Young My Lord

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18024, 20 May 1930, Page 4

Young My Lord

=SERIAL STORY —

CHAPTER XXVll.—(Continued.) ■ “Well, never mind,’’ added the law - ycr, “it might have saved us a couple of days’ anxiety; hut it's all right. Remember the law is very dry work without a little play! Now,” he concluded, “we must be prepared for a strenuous opposition from Maxton. This favourable turn that affairs have taken will ,upset all his nefarious schemes. There will be no StarnthWaite Court for him." “What form will his opposition take?” Edward asked"An endeavour to obtain his sixty per cent, interest," was the answer. "I don’t know what course Bronner’s will take, but they are certain to dispute it and bring it before a Judge. Then perhaps it will end,„in a settlement—the best thing to‘save costs! At any rate it is all right, and your old home is saved for the time. Thank God!" CHAPTER XXVIII. Maxton Receives a Shook. James' Maxton was sitting in his office in Threadneedle Street, in about as black a humour as it was in his na- , ture to produce. He had just heard of the paying off of the Bill of Sale. To him entered a clerk in some fear and trepidation; he had already had a taste of his Chief’s anger that morning. “A gentleman to see you, sir," he announced, and laid a card on the table. ‘ ’ , Maxton took it up, read it; and dashed it into the waste-paper basket. “I don’t want to see him., Tell him I am engaged all day," he said. Then a head appeared over the clerk’s shoulder. “It was to avoid that message, Monsieur,” he said, “and to save time,that I' followed this gentleman upstairs. As you have destroyed by card I must introduce myself again. I see The unexpected entrance of the Baron Vermouth into James Maxton’s room seemed to astound him, and rendered him speechless. After a few moments he stammered out: “Leave this room at once: How dare you come here?” •The Baron made a polite how. “ Excuse me, Monsieur,” he said, “ but 1 have most important business with you in this room alone. Perhaps you will have the great kindness to tell this gentleman, who so politely brought me upstairs, to go down again. What I have to say is for your ears alone. Of course,” continued the Baron, sticking his thumbs into the arm-holes of his waistcoat, “if you wish, I will repeat it publicly, but I don’t think you will like it.” “ Send for a policeman," burst forth Maxton to • the waiting clerk. “ I’ll charge him.” The Baron was not abashed.

“Very well,” he nodded, “you will send for your policeman and you will charge me before what you call ’im, the beak. What do I do? I send for Lord Cunswick as my witness, and for my friend Emile who is here with me outside the door. These will speak of the little incident in the club at Monte Carlo that night when- you offered me fifty thousand francs to do a little work for you. In a few days it will be all over England." Maxton held up his hand.

“Stop!” he said to the clerk. “Do not call the policeman at present, but shut the door; go down and listen for my bell.”' The clerk did as he was told, and the Baron Vermouth put down his hat and took a chair.

“ It is better, Monsieur Maxton,” he •began, “ that we should discuss tills matter in private.” “ Well, if you anything to dis - cuss, get on with it,” answered Maxton contemptuously. “ I will not keep you waiting, Monsieur," was the answer. “ I want from you the gift of five hundred pounds.” Maxton thrust his hand towards the bell push and almost pressed it, but hesitated at the last moment.

“ No, Monsieur Maxton,” proceeded the Baron, “ You will not ring that bell and shall I tell you why? Certainly I will tell you, because it would spoil your marriage with Miladi Stella. Who would marry a man who who gives fifty thousand francs to have people killed 1”. Maxton's hand relaxed upon the bell, and his face went deadly white. He realised that he was in the power of this man, and all his ingenuity did not show him a way out of it. There was only one point) which suggested itself as a loophole. “.Who will believe you,” Maxton asked, still trying to maintain a bold front, “without witnesses?”. “At least, Monsieur," answered Vermouth, " there is one here.” He walked to the door, and called softly: .“Emile!” Immediately a man, evidently a waiter, in his best suit, entered the room and bowed to Maxton. The latter recognised him at once as one of the footmen at the club at Monte Carlo who had waited upon him. “ Tell this. Monsieur,” asked the Baron, “ if you saw him speaking to me one night in the card room just after lo jour-de l’an—the New Year’s Day?” “ Yes,” answered the man, “I saw you speaking to this Monsieur.” “And what did he say?” Vermouth asked, The footman smiled. ' v 1 “ Some people think that those rooms are left empty,” he said. “It is not so. No room is left for a moment umvatched. I was standing behind the curtains. I heard this Monsieur offer you fifty thousand francs to kill Mllor Cunswlck in a lucl." “Liar!" almost shrieked Maxton, ■bite to the lips. “Whether it is true, or untrue,” ■eplied the man coolly, “ you will best know yourself, Monsieur." James Maxton, white and showing signs of trembling, sat and looked at he two men, realising more surely each moment that he was entirely in their .lower. Vermouth regarded him with unoncealed triumph, but he bowed low s he spoke. “ Monsieur,” he said, “ time is pasing. I see that you intend to comply vith my wishes.” .Maxton did not answer for some minutes; then he seemed to make up 1 lis mind. “if I hand you this sum which you intend to rob me of,” lie, said, “will you guarantee to leave the country immediately?" "i.Mais, oui ccrlaiiimenl, Monsieur,”

By Colonel H. Curties.

(All rights reserved.)

(To be continued.)

Vermouth answered. “It is cold here, we are not very much In love wis ze climate of England. Yes, certainment we will go away.” Maxton got up from his table and went to a little safe concealed in the wall; from this he took several notes, for the two men heard the rustle of them, though they could not see what ■he was doing. Then he came back and threw -the notes which he held ,on to the table before Vermouth^. “ And now go; and never show your faces here again, he said. | The two men bowed, and said nothing as they walked to the door; then Vermouth stopped. “ I am very sorry, Monsieur,” he said, “ but there is just one leetle thing L have recollected only now. I did not remember I possess a responsible and confidential position at one of the large hotels. I will disclose the fact that I arp night porter. My friend also is in a position of trust; he'is valet de chambre——what you call it, ‘Boots,’ at another hotel. Our engagements are for the season. Despite the wretched, wretched dim Re of England, we must stop. We would rather go, but, Monsieur, we are bound by our duty, and we must.stay. This I forgot to tell you, Monsieur, before I promised for myself and my friend to go away. We cannot go, it would reflect upon our honour.” Maxton turned upon him with a snarl. ”If you come here again, I will hand you over to the police as black- 1 mailers,'’ ■ Vermouth laughed aloud. “ I assure, Monsieur,” he said, "that we are not in the least afraid of the police.” The two men disappeared, and Maxton was left to himself. For some minutes he sat thinking; then he rose, and, going across to a concealed cupboard, opened it and took out a decanter of brandy. lie filled a glass with it and drank ’it off, then returned to the table. Leaning down, he tnoic from a drawer on his right hand after some fumbling, an automatic pistol. He contemplated its beautiful workmanship for a few minutes, then hastily thrust it'back into the drawee and covered it with some papers, “No, no!” he said as he closed the drawer, “ there, are much better wayi than that.”

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