THE NOVELIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 29

THE NOVELIST.

A STRANGE STORY OF A DEAD MAFS GOLD. By JAMES SZIPP BOBLASE. Author of "Darker .than Death," "Who Killed John Cameron?" "Both Princess and Police Spy," "Nina the Nihilist," "May Mortimer's Mistake," &c, &c. [ALL BIGHTS RESERVED.] Ohaptbb XLIV. Constable Jones and Jock Murray, the Newsboy, Turn up' Once More. ELLY FARRELL put on her outdoor apparel, and they set forth at once. It was now 11 o'clock at night, and the streets were well nigh empty, as they would remain for another half -hour, when theatres, music-halls, and casinos would empty their audiences into them almost together, and for a brief while crowd them again. JThe trio proceeded straight down Russell street, and presently sharp round the corner of Collins street there came running almost against them, a newsboy, who was shouting out. "Argus extraordinary 1 The murder in the Fitzroy Gardens I Arrest of the supposed assassin of Mr Silas Sturt, in the Fitzroy Gardens — capture this evening by a detective and a soldiei, in the Casino de Venise, of Mr Loftus Fits Gerald, who is supposed to have killed the member ,f or Burong, Mr ; Sturt, in the Fitsjroy Gardens, nine months ago — arrest of the assassin in disguise, and calling himself Amos Robinson,^ The foil particulars for threepence."

Jim Ballinger brought his two female companions, one of whom he had on either arm, to a dead stop, believing it very pos1 sible that both of them would at once faint, or go into violent hysterics, and wondering what he should do in either case. The newsboy naturally came to a full stop also, supposing that they had pulled up to purchase one or more of his papers, and holding a couple towards them he exclaimed — " Here they are. Buy 'em and enjoy 'em ; but I'd bet my whole stock-in-trade against J a copper token (there was no copper coinage but tradesmen's tokens in Melbourne at that time.) that Mr FitzGerald never murdered ! that fellow Sturt, whoever did it." The words were spoken with spirit, and the mere fact that he called the presumed assassin Mister, and dubbed the assassinated, | albeit that he had been a rich man and a Member of the Melbourne Legislative Assembly " that fellow," was evidence that he entertained a strong personal animus in the matter. This became instantly apparent to Nelly Farrell, who had her wits about her more than either of the three, for at the mention of her husband having been captured by a detective and a soldier, Winny had withdrawn her hand from Jim's arm with a gasp and a shudder, and he was, for a moment, completely upset by her thus discovering what he had hoped to have been able to have hid from her, that he had played a personal part (an involuntary part it is true ; but how could he ever hope to make her believe that ?) in bringing her husband within the strong grasp of the law. It was Nelly, 'therefore, who said to the newsboy, as she purchased a couple of " specials " from him, What makes you think that Mr FitzGerald never did the deed, my pretty little fellow 7 " " Because, miss, no one who'd the cruelty to shed a fellow-creature's blood would have spoken so kindly to a poor lad, as he once did to me, not an hour after the deed was committed too. I says to him then, says I, 'If there's anything that I can ever do for you, sir, or a way in which I can ever serve you, by George I'm all there ;' for he drawed my heart up into my mouth, and it eet my tongue wagging whether I would or no, and that was what it made me say, I'd like to do instead of say at this blessed moment, but who'll tell me what to do that can be the least good to him, that's the thing ! I've been thinking and thinking, but nothing 'ull come of my thoughts. As well work away at a pump handle when there's no water in the blessed thing." " What's your name, my boy 1 " "Jock Murray, ma'am." II Then, Jock, to-morrow's Sunday, and if you'll come and breakfast with me and this lady at half past nine o'clock we'll chat the matter over. As a little mouse once helped a big lion out of a snare, I don't see why a child shouldn't help a man out of one, especially when he's so good a will to do it as you evidently have." " And I'm something more than a child, for I'm turned of twelve," retorted Jock, throwing back his shoulders and expanding his pretty plump bare chest. "I'll come, ma'am, leastways if you'll tell me where you live." 11 1 live on Emerald iHill, at No. 9 Wooloomooloo terrace, about half way between the Silver Grate and the Golden Gate inns. Do you think you can find it out ? " " Rather, I should just fancy so. A pretty duffer I should be if I couldn't find out more than that, 1 ' retorted Jock, whose dignity had been somewhat hurt by the implied doubt. " Have you any real reason for believing that you can find out more than that — I'm repeating your own words—in the present case ? " Nelly Farrell asked eagerly, struck by what she thought to be something peculiar in the boy's tone of voice. " I dunno, exactly," he rejoined, with a simultaneous frown and grin; the former seeming to betoken doubt, and the latter hope. " I'll do what I can, anyway. Now, if that diamond ring and scarf pin, that these papers tells about, could be proved to have been bought by someone else of a third party about an hour after old Silas Sturt was thought to have been murdered, in an inn, we'll say, in Flinders Lane, wouldn't that go a goodish way towards breaking down the case against Mr FitzGerald, don't you think?" "Why, of course it would," my dear little fellow," exclaimed Nelly, delightedly. "If it was sworn to by such an innocent - looking lad as yourself, that Mr Sturt's jewellery was sold by another person to a third party, and just after his murder, why — it would tell in Mr FitzGerald's favour immensely — it couldn't help doing so." I " Perhaps I'll step into the witness box and swear it miss— swear that I saw it done with my own blessed eyes," began Jock Murray jubilantly ; but before he could utter another word a white shakoed, blae tuniced constable emerged from a deep doorway in which he had been standing concealed, and exclaimed : " Eh I What's this 7 A conspiracy to suborn false testimony 1 A secret colluson to subvert justice ? To tempt a mere child to perjure himself 7 Out upon you, and off: with you, and be thankful that I don't run you all three in. It's no use feeling' in your pockets, for the force are forbidden to take bribes — though some of 'em doubtless do it on the quiet ; n and here he coughed meaningly. Jim Ballinger guessed the signification of that cough accurately enough, and felt at once in his pockets for half a crown ; but finding only a penny token there, he muttered : " Stumped, by George ! " As foe Winny, she did not in the least catch the constable's meaning, but the Bourke street barmaid, who had had some experience with officials of his type, understood him perfectly, and immediately drew ont her purse, whereat the custodian of law and order turned his back towards her, and whilst in a leonine tone ordering Jock Murray to move on, aided by a, threatening flourish of his right arm, with the disengaged forefinger of bis left hand he pointed meaningly towards the side pocket of his tunic, into which Nelly deftly slipped a sixpence in lieu of the half-sovereign which she had cunningly allowed him to catch sight of. "Very pushing and annoying is them boys. Must be taught manners now and then, or they'd be regular Rooshans," observed the constable as he turned round; and with a

"Good-night" he was about to walk- oft when he suddenly and for the first time caught a full and clear view of Winny's face and exclaimed, evidently in nnbonnded surprise : " Bless my soul, why it's surely Mrs Robinson, my — I mean my wife's lodger ? No— yes. Aye, I'm sure it is. Lord sake, madam— young woman— don't tell me that your husband is— is— is— is the villian that all this fuss is about? And yet — and yet — and yet " " Remember you have taken a bribe, which renders you liable to be dismissed from the force, so just curb your impertinent ouriosity, or it may be the worse for you,'' interrupted Jim Ballinger sternly and threateningly; whereat " Jones, the pompous "collapsed like a pricked air-ball, and shuffled away utterly discomfited. He, however, quickly revived under the influence of some pleasing thoughts and convictions that presently occurred to him and caused him to mutter to himself ; " They've left me my revenge, though. I'm blest if I won't spoil their little game, even if I can't profit by it, and I am by no means sure yet that I won't be able to do that. I must collar and pump that preoious newsboy — aye, he's out of sight — clean out of sight —but I know his haunts, and can come across him half a dozen times in course of an hour. Perhaps half a crown out of the tea bob that that -woman just gave me would suffice to pump him dry and so prove a profitable investment ? Hang it; she wouldn't have tipped me half a quid for nothing— a keen woman of business like her. There i more in this than meets the eye. But C i shall get at the bottom of it— bottom of it— of it. 'Taint one in a thousand who can hoodwink Jones— plain Constable Jonesno, I'm blest if there is. It's no easy job to do him — not a bit of it. Eh, what I The trickster! the Jezebel. Why, it's only a blooming tanner 1 She must have changed the coins whilst my back was turned. Yes, my pocket's a complete void of all besides 1 , and Jones is done, after all." He walked on for a little way, stamping very hard, as if with each step he trampled on an imaginary barmaid, but presently he gave utterance to a Mephistophelian laugh, and ejaculated, almost aloud : " What a blooming fool she was to play such a trick off on me 1 Why, I've only to swear hard I enough in order to get into prison for giving Loftus FitzGerald shelter and hiding, instead of denouncing him, after she had good reason for knowing that he was a murderer that night that he slept at the Australia Felix before escaping from the colony aboard the. You-Yangs. Aye, I'll do it too — I'll do it too. She shall have 15 years at Pentridge Stockade for that, matter of the 6d," and thus vindictively muttering he started off in quest of Jock Murray.