Mystery of Thorncliffe Hall

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17222, 4 October 1927, Page 3

Mystery of Thorncliffe Hall

(COPYRIGHT.)

(By EDGAR PICKERING.) Author of “The Secret Foe.” “Murder Will Out,” “Love, the Conqueror,” Etc., Eta.

CHAPTER XY.— From the Grave. “At last.” Ca.rcw alone in his room uttered the words exultantly. Thorne title Hall and its broad acres were his now. The dead man’s will left everything to his faithful steward, James Garcw, and in due course he would be put into possession of the property. Mr Emanuel and every other trouble had been defeated, and altogether Carew had every right to be satisfied with the course of events. A day or two would have made all the difference in the world to him, and why Mr Hibbert bad suddenly changed his mind and decided on mating a fresh will had puzzled the faithful steward excedingly. He had been chief mourner at Mr Hibbert’s funeral, which had delayed Esther’s departure from the gloomy, depressing old house. Mrs Joyce and Creak had been left handsome legacies, and the lawyer informed Esther that she was entitled to a year’s salary. Carew found the money for this. The evening before Jier intended departure he had walked over to ttxe Ilall, and his entrance into the dining room brought a hot flush to her face for a moment. •‘You know that I am leaving the Hall to-morrow, Mr Carew,” she said, with a slight lifting of the brow that betrayed an indifference to him she could not resist showing. “Yes. That is the reason why I came. I have been prevented until now. Duties to others which I could not evade, although every moment that kept me from you was a torture.” He stopped l'or a moment, his face white with emotion, and Esther shrank back, dreading his next words. “You - are the only woman I have ever given a thought to, the onlj woman I can ever love, and I ask you to be my wife.” . “I have never given you any right to speak to me like this,” answered Esther firmly. “No right!" he exclaimed. Has not every look and word of yours encouraged me? Each time we have seen each other you have lured me on.”^ “No,” she cried indignantly. kou insult me by saying that. You took advantage of my lonliness to-offer me attentions I hated, and was powerless to escape. You used your authority to prevent me from seeing a friend, ana you deceive yourself if you call it encouraging you because 1 had to submit.’’ . • “What I did, as you seem to accuse me of doing, was to protect you. Esther laughed scornfully. i needed no protection,” she rc P llc “; "except from those I mistrusted. it is all at an end now, thank heaven. I’ll try to forget the time I’ve spent at Thorncliffe Hall.” . , “I implore you to remain, he urged “You have -spoken hastily, without thought. I ask you to share my life, the fortune 1 neither expected o wished for. Is it nothing that I oiler this to you?’ ’ “Indeed, no. It only makes me more anxious "than ever to go. There is no need l'or me to say more.” “You will answer differently present! v when you have considered my proposal, like a sensible woman, kou will do that, 1 am sure." Esther turned away, not deigning to answer him, and he moved to the door. . ~ . “Wc shall see each other again, he said. “Meanwhile think over my ° fl “Neverl" Esther ejaculated the word emphatically. To-morrow she would he far away, never to see him more. To-morrow meant her release from his odious society. He was master of the house now, and whilst she remained in it she was in his power, exposed to his effrontery and presumplion. . rt t« Her intention was to leave the Ilan at the earliest possible moment in the morning. Going to her room she made her preparations for her journey, n would be nothing less than a bJSM‘ now that Carew was unmasked, f’he thought of his useless anger wheD no heard she had gone, brought a sense of triumph. Morning had dawned when she arose from a troubled sleep and dressed hurriedlv. She would steal quietly out of 'the house before Mrs Joyce or Creak was awake. Descending to Lho hall, sho went swiftly to the umr. it was locked and bolted, defying her strength to open the heavy fastenings, hut there was another way she remembered. It opened from a narrow passage by which the stables wero reached. Going to It she tried to remov the massive iron bar that held it and again she was foiled. Slices a prisoner. The doors had been .aliened against her leaving the houso. Carew had ordered this to be done, came the instinctive thought, but in that rambling old house a means of exit would be found somewhere In the part she had never ventured to explore —the east wing. The thought of the closed rooms and the mystery of them flashed into her mind. Returning to the hall she ran up the broad staircase from which a gallery led to the uninhabited wing. A door roughly made was mid-way down -the gallery. In the growing light the marks could be seen on the un pa in ted woodwork, as if it had been forced open at some time. One of the panels was rent apart, and a hand had left a blood-red impress in the rugged edge. The door hung aslant. Push in tr it aside, she hastened forwaid to where the head of a narrow flight of slops was seen in the misty light. Her eagerness to escape gave her courage, and gaining the steps she looked down.

scionable scoundrel. It was through him that I am a dead man, forgotten,” He smiled gravely and she felt constrained to listen to his vague, disconnected talk.

“Will you not tell me your name?” she asked. “Why you have lived a solitary life so long?” “I had no alternative. My unfortunate position was taken advantage of. You are wondering at my saying this.”

“Yes. I can’t help wondering. It is so strange."

“It is many a year since I spoke to a lady,” he continued. “Joyce is merely a fiend—not a woman. Creak is simply a miscreant.” A scowl passed over his face as he paused. “You must forgive me for speaking so harshly,” he said, recovering his courtly tone.’ I have suffered long years of solitude and misysage." “I am very very sorry for you,” said Esther.

“Those are the only kind words I have heard since I died,” he answered. “Your face is the only one I have seen .which bears a trace of human sympathy. In your eyes I read truth and honour.” “I also have known sorrow and the wrongs injustice can do,” replied Esther, “and now my employer is dead, lie has been murdered.

“You refer to Cornelius,” and a peouliar look shot out from his dark eyes. “Cornelius who has come to his end.”

He was so unmoved that Esther drew back from him, and ‘his manner changed Again.

As she gazed a moment she saw a cloaked figure emerge from the darkness, a tall, gaunt man, whom she recognised. She had seen him In the garden. He must have fount some way of entering the cast wing. Clad in the same rough cloak she had seen him wear before, his unkempt hair and flowing beard wero snowwhite, and although the eyes retained the keen look of early life, the unmistakable signs of old age were visible on meeting and her eagerness lo escape from the house overcame Esther’s surprise. " "Can you show me a way ou.. an. asked hastily. “i have been locked in."

•U had the pleasure of seeing you the other day, 1 believe,” hn replied, with an old-fashioned courtesy but forget your name." Esther lold him for the second lime, •'I remember now. Cornelius em nioved vmi as ills secretary. They nave locked you in, oh 7 1 fi!il U( ’ t in the least surprised. . H is a Hung Kiev are aecusioined lo do. is extremely foolish of them. Cornelius was to blame." Thai he spoke of Mr diibbo.rt m the past to rise struck Esther as very strange. Hid this madman know that Mr nil)held was dead? oj sorry you are put to an m- j convenience," "he went on. "It was | not by my wish, and it bears out my rl-uru-'n that .Cornelius was

“You have asked my name,” he went on. “I doubt if it is remembered now, although it was upon everyone’s bps once. In the days when I spent my fortune on people who repaid wc with base ingratitude. One of them —the basest of them was Cornelius — the other " he stopped abruptly, and a look of sanity dispelled the wildness she had seen in his eyes. He regained control of his voiee and his figure assumed the dignity of manhood.

“The other,” he continued, "was one whom I had trusted, who cheated me, and I forgave him. Then he robbed me of a woman’s love and taunted me with his victory. No one could ever forgive that, and I challenged him to. a duel. We fought in the. wood yonder. It was an informal, hastilyarranged affair, and the only witness was Cornelius.” “I see it now,” and his voice lost its steadiness for a moment. “The clear moonlight, the flash as I fired, the figure on the ground who had a moment before been a living man. 10 was dead, and Cornelius urged mo to flee before the body was discovered. Cornelius, who persuaded me, weak fool that I was, to hide in this part, o the house whilst he spread the story ot iuy death at sea. Cornelius, w m swore to he a faithful guardian of rny estate, who kept me a prisoner lhlP ®'" ening to betray me if I rebelled. ioi all those long years he enjoyed thmoney which was mine. , L '. Hall is mine, mine to deal with as __ wil! —to bequeath to whom 1 choose. “You are Jasper Hinberl, and Esther uttered his name in an avset l 0I “Jasper Hibbert returned to life,” he answered. , (To be continued to-morrow.)