THE LADY OF INISHTARA

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 9817, 22 February 1936, Page 22 (Supplement)

THE LADY OF INISHTARA

BY HERBERT GALWAY Author of “ Out of the West" “ The Squire of Redesby," etc. A THRILLING MYSTERY STORY

CHAPTER XVIII. Paddy Hits the Bull’s Eye. As Kells had said, he was armed with all the prestige attaching to Scotland Yard when he returned to Ireland. He had a letter of introduction to the •Chief of the Dublin police, and was freely offered all the help they could give. The former registrar was dead and a new official had been recently appointed. There was consequently nobody who remembered the year of the wedding, and a long search over a period was necessary. When Kells set out to find anything, however, he usually succeeded, and after spending a long and laborious dayin tlie was rewarded by discovering the entry he sought. It was the copy of a certificate referring to the marriage of “Daniel Carey, eldest son of Terence Carey of Inishtara Castle, Co. Mayo,” and Molly Shrule (or Macroom) of Dublin, only daughter of Conal Shrule, peat merchant.” He took away an official record of the ceremony and felt that he had made a definite step in the right direction. The confirmation of the hermit’s declaration that the dead woman was his unknown daughter was so convincing that Paddy decided to set the old man’s mind at rest as soon as possible. The next stage in the investigation was at Inishtara. For his own reasons Kells delayed hi 6 visit until after sunset. His presence in the town might be noted and commented on, and he wished to take no needless risks. Old Shrule had returned to his usual ! mode of life after the inquest, and the ! departure of Brian Curran. Age had ' brought with it a comfortable philosI op by that assured him his recent • troubles would eventually right them- | selves, and if they did not, nothing ! much mattered nowadays. ' Ho still carried on his beneficient j ministrations to the poor of the town, | ! hut really lived only with one chief I object—the solution of the mystery of ! ] i is daughter’s death, and in the light j | of laler knowledge, the uninasking of! I the Careys of Inishtara Castle. I During his years of wandering in re- 1 ! mote districts he had gathered many ! things besides knowledge of herbs, and i some times before finally settling at i Inishtara an old farmer had given him a box full of ancient books and papers ; farmer had offered money, but Shrule ! knew the peasant’s own needs, and i asked onlv for the box of rubbish that ! had been slowed away and forgotten. ! “Money is not everything,” lie had ! said. “Ye’ll pay me well with many ! happy hours’ reading it' ye'll let me j have it.” “Let \e have the old box? 1 will I hat same. But if ye’ll forgive me, Mr. Shrule, I think ye have queer ideas if ye think that rubbish will pay ye for all ye’ve done for me. The papers must be mouldy by now, as 1 meant to burn them long since, but forgot them. It isn’t paying ?e at all,” he concluded, “it’s an insult to hand the rag-bag, as ye might say, to one o’ Nature’s own gentlemen.” Shrule, however, had insisted that cli was amply repaid, as lie was not in

want, and In case the papers would 'help to make his own fire after he had enjoyed reading them. This had happened some considerable time before he had met Brian Curran and Mary Shannon near his mountain home, and the leaden disc he had -given the girl as a momento when she had last called on him. was just something lying loose at the bottom of the old box. The loss of his money, and later the discovery of his* dead daughter, had driven him to seek -consolation and forgetfulness in the study of the old papers. Faith in his fellow creatures had received two severe blows, and the usual routine had lost its attractIt was not only copsolation that Shrule found in the ancient pile of rubbish. He found also something that furnished a new interest in his lonely life, and gradually the old zest came back. When Paddy Kells reached the hut the old man had just returned with a new -collection of herbs. He was very -surprised to see his youg friend, and the visitor could not fail to notice how much more animated the hermit appeared to be. “Mr. Kells!” he cried in his highpitched voice. “So ye’ve come baok again! Ye went away so quietly that I didn’t know ye were not here till ye’d gone. What news have ye brought?” he asked, lowering his voice and drawing the visitor further into the hut. “I’ve proved that you were right,” he replied, showing the marriage certificate. The -old man read it In silence, his hands trembling with suppressed excitement. “Then she did become a Carey!” -he half whispered. “An’ married the worst of the tribe. God help her!” lie gazed absently into vacancv, then quietly spoke his thoughts aloud. “She was an honest woman, thank God! But I’m glad she never knew me, and that I didn’t know her when she was—who she was.” lie handed the certificate hack but Paddy Kells told him to keep it.' “And to think,” went on Shrule, without acknowledging the gift, “that Shannon and the other reptiles wanted to drag Mary into their clutches!” “I should certainly show it to Mary,” -said Paddy. “I’ll be glad to take a message to her -before 1 leave.” Hie s not in the town,” remarked Shrule. Before the young man could frame bis aslonis-hed question, the hermit, willi winks and nods and satisfied -chuckles, explained the trick lie had Played on the night of the parly. “But you know where she is?” asked Paddy in something IH< ( . alarm“l do,” smiled Shruie, “and 1 know where she's going to he.” I don’t see how you mean,” quedier Kells mystified. “You’ll know very soon, mv bov. Just a little time longer and everyone will know, and Inishlara wilt never have set'll such ;i day in all ils hisllory.” "I’m Impatient-.to he Id inlo the secret, hut I’ll have to wait. I'm glad Mary is safe: but can you 101 lme where she is?”

To be Continued.)