THE MYSTERY HOUSE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21647, 13 November 1933, Page 19

THE MYSTERY HOUSE

C'HAPTKR XXX —-(Continued) " He was perfectly mad," said Hugh, folding up tlu- paper. " Megalomania is written largo all over liis story. Ho was insane, and if J had to defend him hefore a jury 1 should get. niv verdict. Jlnt now, what about it ? This must go to the police, of course—wo can't withhold it. How about Miss Sandford ?" "Need she know?" questioned Gerald. " Can't wo keep it from her?" " 1 should think that it would he possible, and perhaps wise. It would do her no good to know, and perhaps eanso her a lot of misery. Look here. I'll go off to l-'xotfr and see the chief constable. and put the case before him. If ho thinks fit, the case can bo dropped, find Mrs. Hooper set- free. This plan was agreed to bv the others, nnd after lunch Hugh went oil' in his sister's car. Gerald was kept busy with the coroner's ollieer, and arrangements for the inquest and burial, and was feeling quite done up when Hugh returned at a later hour. Ho revived, however, when he learned that the police showed no disposition to go further in the matter; so far as they were concerned the mystery was cleared up. " If they leave it at that, and if the coroner doesn't stir up trouble at the adjourned inquest, we should be all right, - ' said Gerald. " You need not bother yoursolt. Hole has promised to see to that as well as the inquest 011 Elkington. He has been busy, 1 found, over his inquiries at Plymouth. 1 don't know how much he hail learned of the reason for Oater's hold over Klkington, but 0110 piece of news he did give inc. He says that Cater was i-iovi Moses, said lvennedj'. "Great Scott!" ejaculated Xarracott; " then he had his grip upon the old Squire, too. and myself, as far as that goes. What a bounder!" " Ho played a pretty game, I fancy, and the sooner your accountant gets busy over his books the better." CHAPTER XXXI. THE FINDING OK THE DIAMONDS Tho inspector was as good as his word, and Xarraeott marvelled to sec the ease with which he smoothed out all difficulties. A verdict of " Murder by a person unknown " in tho case of Cater, and " Death by misadventure in that of Elkington, finished all oflicial connection with the two tragedies. After the professor's funeral, Gerald approached Leila with regard to their marriage. "Leila dear, 1 ve got a secret to tell you. I've got the licence, and we can be J married to-morrow. He half feared that she might he shocked bv his impetuosity. "There is 110 hurry, is there!' she asked innocently. Gerald hastened to explain. " You see, Kennedy must get back by the end of the week, and Paynter wants to go with him. 1 thought that it would be rather jolly if we got married quietly while they were all here. And there is something else, Leila. 1 hey are pressing for the mortgage money, and .1 don't know how long it will be before 1 am turned out; L want you to be Mrs. Xarraeott of Xarraeott Hall as as possible. Leila had no great ambition to be mistress-of Xarraeott Hall, but she had a great love tor Gerald, and proved ready to fall into any of the plans he liked to make. So the matter was discussed with Mrs. Lysaght, who was at first some what upset at the unconvcnaonality of it all. then, woman-like, carried away in a transport of delight in making preparations. Tine wedding was arranged for the Saturday, and Xarraeott, while the fever of shopping was at its height, and finding his presence 011 such occasions de trop, took the opportunit> to run up to London to see t rim, who welcomed hjm eflusively. " J have good news—l think we can stave off the sale tor a time, he said. "How's that!-" asked Xarraeott, surprise:!. " 1 have just received a report from the accountant we sent down to investigate CaterV'books. it is not final, but as far as he can discover from a preliminary investigation, Cater has been a pretty scoundrel, and swindled the late Squirp to the extent of thousands. 60 if Carter has left anything behind vre get something out ot Ins estate, and use the money to pay off a part of the mortgage." Gerald was not surprised to learn ot Cater's dishonesty, but Trim was when he was told quietly that Cater was Levi Moses. . The lawver brought his hand down with a bang 011 his desk. " The dotible-dyed rascal! He robbed the old Squire, and then lent him his own money. Oh! we'll get every haltpenny of his ill-gotten gains back, or mv name is not I rim. .But even then von won't have an income sufficient to Iceep the Hall going; you 11 have to let, or find the diamonds. I suppose you haven't come across them ? Xarraeott shook his head. "We've hunted everywhere. I.am beginning to be doubtful of then existence," he replied. i . " Don't give up hope. ' urged 1 r ' m ' "they must be somewhere about. Dut now for another matter. Vou sent me Klkington's papers, and asked me to find out if ho had any of Miss Sandford's money in his possession. .L have gone into the matter earefuMy. Her father left something like £<ooo, and of this a ban- .L'.'sooo is left. Elkington has got rid of it all." " You amaze me. He has always given Miss Sandford to understand that she has been dependent on his bountv. What has he done with it all?"' " Lost it on the Stock Lxehange. Unfortunately it was in fairly easily realisable securities, and he took advantage of that. He was a horn gambler. Of course his will, leav ing all, as it docs, to Miss Sandford, will make the 'winding up of his estate easy, more especially as'his assets are nil. every ■penny of what he has left belonging already to Miss Sandford." Gerald did some necessary shopping, nnd met Leila and Mrs. Lysaght at Yelverton, and they all came back from thence together. " Hut do you mean to tell me that we have been living all this time on my unjuin-'l " That, is so. As far as I can make out Klkington was penniless, doing jobbing journalism, . when he took charge of you." How dreadful!" she said, in low, tense tones; "and he tried fo make me promise to marry that man by telling nie that i had been living ail these years on charity. Dreadful! ' Her eves fjlled with tears. " Xever mind. Leila, if's all come right in the end," said Mrs. Lysaght soothingly, patting her hand, but a look of pain remained on the girl s face. To divert her thoughts Gerald proposed that they should stroll along and inquire after old Matt hew Pick. . They found his daughter looking tired and done up. '' Is can't.l;ape 'en still," she complained. " won't bide 111 bed; 'ee he tellin' ami tellin' 'bout the old Squire, and that 'ee've got to go and Bee that ee lie all right." She took them upstairs, where tlfe.v found the Old man watched by bis son-in-law, who stood up as they entered. " Ee be fair mazed, 'ee be," he announced. Iho old man was rambling. I

By LAWRENCE PHILLIPS Author cf "A Friendless Millionaire," "The Tangle," etc.

A STORY Or ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

(COPYRIGHT)

" What be 'bout let tin' folk traipse round where you bo, maistcr? All right, I'll see that they be all there. 1 bo lookin' after 'en, maister; they bo till right, I tell 'ee. They ho where 1 put 'Oll fur 'ee." " Poor Matthew! " said Leila, as they walkd back. " It's sad to see him in such a state; J wonder what he is worrying over." Thov told the others of the old man's condition when they got back. " What was it ho said, can you remember precisely ? " inquired George, with a gleam in his eyes as though possessed of a sudden thought. Leila repeated the old man's words, and George subsided into thoughtful silence. The next day there was more shopping to be done, and Xarraeott went into Plvmouth with Leila and Mrs. Lysaght. They returned to find Kennedy and Paynter iu fine spirits, and to their comment got tho reply that it was due to the Dartmoor air. The wedding morning was glorious, with a cloudless sky and the air as exhilarating as wine, as Gerald and George drove to the church to wait for the arrival of Leila. " Lucky beggar! " whispered George, who was acting as best man. Kennedy doing the " heavy father," as he expressed it. He might well be envious, for she looked radiantly beautiful. Gerald had arranged for the materials of the wedding feast to be sent out from Plymouth, and the servants had no other care than to set the things 011 the table. Paynter went off to the dining-room, and left the others in the library; he returned in a few minutes to announce that everything was ready, and they. sat down in the places allotted by him. In front of Leila was placed what appeared to be a small parcel, and Gerald demanded of Paynter what it was. "Just a wedding present," replied George calmly. " You open it, Leila, while I tackle this tongue," her husband commanded. " You are overwhelming with your presents, George," he continued, carving the tongue; " pas.<f along—Great Scott! what's this? " 110 shouted, as Leila, Inning undone the string, shook out the contents in what seemed a stream of liquid fire upon the table. " Where on earth did you fellows come 011 them!-' " he demanded excitedly, as he recognised in them the hiddon treasure. " Jsv jovo, what luck! " he cried out, as he sank back in his chair, overcome by his emotion. " Toll us all about it." " There's not much to tell. Mrs. Xarraeott supplied us with the key to the mystery when she told us of old Matthew's rambling talk. It sot me thinking, and I turned over in mv mind all we had learned about tho old boy's connection with your curious relative. The strict injunction concerning the disposal of his ashes, and the directions left that Matthew should carry out his wishes, began to link up in my thoughts with the latter's very evident concern for the tomb. Then the place, itself, connecting with the library, all fitted in. I told Hugh what J had been thinking about, and we agreed to make another search in your absence." " But we'd combed tho place carefully and found nothing," objected Gerald. " Wait a moment —do you remember Matthew's words? " " Something about their being safe," answered Gerald. Leila clapped her hands excitedly, crying—- " Safe, where he had put them for Mr. Xarraeott." " You've tumbled to it, I see." Yes, but I'm in the dark still," objected Gerald " And though it is unimportant, so am J," murmured .Mrs. Lysaght, with a look at George which began romance for him. " Consider as I did. and you'll link up the squire's funeral directions and the old man's rambling utterancp." " You don't mean that you found them in the collin?" cried Gerald, aghast. " 1 do. We went provided with a screwdriver, and, though it was a gruesome business, we were comforted by the remembrance that the ashes were in an urn, and the coffin was, but for that, only an empty chest. Even so, speaking for myself—and 1 fancy 1 can speak for Hugh also —1 felt trembling with excitement, and we had some difficulty in removing tho screws; even when that was done, we hesitated to lift the cover. Hugh regained his nerve first. " ' Come on, get it over,' " he said, ' if they aren't here Gerald will be none tho worse, for he doesn't know what we're doing. Take your end.' " " 1 did as I was told, and at first we thought that we had drawn blank, for we saw the urn and nothing else. When we looked closer we found a plain deal box tucked away behind the urn. You may imagine that we lost no time in prising it open, and then, when we had done so, we knew that we had come upon the treasure at last." As you well deserved, for your clever thinking out of the evidence," said Mrs. Lysaght, with an admiring glance which made Paynter feel and look rather confused. ■ " What was the old man's game, anyhow?" asked Gerald, alter lie had joined iy the chorus of congratulations, given and received. " I think the old beggar couldn't hear to part with them, even in death, and had some insane idea that he was carrying them along with him," was Kennedy's verdict. " But the irony of fate! The professor lost his life looking [ for the treasure, and practically died | within a yard of it in complete ignorance of its location." " As we should have been but for the brains of two of the best pals a man ever had," answered Gerald. K PI LOG UK The following letter received bv Hugh Kennedy may be appended, as it contains some interesting information, of which the reader might like to be possessed : Dear "Id Hugh, Thanks for your run"■rut aln (ions' Both are doing wonderfully well, and Leila. like myself, is deliglited. She 'is anxious that yon. George, and Mrs. Lysaght should ho the Rod parents. We were hugely pleased to hear of the engngcnicnt of George and .your sister, and have written to tell them ho. When does the wedding come off? \\V have Inst cleared things up. The old squire was n shrewd buyer, and the money from the side of the Rtoi.es has more than cleared the place. So, with the money recovered from tho Cater estate, I nm fairly comfortably off. .and perfectly happy with mv >rem of a wife. Old Matthew has passed away, though he lingered a long time. . . f have been sorely exercised in mind ahout r.illnrd Ho was Cater's jackal, and, I fancy in some of his villainies, hut I am holding "IV hand for his -wife a flake, who S really a decent soul. Did I tell you that Mrs. Hooper comes in for Cater's money? He left a will which nt least docs her justice. Ml cur people want to see Leila out and about again ; she is making an id aelsciuire r wife as far as they are concerned. If 1 ocean tolling you all that she is to me. should not brine this letter to a close. Remember the christening, and .send a p.c. as to a convenient date. Cheerio. Yours. Gerald." ****** We mav look in for a moment at the nurserv of Xarraeott Hall, where the squire' and his wife are standing togother iirhniriiig the? little bundle of humanity that, lies sleeping peacefully 1 ■ , 1 i . • " How bappv we are, Gerald; now much I owe you, ' she says softly. " | owe von more; you have gi\en me all your love." be whispers back, as he kisses her tenderly. " Tint von have not only given nie vour love— t hrotiiih your love you have given me God, ' she answers 111 awed tones. So we leave them. TnE END