“THE CLIFF – PATH MYSTERY.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16876, 30 October 1922, Page 11

“THE CLIFF - PATH MYSTERY.”

CUE SERIAL.

BY

HEANDON HILL.

CHAPTER XV U—Continued.

Enid Raven was standing on the prevent her return should she so detire And that she did so desire uas evident from the shrinking glances she was casting at a bearded ship s officer who was half-way down the laddei, coming to meet het - . , The shout from Nasymtli s launch shattered the grouping as by the twist of a kaleidoscope. hierre l.educ released his hold on the ladder and, lumping to Ins wheel, sent ha ,-wol peeding towards the bows of the vpriu. The bearded officer, with obviously assumed carelessness, remounted the ladder to his own spa cions deck. V.d Enid waved a joyous hand to the second launch which in ten seconds occupied the place so recently vacated by the first one. Nenrlv a case ot ‘once on board the lugger.’ ” she murmured ns Thorpe helped her down on to the cushioned **'*• You are a naughty girl,” lie said, tut at sight of her twitching face he withheld fmthei reproaches. C'earlj she realised the danger she had incurred. In tact she admitted as mum bv pleading that it was The Serpent, .Mr Lucius Scverin’s yacht. 1 cat »as the last word spoken during the return t n the shore, foi the eve; of Thorpe and Nasmyth were readin ■ • inisl i r signifies nee in the movements of the two vessels which had liven them such a bad quarter of an h,,i lr . l.:i Petroleuse was making tor Otter Point and. even ns they looked, rounded it and thus passed out of sicht together with her opportune voting pilot. Whether Pierre heduc r.r.d his lively craft were later on swallowed in the maw of The Serpent cannot vet be recorded, nor is it material The young Frenchman with the j convict’s limp had failed and doubtless i h- was dealt with according to his de- ; sorts by a master who was not tolerant of failure. for The Serpent herself she oehaved ns innocently ns if there had been no connivance with tne r renchmnn. She proffered no evidence ot evil intent by a hasty flight, nor did ,sh<- hold, any communication with the shore. Remaining in the bay all the afternoon, she was still there when [ riight fell, though by sunrise she had ! vanished. At noon next day she aa- | chored at Weymouth, whence her arj rival was duly telegraphed to Seot- ! land Yard. “ j In the meanwhile the Colonel - l I launch was beached and her three pas--1 sfneers walked towards the hotel. I ! Thorpe tendered thanks for the loan of L i the resening craft, but Nasmyth recoived them almost in silence. His { manner was abrupt to the verge of. discourtesy. Tt was only when they reached the hotel and ho was saying goodbye after declining an invitation tc Come m for a cup of tea that Thorpe , began to gei a. sense of his mood. >• In his stately way the iron-grey soldier bowed over Knid’s hand. [ “ J am glad to have been of use jdi«=s llaven - it 1 have been of use.” h» said. ‘‘ 1 cannot quite credit all the 1 norrora our friend Thorpe anticipated tut we will let that go. I hear thai you have most generously espoused mi cause by actively denouncing my do tractors here. AY hat I want to beg o , you is to let the wolves tear me tt * their hearts' content. And for tlii l reason—] do not deserve your chival rous efforts on my behalf.” I, K.nid opened her mouth 10 reply, but f os she said long afterwards, she onl; 9 i succeeded in gaping like a Tush. Th i J Colonel, with a sad smile, left her sc and raising his cap walked away. Th • ! girl, fearing recriminations from th 9 other partner in her rescue from v.lia was at any rate an unpleasant predic-a mem. fled into the hotel and was see no time till dinner-time. when sh _ turned up with a lurking devil in he * eye and apparently forgetful that sh had “cut Such a >orry figure on th ! bottom rungs of The Serpent's accon: I, ; modation ladder. Thorpe followed her into the liote his thoughts busy with the owner of th

mi' ous\ ini tne owner ox tin' ij. \acht lying to in the bay. ’Where was t Air Lucius Severin’' What would ho ( have done if his scheme to gain posfc’sion of Knid Haven had succeeded? That could not bo answered, but he would certainly h«* interested in the result of bis scheme. Thorpe lvad confidence in Repton, and ho guessed from the warning telegram that the inspector had made discoveries in London ; which confirmed his own intuition that *, St venn was the moving spirit in the ttram a that had swooped on Bit:-ton-on- ! Soa. On entering the hall of the hotel ; Thorpe went to the bureau and asked the manageress if she knew where "Mr Sever in was. The reply was rather startling, as indicating that the event o» the afternoon had quicklv influenced [ho financier’s actions. Air Sevenn had given up his room, paid his bill and left the hotel with his luggage in his own car only ten minutes ago. He ha-1 mentioned that he should sleep at Salisbury that night and proceed to ) 1 ondon on the following day.

• Very sadden, wasn’t it? ’* exclaimed Tliorpe. • X.ol altogether,*’ replied the lady. *•' Mr Scverin sarr notice this morning that lie might be leaving in the course of the day . He that it would depend upon circumstances.” W ith a lively appreciation of wliat those circumstances were Thorpe went, •nto the smoke-room and lighted his oipc. It was fairly clear that Sever in had schemed to get Enid on to his yacht, and that he had laid his plans co cover the contingency of cither success or failure. That the latter had been his lot observation from the hotel windows would have shown him and he had departed before he could be taxed with the initiation of the attempt. What lie would have done if his rash young accuser had been shipped on The Serpent was a problem that could not now be solved. He might hare gone off to the yacht in one of her own boats or he might have joined her father along the ceast. v>r he might not have joined her at all, leaving his officers and crew to bear the responsibility in the improbable event of the girl having been seen to board j the vessel. (To b« continaed.l