THE RIVER HOUSE MYSTERY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143452, 13 March 1911, Page 5

THE RIVER HOUSE MYSTERY

By SIDNEY WARWICK.

CHAPTER XIX. A WOMAN IN THE CASE. A startled look had crept into Wyntcr’s face at the words. “But there’s no mystery about the manner of his death,” ho said; “or do you mean about his disappearance from that house in Mordaunt Road?” "About Ids death.” said Armstrong. “You told mo that you had only fired one shot. You are quite sure on that point?” “Absolutely sure. As Mardyke dashed that stuff into my face, Minding mo for the moment, I jerked the trigger of the revolver just as I was failing i only fired once. « My revolver v iui left behind in the house—is no doubt now in the possession of the police; they will have found five chambers still loaded. Why do you ask?” cried Dick eagerly. “Because between the time of your firing and recovering consciousness to find Mardyke, as you believed, dead, another shot was tired. And it must have been almost simultaneously with your shot, or the crowd outside would have heard it. Curiously enough the young woman, who with her lover first drew attention to the house, told the constable that she half thought there might have been two reports, hut one following so closely on the other that she could not he sure/’ said Armstrong. “Can you recall where Alardyke was standing when you fired? I have a reason for asking.” Dick thought for a moment. “Mo was just moving away from that stone figure of the Chinese‘mandarin; the man believed I was insensible, and he hail set its head nodding,” he began, nuzzled as to the drift of these questions. “The inandaim's head was nodding, then, just before you fired? And ,vli(>ii you recovered consciousness ”

Dirk broke in eagerly: “When I came to myself and lookround the room in the glare of the lamplight I saw mandarin’s head was lying back as 'though the neck had been broken by a blow. I’d forgotten that.’’ “That fixes the time the shot must have been fired, for it was not a blow that smashed that stone figure, but n shot—and, as I believe, your shot. Dirk, I have a growing conviction that it was not you but some one else who caused Myrdyke’s death.” “Hut how could that bo?” cried Dick excitedly. “A .shot had splintered the mandarin's face and imbedded itself in the wall behind. I was there at the bouse in Monlnunt Hoad tin's afternoon when the discovery was made and the bullet was dug out of the wall by the inspector. You fired blindly, without aim—your spasmodic movement as the spirits wore da,shed uilo your face could hardly have failed to deflect tin' best n;j;i ;i ( n ,tliq. world. What if all Hie tirnn rome one unseen had covered Mardyke with n deadly aim. some one who lin’d to kill- -and fired almost the instant yon fired? Remember. two shots were fired. The second bullet proves its.” “Jove, if yon .should bo right!” broke out Dick eagerly. “What a load it would be off my mind.” ,

“We Imvou't proved it definitely yot, but I'm more than inclined to believe that Mardyko’s death was a deliberate murder’on the part of some person unknown,” said'Dr. Armstrong. “In all probability the bullet that was imbedded in the Avail and that extracted from tbo dead man will prove to bo of different calibres; and if so, if the one found in the Avail fits your revolver, it will bo proof that you nro innocent actually as well as morally of this man's death, as I feel sure, is the ease—proof that should acquit you should occasion arise in a court of law. I came post haste to tell you.” Dick gripped his friend’s hand. “I can’t tell you Avhat a relief your news is to me, and lioav grateful I am to you,” ho cried. It had haunted him over since, the sight cf that man, scoundrel though he Avas, lying there on the reddened playing-cards—(load, as he had believed, hy his hand. The relief of Armstrong’s news was beyond telling. “Hut who could have fired that second shot? What man—or woman p” “Why do yon say woman?” cried Armstrong quickly. “Because—doesn’t it look suspicious to you?—of that woman Hetty told you of,” cried Dick. “The avoman who a minute or so after the shot was heard came rushing out like a mad tiling from the tenautless house next door, almost running under the hoofs of the horse, as if blinded by her agitation or fear? Who could that woman have been?” for a moment George Armstrong did not spealc. find a Avnman fired that shot that had killed Mardyke- -a woman who had hated or feared him? There had fashed across his mind some words that the man calling himself Carr had spoken to him last night, in that mysterious unknown house Avhore he had stood hehveen those scoundrels and the girl in distress. “This girl you're so eager to champion—what if we’re keeping her here in her oavii interests?” Carr had said, with a sinister gleam in his eyes. “Trying to shield her, if you must know the truth I For it was she, none other, wiio killed that man Avho lies there!” This girl, Avhom he had found in the. poAver of these seoundrels--coukl it ho that Carr’s accusation of her Avas true ? That it was Leila March who had shot James Mardyke? Was that the explanation of the mystery ? The thought flashed across George Armstrong’s mind, hut only for'a moment; then lie combated the hare possibility. Last night, at Carr’s levelled accusation, Avith the girl’s imploring A'oico in his ears, knocking against the gates of his heart, as she cried out in horror at this terrible charge, he had laughed contemptuously in the man’s face. It .had seemed a 1 lie so clumsy as not to he worth refuting. How could he believe that, this girl he had tried to save, Avith a face Avhoso sad, wistful beauty had stirred him as no other woman's had done, Avas a murderess? Ho had not believed it then; ho refused to harbour even the hare suspicion, or oven speak of Carr’s accusation to his friend. “Who could that Avoman have been?” Armstrong shook his head. “AVo’ro only on the fringe of the mystery yet. 1 got the latest edition of the evening paper on my way hero; thoro’s very little in it about the affair; the police have been pretty close. There’s no mention of you under the

name of Fraser yet. For Hetty’s sake 1 hope that will he kept out of the paper, or that she won’t see the accounts, if it appears,” he added, as they went back to the room where Hetty was waiting for thorn. , “I thought yon were never coming.” she told them as they entered. “The tea is so tempting—-Dirk, I am sure Roberts is a domestic treasure; what delicate wafers of bread and butter!— that in desperation I was going to pour myself out a cup, and not wait any longer for you !”—with a little laugh. “You are going to ask me to pour out the tea?” “Please, of course.” Dick Wyntrr sat with his eves bent upon her across the silver tray, with its runs and saucers of old china, over which* Hetty went info raptures. Ho found a delight in watching the gracefulness of each movement as she poured the tea into the quaint wide cups; it was like a sudden vision of days to come, when she would lie always in his home, sitting at the head of bis table, dispensing his hospitality like a queen. And the shadow that had lain across him since yesterday was beginning to pass; he was not responsible. ho was sure of it, for Mardyke’s derjth. But who had fired that second snot? (To bo continued.)