THE BARTONS’ SECRET.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7269, 24 July 1893, Page 4

THE BARTONS’ SECRET.

LITERATURE

CONTINUED I This was not much of aa event in itself, but it was absolutely certain that Dogdyke bad seen it, and within a few hoars the fact became memorable, and even amazing. General Mallard, to whom the little mao was, of course, prepared to swear at any moment, had actually been left behind in Sydney, and there was no train by which be could reach Melborne until the following day at the same hour. And yet to Dogdyke’s utter and complete amazement, be met General Mallard in the streets of Melbourne within an boar of bis own arrival in that city. Now, that was a surprising circumstance, and what made it more surprising was that a quick glance from the General’s eye assured him of a recognition on tba other side, and told him, with a plainess hardly to be doubted, that the General was afraid ot him.

The rencontre took place in Collins Street, and Dogdyke, who had passed within a yard of the General, turned lo stare after him. Thera was no mistaking identity ; there had been the grey moustache and the eye-glass, and the well-remembered eagle beak—there was the dress, there was the peculiar limp, and the Geueial’s very fashion of carrying bis stick at his shoulder, like a sabre on the slope, Mr Dogdyke was so. staggered by this inexplicable fact of the impossibility of General Mallard in Melbourne and the other impossibility of being himself mistaken, that, half anconsciously, he followed the General’s footsteps, and watched until be entered the doors of a banking establishment. He lounged about for some ten minutes and at the end of that time he discerned the figure of Count Von Herder who was walking with all bis usual splendour of attire and bis ordinary majesty of demeanour along the sidewalk opposite. The Count obviously recognised Dogdyke, but took no notice of him at all, and the little man was too conscious of the seediness of his own persons! aspect to dare to offer an open recognition. He saw the General emerge somewhat hurriedly from the bank, saw him hail a cab and eater it, and to his further amazement, saw a distinct sign pass between the General and the Count.

A minute later, while be was still in a state of bewilderment about these strange matters, the Count also bailed a vehicle, and cave the driver an address. The man drove off in the same direction as had already been taken by the General’s cab, and Mr Dogdyke, taking advantage oi the stopping of a tramcar, took a seas upon it and followed. He would have been pnzzled to say wby he did so, bat there had grown somehow to be a faint suspicion in bis mind that the General was not really the General, and that the Count Yon Herder was in some way associated with him.

What the whole thing 1 might really mean Dogdyke could not guess for his life; but there might be something in it which would be to his own advantage to fathom. Why should anybody personate General Mallard and go to a bank in that disguise P What had the Count von Herder to do with it ? Dogdyke’s thoughts began to take a more definite complexion and to grow into shape. He knew the Count, and had dona a little dirty work for him; he bad been his spy ; bis fetoher and carrier ; bis manservant in half a dozen little ways, and be knew the man to be daring, cunning, and unscrupulous. He knew no more for it was not the Count von Herder’s fashion to take anybody into unnecessary confidence, and Dogdyke bad learned nothing which he coaid turn to actual value. The tramcar stopped, and was again arrested at the end of no more than twenty yards. The two vehicles were passing rapidly out of eight, and Dogdyke, witn a sudden resolution, leapt from it, and on its next starting darted with all the agility he could command 1 into a vehicle crawling along the street for hire. He bade the driver, make his best baste after the retreating cabs. He kept them eagerly and nervously in sight until they stopped at an hotel on the right hand side of the street, and driving by with nothing but the tip of his nose risible at the window, he saw the Genetal, eye-glassed and moustached no longer, walk without a limp rapidly through the doorway, without a glance at the cabman. The Count von Herder stopped at the same doorway, entered the hotel, and returning, paid and discharged both drivers. The watcher arrested his cab, and dismissed it; then he stood wondering what the thing might mean, more and more scenting roguery in it, and more end more determined to be at the bottom of the secret. He lingered for an hour or two, but nothing came of his watch ; and at last he surrendered it in dopar. He was actually moving away, when be saw the ponderous figure of the Count once more. That gentleman was accompanied by a tnan of much smaller stature than himsdlf, who wore a white hat with a rakish cock, and whose gait betrayed a ielt-importance equalling the Count’s own., Dogdyke aid not know this gentleman’s name, but he recognised him at once as having seen him on several occasions in the Count’s society in Sydney. He recognised him also as, a fellow passenger of yesterday. They had jostled each other in the refreshment buffet at Albury, and Dogdyke was sure of him. Neither of the men be watched took any notice of him, and Dogdyke, slink- | ing in their track along the street, took wary and watchful note of the younger man. He persuaded himself at length

that the slight figure he bad seen emerging from the cab and darting inio the hotel when the disguise had been half removed, was that of the person now before him, and be grew more and more sure of roguery. There was villainy in it somewhere, he was sure. He itched, ached, burned to be at the bottom of the secret. Why should one man take the trouble so to personate another—to assume bis very aspect and his walk, and in that guise to pay a visit to the bank, unless he meant mischief by it P And why should Dogdyke, who was getting old, and was very poor, and who bad a rooted dis taste for labour, be left on the other side of the secret, the full possession of which might be profitable ? Whilst he mused thus the Count and Mr Whateley shook hands and parted. He hid himself in the ihrong of passengers in a nervous tremour lest he should be bimsblf observed, and then stood for a moment in indecision as to which of them be should follow. Ho desided to watch the younger man, and ran him to earth in another hotel, Then he waited for hours and hours until be was faint with fatigue and thirst and banger, but at la«t bis patience was rewarded.

A cab was called to the door, and was heaped with luggage by one of the hotel porters, and then Mr Whateley emerged, smiling, tipped toe man, and was driven away. Dogdyke heard the order given to drive to the railway station, and knew that it was of no funher use to follow. He watched the cab drive offj and then found courage to shnffla to the hot'd porter and proffer a ques'ion. ‘ I beg your pardon, my friend, said Dogdyke, ‘but a gentleman drove away from hero only a moment ago, whom I believe I recognised. I think I knew him/ said Dogdyke, with an apologetic glance at his own seedy attire, ‘in more prosperous days at home, but I am not quite certain. Would you mind obliging me with the gentleman’s name P ’ ‘His name is Johnson,’ said the porter, rather brusquely. ‘ Ah, ah ! 9 said Dogdyke, ‘ I thought I was not mistaken, but I didn’t care in my present circumstances to make myself known to bim. I thank you very much, my friend; I thank you very much.’ fTo he continued .)