THE TURN OF THE TIDE

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1922, Page 21

THE TURN OF THE TIDE

By FRED M. WHITE.

CHAPTER XXVX J THE UIDIN-G-PLACD. j The offices of Verity and Company j closed promptly at mid-day on Saturdays, and usually a few minutes afterwards the premises were deserted till ten ! o'clock on Monday. On this particular morning in April, most of the stnir had already denarted, and Gilmour was packing up his papers when a visitor interrupted him. He bustled in confident and alert and obviously sure of his ground. "Name of Beavan," ho said. "Representing Mark-ham Brothers. Sorry to detain you, Mr. Gilmour, but a rather unpleasant thing has happened, and no doubt you will be able to put it right." Crflmour wa.3 on his guard in a moment. He scented danger here, and that prominent jaw of his was thrust slightly forward, but not in an aggressive way as yet. He wanted time to think. "Half a minute," lie said. "Just let mc sign these letters, and then I am entirely at your disposal. I want to catch a train at Cannon Street in about forty minutes, but no doubt we can finish .by then Now, Mr. Beavan, I am ready for you." With that Gilmour pushed his cigarette case across the table and smiled at his visitor quite amiably. "Well, it's like this," the man called Beavan replied. "A day or two ago we purchased through our brokers some cases of fine Havana cigars, which I understand oame through you." Gilmour could see the danger plainly enough now, and he was thankful that it had not been sprung upon him too suddenly. "Is that a fact?" he asked. "Not that I am disputing your word for a moment. I don't call the" stuff to mind, but then we deal with all sorts of things and one cannot recollect everything. Still, I can look it up if you like." "No need to do that," the other said. "I can assure you it is exactly as I state." "How many cases of cigars did you say?" "Nineteen, to be exact. Yes, I am sure it was nineteen." Gilsiour knew nil about it now. Theec were the cases of cigars that his confederates had picked up on a certain evening when working in his absence, on the information he had supplied to Airey and Pensum himself. Hfe recollected now that there had been twenty cases, though they had informed him that one of these had been lost in transit. He had said nothing about it at the time, though he had had a shrewd idea that the missing case had been hypothecated •>y the thieves as their share of the plunder. "Well, please go on," lie said. "We bought those cases for a wealthy client in Spain. Quite by accident they were seen as they were .being shipped by a member of the firm of Johnson and Co., who claimed them for their own. .Not only that, but he proved it. He said that the goods were stolen on their way up the Thames, and when we came to make inquiries, we found that they had made their way into your Kands. Of course, I am not suggesting for an instant, Mr. Gilmour, that there is anything wrong as far as you are concerned, but there you are. " You must have bought them in all innocence from some one who got hold of them dishonestly. There can be no other explanation." "Very unpleasant," Gilmour murmured. "I think I recollect something of the transaction now. I am under the impression the cigars came to us from a Hamburg correspondent. But I will look into the matter on Monday and let you know. What view do Johnsons lake of it? I suppose they have consulted the police?" Gilmour asked the question in the most casual fashion, not for a moment displaying the anxiety <that he was feeling, for he knew that a great deal depended on the reply. This was the first time that the scheme had gone wrong since he had started on his career of crime in Great Bower Street, and he was feeling , the strain. "'Nothing of the kind," Beaven said. "We are all fed up with the police. These robberies go on almost daily, and nothing happens. Johnsons' only care about being recompensed for their loss. and have named an amount which is but little more than your charge. Of course, we shall have to make that good and, in our turn, we naturally look to you to see us right. It's a matter of business, Mr. Gilmour, and nothing else." "Oh, I quite understand," Gilmour said, speaking with a sense of relief that he managed to hide perfectly. "I quite agree with you as to what you say about : the police. We have given them up in despair. You had better see Johnsons and tell them that if they will send us their invoices we will forward them a cheque for the full amount. In our turn we shall get the money back from the Hamburg correspondent or whoever else it was that sold the cigars to us." "That is very satisfactory," Beaven said. "I will tell Johnsons what you say, and they can communicate with you direct. Stop a moment, wouldn't it be just as well if you sent us the cheque and leave us to settle with Johnsons. In that case, we can all keep our own counsel and say no more about it." They settled it in that way. and Gilmour walked thoughtfully in the direction of Cannon Street Station. He had come very well out of an exceedingly tight place, but all the same he was worried and uneasy in his mind, because he could see ihat something had gone wrong Eomewhere, and that suspicious nature of his feared a trap. And yet the whole thing was natural enough. However, he would have time to think the matter over when he was alone in the train. Then later on he could discuss the matter with Croot, and guard against any such alarming accident in the future. But he was not destined to get as far as Cray alone. Hardly had he taken his place in an empty first-class carriage before he was joined by Rust and Ellis. They were going down to Cray for the week-end golf, and were staying at the Cray Arms Hotel. They talked on general topics, apparently in the most friendly fashion, though they were all thankful enough to part when they came to the end of their journey, for Gilmour's mind was full of the disturbing incident of the morning, and the other two men found it difficult enough to appear on absolutely friendly terms with a man whom they knew to he a thorough-paced scoundrel and whose disgrace and exposure they were planning with the assistance of Lock.

Croot who was still more or less confined to the house with the trouble that seemed to cling to him obstinately welcomed Gilmour at the luncheon-table.

As Vera was there it was impossible for tlio moment for the conversation to be about, anything but the most ordinary subjects, :ind moreover there was a good deal of constraint between herself and Oilmour as there had been ever since the night when ho had asked her to marry him and she had refused. "Are you playing jrolf this afternoon?" lie naked. "I don't think so," Vera replied. "I have strained my wrist. And besides, [ promised to go down later on and help Pat Langlc.r in the cottage garden." "You will be back to tea, I hope?" Gihnour suggested. Vera said that she might, and then presently she loft the two men together in the library. As soon as the door was closed behind them and the cigarettes lighted, Oilmour told his story. "Now. how on earth did you manage to make a blunder like that?"' Croot demanded. "It might have been fatal." "Well." Gilmour growled. "You can't go on for ever without making a few mistakes. 1 don't like it, Croot, I don't like it a bit. I can smell a trap." "I dare say you can, though it looks to mc more like a piece of sheer bad hick. You have managed up to now to work it well enough through those people at Rotterdam, and I don't see why you shouldn't go on. 'W e shall have to pay Johnson and Co., of course, but after all our loss is only the trifling sum by which their" price exceeds that at Winch we sold. Not that it makes much difference to mc, whatever happens." '•Oh, yes, you are nil right in any case" Gilmour sneered. "Nobody can touch you. Mr. Croot has a high reputation, and if the unfortunate Mark Gilmour is laid by the heels, then nobody will be more grieved and surprised than his confiding employer. Wonderfully innocent, aren't you?" "Oh, we have had this Mine over half a dozen times," Croot said impatiently. "You knew from the very first exactly what the understanding was, and if you don't like to go on, why, I am ready to drop it to-morrow. We have both done pxceedingly well out ai the business, and though the average man never has quite enough, however rich he may be, I shan't hurt if I never make another penny. 1 will make a bargain with you. If you like, I will turn over the business of Verity and Co. to you free gratis and for nothing. You shall have the whole thing exactly as it stands. I will resign the city entirely, and spend the rest of my life as a conntrv gentleman. I suppose when we come to" balance up accounts there will be at least £40,000 coming to you, and you •would be a fool if you did not keep ■straight in future." "It sounds tempjting," Gilmour said. "But it doesn't quite fit in with my ambitious ideaa. I set out in the beginning to make £100.000, and when I get hold of that, then 1 will accept your offer. Meanwhile, I prefer things to go on as they are." Croot shrugged hie shoulders carelessly. 'Very well." he said. "Just as you like, hilt don't forget the fable of the pitcher that went too often to the well. It is a matter of indifference to mc, because it is a ease of heads I win tails you lose. The more money you make, the greater my share, and considering that 1 am running no risks whatever, I am quite content whichever way you take it." Gilmour wandered out into the garden presontlv just in time to intercept Vera on her wav to the cottage. He walked as far as the gate with her, and then strolled across the golf links. lie had hardly readied the Club House when he met Rust who 'hud just finished his round, and was going to call *upon the Langleys. 1 "1 haven't seen the old gentleman for! some ttrne," he explained. "I hear he is much better." "So I am told," Gilmour said. "But it is ofily a flash in the pan I expect. He will never be his old self again." Rust'smiled as he went his way. He stopped to say a few words to Vera and Put, who were very busy planting out a spring border and then he walked into the sitting-room of the cottage. The major was eagerly awaiting him. He was sitting up, alert and vigorous in his chair, his eye was clear and bright, and there was about him no suggestion of the confirmed invalid. ''Well." he asked eagerly. "Is there any news?" '"'.A good deal," Rust said. "But first of all. if you don't mind, I will closc> the window. It doesn't much matter if Pat hears what we are talking about, but slie is not alone, and I don't want Vera to gather too much just at present. She looks worried and anxious enough in any case.' , "Which is only natural," the major said. "She feels that there is something mysterious going on, and I am sure slie resents being bound to secrecy. Sooner or later she must know everything, of course, poor child. Meanwhile, there is much to do, and I am getting vory anxious to Jiave everything out. Now if you have anything to tell mc, I shall be glad to hear it." "I have a great deal to tell you," Rust said. "To begin with, I have proved lx\yond the shadow of a doubt that all you told mc is absolutely correct. You were cruelly robbed by" Croot in the most cold-blooded way, and when you told mo that he had swindled you out of thousands of pounds by means of forged debentures, you were stating the case exactly. I think I said something to you about a man T know who is exceedingly clever in getting to the bottom of swindles of this sort. At any rate. ! consulted him on the matter, and more or less t'> n k him into my confidence. He ferreted it all out. He discovered that Croot actually ordered five hundred extra copies of debentures, in his capacity as secretary, and what is more, at Llie present moment I have the order form for those bonds signed by (.root in my pocket." The major jumped excitedly to his feet, then he sat down again at a sign I from his companion. I "I l*'g your pardon, Geoff.'- 1 he said. I "But I forgot myself for a moment. That J statement of yours startled mc. Do you mean to say that you have Croot's acfual signature?" j "Certainly I do. Croot ordered those j debentures on purpose to deliver them j to you. Moreover, they are numbered I exactly as yours are. Xow, I have been j going into" the tiling carefully, and I , find that umler their Articles of Association, Broken Points Company had only power to issue a thousand debentures. Therefore, the swindle is plain for a child to see. If you can only produce those bonds, we can go to Croot tomorrow morning and compel him to disgorge every peony of 'his ill-gotten giins.

Mind you, ho can find it, because he is aj ric-h man, qnite apart from the moneyi ne extracted t'vom you. There is not the least reason why we shouldn't make him pay the money you put dow-n for your ordinary shares as -nell. Thnt would be some thousands more, wouldn't it?" The major lay back in his chair with a smile upon his "lips. Already in imagination he was seeing himaelf back at the Moat House, basking in the sunshine of the old prosperity with many years of health and happiness before him. "That is good hearing, GeofT. he said. "Very good hearing indeed. It will be a fine day 'for mc when I stand face to face with Croot, and denounce him for the abandoned eeoundred that he i-. And I am £oinjj to do it ill the very room where I was stricken down with the illness that has made mc a hopeless wreck all this time. I am £roin;j to turn him out of my library and drive him into the putter that he came from. It will be a great revenue." "'Oh, I have every sympathy with you," Rust smiled. '"But we have a long way to go yet. It will be time to talk like that when you can lay jour hand on those debenturce." The major smiled again, a deep iascrutaMe smile. ' ; Go on, fipoff," he murmured, "I don't think you have finished yet. I have an idea you have much more to tell."

"I believe I have. To begin with, Croot ie practically the owner of all the shares in Kamaloo Copper Trust. He bought the assets of Broken Points through a nominee, knowing perfectly well that he was purchasing a valuable property, and swindling the original shareholders out of their rights. When you want mc to prove this I am quite prepared to do it. Moreover, I have found the letter-book you spoke about containing copies of the originals signed 'by Croot himself. I have read moot of them through, and pretty damning documents they are. The book is in my suit case at the hotel, and I will let you have it before I go back to town on Monday morning. Xow, if you could only find those receipts you told mc about, with the numbers of the debentures on them, and the debentures themselves, then we should be able to corner Croot at any time and bring him to his knees." The major leant forward and whispered tinder his breath. ''That is already dove, Geoff, ,, he saia. "It hae all come back to mc. I can put my bands on those papers when I please, because I know now exactly where they are hidden. They are at the Moat Houeo, and Croot is within a yard or two of them every day. If he only knew, what would he say? -, (To be continued daily.)