ON THE NIGHT EXPRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20779, 23 January 1931, Page 20

ON THE NIGHT EXPRESS.

By FRED M. WHITE. Author of " A Broken Memory," "The Golden Bat, Queen of Hearts, etc., etc

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHATTER XVll.—(Continued.) Jimmy went off presently, and from tho hotel in tho village managed to get hold of Hugh Gaskell on tlio telephone. It was nob much he had to say, but tho few pregnant words caused Hugh to jump into his car and hurry to Wimpole's cottago without delay. There he found Jimmy awaiting him, and the two turned into the road, where they could talk without the risk of being overheard by anybody who happened to be near. " Now, tell mo all about it," said Hugh. " Well, to begin with," Jimmy responded, " you must bo proparcd for a great shock. 1 have discovered why it is that Connie was so anxious to keep us at a distance I mean tne dramatic touch, old chap. Tho heroine snatching herself from tho hero's sheltering arms and telling him it cannot bo, and all that sort of thing. Just as Connie treated you." " Yes, that is right," Hugh said moodily. " Some sort of barrier she could not, or would not, explain. And yet I am absolutely sure that she is as fond of mo as lam of her. If it is anything to do with her birth, it would not. make tho slightest difference, and sho ought, to know it,. If she were the daughter of tlui greatest scoundrel in Europe, and the worst woman, I should want lo marry her just the same." " Yes, but you can't," Jimmy said. " What on" earth do you mean by that V"

" Well, you see, old chap, she is married already."

" Connie married ?" Hugh cried. "Married '! l.)o you mean to tell me that Llie poor girl has a husband alive ?" " Very much so," Jimmy said mournfully. " But that is not the worst of it. She is married to Bascoe." It was a blow between the eyes for Hugh, but ho bore it manfully enough. He was dazed and half stunned, but he managed to keep a grip on himself as he turned to Jimmy for further information. And though Jimmy was full of sympathy, ho knew that it was bettei to speak out plainly and get it over. Yes, it's Bascoe all right," he said. " There is no doubt about it, because I liavo seen tho marriage certificate by trying to put a bluff over Bascoe in connection with that water-colour drawing and tho alleged time of the attempted murder. But Bascoo was too many for me. He practically admitted that ho had deceived everybody over tho time and pretended that there was some reason for it which did not concern anybody but himself. So what on earth could I do?" " Wo seem to have made a nice mess ot it between us," Hugh said dismall\. '! But surely Bnscoo didn t stick to the statement that Connie had tried to shoot him ?" " Indeed he did, and I couldn t shake him either. Ho certainly half suggested that ho might be sheltering somebody else, but ho would not exonerate Connie. And then, when I thought I had got him, he showed me that ho and Connie wei e married and gave me the marriage eoitificate to read. Oh, it's right enough. 1 memorized the date and tho registry office in London and I saw Bascoe smile as ho noticed mo doing so. There was no bluff about that bit of paper." " But whv, in the name of Heaven, why ?" Hugh cried. " What form of madness can have induced that poor giil to ally herself with a man double her age when she knew that there was sornebodv else to whom her heart was given ?"

"'Meaning yourself, of course," Jimmy smiled.

CHATTER XVTn

" Need wo discuss that particular point Hugh asked. "It is years since 1 first met Connie in tho most deplorable circumstances when wo were thrown together for somo considerable time. I didn't tell her what my feelings were, but she guessed them right enough and 1 guessed hers. Out in tho east of ILurope, where everything was a fair imitation of Hades, it was no timo to talk about love. But it was understood that we were to meet again, and wo should havo done if she hadn't disappeared in tho most mysterious manner, and I don't suppose I should ever have seen her again if it hadn't been for you. My dear fellow, that scoundrel must have held some threat of diro terror over the poor girl's head to havo induced her to take such a step. But 1 am not going to leave things as they are—l am going to have it out with that rascal. Now that the police are satisfied, and have ceased fo take any interest in what they call tho Upper!ons Mystery, it remains for us two to try and clear it up." "■ Very well," Jimmy said. " You can see Baseoo if you like, but you won't get anything out "of him. That chap is too sure of his grounfd to fear you in the slightest." " Perhaps," Hugh said grimly. " But then again perhaps not. But in solving tliis diabolical business, we have one great factor on our side of which Bascoe knows nothing."

"And what does that happen to be?" Jimmy asked.

" The fact that Bascoo is ignorant of Connie being still in tho land of the living," Hugh smiled grimly. "Wo have that on our side, and when we are ready, wo can swing it on that rascal. Meanwhile, I want a little talk with him. And I am going to have that talk without further delav."

Seeing that Hugh was determined to pursue tho course he had laid out for himself, Jimmy raised no further objection, and together they crossed tho fields in the direction of Uppertons. They found Bascoo at home and qui to ready to receive them. He elevated his eyebrows and looked slightly uneasy for a moment as he turned and faced Hugh Gaskell. " Ah, this is an unexpected pleasure," he said scoffingly. " And none tho less so, Mr. Gaskell, becauso I thought you were numbered with thoso who have passed over. In fact, T told Miss Wakefield so more than once."

"■ But why keep up the fiction of Miss Wakefield ?" Jimmy smiled. " I told my friend, Gaskell here, that a marriage had taken placo between you and Miss Wakefield less than two years ago. That is why Mr. Gaskell is here." I presumo you sent for him?" Bascoo challenged. Well, you can put it that way if you like," Jimmy said. /'At any rate, my friend is here to discuss tho matter."

' Oh, as to that,"

" Really," Bascoo protested. -" Really ?" " There is no occasion to adopt that tone," TTugh said. " I carno here this afternoon in response to a telephone call from my friend, Marrable. I knew C'ojistanee Wakefield vears ago and wo were something more than friends. An accident of war parted ns and, ever since, I have been searching for her. It was a mere chance that Marrable was in this house and put mo on the right track. And when I came, it was too late. I dare ,sav you wonder why I know that, but 1 saw Miss Wakefield on ono occasion and she let. mo know by inferenco that any friendship between us' must bo regarded as finished. But she didn't fell mo that she was married and that, you were her husband. I flare say you regard it as a liberty, but would you mind telling mo why it was that you married her?" " Well, of all tho impudence," Baseoc said, with qnito a pleasant smile. "You come into my house, practically a stranger, and demand to know why I married my wife. Of course, I can guess something of your feelings, and, indeed, a few years ago Connie gave mo a pretty broad hint as to how things had onco stood between you two. And now, if you must know, I will tell you how if was that Connie Wakefield became Mrs. Bnscoe."

(To bo continued daily.)

" You arc vastly obliging," Hugh said, bitterly.

" Not at all, my clear follow, not nt all. T married my wife because it was absolutely necessary fnr her safety that she should ally herself with an Englishman without delay, . You see, sho had

A CLEVERLY DEVELOPED STORY OF LOVE AND MYSTERY.

no nationality, sho hadn't tho remotest idea who her parents wore, or how sho camo to find herself n sort of lone orphan, living with Countess Inez Matua. So when the war was over, and Connie came to England to get her living as a nurso, one or two inquisitive people began to ask questions. Then the dear old lady railed D.O.R.A. took a hand in tho game. Sim wanted to know who Connio was and how she had managed to reach England without a passport. If things had remained as they were, tho poor girl would have been inevitably deported. And whero could she have gone?" Bascoe flung tho question at tho heads of Iho two men, and waited for a reply that failed to come.

" Very well," ho went on. "You see Iho difficulty. Connio would have been turned out of this country with nowhere to go and something liko starvation to face. So I came to tho rescue because I liked tier and because I am a rich man with no relatives I cared a straw about. I don't mind admitting that it was a long time beforo 1 could pcrsnado that poor child to see reason, but sho did at last and that is all there is to it."

" Very noblo of you," Hugh said. " Hut, my dear sir, during tho war I saw a good deal of tho worst side of ruman nature in very high places and I have got in the habit of looking for .a motive. Now, you won't bo too much annoyed if I say that 1 don't believe you married Constance Wakefield to save her from the fate that von outlined just now. J believe, if you liked, you could tell us all about her parents on both sides. And I have every reason to believe that Miss Wakefield was not the poor girl you make out, but that she was entitled to a considerable property in her own right. If that were not so, why were you so anxious to induce her to sign certain papers. Why did you threaten her with violence if she would not do so ? Of course, you can refuse to answer these questions, but perhaps a court, of law will forco you to do so. Mind, 1 am .not talking without book. I have in my possession—hut that is another matter."

For the first time, Bascoe showed signs of uneasiness. " I can assure you that you are wrong," he said eagerly. " I can show you evidence concerning Connie's parentage which will astonish and shock you. Never mind how I carne across it—it was one of the queer things that the war threw up. I remember many years ago, during the, time I was in Serbia doing my best to bring about an understanding between that country and Bulgaria, blundering on to some documents which T was examining together with a man named Hargcst—what on earth am T talking about ? His name was Gregory. 1 can't think what put tho word ITargest into my mind. Well, as I was saying, 1 stumbled on documents I would much rather not have seen. If you nrc wise, you won't ask nip, any further questions."

" You would declino to answer them ?" Jimmy asked.

" Most emphatically," Bascoe rejoined. " And now, gentlemen, if you have no more to say "

Jimmy hastened to take the hint, and almost dragged Hugh from the room with him. It was only when they were well clear of the house that he turned to Hugh with blazing eyes. " Great Scott, what a bit of luck!" he cried. "Do you mean to say that the name of Hargcst didn't suggest anything to you, Hugh, old chap. Charles Ilargest, the head of the Secret Service in tho near East? The man who knew every spy on both sides of the campaign, from those at the top to the little germs that swarmed every city in Bulgaria and Turkey. It was "a slip of the tongue and I could see that Bascoe could have bitten his out when that name escaped from his lips. Now, Charlie Hargcst must be somewhere in England. Suppose wo go back to the village pub and see if wc,can't get him at, his club or something of that sort. ou can bet your life he knows all about Bascoe, and if ho doesn't turn out to be a real wrong 'un, then I shall ho greatly mistaken. Come on and let us try our luck."

It took some time by the use of tho trunk line to establish the fact that the man called Charles Hargest was in London. Further calls to his flat elicited the fact that ho was lunching at. the Wanderers' Club, whero he would be likely to be found till fairly lato in the afternoon. Then another call and, after a long pause Hugh heard, at the other end of tho wire, a voice that had been familiar enough to him in the days of stress and danger. " Hello, hello," he said. " Who is that? Oh, Hugh Gaskell, is it? Fancy that, now! Good Lord ! I haven't seen or heard of you for years. Whero arc you calling from ? Oh, yes, you have a place near there, haven't you ? I will run down one of these days and have a chat over old times."

" I shall be glad if you will come today," Hugh said. " Here is the address. You had better come down by tho evoning train after dark. What's that? Oh yes, the same old game. Man called Rupert Bascoe. Do voti know him ?"

" Know him," the voice camo back over the wire. -"That infernal scoundrel. I should think I did know him. But ho didn't call himself Baseoo then. If I can do anything to place him where ho ought to have been long ago, then 1 should consider no money or timo wasted. Yes. expect, me by tho last train, whatover time it is."

" Things are beginning to move," Jimmy smiled, as Hugh replaced tho receiver. "If Bascoe only knew!" Hugh Gaskell turned his hack upon the telephone and faced Jimmy with a pertinent question. " What arc you going to do next?" he asked.

" Well," .Jimmy responded, " what can wo do unlil Clinrlio Hargest turns up? And if Hargest fni 1 s us, then we ;iro 110 worse off limn we wcro before—that is unless I can do a liit of burglary work at Uppertons. I mean, get ;i sight 0 f l!ic inside of Bascoe's fireproof safe." " There might bo something in that," Hugh agreed thoughtfully, " but dangerous, Jimmy. Now, look hero—you have got lo put aside for a moment the inconsequent easy-going Jimmy Marrablc and revert to tho Marrable who was so useful lo his country during tho war. You know what I mean. Sink the artist in Iho alert Secret Service man."

Jimmy grinned.

" that, Bohemian vagabond, Jimmy Murrable, has practically ceased to exist. When this tanglo is all unravelled, James Marrablo, tlio eminent artist, is coming into his own. I have got my chance, and 1 mean to grasp it with both hands. Then, as soon as possible, I shall make Nila. my wife and tell my highlyrespected father-in-law to go and hang himself. It is very strange how my affairs and yours and Connie's are all mixed up in the same jig-saw puzzle. Just consider a moment. Connie is hiding under the roof of a woman who is half-sistor to tho man Nita's father wants lior to marry."

" Oh, yes, f know all about that," Hugh said impatiently. " I have a few hours to sparo before Hargcst gets hero, and 1 propose to go over to Mrs. Stevenage's house to seo Connie. I ain going lo tell her of the disclosure wo more or less forced out of Bascoo just now, and tell her that her secret is no longer her own. I don't know Mrs. Stevenage, so perhaps it would bo as well if you gave 1110 one of your cards."