No. 7 SAVILLE SQUARE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3336, 20 February 1918, Page 48

No. 7 SAVILLE SQUARE.

THE NOVELIST. [All Rights Reserved.]

By WILLIAM QUEUX

CHAPTER lII.—AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE.

" By Jove, Lilian, you have improved. Before I went away I just lobbed the balls over, and took no trouble. To-day I had to do all I could to beat you. And your service is ripping." ' The speaiter was Lieutenant James Bravington, R.N., familiarly known in the (service and amongst his intimates as "The Cherub." The nickname was a delicate compliment to his seraphic countenance unci his plump figure. Miss Paske, somewhat flushed with her exertions and~her rapid movements over the lawn tennis court, made him a low bow.

" Mr Bravington, your humble servant, lou see, I am one of those people who go on improving. When next you come back ib would be great fun if I could beat you, wouldn't it?" " Glorious,''' cried Bravington enthusiastically. "And you would think such a lot of yourself. Nobody could speak to you for a, month at least on equal terms." She shook her sunny head. " Do you really think I am so vain, Jim?" The gallant sailor evaded a direct answer. "I think you are the sweetest littie girl in the world." Her father called her his little girl, and Mr Bravington insinuated that she was diminutive. As a matter of fact, she was well over the middle height for a woman. Probably they both expressed their affection in the same phrase. She lifted a warning finger, and a rather roguish smile played about her mouth, revealing a very provocative dimple. " Lieutenant Bravington, don't force me to treat you as an acquaintance." The voice was serious, but the smile belied the "voice. "You know we went thru ugh all this the last time you were here, and you agreed that we should be good friends. I think I told you I v/ould / be a sister to you. Oh, Jim, be a real good brother, and don't spoil this beautiful day." Poor Jim Bravington sighed • heavily. "Yes, I believe we did come to some arrangement of that sort. But in our agreement there was some kind of a saving clause, that if " Lilian lifted her finger to . enjoin silence. " I believe I was weak enough to say, and I only said it to comfort you, that if you could distinguish yourself in some very remarkable way, if you could sink an enemy battleship, or rescue severaNhundred people from drowning, or something of that impossible sort. If you could do something that would make you famous, and every illustrated paper had your portrait—perhaps I might reconsider the position ; mind you, only might.'' The Cherub shook his head doubtfully at the prospect of these heavy tasks. He felt she was very cruel and unfeeling. "I shall never sink an enemy battleship. I shall never save anybody from drowning. I shall never have my portrait in one illustrated paper, much less all. And so— —" " And so," interrupted Lilian. " We stand where we were, good and dear old friends, brother and sister. What a delightful relation! We shall always understand each other, and never quarrel, and never be jealous and petty and mean." The Cherub did not exhibit much delight • at this tranquil prospect of their future intercourse. He was about to speak, but Lilian hushed him to silence. " Here comes Robert with tea. Let us dissemble." So Mr Bravington dissembled, and assuaged his heartache with hot cakes ;and scones, and several cups of tea. Mr Paske had driven over to call on a brother magistrate, and therefore was not present at the meal. Lilian was twenty-two, her companion her senior by three years. They had known each . other almost from their cradles, the two families beino- distantly connected. Vv T ith Bravington, the childish intimacy had ripened into a deep and very steady affection; the young fellow ardently longed to make her his wife. Lilian was very fond of him in a sisterly sort • of way, but she could not feel he was the man to fill her life. She had rather more than her share of the romantic notions which affect her age and sex. And Chubby, although a good sort enough, did not come up to her standard of romance by any means. Her father was very fond of young Bravington, -whose sterling qualities he fully recognised, and would gladly have welcomed him as a son-in-law. He had himself retired from the Stock Exchange with a fair fortune, and Bravington, who came from an old county family, had inherited considerable means from his maternal grandfather. It would be a desirable match in many ways, but he was too fond of his only child to exert any influence upon her in such an important matter. The girl must choose for herself, whether she chose wisely or not. Tea was over, and Lilian leaned forward eagerly. - "Now, Jim, old boy, you are going to be good and not talk any more nonsense. Is that a bargain?" "It's a bargain," agreed the Cherub valiantlv. "That's all right, because I've something very Avonderful and thrilling to tell you. I've been thinking about it a lot." The lieutenant composed himself to listen. "Fire away," ho said. "Well, I daresay you know that father has got two houses —Xos. 6 and 7—in a dingy old square in the north-west of ''London. One is tenanted, *w a man who

is now his solicitor, the other by an elderly man named Rathburn. The other day Mr Rathburn paid dad a visit, to ask him to let him off the remainder of his tenancy on condition of paying him at onco six months' rent." " Nothing very thrilling so far," commented the Cherub. "Don't be silly, Jim; the thrill is to come presently." Then she narrated to the not very interested young man the tale Rathburn had told his landlord, of strange voices muttering, and ghostly footfalls on the stands in the dead of night. Lieutenant'Bravington was a very able naval officer, and thought highly of by his superiors. When he was confronted with facts and action he -was as keen as mustard. But nobody would have credited him with a very subtle brain. He jumped immediately to the same conclusion as her father had' done. | " The old man is a bit off his head through his nervous breakdown. And the son, not wanting to excite his father, and so make him worse, pretended he heard it all." " Yes, I know you think so; dad thinks so; everybody would think so, just hearing what I have told you. But then you have not seen and watched Mr Rathburn." She gave a little shudder. "Ugh! what an objectionable old man. I hope I shall never see him again." But the Chirub was still slightly inI diuerent. "If he is such an old beast as you make him out, I am glad I haven't seen him." "And now, Jim, I am going to throw* a fresh light on the matter. I suppose - you will admit that women, even if they are not quite as logical as men, are gifted 'with a keener facultv of intuition?"

"I will agree to much," admitted Bravington in judicial accents.

"Thanks! You are awfully generous. Well, in the first place, Mr Rathburn is no more off his head than you or I." " How do you know that? You are not a specialist in mental diseases, are you?" inquired the young officer, with a subtle humour that one would hardly have expected to find in him. " Shut up, and don't try to be humorous* It really does not sit well upon you. I tell you he's not a bit off his head. I should say, from his conversation, he is an exceedingly brainy man." The Cherub' suppressed a yawn. He thought she was a little bit tiresome. Much as he adored her, he had always fancied: she was a trifle fond of showing off her cleverness. " Get on, Lilian, there's a good girl. W'hyj are you so interested in this old bounder? At the worst, as I take it, he comes down and bounces your father out of a certain amount of rent. Well, let us say he's a clever chap, and let it go at that." "As you are not interested, of course, I won't go on." Lilian spoke with great dignity, but there was an ominous flash in the blue eyes which warned her companion that she was offended. He wisely recognised the signs of storm and hastened to compromise. " Not at all, my dear girl. I really am interested. Have you got anything more to tell me?" Lilian recovered her temper. She could not afford to lose a listener, even if he were not a very attentive one. She was too full of her subject. She leaned forward eagerly. "The second thing is, I am positive he is suffering from no nervous breakdown. He is as strong and healthy as you or father." ' , • There was a moment's ! pause, then she added: "There is another rather funny thing which I had forgotten till this moment. When he took the house, he was asked, of course, for references. He said he never lilted to trouble his friends, and he would prefer to pay a year's renir in advance. Now,' does that strike you as a rather queer thing?" This time she struck a responsive chord in the Cherub's bosom. He was a perfectly honourable young man, and always met his obligations. But paying a considerable sum in advance did seem to savour of the uncanny. Time enough to pay when the goods were delivered. A man who paid before was a fool or something else. "Yes," he said in his easy nernacular. "Looking at it all round, there certainly seems something fishy." Lilian clasped her hands together. "I am pleased that I have convinced you. Oh, how I wish, how I wish !" She paused. " What do you wish, little girl?" " I know it's awfully foolish, but I wish I could enter that house in the middle of the night—of course, not alone —and listen for those sounds, or wait outside and watch for those mysterious lights. I should then know if hi* story is true or false." The lieutenant thought a moment or two—he was not given to act on impulse—before he answered her. "You couldn't go, anyway; but suppose your brother went for you and reported the result?" She looked up at him with shining eyes. "Oh, Jim., if you would do that, you would be a darling." Bravington's face flushed at the caressing word. It was difficult to hold back what he wanted to say. But he was as straight as a die, an honourable young Englishman, and he had promised not to make love to her. Because he was going to do her a small service, he scorned to bargain with her. If he was ever going to win her, he must play a waiting game. "Look here, Lilian, I'm no good at a job of this sort by myself. But I've a pal, Dick Temple, who was at school with me, and I've kept up with him ever since. His father went broke and he found himself stranded. So he took on journalism, and lately he has made a bit of a name with detective stories of the rather lurid kind."

"What a delightful person," exclaimed Lilian enthusiastically. At this period of her career she was a great worshipper of brains. '" He is all that," admitted the Cherub dryly. " Personally, I think he takes a little too much whisky to assist "the flow of imagination. Still,'he's a rattling good chap, and he would do anything in the world to oblige me. This" would be a job after his own heart. I'll go and see him to-morrow."

It was worth it to see the grateful light in those pretty blue eyes. For the second time that afternoon she repeated the word that, had thrilled him. " Oh, Jim, you really are a darling, you know." And then Mr Paske came across the lawn, and* his genial tones rang out. " Now then, youngsters, what shall we do? Let ua goMnto the billiard room, and I'll play the two of you." A& he had a habit of making breaks of fifty and sixty at frequent intervals, the contest was not so unequal as it seemed. They played three games, and he beat them easily. Faithful to his promise, Bravington hunted up his literary friend, Dick Temple, on the following morning. It was a Friday, and on that day he knew Dick composed a weekly article for a Sunday paper with a big circulation. And, further, Bravington knew that he always wrote this particular article in the smoking room of that well-known club, the "Junior Scribes." To the "Junior Scribes," therefore, he betook himself about one o'clock. It was a very genial and Bohemian club, wtih proper club rules, many of which were more honoured in the breach than in the observance. For example, one of the rules was that no member should make use of the premises for business purposes. Yet, here was Mr Richard Temple, sitting brazenly in the .reading room on this particular morning, using club stationery and ink for the article which was to bring him in four guineas on the next pay day of the -weekly paper with the huge circulation. Bravington was a member of the club, having been proposed by his friend and seconded by a gentleman with long hair, who was supposed to be a budding poet. He advanced to Temple, who was in the throes of composition. "How are you, old chap? Come and have lunch with me presently. I want to have a talk with you." Dick Temple, rather a presentable-look-ing young man, with just a slight dash of Bohemianism in his hair, which hung luxuriously over one side of an intelli-' gent forehead, nodded his head. " Right! Give me ten minutes. By then 1 shall have finished this article for that soul-destroying paper." It was in tliis exaggerated way that he alluded to the great Sunday organ, from which he drew a couple of hundred a year. The "Junior Scribes" was a v very sociable club. In the long dining room there was one big table at which members and guests eat in juxtaposition. Small ta,bles had once or twice been tried, but they did not encourage friendliness, so they had been abolished. Reticence and aloofness were not encouraged in this haunt of journalists, artists, and actors. There was always a great din at luncheon, and one had to shout to make oneself heard. It was quite impossible for Bravington to say what he wanted to his guest during the progress of the meal. He hinted as much to Temple, with the result that they speedily adjourned to a quiet corner of the smoking room, where they could converse without being overheard. , Bravington told the story as Lilian had told it to him. Temple was greatly interested. "By Jove, it's great," he said, when his friend had finished, his rapid intelligence having quickly grasped the situation. " Look here, old boy, we will work this thing out. I'll make an amateur detective of you before you are manyhours older." Bravington made a grimace, but Temple seemed interested, so he would go through with it. - Anyway, it would please Lilian to know that he had done his best in a direction where she could not expect him to shine. He wrote her a long letter that night, and subscribed himself " Your affectionate brother, Jim." CHAPTER IV.—HOW DID IT HAPPEN? The investigations could not, however, take place for some little time for more than one reason. In the first place, Dick Temple was engaged on night work for one of his newspapers for the best part of a week. And they both agreed that it was useless to attempt any solution of spiritual phenomena in the-daytime. Then Lilian was about to pay a brief visit to Chaldon Manor, near Weymouth. It had been the home of the Bravington family for generations. And the lieutenand was going to escort his beloved Lilian down, and put in a couple of days of his leave. So, for a little time, the mystery of No. 7 Saville square must remain unsolved. It cannot be said that Bravington took much interest in the matter himself. He had only gone into it and invoked the help of his old schoolfellow, Dick Temple, because Lilian had shown such keenness. She went down to Weymouth by the midday train, which travels pretty swiftly to Westbury, and after that stops at a dozen comparatively unimportant stations. Her father brought her up from Godalming. The Cherub had secured two corner seats' in a first class compartment, and was awaiting them on the platform. He had bought an armful of papers for Lilian, to read when 'she was tired of his conversation.

Olrubby -was a very resourceful young man in the ordinary conduct of life, even if he was not endowed with great mental

capacity. He was a most admirable cicerone; he thought of everything and anticipated every want. At two minutes to the time of starting Mr Paske insisted on the young people taking their seats. He was rather a fidgety man in small matters, and always wanted people to do things in his fashion. If they kept on talking to the last minute, the train must start without them.

He kissed his daughter, shook hands with the Cherub, and went off to his club. He Was going to make a day of it in London. It was not often that he left his pretty country home. As the train was steaming out of the station a young man darted through the booking hall and ran swiftly along the platform, evidently looking for a first class compartment.' He caught sight of the one in which Lilian and Bravington were sitting, hastily wrenched the door open and jumped upon the footboard. The train was going pretty fast, and for a second he appeared to lose his balance. He swayed and struggled forward.

The Cherub was up like lightning, and, seizing him by his disengaged arm, pulled: him in. He sank down in the seat panting and livid. But for Bravington's timely aid, he might have fallen back on the platform, perhaps with fatal results. When he had recovered himself a bit, the lieutenant spoke in a rather severe voice.

"It was a near squeak, that, sir. You might have been dragged along. The risk wasn't worth it."

The young man looked a little abashed. " You are quite right; it wasn't-worth it. But the next "train doesn't' go for two hours, and L should have been kicking my heels on the platform till two o'clock." The shaken young man stole a furtive glance at Lilian, who looked a little white herself. It had given her a shock to see him swaying dangerously ,on the footboard.

He guessed he was in the presence of a pair of lovers, who had seized an empty carriage, and were looking forward to a long tete-a-tete. No wonder the man who had pulled him in out of danger had spoken in a severe voice. He was not likely to relish the intrusion of a third person. Well, that could easily be remedied. x As soon as he had recovered himself a bit he would walk along the corridor and find a compartment free from turtle-doves. And then, it was Lilian's turn to scrutinise the stranger who had joined them in such a dramatic manner. She gave a little start, for she recognised him immediately, although she had seen him only ' once before in her life.

She leaned forward. "You are Mr Rathburn, jun., are you not?" - The young man looked at her hesitatingly, but evidently he did not remember her. There was a shade of embarrassment in his manner as he owned to the name.

"■I-am Lilian Paske; my father is—or, rather, was —your landlord. You came down to our house at Godalming when you took No. 7 Saville square. But you have forgotten me." The young man looked relieved. "Of course, I recollect you now. I was so dazed when I sat down that I hardly took notice of anything or anybody. lam sure I must have given you a shock tumbling in in that way." " You did, rather. If it had not been for Lieutenant Bravington I am afraid you would have* tumbled out very quickly." ' ' Yes, I am very much indebted to him." His manner was less hesitating than at first, but he did not seem very much at ease.

Lilian thought it was a carious coincidence his travelling down with them. He must be some distance, for the first stop was at Reading. And she gathered that the old man was anxious to get away abroad as soon as possible. Only last'night her father had received a letter from his solicitor saying that Mr Rathburn had sent him the cheque agreed upon and the key of the house. She had also understood from the conversation at lunch that his son was going with him. Lilian was a very talkative young person when the mood took her. And the fact that Mr Rathburn, jun., did not seem greatly inclined for conversation spurred her on.

'' You know, of course, that your father came down to us the other day to make arrangements for giving up the house at once?"

Yes, young Mr Rathbum knew that, and also added that his father was much indebted to Mr Paske for the liberal way in which he had acceded to his request. "I do hope change of scene will do him good. You are going abroad, are you not?" rattled on Lilian.

■' Yes, to Florence. We expect to start to-moi*row." The young man confined himself to the briefest of answers, as if he ■was afraid of saying too much. x lt struck even the unsuspicious Bravington that he was a rather mysterious sort of person. " And Mr Rathburn told us such queer things about the house. He declared that, in the dead of night, he heard strange voices speaking in the. room below and footsteps on the stairs." "Yes," said the young man in his quiet, emotionless voice. " I am glad to get him away from there. He is in a very low state, and it was making him worse." Lilian looked at him steadfastly. "But the strangest thing of all ho told us was that you had sat up with him and heard these voices atid footsteps, too." "That is a fact," said young Mr Ilathburn quietly. Lilian looked as she -felt, incredulous. "Wo both thought that, knowing "how ill he was. you did not wish to excite him by contradiction, and agreed with him to keep him quiet." "A very natural supposition, Mis 3 Paske. In your place, I should think tfco same. But, although I pooh-poohed the whole thing at nisi. I became convinced. I can eive yon no explanation, but certainly I experienced the same manifestations, though not so frequently as he."

Ho spoke with conviction end an animation that he had not up to the present displayed. Both his listeners looked at him closely, but they could detect no signs of insincerity. " I have never come into contact with this kind of thing before," he went on. "But we know there are in the world people a good deal cleverer than I am who believe in spiritual phenomena. And if spirits do appear, they might as well appear in Saville square as in any other locality." He rose when ho had finished this justification of his belief in the occult. Lilian could not help thinking that he was glad to get away. He took a cigar-case out of his pocket. " I think I shall go and find a smoking carriage. I hate travelling, and on these long -journeys smoke and lunch are the only things that relieve the tedium." He turned to Bravington. " Thank you very much, sir, for your timely help." He bowed slightly and left the compartment. He was evidently anxious to go, and they were not sorry to part with im.

"What do you think of him, Jim?" asked Lilian, when he was out of earshot. The Cherub's reply was terse and uncomplimentary. "A queer fish, if you want my opinion. Did you notice his eyes? They look at you quite fixedly, and they are absolutely expressionless." "Yes, I nofcbed them the first time I saw him. H} seems to give you an uncanny sort«?pf feeling. And, Jim, he couldn't have heard those spooks. He must have been lying." " Unless he and his father are both cracked," suggested Bravington. But Lilian shook her head with native obstinacy. "I'm sure the old man isn't cracked. And this one may be uncanny, but he has got all has wits about him, unless I am greatly mistaken." In the luncheon car they saw young Rathburn again; but on neither side was there any attempt to renew the acquaintance.

After leaving Westbury the train sto*pped at nearly every station. Lilian kept a sharp lookout at each haltingplace to see where he got out. He alighted at a-small place about 20 miles from Weymouth. As he passed their carriage his glance met hers, and he raised his hat. He had no luggage with him; it looked as if he intended to return to London the same day.

Mrs Bravington, a comely-looking woman of about fifty, was waiting for them at Weymouth Station in a big motor car. She kissed Lilian and welcomed her heartily. She had no daughters, of her own, only two sons, of whom the Cherub was the younger. She was very fond of the bright, pretty girl, and would gladly have received her into the family. Chaldon Manor was a picturesque old house, without any pretensions to grandeur, set in the midst of very charming gardens. They were a very old family, with a modest rent roll that was just sufficient to comfortably support their position. There were two or three dilapidated flies waiting in the yard of the small station where Jack Rathburn had alighted. But, for reasons of his own he preferred to walk to his destination. He had never been in this part of the country before, but Grimes, the shabby-looking butler, had given him graphic instructions as to the shortest way of reaching Dingley Farm.

Half an hour's walk brought him to the door of the farmhouse, which was evidently , not a big place. Mr Meldrum, the tenant, was standing- in the hall, in expectation of his visitor, who his cousin, Grimes, had apprised him by letter would leave London by the midday train. He was a hale, hearty old man of about sixty, with a strong, vigorous figure. He worked early and late along with his men, and could do a day's work that put many a youngster to shame. " Welcome to Dingley, sir," he called out heartily. " Come into the parlour j the missus will have tea ready in a minute. But perhaps you would like to stroll round first and see the barn where we're going to put the stuff." " I don't know that I will. Grimes has been down l and seen it, and reports that it seems quite right, water-tight, and all that sort of thing." " You may make your mind easy on that score, sir. My cousin, Reuben Grimes, tells me that there's some valuable stuff. Have you taken out the insurance?"

"That's just what I wanted to speak to j'ou about. First of all, let me pay you the year's rent in advance. If we want to rent it longer, I will give you three months' notice. But I expect we shall be back from abroad within the twelve months, and in that case we shall take it away. Now, here's the cash for the rent. The stuff will be down tomorrow."

" Thank you, sir; I'll give you a receipt as soon as we get back to the house." "And now, about the insurance. We are off to-morrow, and I have no time to atteud to it. As soon as it is in that barn,. will you take out a twelvemonth's insurance in your own name. I expect it's a waste of monev in a quiet place like this, but it is well to be on the safe side."

Mr Meldrum promised to do what he was requested, and received a further sum of cash for the premium. "If it comes to more or less you can let me know later on," explained young Rathburn as he counted out the money. Thev went into tea, and after the young man had partaken of the appetising if rather substantial fare put before him, he rose and announced his intention of returning to London by the next train, which was due in about three-quarters of an hour.

The sturdy old farmer accompanied him to the gate, and they shook hands and said good-bye to each other. Rathburn had gone only a few yards when Meldrum shouted after him. " I

say, Mr Rathburn, you've left me no address. Where shall I -write, sir, if I've anything to tell you?" The young man turned round rather impatiently. " I will send you an address as soon as we are settled abroad, in three or four days' time. Good day." The next afternoon the furniture arrived. There were some chairs and a couple of old bureaus, which Meldrum opined to be good stuff. There were a great many big boxes, which had evidently been recently made. And these, according to the schedule which Rathburn had left with the farmer, contained some very valuable articles, in the shape of china, old porcelain, etc. They were quickly bestowed in the old roomy, disused barn, and Meldrum, having locked up, put the key in his safe. A week had passed, and no letter came from Rathburn as promised. The old man would have writen to Vis cousin, Reuben Grimes, but he knew that he had gone abroad with his master. Then very early one morning, one of the farm hande burst into the house and shouted out that the barn had been burnt down in the night. Old Meldrum rushed to the spot, but the place and its contents had bean burnt to ashes. The worthy farmer scratched his big" head in perplexity. " Dangit," he cried. " I can't let them know. They'e never sent me an address. And how in the world did it happen? The key is in my safe, right enough."

(To be Continued.)