THE DOVERFIELD DIAMONDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13280, 8 May 1907, Page 2

THE DOVERFIELD DIAMONDS.

Before I could declare my:»elf, a. tap on the door brought us to attention, and Kenyon entered. Kenyan was nothing if not laconic. , "He came out," lis declared. " Top hat, ye know." "Yes," from me. "He stopped at Romano's, as you saw, Mr Jasp;r, then went, to a Hiuali private lio.el in the Soho, called . . ." ■ I uttered the mime softly. ••Hargis, that's it. Tether chap must have been on the look-out,' tor he was out. befoie 'lop Hat's growler, had fairly pulled up. Tlu-y drove about, talked, a, bi:,aud then Limpv wen. back 10 the Hargis, and Top Hat "to the Cecil. ' L'raig and I' exchanged glance.-. "Kenyon," I said, " 1 am going to turn there two men over to you. Get what help you need. You can do it?" '"Yes, sir." " Set someone to look after Limpy, and hare a second" man-to ie ieve either of you at need. As for yourself, you would better play country "sightseer, and take up', your quarters at the Cecil for a few days at leatt. You will draw on, me at need, and report here every morning." "For—all three?". "Ye; 1 . Don'f let theai give you the slip." vVb-en Kenyon was gone, Craig eyed me, questicningly. " What's your opinion ?" I asked. " I want yours. You're sure " " That Meyriek set sail, disguised in a limp and a workman's holiday clothes? 1 do not doubt it. Soames is not the man to make a mistake, and he knows Meyriek. It's not so perplexing now._ that ycu have shed a light on the page." " H'm !"" "If you are right, and there two men exchanged words, then it may easily be that Meyriek, fearing possible, espionage, has changed roles with—someone.". "Net with Madam's brother?" " I don't say that. Still, the gentleman in. the Icp foVt and the- long coat, close buttoned, perhaps to give an effect of height——" > "And the high heels." "Oh, ho! But if this is -Meyiick, - wherethen, i-s Madam's brolher?" "Th:-n. K p nyon's work is cut out' for him-—and mine—and -" I looked an enquiry. "Oh, count on me," Craig smiled. " When I sit down to a game I see it through. Besidei, here's my sandwich gemleman. By Jove!" "You niflv well f-xfiiim." I said, wi'h a nrin.'" We're certainly in a muddle." _ " It's rather . interesting now," said Craig: "So, it Madame Bartha'me nee Devin," I raid, srrinrung wider.

Craig".t'numed a- contemplative r.ir as he remarked that the true brunettes were extremely rare. He spoke as though Mad- 1 am was * a wonderful specimen of natural history. , . ■• " Your enthusiasm for science, of an-< r kind, of all kinds, is well. known," I raid, as I blew rings of smoke towards the ceiling; but .1 watched him closely, | leverthekss. His admiration for the spark ling lady had puzzled me. Craig was matif^r-of-fact: had hitherto shown himself indiffe'-ent to. women. "Stow it." he cried, wi h sudden ser-. "What do yo ureally make of all ibis?" ~-..' "Meaning—do I think this wonderful l •lady is- in the mystery?" ;| "T mean that —yes." : "WeT. I don't know, and that's the plain truth:" 'I " But you have vour " ' : "Suspicions? No—too s'rong a word. ■ " She's too magnificent," he interrupted.' " She'<* too. beautiful not to. be straight.;: It's ab~r.rd, old man : can't you seeMhat?i If Meyriek is mixed up with Irr brother,' —what has* she to do with that?" 'What, indeed?" ; "She wouldn't know anything about it." r " She, mightn't." ___ . Craig seized, his hat. and left the room. v To say that I was chagrined at the outcome of cur efforts at Wa'erloo, and ate the ease with which Ralph Meyriek had evaded us. would be to describe very ; mildly my state of mind. Thus far I had given little thought to. the appearance of Madam Bartbelme, or to the arrival of the tall man in the glossy hat, although I felt convinced they must sooner or later he considered —reckoned with, perhaps. Had Meyriek actually arrived? And, if so, was he—could he be—aware that Captain Wrayland's friends were on guard. I spsut some hours in trying to put the piere-, of the puzzle together; but r.ome would not fit in. I h>st all note of time, and was surprised to find that it was nine o'clock, and that I had forgotten my dinner. I was more surprised when Craig came- in again. "Still here?" he cried. " You see me." I answered. " I saw the light from the street. I'm on my way to visit your friend, Ihe sandwich man," he said, smiling. " The poor beggar was knocked about a bit. He did' nt obiect, when I offered to look in again to-night. I've taken it for granted that he has a, crow, to pick with the gentlemanly arrival who drove away wilh Madam D. And we may enter into an alliance, offensive and defensive, eh?. Would you care to come?" " Not to-night, thank you," I replied indifferently. Craig stood a momnt at the door, his back towards me. Then he turned, and came close to my chair. "Ken," he said, soberly, "you are clinging so fast .and hard to an idea that you re not awake to the possible complications. If your man Meyriek went aboard' the Cincinnati in the disguise, of a lame mechanic, then one or two things is sure. Either there was more than one lame mechanic, 'or else more one on board that ship, as well as on shore, is interested in the arrival of this gentleman. In the first case, all London becomes our haystack. If the second's correct, then everyone connected in th remotest degree with the lame man, who, you declare, is not our man, must be looked af f er. The man in the tall hat spoke to that lame man. He af'.erwards visited him. He is. we assume, the brother looked for by madam, and'.the':' sandv/ich : man, we have already decided, is interested in madam. Ergo, as I can't 'visit Monsieur at' ihe Cecil, nor the lame man. at the Hargis Hctel, therefore, ' let me court the" acquaintance of the sandwich man. What say you?" 1 'sprang up, almcst overturning my r-h:-ir. "I -ee that v«u're awake, old man. and that- I'm a dullard. Go, and luck attend you. Meanwhile, I'll try and get my alleged ideas in line once more." And I fairly pur-lied him from the room. " I'ni coming back to report," he called out.

I laughed to myself. He had the ardour of the scientist, :ind wished to classify liis be-i'iUful brunette specimen. He came back at midnight. "You ree, it was not my cue to make him talk, or to muse his suspicions by seeming too eager," he said. " The poor chap can't get out for a number of days, and h's nervous with apprehension ' lest he miss some ni r ,ve. of this' man.' he* pays. He's not a suspicious chap, and he swallowed my story about being a coachman and all that. I did not. try too hard to draw him o"t, and what he said was very ramb'ing and disconnected. He still claim-? tn li-iv.-. been on watch for this strange friend, or brother, c-f Madam's, but " Crai"- and seemede to ponder. "Well?" I said, impatiently.

" Well, Ken, the man did not men'inn the lady, except to ask -who she might be and vrhy she Avas ft the station. But, old man, I'm trilling to wager he. is inter-

ested in Madam, altogether, in Monsieur not a whit," "'Very likely." . , "'And to conclude, as ho is out of the running for a few days, I'm going to keep my eye en 'lie Cecil." ""You're very.kind," I said, drily, "to take so much interest in my affair." " I spare no trouble to oblige my friends," he said, with theatrical emphasis, and then he left me abruptly. The next day Kenyon made hie report in his laconic way. " He's there yet, sir, Harris, ye know. At eleven o'clock hj? cairn out, took a bus —Cecil. He was m;ide just ten minutes, then, ho cams out and wer.t back to his quarters. • When I raw him go hi .to- the dining-roon for his lunch I came here." And Kenyon returned to his post. Late that night he came to my chambers in hast 1 . '. '" Well, Kenyon," I .-paid. " What now ?" f ' Well, I don't- quite know, sir; he's' been drinking, and he's' been talkin' con-; fidontial like." " Naturally." "Urn! "Got a bib melancholy long to'rds evenih'. Said he war: down on his luck, and, after a.little pressin'. declared he'd come from New York.:-with a■ ;good. job, and "'had lost .ih the minute ho had left tho boat. Good b:rlh. good master, bolli' loft with his Cr't step r.n English coil. Then ho shut up turned sulky, and wouldn't talk ". * " Really"!.' What do you make of. him, Kenyon?" .■_;•■■ ;.. "Nothing, yet."- .' • • ' "And what is hs—French?" i "Not he! He don't evsn pretend it. He's English right enough. I've taken a room there, sir. That right?"'"- " Quito righ';," I answered ; and Ivsnyon went back to his poet. The- next morning passed like ths .first. I found plenty of occupation at my office, and only left my desk to receive a report from Dr Bird,, who telephoned in a rather gloomy mood. Mrs Dov.erfteld was not rallying as he could wli. He considered the case critical. Craig came in in time to lunch with me. "I'm off-duty for the ofternoon;" he explained, a3 ws set out together, " and I'm going to Gall on Madam." "What's up?". I questioned, • " Don't know 1 Hence this- visit: The lady puzzles me. She took a carriage this morning and set' out alone. I followed. Sho visited various places, all in gooil neighbourhoods. She may have been calling, but I think she was looking for a lions'*."

"Why?" " Because at most of the places she visited I saw ■•■ the sign, ' This house' or 'These rooms to let.'" I could make nothing of at; and-after lunch lie left me to call upon Madam, and I went back to my office, where I found Captain Wrayland awaiting me. There was a deep wrinkle between hit eyes and,,a letter ..in his hand, with its fdreign post-mark uppermost. " Well," I said, after the briefest of greetings, and with my eyes on the letter, "heard-.frpmyMeyriek again, I' suppose?"■ And then, "' Got my note, of course." I had informed him, in a brief note, of the result of our visit to Southampton and to Waterloo Station two days earlier, and had advised hiin therein not to come to me too hurriedly, as the craft shown in covering up his movements upon arrival would se:m to indicate that Meyriek, as well,as ourselves, was on the watch. Captain Wrayland frowned yet more, and nodded, as he tossed the letter upon my dek. •,,. --"-:•■• "•You advise, mo to stay away from here," he J" when—bah.!. Read that,'' nodding again, this time towards'the desk. :-■ ■■■- I lost no time, but caught up the letter. It was written in ""a stiff, upright, hand, not at all like the .late Meyriek letter, and it- bore a strange signature. Glancing from this to the head of the large single sheet I saw the printed card of a physician, with address in full ,and the name was that signed at ,tho bottom. It was addressed formally to Captain Wrayland, and it ran thus :—■

'"My dear Sir,—At the request of Mr R. Meyriek, one of my. patients, I write to inform you that, his illness proving serious, I have advised him to try the effect of a new country and climate as soon as he can reach it, an out-of-door life, such as may be found' in South Australia, the ocean voyage being a large factor in his possible cure. Frankly, I believe it to be his only chr.nce. He de-ires me to inform you as. above, and to say that ,should you wi:h to comply with his- recent request, he beers you—-if you have not already written—will await the news of his arrival in Australia and the coming of an address which, when established, hj? will' send -you. He goes within the week. I am, my dear fir, yours faithfully,—Raoul A. Bezes, M.D." I read the letter, and laid it' down in silence. *• We.l, what do you think of it?" I picked up the cigar at niy elbow, and b.ga.i to ligiit it in owl-like silence. "Humph! lthought.se Hoes not this, coupled with yqur failure to discover the fellow among the Cincinnati's pass-anger:-, look' as if, after all, he may not have come?" "It looks as if he were playing a very fine game, and for your especial benefit." I did not- add that it made me even more anxious, morci concerned for his welfare, than be-fore, but this was the fact. "He's more wary than I had supposed, which merely proves that liis danger is great, or that he is to play in England' for a heavy stake, involving risk to him." "I wish I could see where I come into his plans," r grumbled tho captain. " But we won't discuss it, Ken. I Suppose we must wait his first move." "iU'jea." i offered, him a, cigar, and he accepted, and putted iur a time m silence, 'ihfcu he sprang up. "I must huiry Dack," he said. 'Those two women are trying to wear me out on their social treadmill. Enid, the young tyrant, will hardly go about nowadays, without dragging me at her heels, 'teen my soul, Kennetn, I could really feel quite young sometimes between those two, they are so full of life and kindness; if it was not for this Meyriek business, and all the perplexities and unhappy memories it recalls. The kindly: face grew sad, and the expression seemed to emphasis* the marks of age which had been increasing in number of late, less indiii.renco as to d'irect-ion.

Suddenly he- bjgan to movo J ufc the room as he spoke,, or listened!, v,iTh r"* 1 "- "Do you know, Ken, sometimes I wonder if, somehow, sometime, I have not been wors-e, wickeder, than T knew—or m:ant to b:\ Why should I slip through nearly all my life so smoothly, so pleasantly, to find my Nemesis, my curse, at my v.ry doorstep in the &.&'! And all be"-caus-e of this interloper, this intruder into my 3iom-. Why, man, but for this same Ralph Meyriek, I might now be at home at Wraylands with my wife and Daphne and motion.

" Captain," I said reverently bowing my head ,after a brief siieace, '" have you forgotten that Ho whom all tho world worships suffered all that a world could heap upon Him? And war, that because of "ny ,*in cr wrong? No; suffering, trouble, does not mean guilt." My words seeme.; to comfort him.

"Kenneth, there are some things thnt should be spoken between friends, for their better understanding, once in a lifetime, and only one?. I want to say " Ho

pa-used, waiting. ' ' ' : " Say it," 1 answerer!. "I never imagined or suspected it dm* ing her lifetime, but after her doa-ih I thought, I graw to believe, as did my c:c:u wife, that . . . that you car-ul.f.i Daphne." Another pause, thqn, without turn.!'-; my ihoad, I uttered m.y first and last word upon this subject. "You were not mistaken," I answrrei; and my voice was not quite steady. ' I only knew when it was'too late. You w\ '■<!■ that she had becomo-engaged . . ami then I realised. Yes, I lovei her. ' The 'captain'slipped back into his o air Presently wa both began to smoke indus trinusly. , .-.,_' "Have you noticed," asked Capy-iin Wrayland', aft:-r a long, long pause, any change, any new gravity, in the manner of our Enid?" "M-yss." "I'm afraid I'm dull. I know I should be a poor matchmaker, but I have fancied —yes, and hoped, that she and that boy Hal Landis were becoming interested in "one ano.hre—eh?" ' ; I think they —were." ' . "They were, eh? Than you had notice 1 it, too? Ken,, I'm afraid she really cares for that happy-go-lucky chap. About ten years old, ho is,' this very minute. But —. I 'fear something's gone wrong." ".What?" ■ -. ' ," I can't imagine. I've been once t r twice on the point of asking Agnes." ■, "Don't!" I said, : " I'll tell you: It's Devinne Barthelrne." "What! .1 he'handsome French lady?" " The same. And I'm glad this has come up. I believo the girl is having a struggle with heT pride, and she's' 'fighting well." "Fh? does everything well." '" True' And if I might venture; Gaptarin, to advice you, I should say that yon could not do herself, and her mother, at this.time, a greater favour than to give them as much as possib'e of your society. Can't, you see that the girl's pride won't- let her avoid meeting Landis? And yet, she: wants supnprt, her mothers', '.yours. Stand' by her, Captain, she needs you; never rriorj : than now. You might even strain a point, and omit your monthly run down to Wrayland? " ''" : ■., " Oh, by Jove !" he broke in. -"'You've. ' opened my eye?,. Ken. Enid wants to go down there with m<-\; 'says she ■'wants to. see Nancy. Sh? likes the dear old' soul, and is amused by Nancy's quaintness.'" ''' " Take-her by all means. It would be ■a-rare treat for Nancy." ', '"I will," he declared, getting up, orite: nimb'y now. "And we'll go next week.'; ■ (To be Continued.)