THE HALF GOD

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19784, 15 January 1936, Page 4

THE HALF GOD

By ALBERT DORRINGTON.

E (Author of “ The Radium 'l‘!3l‘!'ol‘s,l" “A South Sea 5; E Buccaneer," 9).? E =.tll|llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllE

i stOPSIS. ‘ Professor Caieret, tinan‘ced by Fabian it‘romcr, millionaire, has produced a speckl Ui' Zt‘li. an extract of radium. .\ Japanese doctor, Hamincrsho. who know Bernice, Kromer‘s wii'e. years ago in the East, has come to England, by the iliti ot Hernicn's ttrst husband. Mnuricc Engichr’nrl (reported drowned zit sen six .\'r:lrs‘ before) whom he has discovered to Dustin livin'g. Circumstances had been too strontt for Bernice. and she had been forced to leave hrr baby son, lrmy, in the care or Engleheart’s sister in Calcutta. On her muri'lage to Fabian she had told him all about her first husband, but some dread instinct had warned her against admitting her child’s existence. Bernice goes to visit llnmmershn. . Bernice goes to visit Hammersho, and finds Engieheart and her little son Imry i living with him. Englehenrt is a confirmed ‘ 32:33!“ smoker, and is in a terribly degraded iiammersho does not demand money i from Bernice, as she expects. hut coerces her into introducing him to Caterer. The latternoon she does this the speck of Zen disappears from Caleret’s laboratory, and by evenintr the papers report that Caieret ihas been shot, and the Zeu formula stolen. Hamersho allows Bernice to take lmry away and place him in a kindergarten. The Japanese doctor used a bee to get .iho speck or Zen from Caieret's laboratory. hill on its return this bee enters Englahearls room and Engleheart (let Ermines .to outwit llanmlersho. ' CHAPTER IX.——(Continued.) There was laughter in his voice that hurl'inore than strength at speech or hitter denunciations. lie had changed almost beyond recognition; histace wits Asiatic in lone and colour. He had acquired the habits at a cache and was obvously unfit for decent society. She looked at him again and was smitioll to silence. lie took courage at. her unresponsiveness and drew nearer. “Doctor Hummer-silo fed you on has about that shipwreck, Barny. 01' course you‘re going to blame me for not: gelling drowned. Maybe.“ he paused, while his shoulders shook a little, “maybe I‘ll oblige you by doing it in earnest one of these days—in that artificial lake ot’ yours among the trees over there.” ills laugh had an edge that: cut and irritated. Bernice remained in the doorway of the conservatory until ‘the spinning st-nsniion had left her. 0i one fact she was certain: Maurice Engleheari, although sickly in frame and health. was alive and threatening her. Of course he wanted money. The world was full of somnolent blackguards who would never come to life only for money. She saw his past and present in the turn of an eye, the opium-rav-til—"eti iineamenis. the hollow neck and L‘iiCCiis, llic puisietl lingers. . . . . . Sim \\'ilii\'CLi forward and stood bo—t'_orc him and she noted that he iiinchcd ni ilt‘i' appearance. " How much? “ she asked stonily. “i must nsk you to be brief." .\ rcd spot ilumcd on his cheeks. 11, StEL'lilt‘ti in her that he wits lighting his own wrath and i'cars. "[ want iil‘iy pounds now or not later tinm midday lo—inorrow." “ Give me your address, I will send it by cheque til—night.“ “l-‘ve no money to find lodgings; my address is the open ditches. Mrs Kramer." Bernice palect at the sound or the nume'she had so long considered her own. He laughed harshly. “ llammersho did his best to put me off the scent. lle said you were em—ployed as lady secretary to a rich American named Kromer." lie jerked ills cigarette in the direction of Chiltonhursi, “i found out over there that my old Bernice was not playing the lady secretary card.” " They told you at Chiltonhurst?“ ”You can‘t stop money talking. Bernice. You have impressed your pretty personality upon the good old poor 01' the Village," he added with u sneer. “i should never have found you it‘ iinmmcrsho hadn't given me the Kromer keyword. '1 am not going:r to discuss my pre—sent position, Maurice linglehcart. why have, you left ilaimncrsho‘s‘! " " \Vc had at row. .l [army he got hurl.“ "Why did you quarrel? " sho dc—mmiticil. "Ahout somclhing' that, couldn‘t inicrest you, Mrs ix'romcr.“ ills hig loose i'rtimc bent and swayed uncer—iitiniy. licruicc's cycs kindled with i-lsim: minor. “1 must insist, Maurice ling-lohcnri. UUt‘iDl' lilimmcrsho lhrcutoncti to come here to—morrow for his himdrctl pounds. ’l'ilct'c is 21 lilnil io my lil—comc. \\‘ilut oi" ilummcrsho‘.’ “ ‘ " 110 won‘t bother you; I give you my word.“ "ii-.n'c you disabled. killed him?" She watched the cigarette slip from ‘ his nervciess lingers to the wet grass. Oi Doctor ilaimnersilo‘s weii‘are she cured not a straw. yet some uni’uiiioni- l ulilc impulse goauiod her to press home 1101' qucstion. ilcr lite and future lay in the keeping of Englehcurt and the Jitpzlncsc doctor. She must know why iilcy had [plat-relied. "Since you are here to demand money," she went on passionately, " lmusi itceriliin the cause oi“ your Dill‘t ing with llununcrsho. if not i shall place my affairs in the hands oi' the polirc.” lie shook himscit‘ savagely. “There will lit! no net-ll,“ itt' snapped oliil "You wrrc in liaminrrsiio‘s t-on—-lilicncc: you guinmi him ntiliiission inio tialicrct's iiousc. “in you con‘ “Lit“ iiiiti. to the police?" "They know uirctul}: Now will you please state ”it: reason you ici‘l. iiunnncrsiio‘.” “Yes; he arrirsctl lill‘ ni‘ shooiintr Calm-rt. I couldn't. lolcmlo ihui.“ "You wcrc \\iih him iiit‘il, ul- ”11' time of iiiL‘ Sill‘ntiillfl’?" "it (locs‘n‘l illiliiCi'. I “as Llrnggcll into the roiicn business. hill 1 swmri it was not my hand that shot (lulcrcLi i couldn't hit a row at icn pact-s. You know l‘nl :i inul shot. llmnmcrsho is u «it-ml iimrksnmn!” linglvht-urt paused, glancing riu'hl .‘iilii irl't across the, wide, purkliltc rm'losure as unc in i'cur of pnrsuii. "Ii “its llntnmcrslio \\'ilt) sioit‘ liilit‘i‘i cl‘s Zcu slull'. 01' Course you know iiit‘ iu'r ii'il‘it‘f" "llcc trick!" llcr mind tiusllcll luck to the .s't't'nc in iilt‘ j—"iti'lii‘il lit lili‘ i'mr of Hit: .l.ip doctor's iiousc. \\ii|'i| ‘1 Shani .\l.l 11ml stood “wilt-hing: iilt' >\\.trni ni' iiL’iiti in'vs lying :ll'numl it“. iliw, \\'!|:it ii-lti iiiost' inilot-cili. itll|i\’ in; lir‘cs in (in “HM iii" murder Al' i‘i'lii>">\'l'i' lldii‘i't‘i? . “W"t'hmrt litizcliczi. 'riu- 1N rm iilliii'.‘ ilmi inmost-ii it il't‘ml‘ndnug lsiraili on his ncru‘s. llt' milsl it‘ll 'her all or liulililix. Anti silc i'tllli‘i llL‘H‘i‘ M'l'k In lil'lli’Hi‘ him of tho lwwwul” mm” of M‘i"'i"i'-'liiiiili ii] iiii‘lliili) Minn-m. Illiilt'ii. Hi’ \\ii.il It‘l‘ \\ilil]li ii ilt' In lwi"? "ii's' :~|lt'ii :tn :ntWilll‘) outwit.“ aillc I!|ili.':” ilt’ i-‘nmv nzii .tl it ‘. \ i~'iiL‘lil‘ nimusi tori-in: litc “owls from his i‘«li‘t'iicd iill'UJi. '.\ rL'iIIJZIiU hull-mi

‘l‘il in tine brain of a hair-mad Jap doc—‘iur. You know lianimcrsho trained a big bee i 0 rarry things, grains or sugar. int-ts or paste stuck on a piece of paper the size of a postage stamp. i used to see him in the garden with ‘ihal. follow 0 Shani Ma . . . patient as the devil until the bee learnt the llom~ ‘lng trick like a pigeon!" lie almost babbled the latter part of the story, his fingers tight shut about his but—toned up Conzt. Bernice gasped in surprise. “I saw that heap 01‘ dead bees!" she cried “And I think you, are mad. and that Doctor Hammerrsho is a criminal de—generatei" Captain Engleheari. shivered. His flash of courage threatened to desert him now, leaving him whimpering before her, begging money for a little shelter and opium. “1 can’t, help what you think," he faltered. “You know how Hammersho got into the laboratory—you took him there. I know how the bee came homet" “You knowl" “I was half asleep when it came huzzink into the room. In annoyed me." ”You killed it?“ “Swiped it with a newspaper. Cal—eret's radium stuff was folded in a bit of cigarette paper and hitched to the bee with a thread of silk. Simple as the devil ’when you see it Lionel” Engleheart sh‘ivered in the rain which now descended in the slopes above the trees. Bernice caught his arm fiercely and drew him into the conservatory. “You have forgotten to tell me something, Maurice Engieheart. I must hear it!" she insisted. “You fought Hammersho for possession of Claret‘s radium! He is no stronger than a boy!” ‘Engieheart‘s face was livid in the dark. The sob of the rain above made indistinct his fiurried explanations. “tie threatened my life and swore l'd shot Caleret.” ”And you killed him?“ "I squeezed his black neck . . . . that‘s all. You can‘t kill those Japs. They‘re as tenacious as cats . . and such liars 1” He leaned against the conservatory bench breathing heavily. his left hand moving covertly to his side pocket. Bernice followed his wandering fingers as they searched within. Some blind instinct held her speech—less as one sharing a stupendous discovery. Engleheart drew an old tobacco pouch from his pocket and then very gently opened the rubber neck and peered inside. A stream of violet light enshrined his race and fingers, it lit up the row of scarlet bulbs and tropic flowers above his head with a supernatural brilliance. Bernice retreated from the dazzling arc of light-emissions, a dizzy thought surging through her mind.

Engleheart closed the pouch suddenly and replaced it in his pocket. “I don‘t know what‘s in the stuff to set the world on lire as it's done," he declared feenly. “I‘ve no right to it maybe, neither had Hammersho." All rßernice’s pain and misery seemed to vanish at this simple confession. Scientists stood aghast at the infamous way Professor Geleret' had been robbed of his life's work and murdered. Yet, here was a faltering, semistarved sea captain carrying the most precious or known chemical substances in an evil smelling tobacco pouch. Doctor Rochwarne had declared that. Fabian’s one chance lay in the instant application of the Zen formula. to his life—destroying malaise. This God-given remedy was in Mauriue’s keeping. What, did he intend doing with it. Vv'as it for sale? She turned to him while the mad beatings or her heart threatened to suffocate her. "i would like to help you,“ site said faintly, “but you must promise to go from hrre." “Give me what money you have in your purse,‘,’ he answered huskiiy. "I must have shelter from this beastly weather. I‘m a Utility? to nerve pains, Life in the past never quite agreed with me, as you know." She considered him for a. moment before putting her next riucsiion. Physically he was no stronger that. a well—grown boy. llis fare was drawn and hollow, his whoic physical being seemed to (lepeml on drugs and free—dom from hardships and toil. She must .not let him wander away with the Zen in his keeping. There was surely a way . . . “You are very foolish to carry the evidence of Calei'et‘s murder in your pocket,“ she haznrded. “The police are watching Doctor liammersho's house. They may even have shadowed you here!” lie shrugged his loan shoulders and drew his wet coat about him.

“I must chance it. Besides.“ he turned to the conservatory door and stared shiveringly at the clown-pour‘ ins rain, “those Scotland Yard men are a fuddle—liczuiell crowd. And I'm practically unknown to lilem." 5119 followed him to the door, while—lipped and alert. “l‘m anxious for your lilo, Mnuriru. Llan'l you nmlm-slnnrl‘.‘ ’l'llul raulnnn stuff you lll'l' rurl‘ying about. will illllllil‘lllc you in tlml, lnlmrulor)’ l-I'innu You llllß'ili} nnl lo mirl'y il~ .\ro you lislcning‘l“ lie was, and his wavering eyvs lliui mlughl, something ul' ill‘l‘ burning (‘ilgt‘i‘lll‘fix ”(live nm sulni' money." he said slowly. "zill you lluw about you." Sim mnpliml liar ]llll'.\li inln his shaking lnunl: SilL‘ would llnu- ~~|li|lvll l-‘uhiun's \\(‘;lllll Elly his i't‘l‘l lu :.:.iin llm- pur—puma ill) i'mlniwl HH‘ «'nsll «Wilber—ulcl)‘. (To be continued.‘ eat/M ._._—__.~‘__