THE LITTLE BLUE GODDESS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12066, 23 July 1917, Page 8

THE LITTLE BLUE GODDESS

t 1 OUR SERIAL

II By WILLIAM LE QUEUX I

□ Author of: "Sins of the City," "The Great White Queen" "The Bond of Black" " The Man about Town," etc. etc.

CHAPTER V.

I turned the envelope inside out in my efforts to find some clue to the sender. The money was unaccompanied by any explanation, and at last I satisfied myself that there was nothing to be gained by further search. I "What do you make of this new development, Philip?" 1 asked. <; "Well, of course, I don't know what 'to make of. it," he admitted frankly. " The only question we have to consider is whether it really is a new development, or only a curious coincidence." ; ''Surely these things must all be connected," "i protested, for my sense of perspective had received a rather severe shock and was perhaps not in its normal working order. i "There could only be one explanation if it had not happened on the top of this morning's tragedy," my friend continued. "And that is?" I asked anxiously. ! " There is nothing to be alarmed about in the unexpected receipt of something like, five hundred pounds," he laughed. " Have a drink, old man ; you look a bit scared. The explanation 'is very simple. It is obvious that one or both of your Assouan acquaintances h not so black as he was painted." " Anyway," I exclaimed, with a feeling of triumph, "it proves that they didn't play fair. If they had the question of returning the money would never have, occurred to them.'' " There's something in that," the doctor replied. " But supposing them to have swindled you out of the money, you must admit that they are making unusual amends in returning it. It was quite unnecessary, too, because you could never have proved foul play." " Of course not," I admitted. "There were just the three of us, and it would have been my word against the two of

them." j "Well, in any case, the only thing I you can do is to think yourself very ' lucky and forget about it," he advised, but I could not rid my mind of the idea that my life was in some strange way oversliroudod, and I felt that the sudden return of the money I bore some sinister meaning which I not fathom. "You're sure it's not a trap, then?" 1 asked anxiously. Littledale throw baxjk his head and shouted with laughter. "You silly ass," ho laughed. " What- , ever sort of trap do you suppose if ' could be.P To begin with, you knowwhere the money oame from. Arrow land Verrier were the only two people •who knew exactly how much you had lost that night." " There is the possible exception of Ruth Retford," I pointed out. " Y r es," admited my friend, thoughtfully, "there is. But then again, that is only on the assumption that the three of thorn were accomplices, in which case it wouldn't make tho slightest difference. '' . " Well. I'll stick to the money, any- ' way," I said, as I. proceeded to lock it | away. "I am certain they didn't play | fair." \ With the doctor's assistance I made a list of the various points of interest in the case, from the time; of my arrival in Cairo to the receipt of the registered letter, noting such details as the fact ' that the latter was posted at eleveni fifty at Southampton Row. By tho

I time we had finished it was a fairly (jengthy document and one which re- ' quired careful study. My man brought us a cup of tea about five o'clock, and shortly after that, ho returned and handed mo a card. '"Walter Smith, C.1.D.,'" I read.

. "That'll be the man -who was at IV? I ,Vere Gardens this morning, I suppose?" " Very probably," Philip agreed. " f jjronder what news ho has?" ' " Show him in," I ordered. "Good afternoon, sir- good afternoon, doctor," said the detective, as he entered with a brisk step and a keen Sye. He had apparently quite recovered, from his unfortunate oversight in the morning. "Have you any news?' I asked, as be took the easy chair I offered him. •'Nothing of any very great importance, sir," he replied, " but wo have cleared up a few points which are essential, with rather interesting results. You have heard nothing further yourself, sir. I supposo?" " Only what you have probably found out yourselves,*" I replied. "Let us have your news first, and then if I have anything fresb to tell you I will give you an account of our information, such as it is." "In the first place, we have discovered, much to the chief's surprise, that itetford was probably the woman's oivn name." "Why ever shouldn't it have been?" J exclaimed, for the point had not struck me previously. " The reason why we were sure iti was not her own name, sir, was that we could find no one either in society circles or anywhere elso who knew anything about her. Ton see, sir. in society cases wo seldom have any difficulty in tracing parentage, or anything of that sort, because everyone knows who i everybody elsejs grandparents were, l and we could find no trace of a wealthy young lady of that name." " Then how do you know it was her name?" Littledalo asked. " Because we have satisfied ourselves that she was not a wealthy young wo- , man at all." j "Indeed?" I exclaimel. ' "No, sir," thfc detective continued. ! " She was the adopted daughter of a man who is believed to bo an American millionaire, a man named Ellerant. It was he who took tho house in De Vere Gardens, furnished, at a very pretty ■ figure. He called on the agents accom- ; panied by hii adopted daughter, who, i from all descriptions, was unoubtedlV Miss Retford. She turned up there one day by herself on a small matter of business, in a very fine Limousine, and { spoke of her guardian. I believe the jold man also used the term ' ward ' on | one occasion, so that is near enough to work on."

J "You can't trace this man Ellerant, 'can you?" I asked. "Ho hasn't bee.. *o the house to-day, T suppose?" "No, sir, ho has not. We are looking for him now. But to return to Miss Retford. Wo mado inquiries o: the secretaries of the societies whoi: they go in for the study of Egyptia.. things and we found that there is v Rev Retford who is a member of th Society of Antiquaries of Egypt and th. Nile. This gentleman is the vicar o! * ft little village in Essex, Oukacro, an.: we have found out that the publishers of a monthly paper dealing with mummies and all that sort of thing, had -i ; subscriber, up to a year or two ago to whom the paper was sent regularly. fThis subscriber was Miss Ruth Tlctfor., ffhe Vicarage, Qukacre, Essex." , Smith sat back and looked at v.i with a smile of triumph. He had certainly done well in the few hours ;.: Lis disposal. t "Well, I musfc say, Mr Smith, ! didn't expect to hear so much in sue!: a short time," I congratulated him. I ''l have no wish to pick holes in your story," said the doctor, " bu~ \Acbmed told us that Miss Retford wa; itwenty-three, and I should certainly no;. /put her down at more than twenty-fou.. ijspeaking as a physician. I should jthink the Ruth Retford you speak oi "jitfay have been an aunt of the womr,:» {we 'know by tha,t name-. **• ~emL.

hardly likely that a girl of, say, nineteen or twenty, should be taking m papers dealing with mummies, and yet the coincidence- is so striking that I should say they are probably relations. " I think you're wrong, sir," Smith said. "Somerset Mouse informs mo that a Ruth Claretie Retford was born at The Vicarage, Oakacre, on the lith of Mav, 1891." , '•Then I must say I don't think voti need look anv further for the poor girl's parents." "f said. _" I suppose you have communicated with Mr Retford." ~ „ ~ '■ Mr Kirby is with him now, said Smith. "He left Liverpool Street by the three-eleven." '•'Will vou have a cup of tea- or a whiskv-and-soda?" I asked him, and while I poured out the latter for him, he informed mo that he had been sent to interview mo. '' I have h«rl no instructions as to the way in which T am to proceed in this matter, Mi Trafford, and I hope you will excuse me if T appear to be asking yoM unnecessary questions." "' A"sk me anything you like," T replied heartily. ' ,: If it helps to clear up the mystery no one wil be more pleased than J." " T am sure of that, sir," the detective replied. " And, of course, you understand as well as T do that when wo have a, case like this to deaf' wstill wo have to put everybody on the samefooting in the matter of interrogations __[— well, T am a man of the world, and 1 trust largely to my own discretion in—er —anything of this sort." ''You sound rather as if you were going to accuse me of murder," I lamehed. " No one dreams of doing that, sir, ' be replied. "To begin with._ Miss Retford obviouslv committed suicide. But .....pr—H-011. T "think it is best to be biunh in these matters, and you will no doubt realise that T am only doing my duty when 1 inform you that —er—Scotland Yard is-well, frankly, sir. they are not satisfied with your story."

"Heavens alive, man!" I cried '•Yon don't suppose T'm satisfied with it myself." The detective smiled -weakly. " I'm afraid yrM don't see what I moan, sir," he said. "The authorities feeL that your story is altogether too improbable. You say that you were practieally a stranger to Knth Retford ; that you had only met her casually in Egypt, and that you know nothing about'her personal or private affairs. They say at the Yard that this is very unlikely', because she gent for you at the last. It, looks to them as if she had determined to kill herself in your presence. She sent for you and. therefore, must have known you -were coming. She seems to have poisoned herself shortly before you came. Now, the, point is. would she do that., would .she inflict such a gruesome sight, to quote the Chief's words, on a comparative stranger. Then again, she left a, package for you. It proved to contain nothing. The papers have been examined in every way known to .science, and the examination has disclosed nothing. The fact remains that they wero addressed to you. The third point is, that she left a farewell letter addressed to her dearest friend, in which she speaks of yon in a way that suggests that you and the woman Dilys were acquainted. You say that you haven't the slightest idea who this person is, and that you have never even heard of her before- Carefully examined, your statement, sir, as you will no doubt admit, is very unusual." " And what is the inference that your people, draw from s»* apparent weakness of this statement?" Little.dale asked, while I sat dumbfounded at this new burden which T was called upon to hear. Instead of receiving assistance from the police I was looked upon with suspicion.

"They feel, sir, that Mr Trafford has some personal reason for suppressing his knowledge." " Perhaps you will be good enough to tell me what you think that reason may he?" I said coldly. "That is not for me to say, sir," the detective replied. "In the first olace, T don't know the official view, and I have none myself."

"I suppose if 1 bring you the man who first introduced me to Ruth Retford and give you particulars of tho places 1 have visited since that date, your department is capable of tracing her whereabouts over the same dates and comparing the two," I suggested a. trifle sarcastically.

"That, sir," replied the detective, to my absolute astonishment, "is precisely what I am to ask you to do.''

"What?" I cried, jumping to my feet. '• Do you seriously mean to tell me that T am to bo asked to give an account, of my movements?" " The authorities consider that ifc would help matters if you did, sir," said the detective.

"Why, it's—it's preposterous!" I protested. " I never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. Here am J, hoping to receive the assistance and the protection of the police, and—-and—it's too ridiculous altogether." I was too angry to continue; the whole thing sounded like an absurd and untimely joke, yet it was obvious that the detective meant every word ho said.

" This is a matter that will require looking into, Hugh," said my friend, laying his hand on my arm. "In tho meantime you had better'keep as calm is you can, old man, and give the police ;ill the assistance in your power. I am rjuite convinced," he added, turning to the detective, "that you have not carried out. your instructions in tho spirit in which they were intended." "I beg your pardon, sir," said Smith, with a certain amount of dignity, "1 am m a better position tjym you to know what mv instructions were."

■■ "No doubt," Littledalo replied. " But you will admit that your statement carries with it an unpleasant insinuation, even if you do not actually accuse Mr Trafford .of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by giving false or incompbto information."

'•'['■ .'' o: '' ■" -"• i faUj>:.»"3c- it does," th.* other answered. "Wo can't help that, sir, us you know. It is our business to get at the truth."

A.'id it is your busines3, as a presumably intelligent member of the Criminal Investigation Depart-most, to km.".'/ that, if your superiors had intended you to make any such insinuation, you would not have been sent to seo Mr Trafford alone. You would have- .'.rought a colleague, with you." '•'.',<.:, sir." said .57r.ith, awkwardly, " I told Mr Traffcrd that I always used my discretion in thzso matters, and I f?'.,o- have given him an idea of the official point of view rather sooner than 1 should. But I did it entirely for his own good." '• Very kind of you, I'm sure," I said bitterly. "I am still waiting to hear what it is you suppose I conceal-

'' I have already explained, sir, that ;that is not for me to say. I am exV peedingly sorry that you should have taken it like this, Mr Trafford, because X am sura nobody, suspects you of con-

coaling anything tor any criminal mo:ivo." •' Then what the dickens do you euopcct ino off'" I cried, now thoroughly exasperated by tjic man's attitude. •' Wo simply feel that your story is incomplete. Wo don't accu.se> you ci. anything, but v.o are convinced you have not told us -everything. It, often happens in cases of this sort that t. witness, .shrinking from tiui puhh-city of having hi.-; personal «ffairs, sometimes it is financial, sometimes loveaffairs, dragged into the light of open court." " Weil," F said. ''' my financial position is pretty well known, I am sorry to say, and I have no love affairs, so you can ease your mind on that scofe.'' " I am sorry you should he so nettled about it, sir," said ihr policeman apologetically, "it would make things a gieat deal more easy for everybody if you would he kind enough to let mo know exactly Avhen you first met Ruth Retford." " Do you want the day, or will the woek dor"' I asked. "1 done think 1 could remember that actual day." " Of course, the nearer you can. gc-i the better," he replied. " Half a minute!" T exclaimed. "1 brieve I can manage that for you aftc all." (.Continued on Th.uxsdav.fc