THE SECRET HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16026, 18 September 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE SECRET HOUSE.

BY EDGAR WALLACE,

Author of " Four Just Men," " Private Selby, ' etc. COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER XVIII. OX THE DOWNS. It was three days after the exchange of ! letters that Count Poltavo in the rough j tweeds of a country gentleman— garb which hardly suited his figure or presence strolled carelessly across the downs mak- . ing his way to their highest point, a great rolling slope from, the crest of which a an could gee half a dozen miles in every direction. The sky was overcast, and a chill wind blew ; it was such a day upon which lie might be certain that 110 plea-sure-seekers would be abroad. To his left, half hidden in the furthermost shelter of the downs, veiled as it was for ever under a haze of blue grey smoke, lay Great Bradley, with its chimneys and its busy industrial life. To his right he caught a glimpse of the square, ugly facade of the Secret House, half hidden by the encircling trees. To its right was a chimney stack from which a lazy feather of smoke was drifting. Behind him the old enginehouse of the deserted mines; and to the right of that the pretty little cottage, from which a week before Lady Constance Dex had so mysteriously disappeared, and which had in consequence been an object of pilgrimage for the country side.

But Lady Constance Dex's disappearance had become a nine days' wonder, there were many explanations offered for her unexpected absence. Wise heads wagged as wise beads will, and foolish surmises were plentiful. The police of the county were hunting systematically and leisurely, and only T.B. and those in his immediate confidence were satisfied that the missing woman was less than two miles away from the scene of her disappearance.

Count Poltavo had armed himself 'with a pair of field glasses, and now he carefully scrutinised all the roads which led to the downs. A motor-car, absurdly diminutive from that distance, came spinning along the winding white road two miles away. He watched it as it mounted the one hill and descended the other, and kept his glasses on it until it vanished in a cloud of dust on the London road. ; Then he saw what he sought. Coming across the downs a mile away the bent figure of a man, who stopped now and again to look about as though uncertain as to the direction he should take. Poltavo, lying flat on the ground, his glasses fixed upon the man, waited, watching the slow progress with lazy interest.

He was an old man, white-bearded and grey haired, carrying his hat in his hand as he walked. His rough, home-spun clothing, his collarless shirt, open at the throat, the plaid scarf about his neck, all these Poltavo saw through his powerful glasses, and was satisfied.

This was not the sort of man to play tricks, he smiled to himself. Poltavo's precautions had been of an elaborate nature. Three roads led to the downs, and on a spot at equal distances from where he stood he had placed three cars He was ready for all emergencies. If he had to fly, whichever way of escape was necessary would bring him to a means of placing distance between himself and any possible - pursuer. The old man came nearer. Poltavo made a hasty but narrow search of the horizon. There was no sign of any other individual, no suggestion of waiting or watching police. Painfully slow he moved, the old man with the beard and the shaggy white eyebrows. Stopping now and again to take breath, he at least saw 'Poltavo; and quickened his footsteps. He shouted across the in- j tervening space in a loud and hearty tone. I

"Be you the gentleman* I gotter to see?"

" I am- that man," said Poltavo sharply, " but you need not shout."

"Be you Mr. Munroe ?" persisted the old man in the same tone.

"That is my name," said Poltavo. It was the name he had adopted for the purpose.

" I have gotter to give you something, and you have gotter to give something to me," said the messenger.

Poltavo took the envelop® from his pocket, and as the man came up he held it out. ■'' *■

"First I want what you.have for me," he said.

The other with very great care extracted a bulky envelope from his pocket, and handed it to the eager man.

"Now I want the letter you have," he demanded. ■ '

Poltavo handed it to him with a little bow.

" My friend, you are a worthy messenger," he said. "I am perfectly - satisfied with the discretion of your master."

He looked at the old man with a critical smile. The eves which gleamed under the'shaggy brows were clear and bright, the face unwrinkled. Save for the beard and the grey hair, which showed beneath the broad-brimmed wideawake hat this might have been a young man.

" This is an historic meeting," Poltavo went on gaily. His heart was light, and his spirits as buoyant as ever they had been in his life. All the prospects which this envelope now bulging in his pocket promised rose vividlv before his eyes.

" Tell me your name, my old friend, that I may carry it with me, and on some occasion, which is not yet, that I may toast your health."

" My name," said the old man slowly, " is T. B. Smith, and I will take you into custody on a charge of attempting to extort money by blackmail."

Poltavo sprang back, bis face ashen. One hand dived for his pistol pocket, but before he could reach it T.B. was at his throat.

That moment the Pole felt two arms gripping him, two steel-like bands that seemed to crush his very arms into his body. Then he went over with the full weight of the detective upon him, and was momentarily stunned by the shock. He came to himself rapidly, but not quickly enough. He was conscious of something cold about his wrists and a none too kindly hand dragged him to his feet. T. 8., with his white beard all awry, was a comical figure but Poltavo had no sense of humour at that moment.

" I think I have got you at last, my friend," said T.B. pleasantly. He was busy removing his disguise and wiping his face clean of the grease paint which had been necessary with a pocket handkerchief which was already grimy with his exertions.

" You will have some difficulty in proving anything against me," said the other defiantly ; " there is only you and me, and my word is as good as yours. As to the Duke of Ambury

T.B. laughed, a long, chuckling laugh of delight.

" My poor man." he said pityingly, " there is no Duke of Ambury! 1 depended rather upon your ignorance of the English nobility, but I must confess that I did not think you would fall so quickly to the bait, The dukedom of Ambury

ceased to exist two hundred years ago/*, he said, ; " it is one ;of those titles - whicK hare fallen into disuse. Ana bury Castle,, from which the letters '"were- addressed to 4, you, is a small suburban villa- on the outskirts of Bolton, the rents of which, 1 believe," he said carefully, "is some forty pounds a year. ' We English have a greater imagination than you credit us with, count, he went on, ''and imagination takes no more common flight than the naming of the small dwellings of our humble fellow-citizens." He took his prisoner by the arm and led him across the downs." " hat are you going to do with me?" asked Poltavo. I shall first of all take you to Great Bradley police station, and then I shall convey you to London," said T.B. "1 have three warrants for you, including an extradition warrant issued on behalf of the Russian Government. But I think they may have to wait a little while before they obtain any satisfaction for your past misdeeds."

The direction they took led them to the * ° or Cottage. In a quarter of an hour a force of police would be on the spot, for ' " had tlmed his arrangements almost to the minute. He opened the door of the co t-age, and pushed his prisoner in. We will avoid the study," ho smiled; you probably know our mutual friend] Lady Constance Dex, disappeared under somewhat extraordinary circumstances from that room, and since I have ererr wish to keep you we will take the drawingroom as a temporary prison." He opened the door of the little room in which the piano was, and pushed hi* prisoner into one of the deep-seated chairs. " Now, my friend," said T. 8., "we have a chance of mutual understanding. £ do not wish to disguise from you the fact that you are liable to a verv heavy sentence for your crime. That you are only an agent I am aware, but in this particular I case you were acting entirely on your own, and have made elaborate and thorough preparation for leaving England." Poltavo smiled. That is true," he said frankly. T.B. nodded. " I have seen your trunks, all beautifully new and imposingly labelled," he railed " and I have searched them." Poltavo sat, his elbows on his knees, reflectively smoothing his moustache with his manacled hands. "Is there any way I can get out of this ? " he asked after a. while. "You can make things much easier for yourself," replied T.B. quietly. In what way " " By telling all you know about Farrington, and giving me any information you can about the Secret House. Where, for instance, is Lady Constance Dex?" The other shrugged his shoulders. " She is alive, I can tell you that. I had a letter from Fall in which he hinted as much. Ido not know how they captured her or the circumstances of the case. All I can tell you is that she is perfectly well and being looked after. You see Faxrington had to take her—she shot at him once hastened his disappearance in fact—and there was evidence that she was planning further reprisals. As to the mysteries of the Secret House," he said frankly, "I know little or nothing. Farrington, of course, is—

"Is Montague Fallock," said T.B. quietly. " I know that also." Then -what else 'do you -want to know ? asked the other in surprise. " 1 am perfectly willing if you can., make it easy for me to tell you everything. The man who is known as Moolo is » halfwitted farm labourer, -who -was picked by Farrington some years ago to serve Jus purpose. He is the man who unwittingly poses as a millionaire. It is his estate which Farrington is supposed to be administering. Yon Bee J' he explained, this rather takes off the suspicion which naturally attaches to a house at which nobody visits, and it gives the inmates a certain amount ■of protection." ; " That I understand,*^«aid T.B. • "It is, as you say, an ingenious idea—what of Fall? - , - V; Poltavo shrugged his shoulders. /'.• You know as much of.him as I. There are, however, many things that you may not know," he went on slowly, -"and of these one "which you would pay & price to learn. You -will never -take Farrington." "May I ask why!" asked T.B. interestedly. ' ' -\ ■. . "y, _

"That is my secret," said the other; '■ that is the secret I ™ willing to sell you." ... iy • .

"And the price J" asked T.B. after a pause. 1 , "The price is my freedom,'* said tie other boldly. "I know yon can do anything with the police. An yet no charge has been, made against me. At the most it is. merely a - question of attempting to obtain money by «i trick—even so you "will have some difficulty in- proving that ; I am guilty. Yes, I know you will! deny this, but I have some knowledge- of the law, Mr. Smith, and I have also some small experience of English ' juries.- It is not the English law thai I am afraid of, and ii is not the sentence which your judges will pass upon me which fills me with apprehension. I am afraid of my treatment at the hands of the Russian Gov-

eminent" shivered a little and it is because I . wish to avoid extradition that I make this offer. Put things right for me, and I will place in your hands not only the secret of Farrington's scheme of escape, but also the fall list of his agents throughout the country. You will. fin 4 them in no books," he said with a smile. " My stay at the Secret House was mainly occupied from morning till night in memorising those names and those addresses." T.B. looked at him thoughtfully. There is something in what you say," he said. " I must have a moment to consider your offer." He heard a noise from the road with-

out, and pulled aside the blincL A car had driven up' and was disgorging a little knot of plain clothes Scotland Yard men. amongst whom he recognise?! Elk. " I shall take the liberty of locking you in this room for a few minutes while I consult my friends," said T.B. He went out, turned the key in iue loclc, and placed it in his pocket. Outside he met "Elk. T.B. nodded. < "T have taken him," he said : " moreover I rather fancv I have, got the whole outfit in my hands." " The. Secret IJouse?" asked Elk eagerly. "Everything." said T. 8.: "it all de.nends upon what we ran din , with Pol-v tavo. If we can avoid brineine him before a magistrate I can smash this organisation. I know it is contrary to the law"— was a twinkle in his eye "but so many things happen that * are. contrary to the law in the interests of the law. and T think this oucht to be one of them How many men "have we available?"

" There are a hundred and fifty in the town of Great Bradley itself." said Elk falmlv: " half of them - local constabulary, and half of them our own men."" "Send a man down to order them to take up a position round the . Secret House, allow nobodv to leave, stop all • ■ motor-cars approaching or departing from the house, and-' above all things no car is to leave Great Bradley without its occupants being carefully scrutinised. What's that he turned suddenly' A sudden muffled scream 'had broken ..v into the conversation, and it came from inside the cottage. V . ■/ "Quick." roared T.B. He sprang into the passage of the cottage reached the door vof the room where he had. left his prisoner, slipped in she key with an unerring ' hand and flu tic open' the door. The room - was - empty. {To be continued on Wednesday • next* nr