THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13398, 29 January 1907, Page 3

THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

BY FRED W. WHITE. Author of " The Nether Millstone," " The Corner House," " The Scales of Jaatice," " Craven Fortune," etc., etc. [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER X. TOE BAIT IN' THE TRAP. The girl's right hand went out in a clutching way, her face hardened. In the twinkling of an eye she had been transformed into a raging fury. "You are a boast!'' she hissed. "A cunning beast! With that cheque in my possession. 1 could—'' She paused, struggling for the mastery of herself. She cast her eyes down oil the carpet, and when she looked up again her blue eyes were full of tears once more. "Forgive me," she said. "I thought that I had rid myself of ttltat awful temper of mine. 1 am quite alone in the world, and I get suspicious of everybody. So long as 1 had that cheque—'' "But it was informal," Lionel said. "If Lord Mauningtree was all right, there would not be the slightest difficulty. How much money has he of yours? I am told that lie is a kind of trustee to hundreds of people. He has four thousand pounds of yours'.' He gave, you a, receipt for it? Well, bring the receipt here at eight to-night and you shall have your money in Hank of England notes. Will that satisfy you?" The girl's voire told her thanks, but her eyes had a greedy look in them. They reminded Lionel of the eyes of a cat after site lias made an unsuccessful spring for a bird. He turned to Ada. gravely alter the visitor had left the room.

" Ii was a very good thing I was here," lie said.

"It was very daring," Ada smiled. "I should never have had the courage to destroy tint- cheque as you did. Mr. Harvey, what docs it all mean'' I can. see that vou have solved it."

" My dear Miss Moberley. the solution is obvious. That, designing little minx is acting on behalf of the enemy. Probably she was put up as a blind. Oh, I have no doubt that she holds Lord Manningtree's receipt for that money. That was a pretty weak story as to the brother who is in dire need of the money—you saw how foolish she looked when I asked her why, in the circumstances, she had delayed the cashing of the cheque." " 1 >iil why had she delayed the cashing of the cheque?" '* (Ain't- you see? This is where the imagination of the novelist comes in. She did not cash tin 1 cheque the day after receiving it simply because it would havebeen honoured, and there would be the end of the incident. But she waits till to-day, acting on the sure and certain information that by now the cheque will be returned —and it is. She came here to make ,i scene both inside the house and out. The mutter would have found its way into the papers. -But that is not the worst; the novelist imagination in me carries me further than that. She can't get her money, so she goes to Bow-street, with that cheque in her hand, and applies for a warrant for the arrest of Lord Manning tree on the ground that he has embezzled her money. Now do vou see?"

Ada nodded, her pale face was still more ashen. " I understand," she whispered. "Oh, I am quite certain that you are correct. And you coolly robbed her of her weapon, you drew her teeth for her. But when .she comes here to-night— " She will get her money. I want her to be rendered quite harmless, and at the same time 1 want to make arrangements to have, her followed. It will be exceedingly useful for us to know who is behind her in this matter. At the same time, the situation is a great deal more serious titan I had expected to lind it. The refusal to cash that cheque is very grave. It looks as if the end were nearer than we anticipated. I understand that something like seventeen thousand pounds is drawn every week to pay the many hands employed by the great industrial concern over which Lord Manning tree is the nominal head. Now, how can 1 possibly find out how matters stand at present *" Mr. Armstrong may be able to tell you," Ada. replied. "As my uncle's private secretary, he has access to everything. He is probably in Fen church-street at the present moment. If Saturday comes and those poor people are not paid there will be an end of everything. It will l>e almost as bad as if that designing girl had succeeded with her plot." "The money will be forthcoming." Lionel said, cheerfully. " Whatever happens, everybody is going to be paid. I'll see Armstrong at once, and I shall be back here at eight o'clock to-night as arranged. 1 am going to succeed over this matter.''

Lionel went off citywards cheerful enough though he was by no means anticipating any pleasure from his interview with Dick Armstrong- He walked coolly enough into the latter's office without giving his name. Armstrong looked up from his book and papers with a sharp, angry glance, though his face turned red and sullen as he saw his visitor. "It you think you can gain anything by this—"' he began. " 1 am not her" for myself alone," Lionel said. '" Do you suppose that lam here for (he pleasure of •the company of a blackguard like you? 1 am here to try and save Lord Mviniiingtree from the ruin that hangs over him." "Good heavens!" Armstrong cried, with a startled expression. "Is it- as bad as that? 1 mean, is the thing being talked about- by the man in the street already?" "No, it. isn't," Harvey said, curtly. "I am only on the inside track by a kind of accident. As a matter of fact, your sister was the indirect means of my being asked to come and take a hand in the mystery. You served me a, blackguardly trick some years ago, and I tun not likely to forget it. And, from what your sister says, you have not reformed." "I have," Armstrong muttered, with the dull red spot still on his cheek. " Once let me get out of my present mess and I'll never swerve from the right path again. Still, we can talk personal matters another time. What, do you know about Lord Manningtree's affairs." " Perhaps more than you do. T know that ii cheque of his for two thousand pounds was dishonoured only to-day. I know that you don't know where to turn for your wage money on Saturday. And if you can show me how to run file ship, I can find a lady who is prepared to advance money to do it to the extent of a-quarter of a million. You need, not. ask who the lady is, because that, is entirely a. secret for tile present. Now, tell me, has Lord Maim in'.'live been speculating and overreaching himself? Has he been manipulating the shares of his properties?"

" Hanged if 1 know !"" -.Armstrong said, sullenly. "All I can tell you is that lately everything seems to have vanished. It is only the last, month or so. The largo bank balance seems to have melted away, paid by huge cheques to people that I can't trace. There is the cheque for the Saturday wages sheets, but it won't be honoured. And the people at this bank will tell me nothing, urging, correctly enough, that it is no it if air of mine."

" We need not worry about the bank at present," Lionel replied. "Wo know that only to-day a cheque for £2000 was refused payment, a, fact that Is full of eloquence. Has it never occurred to you that there is something wrong with Lord Manuingtree mentally?"

Armstrong glanced at his companion with a startled expression of face. "You've guessed it,'" lie said. "I have thought so for some time, but did not dare to put my suspicion into words. Look here, Harvey, von can believe me or not, but I am only anxious to go straight, so far as this business is concerned. I've turned over a new leaf, and 1 am going to try and prove it to you. We are both of us pretty shrewd, as far as money goes, and the years we served together in Hudson's Bank will stand us in good stead now. What do you think is the matter here?" " Well. 1 have my own idea,'' Lionel replied. " Lord Manningtrcc is suffering from' softening of the brain. Ho knows

it quite well, and he is hiding the fact as long as possible. My belief is that he is hiding large sums of money away somewhere in the fear that the concern is more or less rotten. The thing is to find the hiding-place of the money. I am going to work that out as if it were part of the plot of a story. And unless my instinct is greatly mistaken there is an enemy in the camp. Before going any further I should like to have your private opinion of Mr. Ernest Wilmer, who has been head man in the counting-house for the lastten years." "Wilmer is away ill at the present minute," Armstrong explained. "That's the, very point that I was com'ing to. It is an amazing piece of misfortune that both the principal and the chief of the money-spending department should be laid up at the same time. It is so unfortunate that it has made me suspicious. Now, as you are probably aware, Miss Muberley is no fool. She knows as much of this business as anybody. She went to Wilmer's house to try and see him, but he was too ill. Fortunately Miss Moberley had some time to wait at tile station for her train, and she declared to me that she saw Wilmer get into a train for Kensington. She says that she is quite sure, aud that she recognised him by his limp. Assuming that this is correct what do you make of the circumstance? Suspicious, to'say the least of it, eh?"

Armstrong nodded thoughtfully. He quite appreciated the importance of the discovery. "We must try and get at Wilmer's books," he said. "It looks as if Wilmer knew that the head of the concern was queer and recognised the chance of making a. little pile for himself. If we could get hold of Wilmer's keys—" "Why worry about that? I daresay we could manage to get a letter from Lord Manningtree to some eminent firm of safemakers, asking them to come here as soon as possible and open a safe the key of which is lost. As Wilmer is not likely to show up for a day or two there is little chance of discovery. The thing would be done after the other clerks had left for the day, and we should be the richer for a way to Wilmer's private ledgers. It is no time to stand on ceremony.--And there is another little thing that you can do for me."

"I'll do anything yon like for the sake of Gladys' father," Armstrong declared. "That's the right spirit in which to speak," Lionel replied. " i want you to he at the corner of Cardigan Place, just opposite Lord Manningtree's house.- at ten minutes past eight to-night. Take care t.i see everybody who comes out of the house without, attracting attention yourself. About a quarter-past eight you will see a little girl with a baby face and blue eyes emerge. Unless I am greatly mistaken she will call a cab, and you had better have a. cab ready to follow. 1 want you to discover all about the girl, where she goes and who she calls on, where she lives, and all (lie rest of it. I'll give my reasons later on ; for the present moment I've, got my hands full." Armstrong nodded his acceptance of the offer. At the time appointed he stood on the pavement by the side of his cab, as if he were waiting for somebody to come out of a house close by. It was getting dark, but it was not too dark to see the faces of passers-by. The quarter-hour past eight struck, and then a. dainty little figure came down the steps of Cardigan House opposite, and stood as if waiting for a cab. A hansom dashed up presently, and the dainty little lady gave an address that Armstrong could "not quite catch. The girl turned and looked doubtfully at the cloudy sky. As she did so her profile was so clear and shftrp cut that Armstrong could see it- perfectly. "By jove ! I know that face," he muttered. " It's Kitty Cromarty, who used to be on the variety stage in Cambridge five yeans ago. She hasn't altered a bit. Now, how did she manage to find her way into this galley?" (To be continued daily.)