THE HEROINE OF THE MILL,

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 2221, 14 November 1910, Page 2

THE HEROINE OF THE MILL,

A LANCASHIRE MAN'S -*==» REVENGE. r===^>- . »— —■ All Rights Reserved. PART 11. CHAPTER Xn.—(Continued.) "I could not restrain a wild laugh at this most appropriate verse. Let me leave life and end this sorrow was my desire. One plunge and all was over. The rowers in the white boat will pull me in. I looked all round the city lights, listened to the merry voices, thought of my dark life and raised for the last time my eyes to 'the heaven we all adore.' "Nothing but darkness. The moon was only seen fitfully. The stars were often obscured. I cried in my madness : " 'Heaven hides its face from me.' ." Then just as I was about to join the choristers of the white boat—/just as I was about to leave the ' time of endless sorrow '—a great shout rent the air, the sky was lit far and wide and looking straight before and above me : my eyes became fixed upon the golden cross surmounting the spire of a church. " In my ears resounded the chant — Here is rest ; Life at best Is a time of endless sorrow. " But before my eyes and above the blessed cross I saw as clearly defined as I see it now, the face of my own —my darling Kate. "I turned from the dark rolling river the vision of the white boat, the painted sepulchre and its "spirits of evil clad in light,' and with a cry of relief, fled from the spot into the arms of my guardian angel. "My guardian angel, little Kate — You will always be my little Kate, should I live to see your dear locks grey—was a Scotch woman and, worse and worse some folks may say, an actress. " In the paper I left for you in Liverpool I told of my being employed for a considerable period in the wardrobe of the only Glasgow theatre then recognised by the law of the land. There I met Miss Maitland, who was now going out to Australia, but had been fulfilling an engagenfent in Oldchester before embarking from Southampton for Melbourne. " She had seen me, and she confessed at first thoughts that I had had too much drink. " The talented tragedienne had discovered in me in Glasgow—as she said—a most superior and loveable person, and now was just in time to save me from the deadly sin of selfdestruction. " She took me home, and I told her my story. ' I have not saved much money,' she said, ' but hope to make a lot in Australia. Luckily I am permitted by the speculator who has engaged me to take a maid or companion with me. I have not selected one. Will you come ?" " 'But my poor child !' I cried. " 'ls in good hands, you confess, for the present,' she said, and she would be a burden to you on the journey. Besides the sea air might kill it. When we get to Melbourne we'll write and send home money, and then when we make our fortunes, we'll return and be happy ever afterwards, as the storj book 6 say.' "She prevailed upon me. There was no other prospect then but death. She promised to make an actress of me and she kept her word. " I am sot going to trouble you now, darling, with either my Australian or theatrical experiences. I became an actress and earned plenty of money. My friend made a large fortune and married a sheep farmer, who owns miles upon miles of land. We were playing up country near Bendigo. Our payment was mostly gold dust, One night two miners came in and it was their last night there. Their ' claim ' had been unsuccessful and nobody cared to purchase it. One of them said facetiously : 'Let's give it to Miss Maitland and Miss Marryat.' I had then assumed that professional name. " 'Done,' said the other, and the property became ours. There were plenty of men who would cut the throats of the companions who shared the tents with them, but all united in respecting the players. " One morning a rough fellow came with two large nuggets in his hand. He handed them to Miss Maitland. " 'Seein' as you weren't workin' your claim, ma'am me and Bill Sloman's been and done a bit overtime.' " 'You are a good fellow,' said Miss Maitland. " How much are they worth ?" " 'Matter o' eight hundred apiece.' ! " 'lndeed,' we both cried. My heart leapt with joy. I saw the prospect of going home to you. " We commissioned the men to work overtime for us at twenty-five per cent. That was the practical Scotchwoman's arrangement and in a short period we had amassed nearly five thousand pounds apiece. " I determined to return to England now. I had written to Mrs. Kelly about you often, but got no reply. At length, just as I was preparing to go down to Melbourne to take ship, a letter came that dashed all my hopes to the ground for ever. " I had written tp the Catholic clergyman who used to visit Mrs. Kelly—luckily I remembered his name —and this was his reply : " 'Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have gone to Ireland where Michael and the child, be believed, died. Mrs. Kelly had come back alone and had emigrated to America.' " Your account of what Bridget told you, of course, explains this now. Then the intelligence nearly broke my already shattered heart. " I passed the weary years there, and made more money. At length 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. . ! You 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. " Oome 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 seven o'clock and nearly dark.

A large wild face appeared at the carriage door causing Mrs. Marryat to give a cry of alarm. " All 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 Gommy'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 Taaff'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 are 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 Blackley 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 the 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 house, 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 of ladies from theayters and music-halls, an' comic singers." " Oh, I sec. You're right," replied Nabal. Neither of the gentlemen knew that the idiot amateur detective, Gommy, was close upon their heels and had heard 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, they felt as nervous as if they were going into a court of justice. In fact, 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 they turned, to see th« folding-doors open and Inspector Wills and another enter.

" Bless me," whispered Nabal, "if it ain't the D's."

They pushed the door open and wera greeted by a numerous and merry company of their own kind. Rough-voiced, hard-swearing, harddrinking operatives, having a few day'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 bis madness," some spouting tragedian remarljed. "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 Doher.ty, 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 lookin' for."

" Who are you looking 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 when Demitri Enumefiides 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 tic 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 Doherty ! 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 Joe'd 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 and Dawsy had disappeared. He. glanced round and then rapidly retired to the paved court leading to the stabling and 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 of the panel and a ventilator at the same time.

" Come here, Scratch," said the cunning Gommy.

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

His face brightened. He could not hear every word distinctly but he could distinguish enough. He had sufficient intelligence to piece the fragments of conversation together. They amounted to : " Fifty pounds apiece " grumbling over this. "Very well, then we shall say sixty and a free passage to Belgium. My father has an interest in new cottam mills at Antwerp and " more grumbling still. "You would prefer America ; all right." " Feast at Bolton Hall to-night—-everyone engaged—mills must be burnt rapidly—«an retreat by the same way we enter." Then Nabal Blackfcey'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." " Dost hear that, Scratch, my

man ?" asted liommy in a whisper. Scratch looked up from his repast, and growled, we fear, an untruthful answer.

You know why • Gommy took up the posture over Scratch's tail —in case any one might come and imagine he was up to somethiug wrong. Another short interval and the red fez cap of the young 'TJemitri Enumenides 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." " All right, sir. You bring the dynamite ; I'll make the match afore I see you," " Dynamite—blow us up— matchset firs to th' old lot," whispered Gommy. " I must be off an' tell th' angel, or we'll all be ruined. Ah, there's Master Wills ; but he can do naught yet. An' I mustn't tell him, 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 Bnumenides come out. 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 Gunning 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 few exceptions were still at work. He knew the principals, including Mr. Walton and Hal Wainwright, were at Bolton Hall, and that was five miles away.

It may have entered his poor numbed head —but this we shall never know now—that anything he might say in the shape of warning would be received with derision.

We cannot penetrate the cause of his conduct. We" simply know the fact that Gommy " mooned " away that afternoon while the most diabolical measures were matured for the destruction of the finest mills in Oldchester, the ruin of one of the most generous and honourable of men and the consequent revisitation of an unfathomable depth of misery upon the poor industrious workers. Gommy went to Mrs. Fulford's but found no Kate. Our heroine's fostermother never could thoroughly understand why people should listen to the " witless weaver " at all. No one had a higher estimation of Kate, but the word " angel " as used by Gommy was utterly to Nancy Fulford, Now that he had a story of two angels driving away in a coach, and that Kate was one of them, she considered Gommy entirely " out of court," and surmised that very probable her idol had been carried away to the wedding feast.

She told this idea of hers to the idiot, and for reply she received this: " It's five miles to Bolton Hall, an' Gommy's tired an' Gommy's hun-

gry." This elicited from the kindly dame, "Come and have something to eat." " I 'cannot eat, man," was Gommy's reply. " Gommy's got wealth" —pulling a handful of silver out of his pocket— " but Gommy cannot eat until he sees th' angel." " Then Gommy's a fool." " Ay, Gommy's a fool an' Scratch's a fool." " Well," said Mrs. Fulford, "you'd better come in a bit till Kate comes home." " I cannot sit down. I'll wait, missus ; I'll wait till th' angel comes." And the witless weaver did wait, until it gradually dawned upon his mind that it must be near six o'clock.

That hour struck soon after, and still he kept restlessly pacing up and down the street, often addressing Scratch, much to the amusement of the neighbours who knew him and the passers-by who were more than amused.

About half-past six the idea came to him, that ought to have visited his empty cranium before. He would tell the lodge-keeper.

He set off at a run, and had not proceeded very far when he remembered that he had not watched at King-street for the meeting of the young Armenian, Nabal Blackley and Dawsy Howarth. He retraced his steps and very soon nearly ran into the arms of the people he wished to " dog." But now an addition had been made to "their number, in the persons of Achille Duan and Jules Veral.

Happily, he had not been obversed. He followed them cautiously, until they entered a yard which he knew led to the canal, just above its junction with the river. The gate was not secured, and so, he had an opportunity of seeing the five worthies get into an uglj yawl and row down towards the Ritchison mills. A long low whistle came from Gommy's lips and Scratch joined it with a wisdom-laden " gr-r-r-r," looking up at his mentor and wagging the eloquent stump which was

the terminatien o! his eccentric individuality. The idiot set ofl at the fastest pace he could command for the front of the mills. People, of course, stopped to look at him ; but he was so well known in the vicinity that few wondered at anything he did. He was soon knocking at the front gate, but response got he none, and this is easily explainable. The reader may remember that the fire insurance policies were to have been renewed that very day by Mr. Dick.

Mr. Ritchison was too good a business man to have forgotten anything. Before leaving the cathedral, after the marriage ceremony, he gave Dick the key of his own private drawer in the special safe of his own room, where he had deposited the policies the night before. After luncheon, before joining the party at Bolton Hall, our hero went to do the necessary work. The people remarked, as he passed through the yard, how jolly he was lookiing. Dick Ritchison 1 had a glorious daydream of leading Kate o'. Fulford's soon to the altar —Kate o' Fulford's no longer, Kate Newman, or Marryat a lady and daughter of a lady. The romance of the meeting of mother and child that morning added, if possible, to the fiery character of his great love. Light-hearted folks are often more sensitive and love deeper frequently than your pale and melan-choly-faced people. He went through the different rooms of clerks, giving a merry word to every one until he came to his father's private apartment. He opened the door, whistling a popular air, and then the strong spring closed it with a soft thud behind him. He produced the master-key of the safe, and still the lively tune came from his lipsNow the drawer—the personal drawer of the chief of the firm, his father —is opened and the policies are not there.

The hot blood rushed to his headhe became confused and dropped into a chair with a cry. Then he got up, and ransacked every drawer and nook of the depository of the moßt valuable of the firm's possessions. No policy could be found. Could his father have come before him ? His visit would be useless, unless he had a duplicate key. He opened the door and inquired if Mr. Ritchisan had been there that morning. The answer brought a hot flush of perspiration through every pore of his frame. It was " No." Then a cold shiver ran through eyers fibre of his strong body.

What could he do ? Should he hurry at once home and break up the happy gathering there —the dawning of a new life to his well-beloved Bister. No —a thousand times no ! He was not such a trifler as you may have imagined from - our epithet* of " careless Dick." You have not seen him to advantage yet. Like many others, as long as life was. commonplace he was gay and easy ; but in the presence of great misfortunes he became every inch a man, just as his ' father had been before a burden fell upon his aspiring soul, and crushed the sunshine from his useful life.

No word must be spoken at Bolton Hall. His father, family, and guests

must enjoy the night. He must wear a smile upon his face, although his heart might be heavy—for that a serious calamity was close ahead he could not doubt. It flashed upon him that the same hand that had opened the hitherto impenetrable safe of his new brother-in-law, Rowley Elliot to extract the missing deed, also had accomplished this robbery. Regardless, or forgetting his father's resolution not to prosecute the first affair further, he sent a junior clerki for a hansom, and then set about closing and relocking the safe that had been tampered with. The clerks noted his pale face and troubled eyes and the yard labourers stopped, amazed at the change a quarter of an hour had brought upon him.

He drove to the town hall, saw the chief of the detective department and intimated that a similar robbery to that perpetrated upon Elliot had just been discovered at the mills. He urged him to lose no time in looking after the matter and offered a hundred pounds reward for a speedy solution of the mysterious occurrences.

"We can only look in one direction," said Mr. Superintendent. "This is no chance, nor the work of a burglar." "I am sure of that," said Dick.

" Your father declined moving farther in the matter," remarked the detective chief. " But he'll move heaven and earth now," cried the impulsive young man. "Only he must know nothing of the affair till to-morrow morning." "It would serve no purpose to spoil his enjoyment on such a day as this," agreed the officer. " I'll place the matter before D—, I—, R—, and G—. They'll do their • duty anyhow, Mr. Ritchison ; but the reward will help to quicken their facilities."

Thanking the courteous head of the department Dick drove to the mills. "Where is the night watchman ?" he inquired of the timekeeper at the lodge. " Won't be here till five o'clock, sir." " When he comes tell him to admit no one, under any circumstances, into the mills after the gates are closed to-night. My father, myself, Mr. Walton, and Mr. Wainwright have keys of the wicket ; but no one else is to be allowed in whatever position he may hold in the place." " All right, sir." " You remember my message distinctly." " Yes, sir."

" Don't make a fuss over this. Mention it to no one," continued Dick ; " and here is half a crown to purchase some tea for the old woman .''

This is how.it came about that Gommy was not allowed to vißit the courtyard. The watchman, true to his instructions, would not eyeu an-

swer him, well knowing that all partners could enter by the wicket. Gommy, in despair, ran rapidly back to Mrs. Fulford's just in time, as we have seen, to greet the angel — our heroine —as she drove up with her newly found mother in the brougham. You remember Kate telling him to alarm the workers to come to the mills. The " witless weaver " disappeared but he went only round the corner when he ran into the arms of Morgan, the leader of the demonstra-

tion that unhorsed the waggonette on the opening of the works. " You mus' get th' hands together, Morgan, man," cried Gommy, "and bring them to th' mills. Kate o' Fulford's says so. Man wi' red neetcap's goin' to fire th' place, warehouses and all this night." Morgan knew Gommy better than most of the employees of Ritchison. He saw truth in his action and excitement, and so he set off to do his mission most earnestly.

Before Kate's brougham had gone far, Gommy had swung himself up behind, and there clung tenaciously upon one of the projecting springs until the first lodge of Bolton Park was reached.

He then jumped down to be greeted by Scratch and in time to see Kate o' Fulford's disappear up the semicircular avenue of limes. As Mrs. Marryat's coachman was turning the head of his horse towards Oldchester, Gommy slipped in at the gate and followed Kate. The lodgekeeper linew the " witless weaver " and imagined he was in attendance upon her. (To be Continued.)