HIS FIRST AND ONLY CRIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 81

HIS FIRST AND ONLY CRIME.

By

Robin Grey.

(Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.) Derek Strangeways slipped gently out of bed, and creeping into the bathroom of his tiny London flat performed his morning toilet. This accomplished, he set the. kettle to boil whilst he swept and tidied the sitting room before taking the breakfast tray to his young wife’s bedside. • Peggy, newly-awakened, lay back on her pillow white-cheeked and hollow-eyed but she smiled her thanks as he placed his burden on the small table, and waited on her devotedly, whilst he talked m nis usual light-hearted fashion as if ne nadn t a care in the world. The girl listened, but she did not contribute much to the conversation. Talking made her cough, and them she was too tired to dress herself or get through the duties Derek had no time for. But if she did not say much, it was easy to see that she adored every inch of her good-looking boy-husband, and her eyes toJd him so if her lips didn’t. When she urged him to have his own meal he laughed, and declared he had had it long ago, and removing her tray and finishing all the odds and ends he Jady performed for her comfort, he brushed his clothes and announced he' must hurry or he would never get through his day’s work. “But mind you don’t do too much, sweetheart, he said, as a parting injunction. “Leave everything you°can, and go and sit in the gardens, and I’ll 11 i.ush up this evening.” ■Peggy nodded her blue eyes misty as n‘ i- f re "’ her tbln little arms round his neck for a good-bye kiss. “ r lnVir dai ' lin « ! ” slls whispered. , 1 don t think any woman in the world na., such a man as I have.” He rubbed his cheek against hers, eithm I 0 aiCnt ma ” y Pe - ya about ’

Once outside all the cheerfulness dropped from Derek like a cloak, and his joung face looked drawn and hazard in the sunlight. A 27-bus stopped at the coiner, but he did not board it as oimeny. There was no occasion to do so now, as for the last two weeks he had been out of a job. Instead, he eiossed the road and turned into the eading room of the free library, and scanned the “ Wanted ” columns. It was not his fault—or his em-ployers-that he was at a loose end; but business in the shipping world was so appa ling that the firm Im had served obhlS f T CG th ° Arniistice had been obliged to dispense with his services. But bad as. that was, it was not th" worst trouble. Peggy was ill-j-dangerously, so the doctor had said—at least she would be if she could not leave the damn and cold of England for tlie dry air of the Swiss mountains. The lungs were barely touched as yet, but J He had raised his shoulders ever so her withal I? 01 • lef i t hini t 0 return hm with despair in his heart, and a lie on his lips. “It was nothing,” he told her. She was just run down, and wanted taking care of. ° He dared not tell her about Switzerland. Mhat was the use? There was f ° f ller S oi «g as.there v a ® of 111111 becoming Prime Minister. Neither must she know that he was out of a job. So he hid his misery, and searched the daily papers and tramped miles in answer to advertisements, always to meet with the same old story — .Not wanted.” On this particular morning there was absolutely nothing likely to be of use >to hnn, and as lie sat staring vaguely pt the paper he felt at his wits’ end. \Vas there no place in the world for him? Nothing that he could do? Amiin lle r ®eanncd the printed columns. ° I here was so little—so very little in the bank between Peggy and disaster. He turned a page listlessly, and read the flaunting headlines of a big jewel robbery- £5OOO worth of jewels had been stolen from a West End flat, and the men had got clean away. I n't he bitterness of his heart he envied them. Yes —he, Derek Strangeways, known for his scrupulous honesty, envied a couple of common thieves. Perhaps they had been as hard up as he was, with wives and maybe children to provide for' Who could say? He was not in the mood to judge anybody this morning, for he knew now what it was to be desperate —cornered; and desperate men’s fancies wander from the straight and narrow way. He read the account of the affair once more, and in the savage jungle that lies hidden in the hearts of all men, a thought was born. As it "rew and crept out. into the open, and he saw it in all its hideousness, the dark colour rushed over his face, and brought the moisture .to his brow. God! Had he fallen so far already? I Impossible! Bushing the idea from him he was about to rise when a man opposite coughed. The sound was like a knife-thrust to Derek as he glanced covertly across the table. Yes! Tuberculosis had already marked down another victim; he saw that at a glance. Soon Peggy would look like that. It made him change his mind about going, and, leaning his chin on his hands, he sat and thought hard for a. When at last he, left tlie reading room he went down a,back street that he had never entered before. That afternoon, saw him strolling leisurely in a select part of Hampstead, and when he reached home at:the usual

hour he found Peggy curled up on the sofa looking more fragile than ever. The sight of her pinched little face was like a stab, but it nerved him to carry out his purpose, and as he bustled about getting supper—an egg for the invalid all d a herring for himself—he told her that he had promised to return to. the office for a couple of hours’ night work, and that though he hated to leave her he could not refuse his chief. Her mouth dropped for a moment, for the day seemed very long, but she was very proud of her important young husband, so hid her disappointment, and when he left her soon after 8 o’clock she promised to be good and not keen awake for his return.

For the second time that day Derek found himself in Hampstead. His destination was a long, low house surrounded by lawns and shrubs, standim 7 alone m a quiet lane. There was not a soul about, and as the night was dark' he opened the gate and found his way to the back premises with ease. Fumbling in his pocket he produced an electric torch, a glass cutter, and a lump of wax, and setting quietly to w 7 ork in a few 7 minutes had removed a pane of glass from the kitchen window, pushed » a ek the hasp, and opened the sash. vv ith a beating heart he paused to reconnoitre, then climbed over the sill. Earlier in the day he had learned that the owner—a Miss Stamford—had shut up the house for a long week-end, but nevertheless he moved with care, and made sure of an easy egress by unbolting both the back and front doors, after closing the vrinduw to allay the suspicions of any inquisitive policeman. His rubber-soled shoes were noiseless and he found his way to the dining room without mishap. As he expected, a goodly array of silver stood on the sideboard, and with fingers that trembled he unstrapped the capacious hold-all he had brought, and rapidly packed it with the most portable articles. His next move was upstairs, and here his nerves were sorely tried. It was an old house, and the woodwork, creaked at every step, but as nothing else happened, locating the front room, which he guessed would belong to Miss Stamford, 'he turned the handle cautiously and entered. No sooner had he done so than he was aware of an almost unearthly stillness. His scalp prickled and a creeping sensation stole up his spine as he lealiscd that something—a presence—was waiting for him in the darkness. Could Miss Stamford have returned? The mere thought made him feel sick, and drove home the nature of his errand. But before he had time to retieat the room was flooded* with, a :rosy glow 7, and he found himself. staving fixedly at a little grey-haired lady” crouching in the middle of the bed, who returned his gaze first with fright and then with horror. After an eternity he heard his own name. “ Derek,” she gasped—“ Derek, what are you doing here? Oh! I must be mad! What am I saying? No—no—'io —you can’t be Derek Strangeway’s son. Impossible—and yet—you arc his image.” A hot wave of shame dyed the face of the amateur burglar as, shrinking beneath the mingled pain and contempt in the little lady’s eyes, he made no reply. I'or a short space the silence remained unbroken save for the busy ticking of the little silver travelling clock that stood on the table beside the bed. Then very slowly Miss Stamford raised her blue-veined hand to her neck, and with trembling fingers drew from beneath her nightdress a slender chain. ‘ r “ Come here,” she commanded in a low 7 voice, and as the boj 7 obeyed she opened an old-fashioned locket, and held it out before his troubled gaze. It contained a portrait of a young man very little older than Derek himself.' “Do you know 7 who that is ? ” she whispered. He nodded an uiihappv assent. “ I didn’t think I could be mistaken.” Her voice sounded tired as she sank back on her pillows—“ How 7 does it happen that his son has such a—strange—profession ? He was such am honourable man himself.” " The words cut like the lash of a whip. “ It isn’t' my profession,” he exclaimed fiercely. I’ve never done such a thing before. Oh ! how can I make you understand? Jgzknow you . won’t believe me—it soundsMmpossible. But Phi? but of a job.and Peggy’s ill. She’ll die if I can’t raise the.'money to send her . away. I’ve not a sout in the world but her, and I—--1 love her; 7 So I He broke down utterly, and hid his face in the bedclothes. The strangled sounds that name from his throat wrung the little la,dy?s heart. She sat up and laid a soft hand on his bowed head. : ' “ Hush,, oh, hush! ” she’ implored. “Tell me, wflio is Peggy?” 7_ - In a choked voice Derek poured out his story from beginning to end, and the sight of his miserableyoung face more than convinced his heare'r of its truth, and filled her empty heart with a deep yearning to help' him. Her thoughts flew back across the years to the days when all her life had been bound up in the gallant young sailorlover whose blue eyes and dark hair lived again in this boy kneeling beside her bed. Fate had dragged him remorselessly from her arms, and .faithful by nature she had never admitted another within the holy of liolies. 7 Now by a curious coincidence his son had. been flung torn and l)ieeding;‘at'-her-_ feet. There ~was a very wonderful light in her pretty, faded eyes a 3 she“4rdw,.hini towards her with a little .maternal movement.

Derek,” she said softly. “I loved your father long ago. We parted—no matter why—but I never forgot. And because of that love I mean to help you now. What you meant to do was done for love’s sake, so I understand. No listen! ”as he started up. “ I’ve an inspiration! To-morrow you must meet me at Charing Cross, and we’H go togther to see an old friend of mine, the head of a big shipping firm. I know gether to see an old friend of mine, the your behalf. As for Peggy, I shall take her to Switzerland, and not bring her back till she’s well and strong.” She smiled at him with wistful eagerness. “What do you think of my scheme? ” Something that scalded fell on the two little hands that Derek had seized in his. __ “ I can’t say what I thijik/* he said nt husky tones. “I haven’t any words to thank you, but I’ll spend the rest of my life showing vou, and so will Peggy.” Miss Stamford kissed him gently on the forehead. “ I know you will,” she answered as she blinked away her tears. “ And now,” added the little dtuly practically, “ give me my dressing gown and go downstairs. What you need is some supper.’ ?