“The House on the River,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 11 December 1925, Page 7

“The House on the Rive r,”

(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.

(COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXV, —Continued. “ Very well,” continued Kent. “After that I backed the bill drawn on mo by Quint: and Somerset, and made it appear to them that .Mr Claw had discounted the paper.” “Oil, yes, yes,” said Claw fussily. “Why <lO over flint old e-round again? The old gentleman upstairs may be down at any time, and then it may be too late “I'm going to run this tiling in my own way,” Kent said doggedly. “It won't pay you to interrupt. Well, tin* money was handed over, and when the time was ripe for that precious little scheme of yours I made the discovery that my signature on the back of the bill was a forgery. It was nothing of the kind, as you both precious well know, but it served the purpose, and that was the main thing. For telling that infernal lie and laying information with the police I crus to have had five hundred pounds. .1 was to find the money waiting for me on the Continent, and I was to leave the boat in such a manner as to convince everybody that 1 had fallen overboard. Well, 1. managed that all right, with the aid of a friend, and the circumstances were reported in the papers. Your idea was for me to disappear so that I could not give evidence, although I had sworn the necessary affidavit. So long as I was out of the way and presumed dead, then your course’"was quite' clear. With any luck those two unfortunate young men would have been sentenced to a long term of imprisonment, and no one would have taken their word for anything in the future. They would be ruined, body and soul, and, moreover, you had all the necessary information as to the new invention. At least, you thought you had, but I knew too much about both of you to place myself in vour hands •implicitly, and that’s why J. kept the genuine drawings and foisted all that rubbish off on Enderby. Now, please contradict me if I am wrong.” “Who wants to contradict you?” retorted Claw. “If it ’s any comfort to you I am quite prepared to admit that the facts are exactly as you state. You’ve got us more or less in a cleft stick, and we can do nothing until the genuine documents are in our hands. Are you prepared to hand them over to use in exchange for cash to the extent of two thousand pounds? ’ ! “Ah, now you are talking!” Kent cried. “ That ’s just what I do mean. Those papers are hidden where you cannot possibly find (them, and until .1 produce them all your trouble goes for nothing. And lam in no hurry, cithci. But I’m going to have that money, and whenever you are ready to hand it over ” “You will conic and fetch it?” Elide rbv asked. Kent turned with an ugly grin on his . face. “Oh, conic and fetch it, will I?” he sneered. “Bring the papers with me to Barnes riaee, I suppose ? Come late at night to meet you two honourable gentlemen, and trust you to do the fair thing bv me. Xot much. I have had one experience of Barnes Place, and I don ’t want another. If I did, I should be murdered to a dead certainty. Xo, no, my kind friends. You bring that money here. Bring it in Bank of England notes, so that we can have a failexchange across that table. And none of your tricks, mind. I shall be prepared for you.” Claw shrugged his shoulders helplessly. For perhaps the. first time in his life he was bound to admit that a bigger rascal than himself had got the better of him. There was no shame or confusion about him, nothing but a sullen rage which was taking him all his time to smooth over with a sniuc. Enderby, on the other hand, wriggled about in his chair, anxious to get away, and! fearful that at any moment something unforeseen was about to happen.” “Very well,” said Claw. “It shad be as you say. I have- it in my power at the present moment to raise a considerable sum of money, and, if you like, wc ’ll come down here to-morrow night and exchange documents. Will that do?” “Yes, T should say that will do very well!” Kent said. “For once in a way I hanpen to believe you. And I migh. to!.' veu something more than that. I miglit go out of my way to guess the method by which you are going to raise the money.” “That’s very clever of you,” Claw sneered. “Xot at all, my dear sir, not at.all. I wasn’t knocking about- your office all that- time for nothing when I was working overtime. It was no difficult matter for me to get a look at- your private letter-book. My word, I envy your impudence. Fancy writing < r » the poor old gentleman upstairs and telling him that you were drawing nothing in the way of interest from his American securities, whilst all the while you were pocketing some thousands a year. But I (suppose _ you thought it would be safe enough with a man whom you regarded as next door to an imbecile.” ‘ ‘ Xot so loud!” Claw said. “Xot so loud. “Suppose anybody was to over- | hear you?” Claw was shaken now, and he made no effort to disguise it. His face assumed a curious leaden hue under its brilliant colouring, and a bead or two of moisture trickled down his cheeks. A few minutes ago everything seemed to be on firm ground, and now everything was crumbling away under his feet. “Who is likely to hear us?” Kent asked. “Don’t jcu worry about that. To resume. You robbed the old gentleman. of all Ills dividends, and now, to make the thing complete, you have

(To be Concluded.)

got hold of his securities and intend to realise them. My dear sir, you could not possibly realise that money any other way. And, upon my word, I shouldn't be surprised to find out that you’ve got those securities in your pocket at this very moment.” Quite involuntarily Claw’s hand went to his breast pocket. With anger in his heart he watched the knowing grin on Kent ’.s face. “Ah, then I am right,” the latter remarked. “ Now, some of those negotiable securities .1. kno w. \\ hat do you say to handing over a couple of thousand worth now in return for the papers which are of such vital importance to you?” “Can you produce them now?” asked Claw hoarsely. “Put your stuff on the table and we shall see,” Kent challenged. “.Show them to me go that I can see that you haven't another ramp on What arc you hesitating about? There are only the three of us here, and 1. think that we understand each other.” Claw thought the matter over rapidly. His hand went to his breast pocket. but before he could produce the papers the door of the dining room opened, and Everard Goorc crept in. With that same senile smile on hiss face he tottered across the room and stood beaming on the others through his blue spectacles. The fact that. Kent was there did not seem to trouble him in the least. Then lie suddenly drew himself up, and -all sign of weakness fell front him as if it were a garment. The expression of his face changed as he pulled off the tweed cap and spectacles and cast Hi is wig on the floor. And there, before the astonished eyes of Claw and Enderby, stood, not the bent and broken form of Everard Georc, but the vigorous, muscular personality known to men as Michel Quint.

“Xow, you poisonous devils!” he cried. “Xow, then, I think you will find that it is my turn.” CHAPTER- XXVI. For a few minutes an intense silence reigned in the little room. Each man there was busy with lias own thoughts, and go far as Claw and Enderby were concerned, looking for some way out. The sudden appearance of Michel Quint, and the rapid way in which he had thrown off his disguise came almost as <a paralysing surprise to the two chief scoundrels of the drama. Claw, at any rate, had made up his mind to put up some sort of a fight, and he glanced with undisguised contempt at Enderby, collapsed, white and almost despairing, in a chair. \\ ith a rapid movement Quint crossed the room and locked the door behind him. He appeared to regard himself as master of the situation, and so, to a 'certain extent, he was. Almost instinctively he turned to Claw. “What are you going to do about it?” be asked. “Here, not quite so fast!” Claw said, pulling himself together a little. “Through some extraordinary juggling you seem to have gained the run of the house. Perhaps a little later on it will be necessary to enquire what has become of Air Everard Gee re, . and how you come to be here at all.’ “That’s easily answered,” Quint smiled. “Air Gecre is lying upstairs, having liad a, paralytic seizure some time ago. He lias been well looked af ter, so you need not worry about him. The point is, what are you going to do?” “Oh, you can take that tone if you like,” Claw went on. “I suppose you think you’ve got us .in a tight place, but we don’t admit that, by a long chalk. ■ By some means or another you have got hold of that rascal Kent, and have bought him over to your side, but have bought hi mover to your side, but you’ll find that you lia.ven’t. It’s all a: question of money with Kent, and I think we can beat you at that game.’ “Quito right,” Kent said cheerfully. “It is all a matter of money. So far as lam concerned, it has been money from the ‘ first, and when yob two played me false, quite naturally I went over to the other side. Oh, I am „ct a bit ashamed of it. Gave me what. I want and let me get out of the country, and vou won’t hear another word from me." Two thousand pounds is my r rice.” “I know it,” Claw said curtly. And a little time ago I promised to give it to you. You are aware that we are in ? position to carry out our promise, and with that there is no more- to be sam. Unless, perhaps, Air Quint can make you a better offer?” i Claw spoke with a sneer, but it passed lightly over the head of the mau who was confronting him. “I think we can,” Quint sail. “What then?”