“WHO PAID THE DEBT”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7240, 21 August 1933, Page 9

“WHO PAID THE DEBT”

CHAPTER XXVlll.—(Continued.) Her colour r.ose a little and the Magistrate saw It and .plied, his questions relentlessly. Wrangel had been In love with her —she had persistently refused to listen to him—he had told her that, he should follow her whenever she might go. Daryl felt as if he was on the rack as he listened, and when the smart women In Court exchanged significant looks 'he could hardly master his fury. But Enid kept her eyes on the Magistrate’s face and looked neither to tho right hand nor the left. “ Why did you take flight from London if you were Innocent? ” That was another searching question; but she answered it without hesitation. “I had no choice. I was dragged away from the house by a man who wore a mask; he took mo to a house where I found my father—"her voice faltored for a moment—•“ I think his reason must have left him, for he did not seem to understand me when I told him that there was no need for us to escape." But that statement led on to much further questioning; how had her father shown his loss of reason? What had he said about the murder? It was agony for Daryl to hear her describe her terrible existence In Hayland’s Wood before that gaping, gloatorowd, but when she was forced to reveal that it was because her father believed her to be guilty that he had carried her off, ho felt as if she was being made to sign her own death warrant. But this was not her trial; he braced himself up with that thought; this was only an examination and he need not make up his mind, as yet that the Magistrate would commit her. At anyrate her ordeal was over for the present, and it was Bennett who had to submit to the ruthless questions. But the questions did not seem to ruffle Bennett at all. He replied to thorn imperturbably and more than once raised an irresistible laugh in Court by his coolness and impudence. He hod dono it for a joke—that was his answer when the Magistrate asked him why he had chosen to carry on a dual existence, and though the Joke might seem a pointless one, there was nothing to show that he bad ever been anything but a blameless old lady to AEhton Road and a diligent and wellconducted young man In the rooms that fie occupied over his office. So far, the Magistrate had elicited nothing that could throw any light on the mysterious case, but that only made It the more interesting—like a puzzle that baffles all who attempt to solve it —and a profound silence foil over the Court as the third of the trio was made to stand forward. And tho Magistrate had hardly begun to put his questions before It was evident that Mrs Wilkins was a very dlffernet witness from the two who had preceded her; her sullen exterior hid a raging fire and as soon as her chanoe of speaking came it rushed out like a burst of flame. “He tricked me,” she exclaimed with a fierce glance at Bennett. “ Not a true word came out of hie mouth! But I’ve been his catspaw too long, and speak I will, even If he kills mo 1 ” It was In vain that the Magistrate tried to point out that she was not there to make statements, but to answer questions; she took not the slightest heed of him, and since It was possible that she might let fall Important information, he did not silence her, but thrust an occasional guiding question into her stream of words. “To run the house—that’s what he engaged 113 for, and to look after the people who came there, and a queer sort some of them were. Not that they didn't behave' decent, for they didn’t want questions asked—but lurkers they were, some of them, creeping out after dark and going off at a moment's notice, no one know 3 where.” “Why did you stay then?” That was an obvious question, but Mrs Wilkins shied away from it and it was only with some difficulty that the Magistrate elicited that Wilkins had been plaoated with a generous salary, while It was evident that she herself had been fascinated by Bennet for his own ends, as the unfortunate rabbit is fascinated, by the snake. And then the Professor and Enid had appeared on the scene. “As pleasant spoken a gentleman as you could wish and the young lady as sweet and kind—” she faltered a little over that. Enid’s kindness seemed to have touohed a chord in her heart.

But all this was little to the point. “ Had Stefan WTangel ever been at the house before the night in questions? ’’ asked the Magistrate. “ Not since the Professor and Miss Denlaton came.” “Ah! he had been there before then? ’’ “Yes, once or twice; he never stayed long.” ” When did you first see Mr Bennet? ” “ When he engaged my husband and mo. lie asked Engct ” She came to a sudden stop. “Who is Enget? " enquired the Magistrate. “ Enget’s Domestio Stores," put in tho Inspector. “ I-Ie runs a Servants’ Registry as well as a shop.” The Magistrate made a note; he would want to know something further about Mr Enget and his Registry oill.ee. But Mrs Wilkins had ’caught a glance from Bennett—>a glance that froze the blood in her veins, the flood of her eloquence suddenly dried up and she vouchsafed nothing more than a yes or no in answer to the questions that were put to her. “ This Is as far as I can carry the oase to-day,” said the Magistrate, at last. “I shall remand Mrs Wilkins and Bennejt for a week and will a-ecept hail as before for Miss Denlston. I hope by that time we shall be able to have the Professor in Court to explain what he knows of Bennett; we must know why he sent him a. letter asking him to come In guise of Mrs Weston to fetch his daughter.

■ He would have risen from the Bench as he finished speaking but the Inspector stepped forward with a telegram In his hand. “ I wired this morning to tho doctor in charge of the asylum where the Professor is lodged," he said, “ to ask If the patient would be able to appear In Court in a week's time. The reply ■has just come-r' Quite impossible^

(By Mary Bradford Whiting) Instalment 20.

CHAPTER XXIX.

patient has not shown any signs of consciousness since his con °V? s , Bennett gave an imperceptible start as tho message was read out— Daryi a most decided one. But It was loft to the Magistrate to make a verbal com- “ But then—” he said slowly— it could not have been the Professor who sent the letter to Bennett.”

• The whole group stood as If turned to stone, Mrs Wilkins clutching the cap and curls, Daryl holding her in his grip, the spectators staring in blank amazement.

The inspector was the first to recover himself. “It seems to me that we shall have throe to take back instead of two," he remarked. “I noticed a telephone in the hall, and I’ll just send for a couple of taxis.”

"And what have you to charge me with, may I ask?” enquired Bennett mildly. . Ho was leaning back in the armchair, his mittened hands folded In his lap, quite unperturbed, apparently, by Mrs Wilkins’ assault. “It’s not for me to charge you with anything,” returned the Inspector, "all I have to do is to take you before the Magistrate. He will decide whether you will be oharged or not.” "Well, if you really intend to take mo to town, I must make some slight changes in my dress,” said (Bennett, and rising from his seat he took up his black skirts in both hands and crossed the room with absurd little tripping steps. “The game's up, Anna!" he added as ho oaught sight of the maid in the doorway, her faoe no longer impassive, but wild and soared. “Ah! But I don’t trust you," said the Inspector. “You’ll go tripping out of some hack door if I don’t keep my eye on you. Mrs North, I leave you In charge of Miss Denniston.” That was Daryl’s privilege, so ha said to himself, hut ho understood that Mrs North, as the wife of the Coroner, was more, likely to appeal to the official mind. The Sergeant had already taken Mrs Wilkins out into the hall, and the moment that they were alone, Daryl turned eagerly to Enid, and would have begun a series of anxious questions if Mrs North had not oheaked him. "Don’t ask her to tell m anything Just, yet,” she said; "we will hear it all at my house this evening." “That means that you think- they ■wfli let her come away with us?" said Daryl, his faoe lighting up. "Yes, I do. You and Mr North will go bail for her; we will ask the Inspector to let us ’phone to Wm to meet us at the Court." The taxis 'had arrived by this time, and, muoh to the Inspector’s relief,, he landed his party at the Police Court before the Magistrate had risen; a few explanation, a few formalities, and ball was accepted for Enid from Daryl and Mr North, but since no one was forthcoming to answer for Bennett and Mro Wilkins they were remanded in custody.

"And now for your story," said Mrs North when they were safely at the house, some dinner eaten, and the drawing-room door shut. But when the story came to be told, there was little that they did not know already. Mrs Weston had come to the farm In a motor car, had said that Daryl wished her to take Enid to Hendon, and that he would oome and see her there. Having no reason to doubt her, Enid had agrecd---all the more readily because she saw that Mrs Frost wanted -to get rid of her. "And after you got there?” asked Daryl—the thought of her in the hands of that villain set hie blood tingling. Even now he could hardly believe that she was reaoued, that she was safe..

“They were very kind to me. I was so tired I could hardly walk up the stairs, and I was afraid to go to sleep because I thought all those dreadful dreams would come back, and Mrs Weston said that the maid would sleep In the dressing-room opening out of my room, so that I could call her in the night—l can't help thinking of her as Mrs Weston," she added. “But the maid must have been in the plot," said Daryl. “I distinctly heard Bennett say ‘The game is up,' as he passed her in the doorway.” “Yes; I suppose she must have been; but I can hardly believe it, even now, when I think of the way that she talked to me about her ‘mistress’; 'how she had to nurse her in her attacks of rheumatism, and how unhappy the cat was if Mrs Weston was out of the house.”

“But if your father knew " Mrs North pulled herself up, but Enid was prompt with her answer. “He had not the faintest idea of such a thing I 'He knew some people named Weston years ago in Spain;.Mr Weston died soon afterwards, and Mr Bennett must have known about them and for some reason chosen to pass himself off as the widow. Father used to go down now and then to see her about- the house, and he always said how nice she was, and how it brought back old days to see her. And then to think it was not her at all— ’ she broke off, utterly bewildered. . “But what could be bis object in carrying you olf like that?” interposed Mr North. “He must have known that VO-- would be followed.” “Yes; but I fancy that there was some plan on foot for Mm to get away. 1 woke up last night and heard voices in tho dressing-room, and though the door was shut*some of the words came through. ‘She won’t wake; the sleeping draught was a strong one.’ And then I could not help listening, and I heard the maid say: ‘lf you think I’m going to stay here alone with her, you’re mistaken; and anyway, it’s too late, you should have got off yesterday.’ and then the •other voice said: ‘l’ve told you why 3 couldn’t, so don’t go on arguing about it.' I tried to keep awake and think what I could do, but I was so drowsy that my eyes wouldn’t stay ■open, and when I told the -maid next day I had heard talking, she laughed and said that it wa3 I. who .had done the talking, that I had been calling ■out so in my sleep that Mrs Weston heard me and oame to tho dressingroom to know what was the matter. (To be Continued.)