THE RED BICYCLE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144777, 6 September 1915, Page 8

THE RED BICYCLE.

By FERGUS HUME.

Author of “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab,” “The Turnpike House,” “Tracked by a Tattoo,” “The Crowned Skull,” etc. CHAPTER XV.—Continued. “Stop. How can you prove ail this ?” “Oh, I can prove it right enough. But I don’t want to go—to—such lengths.” Lady Wyke burst into tears and took out her handkerchief. “I wish you wouldn't force me to—to behave in this way. Oh, my darling, X loye you with all my heart and sold, I want to —to ” Edwin sprang up as she stumbled forward, with the idea of throwrug ;.tr arms around his neck.’ “Don’t go on acting like a fool,” he said, sternly. “If you must talk, talk sensibly. Otherwise I shall leave immediately.” . “I’ll send the police after you,” she threatened, furiously. “Do so. You'll be no nearer to gaining your object.” Then Lady Wykc broke down. “Oh, Edwin! Edwin! Edwin!” , Purposely cool and pointedly rude Graver resumed his'seat. lighted a fresh cigarette and looked at her criticuUv. “i wouldn’t cry if 1 were you, Lady Wvkc. You can’t afford to do so at your age without spoiling your face.” “Oh, you brute!” “Quite so; and, knowing that X am a brute, why, try to force me to become your husband?” Oh. I don’t know.” She dabbed her eyes carefully with her handkerchief. “Perhaps to make you smart for haying treated me so insolently. I won’t give you up to that girl.” “There is no question of giving up. Lam hers; 1 never was yours. Come, Lady Wyke, don’t you think we nad better discuss matters calmly ” ■ , “What matters?” she asked, wilfully dense. “Well; the accusation, for one thing.” Lady Wyke did not reply. She was thinking how best to get tne bettor of this iceberg.' Threats did uof move him; passion did not appeal to him; tears had no effect. Strange to say, tlie more he held out the more she admired him. However, if she wished to gain him against his will, and that she intended to manage, being so infatuated. the sole thing to do was to tabbusiness. Ho must be forced to see that she had the upper hand, and if he did grasp that fact he migut yield. But even tnen she was not very sure of victory. ~ , . “Let ns talk calmly,” said Lady Wyke. lighting a fresh cigarette. “1 want to marry you, and I mean to have you. That is not an easy thing for a woman to say to the man she loves.” Edwin admitted this, and suggested that she should lav her cards bn the table forthwith. “Then I shall show you my hand.” . With an ironical smile she Lpmoled under the cushion and produced a letter deliberately to pass over’ to him. “It’s a copy,” she observed, while ho read it. V'iiou see, 1 can’t trust you with the original.” “Well, perhaps it is as wise not to do so. H’m!”" Edwin glanced over the four or five lines and nodded. “This is my letter to Sir Hector saying that I was coming down to see him that night at seven o’clock. I wrote this letter—■ the original one, I mean—in answer to one which your ktihband wrote mo asking.’me to call. How did you get the original of this?” “From Neddy Mcllin, my nephew. He took the letter from the hall table, where it had been left by the postman on that night. He did not show it to his mother, as ho is clever, and hoped to get money for it.” “He read it: I suppose?” “Oh, yes. The boy is far in advance of his vears, and knows a tiling or two. He guessed that yon were guilty, since the letter said that you were calling to see Sir Hector. However, Neddy gave the letter to mo, thinking I could get some money for it for him. I told him to hold his toffgue, and, lest he should not, I sent him to London. He is quite safe. "Well, now,’ Mr. Graver, do you deny that you were in his house on that’night?” “OK, no,” said Edwin, smoothly. “I came before my letter arrived, it seems, as Hall brought it while I was in the house. Wyke wished to see me with regard to his discovery that you were alive. He. told me that he could not marry Claudia, because you had turned up. But he loved Claudia, and not being able to marry her thought he would make her happy by giving her to me.” . , ~

• “He could, not help himself,” said Lady Wyke, tai'tly. “So he said. He heard my ring at <the door, and came down to the study, leaving . Lemby in the drawing-room. Wyke told me that he hated you, and did not intend that you should have his fortune. He intended, so lie said, to make a new will,- leaving the fire thousand a year to me, on condition that I should marry Claudia. I.agred, and ho took mo onf of the study into the dining-room adjoining to show me some notes he had" made for a new will.” “Rather strange that he should keep those notes in the dining-room,” sneered Lady Wyke, who was listening .intently. ‘lt was strange. But then Wyke was not quite himself that night. Your unexpected reappearance gave him a shock, because he hated you. Anyhow he took me into the dming-'room and showed me some papers. Afterwards he went, back to the study for other papers,, and was away for, some time. , I hoard a cry and a fall, and after waiting for a moment.or so I went back to the study. There I saw Wyke lying dead on the hearthrug. While I was bending over him, to see if he was really dead, Mrs. .Vence came in, dropped the tray, and fainted. Then came the postman’s knock. I Tost my head, for in a flash I saw in what a dangerous position I stood if I were discovered with the deadi man.” “It seems to me,” said Lady Wyke, deliberately, “that you kept your head very cleverly, seeing how you saved yourself:” ' “X did that on the spur of the moment. I was very much afraid, and ran into the .hall, opened the front door, and dashed down the path. All I wanted to do was to escape being recognised by Hall. Then I saw his bicycle leaning against the fence, and immediately the idea camo to mo of escaping. I used it as you know — and as everyone else knows. Where I rode in the fog and the gloom, I scarcely knew; all X wanted to do was to escape. Then I found myself on the Bethloy Rood, and saw the carrier’s cart joggling along with the man half asleep while driving. 1 jumped off the bicycle and hoisted it on to the back of the cart. so. that no one should know where I had dropped off the machine. Sorley, the carrier, found

it, as you know, when he reached home at Waking. I _ then walked back to the Bethley railway station and took the train to town. That is the whole story, so you see that I am innicent.” “You make out a very good case for yourself,” she said, coolly; “but who will beliere such a story ? It is known that the Lemby girl wished to marry yqti ,and that you hated Hector for taking her from you.” “That is quite true. But I did not hate him after our interview in the study and the dining-room. Of course. I pitied him.” “Yes,, of - course you did, s'cotted the woman, “Anyhow, you aro known to have hated him as your rival, and tlie original letter I hold will prove that you came down to murder him. “I don’t see that?” . “Sergeant Purse may see it.’ “Well, then, show it to Sergeant Purse,” said Graver, in desperation. “Oh, no. 1 shall give you time to reflect. Take a week or a fortnight. If you agree then to marry me 1 shall destroy the letter. If not ” She paused and smiled. “I’ll take the fortnight,’ said Graver, heavily. . “Y’ou are top dog this time.” (To be continued.)