THE MYSTERY OF THE COMMOH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17258, 6 September 1919, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE MYSTERY OF THE COMMOH.

(A STORY OF ADVENTURE). m

BY JAMES BLYTH.

CHAPTER XXl.—(Continued.)

The colonel and Ronnie were for the ' time left alone. ( "I'm glad you've succeeded in getting a decent price for your invention, whatever it is, Ronnie," said the , colonel, kindly. *' I always regretted the neces- I sity which caused your father to give up ; his place. But, my boy, I dare say you guess I'm in the same situation as he was. But for the marriages which are about to take place, Sir Julian would have Bareacres as well as Decoy Manor." In a flash Ronnie understood, and his heart leapt high in him. " I did not know, sir," he said. "I had no idea " You must not think," said the colonel, " that my position had anything to do with the young people. No. Thank Cod, 1 found my girl willing to accept young Kennick as her husband, and Dick is deeply in love with Minna. If it had "been otherwise I don't know what I should have done, I don't know what I should have done." For a moment the old gentleman's eyes grew a little dull. His face seemed older. Then lie brisked up again, and helped himself to another petit verre of fine champagne '65. He drank this ratLer eagerly, and was himself again. " You cannot toll me anything, colonel," said Ronnie, "of the way in which my father lost the estate?" 1 No," was the reply, " but I suppose it was the same arrangement as my own. You know what a mortgage is. Well, if ' you can't pay the interest on the mortgage the lender can take possession after certain legal affairs of which I know and wish to know nothing." " You never heard of any other point, in relation to my father's estate?" urged Ronnie. The colonel bent his brows. " Now you remind me," he said, " I remember that your father said it was not entirely lost. That if a certain sum could be found within— I think, twenty years—it could be recovered. But, my dear boy, it must be more than twenty years—" " It is eighteen, colonel," said Ronnie. " Bat I cannot find any document confirming what you say. Whooh, it was Rendem and Speaker who acted for my father then, was it not?" " Yes," replied the colonel. " Rendem and Speaker. By gad, boy, I thought they were all right. Their smash hit me hard. It was the first thing that began to make matters a bit tight at Bareacres. Yes, I remember now. Rendem and Speaker, of Norwich." " And afterwards they acted, or rather young Speaker acted, for Sir Julian." " I don't know, I don't know, my boy," {aid the colonel. • "Since that smash, which meant so much to me, I have not taken much interest in them." "Thank you, colonel," said Ronnie. " You have only corroborated what I have heard." "* I wish I could tell you more," said the colonel. " There are things I don't like about Sir Julian. But he has enormous influence. And he has not been ungenerous to me— ——at least, I should think he believes that he has been generous. You see, Ronnie," said the colonel, " you and I belong to a different class from Sir Julian's. I can see your father in you, mv dear boy. And he was a straight and good man, one of the best. But, you see, he and I were not business men. No doubt all that has been done by Sir Julian has been honest, perfectly honest. The man could not have obtained his reputation, could not have gained the enormous influence he has in the country if he were a wrong 'un, don't you know. But we old county families look On things from a different standpoint. You must not think lam complaining. I have every reason to be gratified by Sir Julian's attitude. But when you spoke just now of your father's ' business affairs—well, my boy, I was sorry He wis a loss to the country and the people. However rich these parvenus may be, thev do not understand our people, I wish" But at this moment Sir Julian and Ernest re-entered the room, both wearing a perturbed air. ''I'm very sorry, colonel," said the former, " and still sorrier in your case, Mr.—er—er— Randwall," he said. " But we are both called away at a moment's notice on most vital business. We shall have to motor up to town. Really, Captain Randwall," he added, with agrim smile, " it seems that whenever you come here I am compelled to leave you rudely. But I hope the colonel will be able to fill my place a» host, and you must give me a chance to make up for my apparent discourtesy when we return. "Ah," thought Ronnie, "this is -partly to avoid the interview with me. Weli, it may prove useful. I'll have no more scruples But he replied aloud to the baronet's apologies in the usual terms of social politeness. " Oh, I understand that you are not your own master, Sir Julian. A man like you with a big finger in the financial arrangements of the nation is placed above ordinary consideration. I'm only sorry because it must be an infernal nuisance to you t'o motor up to town on a beastly dark nignt like this." " You'll tell Minna, colonel," said Sir Julian, looking doubtfully at Ronnie, as if he were not sure in what way to take the words of the latter. " We've no time to do anything but get off." Sir Julian and his son each filled himself a glass of the wonderful Chartreuse and drank it. Ernest reached out for the cigars. But his father checked him. "No," he said. You ought to know that those axe not for smoking in a car. Take some of the Dutch cigars over there. The two Kennicks left the room, and presently the sound of their motor-horn honked through the quiet country. " Now," thought Ronnie to himself, I'll bet that is all bunkum, and his I only reason for clearing out is to avoid the interview with me." ' Just as well," said Sir Julian to his son as thev wrapped themselves up in their high-power car. " I should have had to quarrel with him, or at least disappoint him, if I'd given him the interview he requested. And I don't want to do that till you've had a try for the specifications. You. must be back to- ■ morrow and arrange an inspection of the i encampment on the common with Mar- ! jorie, Minna, Dick, and the colonel, if ! you like. You will show no particular ' interest in the— j " I'm not a fool," said Ernest sullenly. ; " I know where the specifications are kept. : But how am I to get into the hut alone?" | His father looked at him with the light j of acid humour in his eyes. I " You are not jealous, are you?" he asked. v eiy well. Let Randwall | show Marjorie round. Dick will look I after Minna. Make your chance, boy. ! That is what I learnt when I was young. I Make your chance and when it's made ; Lake advantage of it." j The car drove swiftly to Beccles, where Ernest left it. Thence swept along the London Road. At intervals it was challenged by the pickets which had recently been stationed throughout East Anglia.. But the baronet's vouchers were so full and satisfying that the only result of a stoppage was an apology for the delay it caused from the picket. CHAPTER XXII. RON KIR AND MAUJOHIE. For a few minutes after the departure / of Sir Julian and his son the colonel smoked in silence. Then he said to Ronnie, •' You must not think too much ab.iut what 1 said of my own affairs, you 1 know, Ronrfis. But I'm sorry Sir Julian has been called away. 1 wanted a talk with him.'' " So did I," said Ronnie.

" Ah well," said the colonel, " I suppose a man with such vast interests as his, and with such power in the country, cannot be expected to bother about such little affairs as mine. I don't quite know what your business can be." " Oh, it is of no more importance than your own," said Ronnie. The two men were silent for a little. " I think," said the colonel, " I shall remain here in this room till we go, or Stroll home by myself. I don't feel inclined to go into the den, as Sir Julian calls bis study, or to go to the girls. You and Dick can look after them all right." " Yes," said Ronnie. He had hardly hoped for the chance which lie believed the colonel's decision gave him. lit now only rested with Marjorie whether he would be able to make a great stroke to win justice for himself that very night, on that, and on chance. "I'll go and tell them," he said. "If I don't see yon again, sir, good-night." The colonel held out his finely-shaped hand a little wearily. " Good-night," he said. '' I'm sorry I can't help you more. But perhaps it is as well. Believe me, my boy, it, is of no use kicking against the pricks. Sir Julian is a good business man. He would not have left a loophole." "No doubt," replied Ronnie. He was sure of his knowledge and that he must succeed in regaining his rights if he could only obtain possession of a certain document which he believed to be in Sir Julian's possession by fraudulent means. But to be quite successful he must carry through his scheme within a few weeks, or possibly within a few days. It all depended upon the development of a situation which was momentarily becoming more intense. He made his way to the drawingroom, where be found Dick and the (two girls. Dick and Minna had their headis close together at the piano, on which the girl struck an occasional chord. Marjorie was ai'tting by herself beside the fire, and was staring into the glow of the beech billets.

" Hallo," said Dick, looking round, " where are the others "

" Sir Julian and your brother," said Ronnie to Minna, " have been called to town at a moment's notice, and asked me to tell you. The colonel seems to prefer to be alone. He says he will smoke for a bit in the diningroom and (then stroll home."

" Well," said Minna.. " then we've got the place to ourselves. You'll look after Marjorie, won't you, Captain Randwall ? I've promised Dick to take him down to the mere and pull up some eel lines I've sat there at this end. If there are any, he'll be able to take the horrid squiggling tilings off." • " •-• ir ' ... She lauiKed and looked at Marjorie a little mischievously.

Although she was a good sister and a good daughter, a spirit of re\olt had been stirred in her by her belief tbat jshe was being kept in the dark. She was fond enough of Ernest. But she did not believe, had never believed, thait Marjorie cared for him. She had how well her friend had go!- en with Ronnie Randwall on the day cf the tennis party, had seen the look in the eyes of both of them when they met, and had noticed more than once how Marjorie avoided any reference to the man who had been her brother's greatest friend. Really loving Dick as she did, she could see love in cithers. She knew little of her father's financial or diplomatic methods. But she had questioned Dick, who was as clay in her hands, and she had an idea that Marjorie was being coerced into marriage with Ernest. To Minna in love, love was so sacred that even the obligations of filial or social relations did not justify an insult to love. Indeed, the poor girl's

heart was itorn with the feeling that love should know aW, should have no concealments. Arid she was painfully conscious that there was one vital thing in he? life of which innocent Dick knew nothing, and which might change his love to abhorrence. Even if tho marriage between her and him took place, she feared lest it should prove a (tragedy. Recently she had doubted the stability of her father's position at Decoy Manor. It was not that she doubted his solvency. She knew that he wielded the bludgeon of millions. But there were other reasons which made her afraid, and these reasons had been multiplied a thousand-fold of late by little insignificant details which she would not have noticed at any lees anxious time. For Minna took the war very seriously. She had never been really happy since its outbreak, except for the first few moments of her delicious joy in finding herself the beloved of Dick, and his acknowledger] future bride. The poor girl was torn by influences of which she could speak to no one with any hope of finding sympathy. And it was through a sentiment of sympathy and not of mischief that she determined to throw Ronnie and Marjorie together that night as much as possible. At her words Ronnie approached Marjorie and looked in her eyes, " Will you trust me to look after you, Miss Beeston?" he asked, and his voice shook with the poignancy of his emotion as he spoke. Marjorie withdrew her gaze from the fire and her eyes met his. She started a kith', as though aroused from a reverie. " 1 really beg your pardon. Captain Randwall." she said ; flushing a little. "I was thinking. I did not hear what you said. " (To be continued on Wednesday next.)