SECRET OF THE RIVER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21392, 17 January 1933, Page 15

SECRET OF THE RIVER

(COPtIIICHT)

By FRED. M. WHITE Author of "The Golden Bat," "Queen of Hearts," "On the Night Express." etc., etc.

FINELY-CONCEIVED STORY BY POPULAR AUTHOR

SYNOPSIS Nevil Ashdown has just returned from America, whero he lias achieved some success as an actor. His beautiful home, Ashdown Croft, was so heavily mortgaged during his father's life that at his death it hud to be let to a wealthy business mail. Everard Murray; but soon, owing to the fact that' Nevil lias none of his father's extravagant habits, the estate will be free from debt. Ho is already ill love with Murray's daughter, Angela, but cannot understand why, at times, she adopts a cool, unfriendly attitude toward him, and at others appears to return his love. The only topics of conversation in the village are the severe frost —it is said that the river is freezing for the first time in living memory—and the coming dramatic performance in the village hall by Nevil, Angela and others. After the play, Diana Longworth, one of the players, loses a valuable pearl necklace, and this. Nevil sees Angela pick up and hide. Nevil is naturally astounded at what lie has seen. Angela cannot be allowed to retain the pearls, but ho regards with horror the idea of denouncing her. At length, however, lie thinks of a way out of the difiiculty. Diana misses her pearls at supper and a search for them is made without success. Afterwards. Nevil tells Diana in the presence of Angela and the others that he and Angela found the pearls and arranged to keep them for just long enough to give Diana a fright and teach her to be more careful of her property in future. Angela produces th« pearls and the incident passes off; and when he leaves Angela, Boon afterwards, she appears to have forgotten the occurrence.

CHAPTER IV. Tom Blissett and his popular -wife had not been so many years in residence in the neighbourhood. Blissett was quite a young man, not yet in the forties, and a thorough sportsman in all departments of the game. He had been, ages ago, or so it seemed now, captain of a famous public school where he and Nevil were educated, from whence he had graduated as a bachelor of science at Oxford, and thence to Harley Street, where he had finally become recognised as a scientist of distinction. His ambition had been greater than his strength, so that a complete nervous breakdown had followed. On the top of this, a distant relative had left him a small fortune, and with the money behind him he had determined to turn his back on London and devote himself, for the future, to his farm and his sport. The result was a return to perfect health, and a resolve that the world of science should know him no more.

All the same, he did a lot of reading in his spare time and kept himself thoroughly abreast of modern scientific developments. But nobody would have known this who had not been acquainted with his past, for he kept the matter severely in the background, and one of the few people in his secret was Nevil Ashdown. Nevil knew that he could trust Blissett implicitly. He knew that anything he had to say would be regarded much as a doctor regards the admissions of his patients. Not that Nevil was going to say too much, but he certainly wanted to ask his friend a few things not entirely unconnected with the strange case of Angela Murray. Therefore, on the following morning, he walked across the fields to his farm house lodging in the direction of Blissett's house and found the latter busy, or apparently busy, with the Times.

" I hardly expected to find you at home this morning," Nevil said. " Oh, why not ? " Blissett asked. " What is there for a chap to do when this frost is hanging about ? The shooting is pretty nearly finished and hunting out of the question. Now, sit down and light your pipe and let us have a comfortable chat."

Nevil intimated that there was nothing he would like better, so he loaded his pipe and threw himself back in the armchair, and, by gradual degrees, approached the subject nearest his heart. " I wonder if you could give me a bit of information," he began. " It's something to do with a play I am half inclined to write, and that little stunt 1 worked with Angela last night has brought it back to my mind. Of course, the whole thing was a bit of innocent fun, but I am not sure that everybody believed it." " I did, at any rate," Blissett said stoutly.

" Of course you did, old chap, and so did most of the guests. But that long, lean, melancholy partner of Murray's—l mean Sidey—seemed to hold a different opinion. It was only for a moment or two, but there was an expression on his face that almost impelled me to get up and smash him between those repulsive black eyes of his." " Oh, Sidey's all right," Blissett said. " You see he is the man in Murray's firm who looks after the financial side of things—just the cool, cautious sort of blade that a dashing speculator like Murray needs as a drag on the coach. 1 ought to know, because I hive had dealings with Sidey during the last month or two."

" What, you mean you have been speculating ?" " Well, I shouldn't call it that," Blissett said. " I don't kmv whether you are aware of it or not, but that Frenchman Blanchin, is one of the cleverest chemists in the world. There is no authority on poisons or drugs to touch him. He is on the verge of discovering a serum that is going to revolutionise both medicine and surgery. I know, because he has told me a good deal about it. Not the real secret, because he isn't that sort of man. And he, unlike so many other scientists, has a fine eye to the main chance. I don't suppose you know it, but he has set up a rather elaborate laboratory in your old home, and I have watched several experiments there. My word, they were a revelation to me. And that, strictly between ourselves, is why I have put a goodish bit into Murray's business." " Oh, you have, have you ?" Nevil exclaimed.

" Yes, indeed, I have, and if Murray gives you a chunco, I should adviso you to follow suit."

" Really'! Well, I coulcj do with a bit of extra money. As you know, I nrn only waiting now for Murray to clear out in a few months' time to go back to Ashdown Croft, by which time the estate will bo absolutely free from debt. As a matter of fact, 1 made a bit of money in Amorica over and above what. I sent to the family lawyers, and I could find, say £SOOO if you think ifc really is worth my while to approach Murray on the subject." " 1 am absolutely certain that you will get your money back three or four times over," Blissett said emphatically. "At the moment, Murray and Co. can do with nil the capital they can lay their hands on, and—yes, by Jove—it's rather singular that Murray himself asked me last week if I thought that you would be interested in Blanchin's latest exploit. I told him I didn't know, and that he had better ask you. I suppose he hasn't done so?" " Well, not what you might call directly," Nevil said. " Just a hint. Still, it is worth thinking about." And so it came about that Nevil worried his way home after lunch without consulting Blissett on the. subject that was uppermost in his mind. He only realised this when he close to his own house, and resolved to go back again the next morning and see if he could discover anything that might bring him a little more peace of mind. It was later in the afternoon, just as it was getting dark, and lie was returning to his farm quarters after an hour or two's exercise on the road, that he came in contact with Everard Murray. The latter greeted him with his usual geniality and promptly asked him into the house for a drink and a smoke.

" That is, if you have nothing better to do," Murray said. " Confound this frost —it puts a stop to everything. Shooting nearly finished, no hunting, and no exercise but walking. If it lasts over to-mor-row, I shall be off to town again. They tell me that the river is frozen over, so

that a couple more nights' frost will make it bear. Such a thing has been unknown for a lifetime. But come inside, my dear boy, come inside and let us try and forget our troubles."

In the big ball with its panelled walls and low rafters that Nevil knew so well, the two sat down before a roaring log fire while Jakes, the old butler, who had been a servant, in the house for nearly forty years, came in with decanters and syphons.

" A fine type of servant, that," Murray said when the old butler had gone. " I am glad he decided to stay with me when I took the house over. But then, I don't suppose he would be happy anywhere else. The breed is fast dying out, unfortunately."

" Jakes was born and bred on the estate," Nevil said. " And he is not so old as he looks. You wouldn't believe how powerful lie is, and what a cool head he has in an emergency. I could tell you one or two stories about him that would rather astonish you." " Yes," Murray said. " I can quite understand. That man has served me well, but I know what a happy day it will be for him when my tenancy comes to an end. By the way, I suppose you intend to return to the place and live here in future?"

" That is my intention," Nevil laughed. " Yes, quite natural, of course, but rather an expensive place to keep up these times, what ? Taking local gossip for what it is worth, 1 suppose you will have ahout five thousand a year? You will want every penny of it. Now, suppose I could show you how to make a good deal more money without lifting a hand. If you have a few thousands to spare out of your savings, why not put it into my business? Come on the board and all that sort of thing. It will only mean a couple of days a week in town for the next two or three months and, after that, you can rest on your oars and draw your share of the profits. And if you have any doubts on the subject, you ask your friend Blissett what lie thinks."

" Curiously enough, Blissett only mentioned the subject to me this very morning," Nevil explained. " Mind you, Murray, I don't know anything whatever about business, but I haven't done so badly in my own line. In fact, ever since I attained my majority I haven't drawn a penny from the estate. Now, suppose yon tell me something about the way you run your own affairs and, more particularly, where that wonderful chemist, Blanchin, comes in."

Apparently Murray wanted nothing better. He launched out into a long discussion and presently produced books and papers with which he backed up his declarations. He had practically finished when Blanchin himself came downstairs from the gallery that ran round the hall and helped himself to a whisky and soda with an air of detachment that rather impressed Ashdown.

" Ah, it ecs beeziness," the Frenchman said. " I know 'im not. But I know 'ow to take care of myself."

" Yes, he does that," Murray laughed " Hello, here's Sidey."

At that moment the lank and melancholy individual came into the hall and frowned slightly as he saw the papers lying on the table.

" Excuse me, Mr. Ashdown," he said, in his mournful drawl. " But I see you have been talking business with our chairman. Now, if it is not a liberty, I ask you to be careful. Far too sanguine is our friend Murray. A wonderful man and a great power in Ihe city, but without me to drag him back he would be in trouble sooner or later. So please, Mr. Ashdown, be careful, because I feel quite sure that my friend Murray has been offering you a small corner in our inventions department. Isn't that so, sir ?"

" Absolutely," Ash clown smiled. " And I take it kindly of you to give me this warning. But, as far as I can gather, the concern is very sound and the profits likely to be enormous."

" Oh. of that there is no question," Sidcy said. And with that lie directed the conversation into another channel. A little later Nevil Ashdown shook hands with the three and departed.

No sooner had he gone than Murray smiled broadly.

M The bird is in the net," he said. " But I must say, Sidey, that you did your best to show him the meshes." "Oh, dear, no," Sidey said coolly. "My little hit of artistry will clinch the business. The bird is in the net, right enough."

CHAPTER V The man, Joseph Sidey, had been perfectly right when he told his companions that Ashdown had been convinced by the solemn warning conveyed to him by one who was actually a partner in the firm of Murray and Co. And that was just what Ashdown felt when he left the Croft on his way to the farmhouse. It was absolutely impossible for anybody to like the pessimistic Sidey, but, obviously, the man was honest and was doing his best to prevent Ashdown from embarking on what might prove to be a long commercial career.

One thing was certain—if Ashdown resolved to accept Murray's proposition, which he had practically decided to do, he would throw himself into it, heart and soul, which was one of his characteristics. But not for a day or two. He felt it impossible to rest until he had solved the mystery surrounding the business of the pearl collar. That there was something sinister about the whole thing he felt sure. But he would not have felt quite so certain had ho not been over head and cars in love with Angela Murray. If he had been indifferent to hor he knew perfectly well that ho could only have come to one conclusion. He had seen Diana Longworth drop the collar, and ho had watched Angela, waiting hidden in the background, unrfl the owner of the ornainont was out of sight. Ho had seen the furtive way in which the pearls were snatched, and the guilty look on Angela's face as sho looked round to make sure that, no one had noticed her action. And he knew that if the case had come into a court of law, and he was dragged in as a witness, he would bo bound, as a man of honour, to speak just as he thought. And there could only be one end to that.

Meanwhile, there was rio doubt, of the fact that Angela was avoiding him. Ho saw her tho next day, when he called upon Murray to inform him of his decision to go into the business —ho saw Ircr at tea time, and afterwards, without the chance of speaking to her alone. Sho seemed to be in a calm, collected frame of mind as if- slip had nothing on her conscience, and treated Novil with a sort of distant friendliness that drove him almost to distraction. No longer was she changeable, flashing him smiles one. moment and retreating within herself the next. It was a new mood to Nevil entirely.

Should he mention the matter to Eleanor Blissett ? lie asked himself. lie had.a warm regard for Mrs. Blissett, and, to a great extent, she was in his confidence. A happy, pleasant little woman, with a largo fund of sympathy for the misfortunes of her neighbours and a store of practical kindness that mado her very popular in the locality. Perhaps, on the whole, it would be as well if he asked his friend's wife to help him. Not to toll her the story of the stolen pearls, of course, but to explain how he felt towards Angela and ask another woman if she could expound the strnnge moods and fancies which kept Nevil awake at night thinking about them. (To be continued daily)