THE JAPANESE PARASOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 16 (Supplement)

THE JAPANESE PARASOL.

BY ELLIOT BAILEY*

CHAPTER XXL—(Continued). Blagdon did not liko his errand. He lieard Mrs. Bourne's slightly incoherent statement that her daughter was missing with a grave face. It seemed to boar ©ut his own sinister forebodings. "Is this her cloak?" he asked Jhresently. " Why, yes; did you find it in the garden? She must havo left it there when she saw tho dear colonel oft tho {premises. How careless of her." It was on tho tip of Blagdon's tongne to tell her it was not found in the garden, tut sho was as yet so patently nualarmcd Ufoat ho forboro to disillusion her. '* Whero did you last see your daughter 1 " ho inquired. ' "** Last night; I left her talking to fSJolonel Winthrop." J r"" Did she go out with him ? * "y""* I don't know—that detective from Hiondon and poor Mr. Monro appoar to fiave been drowned —and it so npset me Chat I wont to bed. But sho may have ilono 60, for a little way—she often did jyon know. But I'm sure dear Colonel 'Winthrop wouldn't let hor come to harm. ■lßho was engaged to Hugh Monro," sho added inconsequontly. JBlagdon caught his breath- So that Vas it! He felt ho understood now tho imeaning of that cloak. Griof at her (fiance's death, j . ... | But he asked ono moro question. J* When did you first find sho was missing? " " When Ellen brought the telegram—that reminds mo, I wonder what was in (that telegram ? " *' Telegram ? What telegram ? " After sorno fumbling, sho produced it {from her bag, and handed it to the (superintendent. " Those tiresome boys —" she began, 'tvhen Blagdon cut her short. " With your permission, I think we fought to open this," he said. " Oh, do yon? Perhaps so; .1 wonder Who it can be from ? I. never— ' He slit it open, and when he read Hugh's message ho passed his hand 'through his scanty hair in a motion of Utter bewilderment. It was so totally at variance with what ho had read in tho paper. " Listen," he commenced, and then it was that he received his second shock that morning.

From somewhere near at hand a scream rang out —a woman's scream—so shrill, so terrible, that ho sprang to his feet in startled horror. For a moment he_ stood spell-bound, and then dashed into the adjoining room. From that he ran to another, and then to a third, until he had searched every corner of the house without avail. He only found Ellen, pale and 'trembling, in her kitchen. She, too, had heard that dreadful scream, which had net been repeated. CHAPTER XXH. ■On tho morning that saw the finding of Gwen's cloak, and Blagdon's interview ;with Mrs. Bourne, Detective-Inspector Xucas and Hugh Monro said good-byo to those good Samaritans, Jim and Maggie Hines, and set out in a polico car for iWinthrop's bungalow at Cowham. They still wore their fisher garb, but meant to change into their own spare things at the bungalow, and the Bichester police had undertaken to return their clothes to the Hines. With them, in case Winthrop should bo found lying low at the bungalow, went Supt. Mallock, ai sergeant and a constable, but they had no expectation that this formidable force would be needed for the colonel's retreat was already being watched, and the report was that there was no sign of him, and that apparently The had never returned there. All the same, Lucas was going to take no chances.

It was evident as soon as they reached it that the house was empty, being locked up just as they had left it for the sea trip which had had so drastic a termination. The police made short work t>f tho lock, and the colonel's erstwhile guests retrieved their belongings. Winthrop's were still there, and Lucas went through them pretty carefully, without, however, finding anything that afforded him the slightest satisfaction. Mallock then left the constable in charge of the place, who could, if necessary, call upon the assistance of the local policeman, and ibey all departed for Bichester under the curious eyes of a group of villagers to whom such unusual doings were a landmark in their lives.

They dropped Mallock and his sergeant in Bichester, with many expressions of hope from the superintendent that they would lay their quarry by the heels. lie could not get over the fact that he had actually had the colonel in his power, and had let him go. " Spoofed," he said disgustedly, " absolutely spoofed. Never met such a plausible rascal in my life." His chagrin amused Lucas. "He spoofed me, too," he admitted, " .so no wonder ho did you who had no cause to suspect him. Still, I don't mind betting his race is almost run. Even tho wiliest old fox gets caught at last."

" I hope you're right," was the hearty reply. " 1 only wish I could be in at tho death. To talk Irish, Lucas, that fellow's brush will be a feather in your cap.'" " I'm not wearing it yet,'' the other said, more soberly. " Still, as I remarked, I hope to do so." An uneventful run brought them to Hrrigravc police station early in the afternoon, and there they found Blagdon, not yet able apparently to sort his ideas of these later happenings into anything approaching order. He was certainly less surprised to see them than ho would have Toeen had he not read Hugh's futile telepram to Gwen —and in this respect tho arrival of a detective-sergeant from tho Yard with certain instructions soon after lie had got back to tho station further enlightened him—but Lucas' brief and emphatic recital of what bad taken place cn their week-end jaunt left him with open month, and well-night dazed. "Colonel Winthrop!" he gasped. "Tried to murder you, you say? But —but he's one of the leading lights about these parts! " " Possibly," Lucas retorted drily, '* but J'vo known a churchwarden rob a till before now."

" Wellj well, well! Marvels will never cease. Even now, I can hardly believe it."

" You'd have believed it all right if vou'd been standing on that reef with the water slowly creeping up to your chin," was tho sardonic response. Eh, Monro ? " "Ho certainly would," tho latter agreed, " but I don't wonder he's surprised. Winthrop was a little tiu god rn my eyes, too, until recently. One would never have thought he. was a villain."

" And how great a villain we have not proved even yet," Lucas added gravely. " It is with a view to discussing ways and means of doing that that I'm hero now, Blagdon. You've carried out tho Yard's instructions, I suppose ? " " Yes, although I couldn't see tho force them at the time. However, what you say puts a different light on matters. But Winlhrop—you could knock mo down with a feather! "

Ho lapsed into silence, pondering over the revelations which forced him to regard a local magnate, of whom he had stood in some awe, in tho guise of a criminal, but even while Lucas was watching him, with secret entertainment, his face, brightened. Ho had just recollected that he, too, had a story to tell, ono which might i 6rcc« interc3i ihjs man front Scotland

A POWERFUL MYSTERY STORY, SUPERBLY TOLD,

(coPYiiiGnr:)

Yard who had just upset all his preconceived conceptions, certainly one which would interest and cause the gravest anxiety to liugh Monro. Thereupon ho poured it out—tho boys' finding of Gwon's cloak, his interview with Mrs. Bourne, and finally, that ghastly shriek which had broken in upon their conversation. If he anticipated making a sensation ho was not disappointed. Lucas sprang from his seat as if he had been electrically propelled. " You fool," ho almost shouted. " Why didn't you tell us this at once—letting us sit hero a.nd waste precious time? " Blagdon started. His customary selfsatisiied pomposity, which ho had reassumed while making his report, fell away from him, as it generally did in Lucas' presence. Ail tho same, ho was moved to remonstrance. " Steady, Inspector," ho grumbled, " that's strong language to use, you know. After all I had to listen to your story, which might havo been moro important than mine for all I knew." Lucas recognised the force of this. " You're right," ho admitted, " I apologiso, and withdraw that remark. Hang it all, I believe this business is getting on my nerves. Well, Mr. Blagdon, what' occurred after you heard that cry ? " " Tliere was no getting any moro from Mrs. Bourne," tho superintendent said. " She was completely prostrated, and tho servant was as bad. I don't wonder, for it gave me quite a turn myself. Whoever shrieked might have been in tho room itself, and yet there wasn't a sign of anyone over tho wholo house. I searched it from bottom to top." Lucas nodded. His eyes were glittering again, and his fingers commenced to open a fresh packet of chewing gum, " Yes? "he commented. " What did you do next ? " " What anyono would havo done, I suppose. Seeing that the girl had last been seen in Colonel Winthrop's company tho night before, I went over tho Grange Hall to find out if he could shod any light on the mystery—though naturally I had no suspicions of any kind against him then."

"Naturally; did you find him in?" "No; I saw his sister, Miss Winthrop, who told mo that he had had to go away early on urgent business. She was looking worried, now i come to think of it," lie added reflectively. " That is quito likely," Lucas observed. " I fancy Miss Winthrop has a good deal to worry hor in connection with her brother. You didn't tell her your errand, I suppose?" "No, I didn't; I came straight back here, and set people to work dragging the river."

The Scotland Yard man made a gesture of approval, but Hugh, who all this time had refrained from interfering only by the greatest effort, leapt to his feet. Ilis tormented face showed how badly this news regarding Gwen had hit hipi. " Surely," lie cried, " surely you don't believe that she is—drowned ? "

A glanco at him decided Lucas' reply. " Mo, I don't," he answered brusquely, " eh, Blagdou ? " Tho latter paused. " I hardly know what to think, at present," ho said slowly. " Certainly my first impression, after tho finding of that cloak, and after hearing the message that the colonel had delivered last niqht —particularly when I learned from Mrs. Bourno of her daughter's engagement — my first impression was that grief at Monro's supposed death might havo unbalanced her, and that she might have—" Hugh broke in on what she was about to say. ,c No," he asserted positively, " Gwen would never do that. Even though she never got that telegram, and therefore must have believed what that scoundrel told her, I know her well enough to be sure that sho would never even think of taking her life." " Ira inclined to your way of thinking—now," Blagdon agreed. " The question remains:—how did her cloak get whero it was fonnd, and where has she vanished to ? " Onco more silence fell between the three of them, and Lucas knew that his thoughts and Blagdon's were both groping round the same point—with, the difference that Lucas, for reasons of his own, already held a much clearer view-point. For instance, tho cry that Blagdon and Mrs. Bourno had heard, inexplicable though it was to the superintendent, was by no means so to him. It was, he felt, tho key to tho mystery of Gwen's disappearance. But it opened up a vista so grim, so fearful in its ultimate application, as to render almost preferable the inference that the cloak on the river bank suggested. Tho trend of Lucas' thoughts was likely to bring scant comfort to Hugh Monro's harassed mind. Watching him, the young man was already conscious of part of what was passing through his mind. With the lifting of tho veil of falso glamour which had hitherto obscured from him tho real Winthrop, trifles that would otherwise have passed unnoticed recurred to him with added magnitude—the colonel's expression when both of them had been in Gwen's presence, that look of something approaching enmity in the pagoda, above all his glances at the girl herself. " I know what you think, Lucas," he cried suddenly, " that the placing of her cloak by the river is a blind, that sho is in Winthrop's power. And if so, God help her," he added, almost in a whisper. " Amen to that," the detective responded softly. " But keep up your heart, Doy. We'll save her yet."-

CHAPTER XXIII. " Straight up to Winthrop's house ? " Hugh asked eagerly. With their common decision that, wherever she might be, Gwen was in the colonel's keeping, he was all agog to waste no further time beforo setting out to her rescue, and his disappointment was keen when Lucas shook his head.

" No," the detective replied, " for the time being, Grango Hall can look after itself. I suggest, Monro, that you slip up in the car to your own house «nd get that second automatic of mine I lent you —you may need it later. Then come back here—by which time Blagdon and I shall be ready for you. In the meantime there are one.or two arrangements I want to make with him.

" By the way," he added, as Hugh was about to depart, " don't be surprised if you find two or three strange men loafing round your place. " I'vo had them placed there—they're from tho Yard, and all part of the picture. But be quick; neither you nor I want to delay things unnecessarily." Hugh was quito sure that he, at all events, did not, and without further palaver ho entered the car and was driven away. When he reached tho gate, two plain-clothes men materialised from nowhere in particular, and leaving them talking with tho constable who was driving tho car ho hurried up the path arid into the house, letting himself in with his latch-key, and making straight for his study whero fio knew tho pistol was reclining in a drawer.

Had he been asked tho question, ho w6uld have said that nothing could now surprise him with regard to the ramifications of the' affair 'which' had 'com-' rnenced with the finding of Violet Chichester's body in the puut. . Since.then lie believed ho had run through the wholo gamut of surprise. Ho little knew when ho placed' his hand on the 'knob of Ins study door that yet another awaited him on the further side, ono that, under the circumstances, ho would least have expected to occur.

His crepe-soled shoes made no sound on the rugs which carpeted tho hall floor, and, as ho pushed open tho door and entered, ho became conscious of a tall figuro standing in tho room. At the noise of Hugh's entry ho swung round, and involuntarily Hugh came to a sudden stop, his faculties, as he confessed later, shocked into a whirl.

For, staring at Hugh as if he were looking at a ghost, was Colonel James

There was that about it. If Hugh was staggered, so without doubt was Colonel Winthrop also. Tho unfortunate part was that tho colonel recovered first.

" Good afternoon, Monro," ho said, " so you got off tho reef 1 " It was then that Hugh played into his hands. lie forgot the existence of tho police outside, was conscious of one thing only —that he was face to face with tho man with whom ho meant to have a reckoning, 110 closed tho door behind him, and advanced into the room. <4^ r ou scoundrel/' lie exclaimed furiously, " what have you done with Gwen ? " Tho colonel's eyebrows wont up. Had Hugh been cooler, ho would havo Been tho danger signal in his eyes. " I'm afraid I don't understand you," ho declared. " Won't you bo a trillo more explicit ? " While ho was speaking, ho had backed tip against Hugh's writing table, and was feeling behind him for something with his hand. All at once ho grasped it, and, too late, Hugh saw what was coming. With a bound Winthrop was at him, a heavy brass candlestick swung aloft. Ho threw up his arm to ward tho blow, but with a crash tho candlestick descended upon his head, 110 fell liko a log, and, standing over him, with an expression that was truly murderous, tho colonel seemed tempted to repeat the stroke. In tho cud, however, he replaced tho candlestick —and tho next moment was no longer in tho room.

Hugh's first act, when later on ho groped painfully to his feet, was to survey himself in a glass, and it became evident that ho had at all events partly broken tho force of the blow—otherwise, considering tho weight of tho weapon, ho would havo been lucky to oscapo with his life. As it was, an ugly bruise and a lump that was rapidly assuming gargantuan proportions were thero to remind him of tho encounter. He rang tho bell. " Never mind roe," ho said impatiently, when it was answered by his housekeeper, who wa3 patently surprised to find him there and as patently alarmed at his appearance, " I want to know when Colonel Winthrop came into the house."

Tho woman stared at him in mystific ation.

" Colonel Winthrop ? " she repeated "I haven't seen Colonel Winthrop, sir.' : " Ho was here in my study when ] arrived," Hugh told her. " Find out i: anv of the servants let him in."

Sho was soon back again, shaking her head to herself as she camo down tho passage. " lN f o ono let him in, or out, sir. Are you sure you weren't mistaken ? " " Quito!" Hugh assured her, with a sardonic emphasis that was lost upon her.

110 went over to the window, and tested it. It was fastened, and after a moment's reflection ho hurried out of tho house, and down tho garden to tho waiting police, leaving tho housekeeper to return to her quarters with another shako of her head.

" It's not like Mr. Hugh to talk wild liko that," sho told herself. "I do hope as lie's not taking up with bad companions. And what on earth's ho been a-doing to his head ? " But to Hugh's excited questioning the police returned a blank negative. They had seen nothing of Winthrop, and evinced keen interest in Hugh's narrative.

" Tall, grey-haired chap, name of Winthrop," one of tho plain-clothes men repeated. " That's tho bloke we're looking out for. There's a warrant out against him, and we'd have held him if he'd como along. But ho didn't; not a sign of him. I'll take a look over tho house with you, if you liko, sir."

Ho went back with Hugh, and together they searched the house from cellar to attic, but there was no trace of lurking Winthrop.

" Funny where ho can havo got t ," tho policeman observed, a statement with which Munro found himself in thorough agreement. How tho colonel had got both in and out was a mystery, and he wondered what his object had been in coming to tho house at all. Presently they stopped and looked at one another.

" He's nowhere about now, I'll bet my bottom dollar," the plain-clothes man declared. " Better let me attend to that knock of yours, sir, and then we'll let the inspector know. It's a rum business altogether." " Ilum. I should think it was," Hugh muttered. " The fellow seems to have the power of dissolving into thin air. As you say, it will bo another little problem for Inspector Lucas." He allowed the man, who possessed some knowledge of first aid, to bind up his hurt, retrieved the pistol ho had como for from its drawer, and then drove back to Hengrave. Lucas, who had been wondering what was keeping him, uttered an exclamation when he caught sight of the bandaged head, and listened with absorbed intcntncss while Hugh related his story. " I was an idiot not to have been ready for him." the young man said apologetically, " but the fact is the sight of him took my breath away. He seemed pretty staggered for the moment at the siglit of me, too." " Naturally," Lucas remarked drily, " he would be—having just read in the papers that your body had been washed up on the seashore." " Oh, I'd forgotten that newspaper effort of yours. No doubt that was it. But how was it that no one spotted him either entering or leaving the house?" " That," Lucas responded, " I think I can promise that I shall shortly show you. But we must waste no more time. Our adversary will be on his guard now, and we must be prepared for squalls. A cornered rat will fight, but a cornered Indian tiger is a much more formidable proposition, Come, let us get a move on."

"To Grango Hall this time, I suppose ?" " No," was the somewhat cryptic rejoinder, "to tho tiger's lair." So swift, so utterly unexpected, had been the attack on Gwennie Bourne that it seemed to her that she had scarcely begun to struggle beforo she found herself pinioned and gagged upon the ground. But though she could neither speak nor move, she could hear every word that her assailants uttered, and a quiver of terror ran through her at Winthrop's ominous words: " We'll carry her to the wafer." Then she was lifted between them, and there commenced tho most terrifying period she was destined to experience in her life.

Their way led them through the darkness across tho fields, and she soon realised that she was being carried toward the backwater of ominous memories. What, she wondered wanly, were they going to do with her—throw her in, bound as she was, to drown helplessly ? Was that to bo the colonel's revenge for her rejection of his advances? She pondered dully over his statement that Hugh, too, had been drowned. Had lie had a hand in that, also ? Tho realisation of his depravity almost stunned her. All that had happened lately began to bear a new significance.

But when they reached the backwater it was into a boat that she was lowered—the same boat, she guessed, that Winthrop had used on the night the snakecharmer had met his end. Tho colonel took tho sculls, and they moved slowly off toward tho copse. Thero tho eecond man scrambled ashore.

He was back in a few minutes. " All clear," ho reported, "No ono about."

" Not lively to be," was the harsh response. Winthrop's thoughts had gone back to the two men be had left to drown upon ' the" reef. " Help mo get her ashore."

■ Sho was -hoisted up the bank, and laid upon the ground, and the colonel unfastened her cloak. Ho tossed it to his confederate.

" Put it on the river bank where it will bo found," he ordered. " I can manage with her now." Tho other laughed, and throw tho garment into tho boat, descending after it with a coarso jest which made tho girl set her teeth. To her surprise, Winthrop turned on him in sudden fury. " Speak like that again, and it will be tho worse for you," ho threatened.

"No offence," fho fellow grumbled, and rowed off, muttering. iTo he continued <m Saturday oexfU,