TETE-A-TETE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20474, 28 January 1930, Page 4

TETE-A-TETE.

A SHORT STORY.

BY 'MARGARET SCOTT.

>- "Here you are, sir! Jump in." The guard flung open the carriage door. He had unlocked the first he laid hands on, despite the label " Engaged " on the window, and' pushed- me in as the whistle

sounded. ' v i y * I leaned back in my seat, glad to have a chance of regaining my breath, and shook the rain from the rim of my hat put of the open window. . • "Mr. Jtones, I believe?" My single fellow-passenger was leaning towards me, smiling like an old friend., I was sorry to deny the soft impeachment, for I liked his looks and a long, dull journey lay before me. f He a little, but soon recovered. " No matter," he said cheerfully. " My name is Howard." " And mine is Jonnings," I responded. ■There was no resisting the smile of my vis-a-vis. He was a singularly preposessing young fellow of about five-and-twenty, clean shaven, with the look of a rising professional man in his business-like getup. The tendons of the strong wrists, standing out like whip-cord as he unbuttoned a- well-fitting glove, revealed the as did the general aspect of fresh air that pervaded the man. ' "I hope you don't feel a draught?!' We had been chatting so pleasantly that |'l had not noticed that the window was open till a gust of chill night wind caused •' an involuntary shudder. " I'm rather partial to it," he continued. " You don't find it cold, do you?" I compromised by sitting back to the engine so as to escape the biting wind, '.wondering, as I made the change, at the 'Arctic tastes of my new friend. A short conversation made me more and more interested in him. Ho seemed to be a man of considerable culture, had travelled expensively, and was conversant .with most European languages. ' And the' bitter coldness of the night seemed "to have no effect on him. " Do you come from Siberia?" I asked him half Resting. Ho took .mo quite seriously. "Not recently. My business is in .various places." "I see from the label on your bag that , you are going to Birmingham?" "I do not reside there," he replied hastily and with, a touch of resentment. . " Do not think me inquisitive," I said, smiling. "I'm a bit of a detective in an amateur kind of way, and find it hard to keep from practising the art. I think / now I could tell you a thing or two about yourself!" "Indeed!" He spoke shortly, more I thought in scorn than in anger. "Let us hear them,.by all means!" " But first," I said, "let us have this infernal window up." "No, no," interposed Mr. Howard. •" That's the mistake so many people make [Wrap yourself up and live in impure atmosphere 611 your life and then put it on a breath of fresh air when you're laid . up. Do be reasonable!" / I am not a quarrelsome man. I mutely protested by borrowing his travelling rug, . .which lay unused at his feet. ' "To proceed," said I, having made myEelf a little more. comfortable in its folds. " Firstly, I imagine that your last stopping placeHvas the Railway Hotel at F—" "How do' you make that, out?" he asked, without any show of surprise. " Simply by the fact that you have .with you two hats, neither of them 7 adapted lor carrying in the pocket. • I surmise that you carried in your hand the easy bowler which you are wearing now in place of the more conventional but uncomfortable topper-on. the rack .over your head." He started, and glanced up at it. b "From which-I-gather that the place .where you spent the night was close to the station, as no man in his senses would be likely to travel far through the streets of F—- with '-a pot hat uncovered in his hand." jquieilj r . "Simply again because F and the station at which I joined the express are the only two stops on the journey. . I may add that you are travelling incog, under an assumed name, for the initial P. on your gladstpne bag does not tally with the name you introduced yourself by to me." ■ ' " - - ' .

The words were no sooner out of my mouth than I wished them back. An expression of deathly concern had come over my companion's face. " I told you my name," he exclaimed. •"Have you any reason to doubt my word ?" " Not at all;" I replied. " I am very possibly wrong, and beg your pardon if I have offended." " Enough i" he returned, hautily. " Your company is very ..distasteful to me."

I was silent again. He was one of those men who seem born to command. The wind! howled dismally through the compartment, by the open window, all noise and darkness without, silence and my unsociable companion within. I felt an uncanny reluctance to disregard his peculiar wishes. At length patience could endure the ridiculous situation no longer. ' " Hang it," I cried at last, starting to my feet. " This is too much;" / ' I'drew up the window and fastened it with a bang, keeping my hold on the strap with playful determination. I dropped it when I looked at my companion. He was watching me over the top of his newspaper with a look that made my blood run cold! The man was mad. It needed no second glance to read, the awful story in those burning, unflinching eyes. When I looked again his face was hidden behind the paper. I pinched myself in the vain hope of awakening from a nightmare. No! It was too real. I was booked for a long, lonely journey/tete-a-tete with a dangerous lunatic. Was it all the effect of that demon glance that made" my flesh creep and my hair rise and fall ? The wind howled dismally. In the' awful silence I heard my grim companion's newspaper flapping in the cold gusts as he. read on. I tried to fill my pipe. The match flickered and went out. And I had shut the window!. The wind whirled through the carriage as : if no shield of glass kept out the night air. Involuntarily I put my hand to the opening. Iho glass was gone! It had been broken right away at the edge all round ■ as if some heavy body had been thrown against it, removing the entire glass at a shock. Numb for the moment with horror, I drew the madman's rug closer round my neck. - Was it fancy ? Was it eye-weariness with watching the flickering light ? I rose to my feet with an involuntary cry of horror,, My hand was stained red. The end of the I had been handling Was soaked with blood! % eye: rested fascinated on an ominous Hark patch that lay along the floor. It needed no detective to unravel the skein of circumstance. I nerved myself with a tremendous effort to bo calm. 'Heni wad a tofigh job cut out for me, if I would not follow that other unknown .victim out into the dark. Cautiously I turned my eyes again on my dread companion. I measured the inches of tho. man mentally; the powerful wrists, _tbo 'punishing jaw, the mad un'"flinching eye. In physical force I should lm fts a 'Oh.ild in his hands. His fashionable atti.ro was unruffled. Thero was nothing in .his appearanco to show that he had rocontly done to death tho owner of I'.'s gladstone bag, and tho extra hat, .and hurled him out of" tho window. No woridor, thought I, that niv friend liked -the window open. With a madbad tried to conceal guilt#; attempting even to | the blood with that odious rug!

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For a moment, I meditated taking the mad leap voluntarily before those muscular wrists should send my carcase lifeless on its way. At this point my companion folded the paper with loud crackling, and sat facing me,-bolt upright, with a stare that.attracted my eyes, and held them when they would fain have wandered. Wo must have looked a curious, couple had any been there to see; the madman, neat, in. immaculate linen, calm as a statue; myself, streaked and daubed with that other man's blood, cowering spellbound before, him. I dared not remove my gaze from his. I felt that the moment I did so I was lost.

I became slowly aware that he had something bright in his hand —he had produced it unobserved from , where it had been concealed on his person—a short, sharp, narrow-bladed knife such as doctors carry for dissecting purposes. And the thing was black with dry blood. T continued to gaze immovably into those awful, frenzied eyes. They shrank before mine. With triumph, I saw them waver and cower before the power of reason. I had conquered! . " Yes," he said, suddenly and .very quietly; " I am mad! " " Indeed ! " 1 rejoined politely. " So mad," he continued, still with the same calm voice, " that I have recently thrown" my own brother out of that window. By and bye " —he felt the edge of the knife —" by and bye, I shall do the same by .you, my friend." He played carelessly with the weapon, twirling it between two fingers. At last! My chance came. It fell with a clang to the floor at my feet. In less than five seconds I had despatched it, a streak of shining steel, iuto the pitchy darkness without.

Now for a struggle! With an awful imprecation my companion made for my throat,- roused to his full fury. I prepared a feeble defence, giving myself up for lost, but with a sudden change of purpose he swerved asido, lunging at the window in search of his lost treasure. Again fortune was on my side.. The ominous rug lay on the floor where I htid cast it down in horror. Catching his foot in its folds, my madman fell heavily forward, his head and shoulders out of the carriage window. I seized him firmly by the back, with strength new-born of desperation. If only my strength would hold out, to keep him so, with those powerful hands outside the window. I leaned heavily on his back; my weight drew a groan from him as his desperate struggles became less frequent. How long the terror-laden minutes seemed! I dreaded every second to feel riiy strength give way, and see the fearful hands prepare to rend me. ■How slowly the train moved on! So I fancied. Or was it indeed fancy! No! we /were coming to a station. Lights burned around us. I heard dimly the shriek of an engine. I saw the stationlamps. I nerved myself for a last effort. As I gazed with heartfelt thankfulness at the first flag on the platform, the door, strained to the full with our weight, flew open, and the maniac and I fell heavily to the ground, locked struggling in each other's arms. I knew no more.

I awoke, after I knew not how long, to find myself in darkness. I also found that I was in motion. Putting out my hand, I felt so cramped and stiff I could not move my wrists. My elbows also clung to my sides. I tried to move my knees. Heavens! I was bound hand and foot!

The conveyance in which I lay helpless jogged on smoothly. My ears, acuter for the other perceptions being dulled, detected the regular footfalls of four men.

Others walked beside them. I was in a stretcher, on my way to the infirmary, of course.

But why had they bound me? Voices began to come to my tingling ears. " Yes, he killed another gentleman, and threw him out of the window. Found the body by the line, they say."

" And threw another out of the door at the station! " another policeman put in. " Was he killed ? "

" Can't say." Hove we began to ascend a flight of steps.. "He hadn't come to. Some kind ladies had him taken to their house to bring him round." I rolled over in my bonds with a roar of 'anger. "You iools!" I cried. "Oh! You fools !"■*..

My heart jumped wildly as I heard doors being barred and unbarred behind mo as they lifted me, heedless of my protestations, along the echoing corridor. What I had heard disturbed me far more than my own pitiful plight.

It mattered little that I was to be incarcerated as a lunatic; a short explanation would set that right. But to think of that awful creature into whose shoes I had unfortunately stepped, at large, and iii the kind hands of ladies!

No doubt I more than looked my part, haggard and blood-stained as I was, and struggling for mastery over speech that came too quickly. It took a quarter of an hour to persuade those obstinate men. They smiled incredulously. They shook their heads at my story. I was examined by a doctor, who advised my detention for a few hours. At last they consented to accompany me, handcuffed as a precaution, to the house where my interesting acquaintance had been conveyed. It was plain they did not believe me. One carried a pistol. The other armed himself grimly with a police baton, which he took care to let me see. %■

At last, fuming with impatience, I stood at the door of the house, wondering what hideous scene might not be enacting itself within. We listened; all was silence, save the tinkling reverberation of my peremptory ring. They had consented to remove the handcuffs, though the more suspicious of the two still covered me with his revolver. There was no response for a few seconds. " Force the door! " I cried in impotent rage. At this point the door opened quietly, and a trim old servant stood before us.

" You have a stranger in the house; lie had been in an accident ? " I began. " Yes, sir/ He's much better, sir. I'll fetch my mistress." She departed slowly on list slippers. I breathed more freely; at any rate, he had dime no harm as yet. An old lady now appeared at the end of the corridor —an old lady with a gentle face, beneath a snowy cap, scarce whiter than the soft hair that surrounded it. She held up a warning finger. " You wish to see my patient. It would lie unwise to disturb him now. The doctor lias been, and says he will do well." " Where is he ?" I cried. " I must see him."

" No, no, I beg you. He is in a nice sleep, and you must not disturb him. Indeed, you must not go up there! " I had taken a stride across the hall; the other men followed, partly to keep me in control, partly becauso my manner carried conviction with it. ' ' " Pray, do not wake him. He is well eared for. I assure you he is in good hands. I laid my hand on a door. Is this the room, madam ? " Yes, yes." She was almost in tears, poor lady. I opened the door quietly, and as quietly closod it again. I hud seen enough. From the cross-bar of the high fourposter iriy grim companion hung, with such a look on the rigid and deatldy features as will haunt me to my dying day. He had hanged himself in his bedclothes in a last spasm of maniac energy. The old lady came up behind me, (i Gome away," she begged me, gently. " I am taking good care of him." I took her by the hand and turned her quietly from the door. . Madam," I said; " your care it no longer heeded I " "