THE STOLEN LADY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16216, 22 August 1918, Page 8

THE STOLEN LADY

f [All Rights Reserved.]

By TOM GALLON,

Author of “The Second Dandy Chatcr,” "Meg the Lady.” etc. CHAPTER XIII. FABIAN CUTS THE KNOT. Utterly unconscious of the fraud that had been practised upon him, and inwardly chuckling at the thought of how easily'he had gained his own ends, Jarratt'Carver rode along towards London with the disguised boy beside him. And as they drove he told something of his plans, “Your father must have been mad to think that lie and you could escape detection at a great place Lite Dover,” he said. “There are hotter ways than that, if one wants to slip away easily. When I heard where ho was gone I made niy arrangements accordingly; I don't fail in these things. Are you listening?” The figure beside him nodded its head, but did not speak. Carver laughed. “Sulky—oh? Well—l don’t mind that; wo shall have enough to say to each other later on. As I was saying. I have made all my arrangements. I bought a couple of tickets for a certain vessel lying now in the Thames; she sails to-night. You won’t have time for any luggage, my dear, hut all that yon require can bo bought when we roach our destination. The vessel slips quietly out of the, Thames tonight, and by to-morrow morning jxe shall be in quite another place. Yon sec It’s all very simple and very easy.” Hugh had liis instructions ; they were to get Jnrratt Carver as near London as possible before tbe inevitable diseovery was made. Therefore he sat still in his corner, as though Damia had made up her mind to resign herself to her fate, and said nothing. The liny wondered a little what .was going to happen when Carver should discover the fraud; but concerning that be was reckless. His heart sang within him at the thought that Damia was alive, and that Damia was happy, and that ho had boon privileged to take so important a part in the business. , So that it was only when they wore on the outskirts of London that the hoy quite casually disclosed his identity. '“You’d better stop. I think.” bo said, throwing back his veil. “AVe’vo come about far enough.” Javratt Carver’s excited snout to tbe driver brought them to a. .standstill ; and the next moment the boy bad shod that long disguising cloak that had belonged to Damia, and had flung aside his hood, and had pulled a. cap from his pocket. As ho put this latter on. he stood up, slim and smiling, and bowed ironically to the amazed Carver, who stood up in the car looking down at him. “Thanks very much,” said tho boy, with a grin. “Awfully jolly drive.” ‘•’Why—where’s Damia?” demanded Carver” Bpringing down into tho road, and moving threateningly towards the boy. “I left her with Briscoe,” responded Hugh, dancing nimbly out of reach. “You’d better not try any tricks, you know; there’s a. policeman standing at the corner'watching ns, and I should have such an interesting story to tell him, shouldn’t I?” Carver, after standing for a moment in grim silence, turned to tho car, and climbed in again. “Back tho way you came—and drive hard,” ho sa id. The man, who had descended from his seat, slowly shook his head; and Hugh chuckled. Ho knew that the man had been very liberally bribed by Briscoe, and that he also had received his instructions. “Very sorry, sir—but it can’t bo done,” said the. man. “I’ve been racing about a- lot as it is; I was only engaged to go as far as Dover. If you care to go on. to the garage, you might get another car; but I couldn't go on, backwards and forwards like this without orders.” “Then drive mo back to "Westminster,” said Carver. “As for you,” bo said to the boy—“you can walk.” “Thanks very much—l shall prefer it,” said Hugh, waving a hand gaily to him as the car started. And now there drove away alono, back towards London, a man who was haunted. Everything bad gone against him; he had ‘been beaten at every point. It only occurred to him when be was some miles away from Hugh to wonder how it came about that the boy know that his sister was alive, and had taken the matter so calmly. But a few hours before he had screamed with fright at the mere sight of her; yet hero ho was calmly helping to place her in her lover’s arras. Ho wondered how many other people possessed the same knowledge; he began to think it might be possible that, while ho had been up and down the road to Dover on what had proved a wild-goose chase, somewhere or other secretly someone was at work to got a certain grave opened, and to hud out who really lay in it. The thought of that sent a. cold shiver over the man. Again, where was Fabian Everett 0 He had fled back to London—or had gone in some other direction; what would he do in the future? Would he, in some weak moment, now that Damia was free declare, tho truth, to save his own skin? What discovery might ho not make when he arrived at Paxton Chambers, Westminster? Tho discovery ho did make was a startling one; just one of those accidental things that ho might have anticioated: Only n woman in rusty black, who bent herself at tho knocs, in deep humility before the gentleman, and craved pardon volubly for daring to trouble him; she was worried about a late lodger of hers. She had found a sera]) of paper in an old writing case (she begged to show it to the gentleman now) with his name scribbled on it; she thought it possible that tho gentleman might know something about tiie young woman, and what had become of her. Name of Susan Gooth. “I can’t think how she got hold of this,” said Carver, pulling at his collar a little as though he found a difficulty in breathing. “Someone may have given her my address; if I hoar anything about hor I’ll let you know.” The man Lombe had been in the room while this brief conversation went on; for it seemed that tho woman had called earlier in tho day, and Lombe had written upon a slate, which ho kept for that purpose, that she had hotter return later. After tho 'man had lot the woman out ho came hack into the room, and in a ’fthosfly fashion touched his master on tho elbow. Carver, easily startled, twisted round quickly, and saw that tho man was holding some-

thing towards him on the palm of his hami. It was a little thin gold ring, like a. wedding-ring. With a gasp. Carver caught at the ring and at Ihe man’s hand at the same time; gripping him like that, .stared into his eyes. “You devil!” ho cried,—■ ‘■what do you know about it?” The man did not, of course, answer; but lie watched his master’s lips, and be knew what bad been said. He stared straight into Carver’s eyes without, blinking; and while the master looked at the man, the former began to remember odd things that made a little cliara of evidence. Lombe had been in the room—or in and out of it—when a certain necklace had been slipped round Susan’s neck, and when bracelets had been put upon her wrists; and Lombe had been at the inquest, and had seen • those very things handed to Fabian Everett for identification, Lombe had probably seen the wedding ring slipped off by Susan; Lombe bad it now. He Hung away' the man’s arm, retaining the ring in his own fingers. Lombe, after another long look at him, turned away, and walked out of tho room. “The fellow knows; lie can put a rope round my nock—and he’ll do it, too, if he doesn’t get well paid. How can 1 tell what grudge ho may not have against me—some old score to pay off. ” He thought of the tickets he had in his pocket ; why not make use of them? He could slip away abroad, and afterwards could write to Fabian Everett, and get the promised money out of him. Yes;—that would be the way; from abroad he could do much that ho could not do in, England. Such fear was on the man that ho determined to wait until darkness had set in before starting for tho vessel. He knew exactly where she lay out in tho river; if ho took a cab, with a hurriedly packed bag. to tbe end of a little street near to trie wharf, bo could slip down there and no one would ever see him. Ho would client them nil yet; and ho might even devise a plan, by threat of exposure, to lure Damia abroad after him. All was not lost by any means. Ho sent Lombe out, on an excuse, and began to put this new plan into execution. Ho put a few things into a bag, and went out of the place; found a cab easily enough, and gave the address. He laughed a. little, at the thought that he was leaving it all behind ; there ivould be some speculation as to what bad become of him, until ho chose.to lift tho veil. Ho would prove too clever for them after all; he would win in the end. Ho had been a little careless in not watching Lombe more carefully; he wondered where the fellow had got that wedding ring. That thought seemed to suggest the dead woman; and there on the pavement. walking rapidly towards him, was someone very like her; just the same turn of the head. He grew hot and cold ns he crouched in the corner of the oah, till the woman was loft behind; hut tbe thought of hor haunted him. When at last the cab stopped at tbe end of a little narrow street leading down to the river, and he got out, he was almost inclined to drive back again. The place was so intolerably lonely and quiet, save for that soft lapping of the water upon stone near at hand. But he saw the cab drive away, and bo walked towards the river, carrying bis bag Was, it mere fancy, or was that the figure of a- woman going along close against the wall in the same direction. He stopped, and the figure was gone. And at that moment a cheery voice at the end of the little alloy he was in hailed him. (Continued daily.)