Time, The Avenger

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 421, 9 December 1911, Page 2

Time, The Avenger

(All Rights Reserved.)

THE UNRAVELLING OF A STRANGE WILL MYSTERY.

By HEDLEY RICHARDS, Author of ''The Haighs of Hilicrest," "From Mill to Mansion^" "Diana's Inheritance," Etc., Etc.

THIRTY-FIRST INSTALMENT. When Mrs. Hayes arrived at home the clock was on the stroke of seven and Sally was ready to go, and, wishing her mistress good-bye, she set off at a quick pace in the direction of Wittonburj, a friend who had been to market had waited tc drive her to the village, some ten miles distant, in which her home was situated.

As Mrs. Hayes took off her bonnet and mantle, and laid them on the sofa in the kitchen, her lodger came out of the parlour, and wished her good evening, inquiring how long Miss Gertie was going to stay with her friends.

" Not long at Atherton, hut she's going elsewhere," said Mrs. Hayes. in a tone that showed she had some secret source of satisfaction.

Now, the detective had been roused by madame's footfall light as it had been, when she entered Mrs. Hayes's room in the early morning and he had risen ; then, having distinguished madame's voice he had opened the door, intending to inquire what was wrong, when some words of Mrs. Hayes caused him to remain quietly listening ; but he did not intend to let his landlady know that he was aware of the reason for Gertie's departure, and sat chatting with her while she got her tea. As she talked he became conscious that something had elated her, but he could not discover what. Presently he strolled to the inn door and stood there smoking his pipe and arranging the various items of information he had gathered, when he saw a telegraph boy come leisurely down the lane, and up to the inn door.

" It's for Mrs. Hayes —it came just before the office closed. The postmistress said I should get something for bringing it."

The detective looked at his watch. " Half-past eight ; you've been an hour and a half coming. Wait until I see if there is an answer. I suppose it could be sent off if it was urgent ? " , " I guess it could," said the lad, who seated himself on a rough form that was placed near the window of the bar parlour, and the detective went into the litchen,. where Mrs. Hayes w y as rocking in a contented aaanner.

" Here's a telegram for you, Mrs. Hayes," he said, giving it to her. " A telegram ? " she said, and she :ooked alarmed. It was not often she received one. " Would you mind reading it. I laven't got my spectacles on," she said, handing it back. He read :

" ' Atherton, 6.15. From Sam Knowles to Mrs. Hayes, Gelder Inn, lear Wittonbury. Gertie very ill, in ?reat danger ; come as soon as you !an If you want to see her alive."

" Oh, Lord ! " and Mrs. Hayes dropped in her chair, all the contentment disappearing and her face, growing white and haggard. "Oh, cny poor Gertie I "

" Would you like to send an answer ? Perhaps, though it is after aours, they would send it off." "No ; it's no use telegraphing. They know I'll come as soon as I can," she said, putting on her spectacles and reading the message, while the detective went to the door and gave the boy sixpence. " Do you know what time there's a train ? " asked Mrs. Hayes, when ae got back to the kitchen. He took out his guide, and presently he said : " There's one stops at Wittonbury at five to set down the mails. That is the first. Will you go by it ? " "Yes. There's a path to the station across the fields that cuts off a lot, but it's lonely," she said. "I'll see you to the station. How long will it take us to walk ? " " Three-quarters of an hour. We don't go near Wittonbury." Then a sudden thought seemed to strike her. " What will you do ? Sally won't be back for three days. I could shut the inn up and I suppose you'll have to go elsewhere," she said reluctantly. She had begun to like her lodger.

" Let me stay here and mind the inn—that is, if you can trust me ?" he replied. " Trust you ? I should think I can. But who'll cook and wait on you ? " " I'll do for myself, and my advice is to go to bed and get some sleep. I shall lie down on the couch in the parlour, and I'll get you some breakfast before we start," said the detective. " Poor Gertie," said Mrs. Hayes, whose thoughts had evidently wandered to her grandchild. " And I thought she was going to be a great lady— Mrs. Hugh Hudspith of Gelder Hall." The detective did not make any remark, but waited to hear more. However Mrs. Haj es relapsed into silence, and after a little time she rose and took her candle, saying she must try and get a little sleep.

About half an hour later the detective threw himself on the couch in the parlour and was soon in a sound slumber, from which he was awakened by stealthy movements in the kitchen.

Listening he heard footsteps—evirlp.nt.lv » man's, thoueh liehtlv shot)

—go m the direction oi :.'.iz detective's and Mrs. Hayes's rooms—which were opposite to each otner—the one at the front, the other at the back—and the detective was in time to see him enter his landlady's room. Hastening forward, he dashed into the room, and at once perceived a strong odour of chloroform. Another moment and he had grasped the man by the arm, and at the same instant Mrs. Hayes called out : "Who's there? What's wrong?"

" Strike a light ! " shouted the detective, and as Mrs. Hayes struck a match the man put forth his utmost strength and succeeded in freeing himself just as the candle shot forth a faint light ; but faint as it was it showed the two that the man was no other than Mr. Hudspith of Geldcr Hall. " Marcus Hudspith ! " Mrs. Hayes called out as she recognized him ; but he was making the best of his way down the stairs and out of the House. The detective picked up a cloth which lay on the floor. It was saturated with chloroform. " Open the window, Mrs. Hayes. The odour of this stuff is rather strong." Mrs. Hayes flung the window open, and the detective went into his own room, taking the cloth with him ; and having taken out of his trunk a revolver, he went down stairs and made a comprehensive search to see if the strange visitor was hiding anywhere. Finding he was not he shut and fastened the window ; then, seeing it was two o'clock he decided not to try to sleep any more, but made up the fire and put the kettle an. Then he prepared a substantial breakfast which was ready by the time Mrs. Hayes came down stairs.

"Oh, sir, you've saved my life. He meant to kill me with that chloroform," she said, as she seated herself in her rocking-chair. "I believe he did. But why should Mr. Hudspith desire your death ?" "It's too long a story to tell 3ou aow, and I'm too upset, but I'll tell it all when I come back. He's broken faith with me, and I'll not hold 21 y tongue ; besides, I know my life isn't safe now unless I put it out of •lis power to injure me." CHAPTER XXXIII. MRS. HAYES SPEAKS. "Gertie, child, forgive me. I ought to have looked after you better, but I thought he'd marry you ; and I was that lifted up about it I forgot the risk," said Mrs. Hayes, in a voice broken with sobs. "There's nothing to forgive, granny. I was very weak and sinful, but the lear Lord has forgiven me ; I know He has, and granny, I think He mows that I hardly knew what I was doing when I tried to drown myself," answered the girl in a voice that was almost a whisper, she was so weak. A little child had been born prematurely, and the young mother had thanked God it had never lived and now she lay waiting peacefully for God to call her. Presently she opened her eyes, and said in a voice that was scarcely audible : " Tell him I forgive him and want him to be a good man." " Yes, Gertie, I hear," said Mrs. Hayes in answer to the questioning .00k in the big blue eyes. Then Gertie's eyes closed, and she ay quiet—so quiet and so deathlike that her grandmother and cousin thought she had gone ; but after a moment she opened her eyes again, and they saw in them a look of \*onler and joy as she said, "Joy unspeakable and for ever ! " Then over the lovely eyes there came a film, and Mrs. Hayes said, in a broken i T oice, " She's gone." "The Good Shepherd has gathered aer into His fold ; she will never stray again," said .Mary Knowles, Sam's wife, who had been very good to the girl during her brief illness. Mrs. Hayes did not answer ; she was wondering how far she had been ;uiltj. "If I had acted differently, Gertie's life would have been longer," she told herself, as she turned from the bed and left the room. Three days later Gertie was laid to rest in the little country churchyard, and the next morning Mrs. Hayes took the first train to Wittonbury, arriving there about half-past ten, and proceeding at once to the little shop in Market-street where she ound madame busy making a toque. Madame looked up in surprise when she saw Mrs. Hayes attired in dack, and inquired how Gertie was. " She's dead. We buried her yesterday," said Mrs. Hayes, in a tone lull of emotion.

" Dead ! " echoed madame. " Yes. Did you hear I was sent for ? " " Yes. I went up to the inn expecting to see you, but your lodger told me that you had been sent for. But as he had not heard any tiling further he thought she must be re;overing." " It was no use writing ; besides I had a reason for not letting her ieath be known till I came back. Madame, you are a good woman—you were good to poor Gertie—and I want you to help me do right. Years ago I was party to a great wrong, and I want to set it right ; but I'm afraid of my courage failing if I think about it, so if you'd put your bonnet, on and come with me to see Judge Hatton But I forgot the shop ; you cannot leave it," and Mrs. Hayes, betrayed in her tone her disappointment. " Indeed I can, Do you flunk I would let a little money stand in the way of my helping you ? " And going to the shop door she fastened it; then she went up stairs ami having told Mary that she would be out some time, accompanied by Mrs. Hayes she left the house and proceeded to the Ovingham Arms where Mrs. Hayes ordered a trap, and in a short time madame and she were heme driven to the Knowle.

"• Is Mr. Hudspith still at Gelder Hall ? " Mrs. Hayes inquired, unconscious that her loader had told madamo what had happened on the night she left, home. " I believe so, But his son is away." After that they drove on in silence until the trap stopped at the frontdoor of the Knowle. and as they were going up the stairs they met Gar Hatton, who erected inadamc pleasantly, and told her that Mr. Dairy mple was setting on iirst rate. "Do you wish to see my grandfather," he added, glancing from one to the other. "We came to see Lord Hatton," replied Mrs. Hayes. " Then come this way:" and turn ing bach, Gar led them along the hall, and presently opened the door of a pleasant sitting-room, saving : " Some visitors to sec you, grand father." The old man laid down his paper and rose, fixing his eyes keenly on them as Gar said : "This lady is madamo, who came to the rescue and nursed Mr. Dalrymple so successfully. I think you know Mrs. Hayes from the Gelder Inn." " Oh, Mrs. Hayes. Yes, I remember you. Pray take a chnir. and so you are madamc," he said as he took her hand and loohed at her r.hrough his spectacles. " I am glad to see you. I think you are a clever woman and a good woman," he added as he drew an easy chair forward and asked her to sit down. Then he resumed his seat and glanced at Mrs. Hayes, who appeared very excited. " Judge Hatton, I've come to see you because you tried the case," she said hurriedly, as though she dare aot trust herself to think. " What case ? " he said, sharply. " The Hudspith forgerj case when Lionel Hudspith was found guilty and you sent him to penal servitude for four years." '* I remember it well. What have you to say about it ? " he asked. " Only that you sent the wrong man to prison. I can tell you the whole truth. I was housemaid at "Jelder Hall then, and out of all the servants I was the only one who knew who was guilty." " Why didn't you speak ? " he said. " Because I was paid to hold my tongue. I'm not the first, my lord, who has been tempted by gold, and I was young then ; but my sin has found me out. I should like to tell Tiy story in my own way," she said, ooking at him. " Go on," was the laconic reply " We were cleaning down and most !of the rooms had been done when one day Miss Holmes —she was housekeeper then —said, ' Jane, go and put the red room straight. There's a good bit to be done to it, and do it well.' It was just after the ser/ant's dinner that I received the order, and I went at once to the red room. When the Gelders lived at the Hall, the blue room and the red room had an archway made in the panelled wall, to join the two rooms. I've neard say it was used, when the Gelders had a family, as a room for the young ladies, when they were growing too big to spend all their time in the schoolroom. Anyway the rooms had this archway between and the late Mr. Hudspith, the father of Mr. Lionel, had it made into two rooms. He had the archway panelled to match the other part ns nearly as possible, and in the blue room you couldn't see any difference; but in the red room there was a recess formed by this arch. Mr. Hudspith had this recess shelved and there were all sorts of old curios sept on these shelves. In fact, the red room was full of curios. Some had come from India. Anyway they were all rare, and the door was usually kept locked, and Mr. Hudspith had the key, as he was very proud of his curiosities ; but he'd given the key to Miss Holmes when the room had to be cleaned, and all the blessed things had to be put away safely while the iloor was scrubbed and the carpet laid down, and I suppose it was because she thought I would be careful in handling the things that the housekeeper sent me to dust and put them in order. " I'd worked a good deal and got a lot done, when I heard steps in the next room. I was just then standing on the steps and putting a queer old base on the second shelf in the archway, and as I put it straight I noticed a wide crack in the panelling, through which I could sec into the lext room, and there were the two young gentlemen. Mr. Lionel and his cousin, Mr. .Marcus i)ewhirst--the one who is now known as Mr. Hudspith. I saw Mr. Lionel throw himself on a couch and open a book as though he was going to read. Then Mr. Marcus sauntered across the room and stood behind the head of the couch, and I noticed him move his hands gontly iiackwards .and forwards above Mr. Lionel's head. After a bit 1 heard. Mr. Lionel say in a sleepy sort, of tone : " ' What the deuce are you doing, Marcus ? ' "Trying to catch a big bluebottle that, wants to settle on your forehead,' he said. " ' All right.. Have you got him?' " He said this in a sleepy tone an! [ saw his eyes close : but what struck mo most was Mr. Marcus's face. He looked that triumphant you'd have thought he'd just come into a fortune, and 1 was so inter ested I forgot: all about my work. and stood quite stili looking through the crack. After a bit Mr. Ma, reus came round and stood facing- bis cousin. Then he took a cheque out of his pocket-book and said. 'Take (brand go to the bank at Wittonbury, and ask them to cash this cheque, it is for three thousand. You must take two thousand in lift y pound notes and one thousand in hundredpound notes. Bring them here to axe.' To be. Continued.