THE Sealed Tower.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2661, 26 May 1908, Page 2

THE Sealed Tower.

lUX BIGHTS RESERVED.

By Alice and Claude 'Askew. Authors of "A Scarlet Sin.'- "The Shulamitc." "Anna of the Plains," Ac..

- ELEVENTH INSTALMENT. CHAPTER XVIII. Jocelyn was more confident than his friend that Frank Burnell would be duly found in York. He placed the greatest trust in Fay, and she it was who had sent him on his mission. "I've no doubt that we shall find our man," he said, hopefully ; "but go on with your story, Reggie, for it looks to me as if we were running into the suburbs of York. You made the discover?* that Mrs. Martin was the mother of your lost Agnes, that the latter had been at Dyne Lodge after the murder with her brother Frank, and that both of them had then disappeared. You gathered too, that Mrs. Martin was not really a widow, hut that her husband. under the name of Dubois and in the character of her son's partner used to visit Dyne Lodge pretty frequently. What did you do next ? " ' "Of course," returned Reggie, "my first desire was to resume my hunt for Agnes ; the rest seemed a matter of little moment to me then. But I had my duty towards my paper to consider, and this meant making inquiries into the murder itself. The police, it seemed, had rather jumped to the conclusion that the man to be suspected was this mysterious Dubois for he had been ex|MTtcd at Dyne Lodge on the evening l>efore the murder occurred, though the old French servant strenuously denied that he had been actually there. There were stories, too, of quarrels between him and Mrs. Martin, which certainly lent colour to the police theories. It was supposed that he coveted the collection of gems which she insisted on keeping in the house, and which had undoubtedly been bequeathed to her by her first husband. Frank Burnell's father, and that upon her final refusal to hand tbem over to him he had killed her in a fit of passion, had rifled the safe, and then taken to flight. The body of Mrs. Martin. I must tell you, was found lying at the foot of the safe. She was fully dressed, though the evidence pointed to the murder having been committed ' in the small hours of the morning. The safe was kept in a small apartment that adjoined Mrs. Martin's bedroom ; it was really a dressingroom that she had converted into a kind of boudoir. The inference was that the thief had believed Mrs. Martin to be in bed and asleep that she had disturbed him at his work, and had been felled by a violent blow upon the head, which had killed her at once. "There was no evidence that the house had been broken into by an ordinary burglar. Whoever had done the deed had obtained admission by the front door, which the old French woman found unbolted in the morning. It was her mistress s custom, she said, to bolt this door every night and put up the chain, besides going round to see that all the windows were properly closed. She herself slept at a little distaure from her mistress's room ami heard no suspicious sounds at all —had no idea, in fact, that anything was wrong until she went to Mrs. liartin's room in the morning and, not finding her there, passed into the boudoir, where the sight of the corpse sent her screaming into the street. This woman was the only servant in the house : she lived a» lone with Mrs. Martin, and no one else—with the very rare exception of Frank Burnell—ever slept at Dyne Lodge. The man Dubois's visits were always limited to a few hours. "This was the problem set l>efore the police. At the time of my visit to Dyne Lodge there had been no inquest. I see from the papers that this has since been held, but the evidence given was merely formal and Ihere has been an adjournment, at the request of the police, to allow of further investigation. I am not surprised at this ; it is, indeed, what I had expected. "Well, the first thing the police did was to communicate with the dead woman's son. He had a flat in London besides the offices he shared with Dubois. They found him without any difficulty whatever. He had spent the night of the murder at his own residence after dining out, and going to a theatre with a friend. Of the truth of this there can lie no doubt at all. Also there was nc doubt as to his genuine grief and horror when he learned of his mother's murder. He was then questioned as to his partner and I gathered that his admissions in this direction led to the suspicions of the police. "What these admissions were I could not learn from the inspector in charge of Dyne Lodge ; he did not judge it well to confide them to the Press Ijefore the inquest. The general result, however, was that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Paul Martin, otherwise known as Dubois "Paul Martin ? " interrupted Jocelyn with some excitement. "This man's name is Paul ? According to Nathan Oliver's story, my mother Is supposed to have been the wifefof Paul Martin lx>fore she left her husband. twenty-four years ago, to elope with my father. I am not likely to forget the name," he added, bitterly. "It may l>e a coincidence or it may turn out that the men are identical." Reggie replied gravely. "Time alone uin prove which. But remember, Jocelyn " he glanced reflectively out of the window at the row of mean houses opposite which the lagging train had come to a halt—"according to this solicitor's story, as you repeated it to me. it was the death of Paul Martin, your mother's presumed husband, that made it possible for Mr. Kennedy to leave all his estate to Gideon Travis instead of to you. Of course, we don't take all that Nathan Oliver said as gospel, yet "it seems such a hopeless tangle." sighed Jocelyn. "that it's utterly useless to theorize. I>»t's stick to facts. Please go on. You were telling me that there was a warrant out for the arrest of Paul Martin, otherwise known as Dubois." "Yes, of the firm of ■ Dubois and Burnell. dealers in precious stones of St. Mary Axe. City. The said Dubois had last been seen I>> hi< partner a month previously, when iw had left London for the Continent to purchase ifciqs in the usual way of

business, since which time nothing definite had been heard of him. A man answering to his description had, however, been seen in the neighbourhood of Hatnpstead on the day of the murder. He was descril)ed a s bing about sixty-five years of age. small, with grey hair, usually, straggling and unkempt, sharp featutes and pale-blue eyes, strong white teeth—a peculiar point considering his age—pale, bloodless complexion, sloping shoulders and a shambling gait. He affected grey rlothes. and his voice was particularlv soft and sweet—almost like that of a woman. I think those are the main points of his description. Of course, the Press gave publicity to all this and the usual handbills were issued, but. as far as J, know up to the present without result. Mr. Paul Ma r tin. or Dubois, has not yet been traced." Reggie l*aint on paused. The train had resumed its slow course. He thrust his arm through the velvet rest and gazed thoughtfully at his friend. "And now, Jocelyn," he continued, "we come to a part of the story which you may find of particular interest. Up to the present there seems very little to connect what I am telling you with your experiences at Keltoll Castle. There is the similarity in 'the name of Martin, there is the marked newspaper paragraph, here is your mother's packet addressed to Frank Rurnell. and the card written to the same person by your sweetheart. Furthermore, you know that Frank Burnell's yacht is frequently in Kelt on Harbour, ami that direct signals have passed lietwcen it and the mysterious sealed tower. There might be nothing in all this beyond the fact —the certainty—that Frank Rumen is in some way connected with your family history and with the Travises of Kelton. But now listen carefully, and you will understand what extraordinary possibilities your story has given rise to in my mind—such possibilities that I am almost dazed with the attempt to grasp them. By a remarkable chance yon can supply the police with missing links of evidence for which they have long searched in vain, and bv the help of which they will be able to clear up, not the Dyne Lodge murder only, but a criminal conspiracy which has existed for many years, flourished and defied detection." Reggie spoke with a certain triumph. Apart, from his personal interest in the matter, and the affection he bore his friend, he had a professional enthusiasm that caused his eyes to gleam with excitement his voice to ring exultantly. "Wait till you have seen Dalton. he cried, "and told hiin all you have told me. He'll have a good deal to say. I reckon." "That's all very well." replied Jocelyn, and there was a certain amount of nervousness in his tone, "and I have not the smallest doubt that the doings of Travis and Oliver at Kelton do form part ot' some criminal conspiracy, though I in blessed if I can see what it is at present. I'm quite ready to tell all I know to the police as well, but before anything else I've got to help Fay. I want to get her clear of that hateful place. She sent me to Frank Rurnell. and to Frank Burnell I've got to go. I'll sec Dalton later on." "I understand your feelings," said the other, "and no doubt you arc right. Frank Burnell is playing his own game, which is to have revenge upon the murderer of his mother. He is himself far too heavily implicated in the conspiracy of which I was speaking to work in harmony with the police. That's why I have my doubts if y'ou will find him in York. He keeps his eyes open, and if he has learned that Dalton is in the same town with him, you may l>e very certain that our slippery friend has once more taken his departure. But I'll tell you what we'd better do. Jocelyn." He rose as he spoke, and reached for his bag from the ra<k. "Ilere we are in York, and I have told you nothing as yet about the conspiracy itself. We'll go to the bar and have a drink—for I'm literally parched with talking so much—then we'll leave our bags at the cloak-room and walk together to the Regency Hotel. In this way you'll lose no time, and I shall be able to tell you all that remains to tell as we walk. You'll ask for Mr. Burnell. and I'll wait in the hall. If he is there you will see him. nnd take an opportunity of introducing me. There is nothing extraordinary in having a friend with you who wants to help you in your difficulties at Kelton. If—as 1 fear—he should not Ih* at the Regency, we will go on together, ami hunt up Dalton, tell him the whole story, and ask his advice. What do you say ? " To Jocelyn the plan seemed good, and he nodded his acquiencence as he followed his friend's example and collected his belongings. The train had by now drawn up at the platform, and it was time to descend. Together the two young men made their way to the refreshment room to quench a very excusable thirst. Reggie was undoubtedly the more excited of the two. Jocelyn indeed, seemed to be wrestling with certain qualms of conscience. "I say. Reggie," he remarked, as he sipped the sparkling liquid from a glass, against the side of which the ice made pleasant music. "I don't altogether like bringing the police into this affair as yet. It's only about Frank Rurnell I'm thinking as yet. for of course I haven't the smallest sympathy with Gideon. Rut Frank Rurnell seems to want to act as a friend to me and to Fay : ami my mother must have trusted him too. I don't want, to be mean—to give a man away who has done me no harm. Don't you understand what I mean ? " "I do indeed," returned the other, "and appreciate your feelings, too. Am 1 not placed 'very much as you are? Frank Burnell is the brother of the woman I love liest, in all the world—l would not willingly do him any harm. But the fact is that, in his desire for revenge, he has unwittingly betrayed himself —that is why he made a bolt from London. The police will get him if they possibly can. and his only chance is to make a clean breast of everything. There is no reason why he should suffer and the others go free. Thut. is what I wish to tell him if I get the chance, and when he knows how much I love his sister, he will understand that I am advising him for the best. Of course I want to trace Agnes with his help. too. and one isn't going to hurt a man when one wants his assistance. No, I promise you. Jocelyn, that if we find Rurnell at the Regency I won't put the police on his track. Dalton is not a I»it anxioMs to arrest liim. but only wants to get him to talk freely so that the whole plot may be re-

veaiea. And .tor'nis sake~l~hope he will." Relieved by this declaration, Jocelyn put down his empty glass and prepared to lead the way. to the street. "Don't let's lose any more time," he said, "for you may imagine I am not happy in my mind about Fay. I would suggest taking a cab if it were not so necessary that I should hear all about the plot. I have an idea that the Regency is a little way off—a quiet hotel in a quiet street. I think I know it.. You'll have to finish your story as we walk. And tell me first"—he turned to his friend, shading his eyes from the glaring sun—"what is this great conspiracy ? I shall follow what you have to say all the better if I know that much." "It is a plot that is almost worldwide in its machinations." returned Reggie, "and i{ has been in existence for more years than I dare say. Great fortunes have been made through it, too, Jt is a sort of amalgamation to assist criminals to escape from justice, as well as to help them dispose of stolen property.' CHAPTER XIX. "An association to promote the escape of criminals. I never thought of tliat." . ! JoCelyn stood quite still, staring at his friend in the intensity of his wonder. They were standing in the open space just without the railway station, but they were too intent upon their own conversation to pay much heed to the busy traffic that surged about them. The driver of a cab shouted to Jocelyn. who mechanically stepped out of the way of the vehicle. Then someone else repeated the cry. and Reggie, with a laugh, laid his hand upon his friend's shoulder, and drew him back upon the kerb. "You don't want to get run over, because you have heard something that has Surprised you," he said, smiling. "Rut I can understand that it has given you food for reflection. You are exercising your mind by trying to reconcile this explanation with all you've seen so far yourself. But don't do that just yet. We are living at fever heat just now, you and I, and it's no use to pause in order to force the links into their places. Wait till they fall in naturally. They'll do so in good time." "And now," he went on as they took their way through the streets, "I'll finish my story and tell you how I came to hear of this association. and realized that Frank Rurnell the brother of my Agnes, was one of its leading spirits. You must put yourself and your history altogether in the background for the time being, remembering that I had not the smallest grounds for connecting you and your affairs—all that I knew of them from the letter you had written after the death of your father—with the matter I had in hand. I was professionally interested in the llampstead murder, and I was anxious to meet Frank Rurnell. because he is the brother of the girl I love. That is as far as we had got at"present. "Well. 1 took the first opportunity of paying a visit to the office of Messrs. Dubois and Rurnell. in St. Mary Axe, in order to prosecute my j inquiries there, and. as luck would ' have it, 1 fell in with Dalton. the detective, who had been given charge of the case because of its peculiar difficulty. He's a tine fellow at a complicated mystery is Dalton. No good at smaller things, but invaluable in dealing with the more elaborate forms of crime. He and I have always l>een rather friendly, and so T was quite ready to accompany him when he suggested an adjournment to his own apartment, in order that we might talk without being interrupted. "And I am about to repeat to you the substance of what he told me. " 'Look here. Paint on.' he said as soon as we were comfortably installed. 'there's a good deal more in this case than meets the eye. I'm going to talk ojjenly to you, because for the present I want the Press to Inkept completely off the scent, and I am sure you will respect my confidence when you know the absolute importance of silence. If you went ferreting about on your own account you might publish something that would upset all my plans. T want yon to act with me. as you have done Ix'fore. and it is ruile possible that together we may effect a big coup—a coup that, will be of the greatest service to us in our reS|H>ctive pro/essions when the titno conies.' "Of course T consented, and before he told me anything at all T informed him why 1 was anxious to meet Frank Burnell. " '1 understand that he has put himself in touch with the police,' I said, 'so no doubt there will lx» no difficulty in bringing about a meeting lwtween us.' " 'l'm not so sure of that.' Dalton answered slowly—he has a very slow way of speaking, very aggravating until you are used to it—"for Frank Burnell has disappeared—failed to keep his appointment—and as yet T have not succeeded in tracing him. The fact, is, Painton. he came t,o®mc privately and made certain statements which no doubt he regret t ed as soon as they were made. lie did not realize at the time to what extent he was incriminating himself.' 'I suppose he had his suspicions as to the murderer ol his mother?' I asked. " 'Quite so,' replied Dalton ; 'and it wasn't his partner, Dubois, whom he suspected, either. His theory was that lite murderer had entered the house with the intention of killing Dubois. Dubois, it, ap|>eared, much to the iov of certain enemies of his. hail been reported dead. He was supposed to have met with an accident while on the Continent, which had resulted in his death.' At this point Jocelyn could not refrain front an eager interruption. "If this Dubois is the same as Paul Martin." he cried, "everything coincides with what Nathan Oliver says. It was owing to the death of Paul Martin who. alive, had power to control my father, that the will disinheriting mc came to be drawn up. But Paul Martin was not really dead, and so—and so " he staggered under the weight of the thought that was forcing its way into his hrain—"and so," he went on in an awed whisper, "it became necessary that he should Ik> murdered. 1 am lw?ginning to see light. But who was the instigator—who ? " "Don't interrupt," said Reggie, thrusting his haml under his friend's arm as though to lend him support. "As I said a few minutes ago don't try to explain things to yourself just yet. You may only get on the wrong track altogether. Listen to facts—lhe> are quite enough for the

present . Let me hurry on with" what I was telling you." ••Go on," returned the other. His face had grown very white, and though he listened with deep attention, he walked by his friend's side like a man in a dream. "JVell, Dubois, it appeared, was not really dead," continued Reggie, "but was expected back at Dyne Lodge that night. It may be perfectly true that he was seen in the neighbourhood of Hanipstead in the course of the evening. Burnell thought that he might have got wind somehow of the intention to murder him. and so have avoided Dyne Lodge altogether. The murderer entered the house by means of a duplicate key—the door had been left unbolted, since Mrs. Martin expected the arrival of Dubois—made his way up to the boudoir where he found his victim, was surprised by Mrs. Martin, and struck her down in a fury of rage. He then took the opportunity of rifling the safe, partly to give the impression that robbery had been the motive of the crime, and partly because he actually coveted the jewels. "This was Burnell's theory. You must understand. Jocelyn, that all this took place prior to the issue of the warrant against Dubois and the publicity given to the fact that a warrant had been issued. On their first inquiries the police had not ascertained that Dubois had gone by any other name. Burnell had made an effort to .conceal the fact. It was Dal ton who had succeeded in eliciting the truth. "It was a matter of private vengeance, Burnell went on to say, and the man whom he suspected of the crime was as much an enemy of his as of his partner's. It was not this however, but the cowardly murder of his mother, that had impelled him to speak out. "Why had he been so reserved when first questioned by the police ? To this question he replied that he had been so dazed by the terrible news that he had hardly been able to collect his faculties sufficiently to account for his own actions on the night of the murder. It was only after thinking things over that he had begun to suspect.who was the author of the crime. "Whom did he accuse ? To this Dalton could obtain no definite answer. Frank Burnell refused to speak out. But he had a proposal to make which, in effect, was this : He should lie allowed to make certain investigations on his own account without any interference from the police, and within three days he felt assured that he could bring abuut the arrest of the guilty man with the stolen jewels in his possession. He must, however, be given a perfectly free hand, and Dalton must be ready to act at once upon any instructions he should receive. "To this arrangement Dalton consented, promising himself, of course, that." he would have Burnell carefully shadowed. It. was in their subsequent conversation, and just as Burnell was about to take his departure, that the latter by some slip of the tongue managed to admit that his partner. Dubois, was in reality named Martin—Dalton had already suspected the fact—and, furthermore that some ten or fifteen years ago Martin had been in partnership with a man named Ferrard. "Now, Martin is not an uncommon name, but Ferrard is. and the association of the two together came as a revelation to Dalt'on. For he had cause to remember the firm of Ferrard and Martin. "Dalton. naturally, is clever at concealing his thoughts, but it must have been evident to Burnell that he had made a slip. Jle fidgeted about and was anxious to get away. Dalton asked him if he had any idea what had become of Dubois and he replied, rather evasively, that he could not say. It was a fact that he had not seen him since Dubois had left England a month ago, prior Jo the rumour of his death. He had not been in direct correspondence with his partner, but had learnt from his mother that the rumour was false, and that she expected to sec her husband on the evening before the murder. Martin had taken another name. Burnell hastened to explain, solely for trade purposes. He was not on bad terms with his wife, though there were family reasons why they r|id not live together, and why she had passed herself oIT as a wirlow—all of which were plausible enough and were bound to have come out at the inquest. Had not. Burnell mentioned the name of Ferrard, Dalton's suspicions might never have been aroused. "Well, Burnell""shuffled about and then took his departure. 'Within three days you shall hear from me,' he said, 'and I shall have all the evidence that can be needed to convict the man who murdered my. mother.' But Dalton did not believe him. Whatever he had originally intended to do he had given an accidental clue to a matter of far greater import than the Dyne Lodge murder, and he knew it—knew, too, that Dalton's suspicions had been arouscd. Tt was vital for him to forego his vengeance and make his escape. "And, curiously enough, he contrived to do this. The detective who had been put on his track manager 1 to lose sight of him. anil when I had m.v conversation with Dalton. Burnell had not been traced. Also the three days for which he had himself asked had passed, and he had not again communicated with the police. The only inference was that lie had taken to flight. "Dalton saw that it was necessary to act with great discretion. He did not wish to frighten Burnell. since there was. of course, a possibility that he might keep faith with the police. He was forced at. any rate, to wait till the three days had expired. Besides, he harl no excuse to warrant the arrest of Frank Burnell. Furthermore, it was necessary to maintain the greatest secrecy as to his actions if he did not wish to play into the hands of those he had determined to run to earth. So he allowed the suspicions for the murder to rest upon Paul Dubois, although he was instrumental in adding the name of Martin to the published description of the wanted man. It was desirable, from every point of view, that Martin, even though he was not the actual murderer should be apprehended. Much might be learned from him, to say nothing of the fact that the police had hunted for him in vain for years. "And now. .Jocelyn. I may relieve your curiosity as to the conspiracy of which I have already spoken. The accidental mention of Frank Burnell of the firm of Ferrard an.i Martin gave the scent the scent which Dalton lias lieon follow in:; like a veritable bloofliiuui. I J 11«• llatnpstead murder has become unl.\ a se-

condary consideration to him in (comparison with this. He told me all about it that afternoon after he had detailed the particulars of Burnell's visit to him, the proposal that the latter had made, and his subsequent failure to keep his promise. "Some fifteen years ago a man was arrested in London in connection with the theft of some important jewels from a lady who occupied a high place in society. The jewels were recovered very quickly, owing to the culprit having made a full confession. But the gems had already passed through the hands of the receivers, Messrs. Ferrard and Martin, and it was only by stratagem that they were safely restored to their owner. In some miraculous way both Ferrard and Martin, though they were well-known men, made their escape, and were never traced. Then the man who was in custody obliged with further particulars. There was an organization, he said, which had existed for many years—further back than he could remember—which had peculiar methods of its own for assisting notorious criminals to escape from justice. The whole thing was worked on a business-like basis, and had ramifications in all parts of the world. There were men connected with the association who had amassed wealth and who occupied respectable positions in London. A heavy tax was levied upon those who applied for the assistance of the society, which at the same time did a flourishing business in the disposition of stolen goods. The Knglish branch of this gigantic criminal concern was managed by a triumvirate of which Ferrard and Martin were two, and the third was a mysterious individual whose name has never been made known even to those who were brought into connection with him. "Well, you may imagine that Dalton and the London police generally, did their utmost—in the first place, to prove that such a conspiracy existed ; in the second, after there was no doubt upon that point, to overthrow it. But they failed egregiously. Martin and Ferrard had disappeared as utterly as if they had never existed. The supposed haunts of the society, mentioned by the informant, were found deserted, and the men whose names he was able to give, were all presumably above suspicion. And so. although there was not the smallest doubt that they had been correctly informed the police were baffled. "Dalton took an especial interest in the affair, and vowed that he one day would bring it to light. But he recognized that he was opposing himself to a criminal intelligence of a very high order. ' For year after year it became increasingly evident to him that, the association, or whatever it. may be called—was still in existence. All sorts of crimes—from murder downwards —went by unpunished, and the manner in which the criminals had escaped remained a mystery. Now and then an attack was levied upon the fringe of the enemy's force, but not once was any real damage done ; the root of the evil remained firmly embedded, and no spade had contrived to reach it. "This being so, Jocelyn, you can understand that. Dalton was excited when he realized that Martin—or Dubois —husband of the murdered woman of Dyne Lodge—was the very man who had contrived so long t.o evade justice—one of the famous triumvirate —and perhaps a leader of a concern that was still very much alive. No doubt Frank Burnell was in the plot, too, as probably was the actual murderer'of Mrs. Martin. - Dissension in their own camp was going to lead to the overthrow of the whole gang. "There, Jocelyn," concluded Reggie, "now you know everything. It has not been easy to talk walking through the streets like this, but I' have done my best. You understand why Dalton is so eager to find Burnell. and why the man we are both looking for—you and I—will be leniently treated if he consents lo speak. Dalton came to York because the police here reported to him that a man answering to the description of Burnell arrived yesterday, and I went through to Derham Place—we learned at Burnell's City Office of this country house of his. though the police had already reported to us that he was not there—thinking that I might learn something by Judicious inquiry. You know how I have fared. And now," he added, pointing across the road, "T think that is the Regency over there. Do you still hope to meet Mr. Burnell ? " , > "f don't know Jocelyn's eyes were dazed, and he faltered in his speech. "But lam going to try," he said, with determination. They crossed the road. At the door of the hotel Jocelyn paused. "All you have tolrl me has taken my breath away." he faltered. "But if there is any connection between my story and yours, it can only be in one way " "Yes ? " queried Keggie. His hand sought that of his friend and he pressed it silently. "It can only mean," continued Jocelyn, "that this criminal gang is controlled by the Travises—has always been controlled by them ; that the third party to the triumvirate — and perhaps the instigator of the murder at Dyne Lodge—he cannot have been the perpetrator of it—was was " He hesitated. "I know what you would say," replied Reggie Paint on gent ly, "and I fear you are right. This man must he Norman Travis—otherwise Balph Kennedy— your father ! "

To be Continued