THE MAN SHE NEVER MARRIED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18563, 22 November 1923, Page 5

THE MAN SHE NEVER MARRIED.

;- * v s /. ■'. .>'. vV lv f' 'j ' : }'' BY, CORALIE STANTON AND i V;. : HEATH HOSKEN. v v Authors of "Three Men Who Came Back," "Sword and Plough," '.The Beaten. '' ; : v "-j:.;-' Track," Eto.. Etc, *. -0.l-

(Copyright.) ~-■■ <

i ; CHAPTER JJ.—(Ck)ntinuedr . •y; ■ 1/, Tony asked himself] a thousand V.qttestions. Was it possible that little domeheaded Velvet was right after all?. Was this the; visible- result of remorse, of terror? ; Was Stanford, the brilliant hope of his party, really a murderer returning, as murderers are commonly ' reputed to do, to the scene of their fell crime? ■ They reached the high road and strode off smartly down the hill' towards the church gleaming white in the liquid radiance of the moon.

Stanford rapidly regained control of himself. He persisted in apologising, in pleading the rotten : state of his nerves, m reiterating interminably his habit of nocturnal wanderings, and his particular fondness for moonlight views from the top of Holtinge Down. It was really, so Tony could not help thinking, a case of qui Vexcuse accuse. Stanford laboured the point. ]. ; Then he grew more like hie old, artifices' self, and his shattered voice took on its slow and deliberate Front Bench manner. He drawled out an epigram occasionally and quoted Chaucer. Their talk fell from poignant .personalities to ephemeral generalities. Stanford was himself again. Like , a drunken man recovering from his carouse he talked nineteen to the dozen with the idea of preventing any reference to his lapse from probity. Heavens, how the fellow talked! . Words poured from him in a ceaseless cataract. Tony strode along, hands in his pockets of his dinner jacket, silent, bored, but closely ,1 observant. ; s Mr. Brian Stanford was something of a problem.-; Incidentally Tony was bound to admit that he was an •; unusually well r informed and. erudite gersonality with the power of using words. [e had in a moment, as it; were, been transmogrified ; from a •' cringing coward, cowering before imagined' phantoms, to a young Disraeli— witty, "cynical, man or the world, complete ; master" of himself, dominating his listener, '■■'■■ forcing him', willy-nilly, to give grudging homage to his genius, or call it; what you will. U■: •; Their roads parted at the Three : Kings, now wrapped in darkness, and the silence of the ; night. ' Stanford's way led him to the right \ and - a mile or less to' Holtinge Park. > Tony had to bear straight on the London road to Moat House. : -~ ; '<:They stopped at -■ the turning. Holtinge Chuch clock chimed a single one.;-;;;: -: : " Rawson," said Stanford, 'with- an air of <; a great statesman graciously condescending to confer a favour on a deserving aspirant, " Rawson, .I } hope I can rely on you saying [ nothing about our meeting to-; night--1; mean about ;' my.» very foolish behaviour. S- If you I will fi oblige \me in ■ this respect I shall be pleased to forgive yo'i for i your infamous behaviour to me oh the last occasion on, which: we met. v£:. Forgive my reminding you, but,you, have never had the grace to ; apologise to me • for that matter. However, we will let that pass., I am willing to make allowances for the unusual ; ; conditions at the c time . and I' your very natural state of anxiety and excitement." ■ '.'." '•'' l . "■ : ;. '-.-'-•. . >_"'- v -' , ; The audacity .of the man was phenomenal. -:;- It took Tony's breath away. The indignant retort that was on his lips died away in sheer; amazement. ' • \v f^This decadent, neurotic,;emotional coxcomb, had the impertinence to patronise • him. j This appalling bounder, who -was' ; plaguing the . life out of Dolly Champneys}r making her very existence in Holtinge*intolerable. This ■ alien J mountebankthis monumental mass of conceit !—this dandyfied: cad!—this gibbering coward, terrified of moonbeams; and -) shadows!—this . utter worm—■■ ,•/"'- i'- ■" 4 - • '-- l< Oh, Tony could have exhausted f; the vocabulary of all the epithets! Instead, being more or , less a conventional English-: man, he \ said nothing. The insolence of the fellow ■ rendered him dumb. si :i Actions/ not ► words, applied to Stanford % just > how. Nothing Tony would ?ive enjoyed more than" to give the absurd poppinjay fa thoroughly good thrashing. '" - ;J ". , So, you'll oblige me, won't yon, Raw- • ton," the^ineffable,Stanford went on, "by saying j nothing about '$. this meeting tonight—particularly, if I may say(So/i particularly j not ito Miss ; Champneys. I see you are staving with them. I <paw you lE. church this', morning." .- - - ', ,/ ", This was too much for Tony. He found his voice at last. ," '.'*■... >_ : : V.I; am certainly not going to oblige you in that respect, 0r..; give '? you any promise '■ at all, : about this,.; or * any other matter," he ; said '; in '" a', tone kof voice that : would have frozen >anyone"' less thickskinned .than Mr. Brian Stanford, "And. since you have 'mentioned her name, and since I happen to he in her confidence, and since she is engaged to my ( friend, Vicars, ■I; most strongly • advise you, ; Mr. Stanford, not to cause Miss Champneys any . further annoyance." ' ■ # . ', .■."". ;K " What ;the. devil do you mean.?'* , " If.you' don't know)"\said, Tony, ," I' am not . at all disposed ;« to enlighten 5 you.i I, warn you, though, that I shall make a ; personal ; matter of ; it. i ; ;"■ I shall see | that ; Miss ;;\Champneys ><■ is , not subjected i any longer to your; obnoxious attentions." You threaten'. me?" A /"As;; you will." \ Tony i shrugged \ his ! shoulders. " I see no' good purpose to' be l | served ,;• in prolonging this profitless 1 conversation.-* Good-night!" And he turned and : swung off;; in the ■;■ direction of Moat House. For ;, several ? moments Brian Stanford stood at the corner irresolute. His face was white as paper in the moonlight. His ; eyes glared furiously, venomously, after the retreating' form. ;v *It {was like him to raise a clenched fist and shake .-it. He was nothing if not meCodramatic. He was theatrical even when alone. ';i Half-way between Holtinge village and the i Champneys' house, Tonjrfthought' he heard footsteps padding along behind him. He looked back and saw a tall, thin man following him, or, if not following him, obviously travelling in the same drection and choosing the grassy side of the road in preference to the; dusty road. • /' •* Tony slopped. *So did the man, and as suddenly vanished. ;'■.?.) ] '.";', :> Tony retraced his •■" steps. v'/VHe was in no mood just then; to be alarmed at anybody -- or ; anything/;" ■■{ If ■: there 'v were-any devilry afoot he would get to the bottom of it. c But he could find no trace of the roan. ■ Yet he! could have sworn ,he had heard the j muffled, padding footsteps, sounding more like those of ;an animal ] than a roan; sworn, too, that he had seen a; tall, spare figure. : '';vir.]j^.;-,,/; : ">•;'■';.]]..- -,"]■ .]""■',].."-"■.:•■'-'v^';?.,' >v Odd, thought Tony, a few minutes later, as he quickly undressed and got between ] the cool, j linen sheets; . odd ; that ; that fellow Stanford talked about a tall J man who made no noise , when he i walked. Very odd. The place was alive with odd .things,;' vHe really must] not let]. this get on his nerves. ; He would be ; seeing ghosts "soon! As it was,]he was deliciously, tired and soon fell asleep -to dream "of Dolly— Dolly, the] unattainable. ; V ;

- CHAPTER 311. ' Tony played '* golf with Mr. Champneys in the morning at Littlestone, and' beat him unmercifully—-five , up and four to play— was ■ ; a i great 7 blow to y>; Mr. • Champneys who, being a scratch J ' man, rather fancied himself. ' • • ; 3 , They lunched at the New Inn at New; Romney, and .motored back ;to;-Holtinge; immediately ii afterwards. After]; tea * most of the little ~ week-end: house ; party broke up. Those who were not motoring back ! to town > left Kingsmfll Junction '.by ; the 6.20 train, among them being "Tony. * I • Before he left, .'•; Mrs. v Champneys >;!' extended ; another invitation to him to pay \ a longer visit in the not too distant future, and he had found by skilful manoeuvring and : a ■ certain amount vof^ luck an t opportunity,; of a few minutes' chat with, Dolly. He decided that no particular good purpose " could be served .by recounting his experiences at the excavations, of the previous night. - It; would 'only I worry'; her", and, /besides, he felt that it I would -be just f as ; well to preserve silence on the | matter,; of Mr. ; Brian Stanford's behaviour until after Be had seen Mr. Velvet* ~ f J , J

• awfully carry you axe going, M* Rawaoo,'* she said. '* I : <& hop* wo dull see you again sbon." TheylAfe: ban**- s Efc'.hd* her . **& hand perhaps just a little longer m his t than * was Verictly and / conventionally necessary. He would like to have wad many thirds to.her, but ; it, was not to be. How indescribably lovely ahs looked as she stood: there in the rose auto, with the- golden midsummer sunlight pi*ynig tricks with her'brown hair. : ■ . He did say something however, something which under" the /! circumstances might be considered* .somewhat unusual, " Promise me," ho said,/' promise , me That/you won't have anything more to do than" you , can possibly help;, with :? that fellow, Stanford" ■ ', ' v She gave him a' swift, frank ksok ( and flushed slightly as she answered, No. I need to ask me to promise that. ,£l nave | done all I can;/and shall continue r to do I all .1 possibly.; can to '"avoid?him.•*! not :■ only dislike - him intensely, but'_ l£ am positively Afraid' of him." %£3f^^., "There's nothing to bs afraid/of," said Tony, though he -was not at all sure of it in his own ' mind. ' " But, if WfWM"S you, just let me know—will'you ? I,think I shall he able to deal with him." *g " All right," she laughed/ k" I will. I constitute you my protector- Somehow or other I feel I have known: you ever so] long. I shall call 'Tony' if yon/ aren't careful." '*'"'-'•'_,? »• "-- . J "I wish you would," said/Tony, feeling % unutterable things. He had ian irrestible impulse to take her in his ; * arms and smother her with kisses—Jack or no Jack. Then someone appeared and > they had to make- conventional small talk again. In another few minutes he was on his way to the station, and it was some « weeks : after that before he saw; Dolly again. Paul Velvet received Tony's account of his nocturnal visit to the Holtinge Roman Villa with what, to Tony, appeared to be unbecoming amusement, and; the > irritating attitude of one who knew it i all before, and whose comment was the ribald remark that Queen Anne was : dead. '¥£?. /]//•■ ]]■■; '.

',".;]]" The tall, 1 thin man with the silent tread,'' said. Mr. Velvet, chuckling with, undisguised amusement; " whom i both ] you and friend, Stanford, saw, was no wraith but a very substantial human be-. ing, none other, as a matter of fact, than our worthy assistant, I had his Full re-.; port this morning.- 1 ,. He :is 'a very pains-:' taking--"but . unimaginative ■ fellow. ; He leaves nothing ;to chance and takes noth"ing, for. granted. ;] He] didn't even take - you for granted. ; In fact, » I rather fancy he : had—and ]• possibly ; still, has—a % definitely- • formed suspicion i that 5 you may have ' had. more than Be knows to do with the disappearance of Mr. Vicars. ] In short he shadowed you from the Champneys*]' house to these excavations and - back again." " What preposterous waste of time and money,''' exclaimed Tony, torn between . indignation '■■ and amused > contempt."'' ■> " Nothing of i the sort," protested ] little > ] Mr. Velvet. " His; job is to ? find out the truth about what is happening . on Holtinge Down and incidentally if it in any way affects i the problem we are, all of- ]] trying to solve. He knows just what everyone down there 11 is j doing—Miss Champneys ;herself/old Fagg]of the Three:/ Kings/1 the] parson, everyone fact." ,He is no respector of persons.'' 5 ' /fl^^^

" Weil, all I can say/' Tony exclaimed, "that? it sounds to me like a gross waste ' of time. The man must be an imbecile.*7 What" does Vhe say/& by the way, about 4 Stanford?" . ;•'-. 7 "He doesn't isnow,' much .7 morell than |- you do, .if,J it comes \to : that:' Stanford; is ,;" undoubtedly .very.-.much 7 run.' down :i-'in ;;>■:, health and nerves, ; canbgt / sleep, walks if about at night, v has a great affection for ~ nocturnal 71 wanderings ■about Holtinge J-3 Down; returns ? frequenter in the 'i, I early :-; hours of ,th©tmoring£oftenf^ in a highly excited state, at other times, more or less normal. 41 My man has come to 1 the con- 7? clusion that Mr. Brian Stanford's Treason *; is affected. 1 That opinion I, believe is in a qualified form shared by his family. He 3f has recently» seen a .', specialist and 7 is under the constant care [of his own medical man— country practitioner who lives at ' Kingsrnill, tint» who has known J :, the Stanfords for years/* ;.' - ■ 7 ' '' '"'And what is -' your own .opinion?" asked Tony. ■ #' ; ;7- * ."\ .; " My own opinion is that the fellow is as sane as you or I; but that he is suf- "i fering from mortal funk. He is ."» slowly X but I sorely : breaking • up. Sooner or 'latex ho will give himself away and-—*" " Mfc .Velvet-mads a horrid gesture which sug- ? 1 • gested a! : rope and a gibbet. * Sooner or later! You 11 "see, >Mr.7Rawson.'-Have' patience. We'll bring it home .to j him in good time, believe me.V - 7.., v. :/. v . s " But what are you going to do if. he : goes abroad?" ,'.;.'..' " Follow him—stick to lorn; closer than a - • . - r \ s\ - ~ v " If he ogives you the slip?' 9 " •■ . -#$#* V "That's very unlikely—so unlikely as not to Jbe| worth worryme about, ( Mr. . Bawson. And, referring to increasing thai, reward we' were talking about «th'e other : day," he Padded,- " I've i had ft talk to oar 1 friends at ' Scotland Yard, : and ? they s seem to l : think it -. might have l someb effect. \ I-; ;' am inclined to agree with them. ■' So, if |- you are still of the same mind, Mr. •.' Raw-. sonr-** - ' * -gggg£ .&. "Certainly/* said Tony. " us do ; , it—up to ten thousand,', didn't' you: say?" . ' v •-" That's : it. ..It i^' : very generous, fjwtf?l I'm sure. •If that '"doesn't- produce some ' result nothing will." ' "Good. Get the notices and advertise-' ments out- without delay.-' Advertise in ; everything, from The Times to the Klondike News, if there* is « such an .organ. Broadcast it r over.; the known world > Don't f let's spoil: tire ship ] for & ha'porth 5, » of tar. "Do the German and Italian • papers—" . I 7. "Yes, we'll give it a thoroughly good i run/' said velvet. 'Ten thousand pounds! Whew! That ought to fetch 'em." "I'B write to my bankers to allocate the sum at once against the ;• time the reward is claimed. And, by I lie way, there is another point; what about this ghost of a Boraan soldier that apparently both r Miss and Stanford have ; seen? The very_ mention by me of the Centurion of the Pnotorian • guard nearly sent our , friend, Stanford, into a fit." - * 7. • 7 " You didn't see the ghostly lictor, did you?'* asked Mfr. Velvet, and a humorous ; ' twinkle > lit up his shrewd, little eyes. - ''■■■*" .No. Canity say I _ ; did," answered ; Tcny, "though, to Sbe quite truthful, I ; shouldn't have been a bit < surprised if I ; had. It's an eerie spot. Full of spooks. But what of it?" 1# .'':,' > V-" 7':-.;"/, Mr. Velvet shook his head "I have . no theory to offer," he said. "Personally ; I ' don't believe : there ever * was | any such. thing. Imagination can play the t very dickens with ■" the mind. All :^I-.^say.i , is, that if v any < Roman^''soldierSf is■:• walking about 'Holtmgei'Bb^ira 1 in tha stilly watches of the ? night, 7it Vis some'/.•■ juggings L who has got hold of a theatrical costume. I'm ino \ believerv in ghosts. ?'-.. You're not • going to lure me into . ia . discussion on ■• spirits—not that sort' of ) spirits, > anyhow. There's probably some : kinematograph play being . done 7 down there." . •;',7; v^\''^W^~^-^-"'V';' So it wasn't one of your men playing - the fool?" ~, , .:,,../«,, ■ ' "On that point I can assure you. The answer .is in the . negative. No, ; I give the Roman centurion best. %■ ,. That's a thing, that is altogether beyond ; me." , v >- "Very strange, , very J puzzling,, all the same/' mused. Tony, who was thinking ! of; the solemn conviction with which Dolly .' Champneys had told him of "her strangely uncanny experience and also of the look; Of (sheer terror which had been exhibited ' by Mr. " Brian: Stanford when the matter had been referred to on that extraordinary night at the excavations. ..' ; '''■ : (To be continued daily.) ■■■:■■■, ;_.._, .-.•;;.-.■..■■•. .-•■ ■•. - :;.■-.