THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.

rpUBLISirEP BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.] j

-oBY FRED M. 'WHITE. Anthor of " The Nether Millstone." "The Comer Honsc." " The .Scales of .Justice." i "Craven Fortune," etc., etc.

[COPY RIGHT] CHAPTER I. U en SI NT; conscience. TiinvTL II m'.vkt turned over the card with flutters lint trembled slightly. There was nothing that lie hated more than being disturbed in his study hours, when he was on on of his stories, and he had given strict orders that he was not to be disturbed. ; The maid stammered something in the way of art apology. " I — I'm very sorry, sir," she said. " But the lady teemed .so disappointed when I told her that you never saw anybody in the morning. She said it was a matter of life and death, that shemust, see you. that you would be angry if. she went away, and—and, sir, she is such 1 » beautiful young lady." ! " 1 know that," Harvey said, absently, i " Seeing that—but no matter. Did she ask 1 for mo by name or under my pseudonym of . Rodney Payne?" - 1 "Well, sir. she called you Mr. Payne. And, of course, I krew she meant you. She Mid she had managed to get your address from the Daily Record Office. She id, : too, that she would be quite a stranger to you." Lionel Harvey smiled grimly, yet his eyes ) were very sail His hands tvere trembling , again now as lie pushed his copy-paper away from him. He half hesitated for a' moment, as if struggling with some terrible emotion. " Very well, Maria," he said, curtly. "I'll break my rule for once. Show the lady up-" I There was a timid tap at the door presently, and the slim figure of a girl entered. The maid had made no mistake, the intruder on the privacy of the novelist was certainly very beautiful. One might have called her expression very sweet .and spirit- : ual as a rule, but now she was pale and drawn with some great trouble. But not liing could detract from the perfect contour of the features, or dim the liquid blue of those eyes, or take the warm gleam of i sunshine from the golden hair. "I am sure I beg your pardon," his visitor gasped. " My unaccountable intrusion— Lionel! Mr. Harvey! What does this mean? I imagined that I should find— The girl broke off and started back: she laid her hand 0:1 her heart: her breast, heaved as if she had run fast and far. Then 1 gradually the pink and white confusion of her lace gave way to a frosty coldness and 1 disdain. Harvey stood there like a statue. , He had the advantage over the girl, for he : had known what to expect. " If I had only known," the girl murmur- ! id —" if I bad only known !" i " You would have stayed away, Elsie. I i beg your pardon. Miss Armstrong. I would i lemit.d you that this interview is no sock- • ing of mine. Probably the maid told you ; that in no circumstances did I suffer callers : in the morning." I " Oh she did. I came to see Rodney : Payne. I had no idea— I " That the author who calls himself Rod- ; uey Payne and your oki—lover —Lionel Har- ! vey were one and the same person. I • guessed that when your card was brought ) up to me. It was my impulse to decline to j »ee you. But I am not one of those who j forget so easily. I have not succeeded in . • eradicating from my memory the recoil**- • tion of the old days. I daresay you re- ' gard me as one of those men who deserved 1 little or no consideration at the hands of a j woman ; and yet, if you knew everything, I 1 am quite certain you would come to the j conclusion that your own conduct is not j beyond the reach—" Harvey paused abruptly, and walked up ; and down the room with impatient strides. He was a great- deal more upset by this \ sudden and dramatic meeting than he would j have cared to own, and, manlike, he disguised this feeling as far as possible. He did not notice the shy and timid way in which the girl was looking at him. He did ! not heed the half-pathetic expression in her ' eyes. His mind had gone back to the past. He. was living certain scenes and situations over again, and yet, though he was striving hard to keep up his coldness, it needed but little on the girl's part to break down the barriers 01 his pride had she only known it. The silence I* came embarrassing, and at •length the girl forced herself to speak. The words came hesitatingly from her lips. " I hope you do not think," she said, "that I have any ulterior motive in coming heir to-day. You see, it is hardly possible for mt* to have been aware of the fact that Rodney Payne and my old--'' The girl broke ofT abruptly, and a vivid srimson stain-d her face. Harvey guessed what word the girl was going to use, and a bitter smile, trembled on his lips. " Why not linish your sentence?" he said. "Why not he candid? Still, I am quite ' prepared to believe that you did not know i» iio J was when you came here. You are • the hjmr, yet. not the same. You have grown older, but no less beautiful. Remember. 1 have not—" " Don't, you think you are speaking beside the point?" Elsie said, coldly. "I was under the impression that all that kind of thing was relegated to the past. I am', only sorry to find that I have placed myself in so cruel a position. It is open for you to put the worst construction you like on ray conduct. For instance, you might im- j aijine that I eaine here with some trumped- | up story, anything to get an interview with j you. After all is said and done, though you I disguise yourself under the pseudonym it is j not sue'" a very difficult matter to ascertain (he real name of a writer. I beg to tell you that nothing was further from my thoughts." "Always suspicious," Harvey said, bitterly. "With the many beautiful points' which 1 know exist in your character, it ; seems such a lamentable thing that you ; should be spoilt by that one little strain of hysterical jealousy. What do you take me ' for? Do you think because I am a soured and disappointed man that I impute the low- , est of motives to all mankind? I don't wish to blow my own trumpet, hut you know , that all my life I have always been ready to hcip others. I would help even my bitterest enemy if he camo to me and asked my 1; pardon for the wrong he had done me. 1 ■ am going to help you now. If I can be of the slightest assistance to you 1 shall ; only bo too pleased. Your eyes tell 1110 f 1 that you have some dreadful trouble. If ' 1 you will tell me .what it is—" " You arc very good," the girl said, humb- < ly ' • ■ "Indeed, I am nothing of the kind," Har- 1 vey went on. " ! never could refuse any- > body in distress, and you must, forgive me . if I forgot myself for the moment and alluded to the past. After all, I cannot forget the fact that 1 have not set eyes on you for i two years. And the maid said it was a ; case of life and death. Elsie, Elsie, if there < is anything I can do for you —" The girl flung out her hands with a pas- j eionate gesture. " You are cruel," she ] said. " You dare take that tone to me j because you know that I am in deep dis- t >ress. I came here prepared to humiliate myself—" 1

" But why? You must, be perfectly | aware that there is nothing I would not do ■ for you./ I am not the kind of man to change. We parted two years ago irre- ! vocably. I accepted your decision as final, ' and bowed to it. But that did not cure mo of my passion for you. Because you regarded me as a scoundrel and your brother as an injured man 1 loved you" none the less. I ■ love 3011 just tho same, you have, the same ; )K>wer over me, Elsie. Oil, you may toss your head in proud scorn, you can turn from me, but the fact remains. And now you have come to me- to assist you. What call I do?"' " I came to see Rodney Payne. How could 1 know that you were Rodney Payne! 1 And yet if I had known I should have been compelled to come all the same. To come and stand here and let you insult mo with words of love. If you had any feeling—" ; "Stop!. I have had enough of this. I was learning to forget, to be resigned, when vou forced yourself 011 me in this fashion. i Do I look like a liar?" Elsie Armstrong tinned her eyes upon the stern, clear-cut face, with its fine chin and clean-shaven, sensitive mouth. It was not precisely a handsome face, but it was a good one, and the eves were pleasantly grey and honest. Elsie hud not forgotten him in the old days. Children and dogs had always ; come quite naturally to Lionel Harvey. 1 " Youyon don't," she admitted, grudgi ingly, "You never did, But I am merely I wasting your time with the** idle rei criminations. What I want to know is . why you are persecuting us in this way. ; At first I could not understand it at all. ■ You see I did not know who Rodney Payne ' was. 1 was reading the serial story by " Rodney Payne' at present appearing in the Daily Record, and it struck me that the author inusit know my brother and • myself. His description 'if Dick was exact, his likeness of mo a little flattering, but there were touches that enabled me , to identify myself." " Hut what has all this to do with your visit here?" i "Oh, I am coming to that in good time. As the Daily Record story developed so it grew on me. I was forced to the con- • elusion that the author knew both Dick and myself. Certain reference to discreditable episodes in my brother's past was , made in the story. Then he escapes from i a great danger, and finally becomes secretary to a newly-made nobleman, who is the possessor of a vast fortune. That is exactly what his happened to Dick. The peer in -he story has a lovely daughter, and the ; secretary falls in love with her. That is precisely what has taken place in Dick's case 1" "Really!" Harvey murmured. It is a rather remarkable coincidence." "Coincidence! Do you ask me to believe that? But I have not gone far enough. It becomes pressingly necessary for the bold young secretary to procure a large .sum of money to replace some which he has lost on the turf. He has forged a certain signature, and unless the money is forthcoming to cover tho forgery he is lost. So gees your story, and so goes [ mine." 1 "Oh! Your brother has done that same thing," Harvey cried. "Well, there is nothing so very remarkable in that. Thoui sands of young men do the same thing every year. It, struck me, too, as quite ! a commonplace plot when I was writing ■ the story. 1 might have created something I different", but I let it pass, So your brother ; is in immediate danger of losing his liberty. : When I left the firm of Hudson and Co. i two years ago there was a cloud over mv ■ name, I wi\s suspected of robbing my ', employers. Had not my father been in the ' same bank for 40 years I should have been ! prosecuted. For your sake I refused to : clear myself and point, as 1 could have I done, to the real thief. I told you who i the real thief was, and you ordered me i out of your house. After what you have i just told me ore you prepared to take your ; ; brother's word in preference to mine still?" ; ; The blue eyes filled with tears. Lionel j could see the crystal drops hanging to the j long daik lashes'. A great wave of pity I came over him. "Forgive me." he said, gently. " Think I how for two years 1 have suffered. For ' months I was on the vcrgo of starvation. I Until I discovered that I had the nick of ; imaginative writing I hardly earned my ! bread. 1 took the name of Rodney Payne ', because my story was known to more than 'one. Perhaps In writing the Record story I my imagination was coloured by the iei collection of your sweet self; perhaps, un- ! consciously, 1 drew my villain from your j brother Dick. As to the rest I know noJ thing." "But you must, you are bound to," Elsie cried. " flow could this be mere coj incidence'.' I am prepared to grant you | the characters, but the re.-t is too great a strain upon my credulity. Can you say you didn't know that my brother had left the bank and taken up the position of sec- j retary to Lord Manningtree: You have described tho man, vou have drawn an excellent portrait of his daughter, you have even indicated the position iu the library wlw-re the safe stands—the safe containing his late wife's famous emerald,;'." Lionel started. He was more interested than he cared to say. " I swear to you that it. is mere coincidence," he cried, hotly. " Most of 113 dramatise the common" incidents of life, with crime and cunning to add colour to the picture. These kind of things are happening every day, K!si<>. There are -scon;, of serial writers "like myself, there are literally hundreds of sensational stoves publish-d every year. If you will consider the matter you will see*how easy it is to hit upon a chain of events ttrnt 'is happening to somebody. I have heard of Lord Manningtree, of course, but I have never been, in his library, and I ha v.- no idea that his sale contains his late wife's emerald*." " But you mentioned those, jewels in to-day's instalment of your story," Klsie Armstrong protested. "You actually speak of' the emeralds! You accentuate the fact that the secietary —in other words, mv brother Dick—means to get them. In your story there, is a certain Kate Bradley. a mysterious, anaemic pensioner of the family. Are you going to make her responsible for "the robbery that you foreshadow ; and who is she?" Really, you try my patience," Lionel protested". "Did ( not", tell you that tho whole thing was pure fiction and nothing else. Kate Bradley is a mere subordinate character"' " Who exists in real life," Elsie interrupted, breathlessly. "I forgot what she is called, but there is a creature just like her who has a place in Lord Mannmgtree's household. It is absolutely impossible for rue to stand here and believe that—" " Vou may believe what yon like," said Lionel, coldly. " I have already explained to you how these, things come about. As to the prototype of Kate Bradley—" " i have not finished," Elsie went on. "Please hear me to the end. I can't rid myself of the idea that you know far more than you are prepared to admit. I came to vou, Rodney Payne, because you are a clever man, and because you might save Die from a great unbappiness. Vou can get your characters into desperate situations, and you can get them out again. Nobody could do that better than a novelist. If I were a desperate criminal flying from justice I should go to some writer like yourself find ask him to scheme mo an avenue of escape. I would far rather have his advice than that of the greatest detective at Scotland Yard. But it is not for myself that I ask this favour, but for Dick's sake. In to-day's instalment of your story you indicate the fact that your nobleman is found in his library half-dead by the side of the safe, the key of which is missing. And hero conies the most amazing part, of my story. Lord ManningLce —" " Klisie ! For heaven's sake don't tell me that lie was —was — " Found early this morning on the point of death, outstretched in his library before the safe. And the kev is missing. That is exactly what I came to say!" CHAPTER 11. TUB MYSTERY DEEPENS. Lionel had no words to say for the moment. He was a firm believer in the long arm of coincidence ; he had seen too much of it to be a scoffer. Truth is ever stranger than fiction. There are mysteries, rejected of editors as too improbable, which find more than their parallel in the daily press. And yet here was a case that staggered a hardened offender. In his imagination he had actually drawn a series of true happenings. He had finished the story before they began. *

" I begin to understand, - ' ho said presently. " You have come to regard the author, Rodney Payne, as a malignant too who was gloating over your misfortune. And instead of that you find a man who used to be, nay, still is, your lover. Well, that acounts for certain things, but it docs not account for everything. As I said before these coincidences frequently happen. They had done so hi my aso. I once hit upon what I considered to be a tine series of eventful happenings, and 1 placed them m tin; form of a long story. 1 had disposed of tin' story to a. magazine, and it was going to bo published, when I was attracted bv the trtle of a dramatic book published by a we; 1-known author. The title suggested my taic. 1 read the hook, and I found that the other man had practically written my story. 1 don't think that the editor of that magazine has ever quite forgiven me, and he still cherishes the idea that in some way I picked the brain of the other man. Klsie. can it be that there is anything in the theory of mental telepathy? " Could your brother's brain in sonic way have communicated his idea, and plans to mine? In my story the nobleman's secretary half-kills hi*mnsUr and steals the gems. And your brother has apparently done- this—"

Lionel paused; the stricken misery on Elsie's face forced him to silence. He had a shrewd idea of what was uppermost in her mind. She did not know what to think or how to act. She had come to him half to save her, half to ask his advice.

"My mind is in a ferment," she said. " I half anticipated some attempt at blackmail on the part of Rodney Payne. He seemed to know so much of our doings, he seemed to take a malignant pleasure in letting me know that he was in advance of our ideas. And when I had a telegram from Dick this morning telling me what had happen-d, I could not contain myself any longer. 1 whs bound to see this Roclnev Payne without delay. For the sake of old times you will help" us, you will try to get to the bottom of the mystery?"

" It looks as if we had already done so," Lionel said, sadly. " After what you have told me about your brother, after what t know—

" Yes. ves. My eves have been opened lately. It is a terrible thing. But I am sure "that Dick had nothing to do with this outrage, lie has f.llen de-ply and sincerely in love with Gladys Manningtree. For her sake be was going to do letter. Of course, Lord Manningtree knew nothing of this ; the engagement was a secret from him. Vou may argue that the whole business is slightly irregular, and I am not going to disagree with you. After reading your fiction, and studying the extraordinary parallel facts, 1 have come to a certain conclusion. You may laugh at me, but there it is. Now. in the" story still to be finished, do you make the secretary steal the jewels?"

" No, I don't," Lionel admitted, with a faint smile. "My idea has been to keep up the mvsterv that surrounds the character of the "girl Kate Bradley." "Oh. I knew it, I knew it!" Elsie cried. "I thought that that amende woman was going to develop strangely. I have felt it from the first. What an extraordinary medley it ail is—the jumbling together of fact and fiction. 1 am glad that 1 came to you now, Lionel, more glad than ] can say. Supposing that the prototype of Kate Bradley. fjord Manningtive's pensioner. I mean, reads the Record story as well as other people There is no reason why she should not. do so. Don't you think that she would have felt nervous and anxious and frightened, as 1 have done the last few days?"

"Very likely she would, if she had a eonscience. Elsie. My dear girl, yon have interest. ill'. 1 in spite of myself. The study of criminology has always had a certain fascination for me. Tins,- disclosures of yours appeal to me personally. 1 am going to devote myself to the case. 1 am going to act on your suggestion — I am going to try and get yon out of the nv>s. There is no reason why the imaginative noveli-t should not beat the detectives. We will suppose for a moment that your brother is innocent—" "Oh! he is. Lionel. 1 can prove that, at once. He was in London last night, he only went hack to Manningtree Hal) by the early mail his morning." " li he can prove that there is an end of the mystery as far as we are concerned." A shade, of anxiety crowed Elsie's pretty face. "I hope he won't be asked," she whispered. "He was not supposed to be in London. He cam.' up iu a secret way. Oh! 1 can't tell vou why, I promised not to." "Promised that vou would net tell me?" Lionel asked. Tell anybody. Do not forget the fact that you—us you—had not entered into my calculations: an hour ago. But you may take my definite assurance for it that Dick was not in the lions' 1 at the time of that raced He had nothing to do with it."

"Which proves nothing," Lionel said, thoughtfully. "He might have had the emeralds all the same. And there i? a new danger that vou have not considered. You were wondering if the alter ego of my Kate Bradley litis read my story. If she has, and if she has anything to do with the tragedy, she would make suspicion point to your brother if she was a woman of thai kind. On the whole T shall make it my business to meet this creature." "I had not thought of that," Elsie said.

with a pale face.

I "Still," Moire) went on, "if the worst comes to the worst. Hick must tell the truth

at all hazards and clear himself. .Already an idea has occurred to me. I feel as if I was making up a new story which fascinated me. Where are you staying!'"

"I am still at the old place." Elsie explained. "If you want to see me" " I will call. I will come, and see you tomorrow night at half-past ten. It is a little late, but 1 have much to do in the mean-

time, Klsie. 1 am glad you came; I am glad to find that you ate mistaken in ' [todnev I'avne.' A little later, perhaps—" Lionel cheeked, tie- warm words that rose to his tongue. Hut Klsie understood, for her face flushed a dainty pink and her blue eyes sought the floor. * "I pin detaining you." she said, coldly. "I have stayed too lone- already."

Lionet said no more: be felt, perhaps, that tin- time was not ripe for it. He sat and mused for a long time after Klsie hud gone. and. on the whole, his reflections were, not pleasant ones. Then, gradually, the extraordinary story that the girl had told took a grip "on him. There was a fascination about it that precluded all idea of further work. He began bains; the pieces of the puzzle together, and then gradually the way to the solution of the problem came to him. He took a hearty lunch and walked off immediately to the' office of the Daily Record. The new.-- editor, who was previously responsible, for the story page, was in. and ready to see his visitor. Lionel's explanation was brief and to the point. "I want, to make a slight alteration or two in the instalment of my store for tomorrow- There is a. little discrepancy I have discovered, not much in itself, but it may be spotted by some lynx-eyed reader, who will writ" you on the matter."

"I know 'cm." tie- editor growled. "Make the alterations if you like. I shall be glad of it. I'll ask Morris to bring down the Cop--' of the story that was given out to-dav. ' You can sii ,;• that desk and work it out at your b-isure."

The work did not take long; it was merely a few words added by a cunning hand. lint it entirely altered the "curtain" of the instalment, The Record always insisted uoon a strong "curtain'' at the end of each portion of their serials, and it seemed to Lionel that he had added to the strength of his story. With a few words of apology he turned to leave the office. He begun to feel pretty sure of his ground now; he had only to wait in patience for a day or so. "Bv the way, there was a ladv asking for vou to-d iv." the editor said. "An exceedingly p'ettv girl, too. You might have been a long-lost brother by her anxiety. 1 told (it that we d : d not give the names of our writers in a irene'-al wav, but she looked at me so pleadingly that I couldn't resist. I hope you didn't mind my giving her your address?" "Not at all," Harvey said, coolly. As a matter of fact, the young ladv in question is an old friend of mine, whom I had lost sight of for some time. She called on me to-dav." "Well, that's all riuht. the editor said, cheerfully. "We b"d a letter, too. to-day from a ,'adv in Kssex who desired your address Said she was a relative of yours lately from Australia. I sent her a postcard. If vou get a begging letter from somewhere in Kssex. blame me. In. raid that I chucked the letter into the wastepaper basket."

Lionel went on his way, without giving further thought to the "matter. He was pretty used by this time to getting letters from "strangers by post asking for all kinds of things, from his advice on a manuscript to a request for an autograph. He had no time to ponder over these things now, he was far too busy for that. He decided to put away his work for the next day or two, and devote himself to the mystery that surrounded the assault on the Karl of Manningtree. The papers that came out late were full of the mystery. The noble victim was not (lead—indeed." strong hopes of his recovery were held —but he was still unconscious and likely to remain so for some time longer. Nobody could say whether or not robbery was the motive; nothing appeared to be missing, but the safe was locked and the key was gone. Till the earl grew better it was impossible for any definite steps to be taken. Lionel went down to New Scotland Yard, but he could learn nothing new there. He was bound to admit that he had not made much progress as he walked back to his rooms about ten o'clock the following night. He was going to call upon Elsie presently, but there was something he had to do first. He took his latchkey from his pocket, knowing that already his prim landlady and the prim maid had gone to bed. As there were no other lodgers, Lionel was surprised to find a key in the door. He was surprised also to see the landing gas was lighted, and that the pin-point of flame had been turned up in his room. A woman passed him hurriedly on the stairs, a young woman with a veil over her face. She was poorlv dre-sed, but Lionel did not fail to note the valuable rings on her slim hands. " May 1 ask." he began, "whether or not you have m de— "It is all right," the stranger said. She d ; d not stop to explain, "I—l used to lodge here. I came to see Mrs.—Mr.*. —I used mv old latchkey. I'll leave it in the door. Vou will please, give it to the landlady to-morrow. I shall miss mv train.''

The slim figure flitted away before Lionel could say any more. He came b"\ck after closing the front door and wondered what it meant. On his table lav a fiat box, and on the top of it a note addressed to himself. The note, was short, only a few lines: " For heaven's sake cease to persecute me. If you knew my story yon would pity me. '.''aire these and keep silent. They are worth a queen's ransom." Hastily Lionel tore the cover off the box. As the 'light flashed on the contents he staggered back. " As I'm alive, the Manningtree emeralds!" lie. cried, hoarsely. "The gems from the safe! What a story—if you could only get ail editor to believe it!" (To be continued.) [Another instalment of this very interesting storv will be given in these columns on Monday next and continued daily until its completion.]