THE SIGN OF THE VAMPIRE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 375, 5 July 1911, Page 3

THE SIGN OF THE VAMPIRE.

Being a Strange Chronicle from the of John Lyon, Elucidator, Known as the " Lion of the Law."

Bj S. H. Agnew, Author of "The Castle Mystery," etc.

CHAPTER I. THE GIRL, WHO CALLED AT . MIDNIGHT. ' ... The house in Melbourne Street where Lyon and his assistant had quarters was shrouded in darkness and silence when the sound of the electric bell whirred insistently through the rooms. , ! Chris Lesage had been indulging a bad habit of reading in lied, and was apparently the only person oii premises to hear the summons. His eyes wandered to the face of the clock as he sat up abruptly, dropping his hook. "Midnight !" he ejaculated, lifting his brows. "Who calls so loud at this unseemly hour ? Some drunken fool looking for a thick ear, I should think." * ' Tr-r-ring ! A second ring, even louder and more determined trst, interrupted his ruminations. He knew that his chief was sleeping soundly after a hard day's work and the landlord and his wife never disturbed their slumbers for anything more . quiet than a boot-heel applied to the bedroom door. Their sleep Was of-a substantial and solid variety, warranted to outlast all others. " I suppose I'll have to see who it is," Lesage muttered, suiting the action to the word by hopping out of bed. "If the visitor proves to be of an inebriated tendency I will offer him a quart of soda-water, straight from the syphon. Ugh !" He shuddered as his bare feet flattened on the cold linoleum, and shuffled hastily into a RQir of slippers. Then, r not troubling to don any garments over his pyjamas, he descended the stairs with his big armj revolver in one hand and a candle in the other. A third peal burst vibrantly from the bell-box as he set foot in the hall. I

"All right !" he cried, setting the efindle on the table. " Not so much hurry there. Who are you ?" Silence for a moment. Then a voice spoke hurriedly, and the /detective started as he heard it. It was the voice of a woman. " I want to see Mr. .Lyon," it said huskily. "On a life and death matter." .. " Come .in the morning," Lesagf responded curtly. "We do not se< clients at midnight." " To-morrow will be too late. Dc you think I would be out at this hour unless something terrible had driven me to you ? For the love o' heaven let me in, or you may have 'my death on your conscience. Mj God, it's too late ! They are here !' The patter of running footsteps punctuated the horrified cry witfc which she ended her speech. Lesage quick to act in any emergency, suddenly realised that the midnight' visitor was in earnest. No woman, how ever fine an actress, could counterfeit an ague of terror with such- nerveshaking realism. In two seconds hf had drawn the bolt and turned tht key, and thrown wide the door. With the force of a battering-ram the woman hurled herself into tht passage. As she did so two blinding stabs of light seared the darkness o: Melbourne Street, and two sharp re ports called an army of echoes intc being. The detective, however, hac slammed the door shut with a rapic motion, and the bullets flattened • harmlessly on the stout portal. Silence fell with the clanging of tht bolt into its socket. Only the deej breathing of the strange visitor was audible in the passage. As she leaned against the wall, yellow in the flickering glow of the candle, a striking picture was presented to Lesage't She seemed quite young, and was certainly strikingly pretty ; curl; rings of dark chestnut hair like Japanese bronze waved about a smal' oval face of perfect contour droopinj impudently ovev her delicately-pencil-Jed brows and into her ejes, whict were wide and brilliant, blue as wild chicory, and veiled by long lashes o| amazing thickness. Her clothes wer< dishevelled and stained with dust, her hands caked with mud, and blooc streamed from a cut across her chin. Incapable of speech, she stood tumbling arainst the wall, eyes and ears straining to catch any sound from the street.

Several windows opened noisily anc closed again. A policeman clumped past in rubber-soled stealth, his dis< of light travelling over doors and windows. Then - stillness resumed its midnight sway in the thoroughfare, and the girl turned suddenly on Lesage. " Perhaps you will believe now that I really want to see Mr. Lyon ?" she flamed. " Look at my face and hands. There is blood upon them—the blood of murderous rascals ! ] have foiled them but for how long r Where is Mr. Lyon ?" " Dressing," returned Lcsage.. shortly. He scarcely knew what tc make of the affair. If yoVi will follow me I will see that you arc made comfortable." Leading the way into the sittingroom he lit the gas and saw the visitor to a chair. Then he hastened upstairs to inform Lyto of the startling events which had lishered in theii midnight guest. As he passed the landlord's door he heard a, duct oi long-drawn snores proving that the worthy couple were proof to such trifles as electric bells and revolver shots.

The Lion of the Law had nearly tnished attiring himself when his assistant arrived. He listened < in silence to that worthy's hasty but detailed story. " Some dark mystery here," was the only word of comment. " When

you are dresses ta'a'a phvo at one of the front windows, and !>ce that aobody is spying upon th? house." "Shall I wake Mrs. Haddock ?" " Better. A lady guest will lie somewhat embarrassing to our bachelor selves," tffc elucidator laughed. " You can knock old MadJock and his wife up as you pass their door. Don't let them kick up a rumpus." Seeing that Lesage understood lie iloseonded to the sitting-room. The young ladj who had arrived so unexpectedly was seated with her head resting in her hands. On the table, untouched, stood a glass of brandy which Lesage had placed there. She looked up wildly as Lyon entered.

'• Thank God !" she breathed almost inaudibly. " You are John Lyon?" y " You are in trouble ?" the'elufeidator queried in his turn, answering hci question with a bow. " Why, there is blood upon your face !" " Yes. I was set upon in Wade Lane, and only got away by a miracle." She spoke calmly and Lyon could scarcely repress the words of amazement that trembled on his lips. " But, my dear young lady, what were you doing out at such an aour ?" " Coming to see you. I thought I :ould get away unperceived, but I was mistaken. I am watched day and night. As I said before, it is a miracle that I have got here alive." " And now you are here, what can [ do for you ?" Lyon asked pointblank. " I must confess that I am utterly at a loss to account for your v-isit." The girl rose suddenly. Stepping forward she thrust her right hand, palm uppermost, so that it was within a foot of the detective's eyes. His jaw set as he stared at it. Deeply imprinted in the flesh was a tattooed image of a vampire, in a flying attitude, with wings outspread. The colouring was marvellously realistic, and the details of the hideous beast were complete , even to the fleshy appendage on the nose, the tiny beady eyes being marked in jetblack. The animal seemed veritably to move and breathe as the girl contracted the muscles of her hand.

" A hideous thing," the elucidator said at length, drawing a deep breath. " Did you have it tattooed there?" She shook her head. , " It was placed there without my knowledge. 'lt is the badge of my terrible servitude^—The "-Sign of the Vampire." | " The Sign of the Vampire !" Repeated Lyon.... " You speak in riddles, Miss— I do not- know your name." " And I do not wish you to know it." , - The detective pausing in his stride, faced round suddenly. ' "We are playing at cross-pur-poses," he said with a determined accent, looking straight into the girl's eyes. "If you have come here tc consult me, pray do so ; if not, kindly explain the meaning® of your visit, or I shall, feel inclined to call in a doctor to ascertain whether you art quite sane." The words which Lyon had purposely rendered almost callously cold and direct had an electrifying effect upon his visitor. Starting to hei feet she faced him with an air of decision, her teeth set, something like defiance lurking in -her eyes. " I came here to ask you to hide me until midnight next Saturday. If you fail me it will mean my death—and more. It will mean a series of —" With a violent shudder she ceased speaking. John Lyon, watching her intently, could not think that she was imad or acting a part. Her whole frame shook with emotion and a look of deadly terror was limned upon her fair visage. She remained motionless one shoulder resting against the mantelpiece, whilst the detective strode restlessly, up and down the room. He was puzzled—more puzzled than he would have cared to admit. Presently he paused to light a cigarette, and as the fumes curled round his brain he rapidly revolved an endless succession of theories which might fit the details at his command. Each time his deductions split upon a rock which seemed impassable—the revolver shots which had been fired at the fleeting girl. They lent an ominous air of truth to her few wild statements.

John Lyon loved a mystery as the breath of life, and seldom had a more enticing one lain outspread before him. Involved in a network o) surmises he had almost forgotten the passage of time, when the arrival of Lesage brought him to earth again. In a few succinct sentences he outlined the situation, ending witl a series of brisk directions, for he had made up his mind with his customary promptitude. " I am going to do as you wish," he said, turning to the unexpected guest. " The secret of your presence however, must be known to Mr. and Mrs. Maddock, the landlord and his' wife. They are trustworthy people, and know how to keep their tongues between their teeth. I understand that you wish to remain here in hiding until midnight 011 Saturday—live days ?" A nod was the only answer. The woman' had compressed her lips, and evidently did not intend to speak again. Realising this, Ljon left his assistant to watch over her, whilst he revealed the state of affairs to Mrs. Maddock. ' In the dim and distant past that worthy dame had been a lady's maid and the position had taught her many things; including self-control, and the advisability of keeping a tight rein over her tongue. Nothing that the Lion of the Law did ever caused her any great surprise, and she set about the work of preparing' for the mysterious guest with a zest.

Before one o'cio'cic bad struck, tin ivoman was installed in the rooir 'hat was to be her prison for theiext live days. True to her expressed resolution, she refused either iddress t.he detective or to reply to lis questions. It was evident, that if* Lyon was to solve the mystery he .vould have to do it without any lid from the girl who was its cental figure.

OHA p, ""r. 11. THE VAMPIRE ON THE DOOR. " Mr.. Slythe to see you, sir," anlon'nced Mrs. Maddook, intruding her :iead upon her lodgers' breakfast. " Slythe !" echoed Lypn, irritably. He had been puzzling over the mystery of the Vampire Lady as he had :hristened her, for some hours, and total' failure had roughtened the edge nf his temper. " What does he want lere ? Does he know I'm in ?" " He saw you through the window, sir." Then I suppose you had better tell him to come in here," the detective grumbled. " I bet he wants a :ip about som# case, Chris." James Penruddock Slythe," of New Scotland Yard, was Lj-on's particular bugbear. Pate had thrown them together in an extraordinary manner, and they had been rivals in more 'han one case, although the honours invariably fell to the acute elucidator. The official was stout and af:able in manner, with an oily tongue and a. constant smile on his flabby features. He was undoubtedly clever, but his brains ' were bounded by a broad outline of red tape. " Fan-cy meet-ing you !" he chuckled, as he appeared on the threshold. One would think you were following me. First in Bradford and now in Leeds. Queer, very queer !" "If you think I would waste my time chasing about after you, allow me to correct that error," Lyon growled through the grey smoke of a Russian-blend cigarette. " I am not luite so mad as that-. Leeds is not far from Bradford, according to the map, and, as you know, I make a point of travelling from city to city in the course of my business. The man who stays in London gets only sultry murders brought to his door, whilst I can get a fascinating mystery for every day in the year by travelling all over the country. What | :lo you want ?" The question was put with an abruptness that bordered on the rude but Penruddock Slythe made a n-i of never being offended. He closed the door cautiously, turned the key. j and wagged one podgy finger at the j elucidator. I " I don't mind confessing that I ! am gravelled hopelessly. I have j been in Leeds for a week, and am no nearer my object than when" I started." " What is yout object ?" askod Leaage, blandly, eyeing the visitor's portly form. "Do you want to lace your own boots up ? If so. I am afraid you will have some difficulty in getting near your object." (To be Continued.)