CHAPTER III.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13992, 25 August 1909, Page 1

CHAPTER 111.

It was the irony of Fate that again something which he could not resist had at this crisis of his career intervened between him. and home interests. For the -moment, but only for the moment, the little waxen figure lying dead in his jerry-built band-box of a house was clean forgotten. He was encompassed, whether he would or not, by a surging sea of greater happenings from which apparently there. was no deliverance. He did not argue the matter on these lines till later, but what else could he have done than aid the man for whose untimely end be might be indirectly responsible? Common humanity would have>demanded as much had Sir George been his bitterest foe. But all through the. contest he had cherished an open respect for the grey-haired magnate whom he had beaten in fair fight, and he could hardly be blamed if he showed a practical sympathy in this undreamt-of extremity. -. H * j Carwardine rang the- night belL ana after a brief parley from bis bedroom window the doctor — the same who had attended little Jennie— promised to be down in less than three nubutes. He was true to his word, and together the two men raced for the entrance gates of Lipscombe's yard, where, contrary to cut. torn, no night-watchman was on duty. Carwardine, however, was cf course familiar with the scene of his former employment, and led the way to the range of handsome offices that stood between the gates and the building slips at the edge of the water. The main door of the offices stood open and entering the broad, welHighted corridor, Carwardine turned down a branch passage at the end of which Owen Lipscombe was fidgeting expectantly at the doorway of his fathers private room. Having introduced tho doctor, Carwardine was turning away, but Owen whispered him to remain, and so it was that the old and the new member for Grandport met again that night. „, The sanctum of the great shipbuilder was a luxuriously-upholstered apartment, well supplied with easy chairs and couches and carved book-cases; but the most prominent piece of furniture was the pedestal table at which the head of the firm had been wont to sit while conducting his gigantic business. He was sitting there now, but he was leaning back in his revolving chair, with his head lolling limply over his right shoulder: A wiaened little old man, dressed in seedy black, was hovering close by, muttering and wringing his hands. This was Wilmer Kite, who acted in the dual capacity of timekeeper at the works and resident caretaker of the offices, occupying two rooms on the top floor of the latter.

Doctor Brendon strode across the room, and bent over the silent figure in the chair, straightening himself almost iiiiiiicdiatel.r. He seemed about to &peak, when his eye was arrested by tlio shining barrel of a pistol that lay on the floor close to the table. It was not till he had, surveyed the position of tlio weapon critically that he pat the .sharp question, "Have the police been sent for?" "No, not as yet," stammered Owen. "Till 1 was quite sure that — that it was a fatal wound I didn't like "

"Just so — to incur publicity," snapped the doctor, brusquely. "Well, I very deeply regret to tell you that Sir George is dead. The police should be notified without a minute's further delay."

"Kite,." said Owen, as white as a sheet, and addressing the "little old man, "you hear what the doctor says. Go out and see if you can find a constable. There, should be one in Eastern Dook Road."

But Will Carwardine interposed, volunteering to take this duty upon himself, and at a nod from the doctor he left the room. Directly he was gone tlio little man in black began to behave strangely, shaking a skinny fist at the door, and mouthing and gibbering like a demented anthropoid. "What's the matter, Kite?" demanded Doctor Brendon, eyeing him closely. There was a suppressed excitement. superadded to a singular alertness, about the hard-worked practitioner, that seemed even greater than the natural gravity the occasion required. ■He's the cause of it, that young upstart that's gone for the police,", quavered tho old man in reply, "the cause of my dear old master snooting himself and bringing my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. Took it to 'cart, Sir Geoi'ge must haye — being beaten by such a chap as that — and didn't care to live no longer." Doctor Brendon's scrutiny of the caretaker grew more penetrating, then with a slight shrug of bis shoulders he turned away with the somewhat , contemptuous remark, ••Possibly your grey hairs will be a)l right, Kite. You are jumping to a hasty conclusion in assuming that Sir George Lipsoombe died by his own hand."

The doctor's words had a marked effect on their eccentric* recipient, a subtle change starting itself in hid manner. He forepore from indulging in any repetition in his abuse of Carwardiue; indeed the outbreak was so effectually checked by that one (suggestive hint that if anyone had given the matter a thought some doubt might have been felt as to its genuineness. The emotionalism of Wilmer Kite had given place 'for the present to a quiet self-effacement which hte utilised in stealthily and reflectively watching Owen as he conversed with Doctor Brendon.

"I sec," said the latter in answer to tlu> young man's agitated explanation. "Sir George came on here from his committee rooms to attend to some business before going home to the Hall, and you followed him a little later to find him like this. Well, it is not my province to go into these details/ You had better keep them for the police." Tim listening Kite nodded appreciatively, his thin lips moving in unspoken comment. And during the remain* der of the really brief but tedious wait thoso weird self-communinus continued, lending to the old man the semblance of a malevolent monkey mumbKng some toothsome morsel. By no means a prepossessing personality was that of the aged caretaker. His sallow, parchment skin was creased with a hundred wrinkles ; his nose, bridging toothless gums,

nearly joined a bony cHn ; wtiile at the corner of one of hia rheumy eyes there flamed a huge red mole, bristling with stiff white hairs. They had not to endure a prolonged suspense in waiting for the police. With commendable foresight the constable whom Carwardine had met in the road, perceiving the serious nature- of the case, had run to the station fdr superior assistance, so that an inspector and a sergeant, as well as two constables, came tramping, into the room. Carwardine, recognising that he could be of no further use, had gone home. (To be continued.)