DEAD MEN'S SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23181, 29 October 1938, Page 21 (Supplement)

DEAD MEN'S SHOES

CHAPTER XVII. —(Continued) "MIX me a drink, Deb," he said. He felt in his pocket for his ■ case , and took out a cigarette. Tho ( girl struck a match from the silver holder on tin? tray, and lit it for him, the trace of a smile on her lips. She filled one of the tall crystal beakers and handed it to him. j Bannister drained it and tho blood came back to his cheeks. Ho looked 1 at the girl, meeting her eyes. . "Take one, too, Deb," ho said. 1 "You're looking pale." Deborah half-filled a beaker and < raised it, her eyes twinkling at him ' over tho brim. "Come here," said Bannister. 1 He hooked a strong arm round her and held her tight against him, motionless. She yielded, supple as a wand, • laughing gently, her head turned back. He looked down into tho wicked little olive face and shining eyes. His mouth closed swiftly on hers. "Liko to bo boss here?" he said. "Like to keep young Brian out?" Her small white teeth flashed. "My sort!" said Bannister. His lips sought hers again; she felt his heart pounding. "You win after all, Deb. Glad, aren't you—eh?" "You know I am, Bannister," she whispered, and closed her eyes. His arm tightened round her. Tho door rattled suddenly. Selby came in, a letter in his hand; tho man's whole expression had changed. His eyes were alive with anxiety, his mouth tight set. As Deborah freed herself ho glanced at her with a quick jerk of his thumb toward the door; she went out without a word. He handed the letter to Bannister, whoso face was black as thunder. "Get on to that, quick! Found it on the hall table—l'll swear it wasn't there when tho post came!" Bannister took the letter, tore it open, and read the scrawled message. He sworo aloud. "Sam! The old mine shaft. Ten o'clock!" He broke off. "Have you read this, Jim?" Shelby nodded. "It was half-open. Thought I'd better." Bannister thrust it in his pocket. "Damn him, he's got me! I can't lot this go by—now!" He glanced at the clock. "A quarter to ten! I'll have to go," said Coote quietly. "We'll settle him, once and for all. You go ahead, Jim, and wait for me down at the railway crossing." "We'll both go." Bannister went quickly up to his bedroom, hung up his dinner jacket in a cupboard, first emptying its pockets into an old tweed jacket which he slipped on. Tho letter he locked away in a solidly build davenport desk that stood at the back of the room. A wad of banknotes he kept. Then, taking a heavy black revolver from a locked drawer, ho dropped it butt uppermost into his side pocket, "You've come for a settlement, Sam?" he muttered. "You're going to get it!" He went down silently by tho back stairs, and slipped out through the stable-yard door into the night. CHAPTER XVIII. " THAT DIAMOND'S A FAKE!" The car streaked through the gates of King's Elm House as the sleepy lodge-keeper opened them, and swung left down the hill, Brian slipped his free arm firmly round Sonia's shoulders, and felt her trembling. "All over," he said. "Don't worry, Sonia. You've left that behind you, and I'm in charge." She relaxed, and lay back against his arm. "Brian—l'm a bit tired. Have . we to go far?" "Why should we? Do you mind a village inn? No distance —decent quarters. Good folks —friends of mine." "Don't mind anything—with you." "You darling!" said Brian, under his breath. His heart was singing. The happiness he had scarcely hoped for —that he had seen slipping swiftly out of his reach —was in his grasp. Steering with one hand, ho shot down the hill a short mile and through the straight street of King's Elm, where he turned into tho yard of the village, inn, the Bingo' Bells, and ran the car into the open shed at the end. Ho helped Sonia out of tho car and took her to the back door of the inn. They were met by the stout little landlord, George Stubbings. He stared at Brian and the girl with blank surprise. "Why—Mr. Chalmers!" " Evening, George," said Brian. "This lady, Miss Neil, wants to stay here the night. Got a room?" "Certainly, Mr. Chalmers. This way in." He led them both through into the front parlour. Brian beckoned him out into tho passage. "Your best room. Have a fire lit in it at once. Get all that luggage out. of the car—Miss Neil's and mine. .And, George, send in some hot coffte and food—anything that's ready. I've got to drive to London to-night." "To-night, sir!" "That's what I said. To-morrow I'll he staying here myself. Meanwhile your daughter will look after Miss Neil." "Don't you worry, sir—l'll seo to it." He bustled out, and Brian returned to Sonia. She had recovered herself, but sho was looking white and shaken. "Brian," she said, "what happened — : when I left you?" "To Bannister? I pretty nearly shook tho breath out of his body. A pity I didn't make a job of it. It's time something happened to him. Why, Sonia, what's tho matter?"

(COPYMGUT)

By JOHN GOODWIN Author of "Scaled Orders." "Paid In Full," "The Shadow Man." etc. A story of a crime that was beyond solution until a loving girl followed her intuition.

"it's rather awful, Brian —all of it." "Put that out of your head. What ,vou did was the only thing to be done. Tho man's not only a beast —he's a crook." "Crook?" "I've plenty of counts against Bannister, these two days," said Brian, grimly. "He's going to answer to them now." "Because he lias the plane—the Tnotiey—-and you haven't, Brian?" she snid anxiously. "You gave him back the diamond?" "How should I know?" Tho girl was obviously surprised at the strange question. "Yes, I did! A mistake, maybe. I'm thinking it's the master key to this job. Sonia, do you know what the value of tho stone is that ho gavo you?" "Well, I know, and I'll tell you. Ten pounds! That diamond's a fraud, a fake. Clever fake, too; an expert couldn't tell 'em apart by tho eye. But nobody can fool me on diamonds when I get my hands on them. Just French paste." Sonia stared at him and flushed. "You see, don't you?" ho went on. "The Cooto Diamond's worth £20,000! Where is it? Shot out of tho States and sold, or maybe sliced up in Amsterdam. There isn't a doubt what Bannister's doing—he's stripping the Cooto Trust. Skinning it bare. It wouldn't be difficult, for Bannister. Turning everything into money, so ho can get away with it if he wants to. Leaving nothing but the husk and tho pips." Sonia was on her feet in a moment. "He's no right to do that!" "Bight? The man's a robber! The diamond that's only a sideshow. There's plenty more he could get his hooks on, if I know Bannister." "What can you do?" Sonia asked quickly. "Get to London and put it before the trustees," was Bnan's prompt reply. "They must bo asleep* —unless they're in on this skin-game with Bannister. But I can hardly believe that. I'm the heir-at-law, and I've a right to call for an investigation. I must be there by morning. There's one job that is to be done first, though." "Brian, you surely needn't leave me now?" There was a tremor in Sonia's voice. "I'll be off in half an hour. Morning's got to find me at tho trustee's office. I'd be a fool to let Bannister get ahead of me. But don't you worry —l'll be back hero to-morrow night. I'll ring you at 11, to give you the news. If you want me I'll be at Deane's Hotel, Charing Cross—'phone Temple 960." He scribbled it on an envelope and gave it to her. Then he caught her hands. "Sonia' you'll wait for me —won t you?" ho pleaded. "You're going to tell me again that you love me?" "Yes!" she said under her breath. "Sonia!" said Brian. He caught her to him, kissed her passionately, felt her heart racing. "Sonia—you darling!" "But wait —I'm not going yet!" Tho window, uncurtained, gave on the open street. He stepped across to draw the blind. He stopped dead, and drew back a little. She saw his face change and his jaw harden. She was just too late to see the dark face under the sou'-wester t hat went quietly by the window. But there was no mistaking the back of that burly figure in the oilskin coat that trudged past and vanished into the gloom. "What is it, Brian?" she said, a note of apprehension in her voice. CHAPTER XIX. THE SPY Brian pulled tho blind down. "It's the deckhand who was spying on you —and me —all tho way across." "Is lie after me?" "Of course not." Brian tried to reassure her. "He's after Bannister, though he seems to have an interest in us. too. I know —you needn't ask me how —that he's fixed a date with Bannister to-night. My belief is that Bannister will keep it. If ho doesn't I will. I'm going to bo there. I've got to know what his business is with Bannister before we go any further. The C'oote property isn't going to be sucked dry by blackmailers." He laid his hands on Sonia's shoulders. "I'll see no harm comes to you. You , aren't scared, are you, dear?" Before he could answer, the landlord's daughter knocked at the door 1 and opened it. A brisk, good-looking girl, with deep red hair. She smiled at Brian, who was evidently popular at the Bing O' Bells, and announced that the coffee was ready. "Good girl, Mary," said Brian. Let's got on with it." ! He led Sonia into tho back parlor, • a cosy little room with a bright fire, and open windows that gave upon the ! garage yard. The table was laden with plates of freshly-cut sandwiches and a • superb Yorkshire ham. He poured out ; a cup of hot, black coffee and handed it to Sonia. "Drink that." Ho filled himself a cup and attacked tho sandwiches hun- ■ grily, meanwhile packing a lot of them in a napkin and thrusting them in his • pocket. "I've a big job in front of me. I must get off now." ( "Stop, Brian!" sho said. "You say . this man has arranged a meeting with Bannister. How can you know that?" "Well, it isn't my habit to meddle i with people's letters. Tho thing came into my hands more or less by chance." | He repeated to her the few brief | phrases of Barber's letter as he remem- ' bored them. She caught hini by the arm. "Brian! she exclaimed. "Don't go! ' Leave it alone. I tell you —don't meddle 1 with that. For mercy's sake, don't!" She spoke with a conviction and > appeal that shook him. She clung to him as if she would stop him by force. 1 Brian caught his breath, and, looking , down into her face, held her to him. . His lips sought hers that yielded to I him; his pulses wore beating as ho felt her trembling. r "Brian!" L "Good-night!, dear! Till to-morrow." 3 he said quietly. He slipped out tho t window and was gone. (To bo continued daily.)