THE CASE FOR THE GROWN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12636, 22 May 1919, Page 8

THE CASE FOR THE GROWN.

(By FRED. M. WHITE.) ' ; CHAPTER; XXXVII. AJICHJCNFIEU) SKKB HIS. WAT. The Chief Constable waved tho slip of paper on oiu side as if it had been » matter of comparatively ■ no importance, andwith the same detached air Arebenfield folded it up and put it in hia pocket. No one scorned to bo troubling much about anything, and, to a casual observer, there was no air of tragedy in tho proceedings. The two Chinamen themselves might have had nothing to'do whatever with what wa; going on. for they were perhaps the most indifferent of the group, tliongn one of them appeared to Arciienfi-Id to cast a lingering, regretful eye upon the sheet of imtopapcr. But a minute or two later they had vanished down a flight of atone steps leading to the cells below and the incident was over. Colo turned to Archcnfield. “ I am really very grateful to you,’’ he said. ’ “ There■ is little doubt that wo arc on the right track now, and you can safely leave Hie details to us. Un loss,. perhaps, t here is something that you have net- vet told me.” “ I have told you all I am going to --at any rate, up to tho present, Aveheufield said. “A little 1 a ter on perhaps T might ask yen to discuss another aff:iir.” “ Meaning Mrs Molyneux, of course." ‘'Meaning Mrs Molyneux. certainly. Yon don’t really think that she i~ guilty, do you ?” “Well, upon. my word, T don’t know what to think,” Cole confessed. “ On the fare of it we have a very strong case, and -when those Horae Office peo pit-, have finished f shall be much surprised if we don’t hove a stronger case stiff.” .... . Archonliekl smiled meaningly. ‘tot hip make n. little prophecy," he said,. “Or wc will put it iu the. form of a. wager, if you like. I’ll hist bet you a sovereign that Mrs Molyneux will be pruve-J innocent, and that if another week elapses you will not even , have the unpleasant task of inking her \ into eustody. ■ 1. won't press that bet | upon von, he-Miise it .would be sheer • robh'wv.” ' ” | “ You mean to say you know nil ( about, it?” . I “ Certainly 1 do- I might even say j I have known all about it from tho 1 first, and assuredly within foriv-eigtil | hours of Robert Molvneux’s death.”. 1 “ And yon can put your bauds upon the- criminal v”, “1. can. If it ia a criminal- Bpt [ am miAzliug vou.: and I n.m afn.'d von imisl -remain in a nuzzled state tor the present.. - As a matter of fact, it is a most extremely simple case and yet it is fuff of complications, if you know what 1 mean- ’ ■# ■ With which ■ cryptic remark., Archenfield shook bauds with Cole and left that, bewildered official to bis own reflection. He wee, .busy in Lyddmouth for the next half hour or so. before lie turned bis track on flip .port and made hit wav home, wlmr' 1 be arrived shortlv before ■'tea.-time. Chim Pans mul not returned yet. and. Hara was ir j I the garden wanting for Cecil Molyueux j | to appear, the hitler had been rest.- I ; Pi,.; in h-r bedroom at Horn's adve’e i and would not he down hist yet. | “ I am rather e.hid of that,” ArchI onfield said. “because I want to talk j to v ou. Wo ,are getting on- and . the. j time to strike has nearly arrived. But i wlia.Cs the matter, what arc you lootf- | in-y so pale and anxious about?’’ j "riaril's dark eyes wore, sombre nr, she I rumed them on her companion. There I was • no Mink on those perfect lips .of here, and no gaiety, on the exquisite lit fflr’P. “'f have had o great fright, this_ aft or noon. ’ she said. “Max. I lime hndi a visitor.’ Archenlield drew a long deep breal.u. “ Surely not Chang- Hen,” he exclaimed, “ How (piick you arc!'' Hara. said; “ How you seem to see into the heart of everything! Yes, it was Chang Hen. but- how he, got here 1 don’t unite know. He must have contrived in some way to scale the. wall 1 was .sitting here in the sunshine, half asleep, when suddenly T looked, up and Chang Hen was standing there before me- Max. lie frightened me. There was something in that cold malignant stare of Ids that filled me wiUr terror. Ami this is .not the worst:. He knows the truth. I aw sure he does.. He, has found o‘-:t omi j secret, and yon and I will_ know no 1 peace as ioug as he is alive/ ! ■ Arelipiiiicld bent down and kissed tbe j speaker on tlie lip?-. ! “ Courage, dear girl, courage.” he j said. “ it is not like you to be caste ! down and dejee'ed in this way, When I remember tho fortitude yon displayed ’* " Oli. T believe. T have all that I still." Hara, said. “ But that man 1 j frightened me. . His appearance here | was so unexpected, a.nd I have, heed I happy here an long, that I had almost) j forgotten him. Oh. surely he has. come here ip bo revenged upon ns. He. will never rest—r —’* “ I am not so sure of that,” Archeuiield said, " Don’t forget that wo are in ■,England now, where such plots as f.’oose men indulge in are almost impose siblc. I don't think that Chang Hen tracked us clown bore. My opinion is that he found hia way quite accident whilst he nas in tho neighbourhood looking for sometlmi.g else. It is long odds that if bo hud found what bo. id

after wo should never have'seen him at all- He would have gone-buck to China quite ignorant- of our whereabouts.” “ [ wish 1 could think so,” Hara' sighed. “ Wlub could ho have como for besides to carry out the threat ho made against you a few years ago?” “'Well, ninny things,” Archenlield said. “To begin with, he could have come hero to recover the lost treasures' and the Three fishers 'regalia- As a) matter of fact, I, know that that id exactly -what he did come to England for. Your Uncle Chang Hen is a viim dictive man. and a- fanatic- as far as; what ho calls his religion is concerned.: Though both ho and your father received part of their education in England. they never ceased' to be Orientals, and their 'Western civilisation was only skin deep. 'When your father died Chang Hem became'head of the family,' and he thought it was his duty to punish me for daring to fall in love, and marry the da-ughtcr of a groat mandarin- To punish me became the workof Chang Hen's life, second only to hiai ( determination to get that regalia back,. As I have already explained to you, recent upheavals in China have altered! the outlook there altogether. Secret societies harp fallen into decay and at I ©’ no longer the terror that they were,, and you know that- in the Boxer rebel-! lion Chung Hen lost most of his Supporters. all of them members of thet Throe Fishers, and, what is more to the point, he lost that public appointment that was his main source of income, sd that- to-day beds a pool* man. Whatf more natural then t'.mu that be should, come to England and tom- about the country with a travelling circus on llid hope of running up against Robert Molyneux one of these days! That lid was successful we know, and once, hei was successful ho- would bare no find thcr use for'my friend Gunter. He did! get what bo wanted, and, as I hare old ready told you. f have actually seen; him at the Rod' House.” “But what of those other men?”' Hara- asked. “ Have we not, thorn to’ fear as .well?” '• Not for a moment,” Archenlield declared- “They are working on their own, 'and ha ve nothing whatever to do with Ohang Hen- But let mo toll you whaf- hap happened this afternoon, and 1 think that I can convince you that) Chang Heui ia the only one we have to fear.” Hara listened with rapt attention to Arch on field’s story. There, was a smile on her face when he had finished. ” You ore very wonderful Max,” she said. “ 1 have been very.’lucky;” Archentield replied. “ Still, you can see now that, tho source of danger so far as wd are concerned Is one. man. And I think T shall know how to deal with him when the. lime comes. But, tell me, whoW ■happened this afternoon? Were you iu danger?” “I have already told you nearly all there is to toll.” Ha.va said. “And T do think I was, in danger. 1 believe that man would have _ killed me there and then..only by a. fortunate chance Hike happened to bo in the branches of rhe tree overhead and directly he caught sight of Chang Hen he. camel donni to my assistance. If I had not

been able to restrain him, which was not an easy matter, I nm sure he would; have torn 'Chang Hen from ‘ liriihl to limb. It war, very near to being rt tragedy. But Chang Hen recognised Ins clanger, and made off us quickly as possible. H$ managed to get over the wall before Hiko could reach him, and that is nil 1 can toll you. But l am sure that man has guessed our secret.” ? don’t pee how ho could have helped it, it he was hero, lace to face 1 with you,” Archeniield said “But does it very much matter? I think.’ I shall know what to “do when the' time comes. Still, after .what has happened, I don’t care much about leaving you alone here, and for the nest, day or twoChim Fang ami myself will he'busy elsewhere.” “ Oh. 1 am not at all afraid now,” Hara smiled “Hiko is moro nm in the house than any man. He is doMotofl to me. and I am sure that bar knows that Chang Hen is au enemy of mine. I arm more than glad’that that intelligent animal is in the house.' If hri could talk lie would not be able to sajj any more to mo than ho lias already, s ” you can he quite easy in your mind. Max. Ro long as Hike has the nm of the house after dark I shall not have the least fear. Of course, I have said nothing about this to Mrs Afolyneux, neither shall I, for the poor girl has had more worry and anxiety now thart silo dan put up with.” !... . »•.’.■ A moment, later and Cecil Molyneux came across the lawn in the direction of the tea table. She looked more tham usually pale and worn as she took her listlessly opposite to Archenneld, who in a few words told her what had happened as far as the murderers of Stephen Flint were concerned. She leant back in her chair with her eyed half closed. “ What a- horrible tangle it all is,” 1 she murmured. “ Nothing but bloodshed and violence, that leaves me with a feeling that I am more or logs ivy sponsible.” “Well, you are not,’’ Archeniield wild. All this would have happened in any case, and I almost wish "it had taken places year ago. Tint let mo tell yon. with all the earnestness in my power, that you arc nearly nt the end of your troubles.” (To bo Continued.)