"The Falconhurst Mystery"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 45, Issue 13987, 25 November 1919, Page 7

"The Falconhurst Mystery"

By EDWARD PICKERING.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL AEEANGEMENT. A POWEEFUL STORY OF ABSORE ING INTEREST,

Author of "Murder Will Out," "A Winning Hazard," "Was She Guilty?" "A Witness from the Dead," etc. (COPYEIGHT.)

CHA.PT E'R XXlV.—Continued. "I think I can. I'm not certain, but perhaps this will find him," answered Mrs Ellison, and, going to a side table she scrawled the name of the street and number of the house in which Penkridge was lodging. Mr Eoyce read it and put it in his pocket book, where the fragment of cloth reposed. "I'm much obliged to you," he said as he prepared to leave. '' What you and I have talked over is confidential, Mrs Ellison." "There is no one to whom I should say a word," she replied. "I live quite alone and have no friends." ' ' That's a great pity, nnini,'' he answered consolingly, "and oughtn't to be. I won't keep you any longer, but you'll hear from me in good time." Going down the stairs Mr Boyee gave an upward glance at Mrs Ellison, who had remained on the landing outside the room. "What a loss to the stage,' , went his thoughts. '' A woman like her would have made her fortune as an actress." He walked slowly in the direction of dotting Hill, and, mounting a bus there, got down at the Marble Arch. Wending his way up Edgewai'e road, apparently lost in meditation, he was suddenly aroused by a hand being laid on his arm with the sharp grip of a lobster, and, swinging round, he found himself confronted by Septimus Inldey. '' I saw you coming, Mr Eoyce,'' said the little clerk, with panting breath, "so I waited. I've something to tell you, sir—something that has to do, with what you said to Mr Ezra this morning. '' Mr Eoyce looked down at the excited man, but betrayed no surprise himself. "You gave me the slip the qther .day," he answered in a tone of father-' ly reproof. "It was a foolish thing to do, because I wanted to find out where you got your coat from. You needn't trouble to tell me now." "I shall never wear it again," exclaimed Septimus. "I've left the office. Ezra shan't have the chance of dismissing mo because I shall never go near it again. I was in the little room when you called —you didn't know-I overheard everything.'' "How do you know I didn't?" denianded Mr Eoyce, '' but that's neither here nor there. Say that Ezra overlooked you and mebbe you '11 be right. Now, say what you've got to say to me, my man, and I'll warn you to be .very careful. I don't want to use harsh measures, only you mustn't go darting up alleys and so forth, because my running days were over long ago, and I'm a bit short-winded." He said all this to give him. time for considering his course of action, and if Septimus had entertained any idea of escaping him again Mr Eoyce would have bundled him inTo a cab forthwith and taken him to Scotland Yard, although, that would have been a clumsy way of proceeding. "It's about Mr Penkridge," said Septimus, as he jumped out of the way of a demon cab, and only rejoined Mr Eoyce after making a hairbreadth escape. "And what about Mr Penkridge?" demanded the detective. '' He's a very kind-hearted gentleman, by all accounts, eh?" "He's a horrible man," screamed Septimus. "It makes me shiver to think I ever wore his coat!" "Now, just out with it—everything. You'll have to make a clean breast of what happened," said Eoyce sternly. "So I will. I don't want telling to speak the truth," replied Septimus. "It happened about a month ago. Mr Penkridge came to the office one morning. Mr Ezra wasn't up, so we got talking. I was wearing my office coat, and Mr Penkridge said how shabby it was, and if I wasn't too proud—too proud were his very words —I should have one of his coats that wasn't altogether beyond being mended." "You're making a long story out of a short one," answered Mr Eoyce. "He offered you one of his old coats.'* "That's what I wanted you to understand. " "There wasn't any need to make me understand you were wearing a shabby one,'' and Mr Eoyce spoke resentfully. ' < Well, you had his that wasn 't past being mended." "I did, sir. I called at his lodgings and brought it away. There's a working tailor near Eed Lion Court, and he put a new peice of cloth in where it had been torn. He said it was a beautiful match.'' "Where was Penkridge lodging at the time?" Septimus gave him the name of a street which was different from the address Mrs Ellison had written.'' "Do you know how long Mr Penkridge had been living there? I should say he's rather hard to please regarding his lodgings. Suppose you and I go to this place where you brought the coat from." Septimus would much rather not have gone, but Mr Eoyce's suggestion was a command, and had to be obeyed. "If you think about it," remarked the" detective as they went along, "that business of Sir Brooke Devayne's will seems curious, doesn't it?" ' This was said quite casually, after exhausting the more exciting topic of the murder, but Mr Eoyce's question sent the sensation of a cold douche over Septimus. "Has Mr Ezra mentioned anything?" he asked. "I mean, about the will?" "It wouldn't be his place to talk about his clients' affairs," replied Mr Eoyce. "It's not mine, if you come to that, but I've thought about the affair. '' Septimus was trembling so violently that his teeth chattered. Suppose—his imagination was picturing up dreadful tilings —suppose Mr Eoyce came to dis- ! cover about the forgery! Suppose Mr

Eoyce was hauling him to gaol for it! Suppose he would never see Eed Lion Court again! All these dreadful suppositions were passing through his mind, and he was immensely relieved when his companion came to a halt suddenly with a cautious look up a narrow, gloomy street. "This is Havelock street," he whispered. "Number 3, I think you said was the place where you fetched the coat from, so we'll have a word with Mr Penkridge's landlady." Much as Septimus dreaded to enter the house, he was soon in the presence of the formidable looking woman whom he recognised as the (-ei'son Avho had opened the door to him when he had called previously. Dr. Royee was talking to her in his familiar way, without the stein woman unbending in the slightest. "Yes, I recollec{ the gentleman," she said in reply to his enquiries ibout her lodger. "He left me about a rconth ago, and if you want to know where he went you'll have to lind him. I don't know where he's living now, and you'll excuse me for wishing you {roodday. I've work to see about if some people haven't."; Septimus almost tumbled through the front door, whilst Mr Eoyce made a more dignified exit. "Nice woman," said the detective. "Good-tempered, and so on, but I'd rather talk to a kangaroo. What do you say, Mr Inldey?" '' It's, what I expected—he's gone off,' , replied the little clerk. '' But we '11 trip Mr Jasper Penkridge up by the heels," laughed Mr Eoyce. "You coat tails will hang him, as sure as you're alive." CHAPTER XXV. Acting upon Mr Eoyce , s advice, Hester had returned to Falconhurst, which had lost its forbidding look, or so it seemed, as she walked up the carriage drive. Her visit to London had wrought a change in her also, for her spirits had regained their former buoyancy, and a certainty that the mystery shadowed her would be cleared vp v was more than a reward for past anxiety. She was doubtful whether or no. to tell Adrian the reason for her leaving home, and at last decided on explaining everything. There should be no secret between herself and her husband, and on entering the house she was overjoyed to see him coming across the hall. (To be Contlnuea").