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Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1933, Page 11

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I. M. GILBERT

CHAPTER V.— (Continued.)

“Heavy-built party, sir, with a big black moustache. Speaks funny, and looks like a foreigner. Says he won’t go until he has had a little talk with •you. He might be a debt collector, sir.”

It was Jude to the life. They were after me.

“Please explain to the party,” I said, “that the occupation of cleaning a revolver engages me too much to receive him this evening.” It was a lie— a firearm would have been a godsend.. “Also tell him that the correct Times is on Friday morning. No, Times, not time, you idiot. Times, the paper which is so useful for wrapping up fried fish. Yes, that’s it. Give the party a kiss from me before you show him out I”

'The porter tittered, and I hung up the receiver and wiped my Brow. My hilarity had been rather forced, for things were not looking any too bright. What would the next move be? The chances of enjoying an hour or two’s sleep seemed very small; an exhilarating night was more likely. After a bit I required if “Mr Smith” had gone, and was informed that he had only departed after much persuasion.

“Don’t let any one come up, no matter -what their excuse is,” I ordered. “Tell them Mr Graham is not at home to his friends.” It was almost with feelings 'Of regret that I rang off, for there was comfort in talking with a person who was definitely not a potential enemy. The Jonely waiting for another attack was perhaps the worst part of the business. A fellow spirit to keep me company would have been very welcome.

Some time later », noise made me open my front door to see that no one was Jurking about. Outside of the flat is a landing, with the staircase to one side, which is lit, on the floor below mine, by a window looking on to a'sloping roof at the rear of the building. I could have .sworn that there was a dark figure dimly silhouetted against the glass. Shutting the door, I ran across to the 'telephone to let the porter know that burglars were trying to get in. The only answer was a loud click, followed by complete silence. The wire had been „ out. The siege had begun in earnest.

My fortress was fairly secure, for .It - was. .on. the • third/ storey, and - both the rooms were to the front, above Jermyn Street. The windows were too high to be reached from below without a ladder, and were too conspicuous for any one to attempt to climb In from the roof or from the adjoining flats. ■I fastened the catches securely, and then set about barricading the real danger point, which was the door an .to the landing. If an entry were to be made from the sloping roof at the back on to the stairs, there would onlj be the door lack to contend with, which could easily be forced by suitable tools. With difficulty I dragged a heavy chest of drawers across to block the entrance. It could not have been shifted from the outside without making a noise, for it'took me all my strength to get it into position. I stood a jug of water on the edge of the chest so as to add to the disturbance if it were moved. That almost finished my simple preparations. With a gun of some sort handy, things might not have been so bad, but my only weapon, apart from my fists, was a sharp-pointed walking stick.

'Even at that hour the idea of flight occurred to me. It was out of the question, however, for it would have meant running the gauntlet in the half-deserted streets. I might have gone down and- sat with the porter, but I felt that would be showing funk. I turned out the sitting-room-lights, and put on those in the bedroom for just about as long as it might take a person to undress. Then I extinguished these also, ensconced myself in an armchair, filled niy pip 3, and began my vigil. I had not muci hope of keeping awake, for I was very drowsy. Not that it mattered, for ai Intruder could be counted on to maks some noise in trying to get in. Had you been with me I should have felt quite cheerful, but the loneliness was horrible. I seemed so cut off from every one. Except for the ticking of the clock, there was no sound in the room. The occasional whir of traffic in the street below got less and less. My head nodded, and in a few minutes I was fast asleep. CHAPTER VI. It must have been about thrte o’clock in the morning when suddenly I sat up with a start. My limbs fe.t cold and stiff —for a moment my memory didn’t work properly. Why was I sitting in the chair? Then in a flash it all came back.

Something had disturbed me. A gentle, scraping noise was coming from the direction of the door on to the landing. It was very faint, but undoubtedly some one was trying to pick the lock, and I could count myself lucky to have heard it. Snatching up the -walking stick, I went to investigate. In the upper half of the door is a glass panel; and on this shone a luminous half circle, as if an electric torch was being directed at the keyhole below. I thought rapidly. My opponents probably expected me to be armed, and hoped the attack would be a surprise. Should they find me awake they would certainly shoot at sight, trusting to being able to ransack the place and get away before the alarm was raised. The chest of drawers was by no means an unsurmountable obstacle. . It had only been put there, to give me due warning, and several men would easily, push it back, provided they didn’t make a row. They might hesitate, however, if they believed that I was waiting with a pistol ready. ■lf they could be persuaded that there was more than one defender in the room they might even, give up the attack altogether. My only cl Juice was to bluff. '

Standing to one side, under cover of the whole thickness of the wall. I shouted ■ loudly. .r.gfl..a.way^j}jLw^ iU

fire,” and then added in a lower tone, as if addressing some one else beside me, “ Quick, get your revolver.” The noise ceased abruptly, and the light went out. “ What you want is not here,” I continued, raising my voice. “It has been put In a place of safety. You know the only way to get it.” No answer was returned, but the silence was eloquent. There was a certain piquancy in talking to the men who wished to murder me, especially if it had the desired effect. At first there was no sign, then after a bit a hardly perceptible creak suggested that some one was going down the stairs. I waited and listened, but heard no more. Had they gone? It looked like it. So far my luck had held, only it couldn’t be expected to last for ever, apr| once daylight, came the sooner 1 was away the better. Having switched on the lights, I packed a.'small handbag with my Immediate requirements, and bundled everything else into a couple of large trunks which could be stored until wanted. It was father like preparing tor active service again; the risks were just as great, and there was the same uncertainty about returning. Ttie job took rather a long time, for I collected a lot of kit during my stay in London. When I had finished, I sat down and wrote an account of all that had happened. If a sticky end awaited me I thought it advisable <that there should be a record so that perhaps a more gifted person than myself might carry on the good work. To whom to send this letter was rather a problem. You came to mind, but the date of your return was too indefinite. The police were ruled out —I had to find some one who would at least believe the story. Then I remembered my relative, Aunt Allison, In Scotland.

I don’t think you have ever met my Aunt Allison. She is one of these strong-willed, mannish women, with definite opinions on every subject. As s. small boy I was terrified of her; most people are —even •The joke is that, under her manner, she has a heart of gold, and is as full of romance as any girl of eighteen. On my return from abroad I had paid what is known as a “ duty visit ” to the old lady, although duty had really nothing to do with it, for, as a matter of fact We are genuinely fond of each other; but she hates sentiment, and prefers to keep up the pretence that I am the rascally heir whom she cordially detests. I know she really Ijkes.me, but she would no more think of acknowledging it than of joining a London night club. “It is a pity, William, that the only male representative of the family is a fool,” is the sort of cheerful remark sh.e loves to make to me. _■ If ’there is one thing my aunt is proud of, it is the family, hence presumably the tragedy of it ending in an idiot like myself! She would like to trace the line directly back to Adam, only I am sure she feels we must have sprung from some one much more respectable than a mere gardener. With all her faults, Aunt Allison would believe me. I knew she would criticise everything adversely as a riiatter of course, but it would never enter her head that a Graham could be guilty of an untruth. One thing was certain, if I disappeared she would catise a most searching inquiry to be made, and Heaven help the unfortunate official who tried to stand in her way. I sealed up the letter and’enclosed it in another larger envelope,’ in which I put a Covering note. In this I explained to my aunt that her nephew •was engaged in a difficult and dangerous undertaking. By way of seasoning I threw in the suggestion that, through no fault of my own, the family honour might have to be safeguarded. I requested her only to open the. second package- if she had not heard from me by the following Saturday. By then, I decided, the affair would have either passed out of my hands’ for ever, or have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. As an afterthought I made my will, and enclosed it also.- It seemed rather a morbid sort of thing to do, but it might help to impress the old lady with the seriousness of the case; besides, though. I wasn’t in a funk exactly, it was as well to be prepared for emergencies. All the while • I was writing, my ears were attuned to catch suspicious sounds; but nothing happened to disturb me, and it was nearly daylight before’my task was ' completed. A cautious peep outside showed that a faint orange glow had spread over the sky. Milk carts were going their rounds, and the life of the city was beginning. I pulled lip the blinds and opened the windows for the place needed airing. . There was a man in the. street below who seemed to be waiting for something. He glanced up towards me, so I waved my hand to him; but he didn’t return the greeting, although he may have been a perfect?! harmless Individual. Afterwards I read a bc|)k until about eight o’clock, when my man arrived with morning tea, and it took some time to push my barricade aside to let him in. He must have thought me- mad, but, like a well-trained servant, he made no comment. I ordered breakfast, intimating my Immediate departure, and gave instructions about the disposal of the heavy luggage. Although one is always braver when the sun is up, perhaps a hot bath did me more good than anything else; certainly, after consuming a plateful pf eggs arfi bacon, things took on a much rosier aspect. My plans were still vague, but the terror of the night had gone. The whole day lay ahead lof me, and surely danger could not stalk at my side in the crowded streets of London. At ten o’clock I sallied forth. It was too much to expect that jhe hunt had been abandoned, and I was not disappointed. A man who was lounging on the far side of the street pulled out a handkerchief with a flourish to blow his nose, and as if in answer' another fellow, dressed in a brown suit, walked out from the’ doorway where he had been standing, and began th follow me.. I made., a mental

note of his appearance, then, without a further glance, hurried eastwards.

The letter addressed to my aunt was in my pocket, and it would have been simple, to drop it in the nearest pillar box; but there are many records of the contents of pillar boxes being destroyed by fire or acid, so I thought it wiser to hand it over the counter to be registered.

fTo Le Continued.! -

Drink Sykes’ Lemon Squash. Cool and refreshins for .the '-gas?