WHOSO FINDETH A WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10413, 10 April 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHOSO FINDETH A WIFE.

BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX, Author of "The Great War in England in 1837," "ZoraiJa," "Stolen Souls," " Guilty Bonds," " A Secret Service," etc., etc. [Copvßiont. SYNOPSIS OK PRKVIOUS CHAPTRRS. Chapterl *xn n.-Decdes, acoulid ntinl clerk in Government office receives a despitcli from Berlin, ami his chief, the Ivirl of Warnliain, Her M.jtsty's Principal Foreign Secretary, directs him to seal it up. lie does so. and places it in his pocket. He lunches with Dudley Ogle, an old college chum, and afterwards de'-ivers the ,lo<]>.it.:h to the earl. In tho evening thoy dine at the Nook with Mrs. l/i'iij;, to whose daughter Deedes is engiged. He is somewhat jo dims of tim attentions 01 an old nun named Andrew lieck. A telegram in cipher alarms Monies, .mil he is about to leave for London "lien lie stumbles over the dead body of his friend, Dudley Ojile, lying in the path. CIUPTKRS 111 and IV.—Leaving the dead body of lib friend to await an inquest, Deedes hurries home to learn the startling news that he isuccu-ed as a spy by his chief, who informs him tint the document entrusted to him has been stolen, the envelope handed back to the earl containing nothing but blank piper. At the same time a telegraphic despatch informs them that Russia is on the point "f declaring war against England in consequence of the secret despatch being known to the Russian Government. Chapters V and I.— Lord Wamhain persists in accusing Deedes with being a spy, and renders him almost speechless by producing the original of a telegram apparently in lieedes'hatniwiitms which had been handed ill at the Strand Post Office, and which contained the full text of the secret document. Uis lordship also stated that to make the document still safer he leuioved it to his own house, and afterwards restored it to the safe. Lord Warnham dismisses him from his presence. Dee Jo< afterwards discovers in a conversation with an old gossip in the village of U'arnhani that Ogle and Miss I.ain» have been in the neighbourhood meeting each other secretly, and evidently devising a deep-laid scheme. ""* ■ CHAPTER VII. ELLA'S suspicions. Next morning, aftor spending greater part of the night sitting alone smoking and endeavouring to penetrate the ever-increas-ing veil of inyetery thai) had apparently enveloped her, I travelled down to Staines, arriving there just in time to take a cab to the Town Hall, where 'the inquest was to be held. The town was agog, for a crowd of those unable to enter because the room was already filled to overflowing stood in the open space outside, eagerly discussing the tragic affair in all its various aspects, and hazarding the wildest and most impossible theories. Entering the hall I elbowed my way forward, and as I did so I heard my name shouted loudly by a police constable. I was required as a witness, and succeeded in struggling through to the baize-covered table whereat the grave-faced coroner sat.

He stretched forth his hand to give me tho copy of Holy Writ whereon to take the oath, when suddenly my eyes fell upon a watch and collection of miscellaneous articles lying upon the table, the contents of the dead man's pockets. One small object alone rivetted my attention. Heedless of the coroner's words, I snatched it up and examined it closely. Next second I stood breathless and aghast, dumbfounded by an amazed discovery that staggered bolief. The formula of the oath fell upon my ears in a dull monotone, as mechanically 1 raised tho Bible to my lips, afterwards replying to tho coroner's formal questions regarding my name, address, and occupation. The discovery I had made filled me with fierce bitter hatred against my dead companion, and, dazed by the startling snddenness of the revelation, I stood like a man in a dream. Dr. Diplock, tho coroner, noticed it, and his sharp injunction to answer his question brought me back to a knowledge of my surroundings. I was standing in full view of an assembly of some three hundred persons so filled by curiosity, and eager to hear my story that the silence was complete. " I beg your pardon, but I did not hear tho question," I eaid, bracing myself with offort. "The deceased was your friend, I beieve f' " Vee," 1 answered. "Hβ shared a furnished cottage with me at Shepperton, I have known him for somo time,'' " Were you with him on the day of his death ?" "I left him at Shepperton in the morning, when I went to town, and he called upon me at the Foreign Office aboub one o'clock. We lunched together, and then, returning to Downing-street, parted. We met again at Shepperton later, and came here, to Staine?, in rospouse to an invitation to dinner at the Nook. I—" ' A woman's low despairing cry broke the silence, and ae I turned to the assembly I saw, straight before me, Ella sitting rigid, almost statuesque. Her terror-stricken gaze met mine; her eyes rivetted upon me. "Kindly proceed with your evidence," exclaimed the coroner, impatiently. " We dined at tho Nook," I went on, turning again to face him. " Then we went for a row, and on our return Mr. Oglo left us to walk back to Shepperton." "Alone? , " Yes." " Why did you not accompany him ?" " Because I had, during the evening, received a telegram summoning me away." " Who was tho message from ?" "The Earl of Warnham,"l replied. Then, obeying his requesb to continue, I explained how, on leaving the Nook about an hour lator to catch my last train, I bad stumbled upon the body of my friend. Then, when I had concluded, the coroner commenced his cross-examination. Many

of his questions were purely formal in character, but presently, when he began to take me through the events that occurred at the Foreign Office, I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling, fearing lest I should divulge the suspicions that had, during the last half-hour, been aroused within me. I wns, I recognised, absolutely necessary that I should keep my discovery a strict secret, for upon my ability to do bo everything depended. " Was there any reason why he should call for you at tho Foreign Office, and ask you to lunch with him? Was he in the habit of doing this?" inquired the coroner. "No, there seemed no reason, beyond the fact that he waa compelled to come to town, and merely wanted to pass an hour away," I said. " Why did he go to London ?" " I have no idea whab business took him there." "He never told you that ho had any enemy, I euppose ?" the official asked, with an air of mystery. "Never. He was, on the contrary, most popular." , " And no* other incident than whab you have related occurred at the Foreign Office? You are quite certain ot this?" For a moment I hesitated, half inclined to relate the whole story of tho mysterious theft of the secret convention, but risking perjury rather than an exposure of facts that I saw must remain hidden, I answered as calmly as I could: " No other incident) occurred." " Have you any reason to suspect that he was a victim of foul play ?" the coroner continued, looking at me rather suspiciously, I thought. Ab that moment I glanced at Ella, and was astounded to see now intensely excited she appeared, with her white face upturned, her mouth half open, her eyes staring, eagerly drinkine in every word that fell from my lips. Her whole attitude was of one who dreaded that some terrible truth might be brought to light. "I have no reason to suspect he was murdered," I answered in a low tone, and as I surreptitiously watched the face of the woman I loved I saw an instant transformation. Her breasb heaved with a hoary sigh of relief as across her countenance there passed a look of satisfaction she was unable to disguise. She was in deadly fear of something, the nature of which 1 could nob conjecture. "You have no suspicion whatever thai thp deceased had an enemy f asked the foreman of the jury, who had the appearance of a local butcher. "None whatever," I answered. ?." I frequently saw Mr. Ogle on the river i of an afternoon with Min ,Laing," the man

observed. " Was there, as far as you are aware,any affection between them?" Glancing at Ella, I saw she hud turned even paler than before, and was trembling. The question nonplussed me. In my heart I strongly suspected that some attachment existed between them; but resenting this impertinent question from f. man who struck ine as a local busybody, I made a negative reply. "Then jealousy, it wftuld appear, was not the cause of the crime," the foreman' observed to his fellow-jurymen. The coroner, however, quickly corrected him, pointing out that they hadnotyetascertained whether death had, or had not, been due to natural causes. Turning to me, he said: " I believo lam right in assuming that you are engaged to be married to Miss Laing, am I not ?" "1 was engaged to her," I replied, hoarsely. " Then you are not engaged at the present moment. Why was the match broken off ?" 1 hesitated for several moments, trying to devise some means to avoid answering this abrupt question. The bitter thought of Ella's double dealing occurred to me, and with foolish disregard for consequences I resolved not to spare her. "Because of a confession she made to me," I said. " A confession ! What of!" " Of unworthiness." " She acknowledged herself unfaithful to you, I presume," observed one of the jurymen who had not before spoken; but to this I made no reply. " Now, have you any suspicion that any secret affection existed between her and tho deceased?" the coroner asked, in a dry, distinct voice that could be heard all over the room. " I—l cannot say," I faltered. The movement among the audience showed the sensation my reply had caused, and it was increased by Ella suddenly rising from her place and shrieking hysterically, " That answer is a lie—a foul lie!" "Silence!" shouted the coroner, who above all things detested a scene in his court. "If that lady interrupts again she must bo requested to leave." "Have you any further question to ask Mr. Deedes ?" he inquired, turning to the jury; but as no one replied he intimated that the examination was at an end, and I felt that I had, at last, successfully passed through the ordeal I had dreaded. Hetiring to a seat, my place aa a witness was at once taken by Beck, but scarcely had I sunk into a chair near where Ella was sitting when I felt within my hand the object I had taken from among the dead man's possession. It had not been missed, and I wondered whether its loss would ever be detected. To keep it was, I felo, extremely dangerous; nevertheless I sat holding it in my palm listening to the evidence of the well-known member for West Rutlandshire. His story, related in that loud bombastic tone that) had at first so prejudiced me against him, was much to the same effect as mine regarding the discovery of tho body, ita removal into the house, and the subsequent examination by tho doctor; until there commenced the minute cross-examination.

"How long have you known the deceased?" the coroner inquired, looking up suddenly from his notes. "A few months. About six, I should think," he answered. "Have you any suspicion that he had an enemy ?" " No. He was about the last man in the world who would arouse the hatred of anybody. In fa'ct he was exceedingly popular." " You say you have been a frequent visitor at Mrs. Laing'e. ftow, from your own observations, have you seen anything that would lead you to the belief that be loved Miss Laing ?" " Nothing whatever," he replied. " Ella was engaged to Mr. Deedes, and although she was on the river a great deal with Ogle, I am confident she never for a moment regarded him as her lover." " Why are you so confident ?" " Because of certain facts she has confided in me." " What are they ?" He was silent. Evidently ho had no intention of being led on in this manner, but, even tinding himself cornered, his imperturbable coolness never deserted him, for be calmly replied with a faint smile : " I refuse to answer." " Kindly reply to my question, sir, and do not waste the time of the court," exclaimed the coroner with impatience. " What were these facts ? !> Again ho was silent, twisting his gloves around his fingers uuea3ily. " Come, answer if you please." " Well," he replied, after considerable hesitation. "Briefly, she gave me to understand that she loved Deedes, and had refused to listen to the deceased's declaration of affection." " How came she to confide this secrob of hers to you V the coroner asked eagerly. Through my memory at that momenb there flashed the scone I had witnessed in secret in the garden on that memorable night when I had detected this man with his arm around Ella's waist, and I looked on in triumph at his embarrassment. "I am a friend of the family," he answered with n calm, irritating smile a moment later. " She has told me many of her secrets." I knew from the expression on his face that he lied. Was it not far more likely that on that night when I had discovered them he was uttering words of affection to her, and ehe, in return, had confessed that situ loved me. "Are you aware whether Mr. Deedes had any knowledge that the deceased was his rival for Miss Laing's hand ?" inquired the coroner, adding half-apologetically, " I much regret that I am compelled to ask these questions, for lam aware how painful it must be to the family." " I believe he was utterly ignorant of it," Beck replied. "He regarded Mr. Ogle as his closest friend." " A false one, tn say the least," Dr. Diplock observed in tones tbab were just audible. Beek shrugged his shoulders bub did not reply. The inquisitive foreman of the jury then commenced a series of clumsy impertinenb questions, many of which the witness cleverly eroded. He resented this man's cross-examination just as I had done, and during the quarter of an hour's fencing with the tradesman no noteworthy fact was elicited. The coroner, seeing this, suddenly put an end to the foreman's pertinacious efforts to draw from the membor of Parliament further facts regarding home life at the Nook, and called Br. Allenby.

The doctor, who had apparently had long experience of inquests, took the oath in a business-like maDner, and related the facts within his knowledge clearly and succinctly, describing how I had summoned him, his visit to the Nook, and the appearance of the dead man. "Have you made a poat-mortem?" the coroner asked, without looking up from the notes be was making. "I made an examination yesterday, in conjunction with Dr. Engall. We found no traces of disease, with the exception of a slight lung trouble of recent date." " Was it sufficient to cause death ?" "Certainly not; neither wai the bruise upon the forehead, which had, no doubt, been caused by the fall upon the gravel, The hearb was perfectly normal, and we failed utterly to detect anything that would result fatally. The contents of the stomach have beon analysed by Dr. Adams, of the Home Office, ab the instigation of the police, I believe." " Then, so far as you are concerned, you are unable to determine the cause of death ?" " Quite. It is a mystery." The next witness was a thin, white-haired dapper little man, who, in reply to questions, explained that he was Analyst to tho Home Office, and bad, at the request of the police, submitted the contents of the deceased's stomach to analysis, the position of the hands pointing to a slight suspicion of poison. "And whab have you discovered!" inquired the coroner, the court being so silent that the proverbial pin, if it had been dropped ab that moment, might have been heard. " iSotbing," he answered, clearly. "There was no sign of anything of a deleterious nature whatever. The deceased was certainly not poisoned." The assembly of excited townspeople again shifted uneasily as ib was wont to do after every important reply which might elucidate the mystery. It seemed as though a rumour had been circulated that Dudley had been poisoned, and this declaration of the renowned analyst ret at rest for ever that wild unfounded report. People tamed to one another whispering excitedly, and a

shadow of disappointment rested upon their inquisitive countenances. They had expected it to be pionounced a case ol murder, whereas it would now bo proved time death had occurred from some uatural but sudden and unknown causa. "Then you have no opinion to offer aa to tho cause of deatli ?" the coroner exclaimed. " None whatever," was the reply, and that concluded the analyst's important testimony. |To lie continued on Wednesday next.]