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King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 406, 21 October 1911, Page 2

lie naci va tliougn jt. worir quiesce, and He he .i '-lone as she wished. Fourteen yc; •!. later he had wedded Lady Dalry-ipl, . whom he loved truly with tin er .ngth of his manhood. It wi' V <*>■-, abiding love, and the year; of .is ■*' dded life had been very 1:. i>" . bv.c. this last love had not poc:' " the fervour and intensity of fc. ng that he had Celt for Jr.'ie. Pr . 1 been a passionate love, i 1 h'-" 5 youth. Probably if he -- • lived together till they w\ ». god people it would have '• ' eVv"' ip such a love as he tut <. Laij rymple ; but looking b.irA te km-., *' had been a different tlil-i; P v., man's first mad passioa, yc* *n - passed out of his life for ever ai c - wondered what hu 'i.o hr ' tfcc, « He had been very ha A / :t. wife he had ch '"cn. H r hcv.ou >'6. loved, a. sc. -'. her , ,-u; V" ,r Julie, how had s. ~ r v ."1 ? Somehow as he •»..;nt ' own +h. near the Gelder Woc-'i c-e o?Ci ' 1 I'ery near. He coula imagi j'. It was but yesterday. Thinking of her he let tb rilv.- l.e loosely on the horse's neck, j jfr't. <.• He reached the gate leading into Vl- - Wood it was opened by a b* ./ and four men. three of them policemen, came through it carrying a stretcher, on which a body was lai<? Mr. Dalrvmple drew the horse uy. looking down in surprise, but as his syes rested on the face of the dead man he turned as white as a sheet and drew the curb so tightly that the horse began to prance and kick. The inspector looked up. " Horses are very knowing, sir. They never will pass a corpse carried like this," he said.

For a moment Mr. Dalrymple did aot answer. He was apparently trying to calm his horse ; then, as he dropped behind the men and their mournful burder, he said : " How did it happen, inspector ? " i " That's more than I can tell, sir. j Rhodes —you may know him, sir ; he ! has a farm beyond the wood—was | coming through with a lad of his. i The lad wanted to have a look at the I pool, and they saw the poor chap lying in it." "Do you mean to say he was floating on the top ? " said Mr. Dalrymple, in an accent of surprise. " No, sir. His clothing had been caught in a branch of ai. overhanging tree. There'll have to e an inquest." " Have you any idea ~* h Q hfc 'S 1 " questioned »Mr. Dairy,„ 1; > " Mr, Slater here iu'.7 nr.-r.. down a couple of days staging at ! the Vine, and that he was here about | a fortnight ago for a day or two," | yaid the inspector. " Then I suppose you know something about him ? " inquired Mr, Dalrymple, looking keenly at the landlord of the Vine Inn, 'L_No, sir. He knew how to hold ! his tongue, but I'm pretty certain he I knew some one in the neighbourj hood." ! " Poor fellow ! " And with these : words Mr. Dalrymple rode on, and the police put the stretcher down in ! front of the Geldcr Inn, while they i went in to see if arrangements could | be made for placing the body in an out-house, as the water poured from the clothes. ; " Poor fellow ! I'm sorry he has met with such an end, but what was he doing in Geld*"-- Wood ? I don't believe he has cr>r.;-r. ittcd suicide. He had moncv a - l'*''. no doubt he hoped tc "e 1 " -'•or fl v .-r me," Mr. Dalrymple ■:■ 'Uf "'t at ''■* slowly forward • ' • it r -:u across him that this mn.'i , -ieatli meant security to him, as he did not believe any | one else knew much about bis past as he did. But he might have left a paper or something that would reveal what Mr. Dalrymple was so anxious to hide, and he resolved to be present at the inquest. CHAPTER XVIII. NINA RECEIVE? A LETTER. Lord Ovingham had called at Geldcr Hall. The last time he had been there it had struck him that Nina was an unusually nice gir" -one of the kind that a man cou'; make a friend of. She wasn't be- . like Mona Dalrymple, but ac ?n ; very sensible and womanly so l's J.\d called, ostensibly to .-e Mr : I idspith and Hugh, but in -ealii/ i . ,s Nina that he desired to see, 1- ia 1 found Mr. Hudspith at home, ,d very soon she joined them in t.-e morning room, but Hugh was out. Hugh was always out. his father said ; and in his heart Lord Ovingham was rather glad, as it gave him more chance of talking to Nina. Indeed, they had most of the talk, as Mr. Hudspith seemed grader and quieter than usual. Presently the luncheon-bell rang, and -Lord Ovinglir.ni accepted his host's invitation to remain. They were seated at the table, when Hugh entered, looking unusually excited. " Glad to see you, Ovingham," he said, as they shook hands ; -then turning to his father, he ssked . " Have you heard what lias happened, pater ? " " I haven't heard of anything special," bis father replied. Well, this is something special,"

saia Jriugh. " They 've _ :n! Ohbody of a man in Dead ?>!.•.:i s l'o;>!!" "My God ! " The j-.clama t ion burst from Mr. Hudspitb n spite of himself ; then he stoopr i '.o pick up his serviette, which had fallen on to the floor, and by the time he raised his head he had mastered himself. " I don't wonder you're surprised. I should have thought a dozen people could have been drowned there without any one knowing, but the poor fellow's clothing caught on the branch of a tree that dips into the pool. I saw him taken into the shed behind the Gelder Inn. The inspector had some trouble to get Mrs. Hayes to consent to it. They say Dalrymple's horse turned quite skittish, and wouldn't pass the corpse." " How do they suppose he has got in ? " asked Mr. Hudspith, in a calm tone, but his voice was harder than usual. " They cannot tell. Something may come out at the inquest. He was a rough-looking party —not the sort of fellow you'd care to meet in a lonely place on a dark night," said Hugh. " Poor fellow ! " said Nina ; and Mr. Hudspitli remarked it would be as well not to discuss the matter, as it had made her look quite pale. An hour later Lord Ovingham took nis departure, and Mr. Hudspith *ked as far as the Gelder Inn, i ore he saw the body and knew for ortain that it was his victim. He was a man of iron nerve, but required all his self-control to look he motionless form and not behimself. Then he had a few ■■s with the policeman who had left in charge about the inquest, ' L ri hich he walked leisurely home, id c-icred the drawing room just as In iaughter was pouring out a cup oca for herself. " Tou may give me a cup," he said throwing himself into an easy chair, md Nina brought it to him. Just then the butler entered carryill?' ~ silver salver on which were two '■"iters, and having handed one to his ,;ter who took it carelessly, he gave the other to his young mistress. Looking at the direction before opening his letter, Mr. Hudspith gave a start, and great drops of perspiration stood on his forehead as he saw that the writing was the same as that on the letter which he had received a few mornings before from the murdered man.

He was going to open it when Nina uttered an exclamation of surprise and dismay, and her father saw that she held a sheet of paper in her hand at which she was gazing intently. Unseen by her he slipped his letter in his pocket and crossed to where his daughter was sitting.

" What is the matter, Nina ? " he asked, looking over her shoulder at the letter.

" What does it mean ? " she said, handing it to him.

On the top of a sheet of poor notepaper there was a death's head and cross bones, roughly sketched in ink, and below, written in an uneducated hand, which Mr. Hudspith recognised were the words :

" Miss Hudspith, ask your father where he was and what he did between half-past eleven and half-past twelve last night."

" It means that some fool is playing a practical joke on you," he said angrily, as he crushed the paper in his hand.

" But father, you were out at that time," she answered on the spur of the moment.

His face became livid with passion. " How dare you say that ? I told you I had never been out of my room. You must be losing your reason to get such fancies into your head ! " And without another word lie ' left the room and went into an office in which ho transacted business connected with the estate. " The fool ! " he muttered. Then he laid the letter which he had taken from his daughter on his desk, after which he crossed the room and locked the door ; then seating himself near the desk, he opened the letter addressed to himself. At the top of the ' page there was a pen-and-ink sketch of a death's head and cross bones, and below it a man dangling from the gallows. At the foot was written : When this comes to pass, may I be there to see. The end of Marcus Hudspith. Don't forget Dead Man's Pool." As he laid the paper down, Mr. Hudspith shuddered. He had seen the man who had been taken out of the pool, and he could swear that he was the man with whom he had talked and sent, to his doom the previous night, yet the writing on his letter and Nina's were the same as that on the letter he had previously received.

What did it mean ? At last he came to the conclusion that the writing could not he the same, hut similar, and if that was the solution there had hcen a witness of the previous night's tragedy. This thought made him shudder ; then he took the letters and, lighting a match, burned them in the grate, but not until he had observed that tiie postmark on both the letters was C'arlisle. Unlocking the door, he proceeded to the dining-room where he mixed himspli a still glass of brandy and soda, after which he went to the library ami tried to interest himself in the daily papers. That evening madame asked Louise if she felt disposed to walk as far as the Gelder Inn, and hear what. Mrs. Hayes had to say about the man who had been found drowned. Louise at once declared herself willing, and the two set off at a brisk pace, which in a abort time brought them to the Hollies. As they drew near the gate saw Miss Holmes coming rt.nvn :he irnnlen-pnth and madame wailed f.. speak to her. " Arc you eoj.ng for a walk '' she inquired

! " I am going to -iooK ot the man • thov found in Dead Alan's IV'ol." she i said. " We were going to walk as far as the inn. From what 1 heve heard, half Wittonbnry has been Caere this afternoon." said madame At that moment Miss Penman came down the pa.th. explaining thai she had been h.rving lea wit i: her aunt. land she walked mi with Louise, while madame and Miss Holmes* followed. ! " I had such strange dreams last 'night. I was troubled about Mr. ' Lionel. He seemed to be talking to | me and reproaching me for not hav- ; ing given him that paper, and I've I got it into my head that the man | who has been found is Mr. Lionel," said Miss Holmes. " Oh, no," exclaimed niadame, energetically. " How do you know it isn't ? " asked the old lady, lialf-angrily. " Only that Mr. Lionel was a gentleman and this man is a common sort of a person," replied niadame ; " and I don't think a gentleman such as you have described Mr. Lionel would ever quite lose the marks of one."

" You're right there, niadame. Still, I should like to see this man." When they arrived at the Gelder Inn they found Mrs. Hayes in a state of excitement. She very much disliked the idea of having a dead body on the premises, but she felt somewhat compensated for the annoyance by the number of visitors who had taken tea at the inn.

"More than half Wittonbury folks name to look at the pool, and I was besieged with people wanting tea. I had to send lots away, and I couldn't aave let as many stay as did if Sally hadn't set to baking cakes as soon a<3 we saw how it was going to be ; f

as fast as they were baked they i eaten. It took Gertie and meal' ,r time waiting on the folks," says .rs, Saves.

While madame had been Hs! ling to ler, Miss Holmes had inters ' .ved the policeman, with a due respect, for the old lady—no doubt caused by the adroit way in which she slipped half a crown into his hand —made him quite willing to let them see the dead man. So madame and Miss Holmes accompanied by Miss Penman and Louise, went with him to the shed where the body lay. It was a kind of outhouse for tools, &c., but these had been hastily moved, and the body still rested on the stretcher. There was one little window, and the light from it and the open doorway fell on the dead man's face, showing madame that he was the man she had followed the previous night, and she had some difficulty to control herself. Miss Holmes looked keenly at him, but there was no recognition in her face.

" Poor fellow ! I wonder how he got into the pool ? " she said. " There's been a lot of speculation about it, but very likely there'll be more known after the inquest. It's fixed for half-past two to-morrow. I suppose none of you have ever seen him before ? "

" You were right, madame—that man was 110 more like Mr. Lionel than chalk is like cheese ; but I was dreadfully bothered about the poor gentleman last night," said Miss Holmes.

Madame was rather silent during the walk home, and inclined to go in and have supper at the Hollies, but she was not sorry when they left Miss Penman at her own door. As soon as they reached home she got

her supper, then went to her room, declaring she was very tired ; but when the door was shut she did not

go to bed, but sat thinking over the events of the previous night. " Had the man been trying to find bis way through the wood and fallen into the pool," she thought, "or was Mr. Hudspith responsible for his death ? It might be that he had failed to come to terms with the man, and did not want the fact that his cousin was living in the neighbourhood made public."

Certainly Mr. Hudspith's face had worn a qveer expression but madame scarcely thought there was motive enough to induce him to commit murder even if he was sufficiently wicked. In her heart she did not think well of the master of Gelder Hall, but she did not care even in her own thoughts to accuse him of murder. Finally she decided to keep her own counsel, and not tell any one that she had seen Mr. Hudspith come out of the wood the previous night. CHAPTER XTX. THE INQUEST. Lord Ovingham rirui called to sec Gar Hatton. and asked to stay to luncheon ; thru Lord Hatton persuaded both of thv'tr. to accompany him to the Gelder Inn. as he wished to be present at the inqtiesi. " I feel to take quite an interest in the matter, and I have made up ray mind to see the body." observed Hatton, as the carriage stopped no.u the inn, and. Gar gave the coachman ardors to put. up the horses ;n a farm about a quarter of a mile d : s tant. " Can we sec (he body, insure; or?" the old gentleman inquired. " Yes. my lord, you'll have time to see it before the jury view it:" and the inspector led the w;:> to (he sbee at the back of the house. " The man has a had, fare. I fancy I have seen n tare like ihat yearn ago.'' said Lord Hatton. a.s he look cd at. tile dead man'™ faro which not even the majesty 01 death could alter. " I have seen him before," remarked Lord Ovingham, in a tone ol surprise. " Indeed, my lord ! "When ? " asked the policeman quickly. " I saw him lounging in a lane one I'-'y. as he t una-.! and left the shed toiiowed ev the •>thers.