"THE GORGON"

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2763, 17 August 1931, Page 3

"THE GORGON"

(By J. LINDSAY HAMILTON.) (Copyright).

It was a good move, for Colonel Dainton had quietly entered the room. “What is the conspiracy?” he asked ' good humouredly. Peter told him and he welcomed it gladly. “Objection overruled. Splendid,” Peter regarded her triumphantly. /“I’ll have the car round in half an hour, Miss Dainton.” “I suppose I must," said Helen, but her dancing eyes belied the meekness [■ of her submission. Shortly after they were gone, Andrew Eden rapped on the door of Colonel Dainton’s flat and was admitted ' by the new manservant. '* “All’s well,” he reported in an undertone. “But I’ve had no opportun- - ity yet." Eden nodded briskly, but offered no comment. “A treasure, that man,” was the ’ a few minutes later.” "He has proved invaluable already. It was most thoughtful, of you to send him. Where did> you pick him up at such short notice?”

“Yes. Smith is-a'good man to have about,” Eden remarked deliber--1 ately. “You can trust him implicitly, Colonel. He has worked for me before.”'

Then without preamble he went to . the'point. “I have been watching your investigations with interest. So have others. That accounts for my intrusion last night. You were likely ■ to prove a nuisance to—shall we say, the others. Knowing something of their methods and acting on certain information I, had, I rushed down from Liverpool last night to try and prevent them. As it happens I should have been tbo late in any case.” “But what does it all mean? You know about Rowson? What has Jen- ' kins to do with it?” “I'll tell you briefly,” said Eden. "For months I have' been picking up loose threads that led me to forta an astonishing theory. Subsequent events and the disappearance of your , .brother-in-law have proved it correct up to a point.. We are on the track of one of the most highly organised criminal gangs we have ever been up against. Not one gang, but several, * eiich specialised in their own branch ft of crime, from the pickpocket to the " international swindler with his Rolls - -Royce and his chatea’h on the Riviera, ' disciplined and co-ordinated by • one master brain. We could make a hundred arrests to-morrow, but the machinry would go on unhampered. We don’t; it’s the one 'man we want. Find him and we can smash the whole organisation.” The Colonel had listened with rapt attention. Now he flashed out a ques- ' lion. “Have you any idea who he is?” Eden shook his head.

“His own men don’t even know him. I doubt whether his own chief of staff himself'knows. He keeps out s of the limelight, but the hold he seems to have over them is almost incredible. .'They refer to him with baited breath as' “The Gorgon,” and the mildest 'curiosity as to his identity is visited •■' with instant death. That, at least, fe the way they talk and I am inclined to believe it." l’ “And Rowson has fallen info that k creature’s hands?” asked the Colonel

aghast. “As others have done,” said Eden slowly. “Halroyd, the woollen manufacturer, ; found wandering months after his disappearance, a helpless wreck, his memory blank; Ryder, the Australian "over on a holiday, still missing; Butler, a wealthy young rake. theory was that he had got mixed up with some unscrupulous woman. He took his own life. In each ' case they were missing for , months, yet their cheques were honoured, and in the end there was nothing to show for the extraordinary dissipation of their wealth.”

“Good God!” exclaimed Colonel Dainton'. “This is awful. Poor Jim.” “I’m inclined to think,” said Eden with slow deliberation, “that you need not fear for his safety for .the presept. I -fancy he has succeeded in putting a spoke in their wheel.” He refused to say more and the entry of Smith with a telegram effectuV ally put a stop to the conversation. % Colonel Dainton tore open the pink " envelope with some anxiety, but’ as ■ Me read this gave way to a look of mingled relief and surprise. “A ’ cable ? from Celia, Rowson’s daughter,” he explained. “She is on ’ the Caronia and expects to be here to-night! Little minx, she might have let me know sooner.” But from his smile it was plain-to be seen that his American -niece held a place of her own in his heart. . Sud- ' denly his attention was drawn to Eden's very evident perturbation. 'He was pacing the room. \ One clenched fist smote into his open , palm. > - ‘ “Damn!,” he swore with soft intenRsity. • “I might have foreseen.” . He strode to the telephone and cal-

led up a number. A few abrupt questions and he replaced the receiver and faced Colonel Dainton. “It will berth at Southampton about six this evening. Your niece must be met there.” There was a note of urgency in his voice. “There’s a .train down at 1.45. Had you any previous intimation that she was coming?” he shot out suddenly. The note of command in Eden’s voice touched Colonel Dainton in his weakest spot. He told him shortly of Celia’s letter and the anonymous note, adding stiffly that he had mislaid .them. But Eden seemed quite unconscious of his change of manner.. “Ah ! I had almost forgotten Birdie," he murmured. “Time to clear that, up'before we go.” “You won’t find anything there,” retorted the Colonel. “The police have already searched it thoroughly.” Eden laughed with irritating complacency, and proceeded alone to Jenkins’ room. For a moment he stood, apparently interested in the furniture. Certainly, for a servant’s room, it was remarkably large and well furnished. The single large cupboard in one corner of the room drew his attention. Opening it, he regarded its contents, clothes for the .most part, without attempting to touch anything. - Suddenly he stooped and picked up a magazine from a pile on the bottom of the cupboard. It was an old number of the Gymkana Review, an Indian magazine of sport. Glancing down the index his eyes fell on something that caused him satisfaction. “On the roof of the World,” by Col. H. R, Dainton, D.S.O.

Dropping the magazine he went over to the bed. The body had been removed. He ran his hands quickly over the mattress, prodding here and there with his fingers. Then, turning it completely over, he began to repeat the process. Suddenly he stopped, and with a -small knife slit open the ticking and ’thrust in a hand. When he withdrew it it held a flat oilskin tobacco pouch. Satisfied with the fruits of his search, he returned to Solonel Dainton and handed him the eilskin packet with a quizzical smile. “Your missing property I rathar think,” he remarked. “You didn’t tell me Jenkins had taken over your room.” The Colonel looked at him with unfeigned surprise. “That’s true enough,” he said, “but how did you know?’-’ “I suspected something of the sort and looked for some evidence of it. You see, a man could hardly occupy a room without leaving some traces behind.” He paused and regarded Colonel Quinton steadily. “A very fortunate thing for you, Colonel You owe your life to the change,” he said with unusual. gravity. “It was an attempt on your life. The murderer evidently had clear instructions as to the room. He did his work blindly. I think I know why.”

“But, good Lord! why should anyone want to kill me? It’s preposterous.” “You were becoming a nuisance,” ’said Eden with a shrug. “But I don’t think you need fear a further attempt. Nothing to be gained now by putting you out of the way. However, I have taken precautions against that.” It spoke well for Colonel Dainton that he expressed no further surprise nor alarm. His manner, however, underwent a slight change. His late antagonism vanished and he spoke with a new respect to this man who seemed to hold - the threads of the whole tangled business in his capable hands. “Was Birdie one of them?” he asked. “This is the missing letter all right.”

. He handed it to Eden who scanned it quickly. The writer claimed to know of James Rowson’s whereabouts and stated in no ambiguous terms that the latter was in deadly peril. He offered to sell his information, but to her alone. Secrecy was enjoined as his own life would be in danger if his treachery were known. She would be informed on arrival in London as to how she might meet him. Eden folded the note and put it in his pocket-book. “For the moment Jim Rowson. can wait,” he said. “You asked about Birdie. He may have been a very insignificant member, but I. think he was planted on-you in the ordinary course of a blackmailer’s business to rout out the family skeleton. There is one in aimost everyone’s cupboard. Quite a business is made of that sort of thing.” “I’d had him six months,” said the Colonel musingly. “His references were excellent.” “Forged,” said Eden. ; ■ “But I followed them up.” Eden laughed. ' “.Telephoned his late employer, I suppose? That trick nearly always

comes off. One hardly suspects a fake telephone number over the Hon. somebody’s signature.” He glanced at the clock and rose. “And now, Colonel, if you have a reeent photograph ctf Celia Rowson, I’ll borrow it, and be off. We may meet at Southampton, but, in any case, I’ll be there.” Chapter 6.—The Apologetic Stranger. The great liner lay alongside the landing stage, its deck abustle with activity. Where Colonel Dainton stood, anxiously scanning the faces of the disembarking passengers was quite a little crowd. Many, like himseif, were eagerly awaiting friends. A few, he judged, were sightseers with the usual sprinkling of idle loafers. Always a keen student of humanity, there was much here to appeal to him. There, fidgetting nervously on the outskirts of the crowd was the man he had particularly noticed on the train. Evidently he, too, was here to meet a friend. Poor fellow, he was so desperately anxious. The Colonel’s innate scorn for all that ,was weak and vacillating, was yet tinged with pity for the man’s helples futility. His eyes, from behind a pair of powerful spectacles were popping out of his head. It reminded one of a scared rabbit. A mournful drooping moustache suggested a weak mouth. The bowler he was wearing/was at least a size too bigd'or him and tended to make his ears stick out ludicrously. Probably he* had bought the first one he was offered from sheer nervousness. His whole manner was apologetic lost his very presence among others of this kind should give offence. The more feverishly, he sought to eradicate himself the more he was noticed and his embarrassment grew ten-fold. (Ta be continued.)