A ROGUE IN AMBUSH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

A ROGUE IN AMBUSH.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

BY HEADON HILL, Author of " Millions of Mischief." " Tile Hidden Victim," " Unmasked at Last," Etc, Etc.

copyright. SYNOPSIS. The story opens at Beacon Audley Rectory, where Dick Wciislade and Phyllis Vaueh.au are exchanging: lore vows when Lord Monksilver passes on his way to see his brother, the Hon. and Lev. Chaloner Wenslade. Lord Monksilver is accompanied by his secretary. Carter Eavenecar. The love passage is interrupted by the rector, who is in a towering rape. Ultimately the rector tacitly accuses Miss ViWiglian of stealing a. ring, and Miss Vausrhan disappears. Yvonne Wenslade. Dick's sister, seeks the aid of Klisha Crowe, an elderly and rather curious character, to find Hiss Vanphan. Crowe lias his own opinion of the Honourable the Rev. Chaloner Wer.flade, an opinion lie ooukl not express in polite English, and he goe.s in search of Miss Vaugtian. On a ledge JOft down a precipitous cliff he wees the hat ho knew Miss Viunrliai.* was wearing the previous day. Meanwhile at Beacon And lev Prior, the. country scat, of Vif*v>unt Monksilver. Ravenscar is telling the peer that something is-wrong at the rectory. The peer asks, "What has that pompous a«f, my brother, lieen doing now?" Raventear replies th.it Miss Vauphan ha! disappeared, and i« huspeeled of stealing a valuable ring. .Mbnlisilver goes arrows t-- the ie<-torv. accompanied l>v liavenscur, and calmly request* the clergyman to lay aside his sermons and call in the womenfolk, as he (Monksilver) has come to read the Riot, Act, to thrill nil.

CHAPTER Hl.—(Continued.) Mr. Wknsladk rose from his chair, his whole body a protest against the suggested invasion. "If you don't mind, Charles, we will go into the drawing-room to listen to your exordium," he said. " I am too busy to put my papers away. I cannot have the common herd in here."

"As you will," rejoined Lord Monksilver. "Coming with us?" He turned to Raven scar, who had remained modestly outside the window.

" If you will excuse me. my lord, as you are going to discuss a strictly family matter, 1 should prefer to remain in the garden unless you insist upon my presence," said the secretary, avoiding the rector's gaze, which was fixed upon him with almost questioning intentness. The viscount assented with a shrug, and passed out through the door which his brother with mock deference was holding open for him. The pair crossed the little hall and went into the pretty chintzcovered drawing-room, at this time in the morning unoccupied. Mr. Wenslade marched to the fireplace and rang the bell. To the servant who appeared he gave orders for Mrs. Wenslade, Mr. Richard, and Miss Yvonne to be immediately found and informed that his lordship desired to see them. This preliminary carried out the rector turned irritably to his brother. " I presume that you are not going to stir up further strife between myself and those of my family with whom I am at variance?" he said. "Not a bit of it: I have come in the hopes of being able to pour oil on the troubled waters. If I could have found such a thing as an olive-branch I would have carried it in my mouth as an emblem of mv mission," and Lord Monksilver, whose humour was of tho impish order, laughed at his own quaint conceit. He was well aware that the solemn cleric hated flippancy with a Biblical colouring. Mrs. Wenslade, pale and tremulous, was the first to creep into the room, her faded features eloquent of a tearful and sleepless 11 Wit. She gavo a limp hand to her brother-in-law, receiving his half-con-temntuous greeting meekly, as though she had* no right to expect anything better. Then Yvonne bounced in, lier customary awe of her father breaking down under the protection of tho uncle who ado fed her; and finally Dick entered, the embodiment of sullen wrath and sorrow combined. By reason of his hick of height and of his irresponsible cast of countenance, Lord Monksilver never cut a very imposing figure, but there was on this occasion a certain dignity about hint as he confronted his audience. " Now look here, all of you." he began. "It's about Phil Vaughn n's girl I've come to lay down tho law. I won't have her name' dragged in the mire over this two-penny-halfpenny ring. Think what you like, "any of you. but keep your thoughts to yourselves—unless you want war between the Priory and the Rectory, and you know what that would mean. They tell mo that it is all over the village that you are accusing her of theft. I won't have it, I say. .She no more stole the ring than —than I did."

The Honourable and Reverend Chaloner Wenslade looked exceedingly uncomfortable. Since he was the only one who had breathed such a suspicion the diatribe could only be intended for him, and he was burning to take up the challenge. Yet, both privately and parochially, he was dependent on the head of the family for many favours, arid an open breach was to be avoided. Ho proceeded to temporise, and being a dull-witted man did it clumsily, without regard to tho most potent influence in the electrically-charged atmosphere, the smouldering rage in his ton's: stricken breast.

Cl'Mring his throat importantly, he blunih'!'••! 'nv. iru- disaster. "I have withdrawn a el- ' " I'ich it was most painful to me to li:he said. "I have infracted In-;•••.•lor Bearsiaa at Wrqvford

to proceed 110 further in the matter, lh£ unfortunate girl's presumed death left thajt its the only right and proper thing to a<). I should never have laid the information If the strongest evidence had not. be«n brought to me—evidence which it. wotjld have been impossible to disregard. "Confound your infernal casuistry!" Dick began to bluster. { But Lord Monksilver raised his l)lueveined hand and stayed him with a- "gesture. " Leave it to me, boy." he interposed. "Am I to understand that; you supplied the police with the evidence which convinced you?" ho -went on, turning .again to his brother. " I did not. do so, having promised my informant not to be explicit on that point," replied the rector with the air of one who has made a great sacrifice to his sense of honour. " 1 merely gave the inspector a, hint as to who. in my judgment, might- bo expected to.dispose of the ring." "Quito so: but as this is a. private family meeting, convened for the purpose of clearing up a painful affair and restoring peace to vour home, you can sate.lv state your informant's name here. It shall go no further. I make it a personal matter, as head of the family, that no one in this room reveals it <»• takes such action as may cause it to be revealed." Mr. Wenslade had begun by looking uncomfortable. Cornered thus lie now looked uncommonly angry. He remained obdurate. "I absolutely decline to give the name of my informant." lie replied with great deliberation. " Then, Chaloner, you must really pardon me if I doubt his existence," said Lord Monksilver quickly, so as to head oil another outburst from Dick, which he saw was imminent. "One more question only, What reason was given to Miss Vaughan for Iter dismissal? Was she told that, she was suspected of having stolen the ring?" ' For the moment silence prevailed, and what the Reverend Chaloner would have answered can never be known, for the silence was broken from the. least expected quarter. Poor Mis. Wenslade, who never before in her bus-band's presence had been allowed to utfer an opinion of her own, was heard to falter: " It- was I who gave her notice to leave —by Chaloner'.-? orders. I p;issed on the reason given to me—that she had been too —too familiar with Dick. She had already left the house when the question of her having taken the ring arose. I think it is a. shame to speak of her as she lias been spoken of. If I could see her now I should lie the first to tell her so." The surprise in Lord Monksilver's face at hearing the defence taken up by this feeble champion changed to an expression of monkeyish delight. " What I told Ravenscar as we came along,'" lie said, with a malicious glance at his scowling brother. " That my graceless nephew was the innocent cause of the mischief. In my view you treated the girl harshly, Chaloner, but if she wasn t told of your suspicion 1 cannot see that her death lies at your door. She probably killed herself because she eouldn t sec her wav to putting up with life at home with old Phil Vaughan. Mixing drinks for her father would be a- sad come-down after teaching this little minx to l>ecome a decent member of society." \ vonno had sidled up to him. He pinched her cheek affectionately, and tho family gathering might have ended there and then with the confusion of Mr. Wenskide and the withdrawal of his aspersions on Phyllis. But- Dick remained to be reckoned with. He strode forward and stood looking down at. his noble relative with burning eyes. "^?, mc:L " well, and I thank you, uncle." he said in low ten tones. "But what has passed is not enough to make peace in this house. My father hasn't a leg to stand 011. He. and he alone, has driven my darling to her death. If she did not kill herself because of his foul slanders she must have done it because of the cruel insults lie heaped upon her when he found us together, and because of tho shame- of her dismissal. Phyllis was proud and sensitive. So am 1. and lam prouder of nothing so much as that she died my affianced wife. When my father came upon us we. had been planning our future •i futuic which would never have opened up but for her sweet influence. But- sho was brave and true, and I do uot believe that she would have dealt- me this deadly blow merely because of such a check as a man like my father could throw in our way. It would have been but a temporary one at worst. I maintain that the rumour about the ring must have reached her, and that may well have been tho thing too much. You can't atone for Phvllis's death by a smug little hushing-up party. There has got to be .1 different kind of reckoning to this." 0

With winch he turned on his heel and, before anyone could find words to answer him, walked out of the room. There was a long and painful silence, broken onlv by Mrs. Wenslade' sobs. Lord Monksilver row slowly from the chair as Carter Raven scar passed the window. The viscount seemed less moved than might, have been expected, by his nephew e tirade. • The boy takes it badly, but he will get over it," he said moving to the door. "1 have at least exploded your absurd theory about the ring, Chaloner, and I will trouble you to observe my wishes not to repeat, indoors or out, a 'word of your unfounded suspicions. Now I must be going. I have kept my secretary waiting too long already." The old" peer shook hands with Mrs. Wenslade, pinched Yvonne's ear in response to the grateful glance .which that warm young partisan gave him, and followed his brother out into the hall. "Which way will you —through the study or by the front "door?" the rector inquired stiffly. "By the front door, please. It will be the shortest way to pick up Ravenscar. He was going in that direction when he passed the drawing-room a minute ago." Mr. Wenslade led the way down the hall and opened the door, revealing the private secretary listlessly admiring the late roses in the circular bed that formed the centre of the carriage sweep. In spite of the storm which he could hardly have been deemed to have quelled. Lord Monksilver was smiling to himself as ho stepped out into the sunshine. The fringe of white whiskers and the roguish malice in his eye gave him the semblance of a venerable Barban' ape. " \"ou were nev-er young. Chaloner, but I was—once." he said, turning to nod fare- ' well. " I can see Dick's point of view and sympathise with it. Take my advice, and eat a little humble pie for once— the sake of a. quiet life." But the angry parent was in no mood for the lighter vein. " You may muzzle me, but you can't alter my opinion," he replied .as lie closed the door. " You have had a wearing time, I fear, my lord'"' said Mr. Ravens Air, who had drawn near to join his employer. " Your nephew was a little difficult?" " The boy gave that prig Chaloner beans. If the quarrel hadn't been between father and son f really believe there'd have been blue murder. For myself, I rather enjoyed it," chuckled his lordship. To make the short cut through the churchyard they had to turn the angle of the house and so gain the lawn, on to which looked the windows of some of the principal rooms, among them that of the study. They had got al>out half-way across the lawn in the direction to the churchyard gate when, clear and distinct behind them, there rang out the report of a pistol shot. As if shot themselves they stopped and scanned each the startled face of the other. "That was in the house," said Lord Monksilver, a tentative note of fear, in his voice.

"I am afraid it was," said Ravenscar, scanning the creeper-dad facade of the Rectory intently. "Shall I run back and ace what is-tho matter, my lord'.'" But before either of them could move Dick Wenslade came rushing out of the study like oiie demented, glancing wildly round till his eyes fell 011 tho pair in the middle of the lawn. "Please come!" he shouted. "I am afraid that father is badly hurt. Did you see anyone run away from the window?" "No one has come out but you; we turned round directly the shot was fired," said Lord Monksilver very gravely as they joined the agitated young man. It was remembered afterwards that Dick re-entered tho study without hesitation and slightly in advance of the others. A moment later they were bending over the portly, black-coated iigtire which lay close to the writing-table. The Honourable and Reverend Chaloner Wenslade had been shot., apparently, as he was in the act of seating himself to continue the unfinished sermon which lay upon, his -desk.

Eavenscar, the most composed of the three, made a cursory examination, but rose immediately, gazing round the prim room almost as though he expected to see traces of the assassin.

" He is quite dead," said the secretary, reverently removing his hat-. " The bullet struck him in the back and passed through his heart, l think. And, see! there is the pistol lying near the door, fifteen feet at least from the body. He cannot possibly have killed himself."

CHAPTER IV. THE crimk * XI) the PROBLEM. The three men were still staring at each other helplessly, when there arose the need for prompt action. The excited voices of women were heard in the hall, approaching the study door. Mrs. Wenslade ;.nd Yvonne had. evidently been alarmed by the sound of the shot and were searching for its cause. In less than a minute they would be making a scene in the room.

"They mustn't come in here, ' said Lord Monksilver with a glance at the unlovely sight on the floor. " I will break "it to them gently, and send for the constable and the doctor. Nothing must be moved till the police have taken charge."

He slipped out- into the hall, leaving Dick and Ravenscar alone with the dead. The secretary watched young Wenslade curiously. Dick's demeanour seemed to interest him immensely, as well it- might have interested anyone, as a strange study in filial bereavement. There was no affectation of grief in it, but her the genuine curiosity of one suddenly confronted with a baffling puzzle. " I can't understand it," said Dick, catching the keen scrutiny directed at him. " Whoever did it must have the faculty of making himself invisible. I entered the room ten seconds after hearing the shot. I was on the stairs when it was fired, and should have seen anyone leaving the room by way of the door. You and my uncle from the lawn commanded a view of the window the moment you heard the report-, yet you saw nothing. It is simply the most amazing case of the vanishing trick I ever heard of."

Was it possible, Ravenscar asked himself, that the young idiot did not realise his position ? Could he be so blind as not to perceive that, guilty or not _guilty, he stood in the most imminent peril of being suspected of one of the worst crimes a man can commit? Ravenscar had been walking abont the roc-m during the latter part of Dick's statement, and he continued his perambulations a little longer, looking at the book shelves, at the revolving chair, at the table, and at the pistol on the floor, which latter he was careful not to touch. Then he drew near Dick, who was leaning against ?. corner of the mantelpiece. " You have never been particularly civil to me, Mr. Richard, but you are badly in need of a little good advice," he said, chaining the young fellow's gaze with a straight look 'from his rather mournful eyes. "If you will condescend to take it from me. your uncle's devoted servant, I shall be. very pleased to give —for his sake entirely." *' I don't know what you mean," said Dick dully.

" Cannot you see that your own story, In conjunction with the evidence which Lord Monksilver and I will have to tender, must make it appear impossible that your father could have been killed by anyone but yourself?" "Good God!" exclaimed the boy with a half-averted, shuddering glance at tho prim presence on the floor, ''but I didn't kill him."

Raven scar, bowed hie head, as; though accepting the faltered disclaimer. "Nevertheless," lie said, "it would be wise for none of us who have the interests of your family at heart to reveal the dissension that prevailed between your father and yourself. A coroner, to say nothing of a jury, would pounce upon it as an adequate motive. You are sure to be questioned about your relations with your father—whether you were on good terms with him or not."

But why ?" persisted Dick. "I have done no wrong. No one has a right to suspect me of such a horrible thing."

" My dear fellow," and the secretary's voice was so soothing as to quell his hearer's rising resentment for the moment, "you mustn't be angry with me if I tell you that you yourself will give people the right by your own cvi-; v »nee. Just consider it from a common-sense standpoint. You were in full view of the study door when the shot was fired, yet you saw no one come out into the house. Lord Monksilver and I were in full view of the window, yet we saw no one but yourself come out. into the garden. The chimney, as a means of flight, is obviously impracticable, and there is no place where anyone could lie concealed in the room. Idle talk of 'vanishing ricks ' will not go down with the police. As the evidence stands, there is only one conclusion for them to draw. I am not accusing you, but I want to show you that it will surely be asked : Who else could have killed Mr. Wenslade ?"

It was put so clearly, this problem of life and death, that Dick was impressed with his danger at last. He grew white to the lips, and his voice shook as he said : " I seem to be in a trap. What can I poss-ifcly do to escape —what I don't deserve?"

R-aveiiscar flung a swift glance at him. " If I were in your shoes," he said, hardly above a whisper, " I should say I saw a man run out of the study into the hall and dart down the passage towards the back premises. As you are innocent there could be no harm in diverting suspicion to a wholly mythical person."

Tho very faintest trace of a sneer in the last sentence struck a jarring note on Dick's ear and braced him out of the nerveless panic that was threatening to paralyse, his will and his judgment. " I am not going to perjure myself out of the tangle," he replied proudly. "It is hardly a time for jesting, Mr. Ravenscar."

The, secretary took the implied reproof in good part, but there was still a hint of sarcasm in his mannerin the slight shrug of tie stooping shoulders and in the elevation of his scanty eyebrows. "On the whole, perhaps, you are right," he said. "If you have compunctions you would never carry off a bluff of that sort. But surely your conscience would permit a policy of silence. You. are under no obligations to disclose - the fact that your father was killed within a few minutes of you.' leaving him in anger. No one is compelled to put a rope round his own neck. Mind you, I am pleading for the sake of the honour of your house, as embodied in the nobleman whom it is my privilege to serve, rather than from any considerations for you personally." The addition was,made hurriedly, called forth by a warning glint in Dick's harassed eyes, but it failed in its conciliatory purpose. " The honour of the hotise is as much to mo as it can be to ■ you, sir," replied the young man bluntly. "If I am asked about my relations .with my father, 1 shall describe them exactly as they were." "Well, you will be asked," rejoined Ravenscar, and it was difficult to decide whet; her his tone denoted confidence in the assertion or disappointment at the failure of his ostensible object. The door opened and Lord Monksilver came in, accompanied by a most unhappylooking rural policeman and a bluff, redfaced man whose chronic geniality was obscured by the gloom of the occasion. Secretly Dr" Gidleigh, who was the people's church-ward was wondering who on. earth could have done what lie himself had often longed to —put a bullet into the rector. He sank on his knees and busied himself professionally, but his services could only be for the benefit or the damning of the" living, and not for revival of the cooling clay which be prodded and probed and felt.

" Shot through the heart from behind," was his verdict. " Death must have been quite instantaneous. How in the name of goodness did it happen?" "I wish I knew," said Dick lamely. " I — found him so." Dr. Gidleigh's eyes roamed round the room and lighted upon the pistol lying near the door. " That hasn't been moved ?'" he asked quickly. " Well," ho proceeded 011 receiving a negative answer, "that settles one point beyond doubt. He couldn't, have killed himself— by.

accident or intention. No one, shot as he was. could have Hung the pistol so far." "Not even in his death agony?" came the tremulous inquiry from Lord Monksilver. The viscount appeared greatly shaken by the tragedy. " There is no death agony for a man, with a clean hole like this in his heart," said the doctor. "He must have dropped like a stone. It is not my province to conduct the investigation, but don't you think, Smith, that you might- save time if you searched the grounds pending the arrival of your superiors from Wroxford. They ought to be here in ten minutes. The murderer might be. lurking about still, waiting a. chance to escape unseen. The constable was only too pleased to hide his incompetence by acting on the hint, and with his departure through the window a constrained silence fell on the four men in the study. The genial doctor stole furtive glances at Dick, whom he had helped to bring into the world and whose boyish scrapes he had often assisted to cover up. The high-spirited lad had ever been a favourite with him, and the little that Lord Monksilver had chosen to impart before entering the room had filled him with concern. The village rumours about. Phyillis Va-ughan and the ring had reached him the day before. He was longing to hear Dick' version of his discovery, but the blank misery in the young man's face checked the questions that rose to his lips. He would not harrow him to tell a. tale which he would have to tell to more authoritative and lees sympathetic ears soon enough.

Nor was the first breath of Dick's ordeal long delayer?, though when it came there was nothing on the surface to denote the eddies of the under-current? below. A frightened parlourmaid ushered in Inspector Pearman, a business-like man of conciliatory manners, who made you think that he might be a commercial traveller with a hobby for masquerading in police uniform. Even the Presence on the floor, at which on entering he merely bestowed a passing look from two mild blue eyes, diu not deter him from bowing politely to Lord Monksilver before he led the doctor aside into a corner. But the others, watching him, noticed that the blue eyes hardened as he listened to the medical theory.

" This is very distressing, my lord," ho said, turning to them. "Dr. Gidleigh pronounces it murder. Driving out from Wroxham. I have been hoping it. might be an accident. I only had a letter from the Reverend Mr. Wenslade by this morning's poet, -withdrawing charge* he had made in respect of a missing ring, and now he lies there. Well, -well! in the midst of life we are in death."

Having in his private capacity paid this tribute, he went and looked at the pistol. "Yes, I see. what you mean, doctor." he said. "It couldn't have fallen there if he had tired it himself."

He stooped, and taking a piece of chalk from his pocket, drew the outline of the weapon round it on the carpet. Then he picked it up and examined it. " Curious, to begin with." he soliloquised in his friendly faehion. " This is a single-barrel-led!, muz2,lo-loadiing pistol with a hair trigger—what they used to fisrht their duels with. Not at all the kind of thing identified with crimes nowadays. Do any of you gentlemen recognise it 7" (To be continued on Wednesday next.)