THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER.

Evening Star, Issue 12868, 18 July 1906, Page 2

THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER.

■K : [AQ Rights Besemd.]

By FtoBKNtJB Wakwen of 'The House on tho Marsh/ etc). CHAPTER XXIEL—<CcMAhmeQL) Sydney and Captain Lansdell were toMBther ait one end of the room, conversing in an undertone. Mr Daxke was back in his wheel-chair, tenderly his gouty hand, and looking out of the window. said ha, as the Colonel reHHThe Colonel said notiring till he got close him, when he whispered in his ear: fellow WSson, the secoud footiis from a private inquiry office." Mr Dark© was not surprised to |Kar this, after Wilson's somewhat eccenbehaviour of a few minutes previously. any rate, .ill he said was: ■ "No! Is he really ?' he smiled quite pleasantly, as if it a. good joke |HAt that moment tliere was an attempt to open the door from the; outside, Mrs Darke's voice cried irritably: the door, Jo; I want to come Sydney, who was nearest to that end of room, looked at Mi Darke apprebenand inquiringly. "Yos, yes, open it, certainly,? said the The next moment "Mrs Darko, radiantly in a morning dress of whfte with her, great pearls round her and diamonds sparkling on her plump fingers, bwrsi into the room, and ran, fleshed and agitated, to her side. Jo," she whispered, with a frightglance round the room, which took in Colonel, who was still near the winand the two others, who were by the "this mam—l'm sure he's not a —who wants to see yon—l bche's a detective, and that" he's come " tho ColoneL You know what |BwJthin was always saying about' him. J think there nmst be something in after oil.'' H "Hnsh!" said. Mr Darke, sternly. And whispered back: "My dear, you ought know better than tb say anything to mo my friends." H "But if it should tnrn out thai it's rue?" pouted the poor lady, earnestly, dhile the three gentlemen affected to converse, but perhaps kept their ears open all he time. ''Well, well, then we shall ha.ve to put p_ with the consequences of having misucged oik friends," raid Mr Darke. She looked earnestly into his face. He id not u-jnally take interference on her >art so amubly. Accustomed as she was to trust hr.r usband implicitly, and for the most pn.rfc o obey him without question, she felt hat there was something strange, almost larmlng, nrbout the gentleness, the paience, with which he listened to words vhich she had expected him to treat as itterly idle or to rebuke sharply as imWoper. She drew a step back, and frowned in lerplexity. "Is it —is it—all right V* she murmured aintly. "My dear," he began, with smiling impatience, putting his left hand 'affectionUtely_ upon her arm, "it is quite right. surely you can trust me to know!" But there was m his eyes as he looked ip into her face with the affection which lever failed her something which, instead >f reassuring her, filled her with fresh darm. Before she could speak again there was a! mock at the study door, and Carrie, with- j jut waiting for permission, came in with a i frightened face. "* Mother, papa, there are some men- " she began. And then, seeing that tho room contained so many people, she stopped short, and blushed and stammered and bit her Ep- > "My dear, what on earth is the matter with yon?" said Mr Darke, quite gently, iind with perfect calmness, but also with dignified surprise. "Oh, papa, it's only—there arc some men in the grounds—l—l didn't know who they were," said the stammering girl, who had evidently, to judge by tho looks she cast in the direction of the Colonel, become infected by her mother's foars. '' You needn't trouble your head about Ihem, or about anybody," said Mr Darke. * Now, run away,, there's a good girl; ■"and,Marion,"—heturned to his wife, and again he laid his left hand caressingly on her arm—"you go, too. And don't worry yourself, my dear girl; don't worry. It \rill be all right." Never had she remembered his addressing her in so affectionate a tone when she had attempted to remonstrate with him or to thwart him in any way. The pink color faded from her face, her goodhumored mouth fell into lines of distress and dismay. Still, though she delayed, he did not Jose his temper with her, but gently urged her to leave him. "And send the gentleman, man, or whoever he is, in to me—at once, my dear, at once." The tears were in her eyes, but she dared not delay any longer. Withdrawing slowly and taking Carrie by the arm as she went* she left the room, with one last &\yprehensive glance, first at her husband, and then ait tie ColoneL A few momenta later a tall, brisk-looking j man of military appearance was ushered i into the study, where Mr Darke still sat back in h^,wheel-cbair ? having taken himself nearafe? to the window, where the bright light fell full on his pale face, •witn its glowing black eyes and frame of stiver hair. . Colonel Cressingham sat at a little" distance, by a desk, busy with some papers. Captain LansdeD and Sydney Jarvis stood I ; iiot far from the door, and neither they nor anyone ;else in the room felt much surprise wtieh the newcomer, seeing the key -in the lock, promptly turned it and transferred it into his pocket. ; "My business is of a very private na■Aare" explained the visitor, " and as I be- ] l , lieve, that you are all more or less concerted in it, it's better that we should be' Undisturbed." "Certainly, if you wish it," said Mr /Daxke. "And may we know what the "business is that demands such extraordii nary precautions?" " I hold warrants for the arrest of throe trf vou, I believe, sir." i- "' Arrest!" echoed Mr Darke, gHll with vlhe same coolness with which he had '1 ireafced his wife's fears and the Colonel's i Minouncement that one of his own ser- * jants was a detective. "What for?" V "Conspiring to defraud, sir." ■1 Mr Darke's face snddenly woke into intelligence. *Qh, it's this ridiculous insurance bnsi- . nesa, I suppose," ho said. "And which . three mi of the four of us do you want?" f The officer looked round the room. "Captain Lansdell, I believe?" said he, bowing to the gentleman indicated. '... " Good heavens, man, yon don't snp- .'; pose I have anything to do with this affair? I, a late officer in His Majesty's Navy ?** cried the Captain indignantly. "And Colonel Cressingham. I believe yon, sir, are he?" And he looked at 'the Colonel, who bowed mockingly in re- '. torn. . . ** Aix, I thought yon wonldn't leave me 'Out. Give a dog a bad name and hang ' iimV said he coolly and almost flippantly. Mr.. Darke, still cool and calm, leant hade in lot dhasr smiling. " And poor little Jerdan, are yon going to take him too?** said be, raising his ;.' eyebrows. The officer shook his head and came ' dearer to the master of the house. ; "No, sir,". said he, "I don't want ham. ' , " What, that's the very man you want, ! U yon want anybody," said he. " Stanv ley Jerdan alias Sydney Jarvis, The >;,. lifctite, beggar's, &$

M That may be, sir, but I've no warrant for him for all that." \ Mr Darke looked at the officer with keen black eyes. . " Who's 'the third man you want, then?" asked be blandly. " Well, sir, I think you can guess," said the officer. Mr Darke's expression changed. Leaning forward a little, and resting his sound hand upon a little table near him, he stared into the man's face and said, in a voice of sonorous amazement : ." You don't mean to say you're going to have the audacity to accuse mo, a wretched invalid, of a share in your trumped-up conspiracy?" The officer hesitated. ,: Well, sir, there are other charges against you—more serious ones." said he. Mr Dnricc fell back in his chair. " This is too much—too much," bo said. His head sank on his breast, and he began to breathe heavily, like a man in a fit. Instinctively the officer approached to nelp him; but hardly had he come within reach, when, with a lightning-like movement, Mr Darke sprang out of his chair and butted the officer in the chest, throwing him backwards against a table, which gave way and let him down to-the floor. There was a sort of savage crv from the others, and the Captain ran "to the window. But before he could reach it, the lonogaunt form of Mr Darke, uncanny in the rapidity of its movements, had disappeared over the window-ledge and out of sight of the group in the room. CHAPTER XXIV. Although there was not a single person n: the room.unprepared for the discovery ■■hat Mr Darke's character of invalid was an assumed one. the sight of the bent. spare frame, which thev had been used to seeing surrounded with all the app lances of the cripple, acted upon them liko a stroke of paralysis, so that for a tew moments even the Captain—the most alert of them all—could onlv stand helplessly at the window gazing' at his activo and ingenious accomplice in crimo as he sped like an arrow over the lawn, and plunging mto the trees and bushes near the nver, diia.ppe.ired from sight. Then the Colonel laughed drilv. ''Confound him! -Jilting Jo*' to the last; said he. And turning to the detective, who was by this time on his feet again, he said : «« He's got away?" but the officer merely shook his head and said : ' n,"* No \ , Ther , c :irc to o many of us for that. And we knew too well who we. had to deal with. He'll not get far.-' Even as he spoke there appeared sudli 0 ?* 8 H emerging from various unseen hiding-places, three or fonr plainc ouhes policemen, who closed in on the clump oi trees with rapid and soldierly movements, some within sight of the winnow, n-nd some bevond.

In the meantime Penrr. bo longer anxious about concealing bis business, stood close under tbe window rendv to c ive anv Yard n UetXl I>G ' IO thc m * n " fTOm TOtl3li tl "Look here," said the Colonel, quite coolly, to the officer who had the warrams, • I don t want to get away. I have a complete answer to this charge, and I'm as anxious as you are to have everything cleared up. But I want to see tho end of fins. I want to gat out and see what happens.

" Ancl T > «nd the Captain. Hie officer knew .thai there was litt'o fonr of his losing hfe prisoners, as he bad ■ nken tie precaution to have the grounds occtinind by men who had arrived, some bv the road and some by tho river, and taken up their positions one by one, so cautiouslv as to be unobserved by the household at Ivivorscourt.

I All the remaining occupants of the siudv |iaerefore, Colonel ttessingbam. Captain [ J-ansdell, Sydney Jarvis, and the detective j got out of the window and on the lawn : and joined in the dha.se of the fugitive j But they had not far to go. When thev had passed the clamp of trees they came m sight of a group of men surrounding one of tbe pretty private boathouses with a little tea-pavilion on the top, of which the banks of tee river offer so many picturesque examples. A fanciful staircase led from the ground to the rustic baicouy and to the pleasant room, overlooking the river, where the i>a?kcs generally hod tea on summer afternoons. At the bottom of this staircase stood two men. while others watched the banks and the water. One of the men nodded .towards the pavilion .as the chief detective came up. "He's in there, right enough," said he. "He can't get away." w Right," said the other, and immediately he proceeded to mount the steps, not without caution,- as be was aware thai he had a desperate character to deal with. But the next minute bo was knoefcinz at tiro door, which was locked, and theu,"not petting any answer, he mad© an attempt to force it open. Then they all heard a perfectly cheerftri voice cry out: "Wait a minute, I*ll let you in." It was the voice of Joskih Darke, just as resonant, just as clear as ever. They all waited in considerable anxiety for whmfc was to happen, and then were whispers of "firearms" passed from lip to lip. The Colonel and Capiain Lansdell exchanged Bignrfiormt looks, but no word. After a few minutes* interval, during which the detective had shaken the door and knocked at it two or three times, it was unlocked and thrown open by Mr Darke brmscli, erect, dignified, bland as ever. He Lad coolly and cynically thrown on" •cry pretence of physical infirmity, and j Uyond the fact that ho was of. a ghaetlv pallor—a not unusual circumstance with hiin—he seemed to give litttle sign of concern. The police officers glanced at his hands. One of them, the right, which he had been wearing bound up of late, bore the uwk of a deep recent scratch, but he held no weapon in either, and he stood in tlie doorway nodding and snrilmg to his I oonftderatea below with a stoicism which earned him the hearty admiration of the men sent to take him.* "Jilting Jo" was "game." When he had smiled affably on the assembled group for a few minutes, he iruietlv turned to the detective and invited ham into the pavilion, where they sat down and entered into earnest conversation, in full view of the people below. "What's the gainer asked one of the officers of another. The Colonel caught the words, and repeated them, with a muttered oath, to Captain Lansdell,. who repKed in the came tone. Then both waitcbed more keenly than ever. They had both noted that the little bamboo writing desk, at wlrich Mr Darke sometimes wrote letters in the afternoon, was open, and that, indeed, the detective's arm was resting upon the' flap. It was half an hour at least since the sensational flight of tbe master of Riverscourt, and the assembled group were showing signs of impatience, when suddenly they saw the head detective rise quickly from his chair. "A doctor! Send for a doctor," said he. There was no eagerness to obey this carmmand, for, indeed, all present, except, perhaps, Jo Darke's confederates, looked upon _tho fainting attitude and convulsive writhing of the accused man as another ruse to gain sympathy or to gain time. Bat the Colonel know better. " He's done it," said he, as be got on the second step of the staircase and looked np. " He's done it; I knew he would !" Paul Penry was near enough to hew the words, and he asked : "What, air? Whafc'ia it-?"' "He's taken powM, H said fie Colonel, laconically. • " Poison-r " Yes. Cyanide of potaeanm, I should think. I saw him note the name—-saw it in his face—when a recent tragic affair was reported in the papers." The Colonel was right. Long before a doctor oould be at his side, Mr Darke was dead on the pavilion floor, and his wife, in wild grief and despair, was hanging oyer the body, caUinß to him, and upbraiding all around with causing bis death. " , "If you Wanted to arrest, Colonel Cees-

shoold have done it quietly, without letting my husband know. As it is, you have killed him; tho shock of this, acting upon his weak heart., has killed him. The best of men! My darling, my darling Jo!" And sho sobbed and Tocked herself in ovonvhelming grief that brought a lump , into the throats of most of the byatandi ers, whoee presence she neither knew nor i heeded. "Is it genuine? Did she know nothing, do you think?" one of the .policeofficers asked Paul Penry, who was' standing discreetly in the background. He nodded. " It's genuine enough so far as sorrow goes," said he. "They were fond of each other,. I'm certain. Whether sho knew or guessed anything I can't say. \on am never tell how much or how little a woman knows. Sometimes they don't. clKxxttto understand half they hear." When Alison, having learnt the startling news from tho gardener's wife, arrived at the house she did not dare to approach Mrs Darke, who was scarcely conscious when her first paroxysms of grief were over, but contented herself with trying to comfort poor Carrie, who was almost stunned by tho occurrences of the morning. Some inkling of tho nature of the ohairgea against her dead father must have reached the poor child's care, for blio kept repeating, in a monotonous voice : "I don't believe it of papa.. I won't ii-yar anything against poor papa!" The news had filtered through to Lord Celdestone's place, but no message had arrived from the household, and later in tho day it was known that the Earl and his daughter haA taken a hurried departure for London, to be out of the way of further developments of the (scandal. The Colonel and Captain Lanedell had | already been escorted back to town when Alieon mot Sydney Jarvis, who was lingerI ing about the place, and who turned scarlot with surprise and confusion on finding himself face to face with her. " Now," said she, " you can't get away. The loaist vou can do i& to explain everything to me." " Well, you see," said he, finding himself cornered and at her mercy, " I really did think, you know, that my wife was dead." '' Oh, and she isn't, I suppose!" tsaid Alison, with suddenly evened eyeo. " No. We've been separated for yeam, and, indeed, I thought I was free."" "Of course." f aad Alison, dryly. " And what made you so anxious to marry mo, when you didn't care two &tra,ws about. i me?" "It was businef-e," replied Sydney. simply. " I had done a good deal of | work for Mr Darke—indeed, that was all I did, buying and selling for him, and j running his errands." I *' A very honorable business," interpo- : b.ted Alison, dryly. ' " Well, well, t didn't know what it was going to lead to—l didn't, indeed. Anyhow, when Darko was anxious to get you married and out of tho way, because of young Noel's infa-tuatico, it'was arranged that I should find you out, and—and see what I could do. You see, Fm quito honest." "Yes, because now you can't help yourself," said sho, quietly. "W 7 cli, yon might give me credit for something.. I've done you no harm," said Sydney, irritably. "Noel had to mamLord Geldcstone's daughter, because, if at'ything were to go wrong with Darke's plans later " "You ini'.in his plans fr.r defrauding the insurance offic%" put in Alison. " Oil, I don't know what his plans were, J'ni sure," said Sydney. "But, anyhow, u anything had gone wrong after Noel's m.-mnge with Lady Posina, it would have been hnshed up. You know how difficult it is to get a prosecution started when there arc great names involved." . " I sco I was. to be sacrificed, and Noel too, just to protect a gang of rcgues." "Well, I wasn't a rogue; at least, I wasn't snch a rogue," said Sydnev. " I meant to take you to Australia—believing I w;ts free to inarrv, vou understand—and I should hare made a very good husband. Only at the last moment f thought—l felt, welt—that you wcto a bit too good to be treated like that—and I—l funked it, and I—l bolted." He was so white, and trembled so much, that Alison felt sorry for him, in spite of everything. " I wonder," she said, gently, " that such a good-natured man as you arc should ever let himself be used as a tool by men likci these!" "I got in for it gradually," explained byaney. "It was the Colonel who began it, you know. He's the leading spirit, the clever head, and Dafkc had the .nerve and the steadfastness to carry out the other's The Captain was a sort of make-weight, not so important as the others, but useful because ho had no conscience, and such a manner that everybody thought him a good fellow." "And how long have they worked together?" "Well,, tho police say they've just got evidence that they've worked together for at lfjast. twelve years, during which they've successfully carried through a lot of swindles of different kinds, Darke passing as a millionaire, when as a. matter of fact he lived for the most- part ' on t.he bounce,' as they say—on the reputation of riches ratheT than on money." " And didn't he ever have a valuable collection?"

' A very valuable one, at one time. The collecting and insurance was to be a grand coup." Alison nttercd a midden cry. "And who was it that tried to got in that night?" she asked quickly. _*-01d Darke. Thought it w'iser to do ib from the outside, so that they conldn't say it was done from within. And there were the Colonel and the Capta,in, sitting in the dining room,.to swear he hadn't left their presence?" "And you knew about it? And knew that it was he—lor it must have been he—■ who murdered the girl and shot at me? And who must have been seen by his own son?" cried she. all in a breath. "No, no, I didn't know it; I swear I didn't. But I've no reason now to doubt that it was he." "No, cor I. I knew it was he who locked mo into the gallery, for I had heard Noel, mi-en he was unconscious, raving about his father's pretended lameness! It will kill him, T know it will!" "Oh, no, no; von mustn't allow that. It lies with you, t expect. And you know you have oniy to bring a case against me— I shall bo Jl right, lor T can swear I didn't know my wife w;is alive—to get. free and many* him. What's become of himr "He's down at Brighton. Paul Penry sent liim there to his brother Swithin, whom the family sent away, because, I suppose, he guessed 100 much." Sydney nodded. " Yes. It was what ho knew sent Switbin on the wrong rood, I believe," said he. Alison drew a long, sobbing breath. "I wonder," she said, "that you, after all, could turn round upon your own confederates and betray them to the. police!" Svdney '■hook his head dismally. u 1 never was their confederate. I never knew Darke was shamming lameness. I swear it T said he. "Of course, I don't mean to say I thought he was as blameless as a babe, or that any of them were. But I didn't know what I do now. And as for 'giving them away,' T didn't. I was watched, followed, collared, and T had to confess. That was nil. And ;ts my confession helped them, they thought the little fish might as well be allowed to get through tiie net, that it might be drawn. th? tighter round the big ones!" She drew back a step, shuddering and sick. The whole ptory was such a pitiful laying baw-of sordid schemes and guilty deeds that the thought that Noel should bo connected with theso shady should suffer for their'"sins, was terrible to bear. She let Sydney call a fly for her, and then, dragging her sprained ankle after her as best she could, the drove to the /station, leaving BSrroracourt behind her with a shiver of relief. On airiving at Paddington she drove straight to Victoria, where she booked at once for Brighton ; and tiat very evening she found herself at the lodgings whero Noel and his half-brother Swithin were staying. She had scarcely reached the door of the houses limpings she walked, when Swithin himself Xaetsa: it open... and. qame dtwm to

the fact that a great change for the better had taken place in hfm. and when lie greeted her with delight, and told her, as ha helped her indoors, that she would save Noel's life, bo knew alie would, she could scarcely repress her tears. The next moment she was in tho sitting room, and in the presence not of Noel, but of his ghost—a pale, worn, worried, prematurely aged man, in whom she scarcely recognised the bright, handsome Noel she had known.

Im ashamed to look vou in tho face," said he in a low voice/ "I wanted—we wanted, Swithin and I—to .go away, slink away, to Van Diemen's Land, anywhere, under a different name, and be forgotten by you all." "You.couldn't expect to be forgotten by me,' sobbed Alison through her tears. "Oh, >Joel, I have so longed to see you again, to tell you how I feel!"

Then Swithin, lucidly for their composure, -broke in with boisterous tions of anger and dismay. He had found out something long ago, and had been treated with, savage repression in consequence. Already the influence of his younger brother, who now knew as much as ho did; was having a good effect upon him; and the half-brothers, drawn together by a common sorrow, a common shame, had resolved to start life anew together. A. few, months later, but not before the triid of what came to be called the Riverscourt gang had resulted in penal servitude fcr the Colonel and the Captain, Alison and her husband Noel started to begin a new life in Canada Swithin went with them across the Atlantic, bound for Florida. Mrs Darke had found friends to sympatltise with her woful plight, and she with her two children remained in England, But the house at Riverscourt was shut up, and remained in that desolate condition until it went the way of desolate mansions, and was opened afresh by a " philanthropist," who saw his way to making a living out of the management of a charitable institution. But the 'servants do not like to be left alone in the dark in tho house even now, for they tell tales in the neighborhood about a long, lein figure that haunts the place at night, holding a light in a scarred right hand.