THE MYSTERY OF CROCKSANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18471, 7 August 1923, Page 3

THE MYSTERY OF CROCKSANDS.

BY FRED M. "WHITE. Author of -"The Secret of the' Sands/' "The Devil's Advocate,"'" The Man with the Vandyke* Beard," " The Edge of "the Sword," etc. . :

■ (Copyright.) CHAPTER XXV. The man. with.the slumbering eyes and ragged beard crept slowly forward, like one who walks in his sleep. In his shabby clothing and neglected outer man he might have been some derelict recently picked-tup on a desert island. Ellen s words were evidently lost upon him, for he took no heed of them, and dropped into a chair quite vacantly, Then presently he seemed to make an effort to grasp what was going on around him, and a thin, uncertain smile trembled for a moment on his lips.. The only one of'the group there who seemed to retain a proper grip of the situation was Evors, who crossed over to the two windows in the room and threw up the . blinds. They were the only windows on the ground floor at all, and they looked out on the Channel, that flashed and trembled in the sunshine a sheer thousand feet below, for the Tower was built on the very edge of the cliff, and, with ; the exception of one bedroom, there .. was no window that I looked inland. For some little time the strange apparition sat there with his head sunk on his breast, until Ellen laid a hand upon his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. • " It's Ellen," - he murmured. "My child!" The others stood awkwardly looking on, Bly wanting to say something, -but unable to think of an appropriate phrase; Evors more cool and collected; and Clapstone red and ashamed.- and longing to be anywhere but in the presence of the man he had helped to injure. For the moment, however, Clapstone was thinking entirely of himself. He was wondering what this new development would mean to him personally, and whether, in the face of it, Evors would go back upon his promise to see him safely on the Welsh coast. Once there he would know what to do but if this boon were not granted him, then assuredly before many • hours were over he would be in the hands >■ of • the police. Ellen turned upon him with • flashing eyes. "You knew all about this! she cried "I didn't!" Clapetone protested. Upon my word and honour, I didn't! At least, only quite lately. I had no idea 1 whatever that Wrath was hiding anyone in the Tower. He told me a lot of lies about the place, and I saw no reason to disbelieve nim until one' night, not long ago, I happened to see something suspicious going on in the Abbey, and I followed Wrath here. Then I knew but I swear it was the first time! " Ellen let it pass, all the more so because she was inclined to believe that Clapstone was telling the,truth. She herself, it'will be remembered, had been watching Wrath on the __ right in question. She had seen Clapstone following, and, therefore, she was giving the man the benefit of the doubt. > "It was all a surprise tome," Clap'stone went on. " Of course, when you showed me the way into the basement of the Tower by that underground passage I knew that Sir Gordon was here; but previous to the time I mentioned. I had no idea that he was any , longer ailive. No wonder Wrath wanted to keep the secret quiet." " i " Let me understand what t all this means," Bly asked. " If this is really your father, Ellen " "Oh, he is," Ellen cried.' Changed almost beyond recognition, but my father all the same, thank Heaven." • . " Oh, then Wrath is not Sir ' Christopher at all." . ...... - "Perhaps 1 had better be allowed , to explain," Clapstone said, awninglv.: "So long as Sir Gordon is alive Wrath was merely an outsider. He had no claim to Crocksands Abbey, and no right to spend the income. But now you know wncre that "deed is everything is all right. If your father, Miss Bland, were to die ; at this moment you would be mistress of Crocksands." . ' But Ellen was not listening. She was too busy attending, to her father, and trying to win some i recognition from him of what was going on. Very gradually a weight seemed to be lifting from his shoulders: then.he stood up and smilpd. "This is a strange thing,!' he said. " A very strange thing.' Goodness knows how long I have been here, because I have lost all idea of time. It seems a lifetime, and all to no• purpose, because the truth, must come out, and I shall have to undergo the punishment I was cowardly enough to, try arid I avoid. It was Wrath's scheme, and weakly I agreed to it." . 1 .. " But there is nothing to be afraid of," Ellen urged. " You did nothing wrong, and, besides, Lady Wrath—-" - " And who is Lady Wrath? " Sir • Gordon asked. • _ , . ; "I almost despair of being able to tell you," Ellen said. "It is , all such a dreadful tangle. But presently you will come face to face with the woman who called herself Lady Wrath, arid you shall hear her vindicate your good name. But I don't understand, father—how did you get here? " Gordon Bland passed his hand across his eyes as if trying to clear the mist, from them. When he spoke at length bis voice was clear and strong enough, and it was evident that he was fast coming back into his manhood again. ■ •. " Let me try and explain," he . "said. " Out at Monte Carlo I did something wrong. Not knowingly, if. you will believe me, my; child, but because I was asked to do so by a woman whom I liked and" respected.' To oblige her, I induced my bankers to discount an acceptance endorsed by Lord Maberley. That was for two thousand pounds. The acceptance was - a forgery, arid the Hankers caused a, . warrant to be issued for my arrest. I could easily have cleared myself, but by so doing I should have condemned a beautiful woman to a long term of imprisonment. I preferred to face' that punishment myself. And when I realised what was before me I was' afraid. I did . not . , know what' to do.' I went . on boaj*d Wrath's yacht, and there I thought it all out. I had made a mess of my life, I had lost the affection of my ——" i " You didn't,"- Ellen cried. " It was ' all a dreadful misunderstanding; and Christopher Wrath was at the Bottom of it." . ; . " Well at any rate, I thought so,' my deai;," Bland went on. " And that was just the same thing so far as I was concerned. We had parted in angerat any rate, on my sideand before we could come together again your , mother died. You were in .England at the ; time, my dear, and you cannot know ' how her death affected me. I seemed to be absolutely alone in the world caring nothing what happened, and in a fit of despair I decided to take my own life. By doing that I : removed myself from a world I had ceased to care for, and: the woman's reputation was saved. Mind you. 1 I don't think she had lured me into that trap deliberately; I believe she was being made use of by others. But what did that matter? If I jumped overboard that rough night and was drowned, then the whole thing would be straightened out. And I did it." r Bland paused a moment, before he went on. '■■■ " But I was not destined to be drowned, Ellen. I was;picked* up by a fishing-boat and taken to a village about fifty jiiles further down the coast, which was 'inhabited by a handful of simple people who never saw in the papers any- ! thing that was going on in the world: By some■ • means or another Christopher ■ Wrath managed to find out, and came to see mo. He suggested I should allow him to smuggle me back to England, and because I did not care what happened. I agreed. And that, in a few words, is how I come ■ to be here; goodness knows how long. It is not so very difficult when you come to think of it; nobody ever comes inside the Abbey grounds, and my wants' are few.: Besides, all the old servants are got - rid ' of, arid Wrath posed as,' Sir Christopher, the owner of Crocksands. " I think ' I heard you mention a certain deed, Ellen. ,

That; I suppose, was the document signed -cu-:.-. by Sir George Bland-Mertoa and myself, ■whereby the entail was cut off, and if I died without a son, the property would go to you." | . ',' That's right," ClaDstono broke '■ hi, eagerly. "The dead came back to 'mo at the office, and 1 have been keeping it . ever since. . So long as it did not fall ?;; into the hand of Wrath , ; , r . - "Good heavens, man; you are not taking any credit to yourself, are you?" Evors cried. . ; . . ??:: '???;■ "I have done my best, sir," Clap- ?; ? stone whined.' " I have told you where ? • the deed is to be found, and if.anything happens to Sir Gordon, then this yOung , . lady here is the mistress of Crocksands. ? ■ You won't forget what you promised, Mir. ■ Evors?" ,•■-;:;;:•-.'?■ ,? ' 'tfy?, .'V'";V " Oh, that's all right," Evors said, contemptuously. We will come and :: fetch you after dai'k to-night, and run you across the Channel to the Welsh? coast, It's a criminal offence to aid and ; abet a fugitive from justice, but I' am going to risk that because I: have given you my word."Clapstone heaved a deep sigh of relief?: and took no further part in the conversa*- ? tion. . -•■' '' ; ; ' " But I cannot stay here, now,'* Sir Gordon said. . . ' " Nobody wants you to," Ellen replied. You have got to come out in the light i of day and assume your proper name and position once more. The man who has done all the mischief, the man who deliberately planned the conspiracy that brought you face to face with prosecution, is at this moment keeping out of the I reach of the police. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and sooner or. later he will be found. But the woman in the case is at Crocksands at the present "■ moment, and she is quite willing to make ~'. the facts public." ;"■>';.." Do you know, I am almost sorry to hear that," Bland said.. "Isn't there some other way ?" ; _'• -;■- ■ ..■ "I am afraid not, Sir Gordon,"' Evors put in. : ?"The truth must be told. 1t... ■'.-?. want you to cast your mind back a few ''■•■, t ■ years to the time, wet were in Australia. I together. You remember the infamous ?~ i •nay in which Wrath behaved: to, Alrers and yourself over that gold.mining busi- ; ness... It was his deliberate intention to t;t send us all to our death. That was his way of getting rid of you and coming into the title and the family property. And when we got back out of that deathtrap I made up my mind that It would get even with Wrath if it cost me all my: fortune. That is why you find me ; . living down here. But it so . happens that your daughter has forestalled me. - .- Just before she came here she as getting ' • a living as a typist in the office of -_ your solicitor, Mr. Melrose, and when Wrath, wanted a. private secretary she ■ ■'-: applied for the post and got it. She will tell you why later on? But' sho ; .'.? found a" letter written by yoursei to Mr. Clapstone; hero which was on a /data ? subsequent to that of your death. :And _' when I knew that somebody:was being ? ; hidden ;in the Tower I jumped to the ,: > J illocical; conclusionrthat;'that' someoody .'■ ■/■■■. was yourself, What Miss Bland really , | was after was the deed we are , speaking ; ; of. She felt sure that you had signed t it, ' and' that : Clapstone was concealing it for his own purposes, and events proved ? ? that she was right. But, of course, you are not i aware ;of the fact that Wrath ?:?,■ married Mary, Alters, : though he. insisted upon keeping the marriage a ; secret? and ; the woman who was the cause of all the trouble is at Crocksands at the present' : i moment calling, herself Mrs. Amberley, and acting as her husband's housekeeper. : I know she will be glad to meet you, I arid tli am sure she will not rest until ;? | she has,, told you her, story and cleared j your name." ■.. . • ■ - . ' , " Yes,-that's right," Bly urged. "Why ',-, shouldn't she tell the: story? She is a deeply injured woman, who was made : v ? the innocent victim of a dastardly ; conspiracy,: which she . probably . might: have exposed at the time, only she thought : .. ? that you had taken your own life. i; And .-;• I don't think she had any idea that you : left a family. She would probably argue that the mischief was done, and tlhiit nothing could be gained by betraying her own husband. ' But she .will be anxious to speak, .now, I know." ~>. • "Why shouldn't we go to the Abbey ; and see her Ellen suggested.' ; . k ' l ' Think what a weigiit all this knowledge will take off her mind. • v Let us go at once." • • ."? : (To bo" concluded to-m0rr0w;).,,,-