WHISPERING TONGUES

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12264, 9 October 1925, Page 12

WHISPERING TONGUES

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.}

BY

RALPH RODD,

author of "A Marriage by Capture/* 44 A Step in the Dark/* 'The Hand on the Strings/* "A Velvet Knave/* Etc., Etc,

[COPYRIGHT.]

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTERS l. and ll.—lveith Hemferion, brain specialist, is on a short holiday. He is visiting the rector of Drant, Hr Lesurier. As Dr. Bristow, the Drant medical man, is away, he is called llpoti to go to a case at the Gryphons. A Mrs Wilmer has been taken suddenly ill. Keith finds her unconscious, and for two full hours lie labours to restore her. Agatha Leigh, her half cousin and her adopted daughter, is with her all this time. Henderson is struck by Agatha's beauty. Then he recollects where he had seen her befmn. On his arrival, as the vector was engaged, lie had taken a walk, and had come across this £irl, who was seated on the river bank with a big athletic man of 40 by her side. The doctor had taken them for lovers. He now questions Agatha Leigh about those who had access to the sick woman. He learns that Squire Wilmer, the husband, is in the habit of taking dainties to his wife. He decides to visit this gentleman. He goes downstairs, and finds him alone and very depressed. He makes the astounding discovery that Hr Wilmer is the man who was making love to Agatha Leigh by the side of the river, i He tells him that his wife is better now. He also warns him that Airs Wilmer has been deliberately poisoned. CHAPTERS 111. and iV.-Tlie Squire appears to be flabbergasted, and tells Henderson that he is on a wrong line this time.’ He informs the doctor that his wife is popular, and that if he, Henderson, goes to the police he will only 3© laughed at, and a scandal will be raised. Henderson inquires whether the iquire’s wife is a rich woman, and the »quire owns that everything is hers. The doctor cross-examines him with regard to what he had given his wife that day, and the squire tells him. Then he divines that Henderson is charging him witn the crime. The doctor says that be is only theatening the criminal. Keith informs the rector of Drant of the nature of his discovery at the Gryphons; also that the strongest suspicion attaches to Airs Wilmer’s husband. This the rector refuses to believe on account of what ho knows of the man's character, and the type of life led at the Gryphons. A servant enters, and announces the arrival of Miss Leigh, who wishes to speak to them. As soon as they are in her presence she informs them that Mr Wilmer has disappeared. CHAPTERS V. and Vl.—Agatha makes her statement as to the manner of Mr Wilmer's disappearance. It is proposed to deceive Mrs Wilmer by the statement that her husband is temporarily indisposed. Agatha cannot understand what can have happened to Ursula’s husband, and she asks the doctor's help. The rector and Henderson consult as to what is best to be done. They find that Dr. Bristow has arrived. Airs Wilmer is seated in a low chair before the fire, and Dr. Bristow is there. Ursula Wilmer thanks Dr. Henderson for her recovery. Keith guesses that she has become acquainted with the truth, and delebirately tells her that she was suffering from the effects of poison. She refuses to believe that her husband was responsible for it.

CHAPTERS VII. and Vlll.—Keith Henderson's man has noticed a change in him during the past two months. The squire’s fate is a complete mystery, and the two women have arrayed themselves against the young doctor in Mr Wilmer’s defence. As Keith is walking to a medical institution he is stopped by a vision it a window. It is .Too Wilmer, the squire of Drant. The doctor interviews aim, ami finds he is either suffering .’tom lapse of memory, or he is a splenlid actor. He is urgently requiring a situation, and Henderson offers to give him some copying, which the squire gratefully accepts. The doctor takes aim home with him at once. His man meets him at the door with a telegram. Agatha Leigh requires his immediate presence. CHAPTER IX. —Continued. It clever of her. If she had told these wealthy county people that her husband was at Monte Carlo or any other specific spot, it might have led to complications; whereas to describe him as travelling about with a restless invalid was sufficiently vague to baffle casual inquiry. Henderson found his interest in the strange position of affairs at the ‘iryphons growing. Ursula Wilmer’s staunch loyalty to her husband touched him. He comprehended now the part that she was playing; she was keeping the flag at the masthead for the honour of the man she loved. The question was then, were these people satisfied? Had she succeeded in throwing dust in their eyes? The man glanced at the assembled company with renewed interest. Sir Marcus was still rubbing his chain, it was evidently a way of his when puzzled. Another man was squirting soda water into a glass noisily, while a third wrapped the lash of his whip round the stock with mathematical precision, then unwrapped it again. As for Air Adolphus Langton, he was staring at his hosfesu blankly, and his lower jaw had dropped a little. But the women were more selfpossessed, they sipped their tea, and those at the end of the room wept on talking. But some of them exchanged glances; the sight made Keith Henderson intensely uncomfortable. "Well, I’m sure I hope old Joe comes back in time for the ‘puppy-walker’s’ Christmas spread. They'd miss Joe's speech. It does a lot of good that evening," added Sir Marcus profoundly. “T must tell him what you say when next I write." It wn& impossible to detect _ the slightest trace of embarrass ment in Airs Wihner’s tone. “If he doesn’t get back in time, the duty devolves upon the secretary, eh, Dolly?" And the speaker laughed mischieviously, for Sir Alarcus Stethwick’s blundering attempts of oratory were well known. To the intense relief of some if not of nil present, the door once more swung open. Keith Henderson forgot everything else in a sudden wave of gladness, for there, framed in the doorwav, stood Agalha. She, too, was in a riding habit, and fdio wore a little low hard ielt hat. It seemed to the man who gazed at her that she looked smaller, younger than when last he bad seen her. The girl’s hunting whip was under her arm and with one hand she just raised the skirt of her habit from the ground—with the other she shaded her eyes from the light which dazzled them. “Don’t laugh at me/’ she said. “I

Henderson shook hands without betraying any of the annoyance he felt, while Bristow began a long explanation as to how so busy a man as himself contrived occasionally to get an od<l day with the hounds. It was not a subject likely to interest the hearer, nor did anyone else «era concerned as to the fate of the doctor's patients dift-ing his absence. Agatha even concealed a yawn ostentatiously, and then she came to the rescue. “Oh, I forgot," she broke in, “the Lawrences are coming, Cousin. Ursula, darling. They'll be here in a minute. 1 passed them in the village, and trotted on. You know how slowly Anastasia s gilded coach travels." “Oh, my dear," said Dolly. Anti Henderson knew instinctively that he was mimicking “Anastasia." “I say, let s arrange ourselves in a row, and then Mrs Lawrence will be able to run down the line and toss U 6 a word each." “Run!" giggled Agatha, and the music of her laughter made one man smile instinctively. “Far better* stand in a close square and either all speak at once, or else make Marcus spokesman," suggested Mrs Clayton. * And then Pawson announced: Professor and Mrs Lawrence.’* Keith Henderson had felt himself somewhat out of place amongst this chattering crowd of sporting men and women; gradually he was being drawn into the atmosphere of light and he glanced at Agatha whimsically. Mrs Lawrence was short and very stout, and in spite of the handicap of her figure, ehe vhm as ultra-fashionablo as women could be. She entered the room eftusivelv: when she spoke—and she was seldom silent—her words came m little gushes; while her remarks were usually prefaced with just auch an Oh. my dear.', as Dolly Langton had uttered. It was apparently Mre Lawrence's aim to speak as much as possible to as many people as could be addressed separately ra a given time. Thus she waddled rapidly across tho big hall —it was obvious why Agatha had laughed at the use of the word “run" and pounced upon her hostess, whom she addressed by her Christian name, poured a perfect torrent of questions into Agatha's cars; then, without waiting for a reply to any of them, ceized upon Sir Marcus, only to fling him aside the next instant in favour of Mrs Chudleigh. * And behind the lady stalked the gaunt professor. It was difficult to believe that there could be anything in common between the two. David Lawrence looked what he was—a very painstaking, very diligent scientist. He had married a wealthy wife late in life, so was presumably able to satisfy his passion for learned research to his heart's content, though there were those who hinted that Mrs Lawrence did not altogether approve of her money being used for such purposes. The lady was the victim of overweening social ambition. The processor shook hands with Mrs Witmer, and he patted Agatha's shoul--1 der abstractedly. “1 want to see Joe. Is he back yet?" he asked, looking round the room through his big pebble glasses, as though expecting to find among the sportsmen the one he sought. “Not yet. returned Joe NVilmer s wife, still casually. “But there is someone here much more interesting. You said you knew Dr. Henderson." The professor had been gazing at the briliantly-clad throng with unconcealed disapproval. He had murmured “well" and “dear" several times. The women shocked him the most, and he tried not to see them. Agatha and Ursula were relations, so he forgave them much. That there was anything ridiculous in his own wife's appearance never occurred to him. A creation to him was merely a gown—a smart hat, a bonnet. He was quite satisfied as long as the colours were not too vivid and the tops of the boots decently concealed—Mrs Chudlcigh's hunting-boots were high, and she showed all of them, but then they were very small and well-fitting—a fact the professor entirely overlooked. “Dreadful!—dreadful 1" murmured the man of science. And then his face Jit up “What, Keith Henderson, the brain man?" A glimmer of a smile came over the gaunt features. “Keith Henderson studying brains in Ursula's bear garden! Well, well!" And then he turned . to the man who had once been his young assistant, and shook hands cordially. (To be continued.)

know I got lost, but I am not half as late as some people will be getting home. There are tired horses jogging along all the Lortendale lanes. Oh, dear, you’ve got such a start with tea, and I am so thirsty!" As she spoke she made n little grimace of mock self-commisera-tion, and she crossed the room to where Mrs Wilmer sat. A babel of sound greeted the girl; her misadventure was a cause,, not for commiseration, but for banter. They chaffed her because, in company with others, she had taken the wrong line; they vowed that the true cause wag the collapse of the redoubtable "Wexford," the joy of Agatha’s heart. Sir Marcus doubted whether the horse was up to his mistress’s weight—yells of laughter—Agatha rode under eight stone. Airs Clayton suggested the horse was getting 'old. Cries of assent from those who knew that "Wexford" was in his first youth. And then, in the midst of the laughter and the noise, Agatha caught sight of the man who was watching her in a wav none of the others did, and her eyes suddenly lit up. Not that anyone else would have noticed it —it was merely a swift message of welcome, but it was Keith Henderson's reward. They could say little enough to each other then, since the meeting was supposed to be a merely casual one, they being but acquaintances. Yet the fact did not trouble either, for if the man told himself that Agatha Leigh was all and more than his fancy had painted, the girl was feeling that now at least some of her trouble had gone, since the man she trusted had come in answer to her call. CHAPTER X. "I think we have met before." Henderson looked up from the girl over who mhe had been bending. Agatha had let him hold her cup while she took off her driving gloves. It certainly never struck him as laughable that he should consider thq. action a privilege. It was Bristow, the young village medico, who spoke. He had entered close behind the girl, though Henderson, in his pleasure at seeing her, had scarcely noted the fact. Now what the reetbr had said returned to him; this was the man who dared to try to make love to Mrs Wilmer’s adopted daughter. Perhaps it was owing to jealousy that he had thrust himself forward now.