THE HONOURABLE JIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HONOURABLE JIM.

BY It. J. CHAHLKTON. Author of "A Successful Dramatist," "Hector's Cloak," " Margery Ituthsrford," '* Widdrington'a Atonement," " A Lost Opportunity," Kilntli," etc [Copyright.] CHAPTER XXVIII. STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE HONOURABLE JIM. It ib not time wo were thinking of going to keep our appointment with these men at the lodge gates?" asked Amos Pegram next morning, aa he and Harvey and old Lee sat smoking an after-breakfast pipe beside the camp fire. "The appointment was for ten o'clock, was it not ?"

" Yes," answered Harvey," but lam nob going." " Not going ?" cried Pegram. "No," said Harvoy, quietly. "Bub I'll tell you what, old fellow. You mighb go and toll them that the business is postponed, and ask them to come here and see me."

" 1 fear they will chafe at the delay, and object to put the matter off."

"Oh, in that case tell them that my orders are that they come here and see me. The case is in my hands now, and I will carry ib on in my own way. If they choose to disobey they may do so ; and tell them, if so, I will pitch up the case, and they will nevor see the man again. Off you go, and I will stay here and have a game of marbles with little David."

l'egram departed on his errand, found tho two Australians waiting near the lodge, as arranged, and, Badly against their will, persuaded them to go with him to the encampment. What was their surprise on arriving thero to find their venerable mentor and chief, the redoubtable representative of Scotland Yard, gravely playing marbles with little David. The Lee family was grouped round looking on, delighted with the sight. The two Australians looked rather disgusted, and evidently thought ihey had been made fools of in being induced to go to the lodge for no purpose.

"How do?'' cheerily cried Harvoy to them us they appeared. " Wait until I finish this game, and then I'll talk to yon. Hold on there, David ; fair play. It's my turn. There, now, you have completely beaten mo, and cleaned me out. Llun oil' and count, and boo how many you have won."

The delighted child ran off to his accua toined lair, under tho big van beside the dogs, and Harvey invited tho two officers to sit down beside him near tho fire. They had 110 co:it save the bare earth, but seemed usod to that kind of thing, and soon nil were squatted round the fire. " I'm sorry you had the trouble to go to the lodge this morning," -said Harvey. "But all the Arrangements are not yet completed, and the job's put off till two this afternoon. But friend Lee here will, I have no doubt, give us a bit of dinner be foro we go."

" Time will I," said the old gipsy, heartily. " Tho old woman will put on tho pot at once, and yon shall have a right good meal 0' meat. Rachel and Leah there, come and help the old woman, will ye ?" The women obeyed, one going for fresh firewood, one for water, while the other hung tho great camp kettle 011 its iron hook over the firoj and by one o'clock they had dined and were ready to take the road.

When they reached the neighbourhood of the lodge gates, Harvey secreted them one by one, as they arrived, in a little plantation by tho road side, close by the entrance to the park. Presently a man appeared In sight, u liugo fellow, looking like a farm hand in his Sunday best. Harvey waitod for him to come up; thou, after a few whispered words, sent him into tho plantation amongst the others. Then another and still another man appeared, and were sent to the same hiding-place, until no less than thirteen stalwart fellows had joined tho original three—that is l'egram and the Australians. " They are county policemen," whispered Harvey to Pegrarn. " I got my chief to requisition them to meet me here at two. That occasioned tho delay. They copld not have got the message in time for ten. Now, sergeant, I think you know the house well, and your men am acquainted with the description of the man we want. Go at mice and station your men at every possible outlet, and stop everyone attempting to leave, and pay especial attention to the windows which open on tho terrace." " Right, sir," said the sergeant, saluting and drawing oil his men. " I will give you ton minutes, and then we will enter the house," continued Harvey, as Iho constables filed off and disappeared through the lodgo gates. Alter waiting tho appointed time, the four walked up tho avonuo to the front door of the castle. It was opened by the same footman who had admitted Pegram before. Ho seomed to recognise him again, and garo a troubled look at the group as ho replied that the earl was at heme, and would they send in their names? " You need take in no names," said Harvey, brusquely, pushing on past the frightened sorvant. " Which is the room?"

l'egram's old friend the butler came hurrying along the hall, visibly perturbed. Ho wanted to know what was the matter.

"Never mind, old gentleman; it's your master we want to see. Where is the oarl ?" ( " Ho's in the library there," answered tho butler, pointing to a door. " But he's given orders he's not to be disturbed, not by nobody." Harvey took no notice, but tapped at tho door, coolly opened it, and entered, signing to his followers to follow. The butler and footman stood aghast as at sacrilege. The room they entered was the library, in which Pegram had seen the earl before. Now the Venetian blinds were drawn, to keep out the sun, and a sort of twilight reigned in tho room. At the sound of their entry the earl rose from his chair and stood

facing them. "What does this intrusion mean?" he said, in a displeased voice. " What do you want with me, gentlemen, and who are you ?"

" Wo beg your pardon, my lord, for intruding upon you so rudely,' said Harvoy, blandly, "but necessity knows no law, much less etiquette. 1 am an inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department, Scotland Yard, Michael Harvey by name, and these are my assistants. Wo have a warrant for the apprehension of the Honourable James Minteru, and have reason to suppose he is in this house. As a matter of courtesy, we ask your permission to search the premises. May wo do so?"

The earl knit his brows, and considered for a inomont.

" These assistants of yours," said he, indicating the Australians, "searched the house for him yesterday, and did not find him."

"Very true, sir,"said Harvey; "but it is my duty to search again."

" Vory well," said the earl. " Search to your heart's content, but the man you seek is no more hore to-day than he was yesterday." Harvey gave a keen look in the earl'i face as he said these words, and smiled a knowing smile, as if he smelted out a double meaning. The earl resumed his armchair, and Harvey proceeded to search the castle. He was well used to such work, and not a hole or corner escaped bis eye. Every cupboard, press, and attic was visited, precautions being taken to see that the fugitive did not slip from one place while they were Marching another. But it was all to no purpose. Not a trace of the Honourable Jim could they find in the whole of Glendyko Castlo. Harvey visited the constables who were posted outside. Every exit seemed to have been watched, but no one had come forth; of that they were positively certain. Harvey came to the conclusion that Wintern must have got wind and escaped from the house. If so, he must be lurking in its vicinity, and steps must be taken to jearqh the country round. That he could escape out of the country was hardly possible, seeing how every point would now be watched.

They returned to the library.' " My lord," said Harvey, " we have been unsuccessful, for the present, and are sorry to have disturbed you." The earl did not answer, and they took their departure in silence. Harvey called the Krgeant of the county constabulary

and directed him to so post his men that every entrance to the house could be closely witched, and see that they wore relieved and the watch maintained till further orders.

" We can do nothing more just now,'' said Michael Harvey, and the Australians chuckled a little to themselves at his discomfiture.

The hue and cry was out all over the Border district, more especially in the neighbourhood of Glendyke. The countryside was scoured by constables, both mounted and on foot, and a constant watch was kept upon the castle. Amongst the country people the excitement was intense, and there was much speculation amongst the Glendyke tenantry as to the whereabouts of Mintern. Amongst the older peoplo there was a rooted belief that he was concealed in the castle, and there were many whisperings of secret hiding-places in the old house where, in the days of persecution, priests had lain concealed, and in one of which the fugitive was now supposed to be lurking. The railway stations and seaports had been narrowly watched ever since Harvey communicated with Scotland Yard, and it was felt pretty certain that Mintern could not have got away by either of these means, His person was so well known and his stature and appearance so remarkable that this was thought to be an impossibility. Michael Harvey was completely nonplussed, though he would not own it to anyone, least of all to the two Australian police officers, They, on their part, would have it that the Honourable Jim was in some place of concealment amongst the neighbouring hills, and spent most of their time in prowling about the countryside and visiting out-of-the-way shepherds' cottages and farm houses. But nothing came of it alt. Time passed on without the slightest sign or tidings of the fugitive. There was very much sympathy felt with Lord Glendyke amongst the neighbouring gentry and tenants. His position was cortainly an unpleasant one with this terrible charge hanging over bis brother, a charge which he felt had brought deep disgrace upon the whole family. He was seldom or never seen abroad, and spent most of his time sitting brooding over his misfortune in the library. So Amos I'egram was told by his old friend the butler when he called at the castlo one day. They were sitting together in the old gentleman's private sitting-room, which the render will remember as the scene of a former interview betwoen the two. The butler was still as eminently respect-able-looking as ever, in his black broadcloth and spotless linen, but there was a cloud over his spirits and a dejected drooping look about him very different from his former pompous air of importance. He, too, was feeling the effects of the blot on the family name, and, like a faithful retainer as he was, he shared the misfortunes of his lord and master.

Pegrain had come to the castle with Michael Harvey, who had occasion to sett his lordship, with whom ho was now closeted in the library. While Pegram waited, the butler improved the occasion by dilating on the nover-lailing topic, the strange disappearance of the Honourable Jim. "It's just like the other day, Mr. l'egram," said the old man, seems just like tho other day that you came here inquiring after Mr. James, You were very anxious to see him. Hid you know then anything of this terrible business?"

" No. I wanted to see him about another affair, In fact 1 still want to see him about it. That's tho reason I have come here, and why I am staying in the neighbourhood so long." " Your friend is having a long interview with his lordship," next roinarkod the butler, "He was here this morning, and asked mo a lot of question:, and was all over tho house, searching about it. He seems to think wo hare Mr. James hidden away somewhere on the premises, but ho may save himself the trouble of looking. It's my opinion he's gone out of tho country altogether. He would never be such a fool as to remain about here where everybody knows him."

Just then Michael Harvoy entered the room, and announced that he was ready to go. When they got outsido they visited the various watchers who were posted about the grounds, but they had nothing to report. No one except the servants had left or entered the oastle.

" This is about the rummost job I ever was engaged on," said Harvey. "Ho cannot have got away, and I've searched tho house over and over again from top to bottom. I'm beginning to think lie's done us, and my people at headquarters are complaining of my long absence. Still I don't like to give in. I think I'll go down with you to your quarters. 1 have a notion that that gipsy woman knows something. Have you noticed anything peculiar in her going on since that night ?" " Nothing that 1 would call peculiar for hor," answered Pegram. " She s been out of camp several times lato at night and for hours together, but then that's nothing out of the common, Those people are never very regular in their habits," The camp of the Lees was still in the same place by the side of the plantation, and Pegram was still their guest. Harvey and the two Australians had lodgings at a neighbouring farmhouse, though the two latter were seldom at home, being, us has been said, engaged in scouring the hills and moors in their vain search for the missing man. Nothing came of Harvey's visit to the camp. Rachel Lee was there, engaged in her usual occupations, and the keen eye of the detootive could see nothing about the camp to arouse his suspicion, nor did his most artful cross-examination of the whole

party, from old Lee down to the little boy, give him the slightest clue to any such thing as he suspected. Ho, therefore, took his departure, leaving Pogrom with his old friends. That) night, seated by the camp fire, Pegrain began to think matters ovor, and as (he result of his cogitations resolved upon a new course of action. His thoughts ran somewhat in the following strain " Hero am I come here to this country to seek out the Honourable James Mintern for a certain purpose. Michael Harvey and the rest of the police officials are also in search of him, but for a different) purpose. Hitherto we have joined forces and acted together, and so far without success. I think that now I will begin to act independently and try if I oannofc be more successful on my own account than in company with others."

Having come bo this conclusion he lost no time in putting it into practice. That very night), when all had retired to rest and the fire had burnt itself out, lie stole softly from the caravan without awaking any of the sleepers, and stepped noiselessly out into the darkness. [To bo continued.]