THE FREEDOM COMPANY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1932, Page 12

THE FREEDOM COMPANY

(By

CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued.) I He noticed in a flash that she was , Btrrying a small parcel, anct his suspicions were alert. Now that he/khew everything he suspected each one of them. : ' ‘ ‘ ‘ “You had better give’that parcel In tne,v he said crisply, “it will no safer.” ■ ~Sha winked at him. “All rigut, pretty boy.; I’d rather you were found with the loot than 11 It’s what 1 got from Lady Rees’ house—you know.. I saw you there." . i “Did you ? I didn’t see you—l was booking for you”—he remembered the .-j ■'mistaken identity, and his colossal • blunder, . It all came back to hpn and he set his teeth. “I came late; luckily 1 met Leila Du Caine and she told me about to■night. I had work to do upstairs, so I "just said ‘How do!’ to my hostess, went into the supper-room for'an lee, . and then invented a torn skirt, went upstairs; tipped the girl who went to get needles and cotton to repair the damages—and in her absence I got . husy. ; There’s the result!’’—she pointed to the parcel Walter hold. “Holy Moses!' : She- had some -sparklers!” she laughed wickedly and ran swiftly upstairs. ■sf;7 There, was a fixed purpose in Wat-z’.-tec's brain—to restore the jewels to •Lady Refts at oncel but before he 'could mature his plans Sir Hylton 'Clive stood before him. . “.Well, young man ?’’ he began. ■ j Walter had not heard him approach, but a great relief came over him when he saw who ft was. “You’re the very man'l want,” he said hurriedly,' with evident relief in his voice as he handed him the parcel. “You had better take charge of that; you are better able to

get them to Lady Rees—it’s her J, jewels. She must have them back at . 'once.” ■ • ■ ■ To say Sir Hylton was nonplussed is to put it mildly. When you have ■come to arrest ajman who is one of a gang of jewel thieves, and tho man -<■ hfcnds you back the jewels that the gang have stolen, it’s rather staggering. It means going warily and breaking fresh ground. / "How did you get this parcel?” Hylton asked quietly, seeking for some \' ; light On the subject. “It has just been given to me,”' Walter said, almost testily, as if it were an unnecessary question; and his next remark was still more astounding :“Ybur cousin, Miss Clive, is quite . safe. I have just seen her into a taxi, and she has gone home, r couldn’t stand the idea of her getting-into that fe 5 set.” "7 fei'V “My cousin? What the devil was 7- she doing here at this time of night?" j- Hyiton \Vas startled out of himself. “She pame to warn me about this— I was in the dark—didn’t know a thing i ;., about if— I was a fool,” Waller spoke tiredly. . ■ ; Temple was standing just belling ,HyitOn, but Walter never saw him. ;Hc had a dim idea that there was another man there, but he imagined hs was a police officer. No\y that ho rea- ? lised the situation he thought everyone he saw was a detective. His brain was too bewildered with the catacylsm of. events, and the worry of : .Lady Rees’ jewels, to lake anything in clearly. ; >; “I must ask you to come with me, Hanson, phiil I investigate your case. I did not expect to see you to-night, yi: but as you arc here you must ebrne with me; you will have to spend . a night or .two in a cell, but that will' do you good and teach you a lesson. ' You must pay for your folly. Follow me, and don’t attempt to escape; you ’ will only be caught again.” “I shall not try to escape—why should I? I have made a mess of my life.' I must dree my weird"—he followed Hylton into the house as he '• spoke. C- But just before they entered ths house Temple spoke to Hylton in a . low tone. "If you don’t want me any morfe', Sir Hylton, I wilL go back to Park Street and’ go to bed. I didn’t know Hanson would be here —he hasn't recognised me yet, and I don’t • want’him to. He’s dazed at present.” “All right, Temple, you go home to bed. I’ll tell you the news in the. morning. Good-night,” and Temple vanished before Walter had seen him. Twelve men of the C.LD; had taken up their positions at 5002 Regent Street at 11.30 p.m. They were dispersed over the building • in hiding.. .Most of the rooms were empty; only three had furniture. One on the first floor was-evidently an office. They left that unoccupied. Gleeson and two other men were in the hall. There was no light in the hall; there was / Electric light in the office, but nowhere else. Gleeson was waiting to see them

all in, when he would give a whistle, which was the signal agreed on, when they would raid lh& gang. He knew most of them by sight, but if anyone ■ he did not know came in and saw him £ he could use the password and so alliy their fears. Ho could just manage to see them as they came in by the light from the street. He saw Leila Du Caine enter with her latch-key; she appeared about a quarter past twelve, and a man named Grant followed on her heels. Leila Du Caine was on the stairs when Grant entered. ‘‘Creme trifle,” he said in a loud whisper. “It’s sb infernally dark I can’t see who it is, but it's nut safe to have a light.” "Fiver,” she whispered back. ■ “We’re the first to come.” ■ They went upstairs and entered the office. Two moite came, and rushed upstairs A man arrived next who seemed uncertain of his surroundings; he was

evidently, a newcomer. Gleeson moved forward a. step. “Crefoe trifle,” 'Jte whispered, and the man answered “Piver" in an educated voice, and

went up. Three more came, evidently old hands, and tore up the stairs. It was quite half-past twelve by . theft, when someone rang and knocked

at the door. Gleeson was surprised,

and waited for developments. A mail cartie rushing down the stairs and opened the door sharply. “Why the deuce did you knock, you ' yOung fqol? Do you want to rouse the neighbourhood ? Where’s your latth-key?” “1 haven’t got it; I’m expecting one • of the ladies. ' I’ll wait for her before I corme up,” Gleeson heard the man say. “All right; they’ve got their latchkeys. I’m wanted upstairs; they’ve . bigun work.” He turned and fled up;;fiUirs. Gleeson was puzzled. He could mt

place the newcomer, who remained a moment just inside the door, until he heat’d a taxi draw up, when he. went outside, leaving the door, on the latch. Glefesoh waited for him to return with the lady, ]?ut nothing happened for gome ten minutes. Then he heard •omeone begin to insert a latch-key, butfound the door open. Then a man’s voice spoke: “You had better five that parcel to me. it will be ■tfer.” He recognised the voice as thb man who hid rung and knocked. This must be the lady he was expecting. He ; could not hear the hurried dialogue, but the lady soon entered with a laugh and ran up. He could Ju»t see from th© light from the street that it -was Elsie Cross. They were all there now, but he himself must wait ; f or Sir Hylton. He therefore told one

CARMINE GRACE

of the men with him, who was his assistant, Cowley, to go upstairs, giva the signal, and round them up. Cowley obeyed, blew his whistle, the men -came quickly from the rooms above, all the lights in the house were switched on, and they made for the office. Before they entered they saw a trap door open in the centre of the floor just outside the office, and steps leading dow nto a passage. A man was on the steps handing what looked like jewel cases to Leila Du Caine, which, someone passed up to him from below. “Hands up! If you cbnie quietly, no one will be hurt," Cowley said. There was a start and muttered oaths from the men and women; the C.I.D. men gave them no time to protest, but swiftly put the handcuffs on most of the men and Leila Du Caine. One man, standing apart from the others,Walked quietly past them and out of the door. "It’s all right, let him go, Mr Gleeson will take him," Cowley said to his men. Before they could handcuff her, Elsio slipped behind them and suddenly switched off the light; and when Cowley found the switch and put the light on again, she was nowhere to be seen. They took their prisoners into the next room to ensure their safety. Meanwhile • the man who walked downstairs encountered Glbesdn and his colleague in the hall who barred the way. "What is your name?" asked Gledson. “Ralph Ford,” was the answer. “Are you of The Freedom Company?” “Yes. I am their engineer. I worked tho passage for them leading to. the jewellers next door.” “Put the bracelets’on him, Denton.” Ford offered no resistance and allowed himself to be handcuffed. At that moment Sir Hylton entered witli Walter Hanson. Hylton paused. “Are you all here, Gleeson?'' , “Yes, Sir Hylton. I think we’ve got them this time —nearly all of them, except the head of them, but we know where he is located. I sent Cowley up to raid them, with the Other men to help him as I had to wait for you. We got One as he came downstairs, i’ll send Denton up with him to Join die other prisoners.” But Ford stepped forward and pushed Waiter with his manacled handfe to the door. "Go, you ybung idiot, while you have tirne. I ho£ed -you wouldn't be here. Go!” Hylton looked on to bee what young Hanlon would do.

But Walter shodk his head, “i can’t go Ford; I’m on parole. We are both for if.”

Ford drew a quick breath and turned 'to Denton. “I am ready to come with you how,” ahd Denton took him upsaite. ■ • / ‘ Hylton turned to Gleeson. "As soon as ydu can do so take those upstairs to the Police Station. This -young man will edme with me. I shall follow you.” Gleeson looked puzzled. “That’s Mr Hanson, Sir Hylton; he’s not one of them—-though I’ve seen him about with Bryant,” he added, dubiously. “Quite so,” said Hylton, drily. “And lie’s got to p&y for keeping bad company. He has bedn with them though he may not have been one of them. That is what I have to investigate. He will £o with me. I am trusting him, he is-on parole. -I will see that he is lodged by himself.” GteeSbn looked at the youlh. ahd wofidbred at the beauty of tne face. He noticed the set tiredness of thb mouth and the hopelessness in the eyes. He made a sign to Hylton that he wanted to speak to him apart, and lowered his voice.

. .“Must he.go in.the cell, Sir Hylton? It leaves a stigma on a young man .to be locked up.” : . : “I’m sorry, Gleeson, but hb must learn his lesson. It won’t hurt him for-a night. Keep his nhme out of the papers, that’s all; then no one will be the wiser." . .

“Very good, Sir Hylton,” and GlSbson went up the stairs, Hylton folio wing! with Walter. They only went up to the first floor, and there Walter’s eyes were opened. There was a glass door to the room on which was printed “Offices of The Freedom Company. Private." The door had been left open. It was comfortably furnished as an office, and was evidently where'they held their meetings. Ttte floor was polished, and rugs laid down. One rug outside the door on the landing was rolled aside revealing a trap door from which led a staircase to a secret passage connected with the jewellera next door.

plceson pointed to the staircase.’ “They’ve been working at this for months, and pjanned the raid for tonight as "they wire complete. We’ve found a lot of loot in the upper rooms, and we’ve got the gang in the next room. Caught them red-hand6d. We’ll take them off now; perhaps Mr Hanson won’t care to face them as he has turned king’s evidence.” • “He hasn’t done that, as far as I know; have you, Hanson?” “I . was told it was a meeting of the shareholders to-night, and I neid not attend as I was a novice,” Walter reiterated. “I see now that I was to be kept in the dark as to the real vocation of The Freedom Company," he spoke rather bitterly. “You were used as a decoy I expect, Mr Hanson. But at all events that is at an end, and The Freedom Company are a dead letter. I’m sure you will steer clear of sharks for the future. And now I must see to my men; they may want some help when they start shifting the gang. The women are the most slippery.” (To be Continued.),