MASTER OF FATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 18 (Supplement)

MASTER OF FATE.

BY FRANK PRICE

(Copyhigutj

CHAPTER XI I Continued.) " How dc you know, and why wcro the,orders given?" asked Robert "I am not in-Mr. Lano's confidence. I heard him. telling Grico to watch you to your room when you loft Mi Hcarstwood and .his daughter—" said Miss Eversloy " Ho knew 1 wa- with them ? " That was simple. You went into Mi. Hearst wood's room openly, and were seen As for Mr. Lane's motive for having you locked in hero, that is not mysterious, either. lie wanted to bo sure ho could find you when ho wanted you. VVliat havo you done tc make him so anxious on your account ?" "'What is thai to you ?" *' I could help bettor if you told rno. But you do not trust me: I can see that in your face. Why do you think I am hero' Use yout brains. It cannot be to lccep you a prisoner. Here is tho key of the door. You could take it from mo by force in a, second if you liked,' hut tlisro is no need for that I'll givo it to you." And she held it out to him He took the key and stood looking down at her in doubt. She looked very small and fragilo in her plain black dress, but ho was awaro of a rare strength of spirit in her. But thore was something about her that repollcd him. " Y'ou won't tell me anything?" she said, aftei a pause. " How do I know what use yon would make of it if I did? For all I know you may be here now by Lano's orders." . " He knows nothing of my being hero. Ho ha 3 not givon mo a thought. I am only an automaton to which ho can dictate his lotters and leave tho petty details of his business with tho certainty that they will be properly attended to. Ho neither knows me, nor my purpose, nor my hate!" She had suddenly flamed up and was transfigured by a pas- | sion there was no mistaking; {lien, as 1 suddenly, sho becamo calm again. " I i have offered to help you. Will you let mo ?"

" The only thing I want to do at this moment is to get out of his houso and find Mr. Hearstwood's car so that I can reach London before morning," said Robert. " I shall not need your holp for that!" " You think not?" There was irony in tho question. " I see you don't know Grant Lane well. If you tried to leave the houso in the ordinary way, you would not go far." " What do you mean ?" " Grant Lane does not tako chances. You had better trust mo if you really want to escape from him." " I must get off to London at once," ho said. "My object is to make certain inquiries about Grant Lane. If I succeed in learning what I hope, tho result will bo at least that I know enough to prevent him from tricking Mr. Hearstwood—"

" And incidentally from being able to bring pressure to bear on Miss Hearstwood to persuade her to marry him, I suppose ?" What do yon know of that 1" " I keep my eyea open," 6he replied with a nod. " I could see how you felt about her at dinner and I had suspicions about his designs before. Where do you expect to get this information ?" " Do you know a man named Peter Morrison ?"

" Peter Morrison! Can you lay your hands on him ?" " Y'es. And also a woman named Beryl Lacroix." " I never heard of her," sho said.

" It was sho who was shot in Lano's offico to-night." "Sho?" Joan Eversley gave a great start-. "You recognised her?" " Yes, and so did Lant. though ho denied it to Inspector Garth. It is prin cipally because he knows I was awaro that he was lying that ho is afraid of me. " He knew her!" said Joan to herseif. " Then he must also havo known why sho was here. And the man who escaped —do you know who he was?"

" No. lam hoping to get some information on that point and others from Morrison. But is it necessary for mo to go to him ? You seem to know a good deal about him and his relations with Lane. If you aro really willing to help mo can't you tell mo what I want "to know ?" She shook her head.

"It is .only by chahce I know Peter Morrison's name and those of somo of his friends. But they are the people who can toll you more about Grant L.ino than anyone else—if you can persuado them to speak." " Only let mo get to Morrison and I will mako him speak 1" said Robert grimly. " I believe you will!" sho said, with •a long look at him. "But you must get away at once. We havo taltad too long already. Give me tho key." Sho tool: it, unlocked tho door and glanced out into the corridor. "I think it is safe, sho said. " Come." Ho passed out and she locked the door and left the key in it. Then she led him through tortuous passages, some of which ho had explored with Garth, up and down sovcral narrow staircases until at last they carno out through a door at tho back of tho tiouse. " The garago is there," she said, pointing. "Get into the shadow and wait for me. I know how to get tho key."* She s flitted noiselessly away, and Robert did as she directed. In a few minutes she was back and opened tho double doors. They found tho Hcarstwood car and between them pushed it out and turned it so that he should havo a clear run when ho started. " Travel as silently as you can until yoa aro out of tho grounds," sho said as Robert got in. " After that—speed 1 You will bo followed if ho finds you havo gone. ' I will tako the short cut through tho trees and havo tho gates open for you. And wh.en you sec Peter Morrison," sho whispered as ho switched on tho electric starter, " if ho refuses to toll you what you vant to know, tell him that Mary Latimer's daughter is in this houso waiting for tho cluo that will enable her to punish tho man who wrecked her mother's life."

With that r.lio sped away, running quickly to a path among tho trees. Robert set tho car going ami slipped almost noiselesslv along tho drive. Sho was beforo him "at the gates, which wero wide open Sho waved him on. Ho opened tho throttle, and a moment later was flying along tho road toward London with thoughts that raced faster than tho car. CT AFTER XII. MOIUUSO.W ■ It was a clear night with a silver of waning moon hanging in a fleecy sky and, with tho certainty that ho would meet little or no traffic at that hour, Robert lei. the big car go for nil it was worth. "Mile after mile slid behind him whilo ho reviewed his experiences, sinco ho had traversed ttiia road a few hours earlier, and tried to reduce tho iniprossions they had tnadp to some kind of ' relation with ordilTOTv, civilised existence. ( Lie felt as though ho had been living through a jjrotesquo nightmare from which he m»*.st soon awako; yet 110 ' prayed that such nil awakening would never come. If ho lost certainty of the horrors ho had been passing through, ho must also loso the joy. Una had said sho loved him, and that fact stood out above and beyond the terrors, shedding a radianco on his spirit that nothing could dim. . | Ho had to fight hard with his inclinai tions to provont.his thoughts from dwel- | line on her to »ho exclusion of all cJso, und when ho succeeded tho result was not encouraging. . What was to ho made of tho night's events? What woro their motives, their meanings? What the relations botween Grant Lane, Beryl Lacroix the unknown' man, so primitively ruth loss, who had presumably killed her and tried to kill Lane, had undoubtedly murdered -the unfortunate kitchen-maid and

A THRILLING STORY OF LOVE, CRIME AND ADVENTURE.

dealt so ferociously with tho village constablo y whoti interrupted id his extraordinary enterprise of carrying off tho body ot his first victim? And where, in this incredible woltor ot raw tragedy, did Miss Joan Eversley como in? what was sho doing at Grey Prior, installed as tho private secrotary of tho man sho hated with so fierce a passion? What was it sho had told him to say to Morrison ' " Mary Latimer's daughter is in this house waiting foi tho clue that will enablo her to punishj tho man who wrecked hei mother's lifo!" Was sho Mary Latimer's daughter, masquerading under a falso name for tho purpose of furthering somo fantastic scheme of vengeanco on Lano ? That 6eemcd the obvious explanation of her words. Then, who was Mary Latimer? Idle to speculate on that and, after all, what did it matter? If tho name drew useful information from Morrison it would servo its purpose for him " I hope ho had something indigestible for dinner!" thought Robert. "It would bo a bit of luck for me if I could wake him with a shock from somo ghastly dream. I must take my chance on that but, if noise will do it, I'll guarantee ho gets tho shock all right. Hello!" 110 cut out tho engine and jammod on tho brakes. A policeman had suddonly como into view in tho beam of tho headlights, standing in tho middle of tho road with oxtended arms. Aa tho car' came to rest ho advanced to the running board and flashed his lamp over tho seats.

"Anything, wrong, officer?" asked Robert.

" Nothing concerning, you, sir," tho' man replied. " Unless you happen to have a two-seater, dark-bluo, mako unknown, driven by n largo man, very broad across tho shoulders and possibly with a—passenger who' might seem to bo asleep or drunk bosido him?" Ho repeated tho description as though ho wore reciting a lesson learned by rote, and Robert immediately guessed that ho was one of tin pat rons Garth had arranged for by telephone to keep a watch on tho roads for the murderer and his car. Ho was on the roin, ol saying something that would have revealed his knowledge of what was being looked for. but stopped himself in time. Miss Eversley had said lie would be followed if his escapo were discovered, and it would bo foolish to leave more means of identification than ho must.

" I liavo not seen any tiling answering: to thai description," ho said, and then, thinkmp thai a word of warning might not bo out ol plate in consideration of what he knew." ho added: "It sounds as if you were looking out for a hefty customer j not a pleasant person to meot on a dark night if he was not anxious to make youi acquaintance'" " J shall know what to say to him if I do meet him!" roplied the policeman. " That's all right, sir. Yon can go on. " " Thunks. Good night." Robert was off again, catching sight a few yards along th<» roan of two more blue-clad figures in tht ohadow of the hedge. " That p a comfort," he thought. " Garth has evidently givon the -word. that no risks should be taken with the gentleman ho wants stopped! 1 wonder if they'll got him : It's a toss up, if ho knows the country They can't guard 'all tho roads and thero are plenty of lanes and by-pat is he could use if "lie thought of it. If he mad- foi London, he is probably there already—but what on earth woiild bo do with tho body when he got thero V' , Well within tho half hour he drew up in tl.e street outside Morrison's flat Tho block was it. darkness save for light in the hall and ho went up the steps expecting to have to rouse the porter; but to his surprise, when he laid hi 3 hand on the knocker, tho door swung back at hir touch. It had been pushed to, but not fastened. " I'm in luck!" ho thought., as he ran quiotly up the stairs. "If I'd had to wiilcc the nnrter I should probably have disturbed Morrison at tho same time and given him a chance to get his wits about him; as it is I shall gel him on the jump. Here goe-- foi it!" He was on the tanding of the second floor, which was in darkness, save for a taint glow coming through the window from without. He felt his way silently to tho door of Morrison's flat, intending to assault it with all tho noise ho could make; but suddenly he Btopped with a sharp exclaimation. His foot had encountered something soft and yielding; something the mnro touch of which through Ins- shoe sent a shudder over him. He started back involuntarily and stood, hardly breathing, his muscles tense and all his senses alert, with a curious, panick\ feeling that whatover it was that lay thero might spring on him. Nothing happened, and, though ho concentrated his- gaze on tho floor, ho could only make out an impression of deeper darkness at tho 'oot of tho door than about tli, rest of the landing. TTo took a box of matches from his pocket and, striking a light, bent down to seo what it was that had affected him so strangelv. "Good God!" lie exclaimed. Is this what ho did with her?" The light had shown him the body of Beryl Lacroix, still garbed in its black dinner suit, lying face upwards across tho door of tho f|at. For some seconds the shock deprived Hubert of tho power to think. Ho stood in tho darkness staring down at tho shadow, his eyes now dimly aware of the li. titer patches that wero tho stained front of her shirt and her dead face, reaching out wildly for self-mastory; then, gradually, his brain began to work and ho found himself struggling to strangle a queer, hysterical laugh. " A shock for Morrison! ho babbled. " He's going to get a shock all right!" Ho laughed again and tho sound of it thero in tho darkness, with that gruesome thing lying at his feet was so bonifying that Ins flesh crept. ' atop it, you fool' Pull up!" ho muttered and got a firm grip on himself. He moved toward tho door again, _ leaning forward so thai he couid reach it with his hand without his feet coming in contact with the body. His fingers found tho button of an electric bell and ho pressed _it hard, listening to its shrill summons with satisfaction. 1 hero was comfort in its bound. Ho would have liked to carry out his original intention of battering at tho door with all tho noiso ho. could make, but there wero other flats on tho landing and tho thought that their occupants might hear and conio out restrained him. Thero must bo no others by when Morrison appeared. Tho whirr of tho bell went on and 011 for what seemed an interminable timo as Robert kept his thumb on tho button, and 110 began to wonder if it would ever have any effect. Then a door was opened inside tho flat and a faint light filled the hall against which ho saw a bulkv figure moving. An instant later a bulb near the front door- was switched on; tho lock arid a bolt wero shot back, and the door was Hung open with a crash, showing Morrison, a dressing gown over his pyjamas, his oyes heavy with sleep, and ilia hair all towsled as he peered forth angrily I " Loder!" ho exclaimed, as ho saw who had summoned him. " What tho devil do you mean by " The words trailed off and ended with a gasp.

"Look at that!" Robert's hand was outstretched, and his fingers pointing down in front of Morrison's feot. The big man glanced down and jumped back with a yelp. " What is it? Who is it?" ho stammered.

"It is Deryl Lacroix," said Robert. " Beryl!" Morrison advanced gingerly nnd bent over (ho body. " Blood!" He saw the crimsoned shirt front and shrank, his starting eyes seeking her faco. " She's dead I What does it mean ? Have you killed her?" " Not 11" said Robort. !' She was shot to-night in Grant Lano's private office at his house, Grey Prior!" (To bo continued on Saturday atad,)'