OUT OF DARKNESS; OR The Priory Mystery.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 124, 21 January 1909, Page 4

OUT OF DARKNESS; OR The Priory Mystery.

(All Rights Reserved.)

By HEDLEY RICHARDS, Author of "A.Day 6f Reckoning," "From the Mill to the Mansion," Etc., Etc.

part 16. "lie is abroad. They are making a .mistake," said Ursula. "I hope you are right, Miss Calthorp ; but lam doubtful. To tel! the truth, I have seen him myself." "Did you speak to him ?" she asked. "Xo ; I hurried away. lam 0 lawyer, and I must ; not see toe much." CHAPTER:' X'XII. It was the morning after Ursula's return home, and she was thinking about the past, as her fingers flew backwards- and forwards over the piece of work with which she was busy. Though she had seen her fos-ter-parents buried, it Was hard tc realise that they were gone—that she would never again hear their voices. Then her thoughts travelled to Jack 1/Est range, and she remembered what Mr. Scholes had said about seeing him. Of course, it was a mistake ; still, it made her feel uneasy. At that moment the door opened and the butler entered. "If you please, Miss Calthorp, the butler from the Priory wishes to know if you will see him ?" "The butler from the Priory ?" she echo <l. "Yes, miss. T told him I flidn't think you would se> him, but he begged me to ask you," said the man, in a tone that showed he had been unwilling. "All right. P>ring him in here," she answered, wondering if his coming had anything to do with the report that .lack IVEst range was in the neighbourhood. Then she told herself it couldn't. This man did not know she knew anything about 'him. The opening of the door broke thethread of her thoughts. "Won't you come forward?" she said, as the man stood hesitating just within the door. "Thank you, miss and Jackso.n, the butler from the Priory, advanced, coming to a standstill a yard in front of her. "I hope you'll excuse the liberty I've taken, miss, but my wife is seriously ill. The doctor thinks her recovery is doubtful. She's hail the pneumonia and influenza, and she doesn't rally as she should. 1 was telling her last night that she must make an effort, and she an avers, '.lacob' —that's my name —'I tluill never be better till I've told the truth.' You see, miss, she's a secret. I didn't become aware of it till her illness, and as it's what ,\ ou might call a compromising secret, T left it to her own discret ion as to what, she did with it, and it seems she thought about it in the night, because early this morning she says, '.Jacob, promise ine you'll go to the Orange' and ask Miss Calthorp to come to see me.. I'm going to tell her the secret.' "Tell me her secret !" exclaimed Trsula. "Yts, miss. J was took by surprise myself ; but she said there were oji'y a few people she could tell. One was Air. Scholes, but being a lawyer burred him ; then Mr. Callluirp's a magistrate, so he wouldn't do. She don't like the vicar or .Miss Uo.vte. so it only left Miss Nettie, and there's no telling who she'd take into In r confidence, and my wife said, 'l.ook here, I will tell Miss Cafahorp. " l'eople say she's nice, and clevi r as well, and, somehow, during the night it's been borne in on me that she's the one to trust.' Well, miss, 1 agreed to come, and here I am. I juay say, if you could see the way to oblige my wife, I believe she'd have a better chance of pulling through." '"What is this secret?" Ursula asked. "It's not the man, respectfully. "Very well, 1 will come to the Priory. What time would suit your wife "Well, miss, about three o'clock this afternoon. The doctor comes in the morning, and she's mostly a bit strong-'r in the afternoon." "Then 1 v will come about three o'clock." "Thank you, miss ; and, bowing, the man left the room, and Ursula begi.n speculating as to why the house! ceper at the Priory wished to see her. A little before three she set ofl at a brisk pace, and going through the wood she climbed the railings iv and crossed the park in the directiofMJf the house, wondering how she cotißl account for trespassing if she met Horace IVEstrange, who had given her to understand that he did not care for her going there. It was a misty October - afternoon, very cold l'or the time of the year, and Ursula hastened forward, making for the gate that led into the garden. As soon as she came in sight of it she saw that Jackson, the butler, was waiting for her. "Is'your wife worse?" she-asked. " Xo, miss; but I thought you would come this way, and I wanted to ask >ou please not mention the matter to Air. Horace lVEstrange. He'd ask questions. Moreover, he was vexed at you coming to the hrnr-e before." "I ' will not say anything to him," ftaid Ursula. "J hank you, miss, and I hope ou won't be vexed if I ask you to do your not to let him see you, if ho should happen to come to the house." Ursula laughed. "I'll keep out of the way, but it's very ridiculous. I wonder why Mr. Horace dislikes me coming hero ?" "It's not you in particular, miss —it's any ono. I believe he'd like to shut the place up. This way, please," he said, as he opened the side-door and led the way along the hall to a back passage, from which the servants.' staircase ascended. Mrs. , Jackson's room .was on the first: landing, over" the kitchen, and'

and as the man opened the . door for Ursula to enter, he said, "Here's the young lady, Rebecca and as she went forward he shut'the. door and proceeded slowly downstairs. On an iron bedstead at the other side of the large ..robin lay a woman of fifty. Jler face was thin and worn. ; "Thank CJod yau've come;" she said, as the girl drew-war.. "Shall I sit down?" asked Ursula. " Please miss, and would you bring t.he chair clos«* to the bedside'? I've always the feeling I'm being watched and she glanced nervously round. "I'm the only person in the room beside yourself, so there cannot • be any one watching," said Ursula; wlio began to winder if the woman was suffering from delusions and the secret was imaginary, but tho next words startled her. "It's something about the murder." "Mr. Dewhirst's murder ?" exclaimed Ursula. "Yes, miss. I found something in the room —something that the police had'missed —and I kept it." " Would it have cleared Mr. L'Estrange ?" she asked, in a quick, excited tone. "No, miss ; if I'd thought, that I should have given it up. But 1 believed it would be the strongest link in the evidence against him, so I kept it back ; but it's been a burden on my mind. I didn't even tell my husband about it till I was ill. Then I was afraid I shouldn't get better, so I took him into my confidence ; but the strangest part is that an impression I've wronged Mr. John L'Estrange by holding it back has grown upon me. Do you know, many a time when I've been dozing I've fancied 1 could hear Mr. Dewliirst, my poor master, saying, ' Speak out, Mrs. •Jackson,' and yet I've felt that frightened I daren't? I've been torn in two sometimes thinking T'd tell Mr. Scholes ; then I was afraid, as a lawyer wouldn't think it right to keej) anything back. I asked you to come because, when I was thinking it over, the idea came into my mind to tell you, and there it stuck. You see, I knew you could get advice from Mr. Calthorp without mentioning names. lMd you ever hear that a big diamond was found on the floor of the room where the murder was committed ?" she asked, quickly. Ursula nodded her head. "Yes, 1 have heard about it." "It was a magnificent stone, and the theory was that the stone had been loose and fallen out —that the murderer must have struck his hand against something. Of course, if that was so, it stamped him as being a man of position. Well, after Mr. .John I/Estrange had been sentenced and the police had done the case, I decided to have the room cleaned : but before I sent- the maids in to clean it I went to have a last look round, and there behind the bureau I found the ring, with two fine diamonds in it, but the middle one, that had evidently been the largest, was missing." Ursula started. Miss L'Estrange's words seemed to ring in her ears. ' Find the ring with the missing stone.' Evidently she believed that when the ring was found her nephew's innocence would be made plain. "Why didn't you show it to the police ?" she asked, sharply. "Because I thought it was the final proof of poor Mr. John's guilt. I didn't know whether they could hang him after he'd been respited, but I knew it would be a great blow to lots of people who believed in his innocence. Besides, I know that sometimes a man—who had been sentenced for life—was liberated at the end of fifteen years, and I didn't want to take away his chance, because I was sure it" he'd killed my master it had been done in a moment's passion," "Why were you so sure that this ring would condemn him ?" asked Ursula, in an agitated tone. She could not bear to think, it possible that further proof of Jack I-'Es-trange's guilt was forthcoming. "That's what my husband askedi nie when I told him what I'd found, and after he knew he said, ' Rebecca, it's damning proot.' Excuse the words, miss." "May I see the ring?" asked Ursula. "Miss. I wtont you to take it. If I die it'll get Jacob into trouble, and I think I should have more i-hancc to pull through if it was out of niv hands ; and there's one thing you can do that I cannot — you inn show it to Miss L/Estranige. She'll know il" it belonged to Mr. Jack, and no one would get the truth out of her, and I don't think she'd let you keep it ; but if it doesn't belong to him, then she may explain how it came to be in the room. You see, Mr. IDewhirst and Ho" were cousins, and in some way it might have come into my master's, hands." "Will you let me look at the ring ?" Mrs. Johnson put her hand between the bod and the mattress and drew out a small bag made of chamois leather. "I gave it io my husband when I tt'lis at the worst, but 1 asked him to let nic have it this afternoon and unfastening the string that was tied tightly rouml the top of tho bag,.Mrs. Jackson took out a ring and laid it in Ursula's hand. The two diamonds were large, but the centre'one had evidently been of an unusual size.

"The police kept tlic stone they found, but I'm pretty sure it would aave fitted," said the woman. "Take it to the window and examine it, miss," i-he added. The mist had gathered fast, and the room was in senu-darkr.e s ; so crossing to the window, Ursula, held the ring to the .light and looked closely at it. Then she uttered an exclamation of dismay as she saw that in the widest part of the gold band was the coat-oi'-arins of the L'Estranges. 1630. CHAPTER XXIII. "You see the coat-of-arms, miss ?" and the woman laid her hand on the girl's arm when "she came back to the bedside. Ursula's face had become white as death, and the hand tWt held the ring trembled. For one rno'me'nt she doubted Jack Ij'Estrange ; the Ting Was, as Jackson had told his wife,damning evidence, • and : shecould have cried aloud as she thought that

the man, whom she had believed —in] spite of .the convict's dress he hod worn when she first saw iftim —to be noble and goody' was f a murderer, and the punishment from which Silas and she had helped him to escape was just. - .Suddenly there seemed to rise hefore .her his face, as he told the story pf'the crime, and her doubts fled. ; 'Be %as hot guilty —there might be 4*,. thousand explanations of the Ving being found in .that room—and,-as she thought this the colour came slowly Back to her face, and looking &t Mrs." JacKsop, she said : "I don't think this goes to prove Mr. 1/Esti'ahge's guilt. He would probably be able lo tell you how the ring 'came to be in the room. "Hut it staggered you at first, miss; and though J'm coming to believe its being- there doesn't mean that ho was guilty, still, it would have been worse for him if the jury had known .about it." "Yes, -you did right to keep it; but" Then Ursula paused. "Will you take it, miss, ami-show it to Miss Li' Estrange ? Once she gets it in her hands she'll decide the matter. If it was Mr. Jack's you'll never get it back ; she'll swallow it lirst. There are people who think she's a bit soft, but she's as wide awake as most people, only peculiar ; it would take a .clever one to get tound Miss L'Estrange. I believe Mr. Horace takesmore notice of her than any one and 1 tries not to vex her in iiiiporuiht matters,, though he sneers at her," - said Mrs. Jackson. in a weary tone. - I'rsul.a rose. " "You're tired, so I'll go. I've put the ring in the bag," she said, as she drew the string. "Yes, niiss ; it will be safer with you than me, and-thank you for coming." '' "I hope you'll feel easier in your mind now. Good-bye and Ursula went towards the door. "Miss Calthorp, please don't let Mr. Horace I/Estrange know about this," came in quick, excited tones from the woman on the bed. "I won't name the matter to him. But surely he would be pleased if his cousin's innocence was proved ?" said Ursula, who wanted to hear what the woman thought. "Pleased! He hopes that Mr Jack will die before that time comes. It upset him finely when he heard he'd got away from Dartmoor. Don't you sec, Miss, that Mr. Horace is tha next heir, and he'd inherit all the L'Estrange property, a n d what beJongcd to Mr. as well, because when my "master : died his fortune went to his cousin, Mr. Jack L'Estrange. It would be hateful to Mr. Horace if he thought any one was trying to clear his cousin." The last words were spoken in a tired voice, and Ursula saw her glance towards a glass on the table. "You would like a drink ?" she said : " Thank you Miss Calthorp ; I feel more rested now I've got rid of that." Ursula smiled sadly as she thought that the woman had eased herself by shifting the burden. Well, she was young and strong, and she believed in Jack L'Estrange. He had said there were strange chances in life, and it might be in her power to help him, and this ring—that on the face of it seemed to point to his guilt—might really be a help in some way, though she failed to see how. She was thinking of these things as she went quietly downstairs and made her way to the hail, intending to leave by the door she had entered, when ju.st as she passed a narrow passage that led to a door that was partially glazed which opened on to the lawn, she heard a noiso that made her pause and listen. The upper half of this door was covered by shutters, but as Ursula stood there she saw the door gently open. Guessing that the person who was about to enter was Horace L'Estrange, she sprang forward, and turning a handle, entered a room. A pair of heavy plush curtains were drawn over the door inside, and as she hesitated whether to push them on one side and advance into the room from the side passage. Not knowing what to do, she stood quite still. .Then as the rustle of a woman's skirts reached her ears, she started. But the noise was not noticed, as Horace L'Estrange spoke in- a ? <near, r -l%w, »tp'n6, saying : "Now, Helen, will you be good enough to say> why you insisted on meeting me. here ? You must know that if it was made public that you had met me secretly here, your reputation would not be worth much ; and I don't think Jackson is a man to be trusted. Only a. little while ago lie was showing Miss Calthorp the pictures in the Hall. "There was nothing wrong in that. But it was about her that I wished to speak to you and i Helen I?oyce spoke in a low, but distinct tone. "Oh, I see I've the green-eyed monster to deal with !" "How dare you speak to me in that manner? Jealous! I should havo nothing but pity for the woman who became your wife, and I i will not let you ruin Ursula Calthorp's life." ; "In the first place, I never told you I wanted to marry her.:; but if I do, you cannot stop me," he said, with a sneer. (To be Continued).