"CRAZY QUILT."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19811, 1 December 1919, Page 4

"CRAZY QUILT."

By FERGUS HUMB

Author of "The My story of a. Hansom Cab " The Spider ” " The Grey Doctor ” "Rod Money," etc., elo., cto. ( 4 & eeeeeeeeecfccccee©

CI I AFT EH XXIV. "I was sick nf {.lie sipjit of' him." declared Cannork bluntly. '"'So I pm« I him .'i fluMiuc for a thousand pounds | and font, him down 1(i puek'hr.ry In j marry his Sarah Anno. His moth'T j can join him there when her eambliu::: ; ,;iM'*is diS;!OS.~d Ol'. ••;, lh.lt- Will ]>"■ till l i cmk! o!' llir.ni both." " Arc you hy yourself here then y" "Oh. I've jml, in a temporary man i for ;i lew r]ny:.. i',i:l I'm Hi i r'wo up this thil imnic.-ii:ilr!y -ml i'oricit i'-ic rent. J can't >i:iy ''ere after nil the trouble. ?•* flats can hi' haunted there' -.\ill he three umpiiot spirits | j .Imljiim: yound here. I don't waul to r-ee I'iiie. or Houston, or the woman as ghosts. so I'm off." " I'll take oil the lease, if you like," said Claud unexiK'cted'v. . ••Will you. Why?" " Well, I nm siek of Unit lady whoso paying guest, I am." " Howare of widdrrs, Samuel. f:>>s Mr teller," remarked Cannock with n laucli •• r'.xaetly. Not that she wants me ! to marry her. hut --he would like to pel*; j me for our- of her dauehtor.s. in spiT-f lof my had he.ilth and my profession I as a. detective, whieh sh« had ihe im- ■ i pudence io sav she would exnise. ' "Oh, she h-K '••r.oken out. then?" Cininoek laughed .1! 'he consternation 011 ihe face of the little man's face. "Ye?. That \i why I'm anxious, to take over your tint The widow en me to the point (luring the week, m.>. frankly said that she. wished to have, me for her ?nn-in-knr. I. gave her notice, so if this flat "Oh, ynij can have it. 1 ' cried pmnoek generously. "I'll make it a I present to you, fcrnituvo. loa-o and ! everything else, save my personal rtfecis. And the sooner yen enter into possession the hotter ] shall he pleased." * •'Oh, Crazy. I couldn't, accept such a rich gift. 1 ' " Bosh! I have plenty of money anil am only too glad to do something for von. Jimmy. You have given me an exciting time hy taking me into this business, and 1 owe- you something for the •I'nn." , , , , " But. 1 fhotH'M' y° ll feather-headed and an impulsive I a penitent look. I Cannock laughed and leaned forward Ito pat, his friend on the shoulder. •• Bless you. Jimmy, J have known your opinion of me since sehool-d.iys. Hut I got the better of you, after ,ili, didn't \Y .Mean of me to crow," added Canuock with twinkling eyes. " lint you deserve it, you know." "Yes. 1 do," admitted, the. detective honestly. "It is. due to you that, the mystery, has been solved. II you hadn't- connected Paddocks with tlu> crime in this flat. 1 should never have stumbled on the truth." ,( Stumbled is 11 good -word," said the. other reflectively. '" llunstoii was very nearly being too clever tot us." "He, wouldn't have, been too rioter lor Madam Jane." retorted Gland sharply. "She only bided her time to K'ttle him. Hut what you did. Crazy, wa.s to put me on the scent and anticipate her coming back as. she told you • to see justice done. She wanted to marrv Pine, and .she hated Jhinrluti." " Why that last?" " He tried to swindle, her over the 7,0e House business, which paid band over fist. In fact, he took most of thft profits and that is why the woman is so hard up now that she can't pay any I line. Hut, she got. even with Huns-

ton. All. ball!" ad clod l-land with n: [nnk (if disgust, and rising .'lowly " I'm vick of his mime. Let us forgot lijui." . "By nil menus." Cannock ros* aki. ' "Hut it- will bo difficult. It isn't, a nice thing for you nnd I to Jimvc to hunt clown an old school-friend lor muidct, 1 wish it had been ativ olio else." "' was never my frir-nd and ho never was yours," said Gland tartly, "so don't lot your kind heart play the deiicp with your bead, Crazy, as it i» always doing. You arc ever so much bettor than you were, but now that •lollis lias .£ono 1 don't know but what you won't drop back into your old easylining ways, which make you the victim of evcryont. After all. .lollis had his faults, hot ho was the drag on the. whirling whool of your impetuosity." "')h. Miss Swain will assume the position of clraj;, vie Jollis . kicked out.'' " Wnat!" Gland stopped forward and look bis friend's hand. "' Do yen; mean to say that you are in love?" "Mead over heels; up to the neck fathoms deep." said Cannock witu assumed lipdrlnoss, but real onrnestnoß? " She i>n*t m> yoiiiii' as Pauline, or sc pretty, luil she is the one woman n l.ho world for mo." ' '' Don't be impulsive. Crazy. Yoi have only known her a short finm. ' "Moments lu</ as years, as Kosi.t; says." replied the younr; man {roily " Hut: perhaps she won't have mo, ym know. Anyhow, .funuiy. I'll let yoi ; know if she rloes. and then you ear in- iiest man at my woddinjr." " AYhat about Maxwell being youi best man?" Oh. lip is to lie a bridegroom next wool;, and I ean't ;_ r ol married so quickly :is that. Eleanor- hor name i: I'.lcjiiior won'; make me happy unti she 'onsiclers if I am worthy of happino's. Tt is T that am to be ''est mar at the wedding of Max and Pauline You are to be asked also. Jimmy." "So that's settled." commontei Gland thoii!_dit fully. "Yes. And it is noees-ary to settle il speedi',-. ; a- Pauline hasn't a home nor lias .Kle-inor." " Have they left Paddocks;" "Ae>. V.'hile you wore busy jiettin; the iiif|Ues! over and ihoSe Iw'o'~bodie<

buried, and the scandal hushed up ,: I didn't hush it up." "Oh. my dear man' you did: the worst liiivt of it. anyhow, andvery wisely, too. in inv opinion. But don't fly iifr at a tangent that's my vice, mil. yiiius. As I say. while you wore spilling things in town T wont to Palldocks and found various humble and needy rolalives of Pine's were descrinlinr; in swarms on the place. They i claim cverythina and like locusts will oat up everything;.'' "But I inidi-r.stoi.Kl tliai- Sir Felix died witliout making a will." "He did- Therefore tho locusts will share the spoil between them. They wore extremely rude io Pauline nnil I'.leanor. as suph people would he. accusing them of beine; intruders, and hinting that they were feathering their |"iwii nests. So l" induced the twir.hidies to pack tlifir boxes, and t.hen escorted Iheni to town, where they are now settled in fairly coinfortahln lorlpings. T am {mine; there thift afternoon. You ■ come also." . " Xot. me." C-iland shook his little brown head. " Mr.x will be making ' lovo to one ladr and vou fo the other.'; "It is possible.'" s.aicl Cannock Raily. " T>en probable." "Tben wbere do,T come in?" " As gooseberry _ as chaperon—as. the onlooker who pops' most of tlW' game, old son. However, vou needn't come unless you like. T dare say I'd foe! envious ami out of it in your nosition.' since in this case four is company awl five—-mennine: you. Jimmy—-is a oon- • founded nuisance. Rut if vou are reallv serious about Ibis flat, f hope you'll take it off uu bauds, The Uindlord is

uncommonly disagreeable, saying all that Ims happened lately is bad for liis property, as if 1 could help it- - ' "I sympathise with the landlord." said Jimmy, noddinj: his head. " And perhaps if 'Make the. fiat il will improve matters. So you ean hand it over to me. Crazy, only let me pay you J something- I can't accent it wholly | as n K ifi '" " , i " Uh. very well. Jusl as you please," answered the oihev lightly and with, a 1 shrug. " I'ay me a million, or nay me a penny. ' It's all one to Dandy'--I spare von the Scotch.'" "Crazy, you're madder than usual. What are vmi talking about ?" "Coy Mannering. if you have over n redd thai story, which T see win . [ t j haven't, or you'd understand the ipmintion. I wMi you'd say M'imolhinv new, .I'immy. 'Witii your ' madder than' ever' you repeat yourself like history or the enel-.ini in a most unoriginal manner. Bui. <-oriouslv speaking "■ ■■ CannoeU buttonholed the little man, as he v:is mcving towards the duel •- •' aliswr.;- me one fple.-tiojl.'' " \\'h;\\ i- ii ?" "How did Shard ,eomc lo give evidence thai UuivMoii was at the office all the time v,hen he knew he wasn't?" "He-did net know. Hun-ten a>ked Shard to loo!: no some documents in j the lia.-emeut, knowing that t!m occnnation miolil keep the old man there ; lor hiuirs. 'I hen. while he van sii|i- : posed tn In' working hi hi'- own room, t he slipped away cither hy la\i or train g io Mail's Court, did what he wanted . to do and relumed to look up Shard J and ask if he had I mind what was J wanted. Naturally Shard had no siis- ; pieinn and honestly deposed that hi? ! master was in the olhVe the whole j time." "I sec," Cannock nodded. "What a clover scheme!'' i | "Oh. Hun-ton too clever and' over-reached himself. Bui 1. wish you'd ] stop talking about hini ; Crazy. He's • dead and buried and has paid for his i crime in tlm eye lor the »\vo way. In ! mooting with the same death he gave j lo that wretched woman. Lot ns furi get him-" I " ThaL isn't envy to do. Jininiy. | However, let u--. hope that the evil he | ha'; don- is liuricd with him. I'm gn- , ing lo turn over a new page in my ; hook of life, and begin with the nine- | riao-p ceremony." j Cland laug'iied and opened the door |"'T hop" you'll he happy. But with i your nature Miss Swam might 1 as well marry a lly." " .Vh. you're jealous!'-' Cannock i laughed, and v;;ii still lanvhing when Gland went- away. CITAPTRR XXV. MI!S CllA/V-linT.T. It ryjuired all Miss Swain's firirmos-! and to manage-! Pauline | during the auxiuu* days which followed j Pine's untoward deafii. The keystone ! had fallen out of the arch, as it. were, I and everything wast in rums owing to ilip want ol' a controlling niithuuty. 'l'he servants did not know it' they , would gel. their wages paid, the trade,-,- ■ men became doubtful about the dis-' charge of their accounts, which had no foundation in tact. Pauline, tioroj- i particularly strong-minded, collapsed . altogether ;ntd retired to hod. She i would neither eat nor drink, hut lay : for hours sobbing and lamentinc;. In ; her own shallow way she. had been very ' fond of Sir Felfx, and his death, to- : gether with the terrible circumstances. : attending it. made her reiiHy ill. it : was a mercy (hat Eleanor Swain was at hand to tako command. j This the secretary did, as soon .'is tho : first, feeling of dismay was at. an end. ; She regretted the passing of the philan- '• thropist.-who had been her good friend: ami kind employer, but thought that,she would serve his memory better by! attending to needful matters than hy j wasting her time in useless lainenta \ (ion. With her usual promptitude i she sent, n letter to Hunston, Crimwade and Hunston, the. linn who at j tended to iPne's business, and asked ! for some one to conic down. Then j she pacified the servants; reassured tin- , | tradesmen, a',nd rebuked tho villagers] for their wild tales, which were mostly ' I composed of lying rumours- .Mr Grim- I wade, the second partner in the firm. I came down as soou as he could manage | to 'get a/way from Loudon, lor natural- : ly, since tho junior partner -vas dead and the senior partner in bed from the shock, he. had much to do by himself. However, he managed to take a day ofl : . and pay a hurried visit to Paddocks. ) Eleanor welcomed biin with joy, the I mor.o so hecause her difficulties' had I been increased by the descent of' Pities, . relations. They came from DueksImry in shoals, ami camping in the vil- , la go, made themselves uncommonly disagreeable. Leaving Griniwa.de to I deal with these harpies, the secretary ' shook Pauline into something like ' common-sense, and began to plan and ' think what was to he done. The girl 1 bad not a penny to live on. aiuf it was impossible to leave'her at Paddocks, which, would shortly bo looted 1 by the relatives of the; late owner s So Eleanor decided to take, charge ot 5 Paulino for the time being, until sho could give, her into the care, of .Maxwell. .Miss Swain being of a saving 1 nature bad a tolerably large bank balance, so there, was no need to txoiibla « over money. 1 Pine was buried in a London ceme. tery. and his many relations went to '• the funeral to bask in the reflected - glory of the one great man their clan • had produced. The obituary notices " in. the newspapers were fairly eulogis'i lie. although the deaf], o f. the philanthropist ami the crime he had eom i mitter) immediately before, bis .death rather damped the enthusiasm of the, s writers. However, they dealt with • the memory of the mmi as kindly as ii possible, ascribing--as has been said il his rash deed m madness. So Felix ri Pine passed away from hi? generation, and bis relatives secured what was lefr of hi< foriune, nuile ignorant, that such fortune did not belong to him. Gland t , indeed <|uo«tioned whether the truth - j should not. have been. t01d...50 that anv s I relatives of Hurst might benefit., lint--1 | an inquiry revealed that there was no -1 one belonging to him left alive. t( > i j (''bind, along with others who knew the • , dead man's secret, agreed that it was j best t" let things remain as rimy were. 'j In thi>. way Pine's memory was saved -and his needy relatives benefited to 'a larger extent- than they deserved. ' I (To he continued.)