Beads of Silence

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 293, 11 December 1929, Page 26

Beads of Silence

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. SUPERINTENDENT MACBRIDE, of Scotlaud Yard, and SEPTIMUS MARCH, private detective, are trying to discover what his become of SIR RICHARD WESTON, who has mysteriously disappeared, together with a famous string of Indian amulets, "The Flowers of Sleep." Sir Richard wanted to marry his daughter, EVELYN, to his ward, ANTHONY DARFORD, with whom he had quarrelled on the day of his disappearance. Sir Richard set out, after the quarrel, to consult AYLMER DENISTON, his solicitor, with the object of altering his will. CHAPTER V. "An ungrateful young cub enough, I should think," said Macßride. "Looks as if he'd rather find him dead than alive, too," put in March. "And if the old man was killed before he got to Deniston's and altered tlw will, I suppose he would benefit, too?" '•But,. Mr. March, you don't think Mr. Darford had anything to do with the disappearance ''." said Inspector Thompson, echoing Mr. Macßride's own question on the preceding night. Once more Mr. March said, "I suggest nothing, but until this mystery is cleared up everybody in the house and district can come under suspicion if his behaviour justifies it. "One thing is certain, a quarrel took place between the two men, and Mr. Darford benefits by the loss of his guardian, so, too, does Miss Weston, for she will be free now to marry whom she pleases. Possibly when we have looked further into the matter we may find that others, too, are equally concerned. At present it is only conjecture. I wonder what's become of our worthy butler. I should like to have a chat with him first." He rang, and but a minute afterwards the old man entered, looking inquiringly from one to the other as he noted the absence of Mr. Darford. "I rang, Packham," said March, "because Mr. Darford has gone back to his room and given me' permission to question any of the servants and make what Inquiries are necessary. Naturally he is very upset. Sir Richard was like a father to him, was he not?"

"That he was, sir," said the servant emphatically. "A deal kinder than most fathers, too. It seemed too bad t j ]a t ] ie » As if he had said too much, he broke off, leaving the rest to go by default. "I suppose they quarelled, eh? Like all fathers and sons do, much less guardians and their wards." "Yes, but only lately, sir. Eefore that Mr. Deniston came along I doubt whether, Mr. Darford would have said 'bo' to the Squire's goose. Used to stay in and muddle about in that old laboratory of his——" "Ah, what's that?—laboratory?—goes in for chemistry, eh? Shouldn't have thought it," said March, a little heatedly, as a new thought came up. "Rare fond he was always as a boy in what he called, eh —well—bad " He hesitated and coughed. "'Stinks' is the word you're trying to avoid,'Packham," said March with a ilittle laugh; then seeing the abashed face of the > old man, he added, "That's the official schoolboy title, too, for chemistry, so don't you mind. Well, I must have a look at that laboratorysome, time; that, used to be my own special: hobby when I was at college. Doesn't' seem to be a favourite, this Mr. Deniston, then?" "No,. sir; to my mind he's too interested .in those precious jewels of the master's —always a-no3ing round that case. Pve caught him time after time a-looking at it, with his head on one side just as if he were planning how to cut the glass, if that were possible, and which it isn't " " '•"■,• "And yet that very case is the one that has I been robbed?" ."That-it. couldn't be, sir, not without its being unlocked," put in Packham respectfully, "and seeing that the mas-, ter always wears that key on a steel chain beneath his waistcoat, 't ain't 'humanly possible that anyone could •have got it without his knowledge or consent."

The thought flashed through March's mind as to just how the old butler knew this, and, as if answering ' the* thought itself; the old, man continued, speaking almost tenderly, in fact.

"You see, sir, I've been all my life, boy and man, with the master in various - places, and used to act as his valet until we came here. Often at night, when I used to take in his last supper, just a whisky and soda, he used to keep me a minute or two talking of old times, that's how I know. He knew, bless him, everybody wanted that old String of Beads." "The Flowers of Sleep," muttered March beneath his breath. •

"'Yes,' he used to say, 'they won't get it except over my dead body. Packham, my boy, and Deniston can do what he likes,' he- added one night, arid that made me think that that gentleman a-wanted it.' Master used to take the necklace out along with him sometimes, though he must have known it was dangerous last week " '.'Why. last week?" asked March. "Because there were one or two Indians-a-staying at the inn last week," was the surprising answer. "I told the master,*.too,/bilk he only laughed and said, 'Oh! they won't hurt me, Packham', but there's a greater danger down at that inn, and I'm going to clear it out, root and branch too.'" "'Boot and branch,' eh," said March thoughtfully.; "Now, just what did he mean By that?" "I expect he referred to the Thorpes, sir," said Packham. "The public house is parti of the Croydale Estate, sir, and I know'for a fact that George Thorpe's lease expires next week, and seeing that Mr. Darford spends all his time with that nighty daughter of his, Clara, I don't wonder the old man was determined to put a stop to it. .That's why he was going to':see Mr. Deniston on Thursday." V ■■'".' '■, "" "I wonder if he did go;. that must be looked into," said. Macßride. •. "So, really, Mr. Darford was the last person to see the Squire, then, in the library where they quarrelled?" "I can't say that, sir, because they went out of the house together, but still quarrelling." "Together—are you sure"?" ' "Quite sure, for I gave the master his hat, Mr. Darford pulled a soft cap out of his own-pocket, and I heard the master say, Til, stop it. once and for all this time,' and all down the drive Mr. Darford was: a-pleading and plead-ing—-and after the old man's

voice trembled away into silence, a silence that held all three, for had they not heard Mr. Darford say that he had left Sir Richard in the library at halfpast three' in order to keep some appointment at four? True, he might have forgotten the incident himself, or trusted to luck that Packham would forget. One thing was certain, he could very well have intercepted the old man after he left the Croydale Arms and before he saw the lawyer. "What time was that, Packham—do you remember or not?" . "As it happens I do, sir, for I heard the village church clock strike the hour as I entered the door again." "The hour—three . . . do you mean?" "No, four o'clock, sir." March nodded. Four o'clock, and Clara had said about tea time, so no mischief had been done by Darford then. "Well," he said at length, "it is not of much importance, as evidently many other people must have seen the Squire after that, but I should'like to see the rooms so as to get some idea of the lay of the place. You see, if the worst comes to the worst'we have got to find that Amulet as well as Sir Richard." Packham turned and March whispered to the superintendent: "Get old Packham downstairs between you. Once I am in Sir Richard's room I want a few minutes undisturbed." Macßride nodded in understanding and the three followed the old butler through the door, up the broad staircase and down a passage on the first floor. This passage was flanked with doors on one side and windows looking down upon the gardens in front of the house on the other of its sides. March noted this peculiarity immediately, as by this method of building no bedroom window looked directly upon the grounds at the front. Opening one door, Packham said:, "This is Sir Richard's room, sir," and on entering the detectives saw that the windows at the opposite end looked down on a square quadrangle of green turf and flower beds set like jewels. "The one next to it is Mr. Darford's and our young lady's room is on the opposite wing," continued Packham.

March strode across to the window and looked out. It was, he discovered, at the'side of the house, and faced a vista of far-stretching fields of corn and pasture land. He heard Macßride , say, true to his promise: "March, I think I'll go downstairs and interview the rest of the servants while you're; having a look round. There's no need for us both to stay up here, is.there?" "Kight-o, old chap!" said March. 'Til join you in a few minutes. p I can find my own way down, Packham. Will you go with Mr. Macßride?" "Very well, sir!" Packham left the room, with Macbride following in the rear. As soon as he was-alone March left the window and strode across to the door, which he shut .carefully and securely. Then he walked over to the bureau and tried the top drawer. It was locked, but : he ■ was prepared for that. From an inside pocket of his coat he took a small key which he fitted to the lock, and a minute later he had pulled the drawer open, and was eagerly examining its contents. A number of old letters claimed his attention first of all, but they proved to be nothing more important than ordinary business correspondence, mostly in connection with the farmland adjoining the house and r the surrounding tenants. A little pile of papers on'the righthand side were more interesting, and March's eyes lit up when he saw them. They were mainly bills, all of which were made out to Mr. Anthony Darford. f Many of them were of recent date and represented large sums owing to a man named Freeman, whose name March recognised as that of a wellknown bookmaker. "Phew! That young man's certainly been going the pace," he muttered to himself, as he made a rapid calculation of the amount represented by the bills stretching, over.the period of less than a month. "Don't wonder the old man cut up rough about it! I suppose it was another bill that caused the row the other morning." He replaced the bundle in the drawer and went to close it,' but his attention was. arrested by a thin trail of brown powder that had dropped from * the papers into the bottom of the drawen He picked some up on the end of his finger, and smelt it thoughtfully, then he shut the drawer. So the old man was a snuff-taker! He made a mental note of the fact and went on with his search. But the rest of - the

drawers revealed nothing more interesting than a selection of collars and cuffs, ties and handkerchiefs, shirts, and a varied selection of masculine attire. A rapid glance through, them all sufficed to show that there was nothing likely to interest him there, and he left the bureau eventually and tried the wardrobe. Here again were only clothes. The only document he found was a letter, dropped just inside as though it had been taken froin the pocket of one of the coats and had slipped there unnoticed. This was addressed to the Squire and was from Aylmer Deniston, solicitor, fixing the time for an interview with regard to the drawing up of a new will. March read it through thoughtfully, made as though to put it back where he had found it, and then, changing his mind, slipped it into his coat pocket. At length, satisfied that nothing in the room had escaped his attention, he opened the door and stepped out into the passage again. As he passed the door of Anthony Darford's room on his way downstairs, he saw that- it stood open. A hasty glance inside showed him that the young man was not there, and, after giving a cautious glance round to see that nobody was in sight, he stepped inside.

Uncertain whether Anthony Darford left the house, or whether he were likely to return and discover him there, March dared not do more than give a cursory glance round. But as he turned to go his eyes fell on a scrap of paper that lay at his feet. He picked it up and read it through, then, with a little whistle of astonishment, let it flutter down again to where he had found it lying. Here was a complication that he had certainly not anticipated, and as he left the room and made his way downstairs his brow was wrinkled in a puzzled frown. (To be continued daily.)