The Green Bungalow

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 5

The Green Bungalow

BY A POWERFUL WRITER.

"j&r

Fred M. White.

Author of “The Crimson BKnd.“ " Th* Cardinal Moth.” " The Houae on the River,” fcc., fcc.

CHAPTER XXI.—FINDING THE WAY. "Well. I must confess that I am," Prest said. “A man like yourself —1 mean an individual ” "Oh. I know exactly what you mean,” Blythe smiled. “You had better speak freely. You are wondering "hy anyone with a shady reputation like mine should, be so keenly interested in saving the good name of an absolute stranger?” Thei ' t e "'as a pleasing smile on *>lytile’s face as he spoke. He stood there, calm and self-possessed, beautifully turned out. and looking anything but the class of man he was freely admitting himself to be. It seemed to Nettie to be almost impossible that here was one who had the shadiest of reputations all over the Continent. It is no use us pretending, Blythe ''®nt oil. “I am what I am, and nothing >hort of a miracle will make me anything else. I am interested in this Business, because Roy Harley’s father ''»s an intimate friend of mine, and . ttew Miss Frond’s mother equally ell. Call it pure sentiment on my J £ you like ' but if you will be guided by me. I will not, onlv prove parley s innocence, but I will show • °u exactly how the thing was done. More than that. I will give you a de®°’lS‘ration in the presence of Shiite and Macglendy, and you shall see tor .ourself how they take it. I think, in ommon fairness to Harley, you ought „nn e mo this opportunity.” • 1 will," Frest said warmly. . , bought so. Now. let’s sit down ° m ° cheon and forget all about it, Q i after Miss Frond has gone I will von a , ln }° you exactl y "hat I want -°u to do. a zrF Eat .down with none too good HarWif U was easer en °ugb to belp ..J®? lf ! ’ e could, though he was still , In ß hut. keen to sit down, espe- . ** y ' w 'th Nettie, at the same table , h 3 man who had been pointed out .. h ,m as an individual who was distnctly to be avoided. Still .he took

his place there, and, long before the meal was concluded, found himself more or less fascinated by the charming personality of his host. There was still a good deal to hear, a good deal of which did not. concern Nettie, so that she allowed Blythe to bow her out presently, and went on her way with more hope than she had felt for days.

She was passing through the hall of the hotel, which was more or less in shadow at this time of the afternoon and was about to leave when a figure rose from a corner seat and came toward her. With a thrill at her heart, she recognised Harley. “I have been waiting for you for quite a long time,” he said. “I knew you were lunching here to-day, because that strange creature Blythe wrote and told me to wait for you here about three o’clock. Shall we sit down ?” It was a secluded corner that Harley intimated, and somewhere apart from the nearest group of visitors, so that they sat down there and Harley began to talk. He told Nettie the whole history of his recent adventures, and expressed the hope that the time was not far distant when he would have nothing more to fear. “I don’t know how Blythe is going to do it.” lie said. “But I have a most childlike faith in that man.” “He certainly is an extraordinary individual,” Nettie said. “I suppose you know that Walter Prest has been lunching with us?” “That is about all I do know,” Harley said. “I am told to hold myself in readiness for any instructions I get. But you wifi have to leave the employ of that man Shute after all that lias happened. You know him now for what he is. and if I had been aware of his antecedents, I should never have seen the inside of the Green Bungalow. You must not go near that hateful place.” “Oil. I am not In the least afraid, Roy,” Nettie said. ‘‘lt will only be for a day or two longer, and,. besides, if I suddenly stop my work, won’t Mr. Shute be suspicious? Don’t you think that I might be doing you a great deal of harm?” “Well, perhaps so,” Harley admit-

ted, reluctantly. “Still, I hate the idea of your being alone in that rather desolate spot with a man like that.” But Nettie made light of his fears. How could Shute possibly know that she was so far behind the scenes? He was not even aware of the fact that she and Harley were friendly, or that Blythe had even heard of her existence. It would be only for a day or two longer, and then she would be able to go her own way, and ycave dilute to his own resources. “Don’t let’s think about it,” she said. “Let us talk of the future. I don’t know how it is going to be done, but. I Teel absolutely certain that Mr. Blythe will be able to put everything I right when the proper time comes. ; Whatever his principles may be he is an exceedingly clever man, and, for some reason or s other, he takes the greatest possible interest in us. He must have been in a very different position at one time, because it is easy to see that he is a man of good birth and breeding, and possibly because he liked my mother, he wants to help me. And he will do it too, Roy. You will see before long that your troubles are oVer.” “Well, let us hope so, at any rate,” Harley smiled. “It has been a terrible time for both of us, and if you had not been so loyal, I don’t know what I should have done. Now, let us go outside, and sit in the sunshine.”

Meanwhile, Blythe and Prest were still seated in the private room discussing the strange affair which had brought them together. There was a good deal to be settled, and it was nearly four o’clock before Prest rose and took his leave. “You can count upon me,” he said. “I am going back to town this afternoon, but if you send me a wire, 1 will come back here at any moment you like to mention. I am not feeling particularly happy over this business, for more reasons than I care to mention. You see, Roy Harley has always been a friend of mine. We were at school together, we joined the Army the same month, and we are both in the same battalion of the Guards. As a

man of the world, Mr. Blythe, I think you will agree that I was quite right when I stipulated that Harley must either clear his character or leave the Army. It was a bitter decision to have to come to, and all the more so as we were rivals. You understand what I mean? And, on a certain occasion Harley behaved so well that I admired him all the more. He gave me my chance, but there was another party to be consulted, and when I found that it was all useless, I resigned in Harley’s favour. You can imagine my feelings, then, when I had to take the course I mention. What else could I possibly do?” “That is rather a flattering question,” Blythe said, with an unsteady smile. “And, at the same time, it is rather humorous to think that the man called Hilton Blythe, though that is not my proper name by any means —should be appealed to by a soldier and a gentleman on a point of honour. Because you see, even in my world we have our code. And that is why I want to let those two men down as easily as possible. You see, to-morrow, they might be my confederates, though that is putting an extreme case. Still, if I can satisfy you beyond the shadow of a doubt that Harley has been the victim of a vile conspiracy, you may be disposed to be satisfied, and not let the thing go any further.” „

“I shall be more than satisfied," Prest said. “Do what you suggest, and those two men can go to the devil’ their own way so far as I am concerned.” Whereupon they parted, and a few minutes later Blythe turned into a garage at the corner of Preston Street and asked for a car to be placed at his disposal for the next hour.or two. He paid his deposit, and seated himself in the motor. “Where to, sir,” the driver asked. “Fishbourne Towers,” Blythe replied. ‘T suppose you know where it is. Lord Fishbourne’s place, near Arundel.” Oh, that’s all right, sir,” the driver said. “I’ve been there before. I can get you there in an hour, easy.” CHAPTER XXII. —THE MISSING LINK. Fishbourne came across the library where Blythe was awaiting him, with an expression on his face that was not unkindly, but certainly one of embarrassment. . “I got your telephone message,” he said. “Though why you want to see me is past my understanding. My dear fellow, for the sake of old times, I am ready to do anything I can to help you, but, at the same time, I wish you had not come here.” “Well, it might certainly have been avoided,” Blythe confessed. “But it is so many years since I was in a house of this sort last, that I could not resist the temptation. There was a time, once, when I was a welcome guest under your roof.” “No one regrets the reason why you

are not still a friend of mine more than I do. But sit down, and let us talk the matter over. I feel quite sure that you did not come here this afternoon merely to look at my family pictures, and to feel that once upon a time you were entitled to meet me on terms of perfect equality.” “That is perfectly true,” Blythe said. “Don’t let us have any sentiment, for God’s sake. I came here to-day because I thought perhaps you would like to have your family plate back again.” “Well, of course I should. And if you can show me a way I think that you won’t find me ungrateful.” “There is no question of gratitude between you and me, Fishbourne. You were one of the few who stood up for me when I was down in the depths, and I am not going to forget it. It is too late for me to come back now, and, one way and another, I have not done so badly. I could retire from

the business at any moment with a 5 comfortable fortune, but I am not old 1 enough yet. And that is why I hate fi taking a holiday. If I have too much v time I begin to think, and when I be- v gin to think all the old devils come and r gibber before me, and my thoughts n turn to drink. There is no other man > in the world I would have told, but £ my conscience still sorely troubles me t at times. But that is the other side of the story. Now, I have got a car outside, and if you don’t mind run- j ning into Brighton with me, I think I I can show you a way to get hold of 1 what you have lost.” j “In that case, I will most certainly 5 come,” Fishbourne said. “Can I get i you some tea. or something of that 1 sort? No? Well, a cigar or a ciga- I rctte.” I Blythe helped himself to a ciga- t rette, which he smoked while his in- t voluntary host was getting ready for' 1 the journey. Half an hour later, ; they were on their way hack to Brigh- ; ton, and talking over old times when they w-ere boys together, very much j as if there had been nothing to come between them since the days when they were at Eton. And, after this, i Fisbbourne’s curiosity began to get the i better of him, and he asked Blythe a J number of questions. “Perhaps X had better make a cle?Ji breast of it,” the latter said. ' - t didn't want to do it, but I think :/ou had better be put on your guard. WJtat do you know of the man called ?4iark Shute?” "Oh, well, he is one of us. A, man who has distinguished himself 'm his own walk of life, and one wlfo, undoubtedly, has been a great; game shot. Is there anything wro/.ig with him?” “Everything is wrong. YOl/ may say he is one of you, but I .‘prefer to j | say he is one of us. You. look sur- :

prised, but it is a 'Pact all the same. You will search Iy union in vain to find any one who ’snows what Shute was doing during 1 he fifteen years he was out of EngVund, but there are plenty of men in. South America, and notably in Califr >rnia, who could tell you. My dean fellow, he and Macglendy bettveeu them robbed you of the Cellini plate.” “Impossible,'” Fishbourue cried. "Not at aj’i. I could prove it to you, beyond 'a demonstration, it I liked. Not only .fid they take your plate, but they got hold of Lady Vickery’s jewels, wljfen they were actually under your and, but for a bit of amazing goout luck, they would have had Lady Fijhbourne’s gems as well. But I think 1 can restore everything, and I don’t* want the police to know any thing ’about It. If you will consent to th? t, then I can put you right, and wl at. is more, I can clear Macglendy and Shute out of the country alto get> er.” "“But why do you want to protecl tfj»>se scoundrels?” “Well, let us call it an inverted ver $ ion of noblesse oblige,” Blythe smiled .'“I suppose you have heard a proverl to the effect that dog does not cal dog. Do you follow me?” “Perfectly.” Fishbourno saiii gravely. “I suppose it is much th« same all over the world. Still, don’t see why I should worry about it

especially if you can give me what you suggest. But I must confess that I am astonished. I should never have suspected Shute of anything of tho sort, and that other man, Macglendy, seemed quite a decent fellow, though he obviously does not belong to tho same class as Shute. And yet you. tell me he Is just as bad." i “Rather worse, I should say. Mac glendy Is handsome enough, and very distinguished in bis fine features and j yellow beard, but he happens to b» a sort of half-bred Jew, who started life jin the purlieus of Glasgow. Hence his Scotch brogue, and also his name.” “Well, I have heard of Scottish Jews,” Fishbourne said. "And most ! of them claiming to belong to soma I famous clan, but I never met a better ! imitation than Macglendy.” By Jove, there they are," Blythe | cried. “Keep well back in the car* and don’t let them see you with me, I or else the whole game will be up.” i They were just reaching the out* i skirts of Shorehaven, on the Worth* ing Road, when another car passed, with Shute and Macglendy inside, evii dently on their way to the Green Bungalow. But they saw nothing of the other two. for Blythe’s eyes were a little too sharp and the cars pa.- ‘d | one another without recognition. Shute was talking eagerly to h-a companion, and appeared to be on very good terms with himself as they passed swiftly along In the direction ’ of Shorehaven. Arrived there, they left the car some little distance from the bungalow, and crossed the shingle up to the front door. Here Shute produced a latch-key, and, together with Macglendy. entered the house. 1 ~ be- • 'i v.nt >