“THE MYSTERY OF THE MARSH"

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20076, 12 October 1920, Page 4

“THE MYSTERY OF THE MARSH"

—» 1 V (By JAMES BLYTRI A BEiVSAJIOXAL SIOEI OF ADVENTURE, CHAPTER Till.—Continued,' “ Aiud I've thought orer it. and I m pusuiv© that ho did mean to sma'h us up badly. And. Tom—l believe bo meant it for mo bonqu?e Oil. never -spund what. Vll (sil you some time or ether when live made an experiment °i r f' wo -„ ? ee ■' You don't mind if ] don t_tell yon for a bit, do vou?” " Ao, But hang it, Jim. if he really meant ‘to harm you, what a brute the man Piust be! I knew he Trahan oilt-j-idei;-, of course. But I did not think u© 'was .such a murderous swine aUi?:t.” , “ Ton’ve used the ft right word, Tam. 'Jurderous gets him in one. And I’ll ' col] you why before long.” „ Jinx did not wish to point out to tom. that she was an heiress. She knew ne had a very scrupulous sens© of . xotiour, and that it would be better for her chanceg of winning, him if his thoughts were distracted from her merits as a "match.” A moment of mtmtion had given her n. glimpse of Roger’s real intentions. She had nlrays loathed the man, and within the "'Vi ~d a rc ' s h fuel had been ’duod to the iircs of her hatred besides -ho outrage on the dam'.' It was wry pleasant for her tq bo. cotoring Tom along the quiet country i’oads. The sun was now past its sentn, and the little show of thaw which '.ad softened the hard road in a few ;poh; m the morning had how frozen gain. The surface of the highways was perfect going, and Jim’s 40 h.p. tenaidt ate up the _mi!es so swiftly 'hat she had hardly time to regret her eckless disregard of the law When she mas compelled to slow down on the outskirts of the old city. dho drove Tom straight to the lawcers’ office without having seen auythmg of the other party or Roger’s car. " I’ll wait here for you.” she said, as tom descended. “Oh, Toro, don’t be onger than you can help. It’s such a Ovely afternoon that wc might motor back the other May. I’ve got the olenots on and plenty of fresh carbide.'’ Tom looked hack at her, and for the third or fourth time that day he thought aow unarming, she had become. Now ■ hat she Am stirred to tight for a love •;he t but just realised. her instinct at once rendered her former disregard qt appearances a thing of the P U9 k j 1 6 b6fore lunch she bad looked well at herself in her glass, and decided, with justice. that she was better looking than her sister. " And looks go a long way with men,” the v, ise? maiden had muttei’ed, rather compassionately than disdainfully Instinctively she had attired herself to look her best, and 1 as she sat in her ff r > 111I 11 one of_ th&Jiusiest streets of Uie fine old city, the eyes of more men than one assured her that her pains, had been rewarded. She had caught a look in Tom’s eyes as he looked at her at the moment of Ins entering the office building which rejoiced her and made her radiance th<-. moro bnllinnt. f For Tom looked his tnought, that she surpassed her sister !’\ b , eai i L ?V But tlia t his love for Violet had been ,stimulated by Roar’s rivalry he . might have sworn fealty to younger sismv then and there. Vliat hindered him from doing -o, what still kept him tied to Violet’s apron-strings, .was that old. ahtio habit stimulated by tne knowledge that a rival was having his innings and doubtess making the most of it. .Nevertheless the strings which held him to Violet . were distinctly weaker than the-’ bad been when he- woke that morning, and it would not reouire a very power--1 break ‘them, i , Charles the cider the, two . pothers who formed the,. oM-cstablr-h-----pd arm, was a little white-haired, cleanshaven man of seventy. . He had the mobile Ups of the lawyer, i 3 x i * rf’ cub!)r ■ parchment-like skin, i fits‘blue eyes,' his -finely shaped delicate, features were rathfer" those of u scholar than of, a man whoso profession is one which tends to develop distrust and contempt of his fellowmen hks the law. Ip fact, he and eis brother Fred belonged to the ddmduoned school of country family solicitors, who rarely engaged in auv , litigation other than that of the Chani eery Courts, and whose work consisted ; r, nnoipally in conveyancing and in advismg comity families in domestic difficulties. Ao firm possessed or merited a better name than that of Nurse and : £ UT6 e. and, they disliked dealing with • -< n ?v of , tlle ftam » of Renton and l yabne, who made their money by lendmg, it, by undertaking police and county court work, and vho only happened to act for Roger Geldart because their forebears Renard and Fowler had acted for old Roger and his father in davs • before Renton bad been given his articles by John Fowler when the latter was the senile survivor of the firm. In the circumstances which had d<». velopbd. Roger could have found no more suitable firm. It was a case of like lawyer like client. Bo well were the principles of A’urse and Aurse known throughout the county that no one would have dared to go to them with any shadv work. Even then- own clients cmnloved Benton and vrabbe in matter? which involved trickcry nr dirty quihblinm and did so with the full approval of the Nurse brothers. Pr at least with ns much approval a * these worthy practitioners could afford ,'Tiiv con.duct or undertaking not sti-'ctlv nought. Fred, the younger of the partner' gave everyone the Impression +hat if he was not the twin of Charles, and be was not, lie ought t 0 w _ to see the two old gentlemen, bachelors bothy toddle home ;on emrh b ( her’s arm? was nA pleasant a. sight as could be found even in tbnt. dear old citv of pleasant sights. Their fVber and arnndfather had lived on Tomhlanri. mid the old boys never them of,f, 0 f mg any other abode (ban that in which thev were born Tom Spurred was, , 45 h ei . ec } int<l fhf . senior partner's room by a clerk as respectable in his wav ns either of the members of the firm. Elifah Fulton wore newer clothes and disnlaved mOro gold watch chain than either of his employers, but he had formed himWf on their admirable model. If thev might bo said to be bishops of the law I'niton was at least a. dean. ' ’ >" waiting to see you. Master Tom. - said old Fulton, v And 1 was to tell Mr Fred as coon as you or your father came.” *' But he is in tliere already. Your father could not come, sir? " I he is not prevented bv ill-health 0 The weather has been Irving for nmn f .P our age!” “ '* Tom chuckled. Old Fulton was V kact fifteen wears Older than the tquire, hut ho knew the old boy’s wave and replied '• Only a touch 'of gout’ Fviltou. Vhat’s up? Nothing M nou« I hope;"’ ■’ on r purse , d . llis !i P 3 axid looker] woiids of mjstonous meaning at tli* young client, ‘-7 must leave"the firm p tell you, sir But-perhaps lam at liberty to ca.v that jt. is nothing to the disadvantage of you or rour fnmilv ” He tapped discreetly at. a door at the end ot a long dark passage along winch Toni had followed him. “ Air Spurrell, junior,” he said, and clo«cd the door behind the client. r M'oR Tom, so it’s you.” taid Charles Aurse, shaking haiidu mth the yP u fehoTv before turning him over to Fred, Mip was stmhng the duplicate snnls of ms brother’s. ”p m pi-p i f .,, r fitUcr has oonhdesc. i. J,“ r Ihere la nothing,hke atFred? 1 ” busuiess oar,y in lifc ’ there, ! " Nothing/’ replied Fred.- " Hopyou are all- well, Tom. Father gouty' I suppose. 1 thought he looked a bit florid when I saw him in the market place last_ Satm-day. But conie ioi’s • get to business, T dare say your father told you wo wished to, sec one of vou shout this, eschanq-v of msrrkj.-nd whl.

tha replies to our requisitions on title "'6 mad© certain inquiries, and, my dfear boy. we’re come upon a. most sm> prising thing. Shall I tell the story, Cnarles, or will yon?” “You’ve started, you may as well replied tho older brother, “ill hold a watching brief.” “ D’y'ou .know who was old Roger GeldarVs heir in default of his haring issue?” asked Fred Nurse. “Nb, of course you don’t. Well, your father is. Look here. I’d bettor explain. _*'Tn IS3O, Roger Geldart. the father of the old Roger whe, died six years ago, married Wary Herring. They had two children, Roger and Wary, And Wary was your grandmother, as you ought to know. She married your grandfather in 1860, lour father' wa- hern in 1862, and married your mother, Cecilia .Pa tie ion, m 188 S. You, yon rascal, are one of the results of that marriage. You were born——' 1 t ■ '* * - aK)TV that.” laughed Tom. '1 forgot, though, that granny was the sister of old-Rogor, or no, I didn’tI. knew w© were _ cousins of young Roger, but I nereV exactly worked it out. sort of took it for granted, don’t von know. Rut what does it matter? Old Roger did leave issue, or if he didn't ho.left a will., But be left issue" of course. There was Sara, voun* Roger’s father, who was killed in the Boer War.” . . "Ah, my boy,” cried Charles Nurse, interrupting his brother, “ But was iiam a Geldart? Here, look at this pedigree and keep it before you,” He handed the young < fellow the paper of which a copy is given on the opposite page. Then he continued; "You know old Bussey, our clerk? He’a ninety and a bit over, and he remembers the tnnoi when old Roper brought Bam bom© as his son. But wait a bit. Old Roger, I mean the man who died about six years ago, was absolutely entitled to most of the Sedgehaiii pronerty, and could leave it to whom he liked. But the manor house and the manorial demesnes were only his for life, and went to hm heir in fail on his death. I dare say you remember that there was no love lo«* between old Roger and your family. Well, he married Lucy Biffin |n 18.6(5, and lived at Sedgeham with her till 1860. No child had been born by then. In 1860, h© went yachting with his wife. He had a fine ketchbuilt yacht of ninety tons. He, or rather they, were away for six years, and when they returned they brought Bam with thin as their son. He was always believed to be their son. They did not say much about his birth, but it was generally believed that lid wa-> born in the West of England in 1862. At all events, when they came back in 1866 ho was eaid, and looked, to he about four years old. Your father is not a suspicious man, nor one eager to remove his neighbours’ landmarks" i r to steal his property ” “ No. thank God,” sail Tom. “ And like the rest of us he accepted Sam ajold Roger’s son.” “ But even if he wax not.” said Tom, "what difference does it make, since old Roger left a will?” <f Aha. my boy. 1 hat js where a pretty bit of law comes in. Old Roger left all his property that he could leave to Sam. ‘To my son Samuel,’ are the words of his will. And when Sam was killed at Uolenso the eld man did not trouble to make a new will. No doubt be wished to save the lawyer’s fee. Ha! Hal Now take notice and r-ee how dangerous a little knowledge of i™ ''h’ -No doubt he knew that by the Willi Act if a man leaves property to a child, and that child dies in his lifetime, leaving issue, the gift to the cliikl does not lapse as it would in any other case, but is held to be good. Old Roger believed that as young Reger is undoubtedly the sou of Sam the will made in favour of Sam would operate for the benefit of voun® Roger, biivo Sam died intestate.' But, you see, tho Act onlv awlies to th« ease of tho gift to a. child. And Y barn was not old Roger's son the gift lapsed, and as -there i- no gift over ji e f B. ! °P CT *'y. E oes to the heir-at-law. that.As. to tour father. As for the entailed portion, the Manor House and the manorial demesne?, thev natural!v devolve oiT your father should we he able io prove that old Roger a*-a matter of fact died without Psue.” “Great Scott”’ cried Tom. ” Tio you mind going over that again?” ” The lawyers laughed, and again followed the track of the faniilv, a,vain explained the. operation of the Mills Act with reference to bequests or devjsos to a child who predeceases; the testator leaving, issue. Aud this -time lorn mastered it. “But- what on earth ’make'; you think that iSa.ru was not old Bowel's eon?” he asked. ~ “ Y© ought to have suspected it hetore.' said Fred. “Oh. ves w© ought. Charles, and anyone but, Tom Spurrell would nave been at us to inquire, into the thing before this. First of a U there was no sign of a child being born four years after old Roger’s marriage. Then he taken his wife- a.wAr on his yacht and disappears from th© ken of all his inends for six years. No one hereabouts seems to bare known wbev' j he was except his bankers and his law" vers. “Do you think thev knew auvihiuv about, it?” asked 7’onj. “Probably not.” replied the serinpartner, Yhat do you think, Frc-d?” I don t s?.© why ho should ha.ve taken them info hi? confidence,” sail the latter. "He would ba-e. boon afraid that someone would blackmail him. No, I dtoi’t Relieve he let anyone know except the peor-le from whom he got the ehikl. and the skipper of Ins yacht, Fphraim Berry.” ‘ But I don t understand now,” pprsisted Tom . “ If ho could make a will and Rare Ins property ns he chose, whv Ii Bie Mother to pretend tlie child was his when it was rot? And how is it that it has cropped up now, After all these years;’’ The two-lawyers exchanged a look of patient endurance. Those laymen, they thought were very thick-headed, t red explained. “You forget that the Manor House mid it s demesnes were entailed. Ami I believe eld Roger had enough of the county spirit to care mere for those (ban for the other estates, which had not been in,the Geldart family so longAs Iye said, was no love lost between him and ’ your grandfather, there was somo unpleasantness about vour grandmother's settlements, and no doubt, ho .remembered, though -.-our father seemed to hare forgotten, 'that your father would come into the Ssdcebam manor unless he. I mean Sid Roger, left issue. He thought j; would bo safe, and by George, ho was nearly right. I happen to know that the bank here has lent large sums to young Roger on the deeds of tbs Sedgeham ©state, and that- he has managed to raise loans at exorbitant interest even from a London Jewish moneylender- They saw old Roger’s will. Sara had always' been accepted as the old man’s sOn. and it was taken for granted that th© clause orthe Wills Act would operate and that all would pass to young Roger except the half, i fLar© in the ..personalty to' which his sister was entitled—l mean, would have been entitled if-she had reallv been old Roger’s granddaughter.” “ Oh, my poor head.” groaned Tom, laughing. “Well, I think I’ve £o i, that Just let vac see. If the chap pho was killed at Colenso had reallv been old Roger’s son, tbs title would bo .all right. If he was not, it’s all wrong. That is what- it comes to, isn’t it?” “TVs, if you don’t want- to go int i the- niceties of the ]e£al question,” said Charles Nurse, laughing. “But what- put you on tho track?” asked TomCharles took up the tale. CTo b© continued.)