THE ANNEXATION SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 65, 16 March 1916, Page 10

THE ANNEXATION SOCIETY.

5. H ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.) | ;

By J. S. FLETCHER. ,

CHAPTER XXXV. i THE POSTS XNO TELEGRAPHS UErAKTME.\T.\ I It was with tin , utmost diflieulty that ' Jimmie restrained himself from breaking , out into loud exclamations at till! sigia j of Packe. In spite of ms assumed 111- ---. iliijerem.-e and his insouciant attitude to- " wards Dr. Frobcnius, his nerves were strung to the List pitch of intensity, for he was well aware of the gravity 01 the • situation in which lie found himself-— .absolutely at the mercy of a man who "was either a highly dangerous lunatic or .;; the most utterly callous and daring eri- • niiiial it was possible to imagine. Jim- — mie had talked and listened against time —something, lie thought, might transpire, something occur; tue madman —if i-'robenius was a madman —might suffer a sudden change of thought; the criminal might have his plans upset at thu last moment; time, time was the desirable object in such circumstances. And now, ■ as things seemed to be coming tv a critical point, here, undoubtedly, was NicllO- -- las l'acke in Frobenius' garden — his ■"' presence surely argued—what '! Surely, again, it could bo nothing but deliverance from this place of strange things! -. ilimuiie looked again. Frobenius had '. moved to the window on hearing the voices and footsteps of the workmen, and for the moment he was giving no attention to his two prisoners. In that second look Jimmie saw that he was certainly not mistaken—that was l'acke, without doubt—Packe in a much soiled and oiled suit of dungaree, with an old cap pulled -over his dirty face, a disreputable pipe *in his mouth, a two-days beard on his ciiin. lie was carrying a workman's bag of tools; he seemed to be e,uite at home in his surroundings and with his companions. Jimmie inspected those com.pauions next, and was quick to perceive that they were all—seven or eight of "them — strong and hefty men. whose working garments, illshapen and much stained as they were, did not conceal athletic and muscular figures. And a general sense of relief suddenly came to ;'him at the sight of these strong, big fellows —here, he was sure, was somcrthing that meant salvation; it must 'mean that —why else should Packe be there, got tip. disguised, in that way? 1 Dr. Krobenius, with a sound indicative of vexation, threw open one of the Frpnch windows. "Now what is all this?" he exclaimed pettishly. "What do-I see? An army of workmen, 0 equipped with implements and" tools. "What doT you'want, iny"ood fellows? I never sent for you!" One of the men, a big person with a fierce rnonstachei singled himself out irom the others, "and coming forward, touched his cap. » > . "Posts and Tclegtaphs Department, sir," he said respectfully. "Repair gang, sir—come to look over your installation. Going to look round everything outside first, sir." '"Which means that you'll want to come inside later," remarked I>r. Fro Tjeirius. ."WclK well!—now ljow scon do you want to come into my study—this room from which I address You? Because I'm particularly engaged just now." "All right, sir—no hurry." said the supposed foreman, reassuringly. "Ve'll let you know when we , want to disturb TOU —plenty of time, sir—we'll look all round first?' Dr. Frobenius closed the window with a muttered remark on the ways of the British workman. He to his chair and helped himself to another - j-rneh of snufl". .', "Xow, where werp we?" he said,'rubbing his domelike forehead. "1 have*so many things to think of that—by tlia ■by," he continued suddenly turning and staring at Scraye, "our friend, his lordship, does not seem to be recovering his ■wits as quickly as I should desire —T •want to discuss tliis financial question " with him." Scraye, hearing himself referred; to. lifted h'ls head and stared at Ur. Frobenius pretty much as if he were just •recovering from a sudden intoxication. "Tm all ri—" he muttered. "Hoard ■what you've just said—great interest, don't you know—highly interesting. I'm "willing to pay—give word of honour too. So will Trickett—-'m sure." "You'd better discuss money matters ■with mc," said Jimmie, giving Scraye a queer look. "Lord Seraye'isn't lit to discuss anything—yet." Seraye shook his head defiantly. "Fit as you arc!" he retorted. "I'm all right—coming all right. Fit to sign a cheque, anyway—good balance at my bankers." He laughed foolishly and then made a face, at Jimmie, -who was becoming more and.inpre pnzzled by his behaviour. And having made the face, which expressed de.risive contempt, he began to pull a cheque-book out of Jiis pocket.

''How much?" he demanded of Dr. 1 I'robenius. ''Willing to pay anything in ' reason, don't you know. .Life and liberty—inestimable gifts, oh? How inueli, now—write you a cheque at once." "You must have given him something \r'y strange to make him like that," said Jimmie. "He's not tit to do anything. Talk to me—let him coinc round. Put that cheque-book away and pull yourself together!"' he went on, turning angrily on Scraye. "Buck up!" Ncrave began to imurmur remonstratingly and feebly; Jimmie, certain that something was going to happen very (jnicklv. pushed him unceremoniously into hia choir and faced Dr Frobenius. ""Dictate your terms to mc." he said. •Til consider them. But I \yant to know something—a good deal—iiret. What about the stolen property that I intercepted ill Paris? I.K>rd Scraye's creos. i for instance —m that to be given back?" '•\Vo never give anything back," replied Dr Frobenius. "Certainly not! It s not within the power of our society to restore anything which it haa once annexed." ■"And there's another matter," continued Jimmie, still bent t>ll making and gaining time. "If I'm going to pay, I'm iroimj to have sonic value for my money and my future silence. Who in your society! and what has it done? You're bound to tell mc that, you know, if you trc:it ir.e in a man of honour." 11l- Frobenius appeared to feel this proposition reasonable and even inviting. He gave sifins of inclination to loqnaeiouSMvis. "The work we have. <ione i< highly intcreiiting," he tuiid. "I was about to tell you of it when those workmen interrupted us. Ips—on funning my own idea'?. I communicated them to a few choice and daring t>-pirits. who fully approved them. We commenced operations in Europe. Xow. our first object was to find agents Who could do what we wanted. 1 conceived a valuable idc.i. There is v class among your aristocracy which lent itself readily to my designs— the class which consists of highborn yet very poor people, dowagers, well-con-nected but needy folk—folk, you understand, who have' the entree to the very best s-oeiety. but whose incomes are painfirlly small. We succeeded in getting hold of a select coterie of such persons, and we carefully trained iiiem. Their duties were to annex valuable objects fr?m the 'historic houses of England, to briiv them to us. and to receive the";r commission of 25 per cent on the result of their work. I have known one clever lady who, in the course of twelve month.), added no lons than two thousand pounds to her income by the work she did for 'That's very interesting," said Jimmr. "But I say—what did you. or" what d:> you do -with the —aheai! —annexed articles?' , ]>r Frobenius' face .became solemn. '•There is an excellent market always open—.amongst colledtore." .lie answered. "You will excuse mc if I do not <ro into that part of the business. I should have to mention names. The various annexed articles are readily cold by vie at high—very high prices. Then they— disnp-pear." "Disappear?" exclaimed Jimmie. "Into the collection of the purchaser, said Dt Frobenius. "Never to be seen again?' asked Jimmie. . , Dr Frobeniue allowed himself to wui-k. '••Hie greatest deilg".it of your true collector," he said oracularly, "is to possess something which no one else eveSC Jimmie made no reply to this. He was watching the- workmen, who were still outside the house. -Some of them had Wn gathered about.:i bi K .i pole at the end of the garden, presumably discussing the wires which ij. supported; *ome "lind remained in conversation around the hand-cart. And now as h<! watched he saw half-a-dozen men turn to the house, evidently intent on enterin" by the side-door through which lid himself had been brought, and amongst them he recognised Paeke. Ou thi*, hi; turned to Dr. l-'robcnius. '" Well," he said, pleasantly, as if he were discussing a business matter in the mo»t amicable fashion, '-supposing we. settle this money question? Ilovv much do you want?" Dr. Frobenius took more snuff. He got up and approached one of the many doors of the room. " On tile question of the precise amount." lie said. '" I should like to consult a friend and fellow-worker, a iady who has rendered mc great assistance. A moment,"—he opened the d oor and put his head into another room— '"Mrs. Wythenshawe!" he said, speaking to some one within. .."Will you come here?" Jimmie gazed intently on the lady who presently entered. He was already familiar with her face and figure; what he was now concerned with was to see her at close quarters and under these extraordinary circumstances. She came n in. gave him a hard, business-like look, y scarcely deigned to glance at Scraye— who groaned loudly at sight of her— a and dropped into a chair at the side of c Br. Frobenius' desk. Dr. Frobenim d also seated himself and began to polisi) d his spectacles. a "We are discussing the—or. terms o! raiwom," he said, bending politely to Mrs

Wytliensliawe. " I-ord Scras'e is quito willing, and I have succeeded in showing Mr. Triekett that our demands are reasonable. Now, my dear lady, as youare fully aware of the financial status of these gentlemen, at what sum would you fix their respective obligations?" Mrs. Wythenshawe spoke; in elear,.decided tones which made Jimmie look at h< ■ with still closer attention. "In the case of Lord Scraye, at twenty thousand pounds," elie answered. "In the case of Mr. Triekett at thirty." Ur. Frobenius turned to the victims with an inquiring look. * •'You hear, gentlemen?" lip said. " Now. how does that proposition otcur to you?" Scraye waved a hand with a feeble gesture which might have been taken to imply full assent or titter weariness of discussion. ■'Oh, anything, anything!" he groaned. "' I'm agreeable. Only let mc get out of this, and I'll — anything, I say, anything" JJr. Frobenius turned to Jimmie. '" And wlint.' , he asked blandly, "what does Mr. Triekett say?" Jimmie was listening intently. ,He was sure that Mr. Pneke and the men with him wore in the house by that time, and he was wondering what they were doing, and when they were coming. For that they were coming he was sure. But he gave no sign, and hu turned attentively to his questioner. " What Mr. Triekett says," he replied, ''is this —why does Mrs. Wythensihawe, as assessor, place an added value on Mr. Triekett? Lord Scraye, valued at twenty thousand, is a peer and an aristocrat; Mr. Triekett is a nobody in several sorts of ways. Why is he worth ten thousand pounds more, in the way of ransom, than the Marquis of Scraye?" lie was looking hard at Mrs. Wythenshawe a< he spoke, and he kept his eye firmly fixed on her he made an end of speaking. But if he hoped, lo catch some answering gleam. Jimmie was disappointed; the lady's face and eye remained hard and cold determined as ever. .lust as determined and as hard was her voice. '" Lord Seraye." she said. " has many responsibilities; Mr. Triekett has only himself to think for." " All the same." retorted Jimmie, " 1 am contemplating matrimony. I —1 don't think I'm worth more than Scraye." Scraye waved his hand again. " Look here." lie said drnnkcnly. "HI tell you -what! Split the difference. Make it twenty-five. Ell?" " Xot a bad suggestion," remarked Dr. Frohenius. '■ I am willing. Twenty for Lord Scraye — twenty-five for' Mr. Triekett. Tome. .Mr. Triekett, 1 feel sure TouTi call that reasonable.' , '"Needs must when the deviL drives!" answered Jimmie. " All right, I'll write you a cheque. Payable, to bearer, of course. And. incidentally, may I inquire how you propose to cash these cheques, and what's t<s become of us . until they are cashed? For I don't sup- , pose you'll let us go until you've got the cosh." "That is nil provided for. Mr. kett." answered Dr. Frobenius. motioning Jimmie to sit down at his desk, I while Mrs. Wythenshawe calmly wheeled a small table in front of Lord Scraye. . nntl handed him writing materials. This > lady's fast automobile is at our door— ■ she will reach your respective hanks in • London before closing time. Immediately she has cashed the cheques she w-.'d • ecmmunicTte with mc and you will be re- : leased. That is my arrangement." ' '"Hood for you." said Jimmie. He , eat ■ down and wrote out a cheque nntl ■ handed it to Dr. Frobcniiu, who ut the same moment received the cheque from 1 Scraye. Dr. Frobenius looked' both cheques over and passed them to Mrs. i Wythenshawe. "Quite correct."' he said. 'Both. 1 see ! joii C'outfa. That Raven time. You will ' start at once. With modetalc good for- : tune you will reach the hank by twenty minute*! to four—ample time before clo.i----1 ing. Now " A tap camp at the door by which Jim- '■ mie had been brought into the room and a trim maid came in. "'('an you epeak to the telephone : workmen a minute!" she. said, glancing at Pr. Frolienius. "It's important." l>. Frobenhis uttered an impatient cx- "' plamatwn and strode out: the maid ' followed and closed the door. -\e it 1 Hosed came the sharpest surprise o; Jimmies surprising morning. For Mrs. r Wythensh.-nveNjhrew the two cheques into the fire, and Peraye, with a wild laugh, leapt to his feet and slapped Jim- " mie heavily on the shoulder. 7 (To be concluded.)