"The Other John Smith"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14111, 3 May 1920, Page 7

"The Other John Smith"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL AKBAUGEMBNY.

(By LEWIS RAMSDEN). Autlior of "Prisoners of the Council,” "My Lady of the Car,” "The Golden Casket,” “The Word of a Somerl eigh,” etc., eK.

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXIX. —■Continued. The Other John Smith laughed, with some return to the insolence of manner which I did not doubt was natural to him. “Oil, I see. So -that is your game. Of course, I guessed that. Even a real l)e Gray is not above trying to cut in for a share of the plunder.” “Your guess is worthy of you, Gaston; so were the terms you would force upon the Countess of Yaris. So far as they trench upon my own ancestral right s 'I. say nothing; but you have demanded an odious sacrifice —that of a 'young girl’s happiness. ’ Again lie laughed unpleasantly. “So your chivalry is irouse,l on behalf of Mademoiselle Grattan. Perhaps she and her wealth are to be the pi e of your interference? If so, I don’t sec why I need withdraw what I said just now.” “I refuse to discuss the young ladj with you in any way, excepting to tell you that you will have to substitute some other demand for that ot her hand,” 1 said, shortly. “And if 1 refuse?’-’ “I do not think you will,” I said quietly. “ Why should 1 not?” he asked, looking at me with a sullen defiance. “Because your only chance to,- life and liberty is in my help.” He laughed derisively. ••How can you help me wlieii, according to your own showing, you yourself are being hunted by them?” “You will see what power 1 have when they arrive here,” I answer.-., grimly. “ What do you mean? They cannot be coming, or von would not be here yourself,” lie said, starting forward a little in his chair. “They were only a little way behind me on the road. I am expecting them here any moment.” ••Curse you.” he exclaimed, “what do you mean by keeping me here with your fools talk? lam going. I should have been away before now if you had not come.” “You will wait a little longer ve*, Gaston Fane ho a,' ’ i said, standing between him and the door. ”1 have offered you terms, and I must have my answer.” With a sudden return of his bravado lie Hung himself into his chair again, looking at me with cunning eyes. “And I refuse to discuss them with you John Smith —or Jean do Gray. I stick to the terms I have made, and neither you nor Mademoiselle Grattan can refuse them.” “I see. You are a traitor yourself, yet you believe in the loyalty of others and can trade upon it.” “We can see many little weaknesses in others which we do not ourselves possess, Cousin Jean,” he said, with a sneering laugh. “You tliiiik that because the freedom of Elbium and the destiny of her rightful king is involved in the possion of that document copy, I dare not allow you to fall into the hands of the Emperor’s secret police?”

she ?” ‘•I will explain. She has been informed of your treecliery to her m stipulating for the hand of Mademoiselle Grattan. Madame Bouteau is now therefore on the side of your enemies. She was brought over to identify you because of the confusion my impersonation of you lias caused. She was at the lonely house to which I was taken when I was kidnapped from this place the night before Inst. Had she not declared 1 "was you. the Other John Smith, it is probable that 1 should hav been effectually put out of the way. ” “ Why should she do that.”’ Gaston asked with an incredulous laugh. “Another of those events which you may call coincidences, but in which I see the hand of Providence. Without knowing who she was, I saved her from the lire at the Lytton Hotel. She in return saved my life. I urtlier, I am afraid I must give the lady away to the extent of informing you that she offered to share her secret with me, her knowledge of the hiding place of the negative, on condition that I married her. By that means, you see, she would hare secured her ambition ot becoming Marchioness de Gray.” He glowered at roe in silence for a moment.

“What is it you wisli me to do.”’ he demanded suddenly. “You ha\c sa,d nothing definite.” “Have 1 not? Well, I will do so now. I will see you safely from tins place, and from those wh oare coming in pursuit of you; 1 will accompai.v von to Elbium if you 'wish, give you every protection in my power, every assistance in obtaining the negative of the document copy, and delivering it into the hands of the Countess of Yaris and her son, on condition that you ■>ive me your written agreement to release Ylademoieslle Grattan from her

He nodded insolently. Then lie exclaimed with nervous irriitation: “Good God, man! What are you staring at?” “I have just come to the conclusion that you have not the document copy in your possession at all, and no power to immediately produce it.” “Do you think I came to London city without ’ ’ ‘ ‘ You came here with it, but you have lost it,” I interrupted with conviction. CHAPTER XXX. I DISCUSS TERMS WITH THE OTHER JOHN SMITH. The Other John Smith looked at me savagely from under his brows for a moment; then he shrugged hi s shoulders. “Well, I may as well own that you have guessed the truth at last. Per-* haps you are not, after all* quite such a blundering fool as you appear to be, Mr John Smith,” he sneered. ‘/Yes, I lost it, and on the very morning when I was tricked into entering that motor car in Hyde Park.” “How did you lose it?” “1 had a little accident in leaving my hotel, was caught by the swinging doors, and was a little shaken by it. That, I feel sure, was when it must have been. I ought to have made certain that the thing was still in my pocket, but I did not think to do so.” “In what way did you carry it?” “In my waistcoat pocket. . I had made a greatly reduced photographic copy, which I had placed in a small case. I did not know of my loss until those who dragged me into the taxicab began to search me, and then the discovery did not appear a misfortune, since it put it into my head to deny I was the man they sought. I suppose when they got hold of you they must have thought my denials were true. Well, we have both been put to a good deni of trouble for nothing, and so have our mutual enemies. But now you have' disco \>red the truth you will see there is no necessity to prolong this interview.”

“] think L must detain you a little longer. 1 am not so simple as to suppose your game of bluff has been without purpose. "You have lost the copy you brought to London, but if you can evade the spies for a few days there is still the negative you have concealed at Varis. ” “It is a lie ’' lie exclaimed. “I destroyed everything but the copy itself. Do you think I should be fool enough to leave a negative or anything of the sort for someone to find? Since my loss my only object has been to shake off these spies and get away.” “I should agree if I did not feel convinced that the negative was not destroyed, and if I had not received information from one who claims to

“Lola Boutcau!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “How could know its place of concealment—Madame Bouteau.”

promise. He seemed to be considering. Really, I suppose he was calling to his aid his obstinacy, or the courage of such kind as he- possessed. (To be continue*!. >