Time, The Avenger

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 402, 7 October 1911, Page 2

Time, The Avenger

(All Rights -Reserved.-)

By HEDLEY RICHARDS, Author of "The Haighs of Hillcrest," "From Mill to Mansion," "Diana's Inheritance," Etc., Etc.

THE UNRAVELLING OF A STRANGE WILL MYSTERY.

TriJ RTEENTH INSTALMENT " Indeed you have," said madarne, sympathetically ; then she added : " Did you live many years at the Hall ? " " A long time altogether. My mother was housekeeper at the Hall in the late Mr. Hudspith's time. She didn't marry until she was near forty, and when she'd two children—myself and Miss Penman's mother—my father died. A relation of his adopted my sister, and as the new housekeeper at the Hall had never given satisfaction, and my mother returned to her duties, and I was put out to nurse. When I was a few years old I went to live at the Hall and stayed there until I was big enough to go to scoool. When ray schooldays were over I went as assis-tant-housekeeper and seamstress at a large orphanage ; but in a few years as my mother grew older she needed my help, and I went to live at the Hall. I did not receive any salary, because if I had not. been there my mother would have had to relinquish her post, so she remained nominally housekeeper ; but I took her duties and when I was twenty-five she died, then I took her place," " You would be living there when that poor young gentleman forged the cheque ? " said madame. "Mr. Lionel Hudspith never forged the cheque. I was there when all the trouble was on." "But I understand the evidence was very strong, and that it could not possibly have been any one else."

" Madame, if you believe all you hear it will be a bad job for you. I knew Mr. Lionel ; I'd known him from a boy, and it wasn't in him to do it. I'd sooner believe I'd done it myself than that he did." " You're a true friend." " I am to those I like and trust. Why, madame, what a warm heart you've got ! The tears are actually in your eyes." "And little wonder when I find one who is true and good in this false world. But, if you believed in this Mr. Lionel Hudspith, I wonder you could stay and serve that cruel old man." ''' To tell the truth I did feel inclined to leave ; then I thought I might do more good by staying and trying to find out who had forged the cheque. Besides the Hall had been the only home I had ever known, and I was loth to leave it. My sister who had been married to Mr. Penman some years, would have liked me to live with them ; but I didn't think I should feel at home in a house over a shop in High-street after my comfortable quarters at the Hall, so I remained." "Of course, you never discovered anything to prove Mr- Lionel's innocence ? " said madame.

" No, but I'd suspicions," she said, shortly. "Who did you suspect?" inquired madame.

" That's a thing I'm Hot going tc tell. If Mr, Lionel was to ask me I'd tell him, but there's no such luck," said Miss Holmes, with a sigh. " Did Mr. Hudspith ever name the matter to you ? " " Not till his last illness. I went to see him when be came out of prison, but I was a day too late, and no one knew where he'd gone ; and he has never been heard of from that day. You know Mr. Hudspith died comparatively young— only fifty-five. It was something internal that killed him, and he was in bed nearly three months, and when the doctors said he must have a day and a night nurse, he said : " All right, but they must understand that when I want Holmes to sit with me they must clear out. Then he sent for me. I can remember it just as though it was yesterday. He was lying in bed, and I stood at the foot, and he said : " Holmes, I am to have a couple of nurses, but I want you to arrange your duties so that you can spend at least two hours in my room. You are an old friend, a faithful friend, and I want to talk to you about many things before I go." " Oh, sir, I shall be only too thankful to come," I said. After that I used to go sometimes in the morning and sit for an hour, then I would go again in the afternoon ; and, after a little time he would say, ' Holmes,, come and sit with me a little while to-night,' so that before long I was with him some portion of morning, afternoon, and night. Whenever I came he always sent whichever nurse was on duty away as soon as I entered the room. At first he only talked to me. a little on indifferent subjects, but gradually he became more communicative, and he would talk about the past ; and one afternoon, about two months before his death, he said, ' Holmes, I'm going to make my will.'

" 'I hope the Lord will guide you to make a just one,' I said, feeling I must say it.

"' I suppose you hope the Lord will guide me to leave all I have to —my son.' The last words were spoken with an effort. It was the first time I had heard him allude to ais son since that terrible time and I ;ould see that it required an effort to aame him.

" 'He is your son, sir, and has the □est right to wha-c you have.'

" 'But such a son—a former, a

thief ! " he said, sternly. "This was a bit too much for me, so I said, ' Neither one or the other, sir—just- an innocent young gentleman who's been made a scapegrace.' " ' Whose scapegrace ? ' he asked, looking fixedly at me. "' I wish I knew, sir ; but some day it will be known,' I answered. " For a bit he lay quiet, then he said : " ' Holmes, you always believed ir his innocence ? ' " ' I have, sir/ " ' But the proofs, Holmes, they are damning. Do you think I shouk: have done what I did if I'd had any doubt ? ' he asked. " ' Mr. Randolph ' — he'd only beer a y-oung gentleman growing up wluu: I was a little girl and went to live with my mother at the Hall, but somehow I called him by the name I had used long ago —' Mr. Randolph, do you think it likely you and his dear mother would have a son v.ho was a thief and a forger ? ' A strange look came into his face and after a moment, he said : " ' Holmes, I've thought about the matter for years, but you've put a new light on it. I don't believe my wife could have such a son as I have thought him, and he was like her.' "We didn't talk any more that day but once oc twice afterwards we went into all the proofs against Mr. Lionel, and I could see he found it hard to doubt his guilt in face of them.

" A fortnight later he made his will and that night he said to me : " ' Holmes, I'm giving my sc.n a chance of proving his innocence and if he succeeds the king will come ?r.t.o his own.' As he spoke he smiled. He had got ever so much less standoffish since his illness. He was more like Avhat he'd been years ago before Mrs. Hudspith died. That half-killed him, and he seemed to turn into a hard, cold man. When he said about the king coming into his own, I said: " ' Meaning Mr. Lionel, sir ? ''

" ' Meaning; Mr. Lionel,' he replied. Then he asked me if I'd any idea where he was, and I said I hadn't," "Was Mr. Hudspith very fond of nis nephew ? " inquired madame who had been deeply interested in Mrs. Holmes's story. " I don't think he was, and I don't think he'd liked Mr. Marcus's father. Still, he always treated him well. Of course Mr. Marcus always acted as a sort of manager after he got older, and it was understood he'd have to ,vork for his living." " Did Mr. Hudspith make more of him after his son was convicted ? " " No. His manner was just the same, and he never gave Mr. Marcus reason to think he would be his heir. In fact, he never hinted that what had happened would make any diflersnce in the disposition of his property, but every one knew that it would."

" I suppose Mr. Marcus didn't try to widen the breach between his uncle and cousin in hopes of getting the money ? " asked madame. "He knew better than that. Once he had tried that dodge he'd never have had a penny of Mr. Hudspith's money. He's a very keen man, Mr. Marcus, and he knew what was good for him. I don't believe he ever named his cousin to Mr. Hudspith, from the last day of the trial until Mr. Hudspith's illness." " And did Mr. Hudspith die without forgiving his son ? " inquired madame.

" I haven't told you all. Strange things happened the last fortnight of Mr. Hudspith's illness. Early one morning, about four o'clock—it was in the summer time—l Was roused by the violent ringing of Mr. Hudspith's bell. I hurried on my clothes and ran to his room, followed by the master's valet. As we got to the door the other nurse joined us, and we all entered together, expecting to and Mr, Hudspith much worse, but he was sitting up in bed, looking very excited, apparently no worse. Lying full length on a couch a little to one side of the bed was the night aurse in such a deep slumber that it »vas impossible to wake her. In fact she didn't wake until nearly seven o'clock. " I never knew Nurse Lovett fall asleep before,' said the other nurse, who, I could see, was deeply annoyed. " ' Holmes, you will remain with me, and you, too,' he said to the other nurse. Then he lay back quite exhausted, and the nest time he spoke it was to say we had to send for the doctor at eight o'clock. " When the doctor arrived, the night nurse was awake, and begged not to be sent away as she had never done such a thing before.

" ' You will not go ; but, doctor, I want two more nurses. I require two for the night and two for the day. I am not going lie left with one woman who may be asleep just when I want a drink.' " Well, that night two more nurses arrived. But lie was restless all day, and'in the afternoon, said to me:

" ' Holmes, tell Mr. Marcus, I do not wish him to come into my room unless I send for him. He can manage the business well enough.' " I gave Mr. Marcus the message, and he said he would do his best but he should miss his uncle's advice. Mr. Hudspith's next fad was to have the bed put in a different position. He wanted to face the window, he said. o we had quite a busy time ; hut he seemed pleased when all was done, and the next morning he was quiet and composed, and asked for writing materials. Then in the afternoon, when I was sitting with him, he put a thick parchment envelope in my hands, and he said : " ' Holmes, promise me that if you ever have the chance you will place this in my son's hands.' " CHAPTER XIV. HOW LOUISE PASSED THE TIME. " I promised and he went on : " You will wonder why I have not left it with my lawyer, but I feel I

would rather giv-e it into you-i; charge.' " After that he grew gradual!.) worse, but several times lie impressed upon me that the paper 1 held was most important one. and not. to let it pass out of ray hands, except; into his son's. " The afternoon of the day on which he died I was sitting by the bedside. He had asked for me, and when I came he told me to send the nurses away. Then he lay quite still without speaking, and I thought 1h must be asleep ; but all at once bo opened his eyes and looked at mf saying :

" ' Holmes, I've left a queer will. I've been tempted to alter it, but i think it wisest to let it stand, would not care for my son to b< master of Gelder Hall unless his innocence had been proved before al. the world.' Then he was silent again but after a bit he said :

" ' I'm sorry I acted as I did about that cheque ; but it drove m< mad to think my son was a forger and a thief.' " ' You don't think that now. sir?' asked.

" I don't think he was guilty, but I am not sure. There has been a horrible mystery. I trust all will be made plain.' "That was the last he said just then, as he fell into a dose, and 1 left the room. " About seven o'clock in the even ing there was a sudden change, and the doctor who happened to be there sent for me and Mr. Marcus. " When I entered the room I saw the end was near, and I was standing at the bed-foot ; but something in Mr. Hudspith's eyes made me go nearer, and I stood close to the bedside ; then he turned and looked full at me, saying :

" 'Holmes, he was innocent. The king will come into his own.' Then his voice sank almost into a whisper but I heard him say, ' The measure that you mete shall be meted to you. Father, forgive.' There was a sigh, and with the prayer for forgiveness Dn his lips he passed into the presence of our great. Master," said Miss Holmes, reverently. " How did Mr. Marcus take his uncle's death ? " asked madame. "He was very quiet, both at the time and afterwards. He was one o! those men who never show what they feel ; all the same I knew lie didn't like me, and when he was going to be married he told me as he thought. ;• new mistress was coming, it would be better to have a fresh housekeeper. I wasn't sorry as I disliked seeing iiim in the place that I considered belonged to Mr. Lionel." " I suppose you never let him know about that paper ?" said madame. "No ; I kept it under lock and key while I lived at the Hall, and when I came here I bought that writing-table, and it's locked up in the top drawer," said Miss Holmes. " Hush ! Suppose any one was to hear you ? The garden is very narrow just there, and people pass up and down the lane," expostulated madame. " They won't meddle with it," was the quiet reply. " If I'd had that paper it wouldn't have lain all these years in a drawer. I should have found Mr. Lionel,"

said madame. "If the advertisements wouldn't find it what chance had I ? No. the Lord will see that he has it when it is fitting. I'm not as impatient as I ased to be," said Miss Holmes.

" I've been quite interested in hearing all this. It's more tragic than my novel I've read for years,'' said

madame. " Good gracious ! "now quickly the afternoon has passed ! " she added, as the bell rang for tea. and they adjourned to the dining room.

While Miss Holmes and her mother had been talking, Louise had been enjoying herself to her own satisfaction. She had gone to the arbour but only to fling her parasol on the table ; then she had opened the little gate leading to the orchard, and made her way to the end that bordered on a field, and, seating herself on the grass under a huge pear tree she made herself comfortable. First she shook the tree briskly and a number of ripe pears fell on to the grass within easy reach ; next she opened her book and laid it on her knee, after which she gazed across the field.

A path from Gelder Park crossed it and led into the lane a little beyond the Hollies. Louise not only knew of the path, but she also knew that Hugh Hudspith was in the habit, ol using it and stopping short if he saw her in the orchard. This afternoon she felt sure he would come as she had told him her mother and she were goinj; to spend the afternoon at the Hollies. Presently her eyes brightened, and

her face flushed as she saw hi;n come quickly along the path, then leave it and cross towards the orchard and in another minute he was looking over the hedge. " Good afternoon, Miss Louise." he said as be raised his hat. " Good afternoon, monsieur. Is it not one lovely day ? Are you going for one walk?" she asked giving him n coquettish glance. "I am coming for one Ion:: rest." he said, imitating her words. Then he laughed, and made his way through a gap in the hedge. Miss Holmes knew as little of that: broken fence as she did of the lovemaking that. went, on in her orchard. " Don't you think we might iind a more retired spot, where any one crossing the field will not see us ? " he asked, holding out his hand to assist her to rise... But Louise ignored it and sprang lightly to her feet, saying : " Yes, I should not like ma mere to enow you were my friend ; and I nave had enough of pears." As she spoke she led the way further along the orchard, finally seating herself where the trees were thickest. To be Continued.