THE HOUSE OF EVIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 16

THE HOUSE OF EVIL.

BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX

CHAPTER XIXo —{Continued) ! This, was evidently the subject on which had wanted his advics, and stiA wuSnispidwns, the young man answered her " 3?ni alter all, Mrs. Edwards, I am not 'ihe pejscui to whom yon should come hrt" ad-ric?,"' he had told her, "You aw mar. without friends who would not feel tlw responsibility as I should. There is your mother, your uncle, this man Storm on t, who has the samo regard for you that he would have for his own ricrc. Have yo.i spoken to them, or if "vo't havo not, would it not be wise to Xlo so, beforo taking such a serious step ?" She had answered him with a profusion f of tears that her mother was a woman of •weak character, would make any sacrifico for tho sake of peace. She would advise her to bear her burden with ss much fortitude as she could. Both Glenthorne I and Stormont would oppose her. They 1 "were very worldly men ; they would point ; ©nt to her the folly of forfeiting the advantages which her position as tho wile" 1 of a rich man gavo her; they would remind her cf the equivocal status of an unattached woman who was neither maid, wife nor widow. Suddenly she burst into a fit of passionAlto weeping, drew her chair close to his and laid her hand upon his arm. " Oh, please befriend me," she wailed. The others wiH give me advice that '•will suit themselves. Be my friend. Tell me what to do." And at this moment, the most comproraf ising one in their interview, tho door opened, and Edwards walked into the Toom. Not the smiling, genial man he had known up to the present, but another person altogether, his eyes glaring, his face contorted with fury. He thundered at tho weeping woman to go to her room and leave him alone to deal with her Jover. Ho turned to the discomfited young nobleman and spoke with an angry snarl in his voice when she had obeyed his order. "And what have you to say, my lord, in explanation of this vile outrage upon an unsuspecting roan ?" Wraysbury made the best defence he could, a perfectly truthful one. He hau como there in answer to a note from his wife, asking him to cal! upon her in reference to a subject on which she wanted tdvico. Edwards listened in stony silence. His hiry had died down, but his voice had an inflection of cutting sarcasm when he replied: " Do you believe such a storv would take in a child! ? You must think me a simpleton to credit it. I had not intended to retur.i for another week, but tho sudden illness of a friend caused me to change my plans," he said. " I came home, as I imagined, to tTie society of a faithful wife. After I had put my key into the door, I noticed an unnatural stillness in the house. Igo down into the lower regions; there is not a servant left in the place—they have been got out of tho way by some cunning means. i go up the stairs to the drawing room. As 1 descend I hear the sound of voices—presently that of a woman sobbing. I open tho door and see her with her hand upon your arm. What conclusion am 1 to draw from that 7 You have stolen her an my absence, and the servants have been got out of the way. You can show me twenty letters; they are a part of the game to try and avert suspicion in the remote case of discovery." Wraysbury was nonplussed. To any husband the situation might have borne the interpretation he put upon it. Edwards spoke again in a peremptory •voice. " Leave this house, Lord Wrayshury, at once; your presence lias polluted it too long. But don't t'iinlc for a moment that, because you occupy a high position in the world, and I am in your eyes ,-i mere nobodv. that you are going to go scot-free. "Neither shall this worthless ■woman whom you have dazzled with your ■fine manners and your great fortune. Before long you will" hear from your solicitors." Wraysburv knew that argument was useless. He left Curzon Street feeling bitterly humiliated. And as he walked along there dawned Tipon him the conviction that this was no unrehearsed scene to which he had "been subjected, that there had been a cunning plot betwen husband and wife to entrap him. The woman's tears were ■simulated; her story of ill-treatment was a myth. That brnise she showed him had Vieen purposely made to lend colour to her storv. Two days later a letter arrived from jb. firm of solicitors, stating that they •were instructed by their client, Mr. Edwards to bring 'ah action for divorce, and, requesting the name of a firm who would act for hirn in the matter. He made an appointment with Mr. Shelford, but before the time arrived for him to keep it. he had a visit from Glenthorne. whose usually grave face looked graver than ever when he met iWraysbury. CHAPTER NX. "A very terrible, affair, Lord Wraysbury," we're his first remarks. "Very terrible for all parties concerned. Zillah has been to me; she is distracted. They had an awful scene after you went, and tho same evening Edwards left the house. .110 raved that he would not spend another night under the same roof with Tier. Much as I deplore her conduct, h could not help pitying her." Mr. Glenthorne seemed to make 110 -secret of his beliex in the guilt of the parties, "Of course, she swore to me -that her husband had no ground for liis suspicions, that unfortunately appearances were against her, that she was perfectly innocent. Well, any woman in her position would naturally say the same 'thine," "Mrs. Edwards has simply told the (truth," answered Wraysburv. speaking with the warmth he felt. "She is innocent. and so am I." "Lord Wraysbury, you will understand that I should'espouse my niece's cause if 7 felt I had a leg to stand upon." said the usually taciturn man. "In that case. I would go to her husband and force him to hear reason. But how can I. in tho face of such strong circumstantial evidence ? How would it appear to you, if I told you the same story of somebody -else? Her husb.and away, as she was quite sure, the servants packed off to the theatre, she alone in the house! What ■would a jury say?" Tt. was on the tin of the young man's tongue to answer that he was convinced that it was an elaborate plot, engineered Ly one or both' and carried out with scrupulous regard to detail. But he could not say this very well to the woman's nncle. ";it any rite till he had received capable advice. He took refuge in silence, till suddenly what he considered a bright idea struck him. It was his general rule to destroy a'l correspondence tnat *he considered of little importance, and at the time he had certainly classed Mrs. Edwards' letter l ; under that catorrory. But T>y the merest accident ho had nreserved it, and he showed it, to his visitor with tho, observation. "Tf that doesn't prove to von mv visit was an innnocent one, nothing will." The grave-faeed man read it with the closest attention, and in die coarse handed it bark. "This cuts both ways, my lord. on probably are not r>osKessed of what we call the lefal mind. am being of the profession of the law myself, I am a solicitor. If T were artmg as your counsel. I shouid uree this co » rincin * proof „f vonr

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in the other side argue? Hi> would say thai letter was written with a purpose, as the result of an agreement between, both parties, the purpose being to avert suspicion, i? by «» unforeseen accident, you were discovered together. H,o would also say that if tho visit wot n perfectly innocent one, thero would bo no necessity to get the servants out of the way. Mind you, I nm endeavouring to show you what would present itself to tho legal mind. It would give me the greatest pleasure to prove Edwards in the wrong, but I fear that letter won't help me." It might be a mere coincidence, but he was using just the same argument that tha husband had employed. Having once allowed tho suspicious side of his nature to develop itself, Wraysbury suspected this grave-faced man. "What is tho object of this visit, Mr. Glenthorne?' 'ho asked sharply. "My deep concern in my niece's welfare." was tho reply. "It is an awful thing to contemplate a beautiful young woman's career to be blasted almost before it has begun, as it must lie if this affair comes into court. "Had you riot, better show that letter to Edwards," and point out to him the consequences of the step ho is taking?" Mr. Glenthorne spoke, Wraysbury thought., in a less assured tone. "Unfortunately Edwards is a very obstinate man, a very vindictive one. The only thing one couid appeal to, perhaps, would be his cupidity. He is very fond of money for its own sake, not because he hasn't plenty of his own." Wraysbury repressed a smile. Sharpened by his experience of recent events, he divined that this solemn-faced, not very prepossessing person had come as an emissary. Realising the delicacy of his mission, he experienced some embarrassment in coming to the point. He was now evidently 011 the road to it. " Will you speak a little more plainly, sir ? lam not a very subtle person myself. Will you tell rnc what is in your mind ?" And Glenthorne told him. " If this matter comes into Court, Lord Wraysbury, it will not only ruin my niece tor life, it will be a very serious thing for you, it will damage you greatly, and cause terrible grief to your most worthy parents. I think it is worth a considerable sacrifice, even from your own point of view, to prevent its reaching that stage." The man was showing his hand very plainly now. Wraysbury with a face as grave as his own, led him on. "In plain English, you suggest this injured husband, as he pretends to be, can be bought off ?" Glenthorne lowered his voice. " Between ourselves, rnv lord, I believe it might be possible. As I have told you, he is a very greedy man; I believe greed to be the predominant feature in his character. He will, of course, go for heavy damages, and. with your wellknown wealth, ho is likely to obtain them. I think it is possible that, if you anticipated those damages, as it were, made him a firm offer, he might withdraw from the action. Of course, I cannot speak positively, but I think ii would be worth trying." " 1 could say nothing 011 that point until I had consulted with my own solicitors. Shelford and Taylor. ou will understand that." " Quite," agreed Glenthorne. " Shelford and Taylor, a most respectable firm, their reputation is second to none. But although I have the highest respect for mv profession. may I suggest that, in certain cases, lawyers ar.? not always the best judges ? I think in the present instance the advice of a man of the world would be more than helpful to you. Of course, for all I know to the contrary, this firm may be men of the world as well as solicitors. In that case I have very little doubt as to how they would advise you." " You think they would advise me to pay hush-money to this person. And do you happen to know at what price he values his fancied wrongs?" asked Wraysbury in a sarcastic tone. The reply confirmed his conviction that Glenthorne was in the plot as welJ, and had come for the purpose of sounding him. " T can give you some indication, I think. When my niece told the painful story, I felt it incumbent on me to do something, to use my best endeavours to avert tho impending catastrophe Edwards is staying at the Cecil, that was the address lie sent to me the day after be b;,d left Curzon Street. I did not call upon him at once: I thought it wiser to give him time for his anger to cool down. I used all the arguments I could think of to dissuade him from the drastic course he had resolved upon.. I met with a verv stubborn resistance, as I expected. But my impression when I left was that he would abandon the idea of a divorce if a sufficient sum were offered him. 111 that case he would never live with his wife again, but settle upon her a quite decent income." (To be continued daily.) MOBBING AT A FUNERAL. HUSBAND HISSED BY VVOF^EN. ' "LET'S HAVE HIM 'OUT." Three hundred women hissed a husband at the funeral of his wife and daughter at Willesden recently, and tried to drag him from the coach in which he was riding. The funeral was that of Mrs. Ada Petchley and her two-years-old daughter, Kathleen, who died of gas poisoning. Mr. and Mrs. Petchley lived with the i husband's parents, and after a quarrel a week previous to the tragedy, Petchley left his wife and daughter. The mother and child were found gassed in the house, and a verdict that the mother had murdered the child and committed suicide was returned at the inquest. The coroner, at the request of the jury, censured the husband. When the mourners left the house neighbours surrounded the coaches and several women made a rush 1 to get at the husband. He was protected by the undertaker's men, who assisted him into the carriage 1 and guarded it. Women booed and shouted and a rush was then made at the i outside door of the coach, a woman raising the cry of " Let's have him out." The husband, however, held 011 to the handle of the door and the driver was instructed to get away quickly. Other members of the family were also greeted with hisses and booes when they left the house. At the cemetery a crowd of 300 women assembled. The husband, who was in a state of collapse, was supported bv his mother and sister. As Petchley left the grave there was another hostile drmonstration, but he was protected by officials of the cemetery and the clergyman who conducted the service. As the coach drove off lumps of earth were thrown on to the top. LEASE OF NERVES RENEWED. SIGNED BY MARSHALL'S FOSPHERINE. Has your nerve lease expired ? Are you having difficulty in getting it renewed ? Did you have periods of depression, and are you cross and jumpy? Assert yourself! Your nerves have run out, and need revitalising. Marshall's Fospherine will put them right, and supply them with the phosphorus they need. Puts new blood into you, and gives you a new lease of life A highly concentrated nervo and body builder. ' Gives quick results. Get a bottle of "Marshall's" to-day, and start afresh. You get 100 doses for 2s 6d in the six-sided carton, at any chemist or store. Or write to the Proprietors, A. and W. Baxter, of Baxter's Ijinjt Preserver. Cbristchnrch.—AdvL