The Man of Silence.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 330, 14 July 1914, Page 2

The Man of Silence.

(All Utanw Reserved.)

, BY TOM GALLON, Author of " My Lady of the Ruins," " Fate's Beggar Maid," etc.

CHAPTJSB XII. "It sounds too awful —and too absurd," began the younger girl, with her teeth literally chattering. "But while I stood waiting for you near the porter's lodge a man came towards the archway, as though he meant to come in, and then he stopped, as if undecided. He wasn't the sort of man at all that would be allowed in a place like that; he was dressed in ragged clothes, and looked unkempt and uncared for." "Well, go on," said Madeline, impatiently, as Babs hesitated. "Did he say something to upset you? Wasn't the porter,there?" "It wasn't that. He just smiled at me and pulled off his cap, and —oh! —I simply can't tell you'-" "You. must," said Madeline, sternly, and with the authority of an elder sister. "You must." "Madeline, I don't, want to hurt you —it was poor Vincent!" Madeline checked a cry, and stared with wide eyes of horror at the other girl. Her brain was swimming; it seemed as though for a moment she was in some unreal place, with unreal people, hearing some mad statement. "Babs, you don't know what you're saying," she faltered- " You're ill, or something has frightened you. Think, darling, thinkquietly. Poor Vincent is dead and in his grave. This was someone perhaps a little like him, eh?" "Perhaps," said the girl, in a troubled voice. "I don't know. Of course, it must have been, only you don't know how absolutely like he was. Just the same bright eyes and that funny way of letting a smile creep over his face gradually until it was all lighted up." "Don't, you hurt me! I can't bear it," whispered Madeline. "Confess, now, that it was someone a little like him, and perhaps you had been thinking of him." "Yes, it must have been that," said Babs, quickly. "I'm a little beast, even to have mentioned it, only, of'course, it upset.me frightfully. And now let's try and eat some lunch, and forget that I have said anything to upset you at all." That was a matter more easily suggested than accomplished. Over and over again, during the progress of the meal, Madeline would stop to ask a whispered question; as to what he looked like, this strange man at the entrance to the Albany; and what he had said, and what Babs had said in reply? A hundred questions cropped up, all to be answered vaguely. The fact that the whole business was so incredible scarcely seemed to matter at all. Before they left the restaurant, Madeline impressed one point upon her sister. "Don't let us talk of this, Babs dear," she said, "to anyone else. Lock it away in your heart, just as I shall do. I can tell you, as I could not tell anyone else, how dearly and deeply "I loved him, and how I like to think that the poor ghost 'of him perhaps came back to-day, to the old place where he had lived, on the poor chance of seeing rpe. That's silly, isn't it?" ,r No, : it isn't; it's sweet," said Babs, giving her sister's hand a little squeeze. "And I only wish #iat it hadn't been a ghost at all, but" just poor old Vincent back again, with all the horrid business never happening at all. I say, ' she added, eagerly, "what did you go and see that beast for to-day?" "If you mean Reuben Avondale, I went to tell him that I would marry him," said Madeline, quietly. '"You can't mean it!" exclaimed the other. "You wouldn't do a thing like that, and so soon after poor Vincent has died? You simply couldn't." "My dear," said Madeline, leaning across the table, and touching her sister's hand, "there are more things in heaven and earth that you can possibly dream of. I've got to marry him, whether I like it or whether I don't. It doesn't matter very much, and it'll be a good thing for somebody, and will clear away quite a lot of difficulties." Meanwhile, Noah Stark, in his new clothes, and further decorated by the remains of a black eye, was having a somewhat stormy interview with Reuben Avondale. No sooner had Madeline gone than Reuben, racing back to his rooms, burst in angrily, and confronted Stark, and incidentally the manservant Hatch.

"What do you mean," he demanded of the latter, "by admitting a man like this when I am engaged with a lady?"

"Begging your pardon, sir, but the man forced bis way in," said Hatch. ''l didn't have a chance to keep him out." "I made up mc mind I was cornin' in, an' in I come." said Stark. "I wasn't goin' tcr lei no whiopcrsnappers keep me siht. Wen I comes tcr see a gen'leman —or one I might call a pal —it don't matter ter me if 'e's got forty gels wiv Mm. I ain't the sort wot wails on staircases, and then creeps in wiv pie 'at in me 'and."

"Go in there," said Reuben, indicnting his sitting-room. And Noah Stark slouched in, tossed his cap on the. table, and sat down. Reuben, following, closed the door, and stood with his back to it watching the other man.

•"Now, what do you want?" he demanded.

"I wants money," said Stark. "It goes so bloomin' fast in London, that I've got to 'ave more. I ain't goin' to 'ave it doled ahl to me a quid or two at a timt; i wants plenty of it ter rattle in me pockets. I wants money, so as I can live like a toff, an' ride abaht in kebs, 'stead of on the tops o' buses. See? "You won't get another pennyout of me," said Reuben, in a deadly voice. "And if you come here again with any of your bluster I'll send my man to fetch a constable. What do you think of that?" Noah Stark got to his feet, and stood leaning against the table and looking at the other man. There was quite a long pause between them. "So that's the game, is it?" he said at last. "You think you ain't goin' ter pay no more; you think that, bcin' a gent, you'll bluff it aht, do yer." "My unfortunate brother who fell into the river is in his grave," sair Reuben, slowly. "His death was something of a mystery. It is not improbable, after all, that it was no accident, and that he came to it by foul play. A certain man called Noah Stark, who used to hang about the riverside, doing odd jobs, has lately disappeared from his old haunts, and seems to be rather prosperous in London. What if it is suggested that my unfortunate brother did meet witbdoul play, and was robbed and thrown into the river? I rather fancy we should be looking for the man called Noah Stark, eh?"

"Very pretty, but it won't work" said Stark, though a trifle uneasily. "If yer tries any o' them games I've got annuver card I can play that'll beat anything in your pack. Don't try me too far, or I shall play it." i "I shall be delighted to see you you do so," said Reuben, with a grin.

"An' yer ain't goin' ter pay me any more money?" asked Stark. "Not a sixpence," replied the other. "The game's in my hands, my friend, and you'll find that the law is on my side, if necessary. You've done pretty well out of.me, and now you'd better go back- and earn an honest livelihood—if you can. There's the door, and a very good day to you." Stark pulled on his cap slowly, stood for a moment or two looking at the other man, and evidently pondering something in his mind, then moved towards the door. Stopping there, within a yard or two of Reuben, he sent a parting shot at that gentleman.

"You ain't done wiv me, not by a long chalk," he said., "You'll be sorry for this day as long as yer live, 'cause yet can't afford to upset a man like me. I've got a card you don't know of, an' I'm goin' ter play it. An' I'm goin' ter play it to-day!" With a laugh he swung out of the door and clattered down the steps. A little doubtfully Reuben closed the door, wondering if, after all, he had played the best game, and wondering', also, if this man really had some other card up his sleeve, held in reserve for such an occasion at this. And Noah Stark went back, in a state of boiling fury, to Crow's Rents, Lambeth. He was not quite clear in his own mind as to what he should do. He knew that he must a finger at Reuben Avondale, and move warily. While he could point denounce him as the murderer of his brother, it" had seemed easy enough to live upon that threat, and to extort money from the man. But with Vincent Avondale alive, and with another man buried, by a cunning piece of trickery, under his name, the thing was different. Although Reuben did not know it, the threat against himself was void and useless. It required a man of greater penetration and keener knowledge of character than Stark possessed to grapple with such a problem.

Arriving at that mean house in the slum, Stark climbed the stairs and opened the door, and went in. Something to his annoyance, Vincent was there alone—Danny Batson had apparently neglected his charge. He looked frowningly round about him, as though believing, absurdly enough, that the little man could be hidden in that tiny room ; and then turned to Vincent :

" Where's Danny ?" he demanded. The poor, clouded brain was sufficiently clear on one particular point—that Danny Balson must not get into trouble. Therefore Vincent answered: "He's only just stepped out; I promised to keep house for him (ill he came back."

Stark grunted and pulled out a pipe, and filled it and lit it; then sat down. There were problems to be pondered —decisions to be arrived at, and that quickly. Presently he would make a strenuous effort: to teach his prisoner exactly who he was and how he came to be brought there, and what had happened to him. After that the new scheme that would mean money from one side or the other —

which side it was did not matter to Noah Stark.

But Danny Batson had stepped out for more than a minute. Danny Batson, too, had a scheme in his head, and tremblingly enough had made up his mind to carry it out. For Danny felt that he had been treated badly. He had made an application to Stark that very morning for, a little money, and had been brutally refugee!. -He went in perpetual fear of Stark's violence; also he saw Stark well dressed for his class, and with money rattling in his pockets; the unfairness of the thing struck him acutely. More than all else, he had a sneaking regard for that poor prisoner who had once stood up so boldly in Irs defence; he wanted to help him if he could, and Danny figured it out in this fashion: There were those who had been .■■ ,rry to hear of the death of Vin-

..-..-nt Avondale; would they not rejoice at finding that Vincent Avondale was mysteriously alive? Would not these people gladly pay largely, in good linglish money, to anyone who'could c;. ry that news to them, and would not Danny be doing a service alike to Vincent and to himself?

Daring Stark's absence on that visit to Reuben Avondale, Danny h;;d figured all this out for himself, and had come to a great resolution. Ik: would go down to Wood End Perry and would get hold of that girl who had been engaged to Vincent; something told Danny that she was the one person of all others who would be interested in hearing news of'him. After that, Danny could snap his lingers at Stark, being careful at the same time to keep out of Stark's way. Danny Batson was a man for whom the moment sufficed, and he never looked beyond it. Thus it happened that he wandered into Paddington Station, knowing that that was the terminus for the particular place to which he wanted to go, and only realised at the last moment that lie had not sufficient money fo pay his fare. He had not thought of it before; and now he looked about for some means to make up Ihe deficiency. There might be a pocket lo be picked, or he might wheedie the sum out of someone by sliccr begging.

Keeping a wary eye upon the station officials Danny set about his task. He had 3onve miraculous escapes; once he actually had a halfcrown in his hand, part of a larger sum that had been dropped by a hurried passenger at.a booking-of-fice, when that passenger turned upon him and Danny smilingly handed it back, getting scarcely a word of thanks for his pains. He was almost in despair at his ill-luck, and was watching the clock very anxiously, for there was a matter of only five minutes before the train started, when he suddenly caught sight of two persons advancing towards him down the platform. His heart leaped, and he realised in a moment that he might not need to take the journey after all. Those two persons were Madeline and Barbara. They walked along the platform, chatting quietly, and stopped at the bookstall. Dannyapproached nervously, conscious that the eye of an official was upon him, and that he must be quick. The official was actually' moving towards him, with the obvious inten* tion of turning him out of the station, when he addressed Madeline. "Lady, might I 'ave 'alf a word wiv you?" Madeline turned slowly, and looked at the little man in some wonder-" ment. Out of the tail of his eye Danny Batson saw the official strolling towards him; he went on desperately :

"I'm a man wot works on the river, lady—up Wood End Ferry. I want ter tell ye abaht a pore younggent that was drowned-—Mr. Vincent Avondale. I can tell yer more abaht 'im than you've ever 'eard before."

The official's hand was on Danny Batson's collar, but he was not afraid. Madeline and her sister were watching him with fascinated eves, waiting for him to tell his story. SH AFTER XIII. Danny Batson, standing quakingly, yet not altogether afraid, in the grip of the railway official, knew that he had burnt his boats. If he carried th ••■... thing through, and told all he knew, It hen he must for ever after be haunted by a vision of Noah Stark, huge and wrathful, hunting for him, in order to inflict condign punishmenfSon him for his treachery. If, en the other hand, he failed to convince these ladies of the actual truth of his story, then he was in danger as regaidod his liberty, as a suspected loafer.

Fortunately for himself, he was not kept long in suspense. Madeline stepped forward quickly, quietIv proffering a coin to the official. The latter at once released his hold of Dannv Batson's collar.

"It's all right, thank you," said the girl. "I know this man; he is an old —an old servant of ours."

"Very good, miss. I thought perhaps he was annoying you. I've 'ad my eve on Mm for some time." "I was only waitin' to talk to the ladv," broke in Danny, impudently, feeling now pretty sure of the safety of his position. (To bo Continued.)-M.S. 13