The Mine Master's Heir OR THE REAL JOHN SMITH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 265, 4 June 1910, Page 4

The Mine Master's Heir OR THE REAL JOHN SMITH.

(All Rights Reserved.)

By HEDLEY EICHARDS,

Author of "Out. of Darkness," " A Day of Reckoning," Etc. PART 4. Glancing from one to the other., those present were struck by the likeness between the two men. The younger man had the. same massive head, dark skin, and black hair. The difference lay in the eyes and mouth. The former were brown, unusually small, with a shifty look in them—eyes that never seemed to look straight at you, but when unobserved shot keen though furtive glances around. Still, the resemblance was striking. Evidently the knowledge that the stranger bore a strong likeness to him struck Thompson, still, his tone was cold as he replied : "Your uncle? That remains.to be proved. The newcomer shot a quick, furtive glance at him, then he said : "I see you want my credentials. They're here,;" and he put in his hand in his breast-pocket. Thompson put up his hand quickly, imperatively, but his voice was quite calm as he said : "Keep them in your pocket, and go to my lawyer, Coates, of Middleham. He will communicate with me."

"My dear uncle, I have been there, and Mr. Coates was at a funeral ; the clerk wasn't sure that he would be at the office again to-day, and he said it was no use me going to his house, so I told him I should come on here. When a man comes all the way from Australia he isn't inclined to pause till he gets to his journey's end." There was determination in his words, and Thompson realised that the stranger was a man who was not easily deterred from his purpose ; still, in spite of his likeness to himself, he did not care for the man, and his eyes passed from him to Jack, who was so like his dead son, save that his blue eyes had a merriment in them that the grey ones had never possessed. Already Jack was a favourite with the taciturn millionaire, and he resented the :oming of the man who also claimed to be John Smith. Then he grasped the fact that he had to cope either with a fraud or a huge mistake. He turned and faced the newcomer as he said, in a grim tone : "Well, Mr. John Smith from Australia, you are rather late in the day. That young man is my nephew —Jack, as he will be called." The stranger turned quickly and looked at John. It was a quick, furtive look, but it seemed to take in every detail of his appearance. Then he said, abruptly : "Which man resembles you ?"*

It was a pertinent question, but before the master of the house could speak, Squire Gelder exclaimed : "You do ; but my friend Jack is very like Mr. Thompson's son." "Ah, the first-comer has had his innings. Will you look at my papers, or are you going to ' turn your back on your sister's son ?" asked the stranger. "Let me look at them ;" and Thompson held out his hand. Then as he took them he said, "Sit down." He sat down, and his gaze wander--3d to the girl who sat behind the urn, and as their eyes met he saw that her lip curled scornfully. "It's a long walk from the station here, but I'd no trouble in finding the house. My mother often described it to me when I was a little lad. She remembered it when Mr. Sealpet lived here, and she was very proud of her brother's success," he said. Thompson, who was examining the certificates, heard the words, and he remembered that Jack had told him his mother had not talked about Witton, merely saying she had a brother who lived there who had become a rich man; and this, other John Smith knew enough about the place to find Witton House. A moment later he laid the papers down. "I shall telephone to Coates to come here at once," he said as he rose; and the others knew that the papers were sufficiently startling to make the. master of the house desire his lawyer's advice. At that moment the hooting of a motor-horn was heard, then the car came nearer, and it stopped at the gate. Jim Gelder went quickly to the window nearest to him. "Here's Coates !" he exclaimed. A second or two later, Giles announced Mr. Coates, and an elderly man with a shrewd face and a pair of keen eyes entered the room, and in one quick glance he took in the group, noticing the stranger.

"Good afternoon, Coates. I was just going to telephone for you," said Mr. Thompson. "I understand another John Smith has appeared. My clerk tried to persuade him to wait to see me, but he said he objected to let the grass grow under/ his feet, so when I heard about him I borrowed a motor, as there isn't another train just yet." "I'm glad you came. Just look at those certificates," said Mr. Thompson, handing them to the lawyer, who examined them closely ; then as he laid them down he said : "It will be easy to verify these." Then he looked at the stranger, saying : "You told my clerk you came from Australia." "Yes. My father and mother went out there when I was a youngster, and they died out there. I've been minin?—in fact. I've tried a good

many things in my life," he said. "What did your father do ? He seems to have, been able to educate you," said the lawyer. "He did most things. Once or twice he was lucky, then •he lost what he made. As for my education my tutor was a nobleman's son, an Oxford man, who'd done no good at home, and did very little better abroad. My mother nursed him through an illness, and in return he undertook my education. I was his pupil for four or five years. ' Of course, he was mining at the time, still, he managed to teach me a good lot between times. Then he died of fever, and my education ended a year or two before my father died and I was left to fish for myself. A little while ago I saw the advertisement, and came to England. But it seems I have been forestalled," he said, glancing at Jack. Squire Gclder rose, saying : "Come, Jim. Your uncle has got a difficult matter in hand, and we'll leave him to settle it."

"Stay !" John Thompson spoke in a tone of authority. ''' You have heard so much, I would like you to hear the rest. Now, Coates, what do you say ?" The lawyer glanced from the new claimant to the name of Smith to Jack, then he said : "Smith is a very common name, and John Smith is also common, but It is a singular fact that the fathers of these two young men have each r.arried a woman named Mary Thompson, of Wingate. I have verified the certificates in the case of the who has been acknowedged as his nephew by Mr. Thompson ; the others will ! o easy to ■rove true or false. I -vill g<~> to London the first thing in the it.nrnng, and the result of my investigations will be known in a day or two." "Meanwhile ?" said the stranger, '.ooking at the master of the house. "Meanwhile, I advise you to stay at one of the inns. You will find the Hare and Hounds a comfortable house," said Mr. Thompson. Jack turned to him. "Would you like me to go, too, sir, until this Chinese puzzle is solved ?" "No ; your credentials have been gone into. I know that your mother was Mary Thompson, daughter of John Thompson, of Wingate." "You'll soon be as sure about my credentials. Good afternoon, uncle;" and the stranger left the room. • "He's not a bashful young man, and he doesn't mean to ignore the relationship. What do you think of him, Betty ?" asked Squire Gelder. "I think he's a fraud, and horrid," she said, quickly, and Jack gave her an appreciative look. Mr. Thompson rose. "Come to the library, Coates. I want to talk to you." he said ; then when he had closed the door he said: "Which is the real man, Coates ?" "It strikes me it will be a difficult question to answer. Mr. Jack Smith's certificates are j/ennine, and the other man is too wide awake and too certain of the result for the certificates he has produced to be forgeries." "You don't like the new man ?" "'Candidly, I don't." "He is very like me."

"Yes, with a difference. The eyes and the mouth are not like yours. Still, I admit the resemblance is strong, and Mr. Jack is like your son and Miss Betty." "He's a nice fellow. I was going to introduce him to the men as my partner and their future master. Now it will have to wait." "Yes. Suppose I find the certificates are genuine—which I expect to do —I shall send a detective to Wingate to make inquiries. It is there we must then look for a clue to the mystery," said the lawyer as he rose. t "Won't you stay to dinner " said Mr. Thompson. "No, thanks ; I have an engagement to-night. Good day." "Remember, no expense must be spared to get at the truth." " Trust me to leave no stone unturned," replied the lawyer as they parted. In the hall Mr. Coates found the Gelders, Betty, and Jack Smith talking to the old butler, and the lawyer heard the latter say : "I told him as I'd announce him as Mr. Smith and he says, 'You'll say what I tell you, and that's Mr. John Smith; your nephew.' Somehow, Miss Betty, I feel I must do it. He spoke just as the master does when he's giving an order —not as I'm going to say he's a relation of the family. There's chance likenesses as there's no accounting for." "Well, it's a funny affair. Your father wanted an heir, and he's got two. I only hope he'll choose the right man, and I'm inclined to say you're the chap," said Squire Gelder, turning to Jack ; then as their horses were brought to the gate he said : "Come, Jim. Good-bye, every one ; we've had a real," live shilling shocker this afternoon all for nothing ;" and Squire Gelder laughed. Betty stood watching them mount; then as they went down the road, and the motor-car with the lawyer in it flew papt them, she turned to Jack, who was standing near, saying :

"What do you think of your namesake ?" "It's too soon to form an opinion, but it strikes me as being something of a predicament for your father. I know I'm Jack Smith, and I'm quite sure my mother was Mary Thompson before her marriage, but I don't know absolutely whether she was your father's sister, and that's the question to - be settled. Of course, the John Smith who has introduced hims3lf this afternoon bears a strong resemblance to your father." "My father has neither a cruel mouth nor crafty eyes, and Mr. John Smith has both," said Betty, with decision. "Well, as I said, it's a Chinese

puzzle," remarked her companion

CHAPTER VI. John Thompson stood erect, his hand resting on the tack of a chair as he looked round. "It is a week to-day since we met, and I asked you all to come"—and he glanced at Squire Gelder and Jim, as though he wished them to understand he had specially desired them to be present—"as I have received certain information from my lawyer. Mr. Coates found the certificates submitted by the young man from Australia"—and the millionaire's eye rested for a moment on him —"were genuine in so far as they proved that a certain John Smith married . a Mary Thompson, daughter of John Thompson, of Wingate. The mar riage entry, in fact, proved that within ten days two marriages took place in the East-end of London, within a mile of each other, and in each case the bridegroom was named John Smith and the bride Mary Thompson. Both men were described as grooms. A year later, in the same churches, there is an entry of the baptism of a son, and in each case the boy was named John, there being a difference of ten days in the date of the baptism." Here Mr. Thompson paused and looked round, noting the look of surprise in the Gelders'and Jack's faces ; ' but the man from Australia listened impassively. "Peeling it was necessary to make inquiries, Mr. Coates called in the aid of a detective, who proceeded to Wingate, hoping to fathom the mystery, and after a day or two he discovered that my father, John Thompson, had a cousin of the same name. This man was twice married. His first wife had no.children ; the second one had one girl, called Mary, after her mother, as my sister had been called after her mother. Both girls were about the same age, and both went to fill posts as lady's maids in London, and both married men who were grooms. One was groom at some livery stables, the other in a private family ; but it is impossible to say which John Smith was at the livery stables. Now the matter stands thus : My sister, Mary Thompson, married a groom named John Smith, and had a son named John. My cousin, three times removed, she being the daughter of my father's cousin, John Thompson, of Wingate, and named Mary Thompson, also married a groom named John Smith, and they had a son named John . So far it is plain, but the detective is unable to discover which Mary Thompson was my sister, or which was my third cousin. I am therefore placed in the difficult position of having to decide which man shall be my heir." Here Mr. Thompson paused, and met the merry eyes of Jack, that were twinkling with amusement. " Suppose as there's a man too many, I take it for granted I'm the third cousin's son, and leave the man who resembles you to follow you—or, better still, send us both about our business, and let Betty take your place when the time comes."

As Jack spoke the other man's face grew dark. He evidently didn't want to give up his chance to Betty ; and the millionaire, observing this, told himself that years ago he should have felt the same. Jack thought too lightly of riches ; still, in his heart he hoped that the light-heart-ed, sunny-natured young fellow was .his sister's son, and would one day be Betty's husband. Aloud, he said : "I. have cunsidered the matter carefully, and have decided to employ a detective to discover which man is my nephew. There must be a clue somewhere to the truth. Meantime, I wish you both to live here ; then whichever proves to be my nephew will remain, and I shall help the other forward in life. Of course, I will not have either man at the mine or quarry save as a visitor. It will be a holiday, and when the truth is known both will have to work —the one to carve his way in the world, the other to make a name in the political world. I want the man who takes my name to become a man of mark." "What if it takes years to solve this enigma?" said Jack. "It won't. The detective can spend as much money as he likes, and the truth will be discovered." " When it is, you will find' I am the man you want, uncle," said John Smith. Thompson looked full at the man who so persistently claimed to be his nephew, then he glanced at Jack, and for a moment his face wore an expression of grim humour as he said : "You can both call me uncle, and you shall be Jack, as you chose, while you are John, until the tangle straightens itself." Squire Gelder laughed. "It seems to me you're in a mess, Take my advice—give both the lads a helping hand, but make Betty your heiress." "I prefer to be guided by my own judgment. Jack, will you ring for tea ?" (To be Continued).