CHAPTER XXXIV. THE WRITING DESK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7389, 15 February 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXXIV. THE WRITING DESK.

About the last of August, Mr Stewart, Guy's neighbour, and self-consti-tuted gardener — and he had proved himself a most efficient one, too, for Guy's windows were now as luxurious as his own — decided to run away from the hot, sultry city, and take a cruise in his yacht.

He had been very friendly with the Waltons ever since making their acquaintance, showing them many a delicate kindness; taking them for a short sail out to sea now and then; thus giving them a taste of salt air, which went far towards keeping them in health and spirits.

Mr Gregory and Theo were also treated to similar excursions, sometimes even going at the same time with Josephine and Guy, and in this way making up a merry, delightful part}'.

At these times Theo seemed to blossom into such a bewildering beauty that it was a pleasure just to watch her.

Guy never took advantage in any way of these excursions; he felt as if he could not honourably assume anything- from the understanding to which they had come that evening after their return from the opera, and he never spoke a word of love to her; but there were a hundred ways by which he could not help betraying- how very dear she was to him, and it was charming to notice the shy, pretty manner with which she met and received them.

But these halcyon days had to come to an end at last, for Mr. Stewart was going on a long cruise. He tried to induce Guy to accompany him, but without success, as the latter thought it unwise to leave London for any length of time, under existing circumstances. Mr. Gregory and Theo were also going away for a month, which gave Guy and his sister a sense of loneliness they had not experienced before. But Mr. Gregory insisted that his ward needed the change, and accordingly he had arranged to go to Mentone.

Theo had invited JosepMne to go with her, hoping, by thus providing

for her, to induce Guy to accept Mr. Stewart's invitation; but she could not be persuaded to leave her brother.

So Mr. Gregory and Theo, accompanied by Mrs. Carleton and Theo's little handmaiden, went to Mentone. Mr. Stewart "sailed over the seas and far away." Josephine stayed to comfort Guy, and he sought to drown his anxiety in increased application to his books.

But the darkness seemed to settle around him more closely than ever; wherever he went, whatever he did, he was impressed with a feeling of impending evil.

One morning they went to Kensington Park. It was extremely sultry, and they felt as if they could not spend the day in their close chambers.

They started forth at eight, and did not return until after six in the evening.

The evening- was quite cool when they returned, while both looked much brighter for their outing. Arm-in-arm, chatting in a cheerful manner, they mounted the stairs leading to their rooms. Reaching the landing they found, to their surprise, a grave, importantlooking personage .standing there, evidently awaiting- them.

Guy gave a slight start as he saw the man, then, bowing to Mm, he said courteously:

"Were you waiting for anyone in particular, sir?" "Yes. I was; I was waiting for the individual who occupies these 'ere chambers," was the reply, accompanied by a sharp, shrewd look at the young man.

"I am that person — my name is Walton. What can I do for you?" Guy replied, while he fitted Ms key to the door, and, turning it, threw it open. "Well, sir, I have a little matter of business with you," returned the man, walking unceremoniously in and looking about as if taking the dimensions of the room, and a mental inventory of all that it contained. Guy's face had grown very serious, and a sort of greyness had settled over it, while Josephine was crimson with indignation at the man's effrontery. "Perhaps you will have a chair, sir, ' Guy remarked, politely, and moving one forward for Mm, adding: "I should be obliged to you if you will tell me the name of my visitor." "Ahem!" the stranger began, with something of embarrassment, for Guy's politeness had taken Mm somewhat aback. "My name is Peters, sir — Officer Peters, in Her Majesty's service at Scotland Yard, an( j — begging your pardon — I've a warrant here authorisin' me to search these 'ere chambers for additional evidence in a certain case as came up before the public several months since."

As he finished this explanation he clapped his fingers into Ms mouth, and gave a short, sharp whistle, and almost immediately the form of another man appeared in the doorway. "That's the talk, Jack," said Peters, with an approving nod at him. Then, turning again to Guy, he continued: "And now, young gentleman, my advice to you is that you take matters easy like; it may be much better for you in the end, and will also be savin' of my time and temper."

Josephine had sunk weakly upon a chair upon the announcement of whom their visitor was; but now, all her spirit arose in arms. "Guy. will you submit to such an indignity as this?" she cried. "Hush, Josephine!" he replied, gently, though he was very pale; "w& cannot help anything. Evidently the man has authority to do as he tells us, and since we know that lie will find nothing to incriminate us, we can afford to bear it patiently."

"This is some more of his work," his sister whispered, with flashing eyes. ' "Doubtless," Guy returned, with a sigh.

"'How much longer do you suppose we shall be obliged to submit to such insults as these?" Josephine demanded, in a trembling voice. "I do not feel as if I could endure it another day," she concluded, with suppressed passion.

"Josie," he returned, with sad reproach, and he never addressed her thus unless he was deeply grieved, "you have been so brave through it all, do not fail me now. I have felt for a month that something was going to happen, and it seems that my presentiment was not a false one."

This conversation took place near the window, in a low tone, and was inaudible to the man in the doorway.

Meanwhile Peters pursued his investigations in the most thorough manner.

There were three rooms; two bedrooms and their common sittingroom.

This latter was. completely overhauled, but the officer of the law found nothing but what might properly be found in any young student's room or lady's boudoir.

Josephine's work-box was carefully inspected, also Guy's writing-desk, which was a somewhat cumbersome affair, being an old-fashioned one, very strongly made, and had belonged to his father. It was the only thing belonging to their old home which these two forlorn children had preserved or cared to bring away with them, and this they might never have done if the desk had not been bequeathed to Guy by the will, or rather a memorandum, of his father, which had rendered it almost sacred in Ms sight.

Guy made no opposition when the officer demanded the key, but quietly drew it from his pocket and handed it to him.

Peters looked a trifle disappointed at this, but unlocked and opened it.

The papers within were in perfect order, but nothing suspicious or of importance was revealed.

He next proceeded to the bedrooms, where he thoroughly ransacked trunks, boxes and closets, and in a way to show that he was an adept in his business.

When at length he came forth 1 from his fruitless errand, he looked heated and disturbed; while the brother and sister, having recovered from their first disagreeable sensations over the intrusion, appeared as calm and unruffled as if they were simply entertaining a pleasant acquaintance instead of her majesty's minions of the law.

"Well, youngsters," Peters said, striving to be jocose over his failure. "I've endeavoured to do my duty faithfullj r , as you will doubtless perceive when you come to put things right again. If I have failed you will be the gamer — I the loser, since I get no reward."

"I cannot understand why this measure was necessary," Guy said. "I was subjected to the same thing before leaving Welfleet, and with the same result."

"Well, I can't explain anything to you — I'm only obeying orders. However, I haven't found anything, and I don't believe I've overlooked a crack nor a crevice where anything very dangerous could have been tucked away."

The officer's eyes had been roving about the sitting-room again, with their habitual and cunning scrutiny, all the time he was talking. Suddenly he gave a start.

"Hulloa! I may have missed is after all!" he cried, as his glance fell upon Guy's open writing desk. He approached it with a quick, eager step.

"There is a false bottom to this thing," Peters said, after a brief examination, bending a shaTp look upon Guy and rapping upon the inside of the desk with his knuckles, having first removed all the papers from it. "No, sir," Guy returned, with quiet assurance.

"There is," returned the officer, in flat contradiction.

"I have never known it if there is, and the desk belonged to my father for many years," Guy answered, too gentlemanly to be rude in return.

"Listen," said Peters, rapping upon it again; and it did give forth a hollow sound.

The bottom of the desk inside was neatly lined with a piece of white cardboard , wMch fitted the space exactly — so exactly that Peters was obliged to use his knife to remove it from its place.

TMs revealed the bottom to be of a single piece of board , with no crack or a crevice visible anywhere.

He knocked again upon this, and the hollow sound was heard more plainly than before.

Gu3 r became interested now; it certainly seemed as if there must be a space underneath, and as he compared the outside with the inside, it appeared more than probable. Still, how to get at it was a mystery.

The officer was puzzled.

He turned the desk upside down; but the outside was one piece of wood also, and dove-tailed to the sides and ends.

He next examined the back to which the lid was fastened. There were places in it, as there are in nearly all writing desks, for ink and sand bottles, pens and pencils. Suddenly his eyes brightened. He took hold of the front partition and gave it a wrench.

It started, and another pull brought it smoothly sliding out of its place, and then the whole bottom flew up, as if governed by a spring which the partition had alone kept down.

"Aha! I thought so," the man exclaimed, triumphantly, while Guy's face was blank with astonishment.

Peters lifted the false bottom, which they could now see was attached to the front of the desk by small hinge and revealed a space beneath of more than an inch in depth; and there, folded in a small, flat square, was something" which looked like a handkerchief spotted with blood.

A satisfied look was on the officer's face, which was also sharp and keen

now, as he scented business; he lifted the handkerchief and exposed to view two keys, one quite large and heavy, the other considerably smaller together with a little roll of tissue paper.

Picking this up Peters unfolded the paper and a sleeve button of gold fell out.

"How very strange!" said Guy. "It looks like a little business anyhow," remarked Peters, dryly, as he turned the button over to examine it. , There was no monogram upon it;

but a blur had come over Guy's eyes, so that he could not make it out, although it had a strangely familiar look to him.

Peters slipped it into his pocket, then picked up the handkerchief and began hunting in the corners for a name.

"Ahem!" he said, pausing suddenly, and stretching forth his hand he held it under Guy's eyes, while he saw as in a dream the initials "H. K." plainly written there.

"What does it mean?" he gasped, recoiling from it as if he feared those spots of blood were about to cry out against him."

"It means, sir — and that plain enough too — that this handkerchief and tHe sleeve button, too, with the monogram 'H. X.' engraven upon it once belonged to the poor youth who was murdered down at Welfleet last winter. The keys I'm not so sure about; but I reckon it'll be safe to take 'em along with me," picking up and pocketing them. "And — it means, too," with a piercing look at Guy, as he laid his hand heavily upon his shoulder, "that — you are my prisoner!"

(To be continued.)