CHAPTER III Continued.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13820, 28 November 1908, Page 6

CHAPTER 111 Continued.

|Cop\ I l',jllt . j

j Silfiicf loll(»\\ t'tl. and in the s.ilt«)u-« .M.i i 'j,iiivl \ iniiul woi-Kiml rapidly, llei : lite hail seen nut n \ sliilts and advoiijtiucs, l)iit notbiii'i like (bis. A cliar^t to! inimU'i' ! Sin* could .scarcolv realiM |still lluit tlii> trrriblo tbinp, was true. and rbc jolts ol tlif liansoni, the pano- : raiua ol tlu> crowded London streets, and tbc expressionless eoiintenanee ol ill** <U't t"<-t i\ t« liesidr her, sennetl alike ))art ot soino liiiti'oits ilrcani. Su])pos«' ilm> dreuni endured, and tin story sbr was rehearsing tailed in it. 1 hoped-lor ell« l et:-' She might ln> disbelieved, the charge might be pursued, become public ; everybody would know — Lady Dashwell. Aubrey Heseltine. London would ring with her name — but nor as the claimant to the Quanborough title and estates, — as> a criminal! "1 must not think ot such a thing," she told herself. "I must regard it asimpossible, or I shall lose my head and commit some irretrievable blunder " The cab stopped at the police station, and the detective assisted her, with unueeejvsurv caution, to ulight. Her entrance created some sensation, but Margaret barely gave the detective time to explain. , "Who is the person in authority here!'" she demanded. "I am," said the inspector, waiting, pen in band, to take the charge. "Do you wish to make a statement ? You need not do so unless you please." "()i course 1 wish to make a statement." replied Margaret, indignantly. "As 1 have already told this man, there is some mistake. It is most disgraceful tlmt I should lu> treated in this manner. 1 never met Mr. Clement tteynell in my liie. and 1 was not in Rome in November, 1902. You must be taking me tor somebody else." "You are Miss Margaret Yule?" asked the inspector. "That is my name", but I am not the woman you want all the same, and I can prove I was at Nice all through November, 1902." A shade of doubt crossed the inspector's face, and he exchanged glances with the detective. 'What is the description, Morley?" "About five feet six, light brown hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, prepossessing .appearance." "I am fi\e feet seven," said Margaret, "'and my eyes are grey, and the rest of it would apply to thousands of women." She appealed to the inspector. "Surely you cannot imagine that if I had committed a murder, I should be staying at a leading London hotel openly under my own name! It's tao 'absurd. I suppose some person who had heard it anU thought it uncommon chose to adopt it for a purpose of her. own. „I do not propose to stay here al^ night, so will you kindly send a message at once to Lady Dashwell, 200 'Hill Street, who will tell you that I was residing with her at the Hotel ißegina, Nice, throughout the whole- of November, 1902, during which time 1 was never out of her sight for a- single day. No doubt she will be kind enough to come down and identify me if necessary."' - Her insurance. Lady Dashwell's name, and the obvious commonsense of her remarks, had their effect on the inspector at least. "Have you got a photograph?" he asked the detective in an undertone. "There's one at the Yard." "Better cut round and get it." "Yes." said Margaret, her splendid eyes — which were grey and not blue — flashing fire. "I should very much like to see this photograph. Kindly take a .cab — at my expense. I do not enjoy remaining here, and Lady Dashwell is expecting me to stay with her this afternoon." She sat down on the chair that was offered her, and waited in indignant silence. When the detective returned, he wore rather a crestfallen air: he had been looking at the photograph on the way back, and'be cast a furtively apprehensive glance at the young lady he had arrested. "Of course photographs ain't always likenesses," he said. But Margaret had risen eagerly. "Let me see it!" she said. "I am curious about this woman who has taken my iiame." The inspector looked at it too. It was a singularly good photograph, by Allesandri Fratelli. of Rome, of a iace which was distinctly not Margaret's. The charge lapsed into absurdity at once. The inspector became very civil and profuse in apologies. "Evidently a mistake has been made, miss," be said, and withered the detective with a glance. "A most unfortunate example of misplaced zeal. We can only express our deep regret for the inconvenience you have been caused, and trust you will Excuse it on account of the similarity of names. The officer should have taken more piins to identily you before performing fhe arrest, but in some cases, you will understand, promptitude is absolutely essential." .Margaret was still gazing at the portrait with peculiar interest and absorption. She bad completely recovered her presence ot mind. "I thought I might have met this woman abroad somewhere," she said, •and the face does seem slightly familiar to me. But I cannot give, you any information that would assist you to arrest her. Why wasn't she arrested at the time?" "It happened in Italy, you see, and" — the inspector t,hrugged his shoulders — "by the Italian police it was supposed at the time she had committed suicide. But certain information cropped up afterwards in consequence of which we received a communication from Rome und ti warrant was jsnued." "Why in sno supposed to have murdered the man, und what were they to eucb other?" "It is believed he was her lover, and tbat jenlousy was the motive of the crime. He was stabbed in her lodgings, ami the Roman police accepted her story and allowed her to disappear." ".Mistakes are made 'in Italy as well as in Kusrland, then," said Margaret, sarcastically, and the inspector looked rather blue. "T ara glad it was not necessary to call upon L«dy Dashwell and piv other friends at Nice to prov tVat I am not "> murderess!" she add' .1. ''T may rely. I presume, upon tlr\ incident not being reported to the new-.-iwipers or otherwise made public? It 'bus been very disagreeable to me."

•Cerlainh cert.unU , Mi- - Vide. She need not have been iM'iunh on Dial -core, in lad The noli, c would seiireeh be iiliMolis to publish -ikli <i Iliiseo.

"Perhaps you will ktlidlv tell someone to call me a cab," she -aid, with lltt.TThe inspector -.aw her into it linnsell. Then he enine back and y.ivc I lie Scotland Yard niiiii a pie< c ol bus timid, and M.irgaret diove home Io ( lie I nn^luim and had a do.se ol sal volatile belore lunch.

•I sluill say nothing about I li's Inn riltle adveitliue," she u-solved wiili a shuddei. "ll is alw nvs ' alei t<> .v ton (it t It* than too much."