The Gold Magnet

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 14, 7 April 1927, Page 16

The Gold Magnet

1

T.C. Bridge

) Author of " Tho Whip Hand** Price of Liberty,** ** The Home Her Fatherß,** frc., &c.

SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS CHAPTERS CHAPTERS 1. to In, — a ferocious face, pressed against the window of a train, frightens a mysterious passenger, Stuart Egerton, who is interested in Malayan tin mines, and just afterwards, the train is wrecked. Bruce Carey gets Egerton out of the wreck, but the man is dying. He gets Bruce to promise that he will deliver a bag. which contains an invention, to his daughter, Silvia, who holds the key. A pitiless enemy, James Lurgan, who has ruined Bruce's half-brother, also wants the invention. Bruce finds an American friend, Randolph Colt. The motor in which they are travelling to Silvia’s cottage is held up by armed men. CHAPTERS 111. to V.-7-Having no alternative, Bruce hands over the bag containing the invention. After the interruption the two men reach Silvia’s home When Bruce tells her of the robbery of the invention entrusted to him she says it is useless without the directions, which are in her possession. He vows to recover it from Lurgan. Bruce’s halfbrother, Claude Bryston, goes to a gambling house near Hyde Park, and Bruce folioW3. After some sharp practice on the part of a man Crane and an accomplice Stroud, there are heated words and a fight. CHAPTERS VI. to VIII,—a rough-and-tumble of four men against two. Claude wakes up suddenly and comes to the rescue of his brother's friend. The final victory is with Carey and Colt. Bruce tells his brother about Egerton and Lurgan, and adds that Claude is 1 to keep out of it. The next day Bruce travels down to Mortimer, where Silvia dwells, to attend Egerton’s funeral Afterwards he goes to Deeping Cottage. He expresses his anxiety about Silvia's future, and she assures him that she has an independency. Inherited from her mother. Bruce gives her Colt’s idea as to what Lurgan is likely to do, then takes leave as he intends walking back to Reading. On the way Lurgan steps out of a wood and joins him. He proposes a half share in the new Gold Recovery Syndicate. Bruce tells him that he would sooner go into partnership with the devil. CHAPTERS IX. to XIII. —A strategic step is made by Claude, who cultivates the friendship of Duggan, one of Lurgan’a henchmen, and finds out where Lurgan lives. A raid on the villain's house Is contemplated. At. Silvia’s invitation, Bruce goes to Reading to look through her father's papers and he makes the discovery that his one desire is to "take her in his arms and never leave her.” Then he sets out to make the raid on I.urgan’s place, single-handed; and in the dusk arrives at Friar’s Bank. The old mansion is forbidding, but Bruce forces iron bars apart and gets Egerton’s bag from the strong room. The burglary is discovered and Bruce is pursued and shot it. He trips on an obstacle and becomes unconscious. CHAPTERS XIV. to XVII.: Bruce wakes up to find himseir traced; they w een w aiting for his attempt to rob the house. Lurgan renews his offer of a partnership and Bruce refuses until he r eat l ned , wi *h imprisonment not A ~, . y w for £ Ul ’Slary but for manslaughter, H her ° ** avln S knocked down and killed H l J led to st °P him from escap- ■ Subjected to strong temptation, Bruce

almost gives in and accepts tne partnercan do his worst, and the villain immediship. But finally he tells Lurgan that he ately starts to do it. Meanwhile Claude Bryson calls in a lawyer friend of his. Newspapers broadcast the “robbei'y and murder” and the friends of Bruce, the lawyer Hammond, Colt and Bryson, are conferring on how they can get him out of the mess. Troubled as he was, Mark could not help smiling. “You may make up your mind that we can’t do anything of that sort here, Mr. Colt, but as far as the law can be used I am here to help.” “We will sure stretch your laws between us,” said Randolph. “But me, I don’t know the first thing about English law. This inquest, now—do they do the same as in the States?” “Much the same. The coroner summons a jury, and holds an inquisition into the matter, but his powers go beyond those of an American coroner, for in England, if the person accused of the killing is found guilty by the coroner’s jury, he can be committed straight to prison to await his trial, whereas in America there has to be an indictment by a grand jury.” Randolph nodded. “Where do you reckon they will hold the inquest?” “Probably at Lurgan’s place. The jury will want to see the strong-room as well as the body, and I think that Lurgan will be only too eager to give them the opportunity.” “You are sure right. He’s as cunning as an old timber wolf, and just about as kind and now' that Bruce has turned him down he’s ready to go the limit.” “Turned him down?” questioned Mark. "Sure! Lurgan offered a fifty-fifty share in the magnet when he met Bruce at Mortimer, and Bruce was plumb uncivil the way he answered him, so Lurgan fixed this plant to get a second go at him. Gee! but I would like to have heard what Bruce said to him last night.” “You mean that he trapped Carey, expecting to force this partnership upon him?” “Sure thing! I know' it as well as if I’d been in the room.” ’“But if we can prove duress —why, it’s blackmail,” exclaimed Hammond. “‘You won’t prove a thing against Lurgan. Mr. Hammond, so don’t think it. All the # same, it is up to us to try. Me, I’ll say my piece, and maybe Miss Egerton will help.” “Miss Egerton is our strongest card, especially as she is young, and I believe pretty.” said Mark. All the same, Mr. Colt, I won’t hide from you that Carey is in a very tight place —that is, if he really killed this man Denyer.” “I guess he killed him all right. A darned good job. too. He ought to have a testimonial for ridding the world of a crook like that.” “Yes, but can we prove that Denyer was a crook?” “It’s going to be mighty hard, especially in a hick village out in the

country. Likely Lurgan himself plays the squire down there, and wears a halo.” Mark rose. “Well, I shall go down to Reading at once, and do what I can to prepare for the inquest tomorrow. I shall see Miss Egerton and Carey. But you, Mr. Colt —are you fit to travel?” “I’d go if they had to tote me in a litter, but anyway I’m a heap better than I was, and you’ve done me more good than a doctor. So long, and all the luck.” “One of the best,” Mark said to himself as he jumped into a taxi, and, if he had only known it, Randolph Colt was making a similar comment, only couched in somewhat different,terms. CHAPTER XVIII. Mark had Silvia’s address, and went straight to her house. She met him at the door, very pale, hut very plucky. “I am very glad to see you, Mr. Hammond,” was her greeting. “Mr. Bryson told me you might come, and I have tea ready for you.” “How kind of you,” said Mark. “Then Claude has gone?” “Yes, to Wokingham, to see Br that is, Mr. Carey.” Mark noticed how nearly she had come to using Bruce’s name. “Gad. I don’t know that Carey is so much to be pitied, after all. What a lovely girl she is. Her evidence is going to be very useful to us.” He followed her in. and she poured out tea for him. “Now, tell me, please,” she said in a voice that was not quite steady. “I don’t think I can tell you more than Claude has already told you.” replied Mark. “I shall know more when I have seen Carey myself, as I mean to do this evening.” ‘“But did he kill this man?” asked Silvia, with a slight shudder. ‘“lf he did, it was probably an accident,” Mark answered. “From whet Mr. Colt has told me, the whole business was a plot arranged by Lurgan.” “Then you think Mr. Carey will get off?” said Silvia eagerly. Mark hesitated. “Don’t be afraid to tell me the truth, Anything is better than false hopes.” “You are right, Miss Egerton. Then I had better say candidly that I do not think so. In the short time before the inquest it will be impossible to get evidence to prove the real object of

evidence to prove the real object of Carey’s attempt on Friars Bank, so he will be ptobably held for trial, but the verdict of a coroner’s jury carries litttle weight, and it is at the assizes that we shall hope to prove his innocence.” Silvia was silent, and Mark was horribly afraid she was going to break down. But when she spoke again her voice was perfectly steady. “And now, Mr. Hammond, I have something to say. His defence will cost money, and since it was on my account that Mr. Carey got into this trouble, I wish to be allowed to pay. I have two hundred pounds at the bank ” Mark raised his hand. “There will be time for that later, Miss Egerton. My services, such as they are, are 'given free, hut later we may have to brief counsel. In any case, it will cheer Mr. Carey to feel that he has such good friends.” “You must not tell him,” cried Silvia in sudden panic. “Please do not.” “It shall be just as you wish,” said Mark courteously. “Now, before I go, I want to ask you to be at the inquest at eleven to-morrow morning. It will be at Friars Bank.” “I will he there in good time,” promised Silvia. “I will order a car tonight. Am I to give evidence, Mr. Hammond ?” “I hope so, and very useful evidence it will be,” said Mark comfortingly, as he took his leave. It was very nearly eleven when Mark reached Friars Bank next morning. He had been delayed by a telephone message from his own office. He found Randolph waiting outside the house. He would not go in until obliged to. “I was right, Hammond,” said Randolph, as he shook hands with Mark. “Lurgan is the little tin god down here, and, as the jury all hail from the village, our chances look slim. I guess they’ll hold Bruce for trial.” “There is hardly a doubt of it,” said Mark, “for we can trust Lurgan to make the case as black as he can.” “All of that,” drawled Randolph, “but it won’t be as black as his face before I’ve done with him.” Quietly as he spoke, Mark, glancing at him. felt that he would rather be in his own shoes than those of Lurgan. “How’s Bruce?” continued Randolph. “Quite cheerful. Pie’s got heaps of grit. By the by. have you seen Miss Egerton ?”

“No,” Randolpn giancecr at his watch. “Say, it’s mighty near eleven. She ought to be here.” Mark looked a little anxious. “She promised she would be in good time. She was ordering a taxi overnight.” “I guess she won’t be long.” said Randolph. “Say, Hammond,” he added, in a lower tone, “it’s a case, ain’t it” “Between her and Carey? Yes.” “‘You think she likes him?” “I don’t think, I am sure,” said Mark with a smile. “And, Colt, she’s one in a thousand.” “I am mighty glad,” said Randolph simply. “And now I reckon we had better move in. I told Bryson to wait outside, and bring Miss Silvia along when she comes.” The inquest was held in the diningroom, and the room, though large, was unpleasantly crowded. The case had already attracted a deal of attention, and the Press was strongly represented. Mr. Leveson, the coroner, was elderly yet competent-looking, but the jury, as Randolph had said, were villagers, and a very rusticlooking lot. Bruce was seated between Inspector Durham and a constable. He looked rather pale, and had a bandage across his forehead, but he smiled across at Randolph. Lurgan was the first witness called. “The clever devil,” whispered Randolph to Mark. “Watch his face. You’d think he’d lost his best friend.” Randolph was right, for Lurgan, wearing a dark suit that was not quite mourning, had an air of bereavement which evidently impressed the jury. “He’s a very clever actor,” whispered Mark. “Our only hope is Miss Egerton.” Someone came pushing towards them through the crowd. It was Claude, ’ and one glance at his face told Mark-that something serious had happened. “What’s the matter, Claude?” he asked in a quick undertone. “There’s been an accident. An accident to Miss Egerton’s car. It ran into a lorry.” Mark drew a quick breath. “Is she hurt —badly hurt?” “I don’t know. The man who told me didn’t know. But she can’t come here to-day.” (To be continued.)