A COMPLEX CRIME

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15312, 13 August 1923, Page 3

A COMPLEX CRIME

J (All Rights Reserved).

BY CECILE V. SAVER. Author of "Kindred Souls," "The Folly' of Ludley Vere," "Another Man's Shoes,',' etc.

CHAPTER XXVIII.— (Continued.) "The strange and most terrible part of my story, however, has yot to cume. And when you hear it, you will wonder that I have endured so muc/i, and yet retained.my reason.

Poor young fellow! Had he not come to my assistance wlien I cried out for help, he might have been alive now.

"On more than one occasion the madman also managed to make his escape, and to get right away off the premises. Owing to one escape the valet was compelled to fetch his master from a ball on All Hallows E'en. " Another occasion when the maniac eluded his gaolers was on that night of which I have spoken, when I also had managed to get away. I don't know what had taken the young gardener into the grounds so early. But he came to my rescue when I gave a cry for help, for the unexpected proximity of the madman so alarmed me that I was half-crazed with fright, although I don't think the brute would have harmed me. Indeed, since that first attack, when his mood so suddenly changed, he had actually made revolting overtures of love towards me, even trying on occasions to caress me.

"When a week has passed, and I found myself still a prisoner in the west wing, I began to wonder what my brother-in-law really meant to do with me. It was evidently not his intention to starve me to death, for I had plenty to eat and drink.

"I could not imagine that he would permit me to remain an obstacle to his evil intentions. And It seemed less than probable that he would trouble to keep me in confinement for any length of time. If he'd had his brother put out of the way, in order to step into his shoes, I didn't think he'd scruple to send me after him. "I was soon to learn what his diabolical intentions were. And what devil could have possessed any human being to concoct such a horrible idea passes one's wildest imaginations. "The red-haired virago, Mrs. Delaine, who was my gaoler, never for one instant during those early days of my confinement let me out of her sight. After the hour of midnight had passed I was sometimes allowed an hour's outing; but only about the grounds, and accompanied by that woman. "I soon ceased to ask any questions of her, for they were never answered, and only led to violent abuse and often blows.

On this occasion my husband's brother stood by whip in hand, gloating over my misery, trusting, no doubt, that my repulse of the monster would madden him into killing me. But I screamed aloud, and the young gardener rushed to my aid, and was furiously attacked by the maniac, who bore him to the ground, and literally tore his throat to pieces with his awful, long, talon-like fingers. " Before I could properly realise the full horror of what had occurred, the red-haired woman appeared on the scene, and I was dragged back to my prison.

"Before long, a dull apathy stole over me, arid I began to lose all heart. And then occured the first of the awful events which were to make my life ,a horrid nightmare. "I remember—ah, God! how well- — the first night when this shock came to me. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and I was—in spite of my position—looking forward to a breath of air as soon as Darkleigh should be wrapped in silence. At length the hour arrived. And my gaoler, as usual, prepared to accompany me into the grounds. "As we passed through the doorway—not the one by the way, that led Into the subterranean passage before alluded to, but one which led direct into the west wing itself" —(the door she meant was the one which Mrs. Rello and I had chanced upon when we had ventured to explore the outside of ihe mysterious premises)—"l noticed a diabolical grin on my companion's face. And my heart gave a great leap with fear. "The woman looked so positively evil that, almost unconsciously, I groaned aloud, as the iron hand clutched my arm to lead me forth into the night. " 'What are you whimpering for'." she asked' savagely,'tightening her hold on me. 'Perhaps you'll have something to whimper for presently.' And she laughed that horrible laugh of hers, which I had learned to dread more than her blackest frowns. "We had not gone many paces when I became aware of some presence near. "In the moonlight one could discern objects quite plainly. A sudden rustling of some bushes induced me to turn my head in that direction, and what I saw nearly froze my blood with terror. "Three figures stepped out from the shadows. Two of them were Harry Darrell and the husband of the red-haired woman; but the third — how can I describe it to you? Miss Sylvester, you have seen it and you can understand. "My husband's brother and his valet seemed to have as much as they could do to hold the Thing. And the. former carried a whip in his hand, which he occasionally cracked. The sound seemed to awe the dreadful object which he and his valet led between them—in chains. "For one terrible moment this Thing fastened its fierce, bloodshot eyes upon me, and its lips parted, showing' the wolfish fangs. Then, with a snarl, it suddenly bounded'the length of its chain towards me. "I did not move or even cry out. I was paralysed with fear. And whether my passive attitude allayed the madman's frenzy, I cannot say. But, at all events, my fiendish brother-in-law's evident design was frustrated then, and has been, in spite of all his manoeuvres to induce that monster to kill me, ever since—until to-night, when, but for Miss Sylvester's timely aid, I fear that Harry DarreH's long desire would have been accomplished. "It is very strange but'this unfortunate madman has seldom shown any violence towards me, after that first encounter, until to-night. On one occasion, not so long since, Harry Darrel forced me to accompany him to the dungeon where the monster is confined. And he actually locked me in, leaving me at its mercy for over three hours. "During the first few moments of that dreadful time the madman crouched in a corner of the dungeon, snarling like a dog, with it wild eyes fixed upon me and its lingers convulsively clasping and unclasping themselves, as though they longed to be at my throat. "And then It gradually came over the floor to me on all fours. "Close to where I was standing was a stone bench, and upon this lay a violin and bow. It was a strange thing to see in such a place, and as my eyes fell upon it a sudden unaccountable impulse induced me to take the instrument up. And, scarccly realising what I was going to do, I drew the bow across the strings, and awoke a wild passion of melody. "I had always been a fair performer on the instrument, but I played then as I had never played in my life before. For I saw that music had a soothing effect on the awful object at whose mercy I was. And it grovelled at my feet, tamed and silent. " It was a miracle, I think, wrought by a pitying Providence. For although I "had often wished to die, I had no desire to die a death of violence at the hands of a madman. " Music, I have since discovered, is one of the means used by Darrell to quiet his dangerous captive, for both he and his valet have had several narrow escapes from it. " On two occasions I managed to escape from my gaoler, the red-haired woman, for she is given to overindulgence in intoxicating drink, and when she is in this condition &ho is careless in her watch over me. •' The first time that I got away from her 1 was prevented from making my escape by her husband, who would! appear to have expected something of j the sort to happen, anil had been watching mo. "The second time I got away was In the small hours of that morning when the under-gardener was murdered.,

" Although Darrell desired the lunatic to kill me, it w-as not his purpose that the crime should be committed away from the west wing, for that might lead to detection; .whereas, the haunted premises were safe from intrusion.

"My hrother-in-law did not seem to absent himself from the Manor until about two years ago, when I 'did not set eyes on his cruelface for some time. " Gus'tave Delaine and his wife did not, however, relent in their treatment of me during the absence of their employer; but all their efforts to make that other awful captive kill me failed. And when Darrell again returned to the Manor and found that I still lived, his rage knew no bounds. I believe that he would have discharged Delaine and his wife had he not been in their power.

"This is the sort of existence that I have been forced to endure for over five years. It is only a wonder to me that Darrell has not wearied in his attempts to induce his mad captive to kill me. I can't think why he hasn't employed other means of putting mo out of the way, instead of such useless and roundabout methods.

"To-night, as you know, my bro-ther-in-law's, desire came near to being fulfilled; for the madman was in one of his most violent humours and suddenly changed his mood with me. "I had become so accustomed to his less harmful, albeit revolting frenzies, that I was quite unprepared for the change.

"There is one thing, too, which continues to puzzle me, and that is the absence of both Delaine and his master. I have never, before to-night, known them to allow the lunatic absolute freedom abroad. And I know that during the earlier part of this evening the two of them were in the dungeon beneath the west wing." "This evening!" exclaimed Marion, "Good heavens! why I imagined them both to be in London!" "Ah," replied the narrator, "I am afraid you have never gauged the depths of cunning and deceit practised by that man. But I pray you, dear madam," crossing to my friend's side and throwing herself on knees before her —"to give me shelter with you and your friend. And, oh, forgive me for the sorrow that my story must cause you. But surely such a monster as I have proved your husband to be can no longer hold a place in your heart?" There was agony in Marion's expressive eyes as they rested upon the pale, eager face of the woman kneeling at her feet.

"No I" she replied gently, "he can no longer, as you say, hold a place in my heart. He can never again inspire anv feeling in me but horror and loathing. I shall leave this house as soon as the day dawns —for ever. But your rights, poor soul, shall be established. Miss Sylvester and I will help vou; and in the meantime you had better accompany us. Carmen, dear"— turning to me —"we will go over to Ormond Towers as soon as the morning comes, and we'll discuss tins matter with them. As for my future, —with a dreary laugh—"we can decide about that later. I wonder, she added, "whether the men have succeeded in capturing that dreadiul monster. Vincent and Crump are on the premises. I'll ring and ask them if the madman is found." Her summons was quickly obeicu by Crump, who informed us that tlie lunatic was still at large, for all he knew; and that Knowles and the gaidener were still searching the grounds. ~ ... , ,„ I longed to be alone with Marion, to comfort' her—if I could. It seemed as though the night would never end. Little did we dream what was >ot to happen before the sun rose. (To ue continued 10-morrow).