"WHISPERING TONGUES,"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 44, Issue 134037, 3 January 1918, Page 7

"WHISPERING TONGUES,"

By BALPH RODD, Author of "A Step in the Dark,- "The Hand on the Strings," "A Marriage by Capture," "A Velvet Knave."

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTEIt XXVI. The situation, would have been more diilicult ii" Stothwick and Treherne had boeu less genuinely delighted by the amazing resuscitation of Ursula Wilnier. They wore shaking hands with her again and again; they were childlike in their outspoken pleasure. As for Joo, he stood behind his wife's chair, beaming on the three of them. It was only Henderson, still guarding the door, who noticed Dαvid Lawrence, and as he looked at him his heart grew big with pity.

•'Well, I'm blest! ,7 said Sir Marcus for the twentieth time, and then he turned to Henderson, "it's about time yon explained yourself, Mr Conjurer, isn't it?" AH his previous animosity had gone. "Nice sort of fellow you are. ".Keep us all in the blues just, as long as you please; then prodiu-e .your trump card! Oh, you needn't look apologetic; you're welcome- to your triumph! Nothing matters now we've got our 'deputy master' back."

'Believe me, Sir Marcus, you are wrong. Something does matter very much. Wo have Mrs Wilmer back at Hniiit, but surely it is of importance that she should remain there in safety." The words were spoken significantly. •'lt was I who took Mrs Wilmer away in the lirst instance. I did so because J I was convinced that she was in danger I while she remained at .Drant. I caused I the aniinunceinent of her deafli to be ! made because ! hoped by that means to i place her beyond the reach of a very j malignant enemy. " ! Stethwii-k was grave enough now. ' Dick Treherne moved a little closer U> '(he bi«- armchair into which ! hey had pushed Mm Wilmer. "For goodness' sake,'- , he said, "let have this horrid matter cleared up onto and for all." j They had both of them turned fo-wai-dsHenderson, but he shook his head. I -I can tell you of attempts which ' have been made on Mrs Wilmer's life, 1 can give you the explanation of the s<|uirc ? s disappearance, 1 can also give you further details oi' the impersonation of Wilmer which 1 referred to just now. But all (hat is not enough. To undertsand the whole business we must turn for information to another. - ' And he ulaiH-ed at J)avid Lawrence expectantly. As he did so his pity increased. He had no inkling as to the true cause of tli t . ol'l man's suffering, yet thai he was vufl'erinir acutely nobody could doubt. Uristow had followed cadi word : l.rearhlessly. They hail given him no ,hmi iu> escape. Ho had stood there waiting to see what turn events took. I now he suddenly move<l over to the desk it wlu'h the professor sat, his head ii stn g on his hands. "Do-it take any notice of him,*' he 1 bujst out eagerly". "Don't let them Idi i;,' you into it. Kemember, 1 deny cv- ! ervthing.' ' Henderson caught Tick Treherne's eve and he signed to him to come and take charge of the door. Then he went over to Bristow and laid a strong hand on his arm. "You can have it as you like,'-' he sail), "but understand me clearly. Either the professor speaks, or you are handed over to the police at once. Clifford i-Jri.stow, it. is no use arguing; I take all responsibility. I tell you that if everyone in this room tries to stop me, I still say that 1 will never leave your side until 1 see you in custody." A threat from a blustering bully is not alarming, a threat from a man who has absolutely control of himself ami who speaks in the quiet tone of iixed conviction, must always bo impressive. .Joe Wilmer glanced at his wife, and she in her turn nodded slightly. The squire's glance said, "Strong chap this, in spite of all his London polish." The nod returned, "Leave him alone, Joe. The matter is in better hands than ours." "Now, Dr. Bristow, which is it to be? The police or- " ! "No, no." It was the old man's voice, weak and quavering. "Wait, Henderson, wait. There is plenty of time, i want to say something to you, Keith —I want to say something to you all." He was speaking with fee bio eagerness, his face had lost that look of thoughtful intentness which so manyhad mistaken for strength. "I'd rather you didn 't send for the police," he ran on. "I mean, perhaps, you won't send for them, not when you know." His lingers wore working painfully; they seemed to clutch at somo slpport whidh , failed them every timo. Then suddenly j the old man raised a hand and pointed ; to the one who had the moment before i commanded his silence. "My son," he said. "Clifford Lawrence. My son." There was a painful silence, then Keith Henderson stooped and laid his hands on tho old bowod shoulders. "Professor, I am so sorry," they heard him say. "If only I had guessed the truth I must have found another way. This is too dreadful!" '"'Five mid forty years since," the old man went on/taking no notice of the other's words. '' I was only twentythree who:: I married his mother. She was on tho variety stage at the time. I ■nust have been mad, but anyway I soon fmind out what a fool I had been. She was not the sort of woman any decent man could live with. She left me under tho year for a lover with money, and she never came back. I almost forgot i my act of youthful folly in the interest iof my work until h e came to remind me of it." Again tho trembling hand pointed to tho one they knew as Clifford I Bristow. 'He was nearly thirty, no twig to bend, but a man—a bad man. I His mother had been dead for nearly • twenty years, and I was married to Ani astasia. Up to the moment of his comi in" to mo with tho proofs I could not ! deny, I had had no inkling of his existi once, and I mado tho mistake of letting ; him know that I wanted to keep tho j fact of that first mad marriage from my I wife. It was not a thing to be proud I of; I had' never mentioned it to her, because 1 had been so sure it was all dead j and done with. Besides, as I looked at i him —God forgive me —I was ashamed to own my son." It was a dreadful confession for a father to make; perhaps they all felt that, even while they sympathised with him. "My son was very ready to fall in with my wishes," tho professor went on, "since by doing so he obtained a power over me which he has never hesitated to use. Whenever he has found mo proving untractablo he has produced tho photograph of my first wife, and has j threatened to send it and my letter to ! her to Anastasia, to publish the fact in j his own way, and I have always given I in." Henderson remembered tho scene ho

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had watched when ho had followed the professor to Bristow's surgery. Ho recalled tho old man's agitation as he had searched for the photograph. "I paid for his medical training, intending to send him abroad, but when .the time camo he refused to go, insisting instcyid upon having this practice bought for him —I little guessed why.-" "It's a lie!" Clifford Bristow broke out, but nobody took any notice of him. "I little guossod why," repeated the old man. "I. hopo you will all believe 1110 when I. say that never for a moment did il enter my head that, ho was in Drant for any othor purpose than to blackmail his own father. It was only after Henderson came to tho rectory 0110 night last November and told Lesurier and myself of Mrs Wtlmer's danger, that a. horrible suspicion camo into my mind. If Ursula died her big fortune would pass to .'loo, and then to me —and then" —for tho iirst time he look,l H U p—"ami then," he repeated, "to Agatha Leigh. That was by his command, and I know ho was determined to marry her." Even tho slow-witted squire grnsped tho, significanco. of the last, words. They mado him as angry —almost —as they did Keith Henderson, but it was tho latter who was tho bettor ablo in appreciate tho sublio skill of Clifford Bristow\s si , homing. If rlio monoy had boon lel'l t() Hrisfow him.self, or if ho had inherited it as tho professor's son, suspicion might very well ha , -0 boon aroused. But that David Lawrence should make so v.nod a disposal of the monoy as to leave if to his cousin V adopted daughter would have caused nothing but favouriililii comment. 2'nsfow hud forced the girl into an {■ng:- f ;oinent, no doubt ho had considered that, by means of: Ihe thre.'.-.ts he could employ, lie would be able 1o force her io marry him. The man (lie roof or had described as a fool was Hover and utterly unscrupulous. " 1 wont straight to my .son,"' the professor continued, "a»d I taxed him with what he had done. 1 told him lhaf if niv suspicions wore; correct nothing si'onb'l make mo I;' , op silent, lie swore thaf he had never (nought of anvMihig so wicked, and .1 ' --(he old voice broke --'"was only too tn.'U'Kfc' (0 believe, him. A .Vhoii tho re; fit o> I'rsul.", ? s death abroad arrived, T foil myself how wrnny f h:n' ben Io sur-pooj; an inMocent. man, lor alone i::y owi «or>. "If W ;is only (his affernofiii, w!\«>n Hemiorson proved beyond all doubt 'irtw 1 lear the case was—imce given moiho- -hat I know I musf speak. "