“The House on the River,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 8 December 1925, Page 7

“The House on the River,”

(PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.)

DRAMATIC STORY OF STRONG LOVE INTEREST,

(By Fred M. White.) > Author of “The Cardinal Moth,” “The Crimson Blind,” “The Man Called Gilray,” etc., etc.

(COPY RIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXII.—Continued. Enderby and Claw exchanged glances. It would have been anything but wise in the circumstances to enlighten Roberts as to the real state of affairs. He was no creature of Claw’s, but a little ferret of a man working on his own account, and extremely unlikely to mix himself up in anything that resembled conspiracy. ‘‘.l. am afraid I can't give you that information.” Claw said, “because I am to a certain extent in the dark myself. Besides, you are wasting your time here. Get down to Whipping again and spend another day or so there. You might possibly hit upon something in the nature of a clue.” With that the detective departed, leaving something like consternation behind him. “What on earth's to be done?” Enderby asked. ‘ ‘ Well. I confess myself beaten.” replied 'Claw. “I don't know what 10 do. It's quite .evident to me that the other side has got hold of Kent and they are keeping him in hiding somewhere. Remember, he is no friend of ours now, though I don’t suppose he’ll move a. yard unless he’s well paid for it. That’s our one chance, Enderby. Neither Quint nor Somerset has a penny to bless himself with, and that's all to the good.”' “But they may have found friends, perhaps. ’ ’ ‘' ALy dear fellow, men in their position, with the police looking for them, everywhere, never have any friends.” “Yes, 1 know that’s the cynical, worldly way of looking at it,” Enderby said. “But don’t forget/that Quint is exceedingly popular. A more popular man never handled a golf elub or tamed out on a football field. People might be ready to believe that he is guilty, and I dare say most of them do, but that does not prevent a man putting ins hand in his pocket. Besides, look what happened on Saturday. That fellow turned out apparently out of nowhere, disguised as a shabby Scotchman, and after winning the cup goes back to London as cool as you please. Now, unless ho had powerful friends who knew where to hide him, lie would never have dared - to have done that. Even with all his cheek and .audacity he wouldn’t play the fool like that unless he felt sure of his ground; I tell you, Claw, lin getting confoundedly nervous about the whole thing. Our best policy"wmild bo to get in touch with Quint and come to some sort of an arrangement. What do you say?” “I’ve already tried it,” Claw replied. “Put an advertisement in the Times some days ago, telling Somerset that if lie called here he would hear of something to his advantage. But I had no reply; possibly he suspected a trap. ’ ’ “He would,” Enderby said bitterly. “But that’s not the only thing. We can do nothing without money, and, as far as I can see, you are as hard up as I am.” An ugly look crossed Claw’s face. “J don’t want to be reminded of that,” he growled* “I know how necessary money is. Now, look here, I’m going to show you something something you must never mention to a soul.” With that Claw opened a safe in the corner of the room and produced a mass of documents, which he laid on the table. “Securities.” Emlerby cried. “Who have you been robbing?” “It’s not a nice word,” Claw grinned. “But in this connection it happens to be true. Those are Geerc’s securities—the ones I told him tluft liad produced no dividends this year. As a matter of fact, they produced over live thousand pounds, and devilish useful I found them.” “Do you mean to say he allows you to keep his securities?” Enderby cried. “The man must be mad!”’ “Well, T believe he is more or less mad,” Claw laughed. “But he’s not quite so mad as all that, Enderby. Tne ■securities were deposited in the United Counties head oflice by Geerc himself, and I foi'ged an order for their delivery to mvself. It wasn’t a difficult matter, because the manager of the Bank knew that I have been collecting dividends and debentures on Geerc s stock for some considerable time.” Enderby wiped his heated forehead. Jibs lips were twitching an the hands on the papers trembled. • “This is the devil of a business,” he said hoarsely. “If anything happens, you’re' done for.” “Well, I must take the risk of that,” Claw said. Cl just had to ha\e money. I’ve got a big thing on ujw that may turn up trumps any day, and directly it does those securities go back again. I must have money within the next few days. I must. It I don’t, then I’m a ruined man. I’ll hold those things as long as possible, but I am afraid they’ll have to go.” Before Enderby could reply a clerk came in and laid a handful of letters' on Claw’s desk. He turned them over idlv in his hand, and with a nod in Enderby’s direction, began to read them They were ordinary business lot lets for the most part that Claw glanced over without comment until he came to one that he read twice, and then, with something like an oath, tossed it across the table for Enderby’s consideration. “What do you think of that?” he asked hoarsely. “I should like to know what it menus.” Enderbv read the letter as follows:--“Dear Sir. —T. am obliged for the accounts which reached me a few days ago, and I may say that I am utterly at a loss to understand your statement with regard to my securities. lam out of the world here, but I see a paper

(To be Continued.)

occasionally, and I should be greatly obliged if vou would come here at any time after seven to-morrow evening to discuss the situation with me. I canned come to you lor various reasons, but I shall expect you at the time I mention. I think, you will see for yourself that, you had better comply with my suggestion.- —Your truly, Everard Geere. ” CHARTER NX 111. It bad always been one of Claw’s l boasts that nothing disturbed him or upset the balance of his equanimity, but he was frightened now, and Enderby took a certain malicious pleasure *n the contemplation of it. He saw the putty hue spreading under the crimson of Claw's cheeks, and noticed tlc.t the muscles about the corners of his niouth- had grown weak and flabby. “Well, what’s the matter?” Enderby asked. “You’re not going to be frightened by a little thing like that? ’ “I don't know,” Claw muttered; “It 's so vaguely mysterious, especially coming' from an eccentric invalid like Go. re. Can't you see the threat in it? Can't you -ee that it is written by a ’nan who knows his mind?” “Oh, don't talk rot!” Enderby y ed. “ Why, the man is next door to a paralytic. He may have ben a bit nervous about something, but you are never going to funk it?” Claw debated the matter swiftly in his mind. Ho had played for an enormous stake, and at the very moment when he wanted every ounce of liis nerve, that dogged courage of his deserted him. He knew only too well what was the value of Somerset’s invention, and if he could only get that in his own hands now, then he was a made man for life. And yet, just at the moment when everything appeared to be going smoothly, these baffling complications had arisen. It looked very much to Claw as if powerful inJlueuc.es were working in the background, on. behalf of the two men he had tried to ruin. A few days back, apparently, he had' held them in the hollow of his hand, but now be could feel the firm ground crumbling under his feet. And it was this fighting .in the dark that so shook him. He was a good enough man with an antagonist in the open, but these thrusts from behind a screen shook him and grappled his nerve centres. “I suppose I had better go,” ho said. “And you had best come along. If there is anything wrong we ought to be able to put it right between U 6. Perhaps it would be as well if I represented you as a big city capitalist whose advice I am pleased to follow. You meet me at my club about seven, and we will go down to Barnes Common together.” “Oh, all right,” Enderby da id grudgingly. “’Perhaps it would be safer if we both went. I’ll come round to the club and meet you, or, if you prefer it, can call at our rooms.” Claw jumped to his feet and swore under his breath. “I had almost forgotten,” lie said. “Isn’t Barr coming to see me this morning at eleven o'clock? Hadn't 1 better put him off? I don’t feel up to meeting him, somehow.” “Rut him off, you fool!” Enderby cried. “Are you mad? Why, Barr is the very man yon want to see! His coming is almost providential. If he has been down to the house on the river, and if he was the man who inspired that letter, then it’s almost vital that we should know it. We can shape our plans accordingly. Y’ou meet Barr with a bold front and pick his brains. But you understand all about that sort of thing. Meanwhile, I’ll get along before he comes. I’ll see you to-night as arranged. ’ ’ With that Enderby took his leave, .and Claw was left to his own undisturbed thoughts. If the worst came to the worst he knew what to do, and in that case lie would have no hesitation about leaving Enderby in the lurch. He'had all Geerc’s securities in his possession, .and when the time came to raise money on them he would run over to Paris and do it there. Yes, it would be far safer than dealing with them in London. Then, 'by way of a cargo boat from Genoa, he could work a passage to East Africa, and there start again with many thousands of pounds to his credit. He was just settling this scheme in his mind when Ban” came in. “I am. not going to detain you very long, Mr. Claw,” he said. “I have a good deal of business to see to, and I should have been wiser, perhaps, if I had not begun my visit to England with a day or two’a golf. Bat it. was a lure 1 could not resist. Golf is my one amusement, and I am as keen on it, as- a boy. So we’ll get to business, if you don ‘t mind. Now, about that unfortunate relative of mine. I uu durst and that you have been, doing all Iris business for him ever since he took it out of my hands.”

“That is so,” said Claw, as amiably .is possible. “Ah, well, that simplifies matter; considerably. What I want to know i c . where my relative’s securities are kepE lias he got them, or are they in your possession ? ’ ’ Claw hesitated just for the fraction of a second. Tie knew that a good deal depended on his answer. “I know very little about them,’’ he s:i : d. “It is my business to eo'iccl r’le interest and look after affairs gen-cua'-y. But I believe that the securities themselves are deposited with the manager of the United Counties Bank. But perhaps you have already seen Mr Geere?” 1