“The Anderley Affair”

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1930, Page 14

“The Anderley Affair”

By

JOHN LAURENCE

“I feel better already, Ritherdale,” he ,Jied. “If they can tell you anything End it’s in my direction, follow me up.” He darted into the waiting taxi and at Brighton Station found he had a good five minutes before the train started. He eaw Marley looking out of a carriage about the middle of the train, and Alan ■walked by without further glancing in his direction. Two compartinents farther on> however, he took off his hat and placed'it on a corner seat and walked .across to the bookstall, in case Marley intended to leave the train at the last minute. It was only when the guard's whistle sounded that he ran and jumped fiito his carriage. Out of the corner of " his eye he saw Marley withdraw his head, into his own compartment. ; r “And that’s that,’’ reflected Alan. “It .'took me all my time to persuade Ritherdale to come down to Brighton on the offchancc of picking up some news from ■ the Oakeses, but this makes it worth it. Oh, Floyd, my dear, if they have hurt you i He broke off and his lips set grimly. Ever since there had come that telephone message saying that Floyd had disappeared, that the birds had flown from . Condor House, he had been in a' fever. If it meant the wrecking of his career, he had no intention of sitting in his room at the Foreign Office while Floyd was in any possible danger. That she was in danger now, in great danger, he was convinced, and it had been his idea that he should go to Brighton and interview Lena Oakes. Ritherdale had reluctantly offered to accompany him, and the outcome, Alan felt, was his justification. ‘ .' He had had no time to discuss why Marley had so unexpectedly appeared in the hotel lounge. It looked to him that ftlarley had been staying there, for he had seen him return" a bedroom key. It was Ritherdale who had immediately spotted him, for the journalist had so closely memorised the photographs of Marley and Oster and the others that he had no difficulty in recognising Marley at once. Alan had taken a good look at him before turning away. It was only Ritherdale’s restraining hand which had prevented, him from jumping up and .challenging Marley there and then. “If I once get my hands on you ” he growled to himself. ~ He kept a sharp look-out at each station. . Chalmers had traced the two cars ©s far as Surbiton, but there all trace i>f them had been lost. Somewhere in Surrey or Sussex Floyd was to be found' hut where? There was a railway map over the seat, and Alan stood up and examined it. He wondered if Marley was going to get out befo.e the train reached London, wondered why he had seemed in such a desperate hurry. Then, without any warning, the carriage swayed and rocked, and there came the shrieking of fiercely applied, brakes,’ ft splintering of wood, and the whole aide of the carriage appeared to be coming towards him. He flung out his hands to save his face, staggered wildly as the carriage tipped at an alarming angle. His last memory was of something hurt- . ing the back of his head as he pitched across the seat.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

RITHERDALE LEARNS MUCH.

Ritherdale was distinctly puzzled. As soon as Alan Hunter had gone he had inade inquiries at the Cable Hotel and ascertained definitely that Marley had not been staying there. He had learnt from the clerk who had gone oil duty just after Marley had arrived that the latter had been there ostensibly to ininquire after his “sister,” Olive* Trenchard. The second clerk was unable to remember which set of keys had been returned by. Marley. He. had replaced them mechanically, as he had given them out mechanically, and the number he had been asked for had not remained in his memory. Marley had asked for his keys with such assurance that he had not thought for one moment Marley was not one Of the hotel visitors.

The journalist shrewdly suspected that jihe keys were those of Lena Oakes’ room, or that of her sister, but there ■was nothing to do but to possess his soul in patience udtil the two sisters returned. To attempt to search for. them in Brighton would be very much Jike-looking, for a needle in a baystack. : He sat there summing up to himself the information' which had been given him by Chalmers; Anheim, Maj’ey and. Entleman had all been tracked down by Chalmers, and one of Oster’s addresses, the one he used in London, was known, But this place in the country, somewhere south of Surbition, was not known to Chalmers or his agents. It was Oster who had sent the documents to the Colinion Office accusing Sir Henry, of maladministration. ‘ He had sent them from his London address, and there he had been perfectly open, as though he had nothing to hide. Osteneibly Oster was, like Arnheim, concerned with the obtaining of mining concessions in various parts of the world,' and it was while on an expendition in Yandan according to his story that the particulars bf the way the natives were being treated came to his ears. He had/ p?sed as a man who had a horror of slavery or injustice in anv form, almost as a fanatic, and at first had impressed' the authorities,' until Chalmers took a hand. ’ .

Ritherdale did not know why Oster .was so anxious to have Sir Henry replaced, except that he had found the administrator not amenable. But exactly what Oster’s scheme was the journalist did not know, though Chalmers had admitted that he had some knowledge of it, that its final elucidation depended upon the finding of the parts of the map of Yandan. The map ■which Ritherdale himself had ~ dis*covercd was a duplicate >f. one of the two which Floyd had managed to bring to Chalmers, so as far as Ritherdale knew only part of the problem had been solved. But Chalmers himself had. another inap, and that fact the journalist had not learnt. The Foreign Office official |iad a firm belief in the ability of journalists, but he had never quite been able to get rid of the official attitude of secrecy, and there was much he had kept back for fear it would leak out. It was nearly a quarter to seven before Ritherdale’s patience was rewarded by the appearance of Evelina Oakes and her sister. He had already interviewed Evelina once at length in connection •with the death of her brother, and she recognised him immediately. “There’s that reporter from the Monitor, “Lena,” she whispered, as she

caught eight of him. “I wonder what he ie doing here.” Lena was obtaining the keys, and as she turned she saw Ritherdale coming towards her.

“Mies Oakes, I have been waiting for you for over two hours,” .he said pleasantly. “And your sister,” he added, looking at Lena. “I have got some important news for you. May I have a few minutes’ chat with you? You may remember me. My name’s Ritherdale, of the Monitor.” “You know Miss Trenchard is Lena? said Evelina Oakes in a low voice. “What do you want?” “I have brought news of Miss Anderley,” answered Ritherdale. “Perhaps we can talk there.”.' He indicated a deserted part of the lounge, and the two sister? followed him. There, shortly, with no reference to Marley for the moment, he told them of. the sudden flight of Arnheim and the rest from Condor House, with Floyd ■ Anderley and the housekeeper. “Luckily we got news at once/' he explained. “The policeman who overheard the shot and went to make inquiries happened to be still standing outside the .house when the cars drove off, and he became, suspicious. He reported it to the station. The inspector had been warned about Condor House, that it was under observation fro i. headquarters, and he promptly reported the matter to Scotland Yard by. telephone, and Mr. Chalmers was told immeditaely. Mr. Hunter and I came down to see if. you knew any address in ■ the country where he may have gone.” He looked interrogatively at Lena Oakes, who shook her head. “Mr. Arnheim never wrote io anyone of that crowd,” she answered. “Except to Marley to acknowledge his icports when he was in ' Yandan. And then I was never allowed to see the reports. Mr. Arnheim used to telephone, and he took care 1 was never in the room when he did so.”

“Of course, I ought to have thought of that,” cried Ritherdale. “We can get a list of the telephone numbers he has called up during the last few days, and if he" telephoned into the country, we can find the address that way.” “Where is Mr. Hunter, if he came with you?” asked Evelina Oakes.” “I am afraid I have a shock for you, Miss Oakes,” replied Ritherdale, after a moment’s hesitation. “I saw Marley here a short time ago. He had gone out, and Air. Hunter, is following him." “Marley”, echoed Lena Oakes, in a terrified * voice. “Are you sure it was Marley?” .. Ritherdale nodded, and briefly he told them of Marley’s sudden appearance, and his still more sudden departure, apparently for London. “I believe he had used your keys, Miss Oakes,” he finished. “Will you let me know if you think any of your things have been disturbed or stolen?” “You had better come up with us, Mr. Ritherdale,” said Lena. ”1-1 don’t like goincr up there alone. Marley may have brought someone with him and — and—” “And left him in your room,” finished Ritherdale. “Of course I will come up.” One glance was sufficient as they entered Lena Oakes’ room, she gave a startled cry and ran forward. Lying on the bed, on the top of her scattered clothes, where Marley had dropped them after reading them, were fl e two letters. For a moment she stared at them as though she did not realise their significance, and then she gave a half-sob of apprehension. “Oh, Mr. Ritherdale, Marley knows!”* “Knows what?” asked Ritherdale. •< “That I am Alias Trenchard—and Lena Oakes, that Miss Anderly has taken my. place!” she cried, pointing with a shaking hand to .the two letters. Ritherdale snatched them from her with a muttered, “Good heavens!” As soon as he had read them he understood Marley’s agitation, understood why he had hurried away as though scared out of his life. He was scared, there was no doubt about it, and he had gone off as fast as a train would take him to warn the others that the daughter . Cf the man they were up against was actually posing as Arnheim’s secretary. That meant that Floyd was in danger, real danger. “I’ll get on the telephone to Mr. Chalmers,” he said quickly.’ “Meanwhile you had better look over your things thoroughly and find out if there is anything missing.' ’ I don’t know how Marley knew you had got those letters.” “Oh, Miss Anderley—they’ll kill herb” wailed Lena Oakes, burying her face in her hands and flinging herself on the bed in despair. “Go and telephone, Mr. Ritherdale. 1 will look after my sister,” said Evelina Qakcs. “I wish Murely bad waited for us. If he hurts a hair of her head.” (To bo Continued).