THE LAW OF THE LAND

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13575, 5 December 1907, Page 6

THE LAW OF THE LAND

BY FRED. 11. WB'ITE.

Author of "The Ends of Jnstico," etc (Copyright. Ward, Lock and Co., Ltd.. London.) CHAPTER XX. A Neat Stratagem. Cool a* he was, Barca writhod a little under C'iarksou's steady gaze. He would have liked to abk a few more questions, bvt Clarkson had alreadj turned to tho door as if the interview Avero closed. And before Barca could make up liis mind what to sa> next, his visiicr had vanished. " Novr, what the dickens is the mean ing of it all ?" Barca muttered. " Whj does the chap come and bother xdo to know where Holt is? He must knw something definite or his manner wouknot be so assured. And yet he say*. I and does nothing which leads one to sup | po:>e that he is after the plunder. M't uir.st have somebody behind him, somewly wl;:> has paid his debts and re !c-meJ his routfrobe, and, at any rat* ior the present, has made him a respectable member of society. I must make it my business to find cut who h "behind this fellow. But, first of all. I must go down to Abbey Close immediately. The source of tho danger ha: been removed. After that, I shall be able to tackle Ivir. Jim Clarkson and the mysterious figure behind him. Really, I ought to be much obliged to him for warning me. Still, he must keep for the present." Meanwhile, Clarkson had gone on his way in the direction of Dick Chartoris's rooms. Ho fourd the, latter eagerly awaiting him and thirsting for details. "Well," he asked, "how did it turn out?" . "It was exceedingly brief," Clarkson smiled. *' Our friend Barca war in a very bad temper about something, and his words were more forcible thai: polite. Just as I had anticipated, h< told me that he had heard nothing more about Holt, nor did he want to. When I insisted, ho became more or less abusive. Then- I said exactly what you told me to say — that it was my intention to go down to Abbey ♦Close and see if I could not get Jhe information required from a mysterious individual who was concealed in Dr. Barca's bedroom." "And that fetched him, I expect?" Dick laughed. " Oh," yes, that, fetched him right enough. I? had nit the right nail on the head, and he could not conceal his chagrin". Depend upon it. Dr. Barca will not lose the opportunity of going down 'to Abbey Close to-night." "So I have calculated," Dick said. " I have more or less prepared the ground, and now I think I can 'mm the! risk of sending a telegram to Kingsmill, saying that he is pretty sure to see Bares* before bedtime. You have done exceedingly well, and I am greatly obliged to you. . I have got the telegram already written out, and perhaps you will be good enough to despatch it for mo. Then you can come hack in about an hour's time after I have seen Mr. Vandornorfc ; in fact, it will be far better if you see that gentleman and explain your position to him. He is a typical hard-headed American business man, but at bottom he is by no means a bad, sort, and you need not anticipate any trouble with him. After all, ifc is only playing the game properly for you to meot him faco to face." " Certainly I will do it," Clarkson said. " And I hope it will be tho last humiliating experience I shall evei have." The speaker doparted with the telegram, and Dick sat down to await the coming of Mr. Vandornort. The American arrived presently alert and eager to hear what Dick had to say. " I guoss I got your letter," he said. " And now, Mr. Charteris, what is all this about ? Somebody who calls himself Stephen Molt comes along and walks off with all my daughter's jewellery, aad almost before we realise our loss, you' turn up, a perfect stranger, end make your&cif master of the situation. Seems to me that you would have duno hotter on our side of the water than this. For you have a cool, lerel head of your own, and no mistake." " That is very good of you," Dick laughed. "' But, you see, lam rather fortunate in having all the cards in my bund. I was fortunate, also, in having to deal with a jgentleman like yourself, who does not care to rush off to iho iH>liee every time he has some littleloss. By the way, you have had the whole, of Miss Vandernort's iowels back, haven't you?" " All but one item," Vandernort explained. "They came with an anonymous letter saying that Iho :riss;ng trin-kr-t would be returned a« soon as posJblo. But say, Mr. Chartivris, why did you want me yesterday morning to apply for a warrant for the arrest of Stephen Holt, when wo know pretty well that he was not the thief at all?" " We were not certain of that," Dick ;aid demurely. " A man professing to bo Mr. Holt palled at your piacv and took the stuff, and you are perfectly justified in going to Scotland Yard and asking for that warrant. As a matter of fact, I may tell you between ourselves that th rt jewellery was stclen by a man nsmed Clarkson, an acquaintance of Holt, who impersonated his friend for that occasion only. Now if you will have a little patience with mo, I want to tell you a great deal about this Gl&rkson, booauso ho has boon more or less unforvmato all lu\-< life, and is jjow making a roollv sincrp effort to obtain an honost living. I think that after you have beard bis story, you will not be inclined to take any proceedings against him. PorImps I had better get to the point." " Fire away," Vandernorfc said cheerfnllv. " I suppose you won't mind ii" T smoko whiln you ai'P talking?" Dick plunged into his narrative at once, and lontr, before he. had finished the story of Clarkson and his child, he had the pleasure of seeing that he wan making the right improssion oir his visitor. There were other matters that Dick had to introduce, and during the

long narrative the listener's attention never flagged for a moment. "Well, I should smile/ Vandernort said when the story was finished. "I never heard a more extraordinary yarn than that, even in a Western newspaper. You have done pretty well, Mr. Charteris, and I wish you well through this business. I see now what a clover move it was of yours to get me to issue that warrant for Holt's arrest. It enables you to force the hand of this fellow Barca, and save your future brother-in-law at the same time. And you needn't worry about Clarkson, I am not going out of my way to stop him from getting an honest living. There is only one thing I regret, and that i 3 that I can't come down with you and see the fun. I suppose, in the circumstances, that would hardly do?" " Well, it is rather a family matter," Dick said. " But the very next time I am up in town I shall do myself the pleasure of calling upon you and telling/ you all about ifc. It seems to me that you have had a narrow escape as well as the rest of us." The American's face grew hard just for a moment. "I see what you are driving at," he said. ' " There is no getting away from the fact that Stephen Holt had been paying a lot of attention- to my daughter, and I am quite sure that she was growing exceedingly fond of him. We might never had found out the man's true character if this Clarkson hadn't come along and' walked off with tho jewels. But for that, and your opportune appearance, I have not the slightest doubt that Holt would have married my girl sooner or later, much against my' wishes as it might have been." *''Bnt you would have prevented that," Dick said. "Young man, there yo^ display a lamentable ignorance of ( the typical American girl," Vanderndrt said solemnly. "We call ourselvtes a free and independent race, but the married men •in America are nothing of the kind. Directly a man has a wife and family, especially if the family consists of daughters, it is his bounden duty to spend the rest of his life working like a' galley slave so that they may enjoy themselves. It matters little how his health suffers, or how be needs a holiday, he has just got to go on till ho drops in his tracks. He has no right to ask a single question, he has no right to expostulate on the score of extravagance, he hardly even has the right to live. And do you suppose* that a. eolfrespecting American, girl will ask her fathor's consent to the marriage between herself and the man of her choice ? No, sir. That father would consider himself lucky if he got off with a dowry which was less than half his fortune. If you had not come along and given the show a'.vay, my little girl would have married Holt, and I should have had to grin and bear it." • " You havo my profound sympathy," Dick said gravely. "But here is Clarkson coming up tho stairs." J i Clarkson came into the room and hesitated as he saw the> visitor standing there. Dick came forward and laid his hand. on -Claxjksoi&f shoulder. Theni i he drew him forward. "This is Mr. Vandernort," he said. "I have told him your story from start to finish without concealing anything, and without saying anything in your favour. I think you will not have anything to fear as far as Mr. Vandernort is concerned." . " I guess not," Vandernort said. <l It i seems to me that you are rather a young man to take it lying down as you have done." (To be continue*!.)