THE SPIDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14299, 19 February 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE SPIDER.

iMjgHED,BY • SPECIAL ARE AXOEMEXT. . lIP, ' <— •' * • ■''

M K-.; -BY FERGUS HUME, ." iff W&s*tiiot of "The Mystery of a Hmtsom Cab." '•'%. -! 3HF*" IC * la Dwart ' B Chamber." " The Crime of- #| 'j«sl> : *** 'Liza Jane." " The Solitary Farm,". -. r ,'$ Wl v v'-.. . ■■■ /Etc., Etc. Etc ■„". .... iff l|v- . VOPTBIGHT.] '. '. }| |p* : - CHAVTER X.—(Continued.) Sj ,^^^fP* v ; dropped into his chair, placed |r| l||||»is hands„on his knees and stared very hard ?M !|V*iu>'o.v lean, brown face chair, soldier. jikp hands on his knees and stared very hard •fit the lean, brown fu«e of the soldier. M do you mean?" "' " • ■ l i "Listen, and I'll tell you. lam quite Ml Insure that you will come to the same con- ' 7 elusion." and Towtou in an incisive manner ■M$ W. related what had taken place in the fortunef'M. .teller's weird apartments. £■' «|>fc'^ effect on Vernon .'was. to. produce an : We extraordinary emotion of mingled, dread and ' ' E| relief; dread, because he saw deep and.dan-ip£-gerous villainy at work, and relief as now -.-'.• *>-. Le espied a gleam of light in the darkness - ' is* surrounding the Rangoon .crime. He made |fy. no remark either during Towton's ■ recital , \ p?|or after it, so that the colonel grew im- &¥ |,:.:. patient. '■ ■■*.-"■ i' , "Well, what do you make of itV"'he i; : aeked abruptly. '• "*'\/ "I'agree with you that Diabella and the ' ' |C - Spider are in league. Perhaps," he rose E Spider in league. Perhaps," is rose 1 much asritated, "perhaps Diabella is the - I •-Spider all by herself." . • i "The Spider I always understood to be a ■■ ' ''■. '- ' . ' I" ... -.-It is Spider I always understood to be a man." : , "It is presumed so, but who knows. Dia&3lla may he the real originator of these ■crimes and may employ men to collect her '. fees. Then, of course, as a popular fortune- . teller, she has every, opportunity of learn•Sj K;; dog people's secrets, for those who consult : . m giich creatures" always give themselves ' ■■{ i A few ekilfuilv put questions and a | ■■■'', I , jijw dexterous prophecies would make people I . loosen their tongues. Then a clever woman, F putting two and two together, would soon make the four, which means blackmail." '_;" Bit how the deuce could she learn this secret of Dimsdale's Y" } \ ■ *;*-Well,' the secret is 'connected with the : IV, East and you say that Diabella em- -' * ploys two Indians in her fortune-telling y \ business. She may have learned it from tb?nt since the older man, the one who ati tempted to strangle you, may have been a Vi !|: soldier;in the Burmese way, and so may > i have been connected with Dimsdale. Then, ;' Diabella may herself have been iu the East, and may "have learned about Ida ec-t being Dimsdale's daughter." ;■ . "Do you think it is true?"- • £4 "I fear so, as 1 the secret of her birth and ] .': , Adoption by Dimsdale is not one that any M . jn|n would mind being made known. But , . ihe embroidery, to which' ' our , poor dead >' friend alluded consists of this assertion 1 • j ']-;■;-, that he wilfully delayed coming to the as- / i y askance of Mentieth. and for the sake of || /]. .the man's wife acted in a David-and-Unah-I .'*' I the-Eittite manner. That - embroidery is |jt % hideed worth blackmail. But it isn't true. If ;:V. I believe Dimsdale's. assertion - rather than -$ Isabella's story.,-. She knew the facts, and 1: .improved upon them ; in . the , way I , have || S^pentionedl"---.-, :>.•;';.-.';■■ .'"•',- • "-■'. ;•-.''. •"■:-.. \-~.~ & Colonel Towton nodded. "Then Ida, hot | |p being Dintsdales daughter, and -there being p ifi^i o ' o will, cannot inherit hur presumed father's $ ilp'inoney as. nt;xt of kin." '•;-:.'--':--• ? -;';-.;,.;• Ifeha ( ,"l think-not. It will go to Lady CorH^p^i soon, as Diabella asserted. She is Dimsfc; dale's sister; and only relative. It will he »■ .'* good thing for Lady Corsoon," murmured ■fry Vernon, thinking v of, the gambling < debts, ■M' "as it will make her independent of her ■'[•'• miserly, husband." . - ... ..■.■ :; ". i. " There, is another thing ; to be thought ; ,': / of," said the colonel gravely,. "and that; is h '\v tie blackmailing of Ida." ' < . "Oh. Do you think that her health is • " suffering from that?" ■■ ' ' . "Yes, I. d«. She went to the fortune- , ; teller, and what she heard has made her iIL . : .She probably was told the same story as I . heard, and knows that she is - keeping th'e ten thousand a year wrongfully from Lady Corsoon. This "being the case; and Ida if: ~b&ng » sensitive girl, it is no wonder that I »he is disturbed and ill. Her conscience is ! ■fighting between "keepingsthe money, and s.viag it up.' Then Miss-Heat may be forc>»3 h**. to. keep silence; otherwise, as she ;■ '.'.'■ is the sweetest girl in the world. I feel cure ;".'■-: 'v she > would \ speak out and give ' up the for- ' , tune." •■;?. 'yy' " - i'y ;y" She may not" belieVe the story." ' . " :,; 4- ".GeftainJy she may not;, but' it -must feavg sown doubts in her breast,* and if leCt, to "herself she would perhaps come' . "'■'.'... id me or to you asking 1 us' to resolve these iidubts. But Miss iHest—".": " Colonel! . colonel! I don't think • you , : lire altogether just : ; to; ; Miss Hest. She is ,jrej|lly a kind-hearted, decent'woman, and is not after Ida's money,'as you imagine. ; She';';• wantis- Mrs. Bodge 'to become Ida's i^l P &mon « or for Ida to marry you,- so -Ififiafc she can go back to her reciting." y ■" Does fine ■■-- want-''. Ida to marry ' ■ Maund;JS:^»; asked : iTowton'shrewdly.-. '•'-:■•■■ ; - "No. I think she fancies you will make Ha. better' husband., No, .colonel,; Miss jfls^^t's' conduct ; is, aboviv;reproach, and if Mpfj&fc knows * about this wild story told by 'Vj||n*hella;;«he will advise Ida for, the best.'* „ ;'-.**ln what way?" •...',, / : ;% ■.- "Well, it is 'no use Ida : telling you or I, 'bit -: anyone else : i the tale, unless ;' she•; is eure ■■:olHui trtith. I According to Diabella, this :|:mfi; Venery, in Singapore^ ■'. can substanti,||Mflthe; story, so, under the J guidance ?of >'^^li*»;Heßt l *tprovided/ mind you, she knows i^M^'irtoiy^idaf ) may have v. written to Veni|Hy, It Venery says that Ida not Dims • ; rjMe's daughter I 5 daresay the girl will see Her. supposed aunt and surrender the for:;;ttme\ Miss Hest undoubtedly, as yon f say, exercises ; : ;c€i tain /amount ■■ of : ' control I^^M^r jlda's weaker ; mind, but ■ she is a good ::y woman, and assuredly is L : not i: a fortune:y":ff)»unter;''' : ' '-■;' •.'■.-. y--"It be as you : say," assented the *«olp>3el grudgingly. ' "However, it is plain pS^WpiaheSi ..[ knows ; something ;' of The :<Spider and something of the murder, since .'-':'. she is aware of Dimsdale's secret.'.' •%*'You don't thick ..she wad it in the •yastral light? I know .-.: you • believe in * bc;C«lt j matters." :. v: ,-< ,;: -, t' "•/ -.:.'' .' -» ': a certain ; extent," said < Towton ?i§MmM*"•" ; but I don't believe that the unseen so detailed a story. ComWwjications from the next world: are apt be scrappy. to be done?" \ s llll'^Abtti-quickly decided. "We'll divide :'s>» burden," he - 6aid promptly. "You to-night i-pr-i to-morrow - to' George iVeaery, of Singapore, asking how much of this yarn is ? true, and I will go and see ;I)ial»lb." *%■;:■ ,.'-,.-. ; - ; .r•: ~ -';- sy" Why /not consult Inspector Drench and .|iave, her arrested." . IH''lt wouldn't be a bad •'• idea," pondered 'Femon, "and yetyit ':& not. wise to'att much haste. After all, we can't , . 8»t« search warrant, as you have no' wit- \ *° y° ur assault, and the woman can [ i deny- story of Dimsdale, which connect her with The Spider. I Snail on my own and 6«cure mofefe'vi1y »?if to connect to get a The Spider. WalKgp on my own and secure more eviW» upon which to get a warrant, if not " '|w '"** arrest, a't all for a search ■ry':' through those rooms of hers. Some eviI -3er.ee regarding The Spider—if indeed she I ■ a - cdnnected with him, as seems extremely I; . t RjpftMe—may be found, concealed : there. h "'/".: call, to-morrow morning." ended Ver--1 "on "sing, "in the character of a superI' 8 "t»ou8 client.*' ,'_ I- - I'll write the letter to.Venery, is ■" ?- Singapore.'' •. . ;.-;..;• -;•;,'.,'• ■:.-'.;■■; : ..-' •, ./ i- • I s way the matter was decided fl '■■■'■ *"f the burden was divided. Vernon went m -jWy ;w »th the conviction that by chance g,, tftMcolonel had struck-upon*-the. miic'hm-,'■ clue, :which : -would lead to the §• jWficaiion of tiie famouV Spider. OrItftjev. colonel had be'jumping to muchclue, which would lead to the •aentification of tjie famous Spider. Certamtyr he might be jumping to a conclum 6Jon, but, taking ,all that was' known into I- A Ct S im ,*' li ' I° oke d ■-. extremdy I probable. m .' -'tad;: if it was true it behoved him to act P cautiously lest The Spider, at the eleventh mWWf> should slip through the fingers of p For this i€i<sou. and until' he p. : ;fMM»tn-o, Vernon did not think it wise I' - ' r?sfW m For : assistance and until he was positive, Vernon did not think it wise r • m the assistance of the law. |r.v * ir ßt.».ftit; was "necessary to. prove - the coll> Jnsmn of Diabella and The Spider, «so that J :":. 'I she were not the scoundrel herself she |, would-at least be able, to identify him be§o >««.all doubt. Second, even if his iden*i. ■ tity-were proved it would be no easy task $,■■■ to.airegtw slippery a criminal. -Like the -*. celebrated fox in th« fable, The Spider had 1 a - thousand tricks, which he could use to d bettev advantage than the animal: -; The ■&'■• *^ m -the story of iEs'op was caught, -but K jX%l?eeffprobable; unless ths very greatest If care ere used, that The 1 Spider would |^'? ,< *J ,e 'v. Alre ady.the police had experienc-

Ed his subtlety, 'and regarded-the archscoundrel as.a very wary and dangerous ! bird, who was not to be caught by putting salt on his tail. : - ; .--; : :5^: b f K e - Colonel Towton, being less experienced m ; the trickery of the criminal classes, was more hopeful of success, and next morning settled, down to write the letter m 7^» of Singapore, quite confident that ail the mysteries we*e on the eve of solution. He quite expected to hear from ■his correspondent that Ida was not l)imsdale's daughter, but he was quite sure that the embroidered facts of the pointed delay in the rescue of Menteith were false, Assured of this, he was quite willing to marry Ida, as the daughter of a poor solt 6 j' i nd to I,and over the fortune to Lady .Corsoon. love was everything to the colonel at this moment, and nothing else mattered.. .'•'. But just as. he reached the second page of his letter Vernon burst into the room with a half-vexed and half-triumphant air. : - «vu . his news witl,ollt any delay. ; I believe you are right about Diabella being connected with The Spider, colonel," he said; "she has shut up her rooms, and has cleared out bag and baggage." CHAPTER XI. ■ THE NEEDLE IN THEIIAYSTACK. v It was big news, which meant more than at first sight appeared, since the implication was of depths below depths and veils behind veils. To bo quite plain, the unexpected flight of the fortune-teller, for it was' nothing else, hinted at the truth of I'owton's suspicions. Had there been nothing but the mere assault Diabella could have faced that and could havo even counted upon the colonel doing nothing, since an unbiassed witness was lacking. The flight was not caused by the incident which had taken place in the Bond-street wins, but by the fear that something dangerous might peep, out from behind it. And what could this something be—on the grounds of Diabella's story and the Hindoo's attempted strangling— but a dread lest The Spider should be traced r • J '? m P el 'foi;tly certain that you are right, Towton," said Vernon, sitting sideways on the table and swinging his legs. Only the fear of her connection with that, blackmailing scoundrel being traced co "l' scared her into disappearance." She has ieally gone?" . "Really and truly. Remember, she had three days to make herself scare, but 60 afraid was she lest you should take action that she decamped on the morning of the second. day." . ■ "How decamped?'.' questioned Towton laying down his pen. She sent the Hindoo to surrender the lease. -Bahadur his name is." l '••'"< j'The native who tried to choke me]" No; the door-keeper. I was precise to ask if he,was lean or stout. The lean one came to surrender the lease.!' r "And his name is Bahadur. Well, that's something worth knowing. But how, did you get your informant to talk, and how did you find any person in authority to talk?" "That was easy."V Vernon slipped off the table and into a chair. "I called on the plea of wanting my fortune told . by Diabella, Instead of Bahadur opening the door a neat little maid-servant made her appearance and informed me that Diabella had retired from business, which had been taken over by a certain American prophetess. I asked to see the lady and I diet." J ' "You don't think she was Diabella unmasked?'' „ , " Not from your description. You told me Diabella was tall; this woman was short, and the voice, instead of being metallic, as you described: it, was rather rilusical, although disfigured by a Yanked twang. -~> This new sorceress,; ; from New York city, as she ..told me she was, could never have spoken English without the twang."--'-;. -y.. : ' •„ \.'■'■■' ■■':>.. ..'-, "It might have been assumed." ; " Not it. . I can tell the true from the; false," said Vernon emphatically. "Mrs. Hiram G. Slowcomb is a genuine American, sure enough. Besides, her ideas of surroundings and those of Diabelk differ. desired weird decoration and furniture, a mask, and Egyptian dress; Orien-tal-attendants, and,, so forth. VMre. Slowcomb's ■ idea is that people should cot be frightened, but should have their future told 'in motherly, old-fashioned way kmidst rural,' fireside, [granny scenery. She intends, so she told me, to transform the Egyptian rooms into the semblance of a rustic cottage interior,, with a cat and a humming tea-kettle, .rafters with strings of onions, and flower-pots on the ledges of Bond-street windows turned into casements.;:: It's rather a clever dodge," reflected Vernon, '/.as people will be at their ease directly, arid so will talk freely" and : listen; comfortably." ■ / "And Mrs. Hiram 0.■ Slowcomb herself?" i • ■ ■ - .;■;'. .- {•:[" A motherly old thing in a' mob cap and< a stuff dress with a voluminous apron and a woollen shawl over her shoulders. I daresay she has dressed for the old cottage interior part, for'' she was seated in a ; wocden chair which didn't fit in with the Memphis decorations,- and knitted a homely stocking." .' . ' :. • ' What r did. she tell you about Diabella?" . . "Very little, ■; because she knew very little.". ''-. . -;■ ; : •■. :--:■<■■ :.-■■■:■■ :, •■ "Do you believe that?" - asked the highly suspicious colonel. :\ ■Vernon shrugged • his, shoulders. "Everyone tells such ' lies nowadays that I never believe anyone. But Mrs. Slowcomb seemed to be genuine enough. However, I'll : soon prove that, as I intend to have her : watched by a : man 'upon whom I can depend.. I shall learn in that way if she has business' relations with ' our, masked friend." " "What did/she tell, you?" asked Towtoft again. " ' . {/: "Well, it seemed that she heard about Diabella wishing '' to retire from business, and went; to see her. Diabella denied that the rumour : was true; ; but promised Mrs. Slowcombithe first refusal the [rooms and goodwill, ; though how < one can transfer fortune- clients beats me. : However,, Mrs Slowcomb retired and left her address —somewhere inj Pimlico..' where'?she 1 was wasting her talents on maid-servants -and suburban people. Diabella sent Bahadur; to her there, and the lease was duly transferred for a ; sum of money. ; I believe Bahadur took ; Mrs. Slowcomb to ; the; city and j interviewed landlord's' lawyer. However, it was all done fair and square." " But 'Diabella must have signed the consent to the transfer?" " So she did, under the name of Isabella Hopkins, which may or may not be her real name. At all events, she took the rooms as Miss Hopkins and signed that name on the transfer..:.-.'■ Mrs. Slowcomb never eaw4ier--at least, without the mask. She was as you saw her when Mrs. Slowcomb called at the rooms, and didn't show in the lawyer's office." ~ /-■<-..■..■• •['{" But the lawyer must have seen her?" ■;■ "Well, he did, and "I : went to see him. He's a stiff old buckram creature, who declined to impart anything aboiii Miss Isabella Hopkins as he wanted to know why I wished to know, and, of course, on the face of it, you can see, Towton, that I couldn't gratifyv his very natural curiosity." ■'.-,..■ , "But why notj if We are to catch Diabella?" . . ~ .■■•.•.■ "We haven't got enough grounds to go upon," said Vernon, shaking his head. "I think it is • best to let her fancy we don't suspect anything, and then we may be able to capture, her unawares. She's connected with The Spider, if not .; that gentleman himself,. I [am sure, . and your visit and behaviour, ;; which ted to. the strangling attempt, has, given her a fright. But if we keep", silent her; suspicions .will be lulled and she may reappear." . - ; Surely not." [rV : >: ;[ ■- " Oh, 'I think so. Fortune-telling is an invaluable way of learning secrets, and Diabella must be very useful to The Spider or to herself, if she is him. She , won't surrender her position without a struggle. It's too paying all round, my dear ellow." ;,.;■.; ," : :.;,--:^-:,; A .:",::::■. ' "But she did surrender it." "' Only because she lost her head for the moment, and thought you might bring the police on the scene .for the assault. That would lead to unpleasant questions being asked, which might result in heaven knows what revelations. . Fortune-tellers ; are ..not in good odour since the campaign of a certain halfpenny paper, against them." : The colonel leaned ; back in his chair, reflecting, while Vernon rose to walk up and down the "room - for the ; purpose ,of stretching-his long legs.. He lighted a cigar aha went on talking lightly. -

"You never saw such a heap of clever dodges as this Diabella has to impress the ; weak-minded. ■■ Those mummiesthey : are all faked, by the way-—have reeds inside them leading'.; to their mouths, and Diabella, by pressing on the arms of her state chair; could send a stream of wind along to make them squall.". ■ ' ; : "And .they aid squall," said Tow ton musingly. "I never heard such a devilish row in my life, ; What else!" :■;•" ''Oh, some arrangement by which when' the room was darkened the/interior of the painted wails were illuminated to reveal the Egyptian figures as walking and sitting skeletons. '±hen there's an apparatus to make thunder, and flashlights for lightning, to say nothing of ingeniously arranged draughts calculated to make anyone's hair rise in the necessary darkness when he or she felt a cold breath fanning him or her. I wonder Diabella didn't send her clients stark, staring mad." " It sounds like a fraudulent spiritualistic medium, Vernon, and only confirms my suspicions that Diabella was not a genuine occulist." •':■••'■•• "But do you really believe anyone has such powers?" asked Vernon curiously. " T really do," 6aid the colonel promptly, "strange as it may appear. In India I have seen too muoh of the Unseen to doubt. There are certain gifted people who can see and who can control forces of which the average person knows nothing. Oh, yes, I believe, and— what's the use of talking?- I can never make you believe, and I don't want to." Vernon shrugged his shoulders again and buttoned up his coat. "As you say, it doesn't matter," he answered. " However, Diabella has vanished with her two satellites, so there's nothing more to be done at present." "You give up the hunt?" ~ "I said, at present. No. I shall lie quiet until Diabella reappears." :" N " She won't, if she's wise." " She willif she's daring, and I shrewdly suspect that die is." Do you believe her to be this Spider "I do, and I don't. I really can't say. But if not the rose, she is near the rose. All I can assert with safety, colonel, is that if we can lay hands on this witch in grain , we'll learn who murdered poor Dimsdale." "God grant that." :> "Amen! to that pious prayer," was Vernon's reply as he left the room. \, (To be continued on Wednesday next.)