THE LAVENHAM TREASURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20987, 25 September 1931, Page 15

THE LAVENHAM TREASURE.

By OTTWELL BINNS. „ Author /of "Diana of the Islands." "The Trail f aj ' BT '* The Mystery of the Atoll." etc ., Jtc Adve nture.

A STORY OF TENSE AND DRAMATIC ACTION BY POPULAR WRITER.

CHAPTER VII.--(Continued)

Hy 'There was n0 doubt ' n Lavenham's now. He was being warned, not covertly- but openly. He was astonished, hat at the same time moved to anger that the ot ' ier should be so brazenly daring- But he did nut let his anger him into an indiscretion. |li"You forget t.lie advertisement," he retorted lightly. " Publicity nurtures reputation. fil'"**But meddlesomeness —is it not so?— ' its lingers. / That is a thing to be !thought of, Mr. Lavenham." W Lavenham's astonishment grew. The vjpgn'3 tone was cold » but there was a 1 threat * a The artist had now no tfoabt of thai. Before he could find "words (he other spoke again. "A word to the wise man, my young friend, is better than a discourse. That man of whom you spoke just now—the Bjan with the rope about his neck—he is perhaps like the notice in the park, ' Keep the grass '!" The man laughed as at some rare jest, jnd playing with/his fork began to draw ipatterns on the table cloth. Lavenham watched the fork while he sought for an answer that would lead the other to think that the threat had gone uncompreIhwded. The pattern drawn on the doth was an old one, but had a familiar look- It came to him suddenly that it was remarkably like the hieroglyphic which he had /seen that morning on Henry Lavenham's picture, drawn in ißverse. and, of course to his view, upside down. He stared at it fascinated, realising that here was the true inwardness of the other's remark about his interest being in pictures. Then he became aware that the draughtsman was jjyly watching him, and instantly 'assumed a careless expression, and a /moment afterwards laughed. " You speak in parables, Mr. Prado, ind you are too deep for me. I am an artist not a litterateui—"l would not be impolite, Mr. Lavenham," replied the other pushing back his chair, and jrising to leave the table, r but you are not a brother of the. wise yirgius. No, one might almost say you were a—." He shrugged his shoulders, waved a deprecatory hand, and then laughed. " Almost I stumbled into the gin I would aVoid—" He did not wait for any reply, but turning abruptly, left the room. Lavenham smiled to himself. ."Hard words break no bones.' he reflected, buy they may reveal a weakness in the speaker. Then his face took on a grave look. In his mind there was no doubt that he had been warned. The man who had just left, the room was apparently quite well informed of his recent activities; and suspected him of knowledge beyond what he possessed. Decidedly, it would be well to keep an eye on Spanish John, who claimed such quiet interests, and yet threw a knife with the expertness of circus performers. Again it occurred to him that"it might be well to take the sergeant or Jatjo "into full confidence; but a review of th© rather broken, fantastic story that he would have to tell decided him against it. " No! I'll wait till the medlar is ripe!" He finished his lunch and departed for The Priory t,o fulfil his promise to Helen Lavenham". When he arrived at the house he found that she was out, having taken her do£s for, a scamper on the moor: but she had left a message for him that she would be back by four o clock. Inat meant he had half-an-hour to wait, and he decided to walk in the direction of the moor in the hope of meeting her. He had hick Sea reel v had he reached the Top ot the steep road he followed when he saw her, running with her dogs, on a grton strip between the heather. Something else h<y saw also —a man standing behind a stone wall, head and shoulders plain to view. Just as Lavenham saw him. the watcher must have become aware of him, for he sharply ducked out cf sight; bijt not before lie had time to recognize tne man for Mr. Hammertou, who at this hour could scarcely plead that he was engeged in bis pursuit of nocturnal lepidoptera. That he was watching the girl seemed certain; but that thought stirred no apprehension in the artist, for he was assured that the man s interest was wholly beneficent. A moment later. Helen Lavenham saw him. .She waved a hand and hurried to meet him. As they approached each other, the artist in Lavenham was stirred bv the picture the girl presented, and tf>p man in him ev n more. Against the vide background, lissom as a sapling, the wind revealing delicious lines: her delicate face flowing with loveliness the blue eyes sparkling ns from inner fires, to his eyes she was like an embodiment cf a fairy, a'white pixie, with powers of ""cnohan' ment whose spell. in that moment, he was vividly conscious of in ais heart. '

U CHAPTER VIII. , Charles it)or Helen at 'he foot of a small undulation at the top of ■which an old cross of granite lifted itself against the grey skv. one of Dartmoor s relics variously Juit. urn ertainly explained: a rude, nmzed carving, fitting the wildness in which it was set. / " So vou came to seek me ?" cried the gin, with a friendliness that was undisguised *' And I am happy to have found yon. answered the artist, very truthfully. " Thev told nie at vour house that you were jp here.'' " I often Inn." she laughed. " I love the moor, even in wiiitcr. when the great winds are blowing and 'he tors are white." "That is l.ecaiise you are Dartmoor's child."' he asserted confidently. " You are wrong." she cried, again with laughter. " I was nut horn here._ I was three years old when I came to live with my grandfather at The Priory; and I have sti;!. r faint memory of palm-trees, and blue seas, and dark faces." " You were born abroad he asked, a. little surprispfl. In Panama. she replied, adding vivaciously. " >o see I am Dartmoor's child oulv by adoption!" Then, before he cniild replv. ber face grew pare, and she said quickly: " Rut you did not come to talk of m'y birthplace. You have news ?" Nothing much. Hut we have. 1 think, discovered the true name of that man who was . at The Three Feathers, and whose note T brouirht. to you this morning. It is .James darling; and he seems to have adopted rnv name as he mieht have taken any other, carelessly The police sergeant suggest' l that he saw it in the paper in connection with the purchase of ; /picture of mine by the late trustees—?' "I saw that note. 1 ought to congratulate you, Mr. Lavenham, and I do from my-heart Hut—but I don't think that man took your name quite so carelesslv as the sergeant sug^es's." " No'" The gill's wide blue eves had a look of absorption, as if she were considering EOrnp intricacy, then she answered: " I am sure he did not. There was lomething more than the mere accident of see'ntr i» >u -j newspaper, which led to the adoption o! vour name bv that man. I am riot sure what it is. i have been thinking, and have an idea it may have something ;.. do with that old story of Henrv Lavenham's h>st. Measure: but just In what way f cannot conjecture." She broke off. ari l for one moment the Miie e yes sia/f'eil scrutinisinglv in his face, j then she said quickly. " You are marvellously like Ancester Henry: and your name—. It cannot be en'irely accidental! You have relatives here-ilioui.s ? Lavenh.Un shook his head. No! I *as born abroad, like yourself, in the West Indies, and have palms and wann in my heritage. But so far as I foow I haven't, a relation in the world."

stramV% Stlange '".i he girl mused - " Too •ftrange for coincidence. ... Do vou vnow that all the Lavenhams in the male lino are Charles, or Antonv or Henrv ?" not V 5 ? 8 ! carelessly. "No!- I have not that knowledge, at least T hadn't. Vou see rn acquaintance with tTie familv dates no further back than last night." jast night. .. It seems ages ago! 1 seem to have known you—" she broke the confession off half way and a little Hush came in her face. Then she smiled away her embarrassment, and asked; lou have other news, perhaps?" , ~e i7 , But there is a thing ] should like to ask you, if I may. You said this morning that Carting's hands were tied." " Yes." I did not notice that myself. Are you sure ?" " Quite sure! It was one of the things that impressed itself upon ray notice," answered the girl with a little shudder. But why do you ask ?" " Because when I went there with Jago and the sergeant the hands were free. Which means that in the interval someone had visited the place and gone to the trouble to remove those bonds." But who'I'* 1 '* cried the girl, a startled look ir her eyes. Lavenham "shook his head. "If we knew that I fancy we should know who really was responsible for the crime, Miss Lavenhtim. As it is, the officers incline to the theory of suicide, and without dragging you in, I do not think it would be possible to alter their views. And I cannot do that now without some awkward questions." " \ou have no idea who . . . who ." " Nothing definite. I have a suspicion, but it rests on very slight ground; so I will not give a name—" He broke off, then began awkwardly. " Miss Lavenham I should like to —er, I mean, may I give you a caution ?" " Certainly." "It is about that picture of yours. If anyone wants to inspect it, any stranger I mean, on any pretext whatever, refuse them." „ Helen was not so surprised as he had expected. Why—?" " Because there are men in the neighbourhood who I fancy are interested in the secret of it; and anxious to exploit it." " I guessed that." she answered quietly. " I have been sure of it since you came with that note, and we found the man who sent it in the wood." That note ... I do not know what was in it." "It was merely a request that the bearer, Charles Lavenham, should be permitted to view Henry Lavenham's protrait—but. well, it was signed with a name to which at all times I should give attention." The name was not mentioned; nor did Lavenham ask for it, though he was very anxious After a pause, he said. You will act on mv caution, then?" The girl laughed lightly. "It will interest vou to know that I have already done so." " You have already—" " This very afternoon," she interrupted. " A man called at the Priory, who claimed to be writing a book on the legends of Devon families, and having heard the storv of Ancestor Heniy's treasure, he asked permission to view the portrait. He was quite an entertaining gentleman, but I refused him. The refusal in no way discomposed him. Indeed, he laughed cheerfully, and said that it was wise to guard the family treasure; but that he hoped that having denied him I *ould also denv a rival book-maker who was in the field. I assured him that I would, and he went away whistling ' The British Grenadiers.' " Lavenham fairly jumped at the statement —"Whistling what?" " The air of ' The British Grenadiers.' Whv — ?" " What was he like—this man who called?" demanded the artist excitedly. " Oh! rather an oddity. Red-haired. ' bearded like the pard '—whatever that niav be. wearing blue goggles " She broke off at the sight of her companion s face, and then cried. t " You know him ?" | " Yes," was the answer given a little j sharply. " His name is Hammerton. Ostensibly he is here after winter moths. He is lodged at Smale's and I fancy he knows more about your picture than he owned. There are other things. He guessed my name—or pretended to, and yes —that will be it, I think it is possible that lie is already acquainted with Henrv Lavenham's portrait." " But how can he be?" " I don't know .. . But there is another thing. Tell me. have you to-day, received a telegram with birthday wishes ?" "Several!" laughed the girl. " The one I mean must have arrived late, probably from some local office——" The look on the girl's face checked him. She was clearly startled: and the blue eyes were' bright with sharp excitement. Then she cried a little tensely. " How did you know ?" . He countered her question pv another. " Would you regard the sender of that telegram as a friend ! . . . " Oh!" she cried, " more than a friend. Where is he? If he is near. T must see him. Tell me .. . For sixteen years—" She broke off. an appealing look on her face her eves bright with sudden tears. " If' vou knew," she whispered. "If I could'tell you—you would hurry to bring him." (To be continued doily.)