THE BLACK SHADOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21136, 19 March 1932, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE BLACK SHADOW.

BY JOHN IRONSIDE. Author of "Chris," "Lady Pamela's Pearls," "The Crime and the Casket,'* etc.

(COPYRIGHT.)

A GRIPPING STORY OF MYSTERY, ADVENTURE AND LOVE.

CHAPTER XXIII. ANN INTERVENES. Palricia went to Ann's bedroom with her, lo prepare for her night's vigil in tho sick room. She was still wearing her evening frock under the white linen overall sho had hastily donned when she went down to the surgery for the an Lidot o. " Now go to bed, and to sleep, Ann," she counselled. " Doctor's orders, you know. And don't worry, dear. She's going to get hotter, and everything will bo all right." " You're sure there's nothing I can do ?" " Quito sure. I'll call you, and ring up Peter, if she should bo worse, but I hope that won't be necessary." Left alone, Ann took off her own frock and donned her dressing gown. It seemed ages since they all sat so merrily over the dinner table, yet it was littlo moro than two hours. She started nervously as a light tap camo at the door, and Dorothy Prebble entered, a ,sombre littlo iigurc, dressed in black from head to foot. " Oh, Miss Ann, I felt I must como straight and tell you!" she began, breathlessly. " I. know now who murdered my Bert." "You—know!" Ann gasped, incredulously. " How—when did you ?" " I've just come in, miss. I'd been down to Uncle's, as it's my evenirig out. And on the way back I stood on the bridge quite a long time. It was dark I there, but I wasn't frightened, though I felt quite sure my Bert was there—same as I told you before, miss. You remember ?" " Sit down, Dorothy," said Ann, with a compassionate hand on the trembling 1 girl's arm. She thought she was going to fall. " No, thank you, miss. I'd rather stand. It was all as quiet as the grave. I never heard a sound but the water, till all at once a voice said, quite close—a ; queer, croaking sort of voice—' Who's there ?' And with that 1 slipped aside behind the bushes, like I do. You know, miss 1" Ann nodded. She always felt desperately sorry for the girl, but thought it foolish of her to torture herself in {his way. " Then a man came on to the bridge, and stopped just where I had been, looking down. 'Who's there?' ho called again. 'Thomas! It can't be you!' and if ever I heard awful fear in a voice, miss, I heard it then. I never made a sound, but next moment one of them owls came out and screeched—if it was an owl—and the man screeched, too, and rushed off down the path, hard as he could go." "Who was he?" Ann cried, never doubting the girl's story. It rang convincingly true. " I didn't know then. T couldn't see him, and didn't rekernise the voice, though I seemed to know it,, 100. A gentleman's voice, not one of the men. Well, ] came bark, and as soon as I got i in I heard what's happened. Then I 1 knew! Miss Ann, it was Captain Denton. I'd take my oath on it. He's been drawn back, same as I said the murderer would hp. And 1 was there." They stared at each other in silenco for a few seconds. "Have you told anyone, downstairs?" Ann asked, almost in a whisper. " No, miss. I came straight up to you. They're all talking about the upset, and Mrs. Denton's illness. What am I to do, miss ?" " I think Captain Smith ought lo know at once. I will go down now. I don't suppose he has gone to bed yet, and he will see you in the morning. Don't say anything to anyone else, Dorothy." *' No, miss. They'd only laugh at me. But Captain Smith won't, and he'll know what to do. Shall I go down with you now, miss ?" " No. Ho can't do anything to-night." She went down to the library and found Jimmy, deep in thought. " Ann! Why aren't you in bed?" He laid aside his pipe, and listened with consternation as sho re-told Dorothy's story. " Good lord! What a fresh complication !" •' But could it ha\-e been him she saw ? I thought ho went down to the inn in a car ?" " lie got out, half way, and said he'd walk. Evans reported that, when ho got back. Yes, I've no doubt it was he whom she saw. And I'm afraid there may be a lot in her idea, though it's mere suspicion, of course. Anyhow, I'll see the girl in the morning." " I believo sho's right. Though it's horrible to think of. Murder! And—oh, Jimmy, could ho havo poisoned poor Millie, too ?" He shook his head. " Who can say ? We don't really know anything. It's all conjecture so far. Though I must say it struck mo to-night that (ho fellow was a homicidal maniac, 110 looked capablo of anything," he said gravely. " We shall have to take some action, I don't know what at present. I'll •see Dorothy in the morning. 1 wish sho had come to me now, instead of you," ho added, looking at her anxious littlo face. " Try not to think about it any moro to-night, Ann. You'll make yourself ill, and that will never do." " I. can't help it," sho said distressfully. " Oh, Jimmy, do you remember what I said about the black shadow 1 It's fallen again on us, now. 1 feel it. 1 know it!" He took her small, cold hand in his, as sho sat perched on the tablo beside him, her slippered feet dangling. " Don't bo afraid, child. I know you'ro not, for yourself, but don't bo afraid for any of us. The shadow will pass. There's a i?ower above us and around us that will guide us safely through the valley of the shadow of death itself. Only have faith and courage." Sho sat for a minlito in silence, collecting her thoughts, regaining self-control. " Faith and courage. Yes, you're right, Jimmy dear. Didn't I say you wore ' Mr. Greatheart ' ? I don't know what I should do without you, and—tho others." Her mind flashed to her fatlior, and she asked : " Did you get on to Father? When is ho coming?" " Not till the afternoon, I'm afraid." " What did ho say. About Millie?" " That we wcro to do everything po.ssiblo for her, as, of course, wo are doing, thanks to Pat and Peter." Not for tho world would ho havo told her Sir Alfred's first callous command. " Arid ho said Denton was not to stay here, or bo admitted to the house again under any circumstances. Ho had already gono by that time, so that's all right. Now young woman! Off lo bed with you!" " Aren't you going ?" " Not just yet." Ho reached for his pipe* and relighted it. Ann did not move, but sat looking down thoughtfully at him. She knew ho possessed the faith and courage that .ho had sought, to impart—that, indeed, ho had imparted—to her. But she knew also that hp whs troubled in mind, with something moro personal than Miilie'a illness,

and the problem of Sidney Denton, both utter strangers to him. " You'ro happy down hero with us, Jimmy? You'ro going to stay?" she asked abruptly. He started slightly, as if he had already forgotten her presence beside him. " Stav ? Oh, yes, 1 expect so. Hops so. Good night, dear." " 1 don't want to go to bed yet. I want lo lalk to you. I say, Jimmy, you get on awfully well with father, don't you?" "Awfully well, so far," he conceded, but ho didn't look at her. " You've no idea of tho change in him—for tho better, of course—as you didn't know him before. I could scarcely believe it, myself at first, and wondered how long it was going to last." Ho nodded, but made no rejoinder. " Has he ever said anything to you—or j has it ever struck you that he might be thinking of—marrying again ?" Ho started then, glanced at her, and looked away, as he' answered quietly: " He's never said a word lome about it." But Ann knew she was on the right track. " He wouldn't. Yet it has struck you, Jimmy, you can't deny it! And if you think Pat would ever accept him, under any circumstances, you're making the biggest mistake of your life." He half rose from his chair and dropped his pipe. " Ann! You've seen it, too?" " How he's been dancing on her? Well, I should be pretty blind if I didn't! Though Pat herself doesn't know what it means, bless her. As she's only known him such a little while she thinks it's just his way, and it amuses her, though she's getting a bit bored with him lately. I can see that, if you can't. There's only one man in tho world for Pat—except Peter, of course, and brothers don't count in that way. Jimmy, aren't you ever going to ask her to marry you ?" " Yes. You love her." " God knows I do. But—" ho touched the stick that leaned against his chair. " That only makes her love you all the more. Do you think I haven't seen that j from the very first?" " It was Dicky she loved." " That was long ago, when they were both young, and she'll always love his memory. But sho loves you now, Jimmy, and has done for years. Just you ask her, Mr. Greatheart, and see what she has to say about it!". She slipped off the table and stood over him. " There! I feel ever so much better for getting that, off my mind at last. And now I'll really go to bed. Good night, Jimmy dear." He took her hands in his, and she bent and kissed his forehead. Was she right? Did Patricia really love him, as he had loved her from the day when she came to his bedside in hospital, so Jong ago? He had never dared even to think of such a thing; had been more than content, unutterably thankful, for the friendship between them, that had been the one beautiful and precious thing in his maimed life. Should he take Ann's advice and confide in Patricia absolutely ? No(, yet, he decided. He must see what the next few days, the next few hours, might bring forth. At last he switched off the lights, limped upstairs, in the silence of the great house, and paused outside Mrs. Denton's door, listening. From within he heard an ominous muttering, and Patricia's voice, soothing and comforting. He tapped softly, and after a brief interval, Patricia opened the door, surprised to see him. " How is she? Anything I can do?" he asked softly. " I don't, think so, Jimmy, thanks. She is restless, and half-delirious, but I hope she will settle down soon." "Who's there?" Millie cried, in a weak but agitated tone. " Not Sidney—don't let him come!" " No, no. It's only Captain Smith come to ask how you are. You'd better go, Jimmy," said "Patricia, a little vexed with him for intruding. It was unlike him to be so inconsiderate. " Well, let him come in. I want to see him. I want to be sure—" " Yes. Better let me see her," he said quickly, and Pat, still wondering, drew back and admitted him. " It's nil right, Mil—Mrs. Denton," he said, taking ono of her thin, hot, restless hands in his. " No one shall come near you that you don't want to see." She stared up at, him in the dim_ light of the one shaoed lamp at the bedside. "Who are you?" she muttered. "I know the voice. Put up tho light. 1 want —to see you." While he hesitated, Pat, thinking it best to humour her, tilted the lamp shade. Millie looked searchingly up at the grave, kindly faces that, regarded her so compassionately, and her haggard, feverflushed face, relaxed to a wondering smile. "Why, it's you, Fred. With a beard! I hardly knew you. I'm glad you've come. You won't let him—Sid —come near me ?" " No. That wo won't. You're perfectly safe, and going to sleep now." " He tried to kill me, you know," she whispered. " For the twenty thousand pounds. I only found out the other day." | " It's all over now. Try and forget it. Theres a good girl," he said, as one speaks to a frightened child. "You'll keep him away? You were always good to me, Alfred, though I was horrid to you. Have you come home for good ?" " Yes. If you'll promise to go to sleep now. Come, shut your eyes, and I'll count, like I used to. Do you remember?" She obeyed, with a little weak giggle. He motioned to Pat to lower the lamp shade, and began to count aloud, slowly and monotonously. " One —two —three —" Beforo ho reached a hundred she was sound asleep. He waited, sitting on the side of the bed, for several minutes, then gently withdraw his hand from her clasp, and, as she still slept, roso and limped silently away. Pat, filled with amazement, and looking like a tall ghost in her white wrapper, followed ns silently. Outside tho door she whispered : " Jimmy, who docs she lake you for? " I'll tell you—everything in tho morning—darling," he whispered in return, raised her hand to his lips, and hurried away. Pat stared after him, wondering more than ever. For tho first, lime in all the years of their friendship ho had called her " darling!" (To bo continued daily.)