THE STOLEN MASTERPIECE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20599, 25 June 1930, Page 20

THE STOLEN MASTERPIECE.

By T. C. BRIDGES.

CHAPTER XVII. MOKE MYSTERIES. Nance's announcement was so astonishing that Jim found difficulty in believing it. But when he looked over her shoulder the truth became unpleasantly apparent, for the chest was completely empty. The Memljng Madonna, wrappings and all had vanished, and there was no sign to show it had ever been there. j Ching was the first to speak. " I told you, sir," he said, with a faint note of triumph in his voico which annoyed Jim. " You' told mo someone was moving in the house," ho retorted, " but will you kindly tell ino how tlioy got into this secret cellar, and more than that, how they got out again, without our seeing or hearing them ? " " I've no more idea than you, sir; but, anyways, they've got the picture," said Ching stubbornly. " Someone has got the picturo," said Jim, " but I don't see how it could be any of Sharland'a gang." " Who else could it be ? " asked Nance. " There. are only five of us who know the secret of opening this place—we three, Mr. Paget and Maurice. . Even my uncle does not know. And lam sure that none of us have removed it." "What about Mr. Aylmer ? " asked Ching. % " Mr. Aylmer cannot possibly know of it," said Nance. " Besides," ho is away, so ho does not como into tho business at all." " No, of course he can't," agreed Jim. " I suppose that, after all, one of Sharland's people must have got hold of the secret. But we are wasting time. We must search the house." Carrying his torch, Jim ran back through the other cellar and up tho steps, and Ching followed, but a search of every room on the ground floor only deepened the mystery. Tho windows, as well as the outer doors, were all properly -fastened, and there was not a sign of anyone having passed in or out. Ching went upstairs and visited Mr. Aylmer's room, but that was empty, and so far as could be seen, in exactly the same state as when Aylmer had left. They •went outside and searched tlhe garden, but here again, without finding the slightest trace of any disturbance. Coming back Jim mot Nance in the hall. " I am beat," he told her. "The whole business is an utter mystery." "Tt is most' curious," Nance agreed. " Curious is too mild a word," said Jim. "I don't know any word to fit it, unless it is ' supernatural.' There is no trace of how the thief got in or out of the house. And even supposing that side of it is solved, how did he know tho picture was in the inner cellar, and how did he know of the existenco of tho cellar itself ? I'll swear none of us have mentioned it, except among ourselves, and Ching vows he has not even told his wife. ' Nance did not speak, and Jim went on. "How long have you known of it, Nance ?" " About a year, Jim. I had been reading a book about old houses and hidden rooms, and one wet day I went down and began searching. It was quite by chance that I found the concealed spring which opens the door. I told Maurice, but not Uncle Bob, and I am sure that I have never mentioned it to another soul until you and Pip came." " Are you sure that no one ever saw you go in there? " " I do not think that anyone ever saw me, Jim. I was always careful to close the door on the stairs before opening the secret door. Besides, who was there to see? Mr. .Aylmer is the first stranger we have had in tho house."

" Ching f # iys Aylmer is keen about tho treasure, said Jim. " Ching does not like him, though why, I do not know, unless .it is his very quiet, reserved manner. But I. am fairly certain that Mr. Aylmer knows nothing of the secret entrance. In any case the fact that he is in London puts him out of the reckoning." Jim ran his fingers through his hair. "That is true, Aance. Tho more one thinks of it the worse the puzzle becomes." " do not think," said Nance gently. " The picture is gone, and we can do nothing about it until daylight. We had better go back to bed and in the morning I will tell Maurice and we will plan what is best to bo done fo recover it." " You are wonderful, Nance," Jim declared. " .Any other girl would have been most frightfully upset." • " I am upset, Jim," sho confessed. "So upset that I simply dare not let myself go. I must think of Maurice, you see." " You think of everyone, except yourself," vowed Jim. " But this time thero is going to bo someone to do some thinking for von. Pip and T will get that picture back if it's humanly possible." A litllo smile came on Nance's lips as she lifted her eyes to his. " You nro a. very great comfort to me, Jim," she said softly. Jim glowed with pleasure, ho took a half step forward, and just then thing's step was heard as lie carno through from the back. " Damn! " said Jim under his breath, and though Nanco pretended not to hear, thero was a little twinkle in her eyes as sho ran upstairs. Ching camo lip. "It fair beats 1110, sir." ho said in a, very worried tone. " Mo, too, Ching," agreed Jim. " X.ie oddest part of al is how the fellow got away without our seeing or hearing him." " T. believe it was that thero Mr. Aylmer," said Ching, but Jim grew impatient. " You are allowing your disliko for Mr. Aylmer to blind you, Ching. A man can't bo at two places at once, and you must remember that it was only to-dav, or rather yesterday, that Miss Tremayno heard from him that he would not bo back beforo to-morrow." He paused. "It must be Sharland's lot," Iho added presently. " Mr. Paget saw | a man watching the house yesterday afternoon. In some way they must havo got hold of the secret of tho inner cellar, and they had tho picture and were leaving when you heard them." I Ching's lips moved, then he seemed to think better of it, but thero was an utterly unconvinced look on his face as he turned away, and with a brief, "Good- ! night., sir," went toward the back i staircase. Jim, too, went up to bed. But he lay awake for a long time, thinking, and it was nearly dawn beforo he dropped off to sleep. CHAPTER XVIU. WHY WOKKY ? " I think the best thing wo can do is to call in the police," said Pip at breakfast next morning, and he spoko in an unusually serious tone. Nanco shook her head. "Maurice will not have it. Ho says that Mr. Vanned? told him that 110 was on no account to call in tho police, for then tho story would bo bound to get into the newspapers and the Italian Government would make a terriblo fuss. It would make it impossible, so Mr. Vanneck says, for him to spend his holidays in Ttalv. He would be refused a passport-." Pip grunted. " Yes, I suppose Mussolini would raise Cain. Then it looks 83 if we'd got to be our own police.'' " That's about tho size of it," agreed Jim. "-The question is what does Scotland Yard do in a caso liko this." " Take fingerprints," suggested Pip vaguely. Nance smiled. How do you do that 1 " she asked.

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" Hanged if I know," replied Pip. "Footprints would bo more to the point," said Jim. "If we could only find out how tho thieves got into the house "it would be something." Pip looked doubtful. " There's been no rain since that day you went to Bude, Jim, I doubt if there will be much in the way of marks. But we'll have a look, if you like." They had a look, a very long and careful look, but could not find a trace. Then Pip . suggested that the thief or thieves must have had a car or some sort of vehicle in which to make their escape, so they went to the road and looked for fresh tyro marks. Again no luck, for tho last marks they could find were thoso of tho grocer's ancient motor-car from Bude. ■„ " They might havo come by boat, Jim suggested. " A boat makes less noise than a car." " And leaves no tracks, added rip sadly. The whole day was spent m searching for clues. Jim took Maurice's bicycle and rode as far as Bude inquiring on the way if any strange car had been seen, whijjg Pip took a boat and went up the coast making similar inquiries. Pip got nothing, but Jim was a little more fortunate. At a cottage near the spot where the branch road cut into the main road, a woman told him that she had heard a car pass down the branch road about one in the morning. She had not heard it go back, but then she had gone to sleep, so it might have passed without her hearing. Jim went back and made inquiries at the only two houses which, besides the Roost, were served by this branch road, but no car had come to either of these, nor did the people know anything of the passing of a car. Jim then examined the road itself for tracks, but this was pretty hopeless, for the rough, stony surface was too dry to carry permanent marks of tyres. It was nearly tea-time when ho got home, and told Nance what he had done. " But not a bit of use," ho added. "We don't know whose car it was, who was in it, where they came from, or where they went. The police might find that out, but we can't." Nance shook her head. " Maurice won't have anything to do with the police. He says that Mr. Vanneck would sooner lose the picture." "It is lost all right, ' Nance, said Jim grimly. " And there's only one way to get it back." " What is that?" " Find Sharland, catch him as hie fellows caught me, and hold on to him until ho is ready to disgorgo." Nance laughed outright. "My deal Jim!" she remonstrated. _ "I mean it," said Jim quietly. " 1 do, indeed. In a case like this we hav« to take the law into our own hands." Nanco shook her head. " I hope yoi will not try anything of the sort. In anj case you for none of us knows where Sharland lives, or anything aboul him." " Vanneck could tell us.'' " Then we must wait until he comes.' " That will be too late. I suggesl that we cable to hiro in the cyphei Maurice uses and ask for Sharland's ad dress." Nance's face grew serious. " I am al most sure that Maurice will not agree Jim." " I will ask him at any rate," declarec Jim, and hurried off upstairs. Five mill utes later he was down again. "You wcri wrong, Nance," ho said. " He doesn't ob ject, so after tea I am going to Bude t< send the cable." " What a knight-errant you are, Jim!' said Nance, in a tone between admiratioi and disapproval, but Jim smiled. " All I ask is to serve my lady," hi replied, an answer which brought a de lightful colour to Nance's cheeks. The message was sent and Jim madi arrangements to havo tho answer de livcrcd when it arrived. It was lonj after when he got home, and he wa really tired. Pip met him at the gate "By jove,: I'm glad to see you back old man," was his greeting. " Chinj and I have been in a rare stew." "Why? What about?" " That fellow was watching the hous again just before dusk. Ching and I botl saw him. Wo went out and tried ti round him up, but ho got away in th darkness." Jim was utterly puzzled. " What ar they watching the house for when they'v got tho picture?" ho demanded. Pip shrugged. " Blowed if I know. W thought that perhaps ho was laying fo you." "I don't see how that would help them for even if they had got the cable the; couldn't have made anything of it." Pin shrugged again. " I can't, mak anything of it either. See here, Jim I stay up to-night, and if anyone doe get on the job I'll jolly well fill them Uj with number eights from Maurice' scatter gun. As for you, you had bette turn in. You look about played out." Jim was played out, and as soon as h had had some supper, went straight t bed. No sound of gunfire roused bin: and he woke next morning with nothin but a slight stiffness to remind him c his toils of tho previous dav A col bath and a good scrub with a roug towel soon put his muscles into workin order, and he dressed and went dow to find Nance already in tho gnrder picking flowers for tho table. She greeted him with a friendly smile "Is it a detectivo I meet this niorr ing?" she inquired, "or merely Mr. Jii Cory ton." " Just Jim," was the reply. "I can do anything in the detective line unt I get that reply from Mr. Vanneck." ' Then please will you take mo fisl ing?" Nance requested. " The butcher di not call yesterday, and the larder sad needs replenishment. I have already to] Ching that ho must shoot mo son rabbits." " I can't think of anything I shoui enjoy so much as taking you fishing, said Jim. "My only objection to such delightful programme is that I don't fe that I havo any right to enjoy mvsc when you and Maurice and your uncle a: so worried." " Worrying is tho silliest occupation the world," Nance told him. The o proverb that ' what can't bo cured mu i3o endured' is one of the few that I don quarrel with. Besides, why should w worry ? I am not suggesting that tl loss of fivo hundred pounds is a sma matter, yet it will not ruin us. ] Maurice had been killed that would ha' been dreadful; but, thanks to yo Maurice is very little the worse. The re nf us are very fit, tho weather is lovel; so again I say—why worry 1" (To bo continued daily.)