A Race With Rogues

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 116, 15 May 1920, Page 21

A Race With Rogues

By BEN BOLT.

CHAPTER Vl.— (Continued.) THE BLACK.—AIDER GETS AWAY. As they stepped into the street after interviewing the Jewish tobacconist, Sir Harry Thirlmere looked at his companion. "Xow we're up against a blank wall, Drayson.'' "Xot yet,'' drawled the Professor. "There's this feliow who had the drubbing. If we could only hit against him '' "By Jove! Yes. and there should be no difficulty about that. He was at the Savoy, and he's probably returned there." Entering their taxi, they returned to the hotel, and inquired at the office for Mr. Arlington. "He is in his room, sir," replied the clerk. "He has been in a. taxi smash, and there is a gentleman with him attending' to his hurts." "Send up a messenger with my card, will you?" asked the baronet. "Certainly, sir." -Sir Harry produced one of his card 3. and wrote on the back of it: "To see you on a matter of urgent importance." The messenger presently returned. "Mr. Arlington will see you, sir, if you will come with mc." in three minutes they were knocking on the American blackmailer's door, which was ajar. " Come right in," was the answer, in a strong nasal voice. Thirlmere entered, followed by the Professor, who closed the door behind him. At the sound of the catch the owner of the room, who was bending forward, examining his face in the mirror, straightened himself and swung round. There was v suspicious puffiness about his eyes, which showed signs of grease paint, and a strip of court plaster on his forehad just above the right eyebrow. A dress-suit lay on the floor, badly torn and soiled, and as he took in the situation it was only with an effort that Thirlmere refrained from laughter. "How do, Sir Harry!" said the.blackmailer, quickly. "You I know, but who's your friend?" " Professor .Drayson." " Pleased to meet you," was Arlington's reply. " You'll excuse this mess, gentlemen? I've just been through a motor smash." " Yes," answered Drayson, with a twinkle, "down in Stepney, wasn't it?" "Now, how the " began Arlington, and then broke off sharply.' " Jehosha_>hat!. You're the man who was in that darned feed-house." "The same," laughed Drayson. "Was ■—leraffashTa very bad one?" " ilvifi,? "answered the other, laughing bacfe*'tKe_e'll be a fair-sized crockery biltr__orison—_o.dy to pay, and .1 gave aaLjjobd as I took." " DidSyoius see those two girls leave?" asked - Sir Harry, impatiently. "Guessed you'd come about them, or at any rate about one of 'them, Sir Harry," replied Arlington. "Sit down, won't you?" i "I think not," said the baronet, stiffly. ."I came for information, and if you can give mc any I shall toe .pleased to pay for it." .

The blackmailer was not offended by Thirlmere's frankness. He smiled ruefully and shook'his head. "Sorry not •to be able to turn the honest dollar. All I know is that those two girls were in the room where the Professor here told mc they were. I tried to get in and couldn't. I was thrown into the street. I should have hung round, but I was in a rather bad mess; and there was one of those Dagoes fingering a knife in a way I didn't like. So I came back here, and got one bit of information that I'll make you a present of, since you'll get it yourself for the asking. Miss Fotheringham still has- her room here; so .1 guess it is likely' she'll come back."

Thirlmere considered; then he said: There's something I want to say to you. Miss Fo—leringhain told mc what you were after, and I just want to tell you that you're climbing the wrong tree. She did not shqot Handling."

"Then who-did?" snapped Arlington. "That's- for the New York police to find out. It certainly was not Nora Fotheringham, and you're wasting time in following that particular line. Besides, blackmail in this country is a heinous crime,' and the punishment is usually severe." " "Thanks, I can ta_e -care of myself." "Perhaps; 'but if I take my card to the manager of this hotel, and tell him what your line is, and that to my knowledge that you have already tried to IMlack-_.il a lady, visitor, what'do you suppose is likely to happen?" Arlington was apparently not impressed <by the implied threat. He grinned affably. " And if Igo and tell him. that Miss Haydon is not Miss Haydon's name, and that she is under suspicion of having murdered a man in a N'oo York hotel —what then, hey? I guess the boot will be on the other leg with a vengeance. And there's another thing; I send a cable to the Noo York police telling what I know, and where is Miss Fotheringham then? I guess you ain't going to take.that story of yours to the manager of this hotel—not yet awhile."

. Thirlmere recognised the strength of the other's position. He was for the moment quite helpless to serve Nora against this man without plung.ng her into difficulties from which it would be hard to extricate her without a considerable lapse of time. For a moment he was tempted to buy tbe man olf, but his soul revolted at the idea, *—d a sudden gust of passion shook him. "Very well," he said angrily, "but you can take this from mc, Arlington.' If I find you interfering with Miss Fotheringham again, I'l horse-whip you till you haven't a whole inch of skin left on you!" "Guess I'll have to seek police protection," drawled J—e American, unperturbed by the threat.

Thirlmere took a quick step (forward, as if he meant to thrash the'blackmailer there and then, but Drayson -put a firm hand on his arm.

'No good kicking up a dust here, Thirlmere. It will only cause a scandal, and that will be no sort of use. Better leave the fellow to his devices. He can't do much till he finds Miss Fotheringham." The baronet recognised the truth of his companion's words, and walked oat of the room, followed by Drayson. The Professor was the first to spe*fc. "Nice sort of pest—that!" " He's a cur, a —, —* "Haven't a doubt of it; bub the question is, where is Miss Fotheringham?" "I suspect she has gone to her brother." *• ' "And where her brother is. there IS Saranoff. But we don't know the local-

ity, and we can do nothing. T—l mc one thing: had the girl any luggage with ':er wlien she left?" " 1 saw hone." " Then that means that slie't: coming back here." But, as events proved., itl thai anticipation the Professor was niistikon. Tbe next day passed without Xora. returning to the hotel, but on the second day there was a development. Sir Harry, returning to the hotel, saw a taxi standing in the approach, and a porter handing in a couple of suit-case— When he reached the door Arlington was just emerging. At the sight of the lbsironet the 'blackmailer grinned cheerfully. " Bye-bye, Sir Harry. Guess I got the start of you this time." Thirlmere looked round at him quickly, saw him move towards the taxi, and divined that the American had discovered something. " What do you mean?" he asked, turning bacK "Notnin". Xotlun' at all!" laughed the American maliciously. Then he spoke to the chauffeur. "Waterloo!" Sir Harry caught the word, and as the taxi moved away stared after it, frowning perplexedly. Inside the hotel he found Drayson awaiting him. "At last!" said the Professor: "I've telephoned to your chambers and your club half a dozen times. Miss Fotheringham's luggage has gone." "Gone!" " Yes. Messenger armed with what I suppose must have been indisputable credentials fetched it away two hours since." "Where ?" " Search mc, as my countrymen say. I don't know. I learned what 1 am telling you from a clerk an hour back. And they don't know here where the luggage was going." " But Arlington knows. He's following it!" "That so? He's smart, that fellow. ißut how do you know?" I Thirlmere related what had taken place, and when he gave the name of the station, the Professor interrupted: " Come along, Thirlmere. We may yet bo in time!" "But -where ?" " Waterloo, of course, on the trail of Arlington. If we can pick up a taxi " They were fortunate in securing a taxi at once, and when they reached the station they made straight for the main departure platform. A train was just signalled out, and was already beginning to move, when quite close to them a. window was dropped and Arlingtonhead popped out. "So long, boys. See you in Noo York!"

L The train's pace increased, and swiftly [carried the cheerful (blackmailer from .view. Then Drayson looked at the baronet.

" What do you make of that? Do you think he's going to New York, or that —iiss Fotheringham has returned?" "No," broke in Thirlmere. "This is not a boat day. That's not a boat train. Where he is going this afternoon I don't know; but certainly he is not going to New York. There's a timetable there—let us have a look at it." A moment later he was following the scheduled course of the train down the time table; but —-ore he reached the end he broke off. "By Jove! Of course. Kick me # for a fool, Drayson!" "What is it?" asked the other, quickly. *T know where Miss Fotheringham is —or I think I do."

' The dickens you dot Where?" „ "In Dorset." "In _»c—-t! I'm ndt up in geography over here, but that's a fair-sized " "Th# letter from' Katrina Vertchett was posted at Charraouth. It is somewhere in that neighbourhood we shall find Nora; and if we could get a glimpse of Arlington's ticket we should find Bridport on it—not Southampton." •• "You seem mighty sure," said the Professor.

"Yes I am. I have a conviction that it is' so."

"What are you going to do about it?" "Do? I'm going down into Dorset, of course! What else?"

"Urn, yes! But suppose it's a wildgoose chase* If Miss Fotherinsrha-m is in London after all we may' miss her altogether, unless one of us stops up here."

"It would be as well for one of us to be .at this end," agreed Thirlmere. thoughtfully. Then he looked at his companion, and said, hesitatingly: "I don't like to put it on you, Drayson, but if you don't mind " "Sure I don't!" interrupted the Professor. "11l stay here and do London — Westminster and the Tower and all that, you know, and in the evenings see 'high life down at the eating-house kept by the Russian. .Who knows? I might meet Saranoff himself there." "Then _11 get a car. With luck, I shall be at Bridport before that fellow Arlington. I shall sleep in my own 'house idnight, and in the morning I'll go down to Cllarmouth. 11l ring you up at noon to-morrow." "Right; I'll be at my hotel. And as I expect youTI have to hustle, we'll part here." THE MYS-E_IO_S STKA-GER. An hour later Thirlmere, driving an open car, was travelling westward -at a pace that, but for good luck, must have ensured him the attention of the police. .Tight was falling as he passed through Bridport and swung westward towards the Axminster Road, still travelling at a great speed. But when he came to the village of Marshallshay, within a couple of miles of his home, he 'slowed down at the sight of a stationary Ted lamp in the middle of the road. Approaching it slowly, he found the red light to be the rear lamp of a car to which something had happened, for under the car a man, lying flat on his back, was working by the light of an electric torch. Pacing up and down was a man smoking a cigarette—evidently the owner of the car. As Thirlmere halted to ask if he !be of any use' this man stepped forward.

"Yes, sir, you can help mc much ii you will convey mc to Wotton Court, where I ought to*-have been half an hour ago." Something foreign in the speaker's voice caused Sir Harry to look at him quipkly. The man was tall, and the upper part of him was in shadow; bat Thirlmere had an impression of a pale, strong face, with eye 9 that were like pools of darkness. "Wotton Court is on toy way," he said; '1 shall be happy to give you the lift." "Thank you; I shaft be greatly obliged."

The stranger turned to the man who was tinkering at the car, and spoke to him in a foreign tongue. <— _ he did bo, Thirlmere started and turned quickly to look at the man who, on a Dorset

rural road, addressed his chauffeur in purring Russian. The biironet was not an expert in that language, but he had a nodding acquaintance with it, and be had heard it too often in his journey through Russian Turkestan to India to be mi-taken. Most of what the man said he was not able to follow, but he gathered that he was giving tbe chauffeur directions, and in a moment the man turned again and came towards Sir Harry's car. The baronet leaned forward and loosed the catch of the door. "Will you ride with mc or in the tonneau?" "With you, if I may; particularly since I shall be indebted to you." Thirlmere swung the coor open at once. Sqmehow he was anxious to have this stranger who spoke Russian by his side as he drove. The man put his* foot on the step, stooping a little as he mounted into the car. This brought his face within range of the driver's lamp which Sir Harry used, and he glimpsed fairly a pale face, a pair of dark eyes, and a cruel mouth. As he did so he had an odd sense of familiarity. Where had he seen that face before? He could not recall having met this stranger at any time.- nevertheless he ■had a conviction that he ui-st have done so. And the stranger himself, though more than once he must have seen the baronet's face auite clearly, claimed no acquaintance. Thirlmere was puzzled by this sense of familiarity; but he had little time to giva to it, for as the car started the stranger began to speak. "You know Wotton Court, then?" ' . dined there very often in the years before the war. Rolf Trenchard. who owned it, was my friend. He was killed at Neuve Chapelle, but I did not know the house was now occupied. I fhought Dick Trenchard was in India."

"I believe he ;s. He does not expect to return for another year, in the meantime I hire the house, all standing, from the executors, who arc glad to receive the rent to hclo to meet the death duties which your delightful country imposes."

"You are not an Englishman?" asked Sir Harry, with an air of polite curiosity.

"As you guess. I am an exile from the most unhappy land in Europe. I am Russian. My name is Leo Pavalosk, and in my own country I rejoice in the title of Count; but here " The man broke off and laughed. "Here, whore you think so little of un-English titles, I am plain Leo Pavalosk, Esq."

The baronet laughed with him. "1 don't know," he said. "We are rather a snobbish race, and I don't think you need he unduly modcot about a Russian tit;lc. Count Pavalosk."

"Perhaps not. But one does not proclaim it abroad just now. Your people are so sensitive about all things Russian."

The man wandered off into a disquisition on Russian affairs, to which Thirlmere gave little heed, for now- that the conversation called for no alertness on liis part he was again busy with the question as to where he had met this man before; arid with the further question whether this Russian Count- who had taken Wotton Court had any acquaintance with Katrina Vertcheff.

He was tempted to settle the latter question out of hand 'by a direct inquiry, but more prudent counsels prevailed.

The Count was still talking when Thirlmere halted the car at the lodge ot the Court. The Russian descended, and turned to thank his friend in need. The light from the lodge'window fell straight upon 'his face, and again the' certainty that he had met the man before swept over Sir Harry, so strongly, indeed, that the Count's first words escaped 'him.

" . . imagine that we must be neighbours. I do not think you gave mc your name, but if you do not mind " "Oh," laughed the baronet, "there is no need that I should. My name is Thirlmere."

"You are Sir Harry Thirlmere?" The Russian leaned forward with a little bow, as if to get a better glimpse of the other's face. Then he gave an odd laugh. "We are neighbours, then. Sir Harry, you have dined at Wotton Court in other days, and you must come and dine with mc at the earliest opportunity. I shall be glad to cement the acquaintance so happily begun." "When you please," answered Thirlmere, lightly. "Then I will send you, an-invitation to meet mutual friends as soon as the matter can 'be arranged." "Thank you," said Sir Harry, politely. The Count waved his hand in adieu, and the baronet resumed his way, his mind again trying to pierce- the veil ot the past which made it impossible to recall any reason,for the strong feeling that he bad seen before the man whom he had just left. It was not until he was running up the long- drive to his own house that any recollection came to him. "The man of whom I dreamt on the boat, of course—the Russian in the khan who held the knife in his hand." He laughed suddenly, and murmured aloud, "Now, does a man ever dream beforehand of a face he has never seen and is to meet? I guess not. Then where the deuce have I seen the man?" (To he continued: Saturflay next.)