THE HYPNOTIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HYPNOTIST.

! BY JAMES LimERTON, i , ™.' - " I '■ . ' coptwght. :. ' ; "■£ Jjjif CHAPTER XXXVIII. - /; V,"'% AX THB' GOLDEN MOM. .' •', Among the passengers in the train '.4f?^ reaching Terley that/night' ,about six '■: *Jf •! o'clock wore Lady Hawkbridge and Mrs. * Twite, and a carriage was waiting to con- .-? 0 vey them to the Golden Lion. Not long before sad come rumours, such as rarely stirred the quietude of Terley, £ spreading at fcust slowly, and beginning > ', with the return of the postmaster, hatless. wild-eyed, and drenched with' perspiration; who gasped out such information at the police station as sot it instantly in a ferment. In a short time a party of constables, accompanied by two boatmen and an eggcollector, accustomed to cliff work, was speeding across the links, together with the indefatigable postmaster, while a waggonette, with stretchers ami more policemen, was 6ent by road with instructions to drive as near to the scene of the tragedy as possible. Gradually the facta came to be more clearly established, and it seemed that Martin Hockern, the financial magnate, kia confidential clerk, and another old man were killed to a certainty, while Lord Reepham and P.O. Coates were not expected to recover, although the circumstances under which the tragedy bad occurred remained a mystery. In the absencu of evening newspapers the Golden Lion was naturally the chief centre of information, and it was a little while after the arrival of the two ladies that th» facte became approximately established. An anxious consultation was held bythe proprietor, Mr. Cullis, and his wife, a good-natured couple, customarily regarding the world as a pleasant spot, and tragedies quite out of their orbit, with the leading solicitor in Terley, Mr. Aubrey Biddle, who had looked in to hear what he could of the news, and had been buttonholed by Cnllis with wistful eagerness. " You see, Mr. Biddle, I'm in a terrible fix. Lord Reepham called here this afternoon and bespoke rooms. Then he asked for another set, and engaged these for Lady Eawkbridge's party, and. now triey've come." " And the poor gentleman's 'gone," broke in' Mrs. Cullis, " and who's to tell the young lady!" N It's a very sad thing," replied Mr. Biddle, who had a country practice and knew th» world. " She was engaged to him." "Oh, dear!" said the others, in unison, " what s, dreadful thing !" "We're afraid their maid may, hear the news." continued Mr. Cullis, " and blurt it out! Oh. Mr. Biddle," with a sadden burst, "could yon, would—" Biddle, a short, swarthy man, with a humorous twist to his mouth, had seen from , the first that Cullis, who was his' client, was anxious to devolve the grievous office upon him, and sad though it seemed, ' . he thought it possible be might discharge it better than another.

Taking a card Biddle wrote: On very argent business!" and Mrs. Cullis sent it up by a waiter and particular instructions for its delivery* to the elder lady. Mrs. Traite understood at once that something for her ear only was intended, and, thinking it might possibly be a message from Cephas, said she would see Mr. Biddl*. He began at once. " I should not have ventured to intrude," he said,.*' not my errand been one of great gravity. Mr. Cullis though f might be better able to acquaint yon than himself with a very bad piece of news!" Mrs. Trait* looked alarmed, and still with the idea that Biddle came from Cephas. ' " Mr. Marriage—is he hurt!" she asked

"I have not heard that name mentioned. Though the facts are not quite clear yet, it appears that the persons actually killed are Mr. Martin Hockem, his j confidential clerk, and an old man, a sailor j it is said. Lord Reepham—" "Lord Reepham—is he—!" " It is certain- thatfte is not dead—but I fear he h badly hurt!" " Very badly: Please tell .'me the worst!" cried Mrs. Traite, clashing her hands. j.. , • " Well, I fear very badly— is said he may not Tecover. Still, yon never know— these reports get exaggerated." " Then it may be an exaggerated report about Mr. Marriage, may it not!" and Mrs. Traite looked up hopefully, v . " Of course it may, {hough I fear there is little doubt tht he has had at least a dangerous fall.** Mrs. Traite had paled at &e horror of tie news, v . '* Would you wait here a few minutes, Mr. Biddle! I must go and tell Lady Hawkbridge, and she might like to see yon, if you would bo so kind as to wait." The niimrtets teemed to Biddle to pass very slowly, but Mrs. Traite returned at last. - "I hare not told Lady Eawkbridge the full extent of the ead news. Only that Lord Reepham and Mr. Marriage are hurt. She would like, if possible, to go to the' scene, in preference to waiting here in suspense. Could, we get there Biddle briefly explained the nature of the tragedy. "'The only course is to take a carriage and drive round the road : then, if they were returning, you would be sure to meet them. If you like, I will order a carriage to be got ready at once." The silent drive, through the darkness, along the strange roads, to try and learn the fate of their friends, was ft haunting experience. Conversation inside the carriage was impossible, as the driver, under/ argent instructions for speed, did not spare his horses. Mrs. Traite held her niece's hand and pressed ft from time to time, though it was difficult for her to keep » check upon her own feelings. Poor Cyril! How hard it was for him, and yet perhaps not altogether eo unfortunate. He had gone away because he loved a woman out of his reach. Was it not better to die early rather than face an empty life dragging his chains with him? And Mrs. Traite looked back over het own past, and concluded that perhaps after all Cyril was not to be sorrowed for over much.

CHAPTER XXXIX. AITEa THE PIOHT. When Horkern fell into the " Blow Hole," carrying with him in the death clnkh Cephas and Ned, the appalling suddenness of the disappearance paralysed Lord Reepham. Ignorant as ho was of the openings, he had not formed a clear idea of Martin's aim, and had attempted principally to drag Cephas from his grew, supposing the edge of the cliff to be his objective, thence to throw Cephas into the waves which could be heard in their neverending assault on the rocky base. Then the men had vanished suddenly, where he had conceived the ground solid, and Reepham sal on the grass staring stupidly at the opening, nntil ronsed by the postmaster's grip on his shoulder. He (spoke hurriedly, grasping for breath. " My lord; my lord," he cried, "quick. Have Sun seen your friend?" Tie fight had endd while the postmaster wag too far off to discern the details. Lord Reepham pulled himself together *ith an effort. " There—there!" he whispered, pointing to the opening, which showed a black patch amid the . grounding dun. . _ Coates came forward in a dazed way, \ limping with the pain of the kick he had i received, and began mechanically to make some prenarations to descend into the shaft. Robson the postmaster, hild his, arm. " It's no good. I've tried to grt down , ' there .myself. It's impossible without a rope. Tell me quickly what has happened." • ■::. "There are down there— old man <:•. Who came with us, mv friend, Mr. Mar's;. riage—and Martin Hockern, in whose era- .';? ployment Marriage was." 4 '■■: |GcodGod!" ,;| _,A-<: Hockern was stabbed in the back by ■..■*.#, w» old eailor, but they may all of them I "; : : g*«e, Is rescue possible!" he ejacu-

•;> ThaVhole goes own nearly to jow water . level, and at high-tide there are 30 feet in it, There is hope jet if "they have not been stnnned by- thefall; or it's possible they may have lodged somewhere, J l.ll' go for help."' v ( , , y. i *'« there none nearer than;the town? " None." "' .'**' •"■■•■",■ i*?

"They may be alive aow,»«id yet before help cftn. reach us it may be too late—" "I won't lose a minuted I can go <micker than you, as I know the path," answered thei postmaster. .-•■".. U ~ That, wait before the pit, into whose awful jaws tho friend had disappeared, Just at the moment when success seemed 'likely:to.reward.his attempted'rescue, 1 was terrible for Lord Reephaau V -He held a desultorry conversation with Loates, and learnt the main incidents of the afternoon, then he began an aimless perambulation of the ground round the "Blow Hole," trying to hear sounds of the approaching rescue party, long before it was possible for Robson to reach Terley, then back to lie prone on the srround and gaze into the darkness of the pit. Had not Robson spoken so certainly as to the impossibility, of clambering down the opening, they would have tried it, so oppressed were they with the feeling of impotence. ' * °

For .the twentieth time Lord Reepham returned to noer vainly into the darkness, and he was just about to get up again- to resume his aimless walk when he suddenly gripped Coates, who, to ease his leg upon which ho could by now barely stand, was sitting near. "Did you hear that!" asked Reepham. Beg pardon, my lord, what is it! " "A cry, man— there's somebody alive down there—listen!"

Then a faint wailing reached them, and Reepham leant out as far as ho could over the edge, Coates holding him, and putting his hands to his mouth tried to cheer the person, calling: "All right! Help is coming! Who are you!" 'The cry came back, but it was impossible to distinguish the voice, andvthe certainty that there was someone alive below for whom the rescue might yet prove too late intensified the suspense a hundredfold.

After a wait that seemed a lifetime, during whwh they had alternated continually between hopo and despair, according as the cries ceased for a time or were renewed, they saw lights glimmoring faintly in the distance. Lord Reepham started tovrards them to hasten their progress, if possible, by the news that a life was at stake, and in the darkness he might have .Wtched into another of the openings but for Ooate'B parting advice, shouted as he w s running, "Go inside the wall, my lord, it's safe there!" Quickly he reached the once-mere, and breathless with haste as the rescuers were, the remainder of the distance was passed over at full speed.. The preparations .were rapidly but carefully made. The crowbar was driven firmly into the ground and a rope with a cradle attached was ready. Lord Reepham had a few words apart with the man about to descend, whom he feared might dislodge the person still alive, and cause further injuries. • ' , " Have you been down this particular opening before?" "Not for many years! M " You will use the utmost care in des- 1 cending, as the Bnrvivor—

" My lord, I shall take every care." He took his place, dropped slowly over the edge, and the boatmen proceeded to lower away; foot by foot the line was paid out, longer and longer it grew until it seemed as if high tide level must be reached, then the signal was jerked. A long wait ensued, then another signal line was given, that to hoist, and as the 1 rope was slowly drawn in Lord Reenham found the suspense almost intolerable. Who was being brought up, Cephas or Ned? If it were Cephas, would he be still alive, or had the long wait extinguished the small amount of life that must have remained when the cries were uttered? ,-■;. .-T,* .. I

The rope came homo, and the figure of the climber appeared, /when.with plenty of utrong hands available! he was assisted on to the level as he wait occupied in protecting his burden. T'' " lord Reepham turned a light on to the men. It was Cephas! Is he alive!", * • * "He seemed, to be breathing when I started up," replied the man. ;' There was hope then. Quickly the load was unbound, coats were laid on the grass, and Cephas gently stretched on them, the climber telling spasmodically what he had found in the bottom d tho shaft. , "They were all three wedged together in a narrow jaw— above high water— if they hadn't caught there they must have fallen into thirty feet. I had to dislodge the others to get this one out. They were certainly dead—l oxamined them closely— both head down—this one was head uppermost—leaning across their legs—resting against tho side. They fell into the water nvnen I dislodged them< I'll go down again, and sco if I can sink lines on to them." ,

j The movement .of Cepha's heart, faint though it proved to be, was sufficient to nurture hope, and sips of brandy were riven him from a flask which Bobeon had providentially filled to moisten his snack. Thanks to its constant renewal by the i ebb and flow of the tide, the air in the nit was perfectly fresh, or Cephas might, have died by suffocation; as it was the watchers had the satisfaction, after persevering some time, of hearing him breathe regularly. • I CHAPTER XL. TEE BEETIKO. At last the carriage stopped, and a figure appeared opening the door. "This io as far as we can drive!" it said. _ " Mr. Biddle! You hero? " Mrs. Traite was surprised. , " I thought you might want assistance," he answered. "You are too kind really, though you should have come insidn." " There's another carriage heTe," said Lady Hawkbridge. " What is that for?" " It was sent by the police in case "of need. The path ii through, the gate, and across two fields. Its fearfully rough; you wait here? " " No, no! Please let us go on ! " Biddle saw lanterns moving in the distance and apparently coming nearer. He (messed what was happening. "It seems to me that some of. them are coming this way. May I suggest that I go and find out the latest news, and bring you the report? " '• I think, Violet, it will be better to let Mr. Biddle do as he suggests," said Mrs. Traite.

And Biddle hurried towards the party, crying as- he neared them, " who is there?" The sergeant in charge recognised the voice. " That you, Mr. Biddle: " " Yes, Penberthy! Please tell me. what has happened to Lord Reepham—" "Who wants mo? " Biddle went towards the answering figure, "Lord Reepham." " Yes!"

"Lady Hawkbridge and Mrs. Traits are here." " Whore?" "In the carriage yonder," he replied, pointing to the lights. "We had rumours of what had happened, and Mr. Cullis at the hotel asked me to break the news to your friends. Then Lady Hawkbridge said she would drive out to assertain the truth at once, rather than, wait." " I'll come on with you." As they neared the circle of radiance falling from the lamps Violet called out, " Is that you, Mr. Biddle? " " YggJ I'm happy to say Lord Reep ham is quite safe." " Quite, thank you! " the object of the remark confirmed. "Oh, Ernest, I'm so thankful," she cried. " And what of Cyril? " " He is alive! " "Alive?—then he is hurt. Tell me— he in danger?" "I hope not seriously. It is probably more shock than anything. They are bringing him now," said Reepham. | Violet had received an entirely new light on her feelings since getting out of the carriage. The news of Ernest's safety had brought a feeling of gladness, but even when she knew it, a far stronger feeling dominated her, that of fear. {To b» concluded on Saturday next) i . J*