“KATE, PLUS TEN.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12646, 2 June 1919, Page 8

“KATE, PLUS TEN.”

I Hy mG AII WALLACE. ((Author of "i'om- Ji, 6 i Mon," "So.adom of | tlio Hivcr," " Bor'iimki," "Bones," oto.)

CHAPTER 111. OTHKIt fcVKS WA.TCUr,J> MIOHAKI,. Michael Prctherston was back at tho Yard .in time te catch his chief before. j no departed for the day. J Commissioner 'l'. I). .Smith, io whose, j recommendation this young scion of ! the aristocracy owed his promotion, was ; not helpful, "If wo took Kate on .any charge '.it would not. prevent the swindle going forward," ho said. " You, amy bo sura she bus mobilised all her resources, and bur little army is ivn.dy I"o the Just button of tho hist gailor. Thoro is supposed to b« 11, follow watching her ii.lt tho time, but ho seems to liuvo missed her rather cleverly. Anyway, I don't think there is much io be gained front shadowing her, becn-use. sho .knows she. is under observation and acts accordingly. Hut I have- a. word of iidrjeo to you. my young Hibernian friend, and that is to keep a sharp eye on your own precious life. Kate is afraid of you." "She didn't give mo that impression this afternoon/' said -Michael sadly. "Kale is a bluff; you musu't take any notice of what sho says. You accept a friend's advice, and go very can-fully to work. I am not so surethat you didn't behave indiscreetly this afternoon." "That is impossible 1" said Michael stoutly, and T. B. Smith laughed. "Tho thing to have done was not to have recognised her, and to liar© kept hor under observation, pursuing your inquiries in the usual Tray." " If you can suggest any method by which I could have- prevented her from recognising me, and recognising tho fact, that I recognised hor, I will admit that f was wrong," and T. B. Smith a greed. , " You may bo right," he said; " anyway, look after y<mra;lf." Michael promptly forgot Iris chief's advice, and- spent his evenbig mating a (solitary reconnaissance of Crime .Street;. Crime Street does not appear upon any plan of London, but if yon will look at any large survey of the fiampstcad district, you mil find in a somewhat irregular tangle of building.;* within a stone's throiv of the Heath, a curious oval which is conspicuous on the plan, not only by its own symmetry but by the. graceful lines of tho thoroughfares which radiate therefrom. This is Ambersoombe Gardens. The (-outre of the oval is -occupied "by four houses—Numbers ". •(, (i and 8; the northern side of the gardens try five houses—Numbers 1, 3. 5, 7 and '■). Into Amberscom'oe Gardens from the north run three roads, tho first of which (opening iuto the ova.l between Numbers 1 and 3) is called Tho Approach : the second, dividing Numbers o and 7, called Bcthburn Avenue: the third, between Numbers 7 and 9. Coleburn Avenue. On the south side of the oval the arrangement of the streets is very similar. Originally the central space had been occupied by nine houses, hut these bad been pulled down by the proprietors of the remaining four, and a private garden, common to all four houses, had been laid out by the owners of these properties. So that on the southern side of the central oval there were no buildings, but ai wall bisected at regular intervals by plain garden doors which form such a| common feature of London suburban residences. In reality, the roadway to the north and south of tho plot is all Amherscombe Gardens, but the oral which curves round to the north was at the period this story covers known to the police as "Crime Street," and in this .description the nine houses on botb sides of the northern curve -wore volvedNumber 1, the most modest of all the buildings, was in the occupation of Dr Philip Garon, an American practitioner who made frequent visits across the Atlantic and invariably returned io deposit a very handsome surplus in tho local branch of the London and 'Western. Counties Bank. Dr Garon w r as" successful as a, result of the sublime assurance of every ocean-going passenger, that ihe notice, conspicuously displayed in the smoking-room 'warning passengers not to play cards with strangers', did not apply to him. Number 3, a, pretty house smothered in clematis in the proper season of tho year, with its white window sashes and it sober red front, was the town house of Mr Cunningham, who, apparently, had no initial and no Christian name. He was known to his intimate friends as Mush, the. derivation of which is a, little obscure. Mr Cunningham described ' himself an "Independent," which meant no more than that he was I independent of the ordinary necessities • of making an honest living'. In a j sense, ho wits by- tho far the best known j of the colony, for Mush had served two i forms of penal servitude, ono in an I English and one iu a French prison. i He. had tho reputation of being able i to cut holes in steel safes with a greater I rapidity than, any other gentleman ju his profession, and it is said, probably with truth, that he had. improved upon tho oxybydrogeu jet and had introduced a. new element which shortened the work by half. The tenant of Number 5 was a gentleman, benign of countenance, and very good to the. poor. He was called the Bishop by friends and foes alikeHis real name was Brown, arid he bad been concerned in more bank swindles than any of the other colonists, though ho had only one conriction to his discredit and that a, comparative flea-bite of nine months bard labour. The owner of Number 7 was described as ''Mr Collins -'taccjiios, Civil Engineer." in the local directories. The official police " "Who's Who " noted that he. was a, wonderful pistol shot-,, and recorded, in parenthesis, that on the occasion of his arrest in connection with the smashing of the Bank of Holland, no weapon was found upon him. It was also added that there were no convictions against him in England, though lie, too. had seen the inside of a French, prison. Number 9 was pointed out to sightseers with a certain amount of local pride by the guide, as the, home of i Millet tlie forger, who had received j on one occasion a fifteen yeaTs 1 son- '. tenco, but had been released after serving two years: an act of grace on the part- of the authorities which earned for him a certain unpopularity with his peers, and was held to be not unconnected with the subsequent arrest of a few of his former associates: the suggestion being that Mr Millet had turned King's evidence. At Number 2 on the " ova.l" jjdo of tho street, lived H. Mulberry, n respect able and methodical man, who went to his little office in Chancery Lane every morning of his life by the 9.15 a.m. rind returned to his home at exactly "\3O p.m. year in and year out. Mulberry was a. begging letter writer en a. magnificent scale. He had a. wonderful literary stylo, whirl, seldom failed in extract the necessary ernoluniput which he sought. Number -1. a. much larger house, indeed th" second'large;-), in Crime Street, was the habitat of "Rouor Gregori, a teaelipr of languages." 'Pnfortnuate'y for him, he hud in the course of his Ihrillinc career taught other things thau the liquid tongue of Spain. For example, he bad tan girt the Bank of ! Chili thai; their "unforgeab'le " notes-, j which, it. was boasted, deiied photographic reproduction, <ould be turned mil by the tens of thousands, and that j tho six finis in which a. gold bond was j printed, offered no insuperable difficulty | Io a clever craftsman with an artist's '. eye. and a sense of colour. In Number 8 lived the two brothers Thomas and Fra-nci* Stockmar. of Austrian extraction, who wore described ;,s political but were undoubted-

ly of a peculiarly dangerous typo. Tlio Slock mans were dour, whiteiiUiod Jiieiij with short bristling hair, wore certainly the least presentable of all the colonists. Number 6 has been left to tho last, for this was tho most important house in Crime Street. It, was a storey higher than any other, built squarely, with no attempt at beauty. J.t is said that the third floor consisted of one room, and that from its ninny windows it was possible to command not only all tho approaches to the northern aide of the gardens, but those to the south ; it has even Ikm;n suggested that it was so planned, that in case of necessity tho house could be concerted into a fortress, from (ho third floor of which a. last desperate stand might bo made.. ’lbis, then, was Number 0, the abiding place of Colonel Viest hanger and liis brilliant nieceMichael Pro Lb or stoii was no stranger to Crime Street, Ho bud made many visits to this locality, a,ml it was at his initiative that', tho roadway of Arnberscombo Gardens bad been dug np ono lino morning by a gang of road-break-ers, and there had been, revealed that remarkable subterranean passage which connected tho one side of the street with the other. .Tho passago-way led from the snmiricr-honso in the gardens of the oval to a stable in. Number 3. The colonists, however, swore stoutly that (hoy knew nothing whatever of tho existence of this passage, and that it must have existed years before they came to the street. The civil engineer, Colling Jacques, pointed out to tho district surveyor that tho very character of tho passage suggested that this was some storm-water drain which had been laid down and forgotten by the con-* tractor. Or else it had been laid down in error and tho contractor had been either too la ay, or too rushed.', to break it up. There were many other explanations, none of which were wholly acceptable. Michael, swinging his stick, passed that portion of the road in which the passage had run, and wondered, with a reminiscent smile, where the new tunnel was, for that ihero was a new one ho did not doubt. Night was falling, and Dr Philip Garon’s dining-room windows blazed with light. Mr Mulberry's on tho right was more modestly illuminated. Mr Cunningham's house was in darkness, as also was ‘‘The Bishop’s." There were lights in the bedroom at Number 7, but Number 6 was black, as also was Number 8. He saw Millet,' who was smoking, standing at his garden gate, and crossed the road towards him, realising that the keen-eyed gentleman had already observed Iris presence. Millet., a florid man with a genial, almost fnl--I*oloo, manner, met him with a, friendly nod. : “ Good evening, Mr Pretherston,” he said. “I hope you arc not looking for trouble.” Michael leant on the top bar of the gate and shook his head. “I shouldn’t come hero for trouble,” he said. “ This is the most 'Jaw-abiding spot in London.” Mr Millet sighed, and murmured something about misfortunes which overtake manknd, and added a pious expression of his desire to forget the past and to end his days in that _seenr- . iby and peace which sin denies its votaries. “Very pretty,” said Michael blandly ; “ and how are all our good neighbours? J. was tliinking of taking a house here myself: by the way,” he added innocently, { 'l suppose you don’t know any that ai;e to let?” Mr Millet shook his head. ”1 am all alone here,” lie said. “If you were really serious about wishing to live in this neighbourhood, you could have a couple of rooms in my house. 1 should he honoured to act as your host, Mr Pretherston." “ And how is Kate?” demanded Michael, ignoring the invitation. “ Kate?” asked the puzzled Air Millet- “ Oh, you mean Miss Westbanger. I haven’t seen her for several days—l think it was last Tuesday afternoon I saw her last.” “ Yes. at 2.30 in the afternoon,” mocked Michael. “She was wearing a blue dress with whit© spots, anel a green hat with an ostrich feather. You remember her distinctly Because she dropped her hag and you crossed to pick it up. You needn’t start the alibi factory working; I have nothing against Kate for the moment.” Air Millet laughed softly. “You will have your joke,” he said- “ I will,” said Michael with grim emphsis,” hut it is going to be a long time developing. I haven’t seen the Stockmars lately, cither.” “I never see them at all,” Air Mil-* lot hastened to state. “I have very little in common with foreigners. "Whatever there is against me, Air Pretherston, T am a patriot through and through. lam proud to he English, and T don’t take kindly to foreign gentlemen, and never will-” “Your patriotism does you credit, Alillet,” said tho detective drily, as he prepared to move on. “ I wish you would he patriotic enough to give me a tip as to what game is. on.” HN lowered his voice. “ You know all that, is happening here, and you might do yourself a little bit of good.” “ If I knew anything." said the other earnestly, “ I would tell you in a. moment, Mr Pretherston ; “ but here 1 am, out of the world, so to speak, Nobody ever consults me, and I am glad they don’t. I want to he left alone to forget the past ” “ Cut all that Title Eva. stuff out, Undo Tom,” said Alichacl coarsely. Other eyes had watched Aliohael, from behind blinds, through unsuspected peep-holes; a dozen pairs of eyes had followed him as he took his slow promenade along Crime Street. Colonel West-hanger, a tall grey man, stood in that big room on the third floor of his house, his bauds folded behind him, his chin upon his breast, following every .'movement of the detective- Grcgori, handsome and lithe, stood at his dhow, shading the- glow 7 of hjis cigarette in the palm of his hand. “ Colonel nvio,” he said., softly, “1 would give much for an opportunity of meeting that gentleman in a nice dark passage, in one of those old Harrison Ainsworth houses which were so providentially built over a river.” “You will hare your wish one of these davs.” said the Colonel gruffly. “I don't like that fellow. He is not one of the ordinary run of polieeiuenThey arc had enough, but this fellow knows tqo much.” He nibbled his white moustache, shook his head and turned away from the window as Alichacl took Ins farewell of the forger. “ Watch him on the other side.” be said, “ and send one of the hoys out to follow him.” He descended the tlueklv carpeted stairs to the first floor, which was the living suite. The drawing-room in which he turned was a hoautifullv furnished apartment, and the girl who had been sitting at the piano, her nimble bands running over the keys, looked up as lie entered. (To be Continued.)