NOVEL

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 402, 21 January 1904, Page 2

NOVEL

CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued.) Presently Muriel was supplied with a moe of beer, and boob she found herself taking little drinks from it, aad entering with'an interest involuntary but which aha felt to be almost a disloyalty to. Philip, into the spirit of the scene. Through the opes door of the Weuutube •he coold ace into the KeE r beyond, and tie gay music, the many voices, and the laughter, teemed to make the tragedy which haunted her a thing of less reality; Then were very few women in the place, only one or two besides herself* but there was nothing to make hex feel uncomfortable: merriment, untinged by license or disorder, ruled the scene, and when the gay members of the Burgerschaft broke into aoag, uinging lustily in chorus to ■erne weitknown air played by the band, Muriel could not but feel in sympathy with their careless happiness, even when Eh) reflected that at that moment Aunt Annie was probably Bitting, demure and correct, ;a the pew of a London church. JBsst Lsdenburg had been right; this i- visit to the Batakiller helped to make the time paaa by ; and though the thought of Philip was never away from her, the novelty of her surroundings eased it somewhat of ita weight By and by her attention, which had been given indiscriminately to the many faces about her, became gradually concentrated upon a man who sat at a table at no great distance away and fully within her view. He appeared to be alone and to contemplate the enjoyment of bis fellows with an amusement which was rather cynical than sympathetic Every now and again he would nuke an ob&etvationto thoseueuhim and ha juaed loudly in all the choruses; yet he gave her the impression of being a spectator of the scene rather than a partaker in it, and she wondered whether his enthusiasm was as genuine as it was demonstrative. Tall, and somewhat loosely made, with a keen, etever face, there was an air about * . him of something which might he construed U recklessness or simply as goodfellowship; and Muriel found herself watching him with increasing interest, isspired partly by curiosity as to what his character might Demand partly by a dim sense that the had seen him somewhere before. She could not remember where or when; and she was beginning to think that she must be deceived by soma fancied resemblance which her confused - -mental state rendered her unable to trace, when her thoughtß were diverted by an incident, trivial in fact, but significant in suggestion. A man at the same . table as the ose she was watching produced from his pocket a small parcel, and vainly endeavoured to open it, it was fastened with a tightiy knotted string, which he could neither untie nor break. 'Permit me/ she h/ard the tall man *• say in German; and the voice struck her, full, rich, and penetrating; and as he spake, he tcor a knife from his pectet, opened it, and with one .sweep of bis hand cut the sizing. ▲ Strange thought leapt up in Muriel's mind, for the blade of the knife which had done its work so swiftly was thin and sharp, and usually long for a knife that was carried in the pocket; and instant]* the phrase that tai haunted her so repeaterl itself again: ' A knife with a long, thin blide.* Then, in the curious way in which memories which have eluded us come back and suddenly give themselves to us again, she knew all at once how • the man's face was familiar to her, just when and where she had seen it. On that very night; the fatal night of the murder, as she had turned the comer loading Into the street containing Aden Bow, the face had flashed on her, for an instant, illumined by the light of a lamp, as a man, walking rapidly, had jostled her as lie passed. Rut heart gave a great leap, and ail the blood in the body seemed to rush up into her brain, while for a space the Wednstube and the Beer Cellar and all the world were misty, and when the mist passed she found tnat Herr Ladenbmrg was staring at her and felt that her lips were trembling. 'What is the matter, dear Miss P Hszr Ladsaburg asked; 'Are you going to

*N«/, I am all. right, but—' Muriel looked across at the table where her eyes had lately been fixed} the man she had been watching had gone. 'That man/ ■he faltered, 'what was sitting over tb*»-—he most just have gone—who is, •Whatman?' questioned Err ladenburg. * 1 did not notice anybody in particular. Yet, I did see somebody leave the room just now. Bat what about himf What has he done V * That man,' said Muriel, and her voice now nae firm with convection, 'that man it the ruuderer, is whose place my Phillip is accused 1' CMAPTHt TIIL—AN ALt UNCE? ' ■ Oft reaching London, Muriel Fale drove at once to the house of her aunt, Mrs llliios, in Vyner Street It was a beautiful evening, but the beauty of it ealy servea to intensify the pain at her heart: it was dreadlul to thine of Peilip ■hut away from this smiling life, alone sad dasoisrn and where her lore could H ifi reach him. 'Ay, bos it shall,* came the resolve, strong airh courage and ooaviatiea, and

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

IH THE NIGHT,

BY ; ' - ' 1 Henrv Dubjq.. COPYBIQHT

in the determination born during this drive from the Btation, Muriel in all the difficulties and dangers which lay before her, never railed. Mrs Ellison was hardly surprised to see her. ...... 'I almost expected to see you.' she | said, f and I told Bath to get your room so far prepared that it would be easily msde ready for you * 'Any news f Muriel asked. •Anything fresh ?' * Philip wa3 charged yesterday before the magistrate,' her aunt answered, • and further evidence.' * There was not enough, then,' Muriel said, eagerly, 'to—to—whatever it is they do next?' 'N-no.* Mrs Ellison faltered. 'But, m 7 dear, you mußt not deceive youwoW or build on false hopes. .It all saunded very dreadful, and—and—l'm afraid from what the newaapers say, and from all"! hear, that they will send him for trial'

•You aon't think him guilty, Aunt Annie P' There was a challenge in the girl's voice, as she fixed her eyes, fierce in their loyalty, upon the sorrowful face before her.

'Godforbid!* answered the other fervently, and for this reply Muriel ever ■iter gave her aunt a twofold affection. •And now/ she said, taking off her wraps. * I will go upstairs and get myself clean, and then I will comedown and have supper, and <7ou shall toll me all that has happened.' Mm Ellison looked at her in surprise The Muriel she knew would hare refused to eat anything; would have been somewhat incoherent and not at all reasonable: and this one spoke calmly, with almost a business-like air, and seemed as though she meant to behave quite sensibly. • Tee/ the girl said,' meeting her aunt's look, «I am going to eat as nmoh as I can, and sleep as soundly as I can, and do all that I can to keep my mind and body in order; for Philip must be saved, and, think, as I may, I don't see who is to do it but me.'

§pßfs my dear/ Mrs Ellison began, •how——» •

f 'Never mind, Aunt Annie* MurieL broke in,«you shall hear all the news and my reasons by and by, and we will talk over my plans together.' She left the room as she finished spearing, and when she returned on the announcement of supper, was as good as her word, and resolutely ate soma of the food and drank some of the wine that was set before her. -When the meal was over she came and sat by her aunt's side, and the two talked together far into the night. It was a reUsf to Muriel to speak out the many thoughts and hopes and fears which had crowded her mind all Jhose long hours of the journey, and to develop into concrete form the vaeue plans hitherto but partially shaped by her exated brain, when she wentto bed she found herself unable to carry out her programme of Bound sleep, but with the dawn she fell for a time into slumber and awoke somewhat refreshed, and strengthened by the thought that she had at last awakened to a day in which she could appease her restlessness bv action. *

Immediately after breakfast she took her way direct to Scotland Yard. 'ls Inspector Willow hereP Can I BeehimP' she asked. But the inspector was not at Scotland Yard, and all Muriel could do was to leave a message that'she was most anxious to bob him on urgent and impor-tont-business connected with the Aden Bow Murder. She walked back to her *Sf" ,^ Un . pat^nfe at *** delay, and stationed herself in the dining-room to watch and wait.

It was three otfock in the afternoon when Inspector Willow arrived. As he ntered the room in which Muriel awaited rm, his eyes, fixed upon her face, seemed to take in her whole character—her Impulaiveness, her courage, her cipacity for devotion. 'Too eager for much reasonable judgment,' was the verdict given by o^™? 011 of *» frUows •Apt to be intuitively right in her canclunons, amended the voice of innate insight.

•Oh, Mr Willow/ the' girl began, 'I wanted so to see you. I have come all the way from Germany, and I am the only one who can save him, because I was with him on that night, and it was quite true what he told the magistrate, and I want you to tell me how to dear him.'

•I want you first of all to sit down Mus Fale, said the inspector,«for I suppose you are Miss Fale P' •Yes.' 'And if you will tlljw me, 1 will sit down, too. gs

Muriel took a chair, and Willow chose another, not very far away and opposite

v JP om \ h e went on » when &•* «r«e both seated «I am going first to tell yon exactly how the case stands at present, and then I want you to tell ma everything you know whioh may have air bearmg upon it. Will you give me yooi fall attention, and try and remember all the facts and their relation one to another?'

Muriel made no verbal answer, but her *&\ 1 ' J be inspector's/ pre roued all that he asked.

'Yon knew the leading facts ef the

-iwe,' he went on, 'as they Btand from l e evidence given at theinquest, *fc Mr "L nie's examination, and when/. Mr.; Se.wood was charged - the other day: that, presumably on the night of the t»enty-seventh—Thursday, the twenty- , serenth of August—Mrs Bart was murdered, a tabbed to the heart—*. ' "I*?;" \ • -'By a knife with a long, thin blade,' murmured the girl. 'I beg your pardonP* said the inspector. ' Nothing P. .Well, I say presumably on the night of the 27c hj, because of the length of time supposed by the doctors, to have elapsed between death and the finding of the body; because on the evening of the 27th the usual light was observed in the room in which the old womin lived, and not after that evening; because after that night the blind was not again drawn up; and because the letter from Mr B&thbone which was found in the letter-box was. delivered on the morning of,the 28ih Six nights after, that is to Bay, on Wednesday, the 3:d of this moath, Mr Binnie made the discovery that the secret recess in which he had been used to keep some of his money and -valuables had been robbed, and the natural thing is to con noct the two'crimes—the murder and the robbsry.Ton follow me P £ ■ Yea/ Miriel answered; that I don't understand why Mr Binnie didn't keep his valuables in the recess in his own house.' 'ln his own hoo.se There is no such-1 recess in his own house,' said Willow. 'You didn't see the account of his examination, perhaps. He stated then that number two was the only one of the three owes which contained such a secret hiding-placs. > 'Oh, yes,' said Muriel, 'I remember now. I had forgotten, and I should have thought that if one of those old houses had a secret recess, the others would have had it toe.' Ike inspector reflected a minute in silence. ' Well,' he went on presently, ' the murder is supposed to be incidental to the robbery; probably not deliberate, perhaps not intentional, committed either to effect escape or avoid identification. The facts against Mr Selwood are these: that he alone besides his uncle, as far as 'his uncle is aware, knew of the secret recess and' the secret communication between the two houses; that, having lived until the last two years with Mr Binnie, he, had a latchkey belonging to number one, and that the door of number one was always left on the latch until Mr Binnie himself barred and bolted it before going to bed, and Mr Selwood was aware of tbis; that the hidden recess had not been forced, bnt opened and closed again by someone who knew how to use the secret spring; and that Mr Selwood admits that he-was in the neighbourhood of Aden Bow about one. o'clock, on night of the murderi——- -~ • Yes, bnt—— * began Muriel eagerly, but the inspector Btopped her speech with a gesture.

*I will finish my statement first, he said,' and then we will have yours, la his defence Mr Selwood eaid only that he knew nothing of the crime, and that after he had left you here, he had not again passed Aden Bjw, as he returned by a slightly different route.' Willow paused. 'Now,' he eaid.' I have stated all that I know. I should like to hear what yon have to say.' ' First of all this/ said Muriel: 'that struck a quarter to one as Mr Selwood left me, and that he would not have bad time to get to Aden Bow, to enter number one, and get through into number two btfora Mr Binnie, and Mr Binnie says in his evidence that the murderer must have been in number two before him.'

*Tet by walking quick,* returned Willow, 'he could have reached Aden Bow five misuses t er leaving this.' ' He would not be likely to tear through the streets if he were going to commit a burglary,* eaid Muriel. 'And even if he had got there by ten minutes to one, eculd he have walked straight in, down into the Kitchen, and found Li 3 way through the hidden communication. which, though he might know of it, he would not be in the habit of using, all by one o'clock, which was the hour when Mr Binnie says he himself went into number two!'

*Mr Bianie says about one 0 clock. It might have been a quarter or even half, past one; and Mr Belwood's landlady has a worn that she. heard him come in, and that he did not enter the house till two.'

.' Then, too/ Muriel pursued, ' if he had entered number two before Mr Binnie, they must have met, for he would have gone straight to the recesp, and his uncle mast hare found him there'

1' Ha might .have taken the precaution of waiting, seeing that a light was burning in Mr Binnie's study, and suepacting his intention of visiting the rest as." 'That would be a reason for putting off the robbery till another night, I should think,' said Muriel, eagerly. The inspector smiled. ' You have thought the case over, he said. ' I was awake most of the night,' Muriel answered, simply. * But,' Willow went on, 'on the other hand he may have thought that once Mr Binnie's visit was over, the opportunity was a doubly advantageous one j and he may have waited, not in number two. but in number one, till Mr Binnie's return; which would also do away-with the d faculty aa to the time.' ' Bat Mr Binnie said that he heard a sound of footsteps while he was actually in number two*'

'Yes; but it is possible that they were the footsteps of Mrs Bart, and not of the man who shortly after mu;dered her; probably even, for in that case it would show that the old woman was awake and uc, and would give a reason for her death.'

A sense of despair began to creep into Muriel's heftt How waa it possible to cope with reasoning eueh as this, when all the evid< nee she had coasted on was Bwept away as sothing, and the'very facts she had thought would demonstrate Philip's innocence were turned into proofs of his guilt ? She rose from her chair and went across to the" Inspector, the calmnees which she had struggled so hard to maintain giving way at lust. 'I don't know what to do/ she saidV * Oh, Mr Willow, do you believe him guiltyP' The inspector hesitated. He was used to ttmponeing, to prevarication, to downlight lying even, when he thought the exigencies of his profession required it; but looking in the girl's face, and noting the anguish and the hoHesty of'it; he took a quick resolution, and for once in his life ac (east, answered a question directly and wi hj simple truth. •No/ he said, bluntly, «I don't.' And then, before he knew where he was. Muriel bad stooped down and seized a hand that lay outspread up.>n his knee, andkisssdit. 'I knew,' Bha cried, 'I knew you couldn't think so. I was quite sure you were nice the very moment I saw you.' Then a little laugh broke her speech, and after the laugh came tears, and the inspector, let (hem flow for a few minutes before he spoke again. < Now, Miss Tale/ he said, after a while, 'I want you to tell me exactly all that happened on that evening when yen and Mr Belwood went to the theatre together' Muriel drove back her tears and dried hf r eyes, and having bitten her lips to keep them steady, began her story, (To be continued.)