LITERATURE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4978, 10 April 1889, Page 4

LITERATURE.

GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY.

CHAPTER LXYI. The courage to know the truth. This mysterious sentence affected Helen considerably. But her faith in Robert was too, great to be shaken. She would not wait for the canonical hour and which young ladies, go out, but put on her bonnet directly after Earlys she was a visitor came before she could start —-Mr Burt, the Detective. She received him m the library. , , ( Mr Burt looked as her dress and little bag, and said, — ‘ I am very glad I made bold to call so-early.’ . t . i You have got information ot im* portance to communicate to me.’ ‘ I think soj miss,’ and he took out his note book. ‘ The person you are watched by is Mr Arthur Wardlaw. ‘ The girl stared at him. * Both spies report to him a day at bis house in Russell Square.’ ‘Be careful, Mr Burt, this is a serious thing to say, and may have serious consequences.’ * 'Well miss you told me you wanted to know the truth.’ < Of course I want to know the

truth,’ ‘ Then the truth is that you are watched by Mr Arthur Wardlaw,’

Burt continued his report. ‘A. shabby man called on you yea terday.’ ‘ Yes ;it was Mr Hand, Mr Wardlaw’s clerk. And oh, Mr Burt, that wretched creature came and confessed the truth. It was he who forged the note, oat of sport, and for a bet, and then was too cowardly to own it.’ She then detailed Hand’s confession. , 1 His penitence comes too late, said

she. ‘lt hasn’t come yet,’ said Burt, drily. ‘Of course my lambs followed the man. He went first to his employer and thou to bis home. His name is not Hand. He is not a clerk, but a little actor at the Corinthian Saloon. Hand is in America ; went three months ago. I .ascertained that from another quarter.’ ‘ Ob, goodness,’ cried Helen, ‘ what a wretched world, I can’t see my way p yard for lies,’ • How should you, miss ? It is clear enough for all that. Mr Wardlaw hired this actor to pass for Hand, and tell you a lie fchac he thought would please you.’ Helen put her band to her brow, and thought ; but her candid soul got sadly into the way of her brain. ‘ Mr Burt.’ said she, ‘ will you go with me to Mr TJndercliff the Expert.’

‘ With pleasure, ma’am : but let me finish my report. Last night there was something new. Tour house was watched by six persons. Two were Wardlaws, three were Burts ; but the sixth was there on his own hook 5 and my men could not make him out at all but they think one of Wardlaw’s men knew him ; for he went off to Russel Square like the wind, and brought Mr Wardlaw here in disguise. Now, miss, that is all ; and shall I callja cab, and we’ll hear Ucdercliff’S tale.’ The cab was called, and they went to Undercliff. On the way Helen brooded ; but the Detective eyed every man and everything on the road with the utmoat keeaess. Edward Undercliff was at work lithographing. He received Helen cordially, nodded to Burt, and said she could not have a better assistant. He then laid his fac-simile on the talde with John Wardicw’s genuine handwriting, and Penfold’s endorsement. * Look at that, Mr Burt.’ Burt inspected the papers keenly. ‘ You know Burr, I swore at Robert Penfold's trial that he never wrote that forged note,’ ‘ I remember,’ said Burt. ‘ The other day this lady entrusted me to discover if I could, who did write the forged 'note. But unfortunately tho materials she gave me were not sufficient. But, last night a young man dropped from the clouds, that 1 made sure was an agent of yours, Miss Rolleston. Under that impression I was rather unguarded, and I let him know how far we had got, and could get no farther. “ I think I can help you,” said this young man, and put a letter on the table. Well, Mr Burt a glance at that letter was enough for me. It was written by the man who forged the note.’ ‘ A letter,’ cried Helen. ‘ Yes, I’ll put the letter, by the side of the forged note ; and if you have any eye for writing at all, you will see that one hand wrote the forged note, and this letter. I am also prepared to swear that the letters signed Hand are forgeries by the same person.’ He then coolly put upon the table the lerier from Arthur Wardlaw that Helen had received upon the Proserpine, and was proceeding to point out; the many points of resemblance between the letter and the document when he was interrupted by a scream from Helen. ‘ Ah,’ she cried, ‘ lie is here. Only one man in the world could have brought that letter. I left it on the island, Robert is here : he brought that letter.’ ‘ You are right,’ said the Expert j ‘ and what a fool I must be, I have no eye except for {handwriting. He had a beard, and such a beard. * It is Robert/ cried Helen in raptures. ‘ He has come just in time.’ •‘ln time to be arrested,’ cried Burt. * Why his ttme is not out. He’ll get into a trouble again.’ ‘ Ob, Heaven forbid,’ cried Helen, and turned so faint, she had to bo lain back on a chair, and salts applied to her nostrills - She soon came to, and cried and

trembled, but prepared to defend her Robert with all a woman’s wit.’ Burt and Undcrcliff were conversing in a low voice, and Burt was saying he felt sure Wardlaw’s spies bad detected Ro ert Penfold, and that Robert would be arrested and put in prison as a runaway convict. ‘Go to Scotland Yard, this minute, Mr Burt,’ said Heleh.

‘ What for.’ ‘ Why you must take the commission to arrest him. You are our friend.’

1 Burt slapped his thighs with delight.’ ‘ This is first rate, miss,’ said he ; I will take the real felon first, you may depend. JNow Mr Undercliff, write your report, and hand it to Miss Helen with fac-similes. It will do no harm if you make a declaration to the same effect before a magistrate. You, Miss Rolleston, keep yourself disengaged, and please don’t go out. You will very likely, here from me again to-day He drove off, and Helfln though still greatly agitated by Robert’s danger and the sense of his presence, now sat down, trembling a little, and compared Arthur’s letter with the forged document. The Expert however, asked her for some letter of Arthur’s that had never passed Robert’s hands. She gave him the short note in which he used the words, Robert Penfold. He said he would make that note the basis of his report. While he was writing it Mrs Uudercliff came in and Helen told her all. (To be Continued.)