ADVENTURE MYSTERIOUS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23023, 28 April 1938, Page 22

ADVENTURE MYSTERIOUS

By FRANCIS MARLOWE World-lFatned author, traveller and dramatist.

(COPY RIGHT j

STRANGE MYSTERY SURROUNDS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL AND HER LIFE IS IN DANGER, BUT A DESPERATE AND DETERMINED LOVER APPEARS.

CHAPTER XXlX.—(Continued)

Expecting, and fearful of. a refusal to buy, Patricia was inexpressibly relieved. Knowing, or believing, what she did, she could follow the workings of the scoundrel's mind. With Dick in his power, and confident perhaps of forcing the formula from him or using him as a Jever to obtain possession of it, he was unwilling to pay unnecessarily for it, but for a legal title to it. and, maybe to salvo his conscience for his piracy, he was ready to hand over what was practically a nominal sum. "I don't pretend to be a business woman, Mr. Herrings," sho said, "and I suppose that's why I can't understand how a thing can be worth £20,000 one day and only £SOOO the next. However, I'll accept your offer for the formula; as a matter of fact, I shall bo glad to, for I'm positively afraid to keep it any longer " "I don't understand. Why should you be afraid to keep it," Herrings managed to get a puzzled liote into his voice. "Such queer things havo happened to me in the last few days," Patricia explained. "It's been made very plain to me that some unscrupulous people have made up their minds to have the formula. What they have done already to try and get it. convinced me that I'm in danger as long as 1 have it, so I resolved, if you still wanted to buy it, that I'd sell it to you without delay." Herrings made sympathetic noises. "Very serious; very serious," he said. "Still, you've made a wise decision and we can quickly put an end to your troubles. When do you suggest that we can conclude the transaction? When will you be able to let me have the formula? • I'll have the cheque drawn and the conveyance prepared for your signature." Patricia closed her eyes for a moment and relieved her nervous tension with a deep breath of satisfaction. She had not dared to believe that her plan would work so smoothly, that she could havo dissembled so skilfully and with such success, that her wily opponent would have been hoodwinked so easily. There remained only to put the finishing touch to her scheme and then she could breathe freely again. "I'll be able to tell you that as soon as I see Mr. Leslie," she said. "As I told you, he's taking care of the formula for me. 1 rang up his office this morning, but he had not arrived, so I left a message asking him to telephone to me at the earliest opportunity. I'll communicate with you, or he will, directly 1 sec him—probably, this afternoon." "We'll leave it at that, then, Miss Langley," Herrings said pleasantly. "I'll be ready to complete the deal at any minute you choose. Should it be to-day, you'll be able.to reach me at my Leadenhall Street office up to six o'clock.". Patricia hung up the receiver, but leaned against the wall of the telephone cabinet for fully a minute before she felt capable of emerging from it. CHAPTER XXX. DICK LKSLIE RETURNS It was, to Dick Leslie, something in the nature of an awakening from a nightmare dream when, somewhere about twenty hours after he had been spirited from his office, he walked into it again, a free but very puzzled man. His recollections of his capture were vague indeed. Just a mere vision of the man who, earlier, had broken in on liim and Patricia, a slightly stinging prick in his right arm front a hypodermic needle, and then a" dazed and almost helpless escorted progress to a motor-car, in whose interior oblivion overtook him. A night of . drugged, unrestful sleep. A return to consciousness in a strange room, situated he knew not where. Barred window, locked door, a breakfast brought to him, and left untouched because of sickness of heart and body. Two men, neither of them Herrings: one silent and watchful, the other obviously the instrument designed to extract the Tuscan letter from him. A bad quarter of an hour, beginning with conciliatory words, progressing to lavish bribes, ending in the worst methods of the Third Degree. Threats of what could, and would, be done to break his will, and then a period of solitude, during which his mind was more concerned with unhappy thoughts of Patricia's distress and fears when he failed to meet her at the Royalty Hotel than with his own danger and discomforts. Beyond description was his surprise when, on the reopening of his prison door, expecting a renewal of the morning's inquisition, he found himself, without explanation, being hurried through the lower passages of a largo house, hustled out of a small door, impelled through a long, narrow paved lane in which there were many such small doors, and left abruptly alone in the street in which the lane ended. It occurred to him at once that, queerly, this was practically an exact repetition of what had happened to Patricia on the previous day. But though, as it proved, he had hit on the motive for her release, it was beyond the powers of his imagination—tho Tuscan letter still being safe—to assign a reason for his own. It was a satisfaction to him to find that he had not been taken out of London. It was too late to meetPatricia at the Royalty; his watch told him it was within a few minutes of three o'clock; but at his office—shewould surely have inquired for him there —or, through Everton, he could quickly get in touch with her mid relieve her mind on his account, and in ! the matter of the letter. He walked a little way along the street on which he found himself, and when he had made sure that he was not being followed—he could not have told himself why he took this precaution—ho hailed a passing taxi and directed its driver to take him to his officii. Here he was, then, entering his | office building, eager to learn what news Miss Jonas might have for him; anxious, if she had none, to get on the telephone to Everton without delay, and get his report as to Patricia's movements. , A few quick strides brought him from the lift to his office door. Opening it, ho found that ho had interrupted Miss Jonas and the burly man whom Everton : had brought with him on the previous evening in a friendlj' chat. One glance : at them was enough for him. His mind jumped at once to the meaning of tho ( cheerful and unruffled aspect, and, j with a smile and a nod, he hurried past ] them to his own room. i Patricia, who had been sitting in a 1 chair bj' his desk, was on her feet when he entered. The gladness in her eyes, the spontaneous out-thrust of her 1 hand, thrilled him so that for a moment 1 he had no word for her. i "I felt that you would come here '• first." she said, smiling happily at c him. . ] "But, why?" he asked, puzzled. 1 "What made you expect to see me i here? When I did not meet you for ' lunch you must have guessed what 1 happened to me" i "I did," Patricia said. t "And yet you came here expecting to see me! I can't tell you how pleased 11 1 am to see you, but still I'm puzzled. 1 Did you expect that Herrings would 8 so get the letter from me?" ' "I knew he would never get it from r you"

Dick was baffled, and looked it "I don't understand," he said; ''you 1 must be something of a witch." - . "It's quite simple," Patricia said, t "I knew, or hoped, that Herrings s would quickly release you if 1 could \ make him realise by holding you ho f was delaying getting possession of tho I formula." f Dick wrinkled his brows and stared - at her in perplexity, then caught an inkling of her meaning. r "What have you done?" ho said. r "Surely you haven't " Patricia interrupted him. 5 "Without letting him suspect that I j knew him to be responsible for the , things that have been happening to us, I offered Mr. Herrings the formula, and J he promised to pay me five thousand ' pounds for it." » "Five thousand pounds!" Dick ejacu- > lated. "And I've been offered twenty t thousand for it again to-day. Look here, Pat, this won't do at all. You'd i better let me handle this thing for you. If you want to sell—l didn't think you I did —I'll make him raise his figure to at least twenty thousand." I Patricia stared at him with somel thing of exasperation in her expression. t "But I don't want to .sell to him. 1 , wouldn't sell the formula to him for a \ hundred thousand pounds only that . | She stopped, and Dick, looking at her, saw that hc-r lower lip was tremb- ' ling and that her eyes were suffused J with unshed tears. Ho took gently tho hand he had ' shortly before released, and led her to the chair from which she had risen to meet him. > "Sit down, Pat," he said, and seated himself on the edge of his desk. "This thing needs talking over," lie ■ went on. "Do you think it possible I could guess exactly why you have i, arranged to sell the formula to Herrings for five thousand pounds?" He leaned forward so that he could look direct into her face while he asked the question. Patricia's colour rose and her eyes dropped before his ardent glance. "I couldn't have you suffer on my account. 1 dragged you into all this trouble," she murmured. Dick looked silently at ber averted head for a moment or so. then. smiling happily, sat upright again. "I'll settle this matter with Mr. Herrings, Pat," he said. "Don't you worry any more about it. You don't want to sell the formula to him, and you're not going to. If you like, I'll get in touch with Mr. Tuscan's executors, or the rubber peoplo he represented, and make a deal with them. Patricia looked up at him, her composure almost fully returned. Sho shook her head definitely. "That won't do, Dick," she said. "I've given my word to Mr. Herrings, and I shall keep it. The money doesn't matter a bit; 1 have all I want of that. Even if I could now, I wouldn't sell to the other people, just to have my father's work buried —it isn't as if they would make use of it for the benefit of the world." "But, Pat," Dick protested, "1 can't let Herrings hold j'ou to this sale—it's iniquitous I" "I've given my word, Dick," Patricia said, and Dick recognised finality in. her tone. "Did you go to see Herrings? What did you arrange to complete tlie deal?" Dick asked. "I telephoned to him," Patricia explained. "1 found him at his club. 1 told him that you or 1 would communicate with him as soon as i had seen you, and he has arranged to be at his Leadenhall Street office until six o'clock in case we want him." "Very accommodating of him," Dick commented. "Well, 1 suppose I'd better get the formula for you at once. I can be back with it within twenty minutes or so." "Before you go," Patricia suddenly remembered, "I ought to tell you that I've seen Mr. Everton and told hint what I've done. He didn't encourage my hopes, but said that if you were released he'd like to be here to see the finish. I told him I'd tell you. He'll be at his office all the afternoon." Dick glanced at his watch. "It's a quarter to four now," he said. "I'll take a taxi from here, pick up Everton at his office, and take him with me to get the letter—that will be a safeguard in case there's any trickery. We should be back here not later than a quarter to five. While I'm gone you can telephone to Herrings and tell him you'll have the formula here for him at that time —and, by the way, you might also ring up Everton and tell him to expect me." Quite cheerful now, all apprehensions dismissed, Patricia smiled understanding of his instructions. CHAPTER XXXI. A LESSON IN VALUES —AND A WIFE IN* THE BARGAIN It was very little after half-past four when Dick, Everton accompanying him, returned to his office. Everton, assured that his man would no longer bo required for Patricia's protection, ordered him to report at the office for duty on another job, and after giving the man a few private instructions preliminary to his departure, joined Dick and Patricia in the inner office. "Miss Langley tells me that Herrings has promised to be here not later than a-quarter to five," Dick informed him; "we expect him any minute now." Everton seated himself heavily in the chair that Dick suggested for him, and looked frowningly at Patricia. "You've made up your mind, then, to do this thing, Miss?" he queried. Dick intervened. "Miss Langley and I havo discussed it from every view, and she has quite made up her mind about it," he said. Everton gave an irascible grunt. Dick drew the Tuscan letter from his pocket, tore the post-marked wrapper from it, and exhibited it to Patricia for identification. She nodded, and he placed the packet on the desk in front of him. "You must promise to let ine take m.v own way in settling this matter with Herrings." he said to her. "He'll get the formula, you can depend upon that, but from start to finish I must have an absolutely free hand. However much you may be surprised at anything I sa.y or do there must be no interference." "I shall not attempt to interfere," Patricia promised. "Do or say just what you please. Get rid of the formula, and put an end to the troubles it has brought on us and I shall be quite satisfied." Thereafter, for some seconds, there was silence, and tho atmosphere, with Herrings' arrival looming imminent, j seemed tense and electric. Patricia looked shy and subdued; there was a sterner expression on Dick's face than perhaps it had ever worn in the course of his life, and there was a steely glint in his eyes that was certainly new. Everton had a glum and disgruntled air, and appeared to be ruminating discontentedly. It was Everton who spoke first. "I'm pretty well fed up with this business," he grumbled. "Here we all know that Mr. Marcus Leon Herrings is at the bottom of this abduction stuff and the rest of the tricks, and yet I can't pin a thing on him. Thorne reports that lie hasn't got a line on anything yet at the Horsham end; Long, who's much better than I'd hoped he'd be, can only tell us that a car knocked him over in The Carfax, Horsham. Tho man has baffled us all ways, and now, though we know he's guilty as hell, we're going to let him get off scot-free and with a nice fair bit of loot. Look here, Miss Langley," ho leaned forward and addressed Patricia impressively, "don't part with t t hat letter; don't make a deal of any kind with the man. (To be fconcluded.)