THE DEATH-WHITTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12210, 4 March 1903, Page 3

THE DEATH-WHITTLE.

.BY RICHARD MARSH, - Author of " The Twickenham Peerage," " The Goddess: A Demon," "The Beetle: A Mystery," "In Full Cry," "The Crime ' and the Criminal," etc., etc.

CHAPTER XXVll.—(Continued.); 1 " Miss Foster, I am perhaps old-fashioned. I was' brought up ;on simple lines, being taught that there was a fundamental difference between right and wrong, and that the two could not be blended. If then this man— "I decline to allow you, in my presence, to speak of him as a mail, unless, that is, you mean that he is as much a man as you are, and probably more.". \ "If-then my partner is a thief.,.and used a thief money to place me where I am, then all I have has sprung from roguery, and if I wish to free myself from the taint of roguery I must put it all "from me and begin again." , „ /,.,■ " Don't you believe he's honest?" ' ' "I did!" " Don't you know, even now, deep down in your heart, that you'd trust him before any other man you ever met?" "In the face of what Swire says?" • "In the face of what Mr. Swire says. Mr. Swire! You compare him with Mr. Swire?" "I don't. I feel that he ought to be confronted with Swire and heard in his own defence." , , . ■ .

" Now, if von will be so good as to attend to the few remarks I have to ■ make—and to keep still. You say that the name of the man who died in '. prison * was Edney— George Edney." ; : : " Swire says it was." " George Edney rained my fatherrobbed us of our home, of all that in those days made life worth lining, and drove Sidney and me out into the world to earn our daily bread." "Miss Foster! You don't mean it!" Coming into unexpected contact with an unnoticed chair Mr. Rodway plunged down on it with a sudden vigour which caused it to emit a sinister sound of unmistakable resentment.: "I will tell you the stoiy." She told him the —so far as it was known to her— of Glasspoole's folly and Edney's knavery; he -listening open-eyed and open-mouthed. " Since the probability is that the money which Edney left to Netta's husband is part of that of which he robbed lis I think you will admit that I have almost as much right to judge him as you have." " More— more. I had no idea of this. This is awful beyond anything of which I dreamed!" " Of course you'd no idea. And in what sense do you use the word ' awful?' I sup* pose you must have : something in you, or you wouldn't have invented the Rodway Power; but of your judgment in ordinary matters I have no opinion whatever. If accident hadn't brought you into contact with a profoundly honest, clear-headed man you'd have been' the best plundered' inventor that ; ever lived; such is my solemn conviction. ; " Let me state the case as it appears to me. Mr. Smithers, or Bruce, as you say he —though I shall continue to call him Mr. Smithers till, he tells me . not to—sinned ; that's the presumption. I don't know how or why. But I'm sure be did nothing dishonest; nothing mean; nothing unworthy ; nothing which was in disaccord • with an ideal code of honour.: Yet he must have offended in a legal sense, or he would scarcely have found himself in (Janterstone Gaol. There he met George Edney. He listened , to him, as he lay upon '.his .deathbed, probably not • believing one per cent, of • what : he said. When lite found himself again outside the prison gates—with everything apparently lost, with nothing to hope for, and with the consciousness strong upon Mm of what men • of your stamp say : and think about gaolbirdshe perhaps thought that he would at least see what amount of truth there was in Edney's statements. He learned that there was more;than he expected; than anyone would have, expected. He : found himself- in possession of a considerable : sum of money. You - may be sure that the problem which presented itself to him was the same problem which would have presented itself , to you—what should he do with it? And I think? he found a saner solution than yon might have done. P believe that the decision' at which he arrived was this : that he would use it to repair . the mischief . .which - George - Edney had wrought; that he would leave no stone unturned - to i discover whom Edney had wronged, and how; and that then lie would make it his special : care that the atonement should .be greater, than the injury.". - " Yon belieVe that really?" ; " With all' the strength of ; belief that is in me." " You—you present a view of the case which is > entirely novel to me; —and no doubt there's a great deal to be said for ifc -" - "A great deal to be said for it! There's everything to be said for it—everything." " Even granting that, you must bear in ! mind • that it is not from \ mes only—or j even principally—that danger is to be feared. - •*

"4\f, r ? * * There are Theodore Ludlow and: the man. Swire. They have both of them objects to gain, and to obtain them they'll stick at nothing." •" . " V " You 'and I will be a match for them."

" You and I? Reallyl'm afraid I don't quite see how. I don't see, for instance, how you are going to prevent Ludlow from telling his sister what he knows, and. Swire from making himself disagreeable." " You are excessively dense. I'll show you how it can be done. Will you sign a treaty of alliance?" She held out her hand, of which he promptly took advantage. "I shall be charmed." "You promise to do everything' I tell you?" . - • ' \ An expression of dubiety came over his features, as if he regretted the haste with which he had placed ms palm in hers. " I will certainly undertake to give any suggestion yon may make my most serious consideration." "That won't do, at all; not in the least. In dealing with such creatures as the two you've named I've methods of my own. To ensure success for those methods it is necessary that I should have an ally on whom I can implicitly depend. The question, therefore, is, can I, or can I not, depend - on you? Are you with me or against me?" "If you put it that way I am with you certainly; all the way." "Then mind you are." They solemnly shook hands. " Don't sit there; that's your chair against the wall." 1 He looked at it, and sighed. - CHAPTER XXVIII. - ' riUENDS IN COUNCIL. It. -was not ; an' announcement which was likely, to appeal, to ..the sympathies "of ; Mr. Swire, as the' expression which was on that gentleman's countenance plainly showed. .. In connection with the - Juvenile Branch of the Sons of Water ' MR. THEODORE LUDLOW has kindly consented •to give an Address ; Entitled: — TEMPERANCE: WHENCE IT COSIES, WHAT IT IS, WHERE IT GOES. Mr. Swire glared at the placard on which the words were printed as if it were a personal enemy. Then, withdrawing a step or two, he surveyed the building with which it was associated. • "So this is Ebenezer Chapel, is it? And this is where he comes and gives 'his addresses? Very good; when he comes I'll take the liberty of addressing him." _ . Mr. Ludlow was probably not gratified when he discovered who was awaiting bis arrival outside the edifice within whose walls he was to deliver his acute and well-chosen observations. A more disreputable figure than Mr. Swire presented would have been hard to find, or one more suited to illustrate at least a certain side of the forthcoming remarks. At the very gates of the chapel, in full view of the already assembling audience, this disgraceful-looking person addressed him with a degree of freedom which could not have been agreeable. "So there you are, iare you? Found you, have I? Perhaps you don't know I've been looking for you this month and more; daresay you've never guessed that I've found out how you've been kidding me." Mr. Ludlow endeavoured to pass off the obvious fact of Mr. Swire's existence with an air of carelessness which scarcely suited him. •*" " Ah, Swire, still-in the flesh? And what has brought you here?". • : ' '"The same thing that's brought you. You're going to give an address; and I'm, going to give an address—to you.'-' . . Mr. Ludlow glanced at him. Undoubtedly . his encounter with this dreadful creatine 1 was becoming the subject of comment. PerN sons passing up toward the entrance turned to look. At the private door someone stood and watched. Perhaps it was an officebearer; even a deacon. The lecturer on temperance felt that it would be advisable to rid himself of this fellow at the earliest

moment. He spoke to him'in low, peremptory tones. • ' : ■ " If you wish to speak to me you can do so iii .an hour and a-half.", ' I "If it's all -the , same to , you , I'd sooner speak to you now." . : ' • ~ .■ " You cannot. I have a lecture to de- > liver. ; I vail speak to yon ; afterwards. Now go. Let me pass." Mr. Swire had placed himself in front of him in, a manner which was suggestive. "Hand over a sovereign and I'll think about it." ' " " ' " A sovereign? What do you mean?" "For gargle—that's what I mean. Do you think I'm going to wait for you drymouthed?" Mr. Ludlow eyed Mr. Swire with what might be described as scorn leavened with uneasiness. ' ■ ■ ■ '• ' ' - " Are you aware that I am just going to deliver a lecture on temperance? ' And you ask me to encourage you in your habits of drunkenness?" "\ •• "I don't want no encouragement. Money's what I want, that's all." " Then you'll get no money for that purpose out of me. Now, my man, stand aside." "I'll stand aside when I've said my say ■to you, not before. You get your sister married to the biggest scoundrel in England—" :-v , j . .■ ■

_ Mr. Swire had commenced bis observations in a tone of voice which was so audible that Mr. Ludlow, became immediately conscious of the extreme desirability of inducing him to cut them short— least for the moment; He produced a coin. , " Here's a shilling for you. While you are waiting you can get something to eat." In reply the other's language was fullflavoured. " I don't want none of your shillings; and I don't want nothing to eat. Drink's what I'm after. • Make it half a quid; < it's dry work, waiting." ... - • "I will make it half a crown, but not another farthing. Will you take it and go, or shall I call a policeman?""Call a policeman! You'll call a policeman?" - • "I certainly will.. I don't intend to allow myself to be annoyed by you. Be under no misapprehension." Either Mr. Ludlow's show of firmness, or the coin temptingly displayed between his finger and thumb, affected Mr. Swire. He condescended to pocket the half-crown. " When you've given that address of yours on temperance youHl■ find me waiting for you here so don't you flatter yourself you won't." Possibly this was an- occasion on which Mr. Ludlow would have been willing that the other should stray from the strict paths of truth; but Mr. Swire evinced a fondness for veracity to ; which. he was perhaps occasionally a stranger. • When, at last, the lecturer appeared, there, on the pavement, was his friend. He remained in the building to the. very ,last .moment, so that as few of his audience should ' witness the meeting as might be. Before he left he thought it advisable to tell, a falsehood to such persons in authority, as were with him in the vestry, by way, perhaps, of exhibiting his zeal for the cause for which he had just been speaking. "There's a sad case in which I am much interested of a man who has given himself, body and soul, to the demon. I rather fancy he's waiting for me outside now. I still trust ' to be able to snatch" him as a brand from the burning.". , . If such was the case he displayed his trust in rather a singular fashion. So soon as he was in the street he marched off at the top of his speed,- and had already,- at the corner of the street, reached a region where cabs and- omnibuses were procurable before the sad case in question had; him—literally—-bv the shoulder. , That's the game,' is ' it?v Thought that half-dollar of yours had done J the > trick? Then you're wrong; it ain't." Mr. Ludlow professed surprise at seeing the speaker at,his elbow. ° " So ; you've not-gone. I suppose it. was owing to the darkness that I didn't see you. Now what have you to say to me?" " I've a good deal to say to you. Do you want me to say it here?" '' Isn't there; some place near here where we can be private?" " There's a little crib I know of." .* "Is it respectable?" • " For respectability it's equal to Buckingham Palace any day." ° . " Is it far?" t "Just round the corner." "Then I'll give you ten minutes— longer. ~ You lead the ; way and I'll follow you." • "No, you don't. You might do your ; following in • the wrong direction, • once, my. -back ? was > turned. If I'm not good '■ enough for you to walk with you'll ..have to make believe I am—and that's all about it." < gg " If you'll show me the way I'll come with you. Only move yourself aftd b$ quick about-

In a few moments lie became conscious ; that they were entering . a neighbourhood ■which was not exactly savoury. " Where are you taking me? Yon told me that the place of which you spoke was justround the corner." . ~'' . "That was a figure of speech, that was. Don't you know what- a figure of speech is? It's under a quarter of a mile from where we're standing, and that's the gospel truth." The quarter-mile was proved to consist of a good deal more than four hundred and fortv yards, nor did the character of the neighbourhood get better as they advanced. At last, in a very narrow alley, Sir. Swire paused before what was apparently a bird shop on a very small scale. The little window was filled with birds in cage-. More birds and cages decorated the doorway. Although it was long past- the hour when they ought to have been asleep some of them were still indulging in vocal exercises. Mr. Swire waved his hand.

" Here you are! Ain't likely to come to much harm where there's all these birds about."'

Some such thought was passing through his companion's mind. <' The place promised better than he had feared. A man appeared at the doorway— square-built, with a pipe in his mouth. He eyed Mr. Swire and his companion, addressing the former. "So it's you, is it? Now what's- the game?" Mr. Swire replied. " I've got a little business with a friend of mine want to go up to the Cave that we can be alone together." The man said nothing. The pair entered —not the shop, but a sort of covered entry which ran beside it, ending in what was rather a flight of steps than stairs, "Where are you taking me?" "To the Cave of Harmony." ■ " The Cave of Harmony? What- do you mean?'" ■

"The Cav? of Harmony is where they hold the singing matches. I've known.more than a hundred birds enter for a really big prize. There ain't ntf better room of the kind in town, nor one what's better thought of. Let me go up first and open the door." Mr. Swire went lip" first, and Mr. Ludlow followednot with the best grace ; there was. a remoteness about the place which, in his present company, he did not appreciate. The apartment to which he was introduced seemed to'; be rather a loft than a room. There was no ceiling. The open, Raftered roof was whitewashed, like, the walls. A board on trestles represented a •table. Ancient.' forms stood against the ; walls. Nails were everywhereintended, the visitor surmised, to sustain the cages of the contestants when a " singing match" was on. A musty smell made the air of the place offensive— it was unwarmed, and the night was cold. Gas flamed from a solitary bracket. As Mr. Ludlow entered, not too willingly Swire, pulling the door to behind him, - turned the key—an action which his companion instantly* resented. What do you mean by that? I insist upon your unlocking that "door at once." "You insist? How are you going to insist? That's 'what I want to know."

The eyes of the two men met, for half-a-dozen seconds only. But it was long enough for Mr. Ludlow to learn that, in courage, of a kind, he had met more than his match. To get himself out of the difficulty by which he suddenly found himself confronted he was prepared to promise anything. "I don't understand you. Swire. What quarrel have you with me?" " We'll come to that presently. To begin with, I want you to answer one or two questions. The first is, what's the address of the bloke you?"sister married ? Where am I going to. find him?" .. " He's abroad."

" You told me "that before; and I ain't saving lie isn't. But what I want to know is, where shall . I find him when he- isn't abroad? And, for the matter of that, where do you find him when he is?" - "I'll be frank with you." " Perhaps you'd 'better." v "You:,gave me certain information as to the person with whom my sister has been ill-advised enough to associate herself in. marriage. I have ; inquired into that information, and regret to say that, in the main, I have found it to be accurate."

• " You have,' have you?" "I have riot only ascertained that he is a convicted felon, but I have also learned of what crime he was guilty." "What was it?" "A dreadful, an atrocious, an unspeakable crim=;." ' . ' • v " What was it?" " Murder." " Murder? Why, he only got two years." " Owing to a technical flaw the jury returned it as manslaughter. But it was murder none the less; hideous murder. The storv is a dreadful one; the man's whole record ; frightful. He is one of those creatures whose existence is a reproach to civilisation." ■ • " What price what he done after he came out?" , - " There is. that again. So far from punishment inducing him to halt in his career of crime, - with unparalleled effrontery he continues in it to the present hour. And this is the man who has my sister for his wife." •' i • .K-iv • ■ " You wouldn't have known nothing about him if it hadn't been for me." "That, is scarcely correct. I had some knowledge of his character before I was aware of your existence." " Are you denying that I put you on his track?" . . . , ' Mr. Swire spoke with a degree of warmth which induced Mr. Ludlow to draw a little bac-. /./ • "'i "I am denying nothing.; I am conscious of my obligations to you in that matter." " What I want to know is what I'm going to get out of it. Up to now I ain't got much." , . V.

"You must understand that I've many things to consider." ' 1 ' " I've only got two; one is to be even with'him for what he done to me, the other is to get as much out of him as ever I can." Mr. Swire presented with such admirable candour, and, it may be added, completeness, the only two motives which were really actuating Mr. Ludlow that, for a moment, that gentleman was silent. Mr. Swire went on: '' r,'"

"We've got him between our finger and thumb; that's, where we've got him. It seems that he's passing himself off as someone else. Well, we've only got to say the word and he'll be a good deal less than no one."' _ j / " He's no common villain, I assure you;; nor is he so easy to deal with as you appear to imagine." "Do you think I don't know him? Do you think I don't know he'd make nothing of putting away either you or me? Ain't I had his hand upon me? Is he. fond of your sister?":. . y,".- ■\" So I've been given to understand, in his way.". V , . "Then we've got him. . . "How do you mean?" . , . "Through • her. • i■■ Patting ■ the ' screw: on her'll be putting the screw, on him. If he's fond of her he". .won't ..want ber. to know about him. It might break her heart; some women's hearts break easy." v ' I believe it would break hers." v

| " Then we'll start breaking it right away j —which'll do the trick, at once. That is, | if he's fond of her. What I want you to do is to tell me all about him that I don't know— he is, what he is, ; and- where he is. Then we'll talk about the terms on which you and I are going to work together." "You' must clearly understand that my | chief anxiety is to guard my sister from all unpleasantness." - • - >, j ; * " Stop that! I know what your chief i anxiety is. . You don't care for your sister no more than' for this ' deal .. board. You | don't care for nothing and no one except ; j yourself." You and I are birds of a feather | —only : you're a ; humbug and I. ain't." Mr. Ludlow looked as if he did not relish ; the notion of being coupled : quite so closely j with Mr. Swire. But he said nothing he ; merely pressed together the fingern of his black "kid gloves.; " You let me know exactly how the land lies,", and let's understand each other; shea we'll set about that sister of yours together, and after we've said a ; few words to her you'll find that husband of hers will turn out to be the most generous man alive. We needn't be afraid of her lay- ; t ing.a.finger upon us, and when we've had i our say she . won't let him do it either." " . j > " There's something in your notion." j: " There's about as much money in it as he's ! got himself. I've played this game before though I've never had so big a chance. as I hope this is going to be. If you want to get at a mat's pockets—a man what you've got between your finger and your thumbfind out the girl he's fond really, fond of, mind ! —and if she's got a soft heart, as soon as you start breaking it he'll open his pockets as wide as ever 760 want." jf® [', Mr. Swire .wiflkjal.. Mr. " Ludlow sighed.

"I am bound to admit that, in certain respects, my sister has not treated me well." "I shouldn't be surprised. And in certain respects we won't treat her well, neither. In dealing with a woman you'll finf that I'm the equal of any. man alive." \ (To be continued on Saturday next.) :