THE LITTLE BLUE GODDESS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12087, 16 August 1917, Page 8

THE LITTLE BLUE GODDESS

__ OUR SERIAL _ >.FI 1 rr

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

CHAPTER X. "I don't think you need be worried bv the fact that Arrow is here," said) Philip. } " I don't know that I am worried, ' I replied. "I am -certainly surprised; I think I havo got beyond worrying labout anything now." "It oughtn't to surprise you, either," my friend continued. " You know that the other man is somewhere about London, and they ar 0 sure to be together. If Arrow has stayed in hotiels at the same time as Miss Retford there is nothing very remarkable in his attending an inquest of such interest as this." r . "Who is Arrow?" asked my solicitor, wno was sitting next me, and i explained to him briefly my connection •with the two gamblers. . "Thete is no significance m his attendance here," he assured me as I finished- "It is a natural intore&t, that is all." 1 While I was quite prepared to admit) that Arrow's appearance m court was no cause for anxiety, my nerves wore not in the best of trim, and I confess that his presence was a little disquieting. I looked at him again, but ho was still bant over his writing, and I turned away quickly lest he should look up and catch my eye. My meeting with Verrier had been unavoidable, but I was in no mind to renew an acquaintance. which had been unfortunate in the extreme. Just as the jury Upturned to court a hush of expectancy fell on the room, to be broken imnuediatejy by a, low murmur of sympathy. I turned to look for tho cause of it, expecting to see ElleTant. A pathetic sight, greeted 1110 instead, for, leaning on the arm of his housekeeper, old Mr Retford, proudly erect, pale and dignified, moved slowly down the court. It was strange that everybody in the room seomed to rccognisn who ho was immediately. Instinctive- . ly I rose and went to meet him. I took his arm and belpod him gently to a seat. His white lips wtei'e compressed in resolute pride as he gripped tho ledfp before him and stared straight m front of him. I was sorry bo had come. To begin with hn could do no good. There was nothing ho could tell the court which would affect ■the case. He w,as making a great sacrifice in putting himself in such a position, for th© verdict was bound to do one of suicide^—the one verdict which he refused to believe in. I was glad "to think that, howeiver wrong ho might be, no amount of evidence would alter his opinion on that subject. Tho housekeeper sat down beside him and kept her eyes anxiously on the old man's face}; it was plain that sho expected a breakdown; but he sat there, cold and still, turning neither to ono jicfa nor th e other. " Inspector Kirby," said the clerk quietly, and the detective, businesslike and alert, but with a solemn air which was distinctly sympathetic, stepped to tho witness stand. I nefd not give the reader particulars of tho questions which ware put to him or of the statement which he made- He told the story, much as the reader knows it, irom the time of his arrival at Bp Vera Gardens- I could see that, ho hesitated a little) o.vier the matter of Ruth'* extraordinary fanaticism. It must hav 0 U-nn difficult for any man to stand up and deliberately shatter an old father a faith m bis only child, for unquestionably Ruth's belief must havo n ' W< ™' k,,ho "**< " Very remarkable, Mr Kirby," sa id " Wh* led you 'to tl,i s "Her general behaviour, sir" the inspector replied. "The reconduction w.un M a "?i u Egyptian ceremony, 1 .1 d with phrases from her recent &£. h6r fath ° r ' ,MTO ™ 1 ,n'tn C l| d nf idelonK atj the man, ,J r a 1 , ihe movement ho made, he might not have heard a word of what had been said. "This is a very unusual case," said the coroner. " lou are quite suro that bh°s pM d no financial t-ruM- " Quite," the detective replied. any love affairs?" Suddenly I heard my name whispered few rows behind me, and I !><h. (tho blood rush to my forehead in indignation. Kirby answered with an emphasis for which I was grateful. ( Absolutely none, sirj" ho replied. 1 should like to take this opportunity of making that quite clear. I have seen a, statement, or rather a suggestion, in the Press, ooupling the deceased s name with that of a gentleman in Court. _ I must say emphatically that this is an entirely false and unfounded suggestion." " And very mischievous and wicked," added the Coroner. " Ycm have no further comment ,to offer, inspector?" " Noj s.ir, I -tthink. not." "The letter'which she wrote to her friend seems quite conclusive. I think there can be no doubt that your theory is correct. By itfie way, htus the man p* ehmed been found P" The question which Kirby had feared had come at .last. It went agaihst tho grain of .this fine officer to havo to admit defeat, if only temporary defeat, but he carried it off with a good grace. "I regret to say he has not, sir," he replied. " But I do not anticipate that it will be long now before we have him in our hands.-" "Do you think his evidence would bo of any value?" " No, sir, I do not," said the inspector emphatically. "I doubt very much whether he is entirely in his right mind. He jabbered about goddesses and all that sort of thing tho whole time I was examining him." "I see," sad the coroner. " To what do you attribute his disappearance, Mr Kirby P" " Simply that he was afraid of the whole thing. He knew something had happened which he did not altogether understand. He was afraid of tho police, and when we locked him up merely in order that we might know where to find him, he was scared and took the first opportunity of running Away." " That is very often the way with jiatives," said the coroner, turning 'to the jury. "I havo known cases in which they have been afraid to acquaint the authorities of a notifiable disease in case they should bo accused of some mysterious crime." Mr Kirby answered one or two move questions, and disposed of the abscnco of Miss Maturin by explaining that sho was believed to be abroad. As the inspector stepped down, the clerk leaned across to me and .sked if Mr Redford ad anything he wished to say. Before could ask the old man, the housekeeper shook her head, and whispered that lie had declared his intention of (Raking no comment whatever. A t. that moment there was a stir in the well of the Court. A short, thick-set ma 1 with a round, rather fat, genial face and a mop of fluffy white hair was Bhown in, and given a seat beside us. i*f,'-wa« Ellerant, and I recognised at once the figure I had seen in the ball at De Vere Gardens on the moriUßji of the tragedy, no was

wearing a heavy travelling ulster, and looked weary and distressed. It was with difficulty that he gave his evidence. Ho told tho court, that Ruth Retford was actually in his employment, but that ho- looked at her more in tho light of a daughter than anything else. He had been greatly worried, he said brokenly, by her sudden change of religion. He did not dream, however, that it could ever go so far as it had done. He had encouraged the interest sho took in Egyptology, and had spared no expense to gratify her desires, because he was glad to se 0 a young girl devoting herself to tho study of serious subjects. "Sho had no troubles of any sort, that you know of?"' the coroner asked. "None at all, sir, nono at all," tho old man answered with emotion. " So far as I knew she was as happy as tho ciay was long. She had everything sho asked for. Money was no object. "We travelled everywhere, staying at it ho best hotels and meeting the best people, wherever my business took me or wherever she. wished to go." " If there was any financial difficulty, sho had only to come to you and you would have given her whatever she required ?" "Anything," said Ellerant, "absolutely anything." "She knew that, I suppose? She would not be afraid to ask you?" " Afraid 1 Oh ! no. no." " How did the deceased address you, Mr Ellerant ?" Tho old man choked back his tears with difficulty, and replied in a muffled voice: " She used to call me Uncle Austin." "I shall not have to detain you long now, Mr Ellerant. Would you look at this Irtter, and tell me if it is in the handwriting of your adopted daughter?' Ellerant. took the letter in his hand and read it with difficulty, occasionally wiping the tears from his eyes. In common with everyone else in Court, 1 was deeply touched at his grief, and was relieved when, having identified Ruth's handwriting, the Coroner dismissed him. Uut Kirby had a question to put. "Just one moment, Mr Ellerant," ho said, rising to his feet. " Have you been long away from home?" "My own home, do you. mean, or from London?'' " I mean from Do Vero Gardens. Was Miss Retford left alone for any length of time before the tragedy?" '' I left London that same morning," ho replied. " In fact, I can only havo left the house shortly before—beforo J J "Thank you, Mr Ellerant," said Kir"That is all I need ask you." There was a murmur of sympathy as the old man took his seat at tho table and buried his face in his bands. Thero was not a sign of recognition on tho face of Mr Retford. Throughout the wliolo of the evidence he had not moved a muscle. By what superhuman effort was the aged clergyman retaining his self-control? I heard the door open behind mo, and, looking round in idle curiosjty, I saw a uniformed messenger bov enter. To my surprise he approached Andrew Arrow, who gavo him a Large envelope and dismissed him at once. Before T had time to speculate on this, I heard the clerk calling my name. I stepped forward feeling more nervous than I had ever done in my -life before. It was easy to guess from tho rustic among the spectators that T was one of the principals in this grim drama, and it was indeed an unenviable position. Having given my name and age and confessed my lack ot a profession, I was asked several questions which seemed to me quite unnecessary, and then wo reached the point of my meeting wi'th the Egyptian. " You say you had known Achmed in Cairo?" "I had .seen him there several times," 1 corrected. "So that he would know you pretty well by sight " "Oh! yes, I think so," I replied. "Where were you <n tho morning of the fifteenth when Achmed stopped you in the street ?" "At the corner of Piccadilly and Half Moon Street." " And you live in Adelphi, do vou not?" " I do." "Did it strike you as curious that you should have met him there, and that he should he on bis way to deliver a message 'to you at your rooms?" • i agieed. " Very curious indeed. •' Mr Ellerant, I have no wish to recall vou. said the coroner, " but will yen kinulv tell the Court whether Achnicd was Accustomed to tho ways of Western civilisation? Would he, for instance, bo afraid to travel in the Tube or on a 'bus? ' Ellerant raised his head wearily, and tho coroner had to repeat the question. Even then ho did not seem to understand the question thoroughly. It was evident that the old man was on tho point of breaking down altogether, and that lie had not heard the evidence J had given. "I havo known him travel by Tubo several times," he replied,, slowly, at last. "He often went by 'bus/and, of course, ho was accustomed to trams in his native city." "Thank you," said the Coroner. "It seems a curious thing to me, gentlemen, that this Egyptian, being entrusted with what must havo been a very urgent message to deliver should have do(iverod at on foot, as he evidently did. At any rato, ho nmsu have walked part ot the way. Ho wa,s some distance ofl his destination when ho met Mr Trafford.. and it was only b.y tho merest coincidence that he did not miss him altogether. Can you suggest anything, Mr Trafford?" "No," I rejjlied. "I'm afraid 1 can't. It has certainly struck me as a very curious point all along. Aly man would have known where I was going to, because I told him •! was going to see a man in Half Moon Street. He might have told Achmeo, but ho says the Egyptian did not call at my rooms." " I have been specially asked to pufj this point by a gentleman in Court, Mr Trafford/' he continued, "and 1 should like to clear it up if wo possibly can. Your man is quite sure that) Achmed did not call that morning?" "Positive," I replied emphatically. " And he is a man yo-j can thoroughly relv on?" "Oh! absolutely," I answered. "Ho was one of niy father's orderlies, and ho has known' me ever since 1 was: if. child. But, in any case, he would nor. be likely to forgot it, if Achmed had cabled. The Egyptian is a very striking fig 'ire. at any time, and my servant would have no reason to tell me he had -ink o,r> 11 ] it - h"d." "It is a.pity Achmed is not hero." 1 said the Coroner. "I don't suppose the point is of any real significance, but it is always as well not to leave any loose threads in clearing up a case of this sort. I nave been very specially asked to get to the bottom of this matter. It may not be of any particular importance, and I am confident that it has no bearing on tho death of Miss Retford. At the same time, it would be well to know exactly how it came about that Achmed delivered his message to

you in Piccadilly, and not in your own k°" S ;['don't think Achmed can have called at John Street," I said, " because when I saw him ho was coming from the direction of Hyde Park." "r*seo," said tho coroner; at that rata he might have come all the way on foot Unfortunately we shall never know ai what time Miss Retford gave him the rnessago. your call in Half Moon Street a matter of pleasure or business, Mr Trafford ?" "Business," I replied, briefly—an interview with an irate money-lender hardly camo under the category of plea- " "Was there anyone who would be likely to know what that business was. Was there anyone who could ha known the time of your appomtme there, if you had one?' " I had an appointment, I replieoi «but nobody knew anything about, it, except myself. The appointment was connected with the transaction of a mortgage, and I had not mentioned it to anybody." Inspector Kirby rose to his feet. " Dr Littledale suggests a method by which wo may be able to dctc'-mme th hour at which Achmed left De \ eie Gardens. There is a young lady heio who took part in the reconstruction of the religious ceremony, and she ma,\ be a b o*o toll us at what tar s.e «kJ at the house and whether Achmed was there at the time." "I much obliged to Dr Littledale said tho coroner, as I made way ioi Evelyn Milling, who told the couit th. the was "called" for a quarter to nine on the morning of tho fiftc ° n J and that she arrived at the 1k)U?o between that and nine o clock. Ach was there when she arrived, did not see him again until he lOtuine iu my company. "Then Achmed cannot havo walked, all the way," said the coroner. .Now, Mr Trafford, please. " I mav tell you, sir, that Achmed was lazv,' like the rest of lib kidney, said Ellerant, "and if he was sent on an errand he would take his own timo over it " "Thank vou, Mr Ellerant, I think wo know all wri need bolher about on that subject now, and no doubt tno police u il! "get all the information tho;> may require at a later date. Noav, All Trafford, 1 am sorry to have to put a. question to you which you may considoi superfluous and unjuf-t, but it has been su'Tested —I am tolling you exactly whal I have lizard—it is said that you bonamo engaged to Retford in Egypt, a short time ago, and that tho engagement was broken off by you a few days before her suicidci. I am sorry to havo to ask you this, Mr Trafford, but is then? any truth in the report?" "Absolutely none," I replied emphatically. "It is a baseless invention, i have never at any timo been engaged to Miss Itctford.. J could not even call myself her friend. We were tho merest acquaintances.'' " I am glad to hear you say so, Mr Trafford, and no doubt if these statemanta aro persisted in you will knothow to deal with ttiem." I shall indeed," I replied fiercely. " Our information was \ that you became engaged to her at a time when your own financial position was weak, and that you extricated yourself from tho engagement when you found that she was dependent on l&r guardian for her support." "It is an absolute lie," I repeated hotly. " I am glad wo havo disposed of that, Mr Irafford. jVow we come to tho question of th 0 woman to whom Miss Rotford referred as 'Dilys.' I am told her surnamo is Maturin. ' She writes in her letter in a manner 'that suggests that you and Miss Maturin are acquainted. Is that so?" ,"lt is quite untrue," [ replied "I have never seen Miss .Maturin in my life. J " And you do not know where she lives? I know nothing at all about her." 1 replied. <l [ h avo considerably less knowledge of her than the man in the stieet, because I have not even seen her photograph which I dm told has been published in the papers." "It is accurate information vouched for on oath that wo require," said the coroner with a smile. "You cannot help us to find her, or offer any suggestion as to why the deceased should have mentioned your name to her?" "I have no suggestion to make at all," I replied. "I had an idea thati we might he able to trace her through her old school, and I put that to tho police at once." "I think, Mr Trafford, that we shall not require you further. Is there anything you feel you would liko to say?" "No. sir, thank you," I replied. "I think I have said all that is'necessary for the present." There followed a certain amount of formal evidence which was tedious and depressing, and then the coroner summed up. He gave an admirable, wellbalanced resume of the case, and, with commendable restraint, avoided any excursion into the realms of Egyptian mythology. Ho stated clearly and concisely the main aspects of the mystery and advised tho jury to accept tho theory of the police. It was clear, ho said, that the deceased was highly strung, of a nervous, impetuous temperament, and had Lv>en carried away by the luro of tho East, lleligious mania was common enough, he concluded, for them to accept it ns a motive, oven if the religion in question was one with which they had not previously come in contact. Tho jury clustered together and decided on their verdict without leaving tho court. There was an expression of satisfaction on the inspector's face when ho saw that they did not intend to retire. "Gentlemen," said the clerk, "aro you agreed ?" "We are, sir," said the foreman. "Wo find that the deceased committed suicido during temporary insanity." There was a deathly silence in the court, broken once by tho piercing shriek of an hysterical woman. " Whilo temporarily insane.," tpid the clerk to himself as he recorded 'tho verdict. Poor girl, her troubles were over; she would no longer bo tortured on tho rack of religious doubt. Sho had gono to her God, offering her bright young life as an earnest of her tragic belief, whilo temporarily insane. Suddenly tho silenc was broken by a shuffling noise beside me. Mr Retford, clutching tho ledge in front of him, struggled painfully to rise. At length ho staggered to his feet and mado a bravo attempt to hold himself proudly erect. Tho old man's head was bowed as h 0 raised his hand in an attitude almost of benediction. " It is not true," lie said in a broken voice. "It is not true. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away." Littledale and I caught him in our arms as he fell. (Continued next Thursday.)