THE LOST JUDGE.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2440, 11 May 1925, Page 6

THE LOST JUDGE.

[OUR SERIAL]

(By

C. RANGER GULL.)

“I know,” Philip nodded, and his steel-grey eyes dilated with fear. “I have, heard nothing, though I have set .nquiries on foot in a dozen, different directions. Schneider and the van have absolutely disappeared. What I piopose to do is tnL -” “Hush!” Madame Julia whispered suddenly, turning towards the long ni jr. ror upon one wall which hid the secret staircase down into the yard. “Hush! There’s someone tapping at the mirror door. Your stepfather is there. He must have heard something and came up from Richmond. It is terribly rash of him to appear in London, where he might be recognised, but he has heard something.”

In two stride Philin Jones was at the mirror. With trembling fingers he fumbled with the secret catch and (ping open the conceded door. In a mo ment a tall, powerful man, rather shabbily dressed, stepped brskly into the room. It was Schne ,der, the missing chauffeur. CHARTER IV. There was dead silence. The long door had clicked into its place, and there was no evidence of its having been.

Madame Jul a gave a gasp of surprise Her son took two steps back wards. His smooth and rather girlish face flushed up darkly, his stool grey eyes flashed cold fire at the intruder, and then glanced round the room in an instant, as if he were seek'.ng a weapon. Schneider stood watching Madanm Julia and her son with a slow, heavysmile. He was not exactly shabbily dressed. His clothes were good, but worn. He might have been a thirdrate commercial traveller as he stood there looking malevolently at them. Philip spoke first. "You scoundrel!” he cried, poised as though to lean upon the other. Schneider stood stock still where he was. and tapped the side of his overcoat significantly. "I know what in this room frequently goes on. You can’t, with your attitudes and attempts, frighten me at all,” Philip looked at his mother with a swift, commanding glance. Madame Julia was trembling with exc.tement, but, obedient to her son’s unspoken command, she sank into a ehair and composed her features to the usual calm

Jones make a motion of his band to wards the Chesterfield. "S't down, Schneider,” he said. The newcomer sat down heavily. Philip Jones drew up a light chair to the writing-table, ;.mt with great delibcrat on withdiew a cigarette-case from his pocket and began to smoke. "I should like to ask you,” s aid Philip Jones, "why you have come back here? I should have rather thought that it was a dar.ng prece ding on your part. You ought to know by this time' that we do not st'c.k at much, and yet you venture into the I on’s den. We have been wanting ro see' you, Schneider, for a wee-:.” "That is what I 'expected, sir,” the ex-.chauffeur answered respectfully, though there was a heavy gleam, o.i’ amusement in his dull eyes. "I thought that you would all be wanting to sec me ”

At th s moment Madame' Julia jumped up from her chair. Her nerves had got beyeng her control. She pounced at the man. She caught him by the shoulders and glared into his face, her

own working with wild excitement and hatred. "What have you done with h-m? What have'you done with him?" she hissed between her closed teeth. "Where is Sr Tho mi? »' ’

The’ man was frightened; that was quite obvious. The quick young man sitting .it the table saw h s advantage. With a snarl, a cold command which was almost like a blow, he forced his mother back to where' she. was before. He himself rose from his seat, and began to nterrogate the chauffeur.

"Look here," he said in an icy, rasping voice, though the tone of it was nevdr raised. "We took you into our confidence. We pa-d you well to do a certain thing. We promised you three hundred pounds when that thing wa» done. And what has happened? instead cf bringing That which was put into your charge to Richmond, we have

seen nothing of you., we have heard nothing of you. All our plans have been delayed and hindered. We don’t know whether" —here his voice drop ped almost to a whisper—" Sir Thomas Moultr <;?• is alive or dead. We arc quite unable to discover what you have done’with him. You have placed us in

a position of the greatest p. ril. Now, why do you dare to come back here, suddenly and unexpectedly? It !s for you to speak.” Schneider raised one shadd ly gloved hand to his mouth and coughed, “i will tell you,” he said. “It is quite s mple. You promised me a large sum of money to help you in drugging an old gentleman and taking him away to the house in Richmond, It was a very large sum of money for me. I was here in England to get as much money as I could, and to go back home and buy a little business on which I have had my eyes for a very long time, then I ask myself why the rich Madame Julia and her husband should wish this

thing done. I in my own will th nk . t out did. I saw behind It all much more there was. I gave myself to think, and 1 soon found out who the gentleman 1 was to take to Richmond was. If 1 produce that gentleman now, then it will mean life prison for all of you, I have read the papers. I know now what you have been at. Of the situation the keys in my hand I hold.” Philip Jones glared like a young pan ther at the man. His strong, nervous hands were twitching to be' at the fellow’s throat. It was no fear of consequences that restra ned him, but only the knowledge that Schneider was after all the arbiter of his, his mother’s, and his step-father’s fate, and that if he w■•’re to strike him dead then and there all would be .'n vain. With a tremendous offert at self-control Philip looked at Schneider and endeavoured to emulate the other s nonchalance. “Very well,” he said, “you have explained yourself. Now tell us what have you done with S r Thomas, Is he al.vc or is he dead? Why have you come here; ”

"If Sir Thomas was dead,” the German answered, "I should not come hero, sir. Sir Thomas is alive, and he is in a place where you can never find him. At any moment I can g ,ve the gentleman his freedom.” "And if you did so,” Madame Julia said quicskly, "you would secure your own condemnation.” "Not so, madame,” Schneider returned. "for his lordship has promised that, as far as I am concerned, no penalty shall fall upon me. He knows that I am the agent of others, but who those others are he does not know. All he knows is that he came to see madame here'. He remembers no more. He docs uot know where he is. He knows no thing. ’ ’ "And where is he?” cracked out quick as a wh p from Philip Jone's, hoping to catch the other in a moment of unalterness. It was quite vain. "That is what I have come to talk about,” said Schneider. At th.s moment Madame Julia made a motion or her hand—a motion that her son should be silent. She rose, to the occasion, she went straight to the po,nt, she- spoke directly to the traitorous ex-employee. "Look here, Schneider,” she said in a

quiet vo.-co. " You have beaten us. For our own pu.rposees we wished Sir Thomas Moultrie to be taken away for a time. We were going to make our own terms with h.m for his silence afterwards. I confess that to a certain extent that you have us in your power. but the fact of your coming here proves that you are willing to negotiate With us. Had it not been that you know where Sir Thomas Moultrie is, you would not have left this room with your life. As it is, I must treat with you. ’ ’ "Madame," he answered, "you have spoken just the truth. But I have seen the newspapers. I have seen that a Sir Thomas Moultrie who is not a Sir Thomas Moultrie at all has disappeared. I know who the gentleman who has publicly disappeared is, madame. I don’t know why or wherefore. He was the gentleman who helped me to carry Sir Thomas down the stairs on that foggy night a week ago. But I wiil not talk in riddles any more. I wish to be finished with you, madame, your husband, and this young gentleman. 1 wish to go back to my country, ami 1 mean to do so with far more money than I expected I should be able Io take with me. It is a question of price, madame," the man continued cynically; "just that and nothing more.. I care nothing for Sir Thomas Moultrie or any of you, but I have him se'eure, and it is for you to pay me what I ask, or for me to liberate him him, and tell h.m all the truth."

(To be Continued.)