A WOMAN'S DEBT

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 211, 5 September 1924, Page 12

A WOMAN'S DEBT

By WILLIAM LE QUEUX.

CHAPTER XHI. There was riot very much to discuss when Lahe did get to Deanery Street. Certain inexplicable things had happened for which, at present, there seemed no accounting. Somebody seemed to be doing what he liked with this wonderful safe, abstracting and replaelrig property when he chose, without hindrance, in a house full of people. " Cmc novel feature on this deeasion waft the total absence of finger-prints. They had been carefully rubbed out. Morrice seemed greatly perturbed, as was quite natural under the circumstances; but Lane noticed that there was a considerable difference in his demeanour on this occasion from the last, when he had insisted, with some display of temper, upon the certainty of Croxtoh's guilt. Lsiie had been 'A little nettled at the the cock-sure attitude of this hard-headed man of business who, however great his success in his own particular line, did riot .seem to possess ii very great logical faculty; and could not forbear putting a rather pertinent question. "Are you quite as sure as you were, Mr. Mortice, that your late secretary is the thief." . ■ Morrice Shrugged his shoulders. It was easy to sSethat he was in a subdued mood; there was no fear of further explosions to-day. "I admit there are complications in this infernal business that perplex dn6 extremely.: But I don't think that 60 far, I Can See any particular reasons for altering my previous opinion. YoU can't get over the insurmountable fact that Croxton and myself were the only two persons who knew the secret of the mechanism. He may not be the actual purloincr, I admit; he may have passed on his knowledge to a confederate .with, whom he shares the spoil." Lane only let _dti~~ few words in answer to these observations, but they Were very significant ones, • "Don't fdrget, Mr. MorrTce, that yOu lost the original key or'memOranduhl, as yoii call it, of the workings." But the financier was An obstinate person, as many strong-minded men are. When he-had once .formed a theory, lie did not give'it up in a hurry. "OJily mislaid, I eltpect," his answered, but it *a_ easy to see hi 9 tone was hot quite so .confident as.usual. "I shouldn't be surprised if it turned up at any _ttoh_e.it." Biit Lane hastened to put a damper at once. "And if it did, I don't see that it would help j'ou feo Very tnu.h. You couldn't possibly know in what other hands it might, have been during the i interval." The financier had 110 wish to engage in further argument with this calm, selfpossessed mail, whose merciless logic made Such short work of anything in the nature of & positive opinion. "It doesn't seem to matter much what I think," he Cried with a Blight return of his old petulance, b "And perhaps it would be -wiser to admit at once that I don't possess your capacity for weighing facts and drawing deductions from them. I should like to know one thing, . Mr. Lane—doeS What has just happened convey any neW suggestions to you, thtOw any fresh light Upon the situation?" He did not gauge the detective as accurately as one might have expected from a man with his wide knowledge of human;'nature, or he would never have put this question in the hope of getting a satisfactory answer. Whatever theory or theories might be forming in his mind, and there could be.no doubt that it was working at full-speed all the time, and re-adjusting, .itself,.,, to every fresh...turn of events, ;I_ane WdtJld make ho disclosures till he judged-the time was ripe, " i A- • He shook his head witTi great gravity. "We work very Slowly, Mr. Mot-rice; we come to conclusions With equal slowness in our profession. ' "1 daresay to a. keen business roan like yourself Who plan your coups with lightning rapidity, make and clinch a deal of many thousands in a few minutes, We must seem slow, plodding fellows, BUt yoU must remember that most of our time we are working underground where very little light penetrates. What has ; happened to-day may suggcßt a new line of thought to mc, but I have hot yet had "time to digest its signirieanee. -it will want a great deal of patient thinking over before it bears any fruit." With this • the rather impatient financier had tab be.. Content,.. He waß beginning to have a ccttain'-respect for the firm' self-reliant attitude of the detective. Who did not appear to be in thi least overawed by Morricc's wealth and position. And he had a shrewd idea that,' in his own particular ahd less remunerative lirie, Latac had a brain not greatly inferior to his own. They worked in different directions .With a vast disproportion between the rewards attending their efforts. Morrice had the instinct of money .making, Lane the instinct of unravelling ctftnihal- mysteries. Perhaps ih the bare fact of intellectual equipment there was not much to choose between thfem. ' •■■"■■" As the detective passed through the hall ion M - way out lie found Rosabelle waiting for him. She Wis, of course, Cognisant' of what had happened, and on Lane's arrival her first idea had beeti to be j.r_seiit at the interview between lii_na_id her uncle. But on second thoughts she had decided to speak to the detective alone.. She still loved her uncle very dearly; _he must always do that for all the kindness and affection he bad -lavished, on her. But it Was impossible there should not he a little secret antagonism-between the two in the circuit-stances. He appeared to be firmly convinced of Richard Croxton's guilt, Shd bb'Hiihly convinced of his innocence. She was a fair-minded girl,' and she was prepared to make .every allowance for Morrice"- attitude; but as there did not seem nhy common ground on which'they COuld meet, when the matter Was under discussion, -she judged it best to speak of it to him as little as possible. She put to him practically, the same question that her Uncle had done. "Well. Mr" __afle, What d 6 you think of the new development! Does it reveal anything to you ?" That Wary and cautious person shook his bead. He had taken a great liking to Rosabelle. Ber staunch devotion to her lover had appealed to the finer chords' of his hature: for although he never allowed sentiment to sway him Unduly. he waa by ho means destitute of that human quality. But not «V_fi fat Rbsa i belle-i sake would he depart greatly from that cautious attitude which Was habitual to him. . i "It "is a strange development! Miss Sheldon, but t have not yet bad time to j tbink-.it over. I.am going, back to my office to do so, and the thinking oVef Will take same time.' 1.

Her Charming face fell. ci You cannot' see in it even the remotest thing that tells in favour of Richard Croxton?" The eyes were very sad, the voice was very pleading. Should he give the unhappy girl one little crumb of comfort? For-a little time he hesitated, then compassion got the better of prudence; of his iron reserve. , "I will just say this, Miss Sheldon, I and no mofc. It is becoming a less impossible task than I at first thought to clear him: but please don't be too jubilant—there are still very formidable difficulties in the way." j A radiant 'light came into the charm- j ing face, although her eyes filled with tears, and she clasped her hands ncr : vously together. Her voice trembled lis. she spoke. J ''You-have put new life into ine with ' those words, Mr. Lane. I know you quite well by now; and I am sure that, coming.from you, they mean much." \ POOr. Lane began to think he had made a bit of a mistake in departing from his usual caution, in being moved by the pleading attitude of the girl into givihg -. her this small crumb of comfort. That Was the worst of women —-they were so impressionable and optimistic, or pessimistic, as the case might be. Their mood_ Were never equable; they Were cither in the height of elation or the depth of despair. I "Please do not let ihe excite false' hopeß, Miss Sheldon," he hastened to s.'iy. j "Remember, I have told you there are | great difficulties ih the way.. Until we i are On' much firmer grotlrtd I would beg i that you do not. repeat liiy words' to Ml". | Croxtoii." \

• But. She did not give any answer to this request, nnd he knew that:_or all practical purposes he might have held his peace. Of course, she would post off to her" lover as soon as she could get away, and infect him with her own optimism. -Well,, he was loth to confide too much in the most - hard-headed and sceptical man; he had only himself to blame for having been over-cdhfidential with'a member of tlie emotional sex. . Later On ih -the. day. Rosabelle carried out his -prediction; she made up her mind to pay a visit td Petersham, to heartcu her loVer With a recital df those Words which she was convinced meant so much, coming from a man of Lane's cautious temperament.. . ... j MoWiCo had left the house shortly after -the detective's departure. . The two women would have luhched ,alone together but for the unexpected arrival of young 'Archie Brookes, who- >was pressed to stay for the meal. j fiosabclle Was' vi>ry sensitive to impressions, and for so young a girl particularly observant. It struck her that, during the progress of., the luncheon the young matt seemed rather distrait atid pre-occupied. Twft or three times he answered at random, nml once Mrs. Morrice called out to'him sharply, "I 'don't' think Sj'ou are listening' to what I am, saying, Archie." At that rebuke he seemed to pull hitt__etf together, but the girl Was BUre Ills, thoughts were far away ftohl her aunt's light chatter. *-' s • Presehtly aiint and nephew, to call him what Rosabelle, ignorant of Lane's discoveries, Still.-believed him io be, went. up to Mrs. Jiorrice's boudoir. There was nothing unusual in this; it was a • frequent custom .when the young man. called or lunched at the house, , . " . .Hoga'bellc thought ; _he would start for Petersham at once, making her journey there.as UsUal in a taxi. She always had plenty, of mbiiey for ( her needs, as Morrice supplemented bet- own little modest income of n.hundred a year with a Very generous allowance.

As she went upstairs to her 6Wn room to make ready for her expedition, sho i-itssed her aunt's boudoir, the door of Which Stood Slightly ajStr. It Was i. rather unusual circumstance, for when the tw6 were closeted together Eosabelle had noticed that it waß nearly always closed.' This tlhie it had 'evidently beeu forgotten by both. She waß «0t a jjlH Who in ordinary circumstances would have condescended to listen at doors, but she could not help hearihg WOfds that startled and puzzled her. b . Archie was speaking in a voice of great .excitement and emotion. "But if I don't have it t am ruined. It means that I cannot face the diggrace—there is only oue alternative 1 ". His voice had by now sunk almost to a whisper, and she could not catch what followed. She-stood rooted to the Spot. The young, man's preoccupied manner at tlie lunch-table was accounted for.. He was in -6tt_e llMp tfOUble from which he was begging Mrs. Morrice to rescue hito. She heard her attilt reply ih tones that were i half -angry, half-tearful. "HoW many times have you threatened mc with that, and I have yielded.' I have half ruined. 7 myself for you; it cannot go on much longer.'-' . Suddenly she felt she was listening to a conversation not intended for her ears, and resolutely turned away, and went to her own room. For the present she would say nothing, not even to Dick, of what she had :bea_d by the purest accident. But she thought over it all the way on the WttJ drive to Petersham. Was there yet another tragedy going on in the Morrice household, and was her placid-looking, dignified aunt the centre of it?'-

. And what was that alternative which . Archie Brookes had described ih ii whisper she could not catch? Had he threatehed to destroy himself if his request were not acceded to? And what did -Mrs. Morrice mean by saying she had half-rUined herself for him? j (To be continued daily.) j