“JOHN SMITH, Blackmailed”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 5

“JOHN SMITH, Blackmailed”

Serial Story

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LINDSAY HAMILTON

riHPTER IN.— DontinuedA Roddy sank blissfully into the nf dreams between slpppini* > end waking. Th? prosaic would call ! >i dosing, but Roddy, who always in- [ *Med that his was the sou! of a poet. Anew heller. As all true poets know, there must he a gjr] jn jt somewhere. With Roddy there always had been —always lhe same girl, though her name, was f’equenlly changing, her complexion, ton, for that matter. Let it not be supposed for one moment that Roddy was a flirt, it was just, that he was untiring in his quest, and. since his was a nature ready to see the best in every member of the sex from which his divine ideal must come, the process of elimination must necessarily h» a lonff. though perhaps not very arduous business. M this moment as he lay dreamine, it was Patricia Kean who occupied the shrine. He had not met her yet. but she h ar | lipph there some time He was half in. love with her already, or. tn be strictly truthful, with the vivid picture \unt Rachel’s weekly letters and two treasured photographs had conjured up in his mind. He smiled contentedly. *he was behaving in his dream exactly as the girl in the shrine would art. But then, it was so easy to make them hehavp Jjkp perfection itself in dream?, fhey had done it before. The image of Pat. when he met her in the flesh, might have to follow all the others This purely abstract, consideration ought, not. lo have troubled him one iota if she was not lhe girl, site would haxe tn go—but. il did. Dr was t the irritating blur of conxersa lion that wa« disintegrating the back ground nf his reverie? Discordant, jarring invasion! True p.'?try feeds only on harmon?. He stirred restlessly, and, since he wa« now consciousi.' trying In lune out that incessant sound wave, the opposite happened. The blur sharpened into words, sentences; took tn iself a whole gamut of inflprlions that came flrutting ostentatiously into h s ears demanding recognition. Little nne< were, but like all Ittle ones, very pertinacious. "Dear m p . dear me Ymt confirm my wo"st fears. This Wicks, whom I told xnij nf. was nnt a nice man to know, even in a hospital. And he is Lnked m some way with a very dangerous scoundrel indeed. Tinsley with "hom. a? you told me just now— " Another troop of inflections, bigger fp||nw«. elbowing the little ones nut of the way. punctiliously and with m-asured knock begging an entry they intended tn take in any ra»p. . . . ’ les. H e has some business with Tinsie?. I don't like it \ return of the little nnp« »n the attack. Roddy groaned. Nothing for it but ’n give them all free pntr?. ■ — —Hr his ghost. Brisson, j mean. I sometimes wonder which is lhe gl»ns|, Tinsley or Brisson. Never taxing seen Bris.snn in th° flesh, hnwt'P'. the obvious L ? i»ot hesis m”«i 1 ~fr\p for ih p time. line moment. 'the nrner'ix mind ■ Fea‘iierslone demanded a bait. In; •>ar>hal Hie points so far made, j l'.rsl| . he makes a new will. Sec- i •ndly. he tries In rase a fin.uOO nnrlgage. Third!'-, that is a bluff. 1 ut it must nnt he r-<•". n for a bluff , ntil '~epfpr»iber 1 f - • Fourthly, and : i’.i? xvhat alarn on that date ; Ln I am instriir ‘e.j 'hat. if anxlhing i '.as happened to him. i am to gn at i inre In i',rey Sea' and rernnxe tn a i afe pare a sniai! despatch boy , which must not : opened for six ' ■innlits after .-L ‘a flej- his ; ealii’ a'T the actual words." \lmnsl as though he fared some I ■■exocahlc doom," sa -l Perk. \nd fifthly." persisted Feather- ' ‘one. ticking ' off on his thumb, ' he. j ;d business with 'his gani-birrl . A irks and TlnslP’. who. if the. laws j .’ this country were a trifle loss p)as- . ;r. xvould spend Hip rest nf his days n penal serxjtude. I don I like il. I ; nn t like it. at all." \nd sixthly." sa d Perk, in a sing- j <mg Aoice. "He ha« a gu-.-.t aversion i ■ the name of <mith." Featherstone stared. 11 p had nnt xppcled Simon Peck In turn-out such flippant triflrr. ' Ah! >nw how did I know?" ronnurd Peck, beaming oxer his specacles "John Smith, to be more pre- • sp. \nd for » sufficient reason, I iiink ’ H's plump xvhite hand flourshed a folded note which he passed ■ > Featherstone. Read it. I came o jt quite accidentally." he added, as . hough that were sufilrirnl explati- i • on for the. oddegt. of happenings. • And Featherstone read; • heir Colonel.” ! Ynii know* ".hat happened j tn Wick®. Tnifre trying tn i dnublr-crnss Hi? ’ nr '- Belter i>r careful. . | John Mnith. 'mon B Peck walled w : th the mile a rherub awa.t’ng xvnllnnrited approbation, and when Fen‘hprsfnn» gasped and srrmrd lo find I •he right exclamation, only lo gasp a rcond time, he again look up the u-d°n of tabulation. •if I may continue vrmr masterly • mming up. my dear Featherstone. if sa d in a tone of mild apology. "T i would add my own conclusion—and ; l can take no possible credit for it i -ince I am only voicing what, I am uirp you jumped to tong before my - : mple brain had reached it after much effort—thaf-er-dear me. what vas I going to say? I had it crystalled in a few simple words. Ah. yes Colonel Gretton is struggling in n web of a blackmailing spider—■ipquately put. I think, don't, you!’" Bodd.' jumped. Rut for that menon of Colonel Gretton by name, he could have conveniently opened his; -,ThPr ear and let. their talk pass out. I lal f-an-hour later hr might, have x ped his memory clean as a slate. \s it was he rose rather suddenly -ind both Featherstone and Perk lumped, for they had forgotten the intruder's exlslence. "Your pardon." said Roddy, and came. over. "Colonel Gretton is a man whose friendship I value. . . . Good Lord, it's Fealherslone. No. I don't suppose • xon remember me. Roderick Chester. My Aunt, lives at, Sandilands. | \p. been in Ceylon for fixe years. Just. home, and I'm going up North to-morrow." The troubled frown •on

| stone’? brow reluctantly uncreased I itselu ’ ■ Yps. | do just, remember you. r Pr -k was beaming. 1 "Wlirit a blessing we arc all of nn mind. Young man. you were ea'Odropping." he accused. . "On the contrary." said Bodermk. quite unabashed, "you were 1 br>k S . Th. nnlse nf 'W d.sturbert ’ one of lhe. pleasantest dreams Ive nao for a long lime.” . Simon B. Peck chuckled. ' ha\p found an ally. Featherstone. The solicitor was not so sure. J os- ’ sibly the. little he remembered ’ Roderick Chester was not, c.a.culal 1 Io reassure him of that young man s 1 sense of responsibility. ■ Hum!" be grunted. "If you mean will 1 Help you J n bu. in on ’the Colonel's private affairs. «i!l not." said Bodd; affably. \nv- ; thing else I can do for you, de.ighte ! of rourse." “Something will have lo be and at once." cut. in Fealherstone. "Why " from Peck innocentl;. I isn't it obvious? ' : day is 'lh» tenth, and it's now Mon- | dav. There's no time lo, waste. Ruf. what can we do?' ; ' That, was lhe very question which was bothering Fealherlsone. - ’ pn!" he exclaimed, impatienli;. 1 "xxe.'xe got lo do something, some- ' thing lo slop it. Perhaps I ought tn go up lo Sandilands to-morrow - -near me. no. no. no." sald ’ e< ’ k ' ■ and shook bis head emphaHcally. ■That would never do. The l.n.nnc. ; ceria nl; resent an) such P r> ' i :ng. I should imagine. h . I Fealherslone' seemed relieved ! what do ;«u propose?" lie asked. , I "Well reallv, I can't say—-er —lha ' I have anything lo propose until we see xvhat the 10th brings” He beamed’suddenlv at Roddy, "t'ur >°ung friend here ii the only ent who can he nf an; service. ■ 110-. X ’ "You are going there lo.morrow. You can see that he comes to no bodily harm." "The Colonel is a pretty good hand at taking care of himself." said Hoddy, and laughed lazily. "But anything to oblige y.ou." I An admirable ally." ?aid Peck. : Y.p,King Bnddy ® tall and well-kml ‘figure 'vith g’-eal admiralion. p ■ mud know each other heller. Wnn ’ 'you dij' With me this pining, and ( let m p inimduce. you io the Crime Key Circle ?" ■ It. pounds very alarming. Simon B Peck proceeded in outline the nature and purpose of the club, and the. more he talked the more was Roddy tickled. "1 had thought of going tn th® Em pire 10-nighl. ' h» said, with perfect solemnity "But. lhe. Crime, Key Circle should be much more entertaining. • I'm sure of it." Peck seemed very I KraliOu. "You will find it most enHhralling. To-night wp ’hall deal with the Harrup murder xxhich has reached j a most inleresling sla&e. "I don’t remeniner iL" ®a d Roddy, •’but. nf course. 'vc been out. of ir.urh with civilisation for sump lime 'l happened many years ago. m ll?1i to be precise. W’p." rather I scornfully. •a . oid the contamination [of contemporary crime. (, ur interest . lb purely academic." I "Good.' said Roddy. s mine. 1 Is Featherstone coming?" i Featherstone hastened *n assert j that be x\as not. He seemed now m ; a hurry ’n depart. The part} broke ’ up. Peck, as he was going, had a .? =’• Ixxo-d and an expansive smile for ' Roddy. ‘ Se.xen o clock, don't forget. 1 Ihmk i I"e shall surprise >on." ' \nd Roddy, he'd fascinated b’ th p ; peculiarly fixed exprpss'nn nf his eye.'. ; began tn think il might be true. j Queer little beetle! ' h p Ihouglll. ' j "1 11 swear he’s not quite human." CHAPTER X. \t precisely what point n ’he pro- i ; eroding? of the Crime Ke' Gircla 1 Roddy passed from suppressed glee , i to mi!d interest, and finally to breath- j lest suspense, it would be hard to , sa y. The moment > mon B. Peck usher- j on hirn into Hip room above Dip Cafe, Busse in Soho, he felt lhat his best I hopes Yxere lo be realised. Groups I of Ixvo and threes slood chatting decorously \n air of exceeding pohle- I ness pervaded the room. Il might | haxe been a xp«lry meeting. A long; deal table occupied lhe centre of the • I room xvilh perhaps a dozen chairs sei . around it, and a very cosy looking } armchair at the head nf il for lhe: j President, he surmised. Even lhe ’ Rouges Gallery—one. whole wall dcvoted lo the portraits of notorious; j criminals - seemed to achiexe a rneaI sure nf sancity . This Roddy examined with interest. I while. Peck passed from one group to ar other disbursing smiles and jewelled words. Presently he walked with! a ceremonial air to lhe head of the table, and clasped his hands three Lmes. The effect was astonishing. Silence descended like a knife; many an inspired sentence must haxp. passed into oblivion. With impressive, solemnity every man moved to his own place at the long table, xxailed for lhe President to take his chair, and then «al down. ; From his place on the President ? > right. Roddy surveyed the ring nf f.ices nne might spp any day between fixp. and seven in thp 1 nderground Railway, but lit. now with poclenlous eagerness. Not a vestry meeting, Roddy decided, but a secret council nf Boy Piral ps. Peck had risen and xvas addressing them, but Roddy's thoughts werf. wandering, and he heard not. a word until all eyes were suddenly turned on I him. " . . . . and so," Peck xvas saying, "for the benefit of our honoured guest. I xvill call upon Mr Samuel Tibbitts to read to us again his most admirable precis of the Harrup Murder . . . Mr Samuel Tibbitts." Mr Samuel Tibbitls, who looked | like an over-worked curate with a consuming mission in life, but was in point, of fact a tobacconist and newsagent with troublesome adenoids, rose, Ihrew back a wild mop of black hair, and began lo read. In spile of his enlarged adenoids he read well,' xvi’h restraint and a true sense, of. ma. Roddy missed no single word' it, (To be Continued.!