“THE HOUSE IN THE WAY”

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19606, 19 June 1935, Page 4

“THE HOUSE IN THE WAY”

START READING HERE. Many attempts aro made to persuade or frighten Netta Fansliaw and lier brother Frank to leave their home, the Oaks, which is the only house near to The Wychets, a place tenanted by a Mr Singster, a retired chemist. The two houses stand In a lovely part of Sussex hear the village of Westbury. Guy Chichester, who believes Singster to be the leader or a gang that wishes to obtain possession of the house, persuades the girl to stay ,but Frank Fanshaw opposes Guy, and tells Netta that Chichester has served a sentence for blackmail. At a second attempt, Chichester succeeds In entering the house occupied by Singster. Unfortunately he Is discovered and all but caught as he runs from the house and because the pace is growing too hot, he visits Scotland Yard, takes Supt. Massing partly Into his confidence and secures a promise or official help. Later, two shadows follow him to Croydon, where he goes to visit his ward, Diana Thornton. The two then go to see Jack Osborne, Diana’s fiance, who has Just completed the Invention or a new motor, and find the young man unconscious In his room.

Osborne’s motor has been stolen', but fortunately the model is In two parts, and one part Is sare. Edward Lissom, a motor expert Is kidnapped, and Guy believes that he is being- rorced to work on the completion of Osborne’s model. He (toes to The Wychets, and taxes Slng-ster with the crime, but is drugged, and after a long- rkle on the luggage grid in Slngster’s car, thrown on to the roadway, many miles away from Westbury. CHAPTER XlV,—(Continued.) (Massing- when he eventually rang up, was evidently not In the best of moods. “What have you got to tell me? " he barked, when Guy answered the telephone. “Gh, I’ve quite a lot to tell you," Guy answered, “but first of all, have you heard anything of old man Lissom?"

“ Not a thing. He has completely disappeared. He seems to have picked up a taxi outside his house, and from that moment he hasn’t been seen or heard of.

“Of course, we have had hundreds of reports from all over the country from people who have seen him, but they are the usual helpful idiots who think we have nothing better to do than to spend hours Investigating •their fanciful Inventions.

“You might not believe it,” Massing was waxing Indignant, “but 1 have a report from a man at Ipswich who Is positive he saw him in a local pub exactly five minutes after he Is stated 'by another positive gentleman to have embarked on the Berengaria, at Southampton. It’s enough to drive me mad; and of course, everybody, led by the papers, is demanding that Scotland Yard produces the old boy at once, and hangs the kidnappers out of hand. Guy laughed, a dry humourless laugh. “ Afraid I am going to take the same line, old boy,” he said. “You have got to find the old man soon, or you won’t find him at all—at least, not alive."

“ What do you mean? They didn’t have to kidnap him 'to murder him. They could have done that just as well at his own house had they wanted to. If I could guess their motive I might be able to make some progress. At present I am in the dark.” “I can help you there. You remember when I saw you a couple of days ago I asked you if you knew of an Inventor who was doing something clever with a motor.” “ Yes, I remember, of course, but where’s the connection? Lissom Is a motor expert, of course.” “ It’s rather a long story," Guy went on. “ Listen. I found a young man who had just finished such an Invention, and when I found him he had just been cracked on the head, and his model, or part of It had been stolen. Fortunately for him he had the foresight to keep his model In two sections and so the thieves have only got away with part of it, and one part Is no good without the other. Now do you see where Lissom comes In? "

“Gad, yes!" the policeman exclaimed. “If you know all that you must know some more. I want the whole story, young man, and I want it at once. ’’

In as few words as possible Guy told Massing as much of the story as he thought necessary, and 'the frequent exclamations at the other end told him that the detective was intensely interested. "Of course,” Chichester concluded, “ I know well enough who took Lissom but I oan prove nothing—neither can you. He is probably miles away from the house, 'they wouldn’t be fools 'enough to keep him there, and if they see you watching they will lie doggo and you will be no forrader.

"I don’t expect to try to teach the police their business, hut honestly, 1 think you will have to let me carry on from this end, and It might be as well if you get one of your hest men to keep a quiet, eye on me —I shall feel a bit safer if you do that.” The policeman agreed to do this. He did not tell Guy that he had been shadowed ever since he left Scotland Yard, and that the detective had lost •him on the night he visited Singster and afterwards went for his stolen car ride. A little later Guy left the inn to visit Nctta. It did not strike him as at all strange that he should lake his welcome for granted, nor did he attach any great importance to the fact that his weariness seemed to leave him as soon as her house oamc into sight. CHAPTER XV. Calling the Bluff. When Guy reached The Oaks, ho became conscious of an unpleasantly strained atmosphere. As lie walked up the garden path Nctta arose from a deck chair lo greet him. She looked pale and distrait, and even a notoriously unobservant male could see that tier eYes had quite recently shed tears.

Sho made no move towards ihe house and Guy drew up another chair and sal down beside her. The grass around the chairs was littered with papers and when Guy absently picked up one, lie was astonished to note the date, it was of the day before lie had stood in the dock to receive Ills sentence. “Why on earth —’’ lie began, ns tic picked up other papers and noted’the dates. “I was interested in a picture which appeared in a paper about that lime,” Netta answered. “A man was sent to prison for blackmail. It is a mosL amazing case, you know. “I find a photograph, and a short note to the effect that this man has been found guilty, yet in none of I lie papers of that day, or in any of the previous fortnight, can I find a report of what surely must have been a cause cciebre. "1 can uniy think —••••,.

By COLIN HOPE (Author of “ The Phantom Killer.”) A Fasoinating Love Story with a Sinister Background.

papers missed a really outstanding piece of news—or else there was something very strange about the case.”

Guy made no comment for quite a while" but sat gazing straight in front of him. At last he spoke, quietly, deliberately. He. said:

"I'pleaded guilty to the charge, so there was no extensive trial. However, there is more in it than that. You seem to have guessed the truth —some of it, at least. Please do not try to find out any more. You may do me great harm, and besides, you shouldn’t worry your pretty head with such nasty things. If only you knew how nasty they are.” There was another long spell of silence—uncomfortable silence. 'Chichester was burning to know what story lay behind Netta’s tears and at the same time he did not feel in the mood for small talk. In any case, that was not his strong point. .

There came an interruption. Prank came out of the house and walked towards them. Chichester was screened from the house by a laurel and the young man was almost level with them before he noticed the visitor. Whatever his original intention, he changed it immediately. “Just off down to the village, old girl,” he said casually. “Shan’t bo more than an hour or so.”

Chichester he entirely ignored and the two watched him to the gate before Netta said “I am sorry. Frank does not seem to get any better. He is naturally bad mannered, and he seems to have taken a positive dislike to you.” ‘‘l* had noticed it,” Guy laughed. "It is really obvious, you know. However, so long as you are not Influenced by his example, I shall not mind. It was the card party business that set him against me, I think." “And you did that for me," she whispered. The sounds of the young man’s footsteps gradually died away. Then Netta said suddenly. “We are leaving this house. We are selling out.” “Leaving selling outl” Guy echoed.

“Yes, there is no help for it. Frank Is too much for me. I cannot keep things going. We must have money to live—and so w’e must sell the house.”

“But what hah happened? This is a sudden decision. Have you had a fresh offer?”

“Yes, we had a fresh offer this morning. Or rather, the same offer repeated for the last time. We have .to decide in forty-eight hours. It is Frank, of course. I’m afraid he has been gambling again.” . . “That can only be a matter of a few pounds.” Guy hesitated, then took the plunge. “Won’t you let me help you?" “It is . not merely a few pounds," Netta answered, and it seemed as if the tears would return. Frank’s Folly.

She brushed them aside, however, and faced Guy squarely.

“I will tell you all of it. A man ■came last night to see Frank. A stranger I have never seen before, but I believe he was one of the card party at Tho Whip.

“Frank seemed anxious to keep him quiet while I was in the room, but afterwards they went out, and it sounded as if they were quarrelling. “Frank did not come in again for nearly an hour, and I could see at once that something serious was the matter, and eventually I managed to drag the story from him. (To be continued.)