"THE WEB."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8870, 2 November 1907, Page 2

"THE WEB."

CHAPTER XVIII.-Continued. "Miss Elders is aware of your absence already. We called there and found you had gone. When we got no answer here, we suspected foul play, and we made ojr way in to find some possible clue as to your whereabouts, because wa felt it to be a matter of liie and death." The girl dropped into a chair and murmured a ha«ty apology. "I'm afraid I am a little ungrateful to you all," she said, "but Oh, if you only knew." "Why no*; tell us at once; you know you promised me." "Yes, I promised you, and you also promised to give me a week. Only two days have elapsed yet, scarcely two in fact, and I implore you to let us both keep to our bargain." "But what is to become of those confounded blackguards from whose clutches we rescued you last night? Are they to get off scot free? At least you can tell us where they are, ' and why they gagged and bound you." "A week, you promised a week," repeated the girl stolidly, and not a word more in further elucidation of the mystery could Strangways extract from her. "I must be getting back to Esther.,'" she said after a pause. "1 must raot stop here any longer, or " She shuddered as thougha terrible fear had come over her, and moving into the inner room she hastily gathered up the papers which the detective had noticed on the table. While she was gone Medhurst whispered— "Ask her about her uncle. Tell her you met him yesterday." Jack when the lady reappeared he assumed an air of ordinary friendship. "If we may, we will accompany you back to Whitworth Mansions, Miss Rentoul. By the way, can I take any message to your uncle for you? Mr Beeton introduced me to him yesterday." "My uncle"—she stammered. "Yes, Mr Peter Tidey. I had the pleasure of a long conversation with him- * Beeton.just introduced us, and then hearing from him that you had started for America, he bolted away to get a special, train to Southampton; but I'm afraid he will find a difficulty in reaching here via St. Pancra§. However, he ran off declaring he would get a special train there somehow, and your uncle and I got separated in the crowd. I presume it is because he was under the impression you had left for Southampton that you have not thought it necessary to communicate with Mr Tidey before." White to the lips, she watched him as he said this, and Medhurst in turn was carefully watching her. "My uncle,and I," she said tremulously, "have nothing in common—now. It is unnecessary to communicate with him.'" "Oh, as you please," replied Strangways carelessly; "you are quite sure there is nothing else we can do for you."' "No,'do„ nothing, nothing; only leave me alone for a day or two, and I promise you I will help you if I can." "You will pardon me, perhaps, worrying you at this moment," Medhurst remarked simply, "but Mr Strangways has forgotten one little thing, although I don't wonder at it, seeing that he has so much worry, what with one thing and another. Knowing that you had been in this country some time " "Oh dear no, I in this country more than a week or two," she replied. , - "Oh well, I meant, seeing that you have come from America and know all about the boats, perhaps you could tell me, for a cousin of mine, whether it was last June or July that there was that big storm when one of th 3 liners was held up just off the American coast. My cousin's husband was on board, and she is not quite sure about him. He is a careless sort of a man, and doesn't write letters. Indeed, there never was a worse man for writing letters than Joseph. I assure you. he's been gone sometimes six months without ever ; sending a line, and he's got a good appointment as steward. My cousin : doesn't read the papers herself, and 1 didn't quite know whether it was his < boat or not." i Strangways was getting impatient • at all this meaningless rigmarole, ' but Miss Rentoul listened with an < indulgent smile as the man, awkwardly twirling his hat, grew elo- : quent over the domestic peculiari- ' ties of his relatives. "I'm afraid I can't help you very i much," she said. "I was in America at the time, I dare say, but I don't < remember any particualr storm. The ; boat we came over with three weeks I ago I know had a splendid voyage. You would perhaps see by the newspapers that we had a record run." "Well, I can't say I did. To tell the truth, miss, I never do read the papers. I sometimes get the Weekly Po:,;. and, begging Mr John's pardon i't rrentioning it, I didn't even sea Iho account about his father's death last March till I got the next week's paper. Perhaps, miss, you read all about it?" "No", I was too busy to read newspapers at that time, even if it did get into the New York newspapers, which I very much doubt." "Oh, but" the papers here, I believe, made a lot of it." "I'm afraid the papers make a lot of most "things," chimed in Jack, who had been fretting and holding the door open while this tantalizing delay had amused Miss Rentoi/1. "I'm afraid-my friend has become a little talkative," he whispered to the •lady as she stepped out into the passage. ' ' "Not at all—quite a'pleasant little

PAUL U&QUHART.

[Published sßys Special A wiangemekt.] [All Eights Reserved.]

interlude—and a* such a relief" she said lightly. "Now, if you will put me into a cab, I can find my way to Esther's quite easily, and I need not keep you off your own affairs any longer." Strangways was about to protest, but Medhurst gave him a warning kick. "What nonsense you were talking about that precious cousin of yours; I thought you were in a huny," said Jack testily when he and Medhurst stood again alone, "Perhaps it was nonsense," replied the man smoothly, "but perhaps you observed from it that she was not in England at the time of your father's murder. Moreover, you also noticed that she only arrived here three weeks ago, so her association with the Patriarch and his gang on English ground is not a very extensive one." "1 could have told you that—although, come to think of it, she hasn't said much about her movements before either. But what does it amount to anyway?" "That you can safely go ahead without fearing that you are going to drag her in." "Medhurst, you must pardon my stupidity, but still I think 1 have you on one point. She hadn't gone to warn them, as you supposed." Medhurst preferred to preserve a judicious silence on this, and instead of answering the question he said—"lt I remember rightly, there is a motor garage not far from here, where they let out cars on hire. We want the best one we can get, for we shall have to move quickly to-day." "What is our next step,then?" "To arrest Peter Tidey and Conrad Rieardo." "But I think you yourself remarked yesterday, we had no warrant." "No warrant to break into people's houses without permission, but we are now going to prefer a charge of felony, and by the law of England any citizen can arrest a man on a charge of felony providing he takes the responsibility of proving it or risking damages, and 1 suppose you are not afraid of that."

CHAPTER XIX. "Drive to Euston Road and pull up when I nudge you." Medhurst and Strangways were in a 40h,p. Panhard, which the owner had permitted Jack to drive off after getting a substantial cheque and satisfying himself that the young man knew how to handle a machine. AsJJ they careered down the hill towards Euston, Medhurst hastily explained that they we going to the Mosaic Hall. "This is the place where these people meet for their secret rites—and up to now they have been llv-ing-,there. This house in Hampstead Road has been taken for some special purpose, and I think we shall land at the Mosaic Hall in time to get them before they are on the move." "But surely they would not have left the girl bound and gagged to starve in that house all this "Well, she wouldn't have been there more than the time for an ordinary night's sleep. Remember, it was getting on to midnight when we rescued her, and your train didn't arrive in . here until eight o'clock. It's now only about eight o'clock in the mornjng." "Dear me," said Jack, as he pulled up the motor at the sign of a policeman's -hand," "is it only twelve hours since we landed at St. Pancras? It seems an age to me." "Yes, a few things have happened during this night, and that gentleman who either came in promiscuously or was sent up.to see if things were all right, will be just about wondering by now which part of the house it was that tumbled down and hit him. I wonder which of the gang he was." Strangways almost knocked down the policeman at the crossing. He started so suddenly that he involuntarily set the machinery in motion, and was only checked just in time by the strong wrist of his companion. "Why, bless me, I had forgotten all about him. To think I forgot to tell you -1 recognised his voice as he started muttering something about the Patriarch. Why it was James Connell, my recreant retainer. The man who, gave notice because he wanted to join the Patriarch, and whom I strongly suspect of being one of my assailants on the moor." The policeman lowered his hand, and stepped on to the curb. The traffic whirled on, and in a very short time Medhurst gave his employer the signal to pull up. "We must push this thing in out of the way," he said. "We can pu a man in charge of it. We daren't leave it at the door." - (To be Continued.)