“STOLEN DEATH,”

Wairarapa Daily Times, 19 October 1933, Page 7

“STOLEN DEATH,”

COPYRIGHT. PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

CHAPTER lll.—Continued. "Have you got everything you want, my dear ? I do want you to be comfortable,’ ’ she said, in her easy, pleasant fashion. "It’s a delightful room, thank you,” Joan assured her. "I was just coming down to find you.” "You poor dear, you must be starving. But I’m going to bother you for a moment.” Mrs Grainger came close, and in her hand she had a letter with the blue lines across it to show it was registered.

"This registered packet came from Mexico for you by this morning’s post, dear. Probably money, I suppose.” She paused, but Joan did not answer, only waited, with a new dread beating at her brain to be let in. "But you know how stupid and fussy these country officials are, and the postman said he’d like you to sign the receipt for it, as he knew it was valuable. That was what made me guess it might be money. Now lie’s come on his collecting round and asks if he can have the receipt. Do you mind, dear? It won’t take you a moment.”

Mrs Grainger handed the packet and the little printed receipt slip with, it to Joan. And she took it into her hand, automatically, because it was offered.

But she stood there, helplessly, for a moment. What on earth was she to do?

Fortunately, Mrs Grainger had moved away to the dressing-table, looking to see that all Avas in order, and simply to hide from her eyes Joan turned again to the Avriting-table against which she leaned.

There lay Mercedes Grainger’s passport, open at the photograph, Avith the loose, spraAvling signature under it. It seemed an ans Aver to Joan’s desperate need; that receipt slips had to be signed, come AA’liat, might after this night of ever-increasing misery! For a moment her hand Avent to her throat for she felt as if she Averc choking, then, as Mrs Grainger turned again and came across to her, Joan had seized a pen and bent OA-er the slip, so screening Avhat she did. Dashingly, her eyes intent,from passport to receipt, she A\-rote the name "Mercedes Grainger” and turned and handed it to Mrs Grainger. "Thanks, dear. So sorry you had to be bothered. Are you ready to come doAvn noAV?” she said, as she took it.

"Yes. I’ll be doAvn in one minute noAV,” Joan said breathlessly. Then, Avhcn she Avas alone again she seized the passport and registered packet, and almost ran across the room to the suitcase and thrust them deep undlr its contents.

"Forgery!” she Avhispered to herself. "It’s awful! Oh, 1 shall be thankful to get aAvay from this! I’ll open that packet. They’ll find it with everything else, ivhen I’m gone. I’ve ljust got to get through this evening, that’s all. Then I’ll creep away!” She thrust her shabby frock into the suit-case, also, and locked it after a glance round to see that she had left nothing else about that could betray her. She laughed sourly qt herself as_ she did that. "It’s fortunate I haven’t long to go on in this fashion, ahvays Avatching not to betray that I’m a fraud,” she Avhispered. "But I’ll get out of it, this very night.” Shaking still,, but with her mouth set firm, she went out, and doAvn to the family Avaiting to Avelcome her beloAV. CHAPTER IY. Joan’s determination to cut the knot by which she was held by flight that night Avas strong and true. She sat through a pleasant meal, with well-trained servants coming and going, and Avith Mrs Grainger and her son and daughter Avaiting on her, too. It Avas delightful in itself, all the' beauty of the old house and the pleasant food, and easy, kindly companionship. If only it had been hers by right instead <jf by fraud.

And all the time she AA-as saying "good-bye” to it nil, inside herself. She Avas dead tired, but she had to keep alert, ansAvering chance, natural cmestions about her supposed life in Mexico, and her journey home from there.

But she looked so AA-liite-faced and Avorn that mercifully soon Mrs Grainger said that she avus sure she must be tired, and, AA-ith a brc-ak*in her voice, Joan AA-as alloAved to say good-night and escape upstairs. Then she methodically made preparations for her flight. She Avould not go in that splendid fur coat that had been such an ally, but she got out from amongst the dead woman’s possesssions the plainest cloth coat there Avas. She must borroAv that till she could. somehoAV get possession of her oavu clothes, Into a pocket of the coat she put silver to the amount of tAA-enty shillings. She Avould give herself three hours’ rest; then, in the dead, small hours she AA’ould creep away. It Avas best to Avait till that time, and she kneAV she would break doAA-n if she did not haA*e some rest soon.

She stretched herself on the bed, thankfully, but .told herself over and over that she Avas to Avake at "Taa-o o’clock” — "Tavo o’clock.” She could ahvays be sure of Avaking at a given time in that Avay. So she said it over and- OA-er, and then let herself sink into delicious sleep. Biit she Avaked to a tapping at her locked door, Avith eyes opening to the shock of sunshrine pouring into the room! Her dazed eyes turned to the Avatch on her wri3t, and shoAved her it Avas eight o’clock. Her scheme Avas killed!

Not yet really awake, only frightened ato alertness, she called to the maid avlio ivas knocking, and, in anSAver to a question, said she did not want any tea.

She kneAV that she had another day of deception to face; she must clear her stagnant Avits and get on Avith the business of her delayed escape, carefully. So, after that first appalling disappointment of her OAvn betrayal of herself she bathed and made ftirtlier raids on Mercedes Grainaer’s trunks, and went down to breakfast. She found she was the first, and from the open hall !door she looked out into a lovely autumn Avorld.

Every leaf and blade of grass liad its diamond of dew, but the mist was breaking and trailing away through the trees. Evidently the house was named truly from its position, for Joan looked away and away down to a

(To be Continued.)

BY NELLIE TOM-GALLON.’ (Author of "The Man Who Changed His Wife,” "Dawn of Desire, "Full Passionate Mood,” etc).

valley Avith comfortable farm-houses and bright streams reflecting the sun in sharp glints.*' She Avas greeted characteristically by the family. Margot hugged her, and Justin held her hand and hoped she had got over her tiredness. He Avas so pleasant, Avith his easy, kindly smile, that she felt more cheerful for the mere sight of him. He Avouldn’t be hard on her Avhen he kncAV all the truth, she Avas sure!

"It’s too bad for you, Mercedes, dear,’’ Mrs Grainger said as they settled round the breakfast table, "but they’ve ’phoned from the police station again over at MimsAvorth, saying that the inquest on that poor girl is at Westminsted, at eleven o’clock this morning, and they Avant you to be there. It’s too bad that you can’t have a day’s rest.” But she couldn’t knoAV lioav Joan’s heart had suddenly given a happy jump to a quicker beat. For here Avas a iioav chance of escape. She had a perfectly good excuse for going up to London, and once there it ought to be possible to disappear into the croAvd Avith prefect ease. But the hope had hardly been born before it Avas killed. For Mrs Grainger’s A-oice AA’as going on : "Luckily avc have to go up to toAvn early this morning, and avc can see you through this nasty business. We shouldn’t let you go alone, in any case. But you see—well, things aren’t too good' these days, Avitli the incometdx up sky high. We’ve got an aAvful lot of junk that’s sort of grown to Us in the centuries. W,e’re selling some of it at Denton’s to-day. Hope to get a spot of money out of it, and more elboAv-room doAvn here. So Ave’ll take in the inquest on the Avay.” Joan had Avaked from her long sleep refreshed, but uoav she felt that dazed condition in Avhicli she had been SAvept .along the day before coming back to her. Only she held on to the one splendid fact that she Avas being carried to London. Once there she could escape —-somehoAV. So, fortunately in a rush, she found herself hurrying; through breakfast and away to the car, and Justin driving again, intent on getting to toAvn as quickly as possible. She settled herself to quietness, telling herself she must save her strength for Avhat AA-as before her.

. So, dignified and steady, she Avalked into the Coroner’s Court, Mrs Grainger beside her.

Everybody AA-as Avonderfully good to her; apologetic to her for dragging her there, and she took up her part of a rich, independent woman Avith success. Presently she Avas sitting at a table facing the Coroner and ansAvering his simple questions as to the dead girl, "Joan Berney.” Yes —she had made her acquaintance on the boat, crossing. Yes — the dead girl had said she Avas conn ing from Geneva to meet her father at Victoria. Yes —she had shown her her passport and her father’s photograph so that the witness kneAV she Avas named Joan Berney. Yes —she had said she did not feel Avell, and that she meant to see a doctor in London; but she had seemed all right AA r hen the witness last saAV her as they got into their different classes on the train.

All this Joan told, in ansiver to gentle coaxing questions. And if in her mind there had been a moment’s fleeting idea that she Avould stand up there and tell the truth she glanced round at the policemen all about her, from them to the Court officials, and kneAV she must go on, deeper still into fraud. She had taken the dead avoman’s property, she had forged her name, lioav could she explain? She drew back into her quiet corner Avhen "Dennis Berney” Avas called. From there she had to Avatch her father and listen to a \-oice that revived old happy memories of childrood holidays Avitli him—had to listen to that voicebreak, and to see the handsome head droop as her father told of going to the station to meet her, and being told his daughter Avas dead. So pathetic he looked, so grief-strick-en, Joan Avas stirring to rise and go to him, as he Avalked heavily aAvay after giving his evidence.

Then in a flood the terrible memory came back to her Avhen she had heard him identified as a thief. "James Grant” had been the name those tAVO crooks, Avho had been after the ' dead girl’s money, had called him. They had Avondered Avhat game lie Avas up to, AA-ith his daughter to help him. But ilrs Grainger Avas asking an official if her niece could go uoav, and at a Avhispered Avord from the official to the Coroner and a look in her direction, she Avas free to get out of the stifling place. She looked back over her shoulder, uncertainly, at the door of the Court, and Mrs Grainger misunderstood hexlook.

‘‘ It’s all right, my dear. Don’t think about that unpleasant business any more. It Avas just an accident that you had anything to do AA-ith it at all.”

"It Avas rather dreadful,” Joan anSAvered, miserably. It Avas only a matter of minutes before they came to the famous salerooms in St. James's, and Joan Avas glad to get into the rooms, Avhere it Avas quiet and dim, out of the light of the streets.

In the central hall there Avere lovely things, pictures, furniture, tapestries, jcAvellery, all lying about, apparently dangerously free. Joan had been thinking and hearing so much lately about crookness that she noticed this and must speak’ about it. "Isn’t it dangerous to have all these lovely things of yours lying loose here?” she asked Mrs Grainger. ,

"Well, they’re not all ours—not by a long way. Roughly, Avhat A\-e are selling occupies that long table over there.” She pointed to a broad counter, Avitli Avonderful treasures spread carelessly along its length.