Time, The Avenger

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 423, 16 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 Hillcrest," "From Mill to Mansion*'' "Diana's Inheritance," Etc., Etc.

THIRTY-THIRD INSTALMENT. " When I was discharged from prison I went to Australia and there I met a Mr. Hesketh, who, aftei hearing my history adopted me ; and at his death I returned to England, and took my place in society tc which my education and money entitled me. I did this by the advice of Mr. Hesketh who believed my innocence would be proved. Then I met you and I hardly knew whether it was right to woo you ; but I hnew I was innocent of the wrong for which I suffered, and I asked you to be my wife. Mildred, all these years I have longed to prove my innocence, and to be able to say to you that I am Lionel Hudspith but I stand before the world clear of the sin for which I suffered, and to-day Lord Hatton (Judge Hatton) who sentenced me, has brought me word that I am proved innocent, and that a warrant has been issued against the guilty man. Mildred, do you understand ? "

" Yes, my husband ; and I thank Heaven that your innocence has been proved. But it seems absurd for any one to dream of guilt and you. I could never have doubted you. Why did you not tell me the truth long ago ? " she said, clasping her arms round his neck.

" Because it would have spoiled pour happiness—-you would have lived in dread of the world discovering I was Lionel Hudspith, the forger."

" I should never have believed you one. But did Lord Hatton know who you were ? " she asked, reproachfully.

" Indeed, he did not. Don't you see, Mildred, that was why I could not let Gar and Mona be engaged ? But now my innocence is proved it will be different. It will mean happiness for them."

Lady- Dalrymple's face brightened is she said :

" They deserve to be happy. But who is the guilty man ? " " My cousin, Marcus Hudspith."

"Marcus Hudspith ! " she exclaimed, then added : " Thanh Heaven his wife is dead ; but it will be m awful blow to Nina." " I am sure it will. She is like her mother. But I will tell you the vhole story," said her husband, who then related how Mrs. Hayes had confessed to Lord Hatton. The only ;hing he did not tell was the fact of which he was ignorant—that madame was the Julie he had loved .ong ago.

"It is a strange story, and marvellous that your innocence should have been made plain after so many years."

"It seems to me that everything aas been working that way," replied tier husband, who then told her of the paper he had received which had been the cause of him employing a detective. " And you have no idea who was the sender ? " she asked.

" Not the least. 'And, my dear, must not name it to Miss Holmes, or the fact that I am Lionel Hudspith, until Marcus Hudspith is arrested."

Lady Dalrymple lowered her voice, and there was a ring of horror in it as she said :

" Do you think Mr. Hudspith fired at you on purpose ? You see, he inow who you were."

" I don't know. We will give him the benefit of the doubt. He has sins enough to answer for," replied her husband.

" Poor Nina ! it will be a terrible 3low to her. Still, she has not looked happy of late. I wonder if she has discovered that her father is not what he appears ? " For a moment there was silence, then her husband said :

" Mildred, there is something else that is not known to anyone, and I should like y'ou to be the first to hear it. When I take possession of Gelder Hall, it will not be as Lionel Hudspith, but as Viscount Gelder, and the Gelders will come back to their own."

" What do ynr» mean ? " asked Lady Dalrymple, thinking that the sudden joy ha£ affected her husband's mind.

" It's quite true, Mildred ; but I must explain a little. When my grandfather foreclosed the mortgage, it was always said that the only Gelders living were the viscount and his son, but in reality Viscount Gelder had an only sister who had married, as he thought, very much beneath her—her husband was a well to-do cotton spinner—and from the day of her marriage the viscount ignored her and took no notice of the intimation of her death. Years after, when their only child —a girl—was growing up, her husband died, and left this girl in charge of one of his friends. She was a considerable heiress, and Lucy Bevan, whose mother was a Gelder, became my father's wife. Strange to say, he was not aware of the fact until shortly before bis own death. I learned the truth in Australia from Mr. John Hesketh, as he was called, but who was in reality Ronald John, Viscount Gelder, the only son of the late Viscount. At his father's death he had gone to Australia with little more than his passage money, but from the first he had been successful. In other respects life has been a disappointment to bim. The girl be

loved died within a wcr': of the : marriage, and he was not a man <. love again. The money, he said, v.\n of little value to liim, as he knew the Hudspiths would not sell the imitate that had belonged to his family for generations ; but, believing fully in my innocence, he adopted me, and made me promise at his death to return to England, and if possible prove my innocence. Then I was as the grandson of Patricia Bevan, nee Gelder —to claim the title, which, by special attainder, was allowed tc pass to the female branch, failing a male heir.

" The last thing he said was, ' You'll prove your innocence, my boy r ; the heir of the Gelders will gc back to the Hall." " What a singular thing ! I have often heard of the prophecy, but never dreamed you would be the heir. Let me see, what relation was the old viscount to you ? " said Lady Dalrymple.

"He was my great-uncle and Mr. Hesketh as he chose to be called (really the late viscount), was my second cousin, so y r ou see there is no mistake that I am a Gelder. And ivhat shall we do with your title, my lady ? " be said, with a smile. " We will leave it to take care oi itself for the present, as I mean to be Viscountess Gelder. Perhaps in the distant future Mona may have twe sons ; the elder will be Viscount Gelder, the second one Lord Dalrymple of Housesteads. But I cannot call you Lionel." she said, with a smile. " It shall be Richard to the end of the chapter. As Richard I wooed

von and we won't change—you know it was my second name —Lionel Richard Hudspith," he said. " Viscount Gelder," she added with a laugh. Then seeing that he was tired she made him lie down and not talk. CHAPTER XXXV. THE HOME-COMING OF HUGH AND HIS WIFE. Mr. Hudspith was seated in the library at Gelder Hall, tie had altered greatly during the last few days. Ever since the night when he had stolen into the Gelder Inn, with the intention of silencing Mrs. Hayes folder, and had been caught in the attempt, and only escaped by using all his strength, he had lived in constant dread of being arrested. He knew Mrs. Hayes too well to believe that she would forgive the attempt on her life, and he had not made any attempt to influence his son to marry Gertie ; in fact he had not written to him at all. One thing had puzzled him and that was her silence ; but that morning he had learned the reason for it when he read the notice of Gertie Hayes's death in the paper.

" Jane Hayes will not show me any mercy now. Curse Hugh ! Why couldn't he have let the girl alone ? I warned him and he professed to obey me. Well, he shall suffer for his folly. But for it I should have died master of Gelder Hall, and he would have come after me ; but as he has undone what I did so much to gain he shall suffer for it. He might have stolen my money, done pretty well what he liked, so long as he di'.in't do anything to interfere with my schemes," thought Marcus Hudspith, as he laid the newspaper down and taking out of his desk several large sheets of paper, began writing. It took him some time, and when he had finished he placed the papers in an envelope and wrote on the outside, " The truth about the forged cheque." Then he placed it in his desk, and took up a book, but not for one moment could he fix his attention upon it. His mind would wander and it seemed as though he could hear his wife's voice saying, ' Repent ! Repent ! " At luncheon Nina asked him if he was ill and he laughed sneeringly as lie told her that she was always getting some new fancy into her head. Then he asked her when she expected Hugh home, and was told that she lid not know.

" Perhaps he'll return in time for my funeral as you think I look so ill," lie said, mockiingly. When luncheon was over he returned to the library' and sat quite still, his mind travelling over the past. Presently the clock struck five and at the same moment a footman informed him that Superintendent Millburn wished to see him.

" All right ; tell him I'll see him. You can show him into the morning room," replied Mr. Hudspith, firmly though his face grew pale ; then, as the servant closed the door he took a small revolver from his pocket and looked at it a second. Next he took the envelope containing the statement about the cheque and laid it on the table ; then seating himself in an easy-chair he put the revolver to his forehead and blew out his brains.

At the report the superintendent and two policemen in plain clothes—who were following the servant to the morning room—ran as quickly as their legs would carry them in the direction of the sound, and opening the door, rushed into the room, followed by the footman, then stopped short.

" Blown his brains out ; he could not face it," said the superintendent: and they r stood looking in horror. But even then the superintendent's quick eye caught sight of the envelope, and crossing the room, he tool; possession of it, just as the butler came to see what was wrong.

" What's made him do it ? " the latter asked in horror.

" I held a warrant for his arrest on two charges—murder and forgery," said the superintendent.

" Good Lord," ejaculated the butler; then, as the footman informed him that Miss Hudspith was coming he went to meet her.

" What is the matter, Jaques ? Who fired that pistol ? " inqniref! Nina who looked considerably di&turbed.

" Oh. Miss Hudspith, please don't ! go any further. The master is ill," : said the butler, trying to prepare her for the inevitable. i "111 ! Then I must go to him. j Let me pass, Jaques," she saiu, a ; trifle naughtily. " Oh, miss, it's worse than that— S the master lias shot himself." With a loud cry she pressed for- j ward, but the superintendent stopped j her, saying, iQ an authoritative i tone : i

" It's no sight for you. Miss Hudspith." She recognized the speaker at once. " What are you doing here ? What does it all mean ? " she asked. Then, as a terrible fear crossed her mind, she turned faint, swayed, and woulu have fallen if the butler had not saved her. Then one of the footmen carried her into the nearest room and laid her on a couch, just as the. housekeeper arrive d. A few moments later Nina opened her eyes and very soon remembered what had happened, and by much cross-examination extracted from the housekeeper what had led to her father committing suicide. It was an awful blow to her. She had suspected him in a vague way, but now there was no room (or doubt, and she sat like one ;;tupiticd, conscious of only- one feeling, viz., satisfaction that her mother had been spared this trial.

Presently the doctor, who had been called in to see the body before it was moved, came into the room, and having talked to her a little while, told her he should send her a sleep-ing-draught ; and finding lie could not comfort the broken-hearted girl, he left. Then Nina roused herself, and askeel to see the superintendent, begging him to tell her what were the charges against her father ; and a feeling of horror arose in her heart when she was told that not only was there absolute proof that he had caused the death of Joseph Dutton, but that it was he who had forged the cheque, and so managed that his cousin appeared guilty. But when she heard that Lionel Hudspith and Mr. Dalrymple were identical, she could scarcely believe it. theless, it comforted her to know that it was the Dalrymples who would come to the Hall when she was gone.

A few minutes later the superintendent departed, and soon after the loud peal of a bell echoed through the house : then Nina thought she heard a bustle in the hall, aud a minute later the door was thrown open and her brother entered, followed b; a. girl whom she recognized as the daughter of madame, the milliner.

" Didn't expect me, I suppose ? But I thought I'd bring my wife and introduce her to the pater. Louise, this is my sister. I hope you'll get along ; Nina isn't a bad sort;" he said carelessly though it was easy to see he was a bit nervous.

Louise, on the contrary, seemed perfectly 'at home and advanced smilingly with outstretched hands ; but Nina was too surprised to respond. Indeed, she began to wondei if her brain was playing her a trick; but Louise concluded she was standing on her dignity and shrugged her shoulders, saying : " Mon mari, this sister of yours is not going to be one friend of Louise; but mon pere will welcome me, because he will be charmed with his new daughter;" and she looked at Hugh with a coquettish air. "It is not that. If Hugh has married you I will try to like you "

" Mon Dieu ! If Hugh has married me ! Louise will tell you it was one great favour of her to become his wife," interrupted Louise.

" Oh, you don't understand. Father is dead ! " Nina sobbed. " Dead ! " exclaimed Hugh.

" Dead ! " echoed Louise. In an instant she realized that she was mistress of that great house ; but it would not do to show her satisfaction, so she looked sympathetically at Nina.

" Did he die in a fit ? " asked Hugh, who was evidently shocked. Nina hesitated ; then she laid hei hand on her brother's arm saying : " He shot himself." "My father shot himself ! " exclaimed Hugh, incredulously.

At that moment the dinner-bell rang, and Louise exclaimed : " Mon mari, where can I put my hat ? " Nina rose.'

" I will take you to my room and afterwards the housekeeper will see that a chamber is prepared. Hugh's room is small," she said, as they went up stairs. " Yes, that, frill do. You know we were married yesterday and spent a day further on the coast, then travelled home." sho said, glancing along the corridor through which they were passing. Nina was faintly conscious that this girl her brother had married was repugnant to her feelings, but she wns too greatly troubled to let tribes upset her. and she waited while Louise made herself, as she called it, more presentable, then lee the way to the dining room, where Hugh was already waiting. After a second's hesitation, he took hisfather's place, and before Nina had time to realize what, was happening. Louise had taken her ii'.aee at the foot of the table winch she had usually occupied, and with a slight Hush on her face Nina, seated herself at the side. It was a weary time to her. Louise ate a good dinner it didn't appear to trouble her vhat the master of the house had died a sudden, awful death—and even Hugh made a fairly good meal ; hut Nina could not eat, and. felt truly thankful when they went into the drawing room, To be Continued.