THE DARD AVENUE

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 26 March 1921, Page 21

THE DARD AVENUE

j. By FERGUS HUME.

j iutJior of "The Ujfttery of a Emnsom Cab," "The Jew , * House," "The Spider, ,, "The Silent Sigmal," "The hott Poroh*cnt," "CreeyQttilt," eie, elo.

j Miss Jence reflected for a moment. : then swung her long legs oft' the sofa, with :in ejaculation. " Blest if 1 shouldn't have thought of that .before." : - Thought of what ? " i ' A rope of tlie lady's coarse red hair I Iweame untwisted, and she coiled it up again with a pensive look. " She was a i champion n'.tnt. too." she said more to ■ herself than to her companion. """What on earth do you mean ? " \ I "I'd like to a.sk you that question." | j sai.l Mi,-s .lenee hri*kiy. "Who men-: I tinned the name of ( lara Cleppy to yon '• " ■ ' "Hit* Yfarfarlanc She's n friend of (.rones', whom 1 have been seeing lately. ' h.nd I {fathered from her (hat he. sai.l! something about this woman. She iislced mc to mention the name to you, and left it at that." •' Hi.w docs Misa -What's-her-name come lo know about mc ? " - 1 told her. Shf knows all about the case, %nd I sujiplicd information when rflf! n?ked question?. " "Ah well : " The giantess leaned her elbow on her crossed knees and her cheek on her larjre hand. "She'd think I knew about Clara, seeing that I'm in the profcpfiion. And that .Tones thing told her about the celebrated Cowgirl. I wonder what In , and she are driving at ? " " That's what I wish to find mit. Wio is Clara < leppy J " '■ Doris \'ane's mother." ■'Lady frost's mother!'' Swoyto-wn looked iioth mystified and aghast. Mis? .Tenop nodded carelessly. " The same thing. only you put it differently. my l>oy. tliing that it should require an old woman to *hake iip ray withi about that. I should have thought of it before, seeing that Sir Hubert was shot." '• But I don't understand."' " Listen then." said the Strong Woman, suddenly serious. " 1 told you that 1 knew Lady Crest when she was on the ' stage and' didn't like her. I met hi-r ages a?o wiUi 'her mother, wim adores her. The old girl made a "ireat shine when Doris nicked your coutiin as her husband. Sir Hubert couldn't stand , Clara at any cost, and no wonder, seeing what a vulgar old pussy she is. lie paid her a pension to stay away, but i believe - Doris visited her occasionally when sjie came to town. And 1 have an idea. also, "added Miss Jenee slowly, " that Clara e neaked down to Ucyshnm, when your cousin waen't there, to see how Doris liked her billet ac a titled lady." '■Well. well, well?" cried Swaytown impatiently. "■ You're slow in the uptake, my son. Put t!iis and that together, it is just possible that thi* Miss Maefarlane. a.on? with Jones, has suggested the name of the person who shot Sir Hubert.' , "Oh ! " Swaytown sprang to his feet. " Impossible ! " " Why so S " asked Miss Jence coolly. " Clara wns a crack shot in her Cow-girl days when β-he showed with BufTnJo BiU.' , tlervase thought of Hector's remark that thj real criminal had not appeared on the scene as yet. Was Mrs. Oleppy— hitherto unknown—the real criminal ? •' I can't see why she should shoot my cousin. Krest loses a lot by her hus-band's death." Miss Jence shook her large head. " She gains much, if she goes the right way about it. That will gave lier the chance, and you told Hector that Doris knew all about the will." " overheard it. Yes?" - Well, can't you see » With Sir Hubert dead and your «iri cousin nut 01 the way, Doris handles Ihe dibs for at leafit seventeen years and longer, if she can manage her email daughter all right.' , ■■ What is your opinion. I'hen *" " I believe that Doris told her moUhcr about the will, and that they both saw a chance of getting the money. Doris. I hear, wasn't very much set on her elderly husband. Probably Clara sneaked down to Beysham and shot Sir Hubert through the window, and then got rid of Victoria in some way." '• Hut how ': " " I can't tell you. When 1 go down to Beysham 1 srh'all make it my bueiness to find out all about this Dark Avenue secret —if there is any. And if there is." continued Miss Jence emphaJticaliy, " Doris and her cat of a mother knew the trick and worked it to rid themselves of the girl.' , "It's an amazing idea." muttered Swaytown. pinching his chin. •• Very"! It may be true, or it may be a lie. Anyhow, it's just on the cards that Victoria Grest may be somewhere under Cleppy's wing to be kept out of tho way. By. thie time Clara may have shunted her to the States, where she — Cleppy, I mean —comes from. I'd look her up if I were you." " Victoria ? "' " And Oleppy. Where one is the other ks. if this idea is correct. You'll iind Clara's address in "The Era," as she keep 3 her card in out of vanity, so that the public mayn't forget her." " It's an idea," ea/id Swaytown musingly, " I"'H do it. And you 1 :, " I'll go down to-morrow to Beysham to look after thie gipsy. But I say Mr. Swaytown go clow with Cleppy. She's as sharp as a needle. Wish I could go and punch the truth out of her myself," muttered Jane again, feeling her admirable biceps. "Men ain't no good at this sort of thing." "Strange that Jones should not have mentioned this to mc." "Oh, as to that, it's your fault. You told mc you were suspicious of him, so it's natural that he should hold his tongue. Make pals with him, as I'm going to do with Ben and he may speak out. - ' "Well, I certainly like Jones better than t did," admitted Gervase. '"That's an improvement; hang on to it, - ' advised the giantess dryly; "and now you clear out, or my character 'ull be gone, flirting with a nice young man. My landlady's a holy terror on morality. | A handsome girl such as I am has to be ! careful. Have a peg? No! A cup of | tea-wash? No! A sandwich; a bun; a j chocolate drop? No! What'a handful you are as a guest." "I'll have a cigarette." "Thought you were going to say a kiss. There you are. Get out!" Handing the cigarette, she gave him a friendly | j push towards the door, and dismissed j I him in her vigorous fashion. ' (To be continued Saturday next.)

CHAPTER XV.--(Continued.) I Gervasp cast an observing eye round the shabby room, which was furnished with the llotsnm and jetsam of auction rooms. Behind light painted, elaborately grained folding doors was Miss Jence's bedroom, and these being slightly ajar, the visitor had a glimpse of considerable disorder. ]n fact, tidiness was not Miss Jence's strong point, as the sitting-room was equally upside down, everything being i n confusion to an extraordinary degree. In the midst of these modern ruins of ( arthage sat the boarder like a female Mariiis, being quite as calm and contented. Remembering what a dapper, neat little man Hector was. Gervase. wondered how he could bring himself to marry anyone content with such surroundings. But perhaps Praise hoped to improve Jane after marriage, and con- | sidered that the gaining "f her golden I heart was well worth putting iip with ! her untidy habits. All "the same'Rwaytown foresaw the probability of friction between the giantess and her mannikin when they set up house together. Miss Jcnce very affable in a gorgeous dressing gown of red silk, trimmed with yellowish lace, and offered her visitor a peg. As it was not yet noon Gervase excused himself, but accepted a cigarette. His huge hostess lighted one for herself, and pushed him with ; considerable force into a shabby armchair, while slve spread herself largely on an equally shabby sofa. With her red hair and pigjjy eye* and snub nose, Miss Jcnce looked plainer than ever, yet there was a look I about her which at times made her ap- : pearanee handsome. And in spite of all J her physical defects, she was considered handsome. A magnificent figure, no doubt, had to do with this opinion, and she certainly looked a splendid Amazonian Queen when facing the footlight;. "Well now. Mr. Swaytown." said Jane, blowing a cloud of smoke, "what brings you larking round this way? If you've come to make love to mc while j Hector* running your show at BeyI sham, you're wasting your time." ! "I'll make love, if you like." said ! Swaytown brightly, for lie had a great liking for this ponderous and agreeable creature go, my boy, no go." Jane winked. j "What would the other say?" J "The other?" Ctervase coloured in his j boyish way. I "The one you wer,e sweet on ' when Hector and I stumbled across you in the Strand. Don't say you've chucked her for some one else," "llow do you know that I've got any one?" "Because my eyes are in my head. Mr. Swaytown. Lord, ain't I old enough to know how many beans make five. Tome now, tell mc all about it." Miss ■ fence settled her large figure luxuriously, and the sofa creaked. 'It ain't that cousin of yours?" - "Victoria? Xo. She hasn't tcappeared.'' "Ah well.'Hector's down your way on the chance of spotting her whereabout*, my boy. T'm going down to-morrow to help him." 'TTou? T didn't know you went in for detective business." "Ah. you never know what you come to, before you hop off this mortal coil, old son. It's this way. I'm a fine figure of a woman, ain't I?" Gervaoe nodded and laughed out- i right. "The A'enus of Milo." "Who's she? Oh, a statue. Well. I don't hanker after stone things without clothes myself. But being a fix-your-eye piece of goods, I'm going fo dre=s up as a female pedlar and sell stock round Beysham way." "Whfct for?" Swaytown looked puzzled when informed of the projected masquerade, which had nothing to do with anything so far n% he could see. "I'll have a rival there," explained Miss Jenee with another affable wink, 'and he'll want to know why T'm on his pitch." '•"Ben Banch?" * "That's the chap. Hector wrote mc that he -.aspects this man of knowing a lot, but doesn't see how to get at him. He's in with Lady Grest; he's in with that Jones thing you told mc about: and he's inaking dollars out of both. I'm on the job to lure him Into confessions. Hector's idep. He gave mc the tip of paddinp: the hoof on the highway, on ' the chance of getting in wibh this Romany chal. Hector presses the button; T do the rest." "You seem to know something about gipsies," said Swaytown, noting her use of the Black language. Miss Jence nodded. "Earned a living as a show giantess in a caravan before T blossomed out .into a London favourite. I met heaps of gipsies at the various fairs, and tumbled to the lingo. Oh, I'll get something out of Ben." I "But your professional engagements? ,, "I'm giving them a rest. A month's holiday in this fine weather will buck mc up, and when the public miss mc they'll want mc more than ever. Besides," added the big lady earnestly, "I'm as curious as a cat over this bueiness. Father murdered; daughter collared. Lord, what a go!" "Well, I'm glad you are helping Hector," said Swaytown, after some cogitation, "for he is as keen as I am in seeking for a solution of the mysteries. But Banch is a pretty shady customer and a bit of an animal." "Pooh!" Miss Jence tapped the muscle of her left arm. "This 'ull see mc through a dozen of that sort." "I quite believe it. I'll see you down at Beysham." "Rather! But don't treat mc like a lady and a pal. when I'm engineering the" circus, for I'm not one of the aristocracy when out of Town." "I'll be careful," said Gervase, laughing at Miss Jenee's volubility and goodnatured appreciation of her position: "and now let mc come to the object of my visit." "To make love to mc. Ah, get along with you!" "I'll take you at your word if you're not #areful. 'Meanwhile —Cleppy!" Miss Jence, who was smiling at his retort, became grave when he mentioned the name, and stared. "Cleppy," she repeated. "Well, what about it?" "Do you know the name?" "As well as I know you. Who told you about her?" , "Her. It's a woman, then?" "Clara Cleppy. the Wild Woolly West Cow-girl. Of course she's a woman, and j is as well known in the profession as | myself. At least she. used to be before she retired — that was about Buffalo Bill's time." "Clara Cleppy," mused Swaytown. "I wonder what she has to do with it?" "Meaning the murder?" "Or the disappearance?"' ■ Gervase nodded, still looking puzzled.