The Lady of the Miniature

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17533, 15 October 1928, Page 4

The Lady of the Miniature

(Copyright.)

BY BEN BOLT.

Author of 'The Lifting of the Shadow," "Love Finds the Clua," eta

CHAPTER XXllL—Continued. "Terr'blc bad by all accounts. The doctor's there now, and the. district nurse, though I fear t'isn't much good they can do. The wonder is that the 'j gentleman is alive at all. He came j tearing down that old road there like ! an express train. I was a bit lower down the road there, an' I heard him coming, and turned round just in time to see the smash up. There was a long timber cart turning up the new road, and it blocked the way for him. otherwise he might have made the passage clearly. He, saw the timber cart, and blew the horn like mad. The men did their best, but the load was a heavy one, an' a timber-carriage don't manoeuvre as easily as a bicycle. I think he knew he was bound to come a smash of some sort, an' he turned j the car into that bank there, which ; looks soft an' green; - but which is most deceptive, being a stone wall, grown over with grass an' what not. The car crumpled up like a match box, an' overturned, an' then began to blaze like dry faggots. The gentleman was thrown clear, but he was terrible knocked about; and when I got him in the cottage he looked like a dead man. I sent for the doctor, an' reported to the inspector, an' half an hour later I was told to remain here an' keep an' eye on the house an' see the man didn't leave it, though the Lord knows he's in no condition for ; that; an' I can't think why I should be sticking here, instead of going my rounds. It's a slow job." Sir James did not enlighten the man. "You say the doctor is inside?" he asked. "Yes, sir! An' if you " The baronet turned to the car. Janet's face was very pale, and it was clear that she dreaded the coming ordeal. "I think we had better go to the house," he said simply, and after helping them down, he opened the gate and ; led them towards the cottage. As they went down the path the door opened, and a kindly Dorset woman stood to receive them. She looked at Janet. "Be you the young lady the doctor telegrammed vor?" "Yes," answered Janet tremulously. "Then I be terr'ble glad ee've come, miss. The young gentleman d'keep askin' vor 'ee." They entered the small living-room, and as they did so a middle-aged man came down the rickety stairs. "Dr. Mason," said the woman quickly, with a look towards Janet, "this be the young lady." The doctor bowed to her gravely. "I am very gal you have arrived, Miss Selby. You are in time, but I must tell you that there is no possible hope of Mr Shapland's recovery. He is terriblv injured. It is only a matter of hours, if of that. I will tell him that you have arrived." He disappeared up the stairs again, and after a few minutes returned. "Now, if you are, ready, Miss Selby." Janet flashed an imploring glance at Sir James, who looked at the doctor. The latter understood the look, and answered it. "Perhaps it will be best. The nurse is leaving the room as soon as Miss Selby enters, as I understand what he has to say is of a very private nature. But if you are a friend possibly Mr Shapland' will not mind your presence." Janet turned towards the stairs. Her face was very white, and it was plain that the task before her was a .very trying one. The doctor looked at her and whispered to the baronet. "If you should need it there's brandy on the chest in the bedroom. Sir James nodded, and swiftly followed the girl upstairs. As they entered the room the nurse withdrew, closing the door behind her, and Janet and Sir James moved towards the bed. Vernon Shapland lay there, his head bandaged, his eyes closed, one hand lying outside the clothes picking at the patch-work quilt. There was a grey look on the face, and even as they watched his mouth quivered with pain. Janet took another step forward. . ~ "Vernon," she said quietly, Vernon." . Shapland opened his eyes, and Sir James saw the light of recognition Hash into them; then he spoke in a weak voice. "It is very good of you to come. j ane t I—l was afra'id you might not get—get here in time." "I came at once," answered Janet simply. ~ , "That is just like you, he commented whisperingly, "and it Is well I that you did so, for—for I have something" very important to—tell you." \ spasm of pain shook him, and as it passed his eyes closed and 'remained closed for quite a long time. Janet looked at Sir James, and what she feared was written in her face. The baronet shook his head, and. reassured, Janet turned to the bed again. "Yes, Vernon," she said gently, "vou have something to tell me?" "The injured man's eyes opened. "A great deal, Janet. I—l am afraid that it will shock you, but—but I must tell vou It is about Rowley—Charles Rowley—my cousin, you know." "Your cousin!" As Janet cried the words she wondered if his mind were wandering, and the thought was indexed so cleaTly in her face that bhapland read it, and half-smiled. "Yes, my cousin," he answered, in a stronger voice. "A son of Sir Charles, my uncle, whom none of you knew of and of whose existence I was in ignorance until just before I went to New Guinea." "\h'" the ejaculation broke from Janet almost without her volition, forced from her by the sudden realisation of all that followed from this statement. The 'reason for the seemingly purposeless murder of Jim Rowlev had become instantly clear to her as'to Sir James, who had had the storv from Charles Rowley. She -mi ther'e unable to speak another word, shaken by the horror of the conviction which had come to Her, and Shapland, with closed eytis, continued his statement. "My uncle told me or rum. His son had been lost as a child, and for over twenty years nothing had been neard of him but just before I left England there came a clue—and I went to New Guinea to investigate— o try and find him. I—never meant that he should come to Ensland For twenty years I had been looked up. n as the heir of Shapland. I was deeply in debt, and—and 1 loved you. knew that if the man I went to look for was my cousin I was ruined, and that you would never—— So when ■ i found him, as 1 though shot him, and when 1 returned I told my uncle that he was dead. But-but I had I shot the wrong man. It seems that I he had a foster-brother- | "Oh I know, I know." cried Janet, I he,- heart wrung with horror. ■•Then there is no need for mo to I tell vou," continued Shu»land. "I

came back to England. I felt quite safe; I thought no one knew. But I was mistaken. That man Cordery. who came to Shapland, knew. He had been my guide in New Guinea — and a native told him what had happened. He came to England to—to blackmail me. He told me that I had killed the wrong man, that the who had saved you a s t the Murland was the man I had meant to kill. His terms were impossible, and, besides, I knew that I should never be safe, so —I—I " His voice failed, and his eyes closed. Janet glanced hastily at the baronet. Her face was full of horror, induced by the terrible confession to which she had listened. Sir James stepped forward, thinking the end had come, but as he did so Vernon Shapland's eyes opened once more and his lips began to move, but his voice now was no more than a husky whisper. "I know that it seems an awful thing to say, but—but it was because I was afraid of losing you, that I—that I did what I did. You were more to me than Shapland, and I—have always loved you. That is my only excuse."

Janet's mind went back to the eve of his departure to New Guinea. She remembered his passionate declaration, and knew that what the dying man said was true. In his own perverted way he had loved her, passionately, and notwithstanding the terrible things he had done she was conscious of a stirring of pity in her heard. "I have lost you," whispered Shapland, "lost you—for ever. But you will'stay with me, Janet, until—until." His eyes sought her imploringly, and her own eyes were dim with tears as she answered, "Yes." Again his eyes closed, and remained so for quite a long time. The silence in the room deepened. An hour passed without word or sign from Shapland that he was conscious of Janet's presence. Then he moved a little, the eyelids were raised flutteringly, and for one moment he looked at the watching girl. "You are very good, Janet —you will tell Rowley and my uncle " The whisper failed, the eyelids fell once more, and a tremor shook his broken frame. A moment later Janet knew that her vigil was over, and as Sir James Nancarrow stepped forward and placed a kindly hand on her shoulder, she broke into a storm of tears. CHAPTER XXIV. "That is an amazing story about Charles Rowley being Sir Charles Shapland's son," said the baronet half an hour later. "I wonder how it is that the fact has beeu kept hidden so long." "Probably because Sir Charles thought that his son was dead," answered Janet thoughtfully. "But do vou think it is true?" "There isn't the shadow of a doubt of it," broke iu Lady Nancarrow, who had been told of the confession. "Sir James and I have remarked more than once that Mr Rowley is very like someone whom we both know, but neither of us could recall who it was. Now I know. It is Sir Charles. There is quite a wonderful, likeness in spite of the disparity of age." "Yes," agreed the baronet, "and I think' we must let Sir Charles know at once. I am going to telegraph to him." "Wlil you tell him everything?" asked Janet quickly. "I think not," replied the baronet thoughtfully. "As you know, his health is not very good, and if he were to hear all that had happened the shock might be 100 great for him. But I think there will be no need. Inspector Garforth is here, and I have had a talk with him. The matter can probably be arranged, as death closes all accounts, even those of the law. It will be quite sufficient, I think, to tell Sir Charles that a'mistake was made, and that the man who had died was Jim Rowley, the foster-brother. We can say further that Vernon recognised Charles as his cousin, which will be quite true, and that he asked vou to tell his uncle. There will bo some gossip at Shapland, of course. That is inevitable, but as only three or four people know the real facts it. will not greatly matter, and Sir Charles wirl be the very last person to hear anything, if he ever docs, as I pray he never will. Don't you think "that will be the best way?" "Yes," agreed Janet. "I do. It would be 100 terrible to tell him that Vernon, whom he had sent to And his son, had tried to kill him." (To be continued to-morrow.)