she could woman's. After a little time—probably about h-alf-past six—madame came to her in tlie kitchen, and said that as she herself was going out for the whole of the evening, and as the cook was out, she, the housemaid, might go to the theatre if she liked, and presented her with four shillings for that purpose. She thereupon mude herself ready and went out, not to a theatre, but to a music-hall. She returned from there about eleven, and found exactly what the cook found —the house cm fire. Did she leave madame in tho house with the visitor? She did—she heard them talking as she passed the drawing-room door. Did madame seem just the same as usual when she came up to the kitchen?, Oh, exactly the same—smiling and pleasant. There was nothing remarkable in all this, nothing of moment, beyond the fact that Madame Charles was left in the house with some unknown person, and when Eva Walsden went into the witness-box, it seemed as if no further light was to be thrown on matters by the information elicited from her. She | told the Court that she was Madame Charles' only assistant. Madame Charles' connection was a first-class one, but a small one; everything done for customers was done by madame or by herself; the customers were very particular, and the prices paid were—yes, very high indeed. ( Could she give the names of the regular customers of the establishment? Certainly she could. "Such a list, I suppose, includes the names of some celebrated leaders and ornaments of fashionable society?" suggested the legal gentleman who was questioning Eva in-pleasant, leisurely fashion. "They would, I imagine, be the names of well-known ladies?" "Oh, yes, all well-known ladies in society," answered Eva. "Our clientele was very exclusive." "You don't know that any of these people bore Madame Charles , any' enmity?" . Eva shook her head wondering]}-. ■' "Xot sufficient, at any rate, to war-rant-murder? Well, 'now—l think you went to Parie on Madame Cnarjos' business the, day previous to tliie catastrophe into which we are inquiring? You had not returned before it happened, I believe?" "I was returning when I heard of it,'replicd Eva. "1 read the account in the 'Times.'" i

"And so yon did not continue your journey. What did you do?" "Kor the time being," answered Eva, carefully repeating an answer with w4iich Jimmie had prompted her, "'I went to stay with a friend —Miss Tri'ckctt, at St. Margarets Day. As everything t had in South Molton Street had been burnt, 1 thougllt that the best thing to I do." '■Just so. You were, of course, much surprised to hear this bad news about Madame Charles and her house?' , " "Very much surprised—horrified! , ' "You don't know that she had any enemies?" "Xo, indeed 1 don't!" "Had she many friends? Friends who came to see her, for instance? ,, "Only a few." "You could no doubt make a list of names of them—l may ask you, or the police will ask you —to furnish a list of names of people who came to see Madame Charles and another list of customers. For the present, I only want to aak you one or two questions which are important. Now, do you know if Madame Charles kept much ready money on the premises in South Molton Street?" "I am sure she did not," replied Eva with decision. "You know something about her money affairs?" "I know that accounts due to her from customers generally came in twice a year, once in spring, once in autumn, and that she -used to pay a good deal into her bank at those timee. As "for what she paid out, 1 know that at the end of every month she used to draw from the tank enough to pay the month's expenses." "Very good. Now, this is an important question. Do you know if Madame Charles was in the habit of lending money to her lady customers?" "Lending money?" exclaimed Eva. "Temporarily, you know. Have you ever known —has she ever spoken to you of lending money to any of her customers?" Eva shook her head with decision. "Never!" she answered. The legal gentleman had no more to ask; the coroner presently adjourned the proceedings for a week, and Eva, released from the witness box, returned to the charge of Miss Trickett and Jimmie. She was still wonderingly curious about the last question put to her. "What did he mean?" she asked. " Ah," replied Jimmie, impressively. " More than was on the surface. Well, that's over, and.it wa3ii't very dreadful. Xow we'll seek rest and tea.' . He conducted his charges to his own rooms, where he had arranged that they should stay the night. He refused to hear any discussion of the Charles case, or the Paris matter. He exerted himself to amuse them, he exercised all his skill in ordering dinner for them; after dinner he took them to a neighbouring theatre, and installed them in a box. And that done, he excused himself for an hour, nt the end of which time he promised to return. - Once outside the theatre Jimmie hastened off to 'Packe'a room; ho was already late for the appointment he had made. Walking into Packo's study he found Scraye there—ho and Packe were intent on the evening newspapers; Jimmie rightly guessed that they were reading the accounts of the inquest. A sudden notion seized him; drawing it from his pocket, he held out the scrap of torn paper which he had found in the grate. . ' " Do either of 3'ou two recognise that handwriting?" he asked. The next instant Jimmie knew that the handwriting had been recognised; his unexpected and abrupt question had evoked a sure response. ' : '■'''.>'" be continued daily. )' "'