Sir Dagabonb

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 288, 5 December 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

Sir Dagabonb

. • By DOUGLAS BUCHANAN.

CHAPTER XXIV. (continued.) n r . rvilc , " She mocked and mouthed ™ S bitterly, twisting her mouth * WO shape as she spat out into a h ° rrl £' Ever y£ody thinks of her! SLiS becwrie. an early Christian S * JTand I shall have to buy a stainT£ * window' for her out of my Tmnpst scribe.. *«, everything," she went on sneer- . 1 '"comes out of my monfey-the cost 'f {'nterSinment here, and the cost °lf devolves on Albion Storey every Sflftole a new friend. Friends! wlat friends! L a]l , I'm sick of it," she continued. a A then, suddenly sinking her voice, Si mV property,- please! I mean •°; At once?' She tried to snatch at one of the J parcels>t the man was too quick fOr pa h ul"Mallam looked at her and noted JlvTw rings round her eyes. Apart f e m g the e°and a certain nervous twitchr n the mouth, she was still in the C beauty. There is beauty £in a maddened jaguar. .•Wlat if I refuse? She laughed harshly. "Then I shall call Trim and have you giT A e s n ihe Ch S a afthis there came tearsnenuine tears-in her scornful eyes. £ sor stealing this, your property l If anY policeman knew that this hellish col. Son was yours, he would arrest you on fSarge of being in possession of clanI should have to give a calmly, "the nasty affair of Miss Dale's illness might come out. fit would mean not merely a Sv fine, but a long term of imprisonSfo?Albion Storey's child'And to as she attempted to bar -his wa y he almost whispered: "You are a Jking lethal chamber-a menace to humanity! You ought to have been living in ancient Italy with the Boigias. % can see you, as-first assistant to Lucrezia Borgia in her Venetian lalbora,torr, mbdng up the dope in delightful ' ignorance and'poisoning friend and foe alike!" • She seemed to wither under his anger and indignation, pressing her hand against her bosom as she leant panting against the Trail. °She hid her eyes for a moment, and then, "before he could prevent her, she hadeeizedthe case and snatched it from his hand. Once more the tigress in (her "became uppermost.' "Apart from your thieving hake," she cried—"and I've no doubt it : is the same with you at any other house yon honour, with your presence—you hare commited an unpardonable liberty —an out/age!" , ■ "On the'contrary; I was endeavouring to take the only possible course of saving a silly girl from her foolish self—of saving your life. "Surely/ , he continued in a gentler tone, surely you realise the harm you are doing to yourself, and; the tyranny of tins habit, wMch besets "you at every hour I Don't you realise tie folly of it all? "Besides yourself, you have your father to consider—and others who like

and respect you—" "Apple-sauce!" she blurted with a scornful Americanism. "Are you just trying to haze me? Cut it out! "Loving friends who like and respect you!" she mocked. "I suppose Mr. Albion Storey, the man I look upon as father, likes me, though he -walks about the world forgetful-like! An' I suppose you'll be /telling me ne*t that yiolet Sale adores me! "Wihy, the whole house knows that the pair of 'em are, as thick as thieves together—Albion Storey and his -ward. His Svard!" Her words burned like vitriol. "As for Albion Storey's daughter, she can go to the devil! Oh, they don't -want me, tut I'll show the pair of them a thing or two!"

She looked at f him defiantly, and there was a pause. ' He could not help admiring this young girl's flaming courage, but her words filled him' with dismay. "Listen, Miss Storey," he said, quickly "Nobody is against you. It's only what your disordered brain imagines. When you have; conquered this drug-taking habit— and lam sure you can conquer it if you ■will—you ••will see things in a different perspective. "I know it's devilish hard, it's hell to do without. 'But it's for your good, and though you may be angry with me now, the day will come when you will thank me!" : Eileen Storey's mouth twisted into a scornful sneer: "Get out you canting hypocrite,", she Mazed. "You've stolen ay things— keep them—and if I ever catch you in my room again I'll drill daylight through you." _ A small pearl-handled revolver flash'ed mto her hand.'For a moment Paul had « in mind to close with her and wrest aw ay the; weapon, but as she raised it menacingly in a trembling hand he thought better of it. Eileen Storey in ™r present mood was capable of anything. The most deadly drugs were in the fase which she had recovered—well, let r keep, them—he had done his best— his concern was Violet Dale, not Eileen ktorey. : : With a shrug of his shoulders he turned on his heel and strode from the room. The key turned in the look behind him; Paul -went straight to the fothroom he emptied the Contents of the ™ttles. All the stoppers were of some "stmctiye colour, a ready indication of we contents. It did not occur to him l f*> in examining the various brands ot dope in the ; bedroom, he had not been to replace the same stoppers, ■witter did he give it a thought when r" ee , n . Storey was found dead in her : oe i the following morning. . . . . .

CHAPPTER XXV. "A Terrible Discovery." thp l-w' 1 was buried quietly in linVi villa Se churchyard. Dr. Somers linif * able to avoid the dreaded pub£y of aa inquest, for which Yorkie fwn J WaS P rof oundly thankful. It t c «med to him when he received the ie gram. requesting his immediate ren a v d ha<a later Earned the news in km !u com 'ersation with Paul MaluZa lle was destined to be forever Wt + With tra gedy. He had hurried O f ?, \ Windrush and acted the part 1 "*e heartbroKen father with credible success.! To do him justice, Eileen l^ers,death had been a great shock. ; iio love for the girl, but her wuae a rittid, made Mm xegret many of

those feelings he had harboured against her. Well, she was gone, the greatest menace to his happiness and peace of mind, but he could have wished that it had happened in some other manner. Conscience, that never-sleeping devil, whispered unpleasant things to him and would not be quietened. To Dr. Somers, knowing nothing of Paul's raid on the secret drug stdre, it was plain that the girl had in some way, probably accidental, taken an overdose of laudanum. He was not in the least .surprised at the fate which had overtaken her, sooner oj* later it had to come, and under the circumstances it was fortunate that it happened sooner. His main concern was to save the millionaire from another relapse, which might well prove fatal. Being totally unaware of the real relationship between them, he was congratulating himself that the shock to the father had no worse results. Strolling now, some days later, with the millionaire in the woods at Windrush, they had been talking of Eileen Storey. Somers had explained to him that Eileen was suffering from an incurable disease of the heart from which death might have resulted at any time, and illogically enough this piece of ficton had relieved Yorkie Dale's mind. Violet's terrier was playing among the trees near by Avhen suddenly he commenced to bark and dig furiously. Both men stopped and watched him, more from idle curiosity than anything else. "Wonder what the little fellow thinks he's going to find," smiled Somers, walking slowly towards the.dog. "Now if we could put as much energy into our jobs as he is doing we'd be mighty workers, eh, Storey?" , • Dale.nodded as he came up beside nis friend and stood looking on. "Hullo," exclaimed Somers a few moments later, "what's that?" A metal object came into view, thrown 'out by the clog as he Avent on digging furiously. Somers tapped the earth from it with his stick. "Good Lord!" he cried in loud surprise, "it's a revolver! And see there," he went on excitedly, as a spade came uncovered, "wonder what next is to be revealed? My God! why there's a body here!" Then there came into view a hand, a body, and finally, the mute, almost unrecognisable face of Concertina Jock. But Yorkie Dale knew who it was at once. He reeled and would have fallen but for the support of Dr. Somem '>Oli, my God!" he muttered faintly. "I believe I know that man." - Somers glanced at him sharply, -tie was deathly white and trembling from head to foot. . . "Steady, Storey," he caid soothingly, "we must get back to the house- and phone the police. Lean on me, there s a good fellow." * %o» no, doc,'? protested Dale. Im better now. , You hurry on and do what s necessary. I'll follow slowly/*

As the doctor strode away, me *"»»""„ aire cast another horrified glance at the thing whict-had once been a living being, and turned shudderin-ly to leave He knew now how Mallam had succeeded so Sy in disposing of the -and he swore a great oath to himself that he, would spend his last penny in defending the youn* man if it ever came to a muider trial/W Mallam should have..done this for his sake filled him with awe But was it for his sake? More likely his love for Violet had prompted him to the terrible act*. Well, it amounted to the ame thingl-love like tlatwae real, vital something almost superhuman. Dale Lade up Mβ mind that when Mallam asked him for his daughter's hand in marriage he would joyfully agree. Violet was resting in her room when her maid brought news of the discovery in the woods. Dr. Somers had, of course been overheard talking on the phone to Sergt. Henderson, of the county police and 6 immediately the whole household was in .possession of the fade. With marvellous self-control Violet received the dreadful news, and though she was in an a<rony of fear for her lover she betrayed

no sign of it to the maid. What had they found outt Her first thought was of Paul. "Get Mr Malta* on the telephone for me at Bond Street, she told the maid, "and ask Widdicombe to be here with the car." ; How long would they be getting Even in thie moment of 'the greatest danger, Violet Dale was cool. Rapidly she changed to a tweed travelling costume, and as she put the finishing touches to herself in the glass iher brain was working rapidly. .. ~ Courage is what gives sterling worth

to thought. , ... The telephone bell rang by her bedside. "Is that you, Paul? Yes, I want to speak to you and see you. I am catching the 6.45 from Reading. Can you meet me at the Lorehzio Hotel to-night. Most important. Good, you will see me! At Paddington? Yes, yes-vital. Be there. Must talk to you. No more now. Goodbye! She loved to hear the deep-toned timbre of his voice again. So gentle, strong and unsuspicious. She liked to know that he was firm in the hour of danger. She poujed herself another cup of tea, and then, ringing for her to^ her two suit cases, followed her down the wide staircase of carpeted silence to the hall, and out to the waiting; car. A S soon as she arrived m »«J

met her. Yes/he told her, hehad jeara the news of the .finding of the body in S£h Woods. It was all in the mornincT papers, and soon he supposed all Sdr special correspondents would be encamped there, making the telegraph and telephone tingle with theories and new "fifgay he was with his affected innocence' They could not accuse him, but he could no 7 t let him play act any longen "Paul,'\she said, laying a sma 1 gloved hand on hi s arm, "I must tell you. I Sa «Your» he started back aghast, letting his cigarette fall on to the floor of "Yes.l followed you into the woods. I was afraid for your safety, as I told you the night before, and when I saw you were safe after that terrible> flgjt m the woods—when I saw you making for the roads, I went straight back to the louse And. there I shut myselfinniy room and prayed-prayed as, ]: nevpr, have since I was a child—for your sate , ty '4hen; as soon as I heard from my maid of the discovery of that dreadful man's body, I determined to come to you, tO H: Snf for a moment, and then liftingher-gloved hand to his lips, asked a 1 tfe tremulously: "Do they knowjou have come to me-have they guessed? "I clon't think so," she answered, a shadow across her eyes; and then, S closed those pools of $£"**s of the world, added slowi.v. Si I don't think I cared. I just

wanted to let you know that I was with you, whatever they might say. That is all.

"It is quite probable that I may be called as a witness," pursued Violet. "I lost the silver buckle of my shoe that morning in the woods. I hope they find it. I have brought that pair of beige shoes with me and they will prove that I was there!"

"What do you mean ?" gasped the man, looking at her incredulously. "I mean that I was the only witness, and I shall tell the police, as you must tell them, my dear, that it was an accident—that the levolver went off in the struggle after you were attacked."

She could not have acted for him more adroitly had she been his legal adviser. "Yes, that's right; it was an accident, sure enough; and that is the explanation I must stick to from the start. All my poor heart's thanks, dear girl! You're a real treasure!

"Old Greenwood, the gamekeeper," he added reflectively, "saw me coming out of the woods after he had heard a shot which aroused his suspicions. I suppose he has blabbed all about it to the police by now."

His thoughts turned to the blackmailer. "Curse the fool!" he cried savagely; "he brought it all on himself!" "My dear," said Violet, "we must begin to make plans to have in readiness in case anything happens to you. Our story so far is simple. You did not know I was there, but I was anxious for your safety, knowing of your intended journey with that threatening creature who was making Mr. Storey's life miserable." "That's all right," said Paul, handing her out of the car at Bond Street. "Keep calm. They must not see thafc you are agitated." Paul ordered lunch, and over the meal in his room explained to Violet his pian. "I shall make it appear," he eaid, "that it was his idea about the gold, as, it was that of other blackmailers; nijmely that it had been buried there from some guilty motive; and that I was determined to show the latest of the gang that it was a myth. "There was the attempt to kidnap Mr. Storey, and I have proof that this man, ConceTtina Jock, was with 'Flash Phil and his German pal in the matter.

"We shall see," he eaid presently, sipping his curacoa and coffee and blowing smoke rings as though he had not a trouble in the world.

"Well!" summed up Violet, with a smile, "I shall stick to you, Paul, virtue will conquer in the end as in the fairy story, but though it may sit on my monument smiling at grief. "My guerdon of happiness must be just you, Paul," she breathed. He rose and took her in his arms. "You dear, brave little woman!" he cried, "Your patience and fortitude are my comfort!" "Yes," he murmured, as he kissed her again and again, "it is worth while going through Hell for you—my true one, ray beautiful! .Let the world carry on! Your loveliness now is the bright promise of a golden future for both of us. "Through suffering we shall come to joy und I will fight your battle—always! as you are fighting mine now! I am covetous of your strength and your faith. It is an avarice that fills mo with fortitude, little woman! Yes, you are prodigal in that most precious of'all •things—love!" "to the man who is all in all to me, Paul, I would give anything, anything! And you, my dear, are that I Saying these words she went again to his arms in surrender, yet proudly conscious of victory over fear, over jealousy, over riches, over herself, exalted by the divinity of Love and garlanded by its beauty. . She lay with her head on his breast in the zenith of her happy contentment. Paul held her closer to him and could feel the beating of her joyous, faithful heart against his. This was a God-given moment to live for, and gently he closed her eyes with his lips while she wandered with him through the lotus land of love, where it is eternally summer, and where the meads are bestarred with flowers for the feet of passionate companions, into the twilight of dreams, with its distilled essence°of rapture; and so to the nepenthe of night, with its jewelled canopy that holds the secrets of all true lovers. Suddenly there came a knock at tho door, and Paul, startled, rose to his feet. "Can I come in?" requested a voice that they all knew. "It's me—Dr. Somers."

"Yes, rather, old son!" answered Mallam, glad that he had come; and the doctor, with grave mien, entered, closing the door after him.

"Thank Heavens I have found you! he exclaimed breathlessly to Violet as he declined a whisky and soda from the secretary. "Things more important than that, Mallam!") For once Hi a way the doctor seemed excited.

"You both of you know, of course, said Harry, seating himself between them, "the terrible thing that fcfts happened? You've seen it in the papers! Yes?

"Well, the local police.have called in Scotland Yard, and they have been making rigid inquiries'concerning you, Paul, and you, Violet." "Violet?" echoed Mallam. "Yes, Storey has been pestered with inquiries already. The detectives asked if he could account for Violet's sudden departure from Windrush after the body was found and whether he could say where she had gone. He could only say that she had gone to London, but that she had not explained why. "Then," continued the doctor, "they produced the silver buckle of a found near the scene of the crime. "Which, of course, they found was mine," interrupted the girl. "Yes, one of the servants says that she remembered, on the morning of the ninth—the same morning that Greenwood saw you, Paul, coming from the wood after a shot had bean fired—you, Violet, had come breathlessly into the hall and that one of the buckles of your s\i"»** waß missing." "But—" 'began Mallam.

Dr. Somers silenced him. "I am only warning you," he said. Storey is—in fact we are all —very distressed, and I thought I would acquaint you of the facts! Forewarned is forearmed, you know!" "Look here, Harry," said Mallam. "I think I had better tell you something. I know we can trust you." Violet, who had been listening with downcast head, looked up into the steady gaze of Harry Somers. "Yes, Paul," she laid, "tell him everything." Paul did so, the doctor making a few notes, at the end of which, he said quietly: "I think I should go to the police and tell them all. It is a very terrible affair, and if, as you eay, this fellow who was trying to blackmail Mr. Storey met his death by accident, the sooner your account is put in the better. It i& no good hiding it any longer. The body had been there for some time and nobody had said anything."

"I had the wind up," said Mallam. "I was dead scared, I thought nobody had seen the struggle, and so in a panic I buried the body. I did not know that Violet had been watching." "And you, Violet?" asked Dr. Somers, scrutinising her face keenly. "I—l was there," she faltered, "because I was afraid something might happen to Paul." There came another and more peremptory knock at the door, and, without being bidden, two" men entered the room. All three rose to greet them* "Which of you two gentlemen is Mr. Mallam?" inquired the first. "Ah, you are, sir. I am a Scotland Yard officer, Detective-Inspector Grimes, and this is

my colleague. Wβ are making in-. quiries—■ ' "Yes, I think I know what you have come about, and I am at your service/ , interrupted the secretary. "And you, Miss, I take it, are Miss Violet Dale?" "I am Dr.tfSomers, Mr. Storey's medical adviser," said the famous pathologist. "These two young people were about on iny advice to step across to Vine Street with the intention of telling you all they know." "Very well," said Inspector Grimes, "we -w'ill go across now." The reader has met this astute officer before. "You'll come, doctor?" appealed the o-irl to him. "You have no objection inspector? Thank you, Dr. Someremay be useful, I think, in certain eventualiAt Vine Street Paul Mallam and Violet were both cautioned, after which they voluntarily made the statements already familiar to the reader. Then they signed the papers read over to them by the inspector. Grimes coughed as though he did not relish saying what he had to say. Turning to Paul he observed: "I am sorry m view of this statement by you, Mr. Mallam, that it will be necessary to detain you here to-night, as I may have further inquiries to make. "You will probably appear before the magistrates to-morrow, so that Dr. Somers ought to get any little thing you need and also secure legal aid as quickly as possible. "There is no need," observed the official to Violet, "to detain you tonight. But I may want to see you early i to-morrow morning."

."I.will guarantee that this, lady does not leave London," said Dr. Somers, "and will sign any papers for her appearance before you or the magistrate in the morning. "You know Mr. Storey's addrese in Prince's Gate? I shall be on the telephone there." Dr. Somers handed the inspector his card, and he and Violet took farewell of Paul. It was very affecting, and Violet nearly broke down. Paul was afterwards led away for some refreshment, prior to further questioning. , For two more hours that night, before being locked in a cell, he had some experience of the police method of third degree—which, of course, is supposed to exist only in France and America. ■ Detective-Inspector Laurence Grimes was not a hard man, but the more he ■was brought into contact with Mr. Albion. Storey and his household, the more perplexed he became. He had not forgotten those gold links on the body of an Embankment outcast. He had a duty to perform, and he scented unusually good hunting here. - (To (be continued Saturday next.)