The LAST LAUGH

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1935, Page 26

The LAST LAUGH

j By I WINIFRED 1 GRAHAM 5

CHAPTER 18. 800 was surprised wlien Miss Woolfe asked if she had any of that stuff left to make one sleep. "Yes, I'll bring it to you—l'm longing for a chat," said the girl. "Xot to-night, dear." Lou spoke with quiet determination) as they stood alone on the landing. 800 thought, as she looked at Miss Woolfe's haggard face, that the interview with Jim must have taken more out of her than she cared to own. It was impossible to guess what had passed between them, butT the girl felt a thrill of intense relief as she realised this woman with the powerful personality had won the day. She could picture Lou dominating; him with her expressive voice and mobile features, her command of gesture and, above all, the straight glance of those piercing eyes. 800 ran off for the medicine bottle with the remains of the sleeping draught, and, having placed it on Miss Woolfe's table, hurried back to her room and sank happily into the luxurious bed. which only the Bight before had seemed like a bed of thorns. There was something ominous in the wind —it rose as if it would root up trees. More than once the crack of thunder overhead was like artillery. "How lucky this storm did not come last night!" she thought. "Lou would have been drenched to the skin, and I suppoise she would have motored through i"t all just the same; nothing would have stopped her." With the return of morning, once again the sun shone over a washed earth. Never had a. day looked more beautiful to 800 as she breathed in the freshness of the drenched yet smiling I garden. Everything was startling clear; objects miles away seemed to stand up with intimate distinctness against the skyline. The strange nearness of the trees in the wood appea-red remarkable. "Like a close-up on a film," she said to Clem, reminding him that he had promised to take her into the depths of those woods, to tell her all about the nightingales. "But we must go to London first," he said, as they met in the dining room. "We have your ring to choose." Breakfast was laid for two, and 800 was surprised when Mary told her that Miss Woolfe was staying in bed. "I expect it is just a tactful move to give us the thrill of break fasting together. I've never known her to stay before. Isn't she a dear, Clem?" They were thoroughly enjoying the novelty when the telephone rang and Mary came to say someone from Mistletoe Park particularly wanted to speak to Mr. Corfield. "I couldn't catch the name, sir," she said, "as the line was not at all distinct, but I heard the words, 'very important, ask him to come at once.' " Clem shrugged his shoulders. "The tyranny of the telephone," he muttered. "Excuse me, Boo." For some time he was talking, and when he returned he wore a distinctly worried look. "Anything wrong?" she asked. "Something very queer. I can't make it out at all. James, my new chauffeur, did not return last night. Hβ went out in the afternoon, just in the ordinary way, and then vanished completely." • Boo's eyes lowered, she stirred her coffee slpwly, thinking what - she had better say. Then, looking up, replied with a little smile. "Perhaps he has had a night out— rather bad luck for him to be given away so promptly!" "But whatever he was doing, he would be back by now. You see, his clothes and money are all there, so it looks as if he has met with an accident." "Oh dear, what a horrid thought!" 800 tried to make her voice sound anxious, though inwardly she was laughing. "We must have him looked for, send out search parties. He may have been struck by lightning," said Clem. "It was pretty bad last; night. I watched it from my bed. Not like summer lightning at all; the fiercest forked kind I have ever seen." Clem did not finish his breakfast. He declined to sit down again, but stood by the window, considering. "Once," he said, "I was qiiite near a man and. saw him killed in a storm. He was sheltering under a large carriage umbrella, when it seemed to crumple up round him. There was a flash and smoke, then he fell to the ground, and I rushed up with others. To our horror, we found him dead." "Oh, don't think of, such terrible things! Poor James! You make me so nervous." 800 hoped, as she spoke, that Clem woilld not detect the twinkle in her eye. She was telling herself that Lou must have frightened Jim very much to get him to go without first making some excuse. "Not that he wanted the clothes or pocket money, left in his chauffeur's room," she thought. "He had stored up wealth in town, the proceeds of many a crime, besides a varied wardrobe for different disguisee."

(Author of "A Wolf of j the Evenings," "Tongues j in Trees," "Experimental ■ Child," etc., etc. j

"I shall certainly inform the police," continued Clem, "and I've told the staff at home to make the widest possible enquiries. lam afraid, dearest, we shall have to postpone going to London this morning for the ring." "That doesn't matter." "I expect," he said, more cheerfully, "we shall have found something out by the afternoon, then we will buzz ofl'. If not, I'll telephone for a selection to be sent down. I 'can't let your finger be without it for another day." "Shall I go and tell Aunt Lou what has happened? ' She may have some advice to give about James." "Yes, do. I have such a queer feeling that something horrid has happened to the poor fellow —a kind of intuition." "You liked James so much, didn't you ? That's why you feel so worried about him —he appealed to you personally." "Well, he seemed to take such a deep interest in us, especially yesterday, when I asked him to sign that—that document, you know. He was always extremely quick and obliging. All the staff liked him, and I believe he wrife a favourite in the village, too." "Yes, Mrs. King told Aunt Lou yesterday that he had such a good influence on her boy."' As 800 went to see Miss Woolfe, Clem rang up the Police Station. 800 tapped softly on the door, thinking possibly Miss Woolfe might still be sleeping if the drug had worked on her with greater force because of herprevious weariness. A very alert voice called out "Come in," and" the two brisk words reassured 800. She entered with a smile, which broke into a laugh as she came to the foot of the bed.

"Isn't it amusing?" she said. "They have rung up from Mistletoe Park to tell Clem the precious James is missing and my poor dear is in no end of 11 fuss about him." That nice James! It really does seem funny when one thinks that Clcin's worst enemy lias bolted out of sheer fright, after meeting you in the woods." "But you mustn't say that; you must never give away I was with Jim yesterday." Lou's voice rapped out the warning words sharply. "Of course not,!" "Whatever questions are asked.be sure to remember that I went to the six o'clock service at the- cathedral." "Is that the story?" "Yes, I mentioned to the bishop last night that I sat behind a large pillar, well concealed, because there I got the atmosphere of the place so perfectly. I assured him I love hiding myself in a quiet corner, alone with those glorious influences." "You didn't really go to the cathedral?" Lou shook her head. 800 laughed again. She felt glad to think the time was coming when all could bo at an end. She solemnly vowed, at that moment, to be truthful for the rest of her life when this episode was over. "Of course," she whispered, "we must never let anyone suspect you saw him, but it does seem really comic to think of people searching round Hamedon for a man who is already out of England. His kind always have passports prepared for immediate departure. I wonder if ho crossed by eea last night; or he may have travelled by air. Did he tell you where or how he was gding?" "I do not know his destination," murmured Lou, "but I think lie went by air. Now he's a long way off and cannot harm your dear one. Go back to Clem and say I am getting up quickly and that I consider he is doing quite the right thing in telling the police."

CHAPTED XIX. Clem had a very business-like spirit. 800 watched him with admiration. Presently he came to her, rather flushed and hurried, saying: '''You come with me, dear. We'll do what we can, but wasn't it like your aunt, with her dynamic personality, to be dressed in a flash and organise the biggest search party?" "Where has she gone?" "Towards the hills, driving her own car, accompanied by a fleet of others, all volunteers. She is arranging the route; they will separate and rejoin at an appointed spot." "Where are the police?" "[ think they arc searching the woods first, because James was seen walking in. that direction rather late in the afternoon." "Can't we go there? We might be of some use. I've never gone far into the 'Sighing Woods,' and I do love that name." She was thinking it would be rather delightful to wander about in tJic dense thicket with Clem, even though he was searching for a man who she knew had left the neighbourhood., driven out by a wild wolf. Clem caught at the suggestion. "Yes, we'll drive there at once, leave the snake-pit on the fringe of the wood' and see what wo can do." They both felt the eerie remoteness of the dense thicket, as they dived deeply into that green shadowland.

Clem held Boo's arm tightly to guide her lest she tripped over the undergrowth. All Hamedon seemed alive with the news that a chauffeur from Mistletoe Park had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Rumour rushed round concerning a large reward which m j lit be given to anyone who traced the whereabouts of the missing man.

As they walked on, looking from side to side and pausing sometimes to gaze with eyes of dazzled love into each other's 'faces, they suddenly caught the sound of voices. Then a policeman pushed his way through some thick bushes and made a queer emphatic sign to Clem. The signal said as surely as words: "Keep the lady back."

"Stay here. 800, don't follow me," whispered Clem. "I—l am afraid they've found something that is rather unpleasant." The girl obeyed, feeling puzzled. She watched Clem' join the policeman and quickly vanish behind the sheltering trees. "What is it?" "We've found him, sir, or, rather, we've got the body. He must have been dead for many hours. The spot where he is lying murdered happens to be a very sheltered one, where the heavy rains have hardly penetrated." "Good C4od!" "We are sending for a stretcher," continued the policeman, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Perhaps you would rather not see him; it is an ugly sight." Olem had turned very pale, but he did not hesitate. He only glanced back to make sure 800 had not heard. She was picking some wild ferns. He felt a momentary surprise at her unconcerned air. "Did you say—murdered?" "Undoubtedly. There is every sign of a struggle: collar torn off rfnd clothes dishevelled. He must have fought for his life; but that collar will be useful to us; it has finger-marks on it, distinct ones." Clem felt rather sick as he listened. It seemed so dreadful, just as he was radiantly happy, that one of his own household should bo foully done to death. He rebelled fiercely at the thought, while sorrowing for the man who had seemed so full of life only the previous morning when witnessing that will. With shocked sensibilities keenly alert he ran forward, bringing himself in full view of the group round the body. Mrs. Chiohcster's words rushed back to his mind: "You will certainly have a shock soon." (To be continued daily.)