THE HEROINE OF THE MILL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXX, Issue 5718, 18 October 1911, Page 6

THE HEROINE OF THE MILL.

A LANCASHIRE MAN'S —===* REVENCL *s=^=~ ■ —-fc » All Rights Reserved. PART 17. " I passed the weary years there, and made more money. At lengtl when Miss Maitland married I came home and a vague hope of finding some comfort made me settle down in semi-retirement in my native city. That hope has been realised. . lYou are my joy, my purest comfort sent back by God to repay me in some sort for the long life of misery I have spent."

There came a knock at the door. " Come in," said the mistress. A neat looking maid entered to announce that the brougham had come round. "Very well, Phillis," said Mrs. Marryat. "We shall be down presently. When the girl had retired, the happy mother said : "I am impatient to meet and thank the good woman who has helped to make you such a lovable girl." " Poor Mother Fulford ! She'll go distracted with joy and sorrowjoy at my fortune, which she always predicted in a most positive way, and with sorrow at being compelled to part with me. I often thought she loved me more than her own children."

" Heaven bless her !" The brougham was soon spinning across the city and the two women silently looked into each other's faces.

In a short time they reached Mrs. Fulford's door. It was about seyen o'clock and nearly dark.

A large wild face appeared at the carriage door cansing Mrs. Marryat to give a cry of alarm. " Ail right, mamma, dear ; it is only Gommy," said Kate. The coachman opened the door as the witless weaver cried : "All's right, Scratch, my man. It's th' angel—ay, and t'other angel. I told thee they'd come, an' here they are." " What is the matter ?" asked Kate noticing Goinmy's unusual excitement. " Th' young chap wi* th' red neet cap an' Nabal Blackley and Dawsy Howarth an' two foreign chaps have gone in th' mills down canal way an' I cannot make watchman hear, an' Scratch an' me have been knockin' at gate door this half hour." " What can be their purpose, there at this time of night?" cried Kate in alarm. "They're goin' to set fire to th' mills. I watched all the way from Joe Taafi's and heard them say it." "Gommy," cried Kate, "run to all the mill hands whom you know, and ask them to come to the works." Gommy disappeared in a twinkling.

"My dear mother," continued Kate, "you must lend me jour carriage while you wait here with my mother, Mrs. Fulford."

That buxom woman was standing at the door listening in stupefied amazement.

" What do you intend to do child?" asked the perplexed newly-found mother.

She had made no false estimate of Kate's self-possession and decision of character. " Wait a moment, and you will see darling*" and she rushed upstairs. In a very short time she again appeared in the garb of a mill-girl, bare-armed, bare-headed. She kissed her mother tenderly, told Mrs. Fulford to take care of her, and jumped into the brougham. " Where are you going, dear ?" cried Mrs. Marryat. "To save the mills," was Kate's reply- Then, to the astonished coachman : "Drive to Bolton Hall; and if jou arc there in half an hour, a sovereign will be yours." The brougham disappeared in the darkness. The mother, and foster-mother stood looking after it with mingled feelings of admiration and fear. CHAPTER XIII. THE COMBERMERE ARMS.—THE AMATEUR DETECTIVE.—THE , MISSING POLICIES. ' We must now go back to the time when Gommy was amazed to see two " angels " come out of the cathedral. He wandered aimlessly along, trying to work it out in his poor brain, when suddenly he was aroused by Scratch barking and he saw three figures on ahead. The first was unmistakably that of Demitri Enumenides, who, by' some occult means had evidently succeeded in being in two places at once.

The newspapers proclaimed .him lying at the doors of death from the effects of the railway accident. And Gommy, who did not read the Papers, saw him distinctly here. Had he been a newspaper reader he would have suspected his presence in Oldchester meant mischief ; as it was, he concluded that he was up to no good for the two men he was just leaving were Nabal Blacbley and Dawsy Howarth. "There's somethin' up, Scratch, my man," cried Gommy. "We must follow them chaps;" and the idiot elected himself an amateur detective on the spot— acting in his advance upon the presumed enemy with quite as much caution as did Mr. Inspector Wills, who was also on their track. The -two ruffians were got up regardless of expense. They wore black broadcloth coats, light tweed trousers of a large staring check

pattern. Mr. Blackley had a bright scarlet bandanna round his evil throat while tha bulldog neck of " Ginger " Dawsy was enveloped in a silken cloud of bright green. They were the admired of all beholders. " Let's go down and see if young Enumenides will meet us," said Nabal Blackley. "He said Joe Taaff's. It's a swell bouse, an' too open-like for such business." " It's all right," said Dawsy. " Don't you know why he goes to

Joe's ?" "Because there's such a lot o! ladies from theayters and music-halls, m' comic singers." "Oh, I see. You're right," replied Nabal. Neither of the gentlemen knew that the idiot amateur detective, Gommy, ,vas close upon their heels and had ieard every word. The house, which we will call Combermere, was in a quiet street. When Nabal and Dawsy entered the handsome doorway of the hostelry, :hey felt as nervous' as if they were Toing into a court of justice. In .act, Dawsy Howarth involuntarily took off his coster-looking cap until he realised exactly that he was only in a public-house of rather elevated style. The landlord whom we have called Joe, met them in the hall. They were making for the coffee-room but he repulsed them quietly. "Carn't a chap go where he likes if he pays his way ?" " No ; that room is for ladies and gentlemen."

They were shown the tap-room. About to resent this indignity the" turned, to see the folding-doors opcr and Inspector Wills and another enter. " Bless me," whispered Nabal, "if it ain't the D's." They pushed the door open and were greeted by a numerous and merry company of their own kind. Rough-voiced, hard-swearing, harddrinking operatives, having a fewday's play as some call meaningless dissipation, and strong, hearty "Lancashire witches," joining in the spree from sheer innocent mischief.

" Eh, Dawsy, lad, come you and stand a gallon." "Nabal, but you are rigged up fine. Hast any brass in your kick?" were the greetings on every side. Drink was ordered in and with it came the companion of the inspector, who soon joined gleefully in the orgy. The half-witted giant next made his appearance in the hall and went unopposed into the parlour, Gommy, in the days of his darkness was well known all over Oldchester. He walked to the centre of the spacious room around which were grouped picturesque parties of " pros"—unmistakable public entertainers. On this occasion they were the entertained. The buzz of conversation was stilled in a moment. Scratch squatted sedately by his master's side who began : "Eh, Scratch, man.' Hast been to th' Empire lately? That's chap what stands on 'is head and drinks glass o' beer on top o' long pole.. I could drink a drop meself. I am dry." "Landlord's sent you this," said the neat waitress, handing a foaming tankard., "Landlord's right' sort," said Gommy, taking a mighty draught. " I'll bet there's something for you, Scratch in th' kitchen." " There's method in his madness," some spouting tragedian remarl^d.

"Ay, I'm no' such a fool as I look," replied Gommy.

This caused a laugh after which Gommy described to himself some of the celebrities he recognised.

"An' there's George, the Mammoth Comique, an' the Comic King. Eh, but he does get fat ! An' Irish chap what makes his face black an' tells funny stories, an' dances. An' there's the purty Irish girl what's lost Pat O'Brien, who's a Royal Engineer in Africa. An' there's Johnny Doherty, the tailor, an' the little Breese what gives the tip ; an'—an' there's Master Wills, what locked me up ; but I'm dom'd if I can see th' two scoundrels I'm loo""in' for."

" Who are you l~ok:ne: for, Gommy ?" asked Inspector Wills. " I must not tell you. You'd lock me up again." "You shouldn't bear malice, Gommy," said Inspector Wills laughing. " I only did my duty." Gommy ' was about to reply wh^n Demitri Enumenides looked into the parlour, and then withdrew. " Can I have a private room for a few minutes ?" he asked some attendant in the hall. "There's a* "snug" here, sir, that's empty." "All right "— opening the door. " I sent two working fellows here to wait for me a few minutes ago.. One had a red and the other a green tie on." "They're in the tap-room." " Send them to me." . Just as Nabal and Dawsy were entering the 'snug' Gommy came out of the parlour his eye cunningly wide awake. " Good-bye, Comic King ! Goodbye, Johnny Dohertyv! Good-bye, landlord chap ! Ay, thy beer is good and cheap, very cheap. Good-bye Mr Wills, you cannot catch me again. Come thy ways Scratch man. I thought Joed find thee something in th' kitchen. That's a good bone an' none so bare." The idiot did not fully disclose himself in the hall until Nabal" anl Dawsy had disappeared. He glanced i round and ; then rapidly retired to i the paved court leading to the stabling aud outhouses.

The 'snug' had a window opening on to this court, but Gommy saw that it was closed and an attempt to hear anything that passed inside would be impossible. He was about to retire in despair when his eyes fell upon four perforated bricks in the setting beneath the window.

forming a diamond in the centre ol the panel and a ventilator at the same time. "

"Come here, said the cunning Gommy.

When the dog came his biped companion stooped over him and "mad. believe " to be examining the lately mutilated tail. In fact Gommy's eai was thus brought close to the perforated bricls.

His face brightened. He couic^ not hear every word distinctly bu he could distinguish enough. He ha" sufficient intelligence to piece th' fragments of conversation together. They amounted to :

" Fifty pounds apiece "— grumbling over this. "Very well, then w shall say sixty and a free passaee to Belgium. My father has an inter est in new cottom mills at Antwer and "— more grumbling still. "Yor would prefer America ; all right.'" " Feast at Bolton Hall to-night— everyone engaged—mills must bo burnt rapidly—can retreat by the same way we enter." Then Nabal Blackley's voice rose with something like, "I'd like to be even with Ritchison an' I wish we could only get that mad Gommy in and burn him to death." " Do.t hear that Scratch, my man ?" aslisd Gommy in a whisper. Scrat-'i looked up from his repast, and grov. led, we fear, an untruthful answer. You know why Gommy too^ up the po.iture over Scratch's tail —in case any one might come and imagine < I.c Vv'as up to something wrong. Another short interval and the red fez cap of the young *T)emitri Enu--menides appeared above the Venetian/ screen of the window. " They're going, Scratch. Listen, Doggie."

" You won't fail to come and meet me at the corner of Kingstreet at six o'clock. But dress not like this ; you are then so easily recognised. Choose working garb."

11 All right, sir. You bring the dynamite ; I'll make the match afore I see you,"

" Dynamite—blow us up— match— set fire to th' old lot," whispered Gommy. " I must be off an' tell th' angel, or we'll all be ruined. All, there's Master Wills ; but he can do naught yet. An' I mustn't tell h!m, but I'll run to the angel."

He pushed forward into the hall, and as he came level with the door of the " snug " he noticed that Mr. Inspector Wills was standing on the threshold of the parlour, while his sharp-looking companion was apparently endeavouring carelessly to open the door which was fastened inside.

Gommy went away. The idiot amateur detective had succeeded in eliminating valuable information where two of the most accomplished trained men had failed ; but then who but an idiot would think of listening at a diamond-formed setting of perforated bricks ? - -

Gommy did not leave at once. He hid in a doorway until he saw Demitri Enumenides come out1. He went up the street. Nabal Blackley and Dawsy Howarth followed soon, but in the opposite direction.

" Let's follow chap in th' neetcap," said Gommy to his dog.

The pair did so until they arrived, at the front of the Town Hall. There Demetri was joined by his taller father, and the pair went off smiling and chatting like the most innocent and good natured fellows in the world.

Astute as Gommy had proved himself to be up to. this period of the expedition, here his cunning failed— his cunning which was not enlightened intelligence.

Had he not been a fool he would have gone straight to the mills and told someone \ in authority what he had heard.

The hour of three had not yet arrived and all the people with fe.w exceptions, were still at work. He knew the principals, including Mr. Walton,and Hal Wainwright, wero at Bolton Hall, and that was five miles away.

It may have entered h's poor n--^----ed head —but this we sh^ll p^ "t know now —that anything be mi~h<say in the shape of wnrnmg wo'ilrl be received with derision.

We cannot penetrate the ca'-s 0 <■>( his conduct. We simply kn^w tv fact that Gommy " mooned " n "•"<•• that afternoon while the raopt. <v-i----bolical measures were matured fnthe destruction of the finest mills ii Oldchester, the ruin of ona of th° most generous and hono'irahlo •■*' men and the consequent revisitatl^'i of an unfathomable depth of ?rrt4^rv upon the poor industrious wnrlrr^.

Gommy went to Mrs. Fulfori's ■vi L found no Kate. Our hcroirr's ior-L"'•-mother never could thoroughly inrir*stand why people should listen to +v- " witless weaver" at all. No r""r had a higher estimation of Kate, the word " angel "as used by ro->i-my was utterly uncomprehensible to Nancy Fulford. Now that he h°d' n story of two angels driving aw^ v n a coach, and that Kate was on^ "\ them, she considered Gom-^ ent/r-<i-j " out of court," and surmised thot very probable her idol had been carried away to the wedding feast.

She told this idea of hers to t.'^e idiot, and for reply she received tV^" " It's five miles to Bolton .Hall, an' Gommy's tired an' Gommy's hua gry." This elicited from the kindly dam*, "Come and have something to ent." " I cannot eat, man," was Go^i my's reply. " Gommy's got wealtV' —pulling a handful of silver o-ot o1 his pocket— " but Gommy cannot c.•* until he sees th' angel." " Then Gommy's a fool." "Ay, Gommy's a fool an' Scratch's a fool." " Well," said Mrs. Fulford, "yo i'd better come in a hit till Kate come? home." "I cannot sit down. I'll wait, missus ; I'll wait till th' angc) comes." To be Continued.