A HIDDEN ENEMY.

Evening Star, Issue 14631, 29 July 1911, Page 3

A HIDDEN ENEMY.

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A STORY OF LONDON LIFE. [B„ Fred, Ash-^y.] CHAPTER XXVIII “kvu. tidings." , No sooner hod the door closed upon Evelyn and her young companion than the anile with which he had gieetvd thorn vanished from Mr Spencer's face, and his manner became uno.ually grave. “1 am afraid, my dear friends,” he began, “that I am the bearer of evil tidings. I cannot apeak positively until I get the further news which T am awaiting, and, therefore, I was very desirous that Miss Stanville should have, at piesont, no inkling of what 1 have to teU you. “Now let me begin at the beginning. “Yesterday afternoon Philip Stain itlo :ama to my house and mentioned that he nad received a rather urgent message from old Mr Gretton begging him to give him a call as soon as ho conveniently could. Ho was, in fact then on his way there to see Iretton, and thereupon rny wife a.-ked him if he would mind acting as hearer of a small parcel she desired to send to the invalid. He went away, and we have not •een him since.” “Not seen him since!” Ernest repeated. ‘Do veu thick, then, that he is ill?” “ W ait a little. Sometimes, of course, I do not see him for a day or two at :i time, so that his failure to look in this morning would not have occasioned me any uneasiness had it not happened that he had promised to be with me at ten o'clock in order to accompany me on a visit I wished to make close by. As it was. I had to go without him. When 1 got hack I found there were still no si c ns of him ; snd then I started out on my rounds. What made me take Giettcn first I cannot tell; I had intended calling on him last—perhaps I might not have gone there at all to-day; as it was, however, I went there arst. I found the old man in a great state of trouble, as it quickly appeared, alcut Mr Stanville. He said he had been wishing to send a message to me to ask ii 1 aad seen the young gentleman, as ho feared something was wrong. But ho had been quite alone; no one had been near bim, and consequently he had been unable io communicate with me.” “Why did he think something was wrong?” Ernest asked, eagerly.

“It seemed that Mr t-tanvilic called on Dim in due course, and delivered the parcel my wife asked him to take charge of. Almost the first thing he said was to tee rffect that he had been delayed on the road through meeting with a sailor, who begged af him to go wilt; him to see a brother who was dying, and wished particularly to see Mr Stanviiie. Thij brother, the man detlared, had been a sailor on board the vessel Mr Stanviiie came home in. The man tried very hard, it seems, to get our friend to go with him then and there, but .Mr Philip, as it happened, said he must call to deliver the parcel. After a little while the nrange man, whom he told to wait for h’.m faelcw, became impatient, and put his head in the door urging Mr Stanviiie to go with him at once, on the plea that otherwise the brother might be dead before they could get to him. Thereupon our gccd-natur-d friend took a hasty leave, and went off with the stranger.” “ Well, but have von sent round to Philip’s lodgings?” Ernest asked. “Surely

“1 was on my way there when whom should I run against but Mr Ridler—l frejuently encounter him in my wanderings—»nd he offered to go instead and make the necessary inquiries. I arranged tor him to come on to your house as soon as possible, ■while I came here first to let yon know how matters stand.”

“What construction do you put on this, Brother -Spencer?” Mr Metcalf asked. “Ho you fancy, from what Gretton said, that there is really anything wrong? How or why should there be? It seems a reasonable thing enough that a sailor who knew Philip on the voyage home micht be sirous of seeing him when he fell ill. Ton know what a popular lad he is. and I can quite understand his making friends among the sailors, as well as amongst the officers and passengers, on board a ship.’ “True, my dear Mr Metcalf; but the serious thing is that Gretton declares that just after Mr Stanviiie and his pseudosailor friend had gone it came upon him that he knew the stranger’s voice, and recognised the fellow, notwithstanding his clever disguise. He was none other than a certain Silas Teazle, a low-class private Lnquirv agent, whom he well knew to be in the'pay of Mr Ralph Hedley. As this flashed into his mind, poor old Gretton sprang out of bed and hobbled to the door, and then to the window, and called after Mr Stanviiie, to try to stop him But he was too late; they Kail gone out of earshot, and he shouted himself pretty well hoarse in vain.” “I confess I am at a loss to understand it all,” Ernest said, his face and tone full of trouble and anxiety. “ But one_ thinu seems to stand out clearly enough ; Ii Gretton did not fancy that part about the man Teazle, this brings suspicion home to Hedley as Philip's real enemy more clearly than anything we have yet been able to get hold of.” , “ But Gretton has a great deal more than that to tell,” Mr Spencer went on, gravely shaking his head. “It seems that yesterday he opened his heart to Mr S. an vide, anil revealed to him secrets which, when he repeated them to me to-day . nearly took mv breath awav. He can tell you more about Hedley than anyone else has even so much as guessed at. And Air Spencer proceeded to repeat to his astonished hearers th? whole of the revelations that Gretton had made to Philip, putting them in possession of all the allegation.-* the old man had made respecting the chicanery carried on by Hedley under cover of the firm of Fenton and Co. “Poor old Gretton.” said Mr Spencer, “is almost beside himself; and now that he has made up his mind to speak, declares that no fear of consequences shall t revent his telling the while truth in tun ght of day. But what specially makes him anxious us to Mr Stanviiie is that- he says he has not the slightest doubt but that the fellow Teazle was listening at the door and heard what he had been saying. Therefore, Hedley knows that Mr Stanviiie is now aware of his nerfidy and of the frauds he has carried out on this trusting young man. Naturally he will be in a state of mind likely to lead him on to almost any deeperate_ act in order to save himself from public exposure. If. therefore, Gretton’s forebodings are well founded, and Mr Stanviiie has been enticed away, and is in this man’s power, then, my dear friends, you will perceive that he may be in grave danger indeed. I pray Heaven, however, that such may not be the case.” A silence fell upon the group, which continued for some minutes, each seeming to be occupied with his own thoughts. Presently Ernest spoke “And Gretton, too: they will scarcely weave him unmolcetid if they are awaro of what he told Philip,” he said in a low voice.

“I have seen to that,” Mr Spencei returned, *'at least so far as I could. Ridler had one of his assistants with him, «.nd he sent him off to look after Gretton until we can make other arrangements.” Just then a knock was beard at the iront door, and a minute later Mr Ridler «eu> in.

Sm brought bad news. Philip StanviUe bad not been home all night. “Bat that is not the worst,” said the detective; “it appears that Irst night a gentlemanly-looking man called at Mr StanviUe's lodgings and asked for him. Or. being told he was not in. he requested permission to go up to his room and wait for him, and they allowed aim to do so. But after waiting a short time the m-n came down again, and showed a crumpled note, which, he said, he had picked up aa the floor of Mr Stan villa's room. Then he went away, leaving neither name nor ad-irees. Tins is the disgraceful note which he alleged he had picked up. The ■coondrel took care to read it to all and gaxtdry, and to make his own comments be went away,-”

It wan an anonymous letter from a pretended “ friend,” warning Philip Stanville that a warrant Lad been privately applied for and Issued against him, in respect of ” the five thousand pounds he had Stolen,” and advising him to fly instantly If he wished to avoid arrest. “ So now it would appear, you perceive.” said Mr Ridler, “ that his enemies have not only managed to entice Mr Stanville nway and get him into their power, but nave put about a wicked story of his flying from justice in order to account for his disappearance!” CHAPTER XXIX. THE SEARCH FOR PHIX.TP. The mystery of Philip Stanville’a second disappearance proved to be a more serious matter than his previous involuntary absence had been, and as time went on, and no word or message from him game to his anxious friends, their anxiety increased in pioportion. Aloe Uidier had telegraphed at once to Mr Wilberfurce, who immediately came up to town, and took systematic measures .'or instituting inquiries and carrying on the search in every quarter that might be considered in the least degree likely. But the hours passed on, merged into days, and the mystery seemed only to deepen ; no ray of light came to hearten the searchers groping in the dark, no clue could be discovered to guide their elforbs. Philip Stanville seemed to have disappeared this time as completely as if the earth had opened and swallowed him up. And yet in one sense, certainly, the situation had seemed to Mr Wilberforce, at first sight, fairly hopeful. They knew their enemy this time. Old Mr Gretton's revelations, and his recognition of Teazle, had pointed out Ralph He;”oy cleaily enough as Philip's long-hidden, secret enemy, and the instigator of this last bold outrage. But when the astute lawyer came to essay to make practical use of this advantage his chagrin was great to find iiow little it helped him. Gretton supplied him with drafts of leases and securities which ho (Gretton/ asserted were copies he had carefully made while in the employ of Fenton and Co. .otherwise Hedley). and which he declared hud been taken from false and fraudulent deeds to which Philip’s name had been in some cases forged, but the information did not help Mr Wilberforce now. hi Philip's absence he could not challenge a single document or dispute a single signature. Therefore he found himself unable to initiate any action against Hedley until Philip could be found.

Crider this enforced inaction the lawyer, ordinarily so quiet and self-contained, chafed and fretted not a little. For years j he had had his suspicions of Hediey’s good ; faith, and for some months now he had • been vainly spending money in employing : ag.nts tc make secret investigations. And | now that "chance” had suddenly placed j the long-sought clue in his hands he was I unable to turn it to account, i "Wait until we find Philip—only wait till we find him !” he would say to Ernest Metcalf. "Then. Mr Ralph Hedley alias Fenton, then ” Ah, yes 1 When Philip was found ! But that was now the crux of the whole affair, and Ernest only sighed as he heard the lawyer’s impatient exclamations and realised how little progress they had yet been able to make towards finding him. "And what will you do. then—when Philip return-:?” he once asked. " Make Hedley disgorge.” was the reply. “If I don’t compel him to make restitution to the tune of—um—well, a good many thousands of pounds, then I’m a Dutchman,” Mr Wilberforce finished. “Yes, if he’s still worth it,” put in Mr Ridler, who happened to ho present. " But, do vou know, sir, I have heard rumors of late that the firm of Morrison and Hedley are in difficulties. Two or three of their last ‘promotions’ have gone wrong, so it is whispered, and if old Gretton takes too loud, and sets a lot of other vicitms of ‘Fenton and Co.’s’ gentle squeezing practices on to Mr Iledlcy, why, then I’m thinking there may not be much salvage when divided among so many.” “Humph! UTU, then i'ii prosecute him and put him where he tried so hard to put Philip Stanviiie,” growled the lawyer, savagely. But, as has been said, all these threats and plans were for the time futile. Nothing could be done, no step taken, till Philip was found, net even to frighten Hedley—as Mr Wilberforce discovered when he essayed the attempt. He went to' the financier's office several times to try to interview him, but was told at each visit that Mr Hedley was out of town. He did manage to seo Mr Morrison on one occasion, and had a stormy scene with that gentleman ; but he had to come away without having gained any information or achieved auy purpose satisfactory to himself. Then the determined lawyer called upon Alec Ridler’s employe: s, Messrs Slilforth and Co., private inquiry age;,ts, to stimulate their zeal with ■ the promise of an increased reward for the discovery of the missing man. ” Put on more men, sir—put on more j men.” he said to the chief of the firm, i

“This is not a matter in whk-h espouse : has to bo considered. Apfirt trom our natural anxiety for this young gentleman's personal safety, the money side of the atfair means a big thing. It is a matter of thousands—ay, hundreds of thousands of pounds.” “You refer, I suppose, sir, to the large sum Mr Stanville holis in tru.,l,” observed Mr Stilfoith, musingly. ‘‘Of course, about that I only know what you have thought proper to confide to me from time to time. It is a largo amount, I think you said —nearly half a million of money?” “Over half a million, sir, now,” was Mr Wilberforce's ajiswer. “ Some of the investments have improved greatly in value since the money was plated in them.” “ Half a million!” the other repeated. “ It’s a birr windfall for anyone to come in for, isn't it, Mr Wilberh-rce? 1 refer to it now because it happens that the other day I had a report from one of our people to the effect that he thought he had at last come upon traces of the man you want to find—Andrew Rillingford.” .Mr Wilberforce started and looked perturbed. “ That is strange-—coming just now,” he commented. “Why did you not tell me at once?" “It was just before you came to town and called with tho nows of Mr Stanvillc’s disappearance, and the latter matter put the other for the moment out of mv head.” “Have you any particulars?” Mr Wilber - force asked, very earnestly. “Do you suppose tho —the man we have been trying to find' ir—um—well—to pul it shortly—alive or dead ?” “I have nothing at present to enable me to give any definite reply to that question ; but my agent rather inclines to tho idea that the man ts dead.” “ Humph It was all the-old lawyer then said; but the brown study he forthwith fell into conveyed the idea that he attached a very (Treat deal of importance to the answer, vague as it had been. “Would to Heaven it might bo so!” ho presently exclaimed. “It seems a harsh thing to say, but 1 cannot help the feeling. This man Ki’fiin rford rs nothing to me. I have sever seen him—probably should not like him if I did—whereas Philip Stanville, foolish and headstrong as he has been, is one in whom 1 take an affectionate interest —and he—if this m.an were dead, ho ” “Would come into possession of this halfmillion, 1 suppose,” quietly remarked Mr btii forth. The lawyer seemed annoyed. “I did not say so,” he exclaimed, hastily- “Mi Stilforth, you have no rightf to assume —to—to—a—seek to pry ” “ Pray say no more, Mr vVilberforcd,” the other interrupted, with a deprecatory air. “ I assume nothing, and lam far from seeking to pry into anything you do not wish to tell me. We detectives, you know, sir, can’t- help making deductions sometimes unconsciously, I believe I do it myself in my sleep at times. Our thoughts will run off on their own at time? The observa tion escaped me unintentionally. But do not be disturbed, sir. All secrets are safe with me, whatever they may be. You know that, sir.”

“ Yes, yes, Mr Sliliorth, ves. However, to go back to this man Exiling ford; tell me more of what you have learned.’' “ There is really no more to tci'," returned the detective, taking a folded paper from a pigeon-hole of his desk. “ Here is .any mao’a report yw caa umd bia your-

sell. It is, as 1 have said, vague and indefinite as it stands; bat yon will perceive he says h© may have fuller and clearer : n formation any day now.” Mr Wilberforce looked at the paper and read it carefully, then put it down, ami shortly afterwards took his leave without much further talk. ' And as he walked away his manner conveyed the idea that what he had heard had somehow sol him thinking very seriously. CHAPTER XXX. MB MORBISOU IS UPSET. “ What has become of Philip Stanville T” This question was asked by Mr Benjamin Morrison of his partner, Mr Ralph Hedley, as they sat together in their office, and asked in tones that betokened a captious and dissatisfied state of mind. Mr Hedley glanced up from the letter ho was writing with a look of bland surprise. , ~ “Why do you ask me? How should I know ?” ho answered, mildly. “Come, come, no nonsense with me, if you please, yesterday I had a visit from that foxy old lawyer Wilberforce, and he mado all sorts of vague threats. He has evidently made some discovery which he thinks he can use .against us, though ho was too cautious to let me see his cards. I fear there is trouble brewing in connection with this business, and I feel very doubtful and uneasy at the turn things are taking.' If matters arc as I fear, it seems to me that you will have brought it upon our heads quite gratuitously and unnecessarily by going to such elaborate lengths to harry young Stanville. Just now, too, as you know, we have other troubles crowding around us. Only this morning I’ve heard that a bad report has been received from the manager out at the PhueUUs mines. It can’t be kept dark more than a few days at most; and when it is publicly known, then there will be another bad slump in Phoebus shares. Wo can t support the market as matters are, and the.cfore ”

“ Oil, hang Phcebus shares!” Hedley exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders. " There’s nothing now in tha likelihood that that undertaking will come to grief, we knew it must do so from the tirst. Naturally, the concern must have been rotten, or we should never have been able to secure it so cheaply and make such a big prolit out of the resale to the company. All tilings uusidered, we haven't done so badly over that business. What’s upset us is that we have lest what we made there in other ways. The fact that the Phoebus Company is not going to keep on its legs as long us wo had hoped for is nut a matter oi any great consequence now.” “ I’m not so sure of that,” Morrison replied, gloomily. “It seems to me things are g. mg wrong all round, and I have good reason to believe that the fact that wo aro the actual promoters of the fhoebus Company has .-somehow leaked out, and, therefore, its collapse will be a matter we shall have to take into account. However, to come back to what I was talking about—-what is the object of this new move with regard to Philip Stauville? Why can’t you leave well' alone 1 You’ve harried him pretty well, turned him out of all decent society with a brand upon his name, and forced him to go and hide himself in the East End, working among tho slums there. From that obscurity he is not very likely to emerge again; in fact, with this stain upon his name he cau’t. What more do you want? Why not lot sleeping dogs lie? He was safely out of the way where 1 he was.” “It is precisely because ho was not safely out of the way that I had to take further steps,” Hedley now admitted, with evident reluctance. ‘‘The fact is, Morrison, that miserable old humbug Metcalf has been taking a hand at tha game again.”

At this Mr Morrison seemed suddenly amused. Ho laughed. “ Why, what in the world has he been doing now?” he queried. “He seems to be keeping a particularly sharp eye upon you. What’s he up to? Is he going to turn amateur detective? Are you and he playing a now .game of ‘ hide and seek”' or is it to be ‘beggar my neighbor ’ ?” j “Keep your chaff to yourself, Morrison," ! Hedley retorted, with a scowl. ”It is no i laughing matter this time. Somehow this canting old donkey Metcalf, at whom I everybody laughs, and who, they say, is so unnaturally stupid that when he ventures out of doors ho can scarcely find his way bavk from the next street—that's what I have been told—well, ho, I say, has ! brought about confidential meetings between Stanviiie and—whom do yon think?” “ Can’t say. Ini sure.” “ Well, then, listen. Old Sydney Gret- : ton! Ard, whit’s more, Gretton’s been chattering.” ‘ | Morrison gave a great jump, stared in- : credulously at his partner, and then began ■ wa:king rcsthsriy up and down the office. \ “Gretton chattering to Stanviiie! Why, I man, that may mean to us nothing less ! than blue ruin 1 When did you learn I this?” “ But a few days ago. Something clearly had to be done—and so—well, Stanviiie, they say, has disappeared!” Morrison made no answer, but just nodded his head ever so slightly, and contimed to promenade “ Whv didn't vou tell me this before?” he presently said, suddenly pausing in his walk, ‘ Why keep me in the dark?” “ You forget Fve been away, and it was j not a thing I cared to write about. I i should have told you of it by-and-bye; I j am really waiting hr a report from one of j rav people.” | “ Teazle?” | Hedley shook his head. j “No,” he said. “Teazle has blundered - again, and Glutton recognised him So ha i had to lie in perdu for a while, in case, | if he came here he might be watched for j and followed. I knew Wilberforce was up ; in town again. I don’t know yet how much he knows, but it is best to be on tho . safe side.” , “But Gretton! What’s the fool thinking about to dare such a thing? Has ho forgotten the hold we have over his son?” “I have seen to that. I went down and interviewed him, and I think I thoroughly frightened him. He wont talk any more j now-. Tho worry of it is that he has j blabbed to Stanviiie, and" —her© Hedley ! hesitated and nibbed his chin reflectively with his hand —“ to tell you the truth, Morrison, Teazle, who overheard what was said, tells me Gretton seems to know a great deal more than .vou or I had any idea of. He basted to S'anviiie of copies he has in Ire possession of certain deeds connected with Stanv file's transactions with us. Tho cunning scoundrel must have made them somehow while in the employ of Fenton and Co. Of course, there must have been another in the swim; he could only have got them by collusion with someone else. Ho never had access to any such papers in his own department and 1 feel sure that other one did not even know th© value or meaning of ’he parers he allowed Gretton to copy. But it seems now Gretton knew well eiiou.h, and he has been keeping those copies and biding his time all these years.’ “Can’t you get them from him?” ‘' .1 m-t now he is watched day and nmht by th© other side; but no doubt they will tire, and our chance will come by-ai d-byo. Meantime, I have frightened him. Ho will ©ay no more at present, you may bo sure. If be docs, I have aesured him I would have his son arrested and locked up within twenty ■ four hours ” . , . _ , , “Yes, if we could catch him. But at present we don’t know whore the young beggar is.” , __ “ Gretton does not know that. He thinks I can lay my band upon him at a moment’s notice.” “ I don’t like the look of things. Why haven’t you kept a sharper eye upon Gretton ? How came that ho and oi/anville should become friendly and con fidential without your knowing of it? I( is not likely to have happened all at once. It must have been going on foi some time.”

“ Teazle ought to have warned me, I know, but, s mehew, ho didc t. As ft the rest, who would ever hj ve thought c StanviUe turning slum visitor and stumL ling across this particular man?” “It seems to mo, Hedley, that you have only yourself to thank for this. At tiro very beginning of this business I eaid : ‘Leave StanviUe alone’ —that was when you first proposed to put him in as secretary lo.tbo Bimbos Company. Now* it

seems to me. all your scheming against him has only ended in this : that you have driven him to take refuge in the East End slums, and driven him—where? —into the arms of the man Gretton, of all people in the world! You should have been satisfied with what yon had done, and left the fellow alone. I can’t, even now, understand why you should hate him eo much as to follow out your vengeance even to the point of bringing ue into this mess.”’ “ I tell yon this is not my doing,” Hedley broke out, fiercely. “My plane were all well laid, and I should have had him safely enough by now—sentenced to penal servitude or something of that sort, if ” “ If—what?” “ Why, if Metcalf hadn’t thwarted me at every turn. Again and again that praying, sanctimonies old parson upset everything that I had so carefully arranged.” “ How ?” “How do I know?” Hodley returned, with a vicious snap. “ I wish I did ; I can’t even guess. But there’s the fact. It has sometimes appeared to me as if ha could read my very thoughts and counterplot me at every turn. First of all, he gets hold of Grainger and gets on the soft side of that maundering fool ny pretending to be very fond of his child. lircn, somehow, he brings Wilborforco to town at a critical time, who prevails on Stanville’s sister to- leave your house—this after I had taken infinite pains to keep Wilberfore and Stanvillc apart by intercepting Stanville’s letters. Well, that disturbed my plans, and caused me to hurry on matters before everything was quite ready. Next, he gets hold of tho child again and keeps her, and that means that I have to keep an eye on Grainger all the while. Then you know bow he upset everything in my little move with Meedham, though how he got hold of that letter of Meedham’s which young Gretton had 1 don’t know to this day. The young scoundrel mast have played double there, and actually given or sent Metcalf the papers we had paid him to steal. After that, of course, all chance of getting I’avenmoor and the others to prosecute Stanvillc was at an end, for Meedhara grew frightened, and refused point-blank to go into court and swear that he hadn't written his own letter. And so ” “ And so —altogether Metcalf is paying you out?” “Paying mo out? How do you mean?” “You kno v what I mean. When ho came to grief at Somerdale—lost his money, and had to give up his curacy and come up to London, to become a sort of broken-down mission worker—that was your doing, wasn't it?” “Well, of course, as ‘Fenton and Co.’ I was the lender of the money he borrowed to get himself out of the trouble he had tumbled into.” “ Tiirough taking your advice as to investing in a little concern you were interested in, I think!” “ Why, yes; but stUI, he doesn’t know that.” “Ah. well! it’s all the same. He’s paving you back now, knowingly or unknow ingly. Pity you hadn’t left him in his retirement down at Somerdale.” “ I wish to goodness now that I had !” “ It’s no good wishing now. Let us look after him a little more carefully in future, and see that hz does not get a chance to interfere with us again. As I understand it, you think Gretton’s safe for the time, and the only thing you fear is Stanville’s getting free ?” “ That is so. At all cost he must be kept out of the way, or put out of the way. Things have come to that pass now that it is our only chance. Let us put our heads together, and decide what we shall do with him.” Tho two worthies proceeded to put their heads together accordingly, and were closeted together fo~ a long while deciding upon the fate of their unfortunate victim. (To be concluded.)