BY WHOSE HAND?

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13238, 19 March 1907, Page 2

BY WHOSE HAND?

(By Fred.T. White.)

Ihev made then way behind the stage to ,i" dinny li l lie loom, lighted wnh one gas iel Ihe back of the stage was m a tuxmoil It n.i ini possible to hen for the din 'lhen \eiy Iniefly and niode-tlj Valdo told his hi* tciv He had found out his peculiar pm\eis by a of expeirments with the pamchute. The whole 'eciet lay, he explained in the enoimously powerful muscles between his shouldeis and the back* of hi* aims So far the thing was effec tne enough, but he stiain was mj gie it that hitherto he had found lu to use to a height of moie than foity feet. 'J his naturally pi evented him fiom obtaining engagements m the larger theaties and halls where so linn el a flight would haie been le*s imposing than it appeared to be when performed in a place like the Im penal Palace There was nothing moie to bo said, and the two friends wei£ turn ing away when a woman put hei head into the door, and looked inquiringly at Valdo He mutteied something to the effect that he would be leady m a moment oi two, and the woman yanishel Walt ci caught hi j lip'in his teeth It was haid woak to conceal his 'uipiise TLeie was no doubt whatevei about it, no question as lo the idemi y of the mtiudei Stiange as it appeared to bo, Waltei recognised the featiue-. of Mis. Delahaj There was no mistakirg that white, stern face It was only.foi a moment, but that moment had been enough foi Lance.

The inquest was held next morning. It was not anticipa'ed that any fuither light would bo thrown upon the mystery. Mis Delahay, who gave hoi evidence wi"i a degiee of distress that won for hei the syspathy of eveiyons, broke down seveial times in relating the story of hei disco\eiy of the body of hei murdered lvo band" She testified, as she had told Lord Ravenspur, that after attending the the.itle ±lie went home to hei hotel, went to bed and slept till six in Ihc morning Inspestoi Dallas, descubed the condition m which he found the bodv, and the chs coveiy of the blade of the glass itiletto. The medical e\ideme ulded nothing to the facts that had alieady been published fiom the hou'-o \.o\><~. Then to the suipnse of the Coroner, police, and e\crjono concerned, a man came foiward and oflered to give evidence He gave his name as John Steven , his occupation as assistant at the Impeii.il Palace Theihe, and he was duly swoin John Stevens that ho had not very much to say, but being pie c ent and hearing Mis Delahay swear that she was m bed at the time of the muider ,at all events fiom the closing of the theatre till six o'clock, he could not . lb by and allow such a lie ..o go unconliadicted. He knew nothing about the muidei, but he could swear that he saw Mis. Delahay with hei husband in square at a quaitei-past one The coronet' questioned the witness on the grounds of his SteveDS persisted that he knew Mi Delahay well enough to iccoguise linn. He did not pietend to know Miu Delahaj-, but/ he was confident that the lady he saw with Mr Delahay was the ono who had just given evidence He had not the slightest doubt about it.

Tn spi'e of his positiveiieis, the coroner and the jury nor anyone else in the room a*'ached any weight to his contradiction of Mrs. Dclahay, and the juiy. after the briefest o£ consultations, returned a verdict of "wilful murder against"some per 7 son or perrons unknown." Inspector Dallas accompaniel Mrs Delahay to her hotel, -md on the way he, as delicately as possible, endeavoured to ascertain whether she had ever known John Stevens. She professed total ignorance of'the man, and expressed the utm'ost astonishment at the evidence he had given. He must' have mistaken not one person only but two, for she couldn't believe that her husband had been in Ihe company of any lady that night after he parted from her. He was anaious to get to work on his picture, and would have gone /straight to the studio. .

lhs hotel was readied at length, and Mrs Delahay 'excused herself on the ground that >*he was tired and utterly ■worn out. So fai as Dallas nas> concerned, hs, haa no de=ire to detain her. As a matter of fact, life/ wanted to pursue his inquiiiej alone, and on the production of 'hi 1 - card the resource* of the establishment \jere placed, at his disposal. Nothing seemed to escape hi- eye. No detail appealed to be too trivial. Ho received his reward ;tt length thiough the lips of one of the chambermaids who had something -to say. A-S was only natural, there vas not a servant on the premises who had not heard all "about the Filzjohn Squire tragedy, or who was not deepiy inieicsled in Mi* Delahay. "It is your duty to look after the 100 ms on Ihe same iioor as Mr- Delab-iy's bediooni?' he asked. "' Whai time did you retire on the night of llie murdei ?" ' "Not before t«o o'clock," the chambermaid replied. "We were unusually late Uiaf* night as the house was full.'"

" " Quite so. I suppose when Ml and Mrs Delahay came in from the theatie they got the key of their bediooni from the "office in (he oidinary way? I suppose they had a dieting room and a -bedioom?" i The chambermaid admit 1 cd that such was the fact.. When asked if she knew what time Mis Delahay lelhed for the night, she shook her head. She could not be quite sure. " You «ee, it was like this,*' she said. ."I was rather inteiested in Mr and Mrs Delahay—they were such a drMinguished"'ooking Couple. I was in the corridor when -Mr Delahay -went out about twelve and half an houi la'er I v>-' up to Mis Delahay J s bedroom to «pe i r " • ould do anything for her. The key -Has in the door ■which stiuck me as rather strange, because, as you know in large hotels like this it is the cu >t!oniaiy thing f(.r pe iple to' lock their rooms. I. knocked a r i the door and no reply came, so I went in. The bed and dressing loom ,were both emp'.y,. and thinking, peihaps, thn,t Mis Dolahay had j;onc out a - wo 1 ! as her hus--biind, I turned the key iii the door and took if down IV> the office "

A thoughtful expics-ion c.imc over Dal las' face.'

"That was quito the piopei thing to do," he faid " f suppose you don't know what time the key ua< fetched again from tlio office''"

" Oh, that I cannot tell you. You see, I m ent to bed about tvi o o'clock, and I was up again at '■even. When I look Mr" Delahay her cup' of early lea .••he vas in bed then."

' Really' Did you notice auj thing strange about liei'" "There was nolhir.ii in notice She appeaiel '<> "bo \e\y blight ami clieeiful, and chattel to m(] in Hie friendliest pos •■lble ndT She did sav some'hmg to the effect tli it '-he was a little uneasy about her Husband, who had not yet lelumcd, .mil that <-ho mu't go .md look foi him But beyond that I nothing that was in the out of the ro'iimon "' "I think that will do,' Dallas obscned. ■'l won't detain you any longer I know how bu-y you aie " D.i'l.is" -\vent stiaight away dowivtans .md intoiwewed the tleik in the office. The laliei s niemoiy was a little vague on the subject of the" coining and going of

the various hotel guestte. There were hundreds of them in the course of a week, and it. was the habit of most of them to leave the key of their rooms in the office every lim'j they went Out. The speaker had "no recollection of Mrs Delahay calling for her key very late on the night of the tragedy. He debated the point thoughtfully for a moment, then his face lighted "P-" - ■., , "T think I can help you now, he exclaimed.

'"lake your time," Dallas said, encouragingly. "I don't want to hurry you. All 1 want arc facts." "It is beginning to come to me now," the clerk said- thoughtfully. " Yes, I remember it qui!e distinctly. You see, Jims. [ eoiM Farre, the great French actress, is Haying in the house, and she did not come iu, fill just two o'clock. After I had given her : her key, Mrs Delahay came up and wanted her key, too, which she told me was missing from the door of her room."

' Oh, indeed," Dallas s.ud soflh. " She had just, come in, I suppose? Had she taken off her things?" " No," the cleik said. "She had ju-t come in fiom the sties . I had to explain to her how it was' that the key had found it l - way back into the office again." " She did not appear to be annoyed at that' '

"Not; in the least. Indeed, i he. seemed to be rather amused at hei own caielessness No, I saw nothing suspicious in her manner. I thing thai is all I can tell you. '

" Possibly," Dallas said. " But there is one little matter in Which you may be of assistance. I i.upposc you can recollect the night that'Mr Delahay left, the hotel. Did he happen to ask for letters or anything of that kind? It would bo quite the usual thing to do. Of course, it is a small point " "'There weie no post letters," the clerk ir.teuuptei. '"But just, as Mr Delahay was going out a messenger boy brought •n expiess letter for him, which he read hastily, and then a> ked the hall portei to "call him a cab. No, I can't say that the message disturbed him at all, but it 'eemed lo hurry him up a bit just as a telegram might have done. That was the 1 sjw of him."

On the whole Inspectoi Dallas was notdisposed to be dissatisfied .with liL> morning's work. He had, discovered same important facts, and ,at any rate, it had impressed the detective with the truth of John Stevens' evidence. As to the rest, it would licit bo a difficult matter to find out-the name and number of the messenger boy who had biought, the unfortunate Delahay that letter. There was nothing for it now but to take a cab and go in. the direction of the distant office whence the men enger boy had come. As Dallas walked briskly down the steps of the hotel he met Lord Ravenspur coming up. " I am just going to see ills Delaliay,"' (he latter said. "By the way, Inspector, that was remaik'able evidence which the witness Stevens volunteered this morning. But, of course, he was mistaken. It is absolutely impossible that Mrs Delaliay could liayo been witli her liusb.uid at the time ho slated."' " Well, I am not so sure of that, my lord," Dallas leplied. "Really, I don't know what to make of it. At any. rate, I have. discovered an absolute fact: (hat for two hours, between twelve and two, Mrs Delaliay was not in the hotel. I have.it on the independent testimony of two witnesses who corroborate one another to the minutest detail. , I don't know what to make of it." All the healthy colour left Ravenspur's face. "This ii amazing,"' ho said. "Yet, I cannot, believe that Mrs Delaliay has been deliberately deceiving us. I will go up and seo what the has to .say for herselt. I suppose I am at. liberty to tell her what you have just said to me.?"' ",' I don't know why not," Dallas said after a thoughtful pau'e. " You see, she is bound to know sooner 01 later. And I,liope you will make her see the'advisability of accounting for her movements. Nothing can be gained by trying to deceive us, to say nothing of the wrong impression which Mrs Delaliay is creating- in the minds of. other' people. Really, if you come to think of it, she is standing in an exceedingly perilous ion. my lord. - ' Ravenspur was, not - destined to make any impression upon the' widow of his unfortunate friend, for she if fused to see him. One of the 'servants came down with a message to the effect that Mrs Delaliay could not- seo anybody. - Even a letter hastily scribbled by Ravenspur, failed to innduce her to change her mind. With Something like despair in his heart Ravew'-pur went off' in' the direction of his own house. J, For f'he rest of the afternoon he sat in the library, a prey to his own gloomy thoughts. Visitors came and went, "but the same message was given to all of them—Lord Ravenspur was far from well. He could not see anything this afternoon. It was nearly seven o'clock before Walter Lance came ■ into the, library. " I am i orry to disturb you," he said, '' but I have something scwous to say to you. I'Jiave been reading to-day's evidence in tho Delaliay .case, and I was so interested ,in 'the miWc'r that I went to Scotland Yard and -had a'chat with Inspector Dallas.' It seems to me that Mrs Delaliay, has placed herself in a very compromising position." - . "*- "Why do you mean by that?" Ruveni pur demanded. "Surely, my dear uncle,, the. thing is plain enough. Whatever your opinion of Mrs. Delaliay may tie you cannot get away from the fact that she was deliberately lying when ' she gave thismorning. She swore that on ' the night of tho murder slio wasn't, oui ol Ler bed100m after twelve o'clock, and \ic know now that she was away from the hotel for over' two hours. \ou know it, too, because, Dallas- told" you. You will iorgive my plain speaking, "Vir, but I think you could throw some light' on iiiis painful tragedj. Believe me, I > liould not dare to say so much 'if "

"You aie presumptuous," said Eaven4>m, "that .1 man 1.1 my po ltion -" "I am not insinuating anything " Walter uiged. "But I have a feeling mc aie m some -way connedod vith this li.igedy. I ha\e a i-tiange instinct that theio is some clos,e connection between the death of Mi Delahay and ih.it inyj-tenoLii niuidnous attack upon jou in your studio. Oh. I know that common 'uliso is all against my theoiy, bill I am going to tell J ou'.something winch will astonish you Aftei I saw jou to bed the olhei lUght I fccaiehed the s-todio foi -ome way wheieby an assailant could have enteied the loom—l mean s nmc iccicl dooi known only bj youiself——''

' You <an disabuse yom mind of that' idea,'' U.uenspui s lW d- wrilr Ihe ghost of a smile ' I give jou my -word that there is nothing of thci' sol t * But jou go on with youi story " "" Well, I couldn't find anj dncana of entiance and e\it except bj the loot, ,uid —well, I onh r knew- on< man who cpuld geb fiom that dome to the llooi wi htjut a ladder "

With voids Waltci h.mdel his uncle a nroglamme of the music h.dl perfonnance, and pointed to the name of Voldo

" What does it all mean '' ar kid IltSid R.n enspui "It convej s nothing w li.it evei to me, and. c\en if it dd T am the last man m the -noild to pat ionise enteitainmentt of lb.,' ki.id."'

'" You never heard of Valdo before, then?" Walter asked. "Not. I, my dear boy. Who is the fellow?" •'He is a kind of flying man. He is an individual with extraordinary developed arms and muscles. He can move those arms almost as quickly a-- a fly does in its ilight ; with the aid of specially prepared wings -ho can flutter about ;i scage like a» bird. I daresay there #s some secret in r., all, but st ill* the performance is very graceful and attractive, though, as yet, the man tells'me his Ilight is limited to some thirty feet."

•' He telL you!" Ravenspur exclaimed. "Do you mean to say that you have, actually paid a visit to this theatre?" "Certainly, I have, sir. The man who go' intu the studiri must have/been an extraordinary climber or something exceedingly clever'in the way of an acrobat. In fact", ~just the sort of fellow who would be connected with music-halls and circuses and places of that kind, 'lliat is why I went down to the Imperial Palace Theatre in • connection with ;\ journalist friend of mine who takes an intern.t in such matters. Ihe only part of the entertainment worth watching was this man Valdo, and, of course, up to a certain poin, I did not identify him with the outrage upon yourself." '".

"Why should you do so how?" Ravenspur asked. " I told you that I have never seen or heard of this man', nor does lie answer to any acquaintance of mine. Why, then, should'you go out of your way lo suggest that heh ad even been here?" "i am coming to that." Walter./.aid quietly. "Iv.as so interested in the performance that : I went round to Valdo's dressing-room afterwards, and had along chat with him. Just before I came: away a woman looked into the room, and asked thd performer if he was ready, or shnetliiug"of that kind. She did not notice me; indeed, she did not even look in my direction.' It was only just for a moment that I caught a. glimpse of her face. It was only by,'a great effort;that I concealed my feelings., ,'And. when I tell you; that the womanM am .ipeaking rixbqut wijs Mrs. ■Delahar-^- —" : •;

"Impossible:" R.ivcnspur cried in great agitation. "The thing is absolutely incredible. .1, cannot, believe it." " Nevertheless I am stating nothing but (lie tiutli," Walter said. "As sure lib I am standing heie I saw Mrs Delaliay. And now you know why 1 am sure th.it there is i omethiiig more behind this thin has yet come to light." (To be Continued.)