"Why Did She Do It?"

Wairarapa Daily Times, 11 March 1930, Page 7

"Why Did She Do It?"

(Copyright).

CHAPTER XXll.—Continued.

His hands fell on his knees. He looked at her, a broken man, horror in every line of his body. “It seems impossible,” he muttered. “Quite impossible!”

Molly looked over so much older. The reaction had come. The truth was out. She was quito calm. “1 will tell you/ 5 she announced in a monotonous voice. “Mow nothing seems to matter. Now I know that Dick might have died, and I wouldn't have been there. I don’t care about anything now.” “Tell me,” he said. “I had a letter from Lord Shelmerdine—that day—the morning of that, day. I had never met him. Neither had Dick. I had only heard Dick say that Lord Shelmerdine was a very important man in politics and was going to help him. Jn his letter he said he would like to meet me first, and asked me to tea to talk over what he was going to do for Dick. He said it was

the age of women, and he thought we onght to meet first. I didn’t tell Dick. It seemed rather fun, sort of exciting, you know. As if I could really do something to help Dick myself. I was lunching with Lady Yarae. Dick knew that. I arranged to moot him at Eumpelmaver’s at five. Lord Shelmerdine had asked me for half past three. He said he kn \v it was early, but ho had to go up North later in the day. Lady Yarno and 1 did some shopping and parted; I walked to Lord Shelmerdine’s rooms in Pall Mall. I went upstairs and knocked at the door of his flat. He opened it. I thought he was a very queer man from the very first. Oh, Howard, it's so horrible to talk about! He started to make love to me at once—l’d hardly been in the room five minutes. I was terrified. I thought he must be mad. I—can’t talk about it. I hardly remember, except trying to got out, and his following me with the most aw T ful look in his eyes. He caught hold of me, and then I went mad and caught up the first thing I found on a table and hit at him with it. It was a knife of some kind. He let go and Btaggered and fell back on the floor —dead. I didn’t know what to do. I don’t remember what happened exeept that I was afraid to go.” She stared at Lake with distraught eyes, and wrung her hands. “But—Molly—it sounds so impossible! How could you have had the strength to kill him? He was a big, powerful man. ’ ’ “I did kill him, Howard. He was > dead. I stayed there quite a long time. He didn’t move. His heart wasn’t beating. At last I managed to crawl away—and for a day or two I didn’t know what I did. I had some money with me. I wandered about and went into a shop somewhere in the suburbs and bought some clothes. And I took a train to Folkestone and got into an empty compartment, and changed my clothes and threw them out of the window. And then, you know—l stayed in Folkestone for a time, I never can remember how long, and then I went over to Boulogne—l took a day ticket because I had no passport - with me, and then I hid over there, and went on to Paris. And I met you. And I got frightened and you got an aeroplane and we flew back. Afterwards yon know what happened to me.”

. “Not after you left Clayshire, Molly!”

“Oh, since then I’ve been in several places. I didn’t dare to go back to Filmsanger. It doesn’t matter aboyt me. Howard, I want to know about Dick. You must find ont everything about him.” “Ag far as I can make out, he’s quite himself again,” Lake assured her. “You know, he won’t have anything to do with me now —he found out that I had seen you in Clayshire. You left a telegram from me in your room, and Clough’s daughter gave it to Mrs Crome. The detective chap, Clayson, was after you, of course, and he came and interviewed me, and I told him what was the truth —that I didn’t know where you were. Then—when your father died—of course, they were sure you would come back.” She hung her head. “I didn’t see about my father’s death for more than a week, Howard. It was too late, and I wouldn’t have gone back anyhow. I can’t go on like this, though; you’re right. As soon as I know for certain that Dick is all right, I must get out of the country.”

“ Molly, go back to Dick —and face it out! ’ ’

“Howard, how can I?” He regarded her helplessly. “It seems so impossible,” ho said. “Howard, who is this wicked man who stabbed Dick?”

“Major White? I hardly know anything about him. Some chap who was in Africa for years. They think he’s mad. I believe he’s in a hospital. I kept the papers for the few days after the thing happened. I’ll show them to you. ’ ’

He opened a drawer, and took out a bundle of newspapers. “Here’s a photograph of Major White,” he said, opening one of the illustrated dailies. “He has rather the face of a madman, I thought.” Molly took the paper from him. And then she gave a scream.

“Howard!' What do you mean? Major White! That’s the man I killed —Lord Shelmerdine! ” He stared at her.

“Shelmerdine! No, Molly —my dear, what can-you be thinking about? Shelmerdine was utterly different — years older—a great big man, with a wonderfully handsome head!” “That’s the man I killed!” repeat-

BY COEALIE STANTON AND HEATH HOSKEN. Authors of “The Man She Never Married,” “The Men Who Came Back,” “The Real Mrs. Dare,” etc.

(To be Continued 1

ed Molly, pointing to a very good likeness of the dark, flat-faced, smallheaded Leonard White.

“You certainly didn’t kill him, Molly! Let’s ring Dick up at or.ee! There’s something the matter here. This man lived in the same building as Shelmerdine. And there was a queer story told in the proceedings in Switzerland that he had the power of shamming death. My dear girl, you’ve been making some terrible mistake!” “How could I? He was dead —I know lie was dead.”

“He’s alive at the present moment! He obviously must be mad, since he behaved as he did to you, and since he tried to murder Dick. My dear, don’t let’s lose.a minute!”

She could not prevent him. She lay back in her chair, dazed, while Lake put through a call to Dick’s flat. It transpired that Dick was dining with Mrs Guy Crome in Eutland-st.. and Howard telephoned there. All lie said, when put through, was:— “Please ask Mr Heritage to speak to Mr Homard Lake at Nottingham.” Dick came to the telephone. “Y’our wife is safe—she. is here,” Howard said. “There has been a horrible mistake. Will you come up at once, or shall I bring her to London? She is rather weak.” “I’ll get the ear and come at once,” Dick replied.

Dick arrived about four o’clock in the morning. Molly was fast asleep. Howard’s housekeeper had put her to bed as if she had been a baby. Howard and Dick sat. in the library, and Molly’s husband heard the extraordinary story of liis wife’s adventure and of her subsequent delusion that she had killed Lord Shelmerdine.

At seven o’clock they rang up ScotLand Yard, and a message was sent to Inspector Clayson and to Sub-Inspec-tor Morian. Both these officers left London for Nottingham within an hour or two, as Howard Lake’s housekeeper was quite sure that Mrs Heritage would not be strong enough to travel that day. Howard was not present at the meeting between husband and wife. He met Molly in the hall, as she came downstairs, about nine o’clock. “Dick is in the garden,” • he told her. “I told them not to wake you. You were pretty worn out last night. Look —go by that door and aeross the terrace and down the steps!” Molly went. / Dick was smoking a cigar, walking up and down the lawn. They saw each other and stood still. Dick threw away his cigar and ran towards her. Molly ran to meet him. There was a wooded plantation beyond the tennis court, into which they disappeared.