"FIND THIS MAN"

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4873, 21 July 1936, Page 6

"FIND THIS MAN"

CHAPTER XVIII (Continued)

“And Basil never mentioned it in his will. Only left me the house and furniture and a pile of debts to cover that. I wonder where the girl found the money?” “In the safe?”

“No, I don’t think that. She wouldn’t have kept it a secret for so long, if she had. Of course, it belongs to the estate —that’s me.” The woman’s voice held a wining tone. “And me.”

“Of course, Charlie, dear.” There was a long pause while the lady struggled up the remaining stairs. “How is you know, Charlie?” “Quiet, now.” “And you left her alone? You fool!”

“What can she do? She’s tied up securely. I saw to that.” The man laughed gratingly. “Oh’ if you’re certain . . . . ” Mrs Western had gained the upper floor. “I’ll have a look at her and then I’ll go to bed. All this excitement is not gopd for my poor heart.” “But a hundred and fifty thousand gold boys are; eh, mother?” Charlie laughed; a laugh echoed by his dotirig mother. “Say, Charlie.” The woman’s voice came faintly to the concealed girl as the couple passed along the corridor. “What’s going to be the end of all this?”

“Only that Richard will find out who the man is whose photograph is in the buhl box and get from him old Sixsmith’s secret. Then we’ll put Miss Ivy in a nice place where she’ll grow a bit madder than you made her out to that policeman to be; unless If “Unless what, Charlie, dear?” “Unless she likes to be Mrs Western junior.” The voices came veryfaint now. “But Charlie, I can’t have you throwing yourself away on a girl like that ” The voices faded into the distance. For a moment longer Ivy remained behind the curtains; then laughed uncertainly. She knew that she could not get out of the house. Her go.d-father had had a peculiar fear of burglars and had fitted the lower windows and the doors with a series of automatic locks, worked from his bedroom. Once the locks were set the iron shutters over the windows, and the doors, were safe for the night. To touch them was to spring a burglar alarm,. And, Mrs Western was going to her room to see that she was safe for the night! What would the woman do when she did not find her there? Would she make a search through the house?

What had happened to the maids, Faith and Alice? W,ere they confined in their rooms, at the top of the house? Or, was one of them the prisoner to whom Charlie Western had referred? Ivy came out of her shelter and ran up the stairs. She must manage to get to that prisoner, in some way.

She came to the corner of the corridor and peeped around it. Mrs Western and her son were standing before one of the doors —the door exactly opposite her godfather’s room. They were talking earnestly. The man turned the key in the door, and entered, followed by the woman. Was that the room in which the prisoner was confined? Ivy believed it was. She must manage to get into that room. She must find out who was the prisoner and in some way release her.

Wlhat a fool she had been to drop the revolver in the library! If only she had it with her now! She would have gone to the room and held up the two scoundrels; freed the prisoner, and in some way find held! But, where could she find anyone to help her? Would not the woman be able to persuade them that she was mad—as she had fooled the policeman?

First, she must discover the identity of the prisoner. Very softly she crept along the corridor, taking advantage of the night shadows to shield her progress. She came to her godfather’s room and opened the door, sliding in through the narrowest possible space. Closing the door carefully, she went to the bureau. Had her godfather possessed a second revolver? She searched wildly, though thoroughly, but could find no weapon.

She returned to the door and opened slightly. The door of the opposite room was shut. She listened, and could hear the murmer of voices within the room. But only Charlie Western and his mother were speaking. Probably the young scoundrel had tied and gagged his prisoner. At length the door-handle moved. Ivy narrowed the crack of the door behind which she stood as -much as possible. She listened intently, for she dared not open the door sufficiently wide to see anything. Charlie Western came out, followed by

11 - ■ - • - m SERIAL STORY.

By ADRIAN DE BRUNE.

Author of “The Dagger and Cord”; “The Shadow Crook”; Gray’s Manor Mystery”; Etc., etc.

his mother, both of them speaking in whispers. Then: “I suppose I must have a look in at that pauper.” Mrs Western spoke. “You’d better come with me, Charlie. I thought she was going to be violent, downstairs.” “’fraid?” The young blackguard sneered.

“Yes.” The woman spoke candidly. “That girl is stronger than I am. I “No, I left it in the lock.” “All right, I’ll come.” There came the sounds of their steps receding down the corridor.

Ivy waited a moment, then pulled open the door. She looked across the corridor. They ihad left the key in the lock of the opposite door. A moment and she had the door unlocked, the key withdrawn, reinserted in the lock within the room and turned. Again the girl waited. A long moment and Mrs Western came into the corridor again, speaking stridently. “Where’s that wretched girl ? Charlie, you will have to search the house for her.” “Oh, damn her! You say she can’t get out of the house, so what's the use ? ” “You don’t know her. She might burn us in our beds.” “They’re not our beds yet, old dear.” The man chuckled. “For the time we’ve only pre-empted them.” “They will be our’s in three months.” “Three months, less three days.” Again the man laughed. “Say, mother you’d better have a look at that apparatus Basil installed. Suppose the girl knows how to work it. II she does, and gets into his room, well —god-bye to our little stunt.” The woman laughed. “Charlie, I think you’d better find that girl,” she urged again, “What for?” “It’s .... it’s dangerous.” “What is?” “All this! I’m getting nervous. That girl’s a devil!” “All right! I’m a devil-tamer! I’ll find her, then .. . ” “What, Charlie ? ’’—plaintively. “Nothing.” The man chuckled evilly. “You’d better keep out of this You know what old Sixsmith wrote you.” “But he didn’t put it in his will, as he threatened.” “He didn’t—as far as we know. We haven’t seen the will, yet, and that old devil of a lawyer is quite capable of leaving something out to serve his and that girl’s ends. Anyway, I’m going to play safely.” “What are you going to do, Charlie, dear.”

“Best for you not to know.” Then, abruptly: “You go to the old man’s roomi and see that the apparatus is all right, and lock the door and take the key to bed with you. You’re sleeping there aren’t you?”

“What do you mean, Gharlie, dear?”

“Just what I’ve said. I’m playing safe. After to-night,. Mistress Ivy Beton won’t want to squeal. Why, because there won’t be any Miss Ivy Breton, to squeal. There’ll be a girl so anxious to get to the registrar that she won’t want to spare time to even kiss her new mother-in-law.” A cold shiver ran down Ivy’s back. The man was unutterably evil. She leaned her face against the door. Good God; that he did not come to that room! She pressed her ear against the, panel, listening to the heavy footsteps of the woman coming .nearer—to hesitate and turn in at the door opposite. If she had stayed in that room! Would the woman have called to her son—that filthy beast; inhuman, goldstained and utterly carnal? Again the girl shuddered. She turned and faced the room.

Somewhere in that room was the prisoner the two scoundrels had mentioned. She must find and release her. A quick glance round and Ivy went to the bed. On it lay a long bundle. She tutned down the top and looked into Mary’s agonised eyes. “Mary!” The girl gave a little feeble moan, writhing in her bonds. “Oh, dear!” Ivy was tugging at the knots fastening the handkerchief in the girl’s mouth. A few seconds and she released them.

“Ivy!” For a moment the elder girl lay on her side, silently crying; then when the younger girl had succeeded in releasing her hands, threw her arms round her neck.

“Mary, they haven’t harmed you?” “No I don’t think so.” The girl stretched her cramped limbs. “No, I’m all right. Where are they?” “Mrs Western is in god-dad’s room —.the room opposite. Charlie is searching for me.” “What if he comes in here?”

“There are two of us now. I think we can take care of Master Charlie. Ivy spoke with resolution; yet her heart was downcast. She Was search-

ing the room for some weapon; but it was one of the guest rooms of the big house and contained nothing of value for offence or defence.

Mary sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing life into her numbed limbs. Suddenly she hobbled over to the door and listened at the panel. She turned and beckoned to Ivy. Together they stayed at the door, listening. A man’s footstep sounded along the corridor; to halt outside the door opposite. They heard a loud knock.

“What’s the matter, Charlie dear?” Mrs Western’s voice sounded faint through the two closed doors. “I can’t find that girl anywhere.” “Oh, let her be. We’ll find her in the morning.” “But I want her to-night.” Again came the evil chuckle.

For some seconds there was silence.

“Is that other girl safe, Charlie?” “Yes, I think so. You’ve got the key, haven’t you?” “It isn’t there, now.” Then with sudden illumination. “You fool! You’ve let those two girls get togethea*.” “Why what do you mean?” The woman’s voice was very faint. “Ivy’s got in with Mary Varney. Now there’ll be hell to pay. But — I’ll get her out!” CHAPTER XIX. For long minutes there was silence; the two girls crouching close to the door, terror in their hearts. They could hear Charlie Western tramping up and down the corridor. Once they heard the lock of the door opposite click followed by the gruff command: “Get into your room, damn you!” Then slow and careful footsteps came to their door. Someone, they believed the man, was standing close to the panel, listening; the girls believed they could almost hear his heavy breathing. Then followed another spell of silence, broken by a heavy rapping on the wood of the door.

“Mass Breton!” The man’s voice was soft and silky. “Are you there, Miss Breton?”

For a moment Ivy did not reply, then: “I am here. What do you want ? ” Charlie Western did not answer. Ivy thought she could hear a low chuckle. The handle of the door was siowly turned and the woodwork creaked under the sudden pressure applied to it. “So you are there!” The man’s voice held a satisfied note. “I want to speak to you. Will you unlock the door please?” The girls remained silent. Again a long pause and then the restless feet of the man beat on the floor of the corridor outside the door. Suddenly the steps turned and the girls heard them retreating towards the head of the stairs.

“Where has he gone?” Mary breathed the question into Ivy’s ear. The younger girl turned—then laughed at the sight of her companion.

“Oh, Mary! If you could only see yourself! You do look funny!” Mary ran to the mirror, to give a little gasp of horror. She was in her outdoor things; her hat pushed rakishly to the back of her head; her hair tangled and towsled; her dress rumpled and torn. “You look as if you had been in a street fight.” Ivy could not control her laughter. “It wasn’t much better.” Mary’s skilful fingers were rapidly repairing the damage. “Oh, Ivy . . . . ” “What happened?” The younger girl came and sat on the foot of the bed. “Did you go out?” Many nodded. “I had a telephone message from Mr Kithner —or I thought it was from him. He wanted me to go down to the office about some matters that seemed to be in a muddle. That was about an hour and a half after you left the house. I got ready and went. There was no one at the office and the place was in darkness. There was no one in the building.” “Richard Kithner?” “I think so. You know his voice is very similar to his father’s.” “And then?”

“I was angry and worried —but I never suspected what had happened. I came straight home and went up to my room. Just, as I got to the head of the stairs that man ” “Charlie Western ”

“I think it was him. He caught hold of me. Then another man—l think he was Richard Kithner—helped him bind and gag me. They carried me to this room and flung me on the bed. Richard Kithner asked me where the securities were. I would-

n’t answer. He told me they would make me and and threatened Oh, Ivy, they threatened unutterable things!” “You poor dear!” Ivy thought for a few moments. “I wonder what they did with Faith and Alice?”

“I think they are locked up in their rooms, upstairs.” “But . ” The younger girl was plainly astonished. “How do they expect to get away with it?” “I don’t know. No, that is wrong. I think I understand. Charlie is . . ...” She paused and looked at her companion significantly.

“I won’t!” Ivy spoke viciously. “Oh, I heard him. I know what he and his mother propose to do. But . .... I won’t marry him! I won’t .... whatever he does!”

“It is the only way we can get out of it. If you get free . . . . ” “That’s the one thing I am going to do.” Ivy laughed. “Go on, dear.”

“Then Mirs. Western came in and sat on the bed and dropped oil and butter all around me. Ugh! She’s awful; worse than the men. She told me that you had become insane that the doctor had been called to

you.” “But ” Ivy was astonished. “You knew where I was—at the Union Club.”

“They told me that you had been taken ill there and had been brought home. Then, when you recovered consciousness you were entirely mad. Mrs Western told me that she had only just arrived at the house and .

. . and I thought there was something in that, for she was still wearing her coat and hat.” “What were the men doing while she was up there with you?” “I don’t know.” Mary hesitated. “I think they were down in the library. Richard Kithner said something about the safe, as they went out of the door.”

“But how did they open the safe?”

“I don’t know.” Again the girl hesitated. “You told me that Charlie Western had lived here for some time. He may have got hold of a key of the safe—or taken a mould of it, perhaps.” Ivy nodded. The supposition was quite probable. Charlie Western had used his stay In the house to get hold of a key to the front door. Then she remembered. When she had first gone to the library she had placed corridor and a door slammed, loudly, her bag on the desk. In it was the key to the safe. She had left it there. In fact, it was there at that very moment. The safe must have been opened between the times she first left the library and her return. That would explain the unknown person she had bumped against in the dark.

“I think I understand.” Ivy spoke slowl> “Richard Kithner telephoned you tc go down to his father’s office; making believe that he was his father. That would be about half-past nine. I suppose you told Faith and Alice that you would take the key and let yourself in, when you came back?” “Yes.”

“Then Mrs Western and her son came. More than likely they did not arrive until the maids had gone to bed. I know they like to go to bed early They locked them in their rooms and tried to find the securitieo. They co ildn’t find them and waited for you to come back. Oh, it was easy—so easy—and we fell into the trap they set.” Mary nodded, miserable. “I let you down, dear,” she said. “But I never thought ” “Who would have thought they would have done such a thing.” Ivy laughed mirthlessly. “But now they have the bonds and shares what more do they want.” “To safeguard themselves.” The elder girl spoke with conviction. “By forcing me to marry—that.” Ivy made a grimace. “Well, I won’t —that’s definite. So there you are! Now that what are we going to do?” For a long time there was silence. What could they do? They were locked in a room in the upper part of the house, with no chance of communicating with the outside world. In the corridor, without the room, prowled a man, untterly unscrupulous. He had found the money he had come in search of. Now he had to safeguard himself—and there was Gnly one way of doing that. He had to force her to marry him. (To be continued.)

Nan: I would’nt marry the best man living. Dan: Well, I wasn’t asking you to.