THE SECRET HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16011, 1 September 1915, Page 10

THE SECRET HOUSE.

BY EDGAR WALLACE, 1 Author of Four Just Men,'' " private Selby, ' etc. ! COPYRIGHT I CHAPTER XlV.—(Continued.) 1 The intensity of Poltavo's voice frightened , Doi is. and she rapidly strove to bring him ] down to a condition of normality, 1 Come to-morrow, she said hastily, i "1 would like to talk it over with you." j •' 1 will come at once," he said. i " Perhaps you had better not."' she | hesitated. j "1 am coining at once."' he said firmly, ! and hung up the receiver. j In tiiat moment of resentment against : the- tyranny of his employer, he iorgot i all the dangers which the Secret House • threatened; all its swift and wicked vengeance. He only knew with the instinct of a beast of prey who saw its quarry stolen under its very eyes, the , . loss which this man was inflicting upon

him. Five minutes litter he was in Brakely Square with tile girl. She was paie and wo<ried ; there were dark circles round her eyes \\ hich spoke eloquently of a sleepless night. " I do not know what to do," she. said. " 1 am very fond of Frank. I can speak to you can I not. Count Poltavo ? ' You may confide in me absolutely," lie said gravely. " And yet I am nut so fond of him." she went on. "that I can marry mm vet." "Then why do you?" he asked. "How can I disobey this?" she held the letter out. He took it from her hand with a little smile, walked to the fire, and dropped it gently upon the glowing coals. "I am afraid you are not. carrying out instructions," he said playfully. There was something ~in "his action which chilled her. he was thinking more of his safety and his duty to Farrincton than he was of her. she thought : a curiously inconsistent view to take in all the circumstances, but it was one which had an effect upon her alter actions. " Now listen to me, ' he said with his kindly smile, " you have not to trouble about this, you are to go your own wav and allow me to make "it right with Harrington. He is a very headstrong and ambitious man, and there is some reason perhaps why he should want von to marry Doughton. but- is to that I will gain a little more information. In the meantime, you are to dismiss the matter from your mind, leaving evervthing to me." ~ ~ She shook her head. "I am afraid I cannot do that." .-he said; "unless I have a letter from my guardian expressing wishes to the contrary I.must carry out his desires. It is dreadful— she wrung her hands piteously. that 1 should be placed in this wretched position. How can I help | him by marrying Frank Doughton" How ! can I save him—can you tell me'"' j lie shook his head. * i " Have you communicated with Mr. j Doughton ? " ' She nodded. j " I sent him a letter." she hesitated. j " I have kept a draft of it. would you j like to see it? i A little shade of bitter anger swept j across his face, but with an effort he j mastered himself. ] " I should." he said evenly. : She handed a sheet of paper to him. " Dear Frank," it ran. " for some j reason which I cannot explain to von

it is necessary that the marriage which ▼Ny uncle desired should take place within the next week. Yon know my feelings towards you: that I do not love you. and that if it were let to my own wishes this marriage would not take place, but for a reason which I cannot at the moment give you, 1 must, act coiitrarv to my own wishes. This *is r. >t "a gracious nor an easy thing to say 10 you, But I know you we'.i enough, with vuuv large generous heart and your kin !'y nature, to realise that you will understand something of the turmoil >1 ft-! ings which at present dominate my heart." Poltavo finished leading, and put (he letter back on the table: lie walked up and down the room without saying a word ; then lie turned on her suddenly. Madonna," he said in that liquid southern accent of his—he had spent his early life in Italy, and the address came naturally to him—" if Frank Doughton were I would you hesitate" A look of alarm came into the girl's eves; he saw then his mistake. He had confounded her response to his sympathy with a deeper feeling which she "did not possess. In that one glimpse lie saw more than she knew herself, that of the two Frank was the more preferable. He raised his hand and arrested her stammering speech. * '•There is in; need to toll me," lie Mm led. " perhaps some dav you will realise that the life that Count Poltavo tW i ° U - w ? s the compliment that has ever been paid to sou. for you tl2l T PllC t 1P O,!0 l ,ass! °" of mv 'life motive*' I,t -o without | po2iblj a 1 1 e tb Wr,eVed t it ,n, ' l ' Jl,S 10ir< " 30,1 w"m h h f e lit! -ho carried the tace to their * -eked Now. he said blisUtv , Wa : !t ' 01 , Ml Doughton-s" answer* * iie nas &Jrcaav answerer! " -u "j "lie telephoned me." * he M,d ; He •miled.

j " How typically English, almost Ameri- ; can : .i his hustle, and when is the happy jevp.it to take place?" he bantered. 1 "Oh, please don't, don't,'* she raited : her hands and covered her face. " I hardly know even now that 1 have the J strength to carry out my uncle's wishes." But when he asked more soberly, j '"In three days, Frank is getting a | special licence; we are—" she hesitated, j and he waited. i "We are going to Palis." she said, a pink flush in her face; "but Frank i ! wishes that we shall live." .-he stopped | again, then went on almost defiantly, j "that we shall live apart, although we J shall preserve the fact a secret." I He nodded. j " I understand," he said : "therein Mr. I Doughtou .-hows an innate delicacy which I greatly appreciate." j Again that little sense of resentment j swept through her; the patronage in his tone, the indefinable suggestion of posses- | .-ion which was. she thought, uncalled for. That h«. _Lould approve of Frank in that possessive manner was not far removed from an impertinence. " Have you thought ?" he asked after a while, "what would happen if you did I not marry Frank Doughton in accordance j with your uncle's wishes? 'What terrible j calamity would fall upon your uncle?" ' She shook her head. "I do not know," .-lie said frankly, "I am only beginning to get a dim idea of Mr. Farrington's real character. I always thought ho was a kindly and considerate man, now I know him to be," she stopped, and Poltavo supplied her deficiency of speech. " You know him to be a criminal." he smiled; " a man who has for years been preying upon the fears and the credulity of his fellow-creatures. That must have been a shocking discovery. Miss Grey, but at least you will acquit him of having stolen your fortune." She nodded. 'It is all very terrible." she said ; " somehow every day brings agony to me. My aunt. Lady Dinsmore, was right." " Lady Dinsmore is always right," he said lightly, "it is one of the privileges of her age and position. But in what respect was she right?" The girl shook her head. " I do not think it is loyal to tell you, but I must. She always thought Mr. Farrington was engaged in some shady business. and has warned me time after time."

'"An admirable woman," said Poltavo with a sneer. " In three days." he went on thoughtfully, well, much may happen in three days. I must confess*that I am curious to know what would be the result if this marriage did not take place." He did not wait for an expression of her views, but with a curt little bow lie ushered himself out of the room. I " Three days." he found himself reI writing as be made his way back to his 1 house ; ' why should Farrington be. in I su< li a frantic hurry to marry the girl ; offand why should he have chosen this penniless reporter?" This was a matter which required a great deal of examination. » lwo of those days were dream days for Frank Doughtou: he could not believe itpossible that such a fortune would be his. But with his joy there ran the knowledge that he was marrying a woman who had no desire for such a union. But she would learn to love hint, so he promised himself in his optimism and the

assurance of his own love. He bad unbounded faith in himself, was working hard in these days, not only upon his stories, but upon the clue which the discovery of the belated letters afforded him. He had carefully gone through the parish list to discover the Annies of the h-st 50 years. In this he was somewhat audicapped by the fact that there must have been hundreds of Annies, who enjoyed 110 separate existence, married women who had no property qualification to appear upon ratepayer lists; anonymous Anns, who perhaps employed that as a pet name instead of that with which they had been christened.

But he had one or twe clues and was following these industriously. For the moment, however, he must drop this work and concentrate his mind upon the tremendous and remarkable business which his coming marriage involved. He had a series of articles to write for the Monitor, and he applied himself feverishly to this work. It was two nights before his marriage that he carried the last of his work to the great newspaper office on the Thames Embankment, and delivered his manuscript in person to the editor. That smiling man offered his congratutions to the embarrassed youth. " 1 suppose we shall not be looking for any articles from you for quite a long time/' he said at parting. " I hope so," said the other, " I do not see why I should starve because I am maried. _ My wife will be a, very rich woman," he said quietly, "but so far as 1 am conccmed that will make no difference. 1 do not intend taking one penny of her fortune." The journalist clapped him on the shoulder. "Good lad." he said approvingly, "the man who lives 011 his wife's income is a man who has ceased to live." That sounds like an epigram." smiled 'Frank. He looked at his watch, and descended the stairs. It was nine o'clock, and he had not dined; he would go up to an eating house in Soho, and have his frugal meal before he retired for the night. He had had a heavy day. and a heavier day threatened on the morrow. Outside the newspaper office was a handsome car. its lacquer work shining in the electric light. Frank was passing when the chauffeur called him. " Excuse me, sir," lie said, touching his cap, "are you Mr. Frank Doughton V " That is my name." said Frank in surprise, for he did not recognise the man. " I have been asked to call and pick you up. sir." " Pick me up ?" asked the astonished Frank, "by whom "By Sir Gerald Frederick." said the man respectfully. Frank knew the name of this member of Parliament, and puzzled his brain a.s to whether he had ever met him. " But what does Sir Gerald want with me?" be asked. "He wanted five minuted' conversation with you, sir," said the man. It- would have been churlish to have refused the member's request, ides. the errand would take him partly on his way.

He opened the door of the landaulette and stepped in, and as the door swung to behind htm he found lie was not alone in the car. •' What is. the-" he began, when a powerful hand gripped his throat, and he was swung backward on the padded seat as the ear moved slowly forward, and gathering speed as it went, fairly flew along the embankment with its prisoner. (To be continued on Saturday next.)