THE YELLOW HUNCHBACK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE YELLOW HUNCHBACK.

":•/■■.. BY FERGUS HUME. Author of "The Mystery. of a Hansom Cab," "The Golden Idol," "The Scarlet Bat," "Island of Fantasy," "Madame • '..,' ..•;. '" ■, ;■.' Midas," etc. r '". .;■'■". .

[COPYRIGHT.]

CHAPTER VIII. eupert's confession.

Ac* accident! This, then, was the reason, why Rupert had not written to her before. But it did.not explain why he had broken his appointment to call on the morning.after the murder. He had left Ciiadston by the early train in good health, so far as she knew from the report of the waiter, and she could conjecture no ; reason why he Lad not paid his promised visit. Now he had met with an accident, but. instead of writing to explain what had happened he had merely sent the few words of the telegram. Well, she would go up to Kelly-street and ask for a verbal explanation. ' "'An accident," remarked Marvel, who ' had possessed himself of the telegram when it dropped from her nerveless hands. "I don't believe it. He was all right when I saw him leave the corpse." Oh," Alice wailed again, " are you certain the man was Rupert''" ■ ■' Quite certain. And the fact tnat he went to London instead of coming to see you as he promised shows that he has something to conceal. An innocent man would not have fled." • ; " You appear to be very certain that he is guilty," said Alice, bitterly, "and refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I think you go too far." ••'-.Not so far as a jury would go were he arrested." The girl sprang up and seized l»er father by the arm. "He must never.be arrested," she panted, vehemently. "' 1 don't care what you saw, 1 don't care how black. appearances are against him, I'll never believe that he is guiltvnevernever never." "Well." Raid Marvel, with a shrug, "you can easily learn the truth by going to this address,'" and he laid a finger on the telegram. : "I intend to," said Alice, feverishly.' I'll go up to-morrow by the twelve o'clock; train." And .you?" She looked anxiously at her father. -.'■ ■ ■ i "I'll say nothing," he answered, promptly,; and, as it seemed to her, with an expression of relief. "Alice," he added after a short; and embarrassed pause, "what will you. do?" .;' ■/■■■ ':■;.■; " About Rupert?" " About the three hundred a year. Xou can't marry Rupert and have .that income also." . iT "Why not? Rupert can come with me to Australia." , ■ "No," said Marvel, unexpectedly and decidedly ; "by the terms of his uncle's will he has to return to Jamaica. Either you five up Rupert and come with me to Australia, where we can live on this money, or you must lose the money and marry a suspected murderer." Alice clenched her hands with indignation. "lon have no right to say she cried, angrily. "He may be innocent. " He may be innocent," assented Marvel, coolly, "but appearances are very mucti against him." "You don't want me to marry him, father?" ■ ■-..-, • "I certainly would prefer you to have the three hundred a year. I want to leave England myself, as I am. so weary of tins sordid lite and desperately hard work Clyde's office. He is my good friend, blithe is also a slave-driver. But, as I said before, yeu can please yourself.'' The girl thought for a few minutes, then looked directly at her father. The man seemed to shrink and dwindle before the steadfast gaze. " 1 don't believe vou think Rupert, guilty," she said, quietly; "if you did you certainly woidd not let "me marry him." "I don't see how I can prevent you, Alice. You are over age and your own mistress." . , ,'V ." ~;

Alice flamed out suddenly: "Why are you so mysterious, father?" "'I am not mysterious," insisted Marvel, paling slightly. [■■'■ "■ ""'.. , "Yes, you are. You accuse Rupert and yet shield him. You don't want me to marry him and yet you make no effort to persuade me that lie is not a fit husband for me. If .'-ho .'is guilty I shall never become his wife, much as I love him. If he is innocent you have no right to blacken his character to me."

"So long as I do not blacken his character to anyone else it matters little," snapped th© man,.sitting down with a fatigued

air. . " Well," .he;, added, resting >. his head wearily on: his hand,"what it it to be'/ Wll you stop> in England and many Treffrv. or. go to Australia and live. with me on I'm income from young Berrow?*' "I shall go up to town and question Rupert," said Alice, determinedly. ;" On that interview will depend my decision. You say that Rupert has to go back to : Jamaica?" ' ■

" Yes. I heard all about the late Reginald Boydc's will from Clyde. I should, have thought that Treffry would liave told you also."

; " He told me nothing, save that there was some difficulty about his inheriting his uncle's estate." . •

"This is the difficulty," explained Marvel, settling himself comfortably. "Boyde left three thousand a year to Rupert on condition that he found out who murdered him."

Alice shrieked. "Another murder?" "Yes. Boyde was' a man with a past; in '•. fact, a rascal. He• always anticipated being murdered, and made his will accordingly. Well, he was stabbed some months ago and killed. Rupert, went out to see after the estate, and found by the will, which Clyde holds, that he inherits the Jamaica estates and the income on condition that he remain... on the island; and learns who killed his uncle."

" Rupert told m* nothing of this," said Alice, quietly. " Perhaps he did not wish to frighten you. Also—" [ Marvel -grew nervous and paler than ever. I "I may as well as plain," he burst out after an uneasy pause, "Rupert did not go out to Jamaica after the death of his uncle, but before it took place. In fact, he was in the house when the man was found dead in his bed in the morning. Boyde was stabbed with an African sacrificial knife-—"

Alice rose with a cry of alarm. She remembered what Clyde had said about the knife produced by the red-haired girl when the-will was read. ;

"Go on," she panted. ■ ,"I must put the matter very plainly," continued Marvel, nervously, "as perhaps you will then see how foolish it would be of you to, marry Treffry.,.. The knife which killed Boyde was brought home by. that young man and given to Clyde at his office on the very night young Berrow was murdered." , . . ;■.-.,- '•

."That was the business Rupert-had to see Mr. Clyde about? - ' . "Yes, that was the, business. , Boyde, who was an old friend of Clyde's, sent Home the will, and also directed that any evidence of the murder should be token also to Clyde for advice. Boyde set great store by Clyde's advice. I was in the office when Treffry laid the knife on the table. Afterwards it disappeared, as Clyde told me that he missed it when Treffry had gone. Now," said Marvel, leaning forward earnestly, "I saw Treffry- leave the body. of young Berrow, who died from a knife wound. What if Treffry took that knife and killed him out of jealousy? What if Treffry, with that same , knife, murdered his uncle i.ieginald, so;as to get the money and marry you?" ' Alice, with a perfectly white face, sat appalled. She could not believe that Treffry was guilty of one murder, much less that he should be guilty of two. Her father., seeing the impression" he had made, went on eagerly: "So you see that it will be better for you to give.up all thought of this mart and go to Australia?" " I shall see Rupert first," said Alice, faintly, and rose to her feet with an effort. "Don't tell me any more, it's too horrible." " My'poor child ."Don't—don't She walked unsteadily to the door, then, with a sudden access of strength, turned as she laid her fingers on the handle. "You accuse Rupert of two crimes," she said, vehemently. "I don't believe that he committed either the one or the other. ' It is much move likely that the yellow hunchback killed poor Evan, and has accused Rupert to save himself.' "Did lie accuse Rupert?" asked Marvel, eagerly. . ' . ' ' * 'Alice saw that she had revealed too much. "I refuse to tell you any more," she said, with a gasp.'" I'll go to bed and think the matter over. But' Rupert is innocentis innocent— am certain of that."

She left the room, but outside in the passage had to lean against the wall,' since her legs refused to carry, her at once to her bedroom. As she waited there in the darkness she" heard the clink of glasses, and knew, that her . father was' taking, cut from its hiding-place 1 some concealed bottle of brandy, -v. On another occasion she would have re-entered to stop his drinking bout, but just now she was too bewildered with what she had heard to assume the role of saviour. With a great effort she managed to drag herself to her room and threw herself on the bed without undressing. Never •had she felt so utterly worn out; What did it all mean? Alice asked herself this question a thousand times, while the slow hours plodded on towards the weary dawn.. Rupert, whom'she loved, and who loved her, was accused of being a murderer. Not only was he accused of a single crime by the hunchback but her father declared that he had committed two murders. It was incredible that so open-faced and kindlyhearted a, man should kill two fellow-crea-tures, either from jealousy or from love of money. Yet the sacrificial knife which had been used to strife Boj'de in Jamaica had certainly been used to' kill Evan, seeing that the red-haired girl's grandmother had found it near the corpse. And, according to Marvel, the knife had been brought from Jamaica by; Rupert to the office of Mason Clyde. Had Rupert, indeed, taken it again, spurred on to commit a cruel crime out of jealousy? Alice could not believe it of her brave you ug lover. Yet circumstances look-. Ed very black against him. There was sufficient evidence available to hang him if it ever came to 'light. But Alice knew that her father, for her sake, would not speak. It onlv remained to silence the hunchback. She determined'to call on the little man at the house of Mrs. Brandyface in the Chadston slums. '. ;','■■'. >

" But first I'll see Rupert." thought the wretched girl ; " he may be able to explain. Oh. my darling—my darling—you never acted in so wicked a way—never —

Towards morning Nature would have her way, and the girl, nuite worn out, fell into an uneasy sleep. She rose at ten o'clock, and found that her father had already gone to the office.

This was strange, as Marvel invariably waited until Alice came down to breakfast; and if she did not appear in time to allow him to start always looked in to see that she was all right. Yet on this especial morning he never looked in. nor did he wait. There was something very strange about her father's conduct, as Alice thought. She knew how weak he was, and how easily guided, either by fear or by the chance of getting money. It struck her that he was being dominated by someone, and thus had made such accusations against Treffry. Could it be that Clyde was at the back of all the mystery? Impossible, since Clyde could.have.no reason to get his client into trouble. ' .'■ ;■■: .'■'

After a make-believe of a breakfast, Alice assumed her prettiest winter dress and went to the, station to catch the midday train to town. On the way she stopped at a telegraph office to, send a wire telling Rupert that she was coming. Having written it out she passed it over the counter to the girl. who. counting the words, read it out aloud. Thus it was that a woman who was stamping some letters near at hand heard the name of Alice Marvel. At,once she turned and fixed a paiir of inquiring black eyes on the girl. ~. - "Alice Marvel," repeated the woman. "Alice Marvel."

The girl stared, as she had no acquaintance with the person who spoke. The woman was short and stout, and so dark as to betray very plainly a suspicion, and more than a suspicion, of African blood. Her skin was swarthy, her hair had a frizzy kink, and her eyes were jet black. Also her nose and lips were both thick. She was a mulattress, sure enough, and did not look a pleasant creature as she surveyed Alice with an ' evil smile. The girl gazed at the somewhat gaudy dress, at trie big turquoise earrings in the large ears, and at the fat, sensual face. "Who are you?" she asked, abruptly. -;

"Alice Slaffvel," repeated . the woman, slowly. "I am glad I have seen you. I shall remember you now. And perhaps some day vou'll remember Cleopatra. Alice Marvel. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

It was an unpleasant laugh, and this, coupled with the appearance of the woman, pave Alice a creepy sensation. She felt as though she had suddenly stepped on a snake. . Mechanically she paid for the telegram; and walked to the door, thinking.itbest to have nc further words with so mysterious a creature. Also she was worn out with already existing troubles, and did not wish to have any more. The woman who called herself Cleopatra followed, and reach-

eel her as she stepped into' the street'; : There she'-placed a brown hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You love Rupert Treffry/" said the ■woman, in a■: guttural' whisper, "ant!, you think he loves, you. -Ask him about; Mr:-. Borrow!" '

Alice was stunned- " Mis. Borrow !" she repeated, blankly. "Ask him what he was to Mrs. Bevrow,''.said.' Cleopatra; *' ask : what Mrs.' Berrow is to him now,'* and, with a smiling nod, she moved away. Before Miis Marvel could recover her wits the woman had disappeared round the corner of the street. ~'.;:' " Mrs. Berrow,'* thought Alice, as she swalked towards the Chadston Railway Station. "Rupert doesn't know her." She was certain of, this, as Treffry had never mentioned the name of Mrs. Berrow. Yet it was strange that this woman-—this negress— 3hould speak as she did. And the thought of the word negress suggested Jamaica, where the negro element is very prevalent. This woman-— Cleopatra— had she come from Jamaica? If so, did she know Treffry? It would seem that she did know him, "and knew also of some connection he had with Mrs. Berrow. Alice felt her head ache with anxiety and nervous fears. Uncomfortable mysteries were coming on her thick and fast. Only Rupert could solve them, and with Rupert she determined to have a long and exhaustive conversation. Unless he could explain everything she would leave him. Doubtless she loved him dearly, but- he could have no love for her, else he would scarcely have kept from her the things which she had heard , from the hunchback', from her father and from the mnlattress.

Alice heaved a sigh of relief as she stood at the door oi the house in Kelly-street •where Rupert had lodgings. It" was a quiet-looking, red-brick house, and the door was opened by,a smart maid with as smart cap. In reply to the question of Miss Marvel, she said that Mr. Treflry was within, and was expecting her, as the telegram had arrived. In a few minutes Alice was shown up to ai comfortable 'sitting-room on (lie first floor. Here she found, Rupert seated in ah armchair by the fire, looking pale and ill. -But his face grew bright when she entered. ' '. ■';■ ',

"My darling," he said, stretching his hands' fondly towards her, "how good of you to come. I would have gone to Chadston, only I cannot rise." Alice looked at him coldly, and mode no movement to meet that fond embrace. "What is the matter?" she asked, quietly., " My leg has been hurt, and—Alice, what is the matter?" he asked in his turn.

'-'I will tell you, if you will answer me one question." "Certainly," said Treffry. " What is it?" " What aire you to Mrs. Berrow; what is Mrs. Berrow to you ~/" She used almost the same words as Cleopatra had used, and saw that Treffry's face grew white as she spoke. Then he raised his bend proudly, and looked at her straightlv. You have been told some of the truth, but not. pill," he said, steadily. "Mrs. Berrow is the woman to whom I was once engaged." <' < ... •

CHAPTER IX. A STORY OF THE PAST.

■."'■'" Engaged ("Alice repeated tne word with a long, indrawn breath. : . Yes, "assented Treffry, gloomily. "I never intended to tell you, especially as Mrs. Berrow was the woman I had to marry. * Who can have told you 1 don't know; but the truth was bound to come out sooner or later."* He looked up with a bitter smile on his peaked, white face. "This is Helena's revenge, 1 suppose."

" Helena?"

"Mrs. Berrow, if you prefer the married name. Alice, don't stand there looking at me so sadly. Oh, my, darling, trust me." "Trust you, after such a deception?" "It deception. There was no need to tell you anything about that part of my past" life, Alice." "The girl, who had been standing as though carved out of stone, now sank into a chair, as she felt that her. strength would no longer bear up. "I shall give you every chance of explaining yourself, Rupert," she said, gently. '* You made the remark just now that Mrs. Berrow was the woman you had to marry." "I did, and I repeat it. The.engagement was none of. my,seeking.,..' It was made .by my uncle, Reginald Boyde, as Helena Buckland was the daughter of an old friend of his. Who told you?" ."Cleopatra!", '■ .■• ' ;' : '"' '

Rupert bounded from his chair, and then ell back with a groan. " Oh; that fiend!" ie murmured. "I might have guessed it ivas her work. I—l—ugh!" He winced With pain, and made a clutch at his. right [eg. "My dear,' give methebrandypick !" •' - . ' Alice sprang to her feet. She saw that lie was on the verge of a fainting fit, and hastily filled a small glass from a brandybottle which stood on a near table. The ardent spirit revived Rupert in a measure, and he lay back gasping for breath. The girl replaced the glass, and then resumed her .seat, with a cold, white, steadfast.face. Much as she loved Rupert her sense of womanhood as outraged by his confession that he had been engaged. That is; she did not mind the engagement itself, as many a young man has been engaged before settling on'a wife. But that the woman in this case should have, been Mrs. Borrow, whom Rupert had pretended not to know, was a circumstance Which made her doubt his honesty. Treffry saw what she was thinking of, as her expression was eloquent. With an effort he summoned up his fortitude and explained as best he could. "Alice! Alice, don't look at me like that! You are the only woman I ever loved— only woman I ever shall love. Dear, bear with me, for I am.the victim of circumstances. Ugh!":—he winced again— "tin's leg dees hint," and he fondled it with an expression of pain. Alice could no longer preserve her assumption of indifference, but sprang forward and knelt beside him. "Rupert." she .said, eagerly taking him by the cold hand, *'I understand nothing. I think you have not treated me fairly. You are accused of the most dreadful tiling!-. All the same I love you. It is no use my saying that Ido not, for I do. Oh she broke down, sobbing, "how contemptible you must think me." "I think you are the noblest woman on earth." said Treffry, faintly. "Give me some more brandy, Alice. " I feel weakloss of blood. 1 expect." ."Loss of blood!" she repeated, handing him another glass; "how have you lost blood?"

"I was stabbed in the leg," he murmured, sipping the brandy. Alice looked aghast., "When? Where?" "On the night that poor creature was murdered—at Ohadston." , ~,

"Who.stabbed you?" t _ . ". ";■' "Cleopatra!" - .'■'■■■'.'■',- "That negress?" , "/She is not all a negress. Her mother was white. She is what you call a mulattress, and an incarnate fiend at that."

"When did she stab you?" '■ "At a-quarter to ten—just after I left Clyde's office," said Rupert, the colour coming back to his face. "Are you sure?" asked Alice, springing to her feet. -

" Perfectly sure. The quarter was chiming almost when she struck the blow, hang her!"

" Where were you at the time?" demanded Alice, quickly. "In a dark alley, near the station. You know I was to stop at the Railway Hotel. I was going there after I left Clyde's office, and met Cleopatra. She asked me to speak privately to her, and took me up an alley. There she suddenly stabbed me, after some conversation, and left me lying on the snow. I was insensible with loss of blood for a long time, but managed to crawl to the hotel about eleven. I also managed to leave for town the next morning and kept my wound secret, as I did not wish anyone to frighten you about the matter."

(To be continued on Wednesday next