“THE BLACK OWL”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17829, 24 April 1926, Page 23

“THE BLACK OWL”

"STAR'S" NEW SERIAL

[By

William Le Queux.

CHAPTER XIII. (Continued.) “Well, sir, if I didn’t do it, they would have to get it somewhere, go j further and fare worse, I should say. And if I do charge 'em a bit for it, it’s better in my pocket than theirs. The}' throw their money about, I keep mine—that’s the difference between us. And you must remember, Mr Marsden, 1 have- big losses at times. That old villain. Campion, you remember him, the oily old rascal, lie let me in for a cool fifty that he wheedled out of with his plausible tongue. Only last week, Mr Fawcett bunked off to Canada without a word of warning with ten of the best out of my pocket.” Marsden laughed at the hall porter’s spirited defence of fiis methods. “I said you were a shrewd fellow, so you are. You make those who pay compensate for those who don’t. So our reticent friend wanted you to lend him a bit.” “Yes, sir. lie started with a tenner, then, getting desperate, he came down to a fiver. I could see all the time he was frightfully keen on getting it; that it was a matter of the utmost importance to him. He told me had unexpectedly run short, that a big remittance was coming to him very shortly; it might be here in a week, perhaps not before a fortnight, but he could guarantee it wouldn’t be longer.” This was news indeed! Attwood so hard up that he had to beg desperately for a fiver! Evidently he had beggared himself that night at the gaming table, when he had passed Marsden on the stairs of the night club in a dazed condition. “Did he say where the remittance was coming from?” “Yes; I asked him that, and he said it was coming from a friend in Italy. I asked him if the friend happened to to be the lady whose cheque I had changed for him previously. lie said no, another person altogether.” Evidently a blind, thought Marsden. Attwood did not wish to bring in Mrs Winterton’s name too much. A friend in Italy, forsooth! A curious coincidence that the lady happened to be there at this particular time!

“And what did you do, let him have it, or refuse?”

“Well, sir, I let him have five, rather against my better judgment, for he may be off to-morrow and I’ll never set eyes on him again. You see, nobody knows what the man is, anything about his position. But he was so persistent and'so confident of getting this remittance that I gave way. There’s been nothing against him since he joined the club. He’s spent a good lot of money here, and paid up always on the nail. Ali the same, I shall be easier in my mind when I see that five pounds back.” Marsden thought a good deal over this revelation of the American’s financial condition. He felt certain in his own mind that Mrs Winterton was the -source of his income. But how was that suspicion, so deep that it amounted to certainty, going to help him? CHAPTER XIV. Owing to the influence of the eldest 1 Miss Kenworth, Wroxail, usually so indifferent to the seductions of female society, found himself rapidly becoming quite a lady’s man. This agreeable and vivacious girl thawed his natural reserve and drew him out of himself. Fraser, absorbed as he was in his own unhappy thoughts, discerned the : phange in his friend and rallied him on it. i Wroxail did not attempt to deny * the charge that he was deeply interestj ed in Miss Kenworth, that she was the ’ only woman he had met who had made him think of matrimony. At the same time,, he was troubled with certain doubts, and these he frankly communicated to his-sympathetic listener. “I’m glad we can have a talk over the subject, Guy; you know the parents intimately, and your opinion will be valuable to me. I am very attached to Kate—Miss Kenworth perhaps I should say—and without vanity I think she is not indifferent to me What about Kenworth himself? An agreeable old gentleman on the social side, but evidently a high-and-dry old Tory of the die-hard sort, immensely proud of his family and his position as a country gentleman. You have told me that in his heart he considers his sister lowered herself by marrying your father because he happened to be in commerce. What do you think would be his attitude towards me if I asked him point-blank for his daughter?” “Have you yet definitely spoken to Kate on the subject?” was Fraser's very natural question. Knowing Wroxall’s highly honourable nature, the ansewer did not surprise him in the least. “ Xo, nothing absolutely definite; I did not think it fair to do so until I was more sure of my ground. Ido not suppose for a moment she is ignorant of my feelings; every woman knows if a man has serious intentions, in such cases she is instinctively more sure than a man.” Wroxail paused for a moment, and then added with a touch of humour that was rare with him: “Of course, I,am quite aware of my disqualifications from the point of view of a man like Kenworth. I can boast of no family, 1 come from verv homely middle-class stock; none of my people have ever married into outlying branches of the aristocracy like his—the good old gentleman mentions these little matters now and again, as von know, and no doubt is proud of them. My prospects at the Bar are certainly

good; money and reputation may be mine in the immediate future. But I can't help fancying that in his eyes a long descended' squire, even with a small rent-roll, would be a much more eligible suitor than a hard-working and successful barrister. You know him better than I do, or ever shall. Give me your candid opinion.” And Fraser gave it without a moment’s hesitation.

‘ If there were no heavy taxation, especially super-tax, and my uncle was still at Market Harborough consorting with his fellow-squires, a little king amongst them—candidly I. don’t think you would stand much chance. lie would probably insist upon Kate selecting a husband from the sacrosanct caste which he firmly'believes is the backbone of England. Rut, as you know, things have changed so wonderfully with him.” 2 y° u think he has changed with “ My dear Hubert, it is inevitable. If the young men whom he would choose are to keep their heads above water, they must marry money themselves; they can’t afford to fall in love with penniless girls. The estate is strictly entailed, and except for a rather heavy life insurance he will leave nothing. My aunt has a little income of her own which she can dispose of as she likes, but it won’t amount to much when split up amongst them. Therefore I say, make sure of Kate first, if you are not already sure, and then tackle the old man. I don’t think he’ll say no, and if he wanted to, my cousin is too sensible a girl to let him. She has a weakness for brains and clever men who can make their own way and she was never greatly enamoured of a country life. with its dullness and stagnation. She’s quite a modern young woman and has no respect for old-fashioned notion's.” Greatly encouraged by this excellent advice, Wroxall overcame his doubts, took his courage in both hands, assured himself of Miss Kenworth’s sentiments in the first place and then went to her father with a full statement of his present income and encouraging prospects. Whatever might have been that gentleman’s private feelings on the subject, there was no lack of cordiality in his reception of the somewhat diffident suitor. Pie gave his consent without a moment’s hesitation, feeling assured that by so doing he would be ensuring his daughter’s happiness. Kate was a firm believer in her lover’s talents, and felt confident that in due course he would occupy a distinguished place in his profession. If she did not quite dare to hope that he might become Lord Chancellor, she was sure of nothing less satisfactory than a judgeship. To her sisters, girls like herself of the modern type, she expressed her decided preference for a man of brains, bound to carve out a career for himself, instead of a stodgy young squire whose interests were limited to hunting and livestock. As the. parents had no wish to insist upon a long engagement, the young couple were to be married at the end of six months. Guy Fraser was to be best man. While the course of true love was running so smoothly for the ambitious young barrister, Marsden was keeping his watch upon Pearson and cursing that astute individual for baffling him so completely. Would the tide never turn in his favour? Well, about three nights after he had held that conversation with the hall porter about Attwood, he did discover something that led him a step more forward. He had followed the butler to his usual restaurant in Soho, and on this particular evening history repeated itself in the usual monotonous fashion. Pearson sat at a small table by himself, drinking a considerable amount, as was his custom, and so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hardly cast a gjance round the room. Suddenly a slight diversion broke the monotony of the scene. A boy messenger in uniform entered the room, had a quick talk with one of the waiters, then advanced towards Pearson’s table and handed him a telegram. Marsden could form a shrewd gueSs at what, had'happened. He had left word at' the hotel that any telegram was to be taken to him at the resaurant by a messenger, to whom they could give a description of his appearance sufficient to render identification easy. To save himself the trouble of looking about in a fairly crowded room, the boy had detailed the description to the waiter and been directed at once to Pearson’s table.

The butler opened' it, the messenger standing in front of him for the purpose of taking back a reply. When he had read it' his brows knitted themselves together in deep thought; it was easy to see that the message had very much disturbed him. Presently looking up, like a man from an unpleasant reverie, he became aware of the waiting boy. Slipping a shilling into his hand, he waved him away. Either there was going to be no answer, or else it was one that could not be given on the spin' of the moment.

Five minutes elapsed, during which he sat in the same brooding state, helping himself now and again to the big bottle of wine before him. Then he beckoned the waiter, and said something to him in a low voice. Presently the man returned with a small sheaf of telegram forms. Evidently he had resolved upon his answer. But it took him along time to write it out, and when he had finished it did not express exactly what he wanted it to.convey. He began to tear.it up, then, recollecting where- he was, folded it up and put it in fhis breast pocket, where he had already consigned the telegram. lie took a second form, and and this time was more successful. When it was ready he summoned a youth of about eighteen, rather a stupid looking young fellow whose duty it was to go out and purchase any liquid refreshment required by the customers, the restaurant having no license to sell alcohol in any form. lie slipped a coin in his hand and handed him the message obviously with the view of taking it to the nearest telegraph office. Marsden felt in a pleasurable state of excitement while this little scene was being enacted. That telegram had doubtless come from a person connected with the business that detained Pearson in London, and to judge by his worried aspect something had occurred in that business which perturbed him greatly. At the end of about a quarter of an hour the butler beckoned the waiter, paid his bill and left the restaurant. Marsden waited a few minutes, then proceeded to follow his example, save in .one respect. He did not actually leave the premises, but waited at the door to intercept the rather stupidlooking young man who had pust gone out on one of his usual errands to the wine Shop close at hand. (To be continued.)