SHORT STORIES. A CONSPIRACY DEFEATED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 89

SHORT STORIES. A CONSPIRACY DEFEATED.

CHAPTEP I. - "I confess that I shape -joor apprehensions to a degree," said Judge Josiah Marcel'lus slowly. At the urgent request otf Mrs Adelaide Norris, widow of hi* old cjient Enoch Norris, ihe judge bad gone to the country seat where she was spending her seclusion with th.c two children, Edwin Walling, her only child by a first marriage, and Edith Norris, her step-daughter. The beautiful woman-, still m her prim«, took a long - breath — she -was well endowed for deep -'breathing-^-but, her face remained as impassive as a cameo. "It was ill advised of Enoch," she continued, " to fix such a price on such a direadfiil contingency. Should anything happen, to the dear girl before Saturday, her eighteenth birthday, then, the million dollairs of her portion must go to the Druells. Who knows anything about the Druells, Judge? I don't." " J know they are the children of Mrs Latham Druell, woo *was Hhe firet Mjb Nor-ris^s •, ' sister,'.'- ans-wiered tike Juttge. " flence _they are Edith's first cousins, ana •in feet *fch«y "are her only blood relations. "It was this latter fact whibh doubtless 'iikruoed'my la^e esteemed friend to make a reversion in their favour, in.. eas« ' Edith should not live to be 18; but the wilt was made when, I was abroad, so I carenot opeak authoritatively. " Latham Druiell was a ne'er-do-well who, after bothering Xorri« for years, w-ent out West, .where both he and his wife died. There were two children, I know, a boy and a girl, both well on. to ltuiddle life if^ilive. Their names — let me ccc ; yes,- Olive amd Paul. - "It has been- an instance of out of sight out of mind ; a»d» Edith is such an example of life and death that everyone has taken i*- for granted that length of years belongs to her. Actually should she now dde I would not -know where or how to find these people. "W e have been remiss, madam; we have beer remiss." "Then you don't think me foolish for having urged you to come here for over Sunday? I shall be so much less anxious, and there are matters, are there not, re quiring my dear Edith's attention when she enters into .het^tnJieritance — as As will, as she will.' l^ "On the conteajy," madam, you have afforded me \ j-ery -pkasani- way of performing som«"'Tery'" neofessary dirties in connection* witb ; <her vested interests in, the estate, 15 ' -^JBefcufrned .-fshe- Judge gallantly, as ' she . rose, to kjoW out of the

library window. " An, there comes ' Edith now, as reassuring as the sun, and 3mnrifthiiig ta*eee distant clouds from our sky." Entered" then a charming giri, the very embodiment of light and life, bringing j roses from the gwroen, which she precipitately dropped to extend both hands to tbe Judge. ' ' j "How good of you," she cried, "to | come to congratulate me on my birthday ■ — and moie?" she added, with an inquix- i ing glance at her stepmother. j "I forgot to tell you, Judge Marcellus," interposed that lady icily, "that Edith has seen fit to engage herself tcmarry — ■prematurely, of course; rashly, I fear. She always has had her own way." " And my way will be your wayj <foar Judge," Edith, went on, with a pretty mingling of confusion and resolution, "as soon as you have seen him, have talked with him. Think of a great scientist, a learned geologist, stooping to poor ignorant me!" "Geologist enough to know where po~ look for gold, -my dteair," suggested Mrs Norris suavely. " You must expect your mother to be anxious about your - -welfare," said the Judge in answer to Edith's distressed gliJice. " Since you have told' me so much, pray tell me more." "He has been ' coming . to the village iot a year, off and on," explained Edith, ** making a critical examination of iibe old abandoned copper mine on the bill for a company that may work it again. He saved my life when "Gipsy, my mare, ran away with me. I met him at . the j various houses in the neighbourhood — mother herself has entertained him." " I don't *ay that he isn't personable enoug!?," said Mrs Norris — "a great many \dventurers are ; but I should want to know a great deal- more than I do before I consented to welcome this Professor John Tenier." "Then it affords me pleasure to supply the required information," rejoined the Judge, fairiy beaming in corroboration of his words. "If Edith' 6 John Teoier is. as I assume he must be, the^ John Tenier who- a few years since di3~ notable work in locating and opening the Aifrado copper region out West, "then I can vouch foi him as an honourable- man, a J*ader in his profesion, and a right 'good teWow. Is he in town, madam? Yes? Then I shall do mysdf the honour of calling oii\ him this evening." "Oh, do ask him to came here tomorrow evening — Friday evening ; — you understand ! " exclaimed breathless Edith. " Some of my . friends are going to stay arid greet "my birtbdav with me. Mayn't- he. mother ?"~ "No, Edith, no," she replied. "What, the Judge now says, backed as it may be by his deliberate judgment after seeing this man, must have great -influence - with me : but to ask Tenier. to 'johi^ with voui- friends in drinking long life and happiness to you at midnight to-mor-row night would look too much like my formal consent. I must ask you to have patience, and, above all things, not to meet him clandestinely meanwhile. I speak for your own good." There was a rebellious light in Edith's ey-es as she gathered up the flowers. CHAPTTR 11. As Judge Marcellus that evening crossed the- porch of the village inn where the professoi was staying a bearded man smoking by v the ra-il addressed him in muffled tones. " It' you are looking for Professor Tenier.' he haid, " come this way." Somewhat astonished the Judge followed up the rear stairs and into a room, where the man was already making a light. " 1 don't understand " he began, now hanging back. "Please t:lose the door, Judge, and you will." said the man, swinging about and pulling the beard from his broad stolid face. "Cronkite!'' cried the Judge. "You were away so long that I -came down tp do my best alone, especially as Mrs Norn* shares^ my apprehensions." " 'Tis a long way to Alfrado, sir," answered the detective simply. "Alfrado? What took you there?" "The DruellfiT sir; for there that precious pair have been living up to a week ago, Paul eking out a Bcant -living by pettifogging and Olive making it less miserable by keeping house for him. That is i great woman., sir ; by rights she should have been a nice woman." " Up to a week ago? Where are they now?' interrupted the judge. " I followed them East by devious ways in the city, sir. Then I became convinced that his sister had been following me, so I changed my disguise and came here. Ah, a jewel of a woman, sir ; so bright, so capable, so devoted; it's " " I don't think I have time to spare, Abe, for your eulogy of a more or less doubtful character." " You might be certain on that point, su, without going wrong, more's the pity. I was only going to say that it is a wonder Professor Tenier didn't 'ike her as much as she liked him." " Prof. Tenier?" Do you pretend to " I make bold to say, sir, that when the professor was out at Alfrado he put up with the Druells, and when he left Olive acted -broken-hearted. I believe that is one reason why she sympathises with her brother in his love affair." " That is reassuring, at all events." " Not- so very, sir ; since it is with Mrs Norris." The Judge looked grave, shaken, aged. "Is it so!" he mused. " Then my vague fears, roused on poor Edith's ac count by the ling, weary experience of opportunity breeding wickedness, fell far snort of the truth. Avarice is never more persistent and relentness than when epurred by love — a twofold love in thin case, the love of Druell for Mrs Norru, the love of Mrs Norris for her son, who is 31 provided for : that must enter into her fiendish calculations, tha nendish fcypocrite 1"

"Y«s, and yon might add, sir, the lova. ] of Olive for ncr brother." j "Then .what- are - rre going to do.;, knowing so little, with the time so ' short?" I "We might set against these loves, ! sir, the love of Tenier for Miss Norris, and tbe greater love of Olive for Tenier, ' greater, 1 mean, than her love for her j brother. Then, too, there migh< well be ' a conflict between the love of Druell for. J Mrs Norris and the maternal love of ! Mrs Norrasl ior her son, and thus the forces of the enemy would be divided. I " Suppose,' for instance; 1 - she should find that her >plct- with Druell— 4 -speak ad- , visedly, sir; there is a plot against Miss Norris's life — was going to endanger .young Edwin, what then? Love is- an uncertain agent, apt to turn and rend a dear object for a dearer." " All vary true, no doubt," returned the Judge agitatedly; "but while we stand philosophically here this murderous plot may culminate. What brought you to this hotel V , " When I became convinced that I . should shun the vigilance of Olive Druell, ' sir, I chose the alternative by which Miss Norris mayt be- protected, which is by • keeping close to the man whom she' is in the habit of meeting clandestinely." " You mean Tenier, of course," said the Judge, deeply meditating. "'Wait a moment. Ah,. 1 see." " Mrs Norris used that very phrase. She refused to have Tenier come to a little birthday party to-mWrow night to congratulate Edith, a function upon ■ which Edith evidently sets great store. j She cautioned Edith not to meet Tenier, and did it in a way which plainly roused the girl to rebellion. '•Cronkile, they have plotted to de- ' stroy Edith through her anxiety to be with Teriiar. Perhaps they have plotted j to implicate lum in her death, though my ' endorsement of him ought to prevent anything like that. J "At. all events it is too late for them to change their scliemes. They count on Edith stealing, away from the party tomorrow night, they count on having her friends as witnessas. They actually count leading me by the nose. Oh, that arch hypocrite of a woman !"* "I. think you are right, sir," agreed Cronkite. "The thing to do then after due precautions is to see that tbe oland«stine appoint is made and not kept." CHAPTER ni. ' Tba next evening at 10 o'clock the Judge managed to leave the merry gathering unobserved and make his way to the summer, bouse in the garden. "I was right, air," whispered Cronkite, coming c{ose. "She is watching and waiting in the budi^es at the other side to make sure that Miss Edith slips off to her fate. A remarkable oman ; as true as steel." - ' -"I don't lifce that sort of steel, Abe,"/ j reflected the Judge, ehudderingly ; "they make the. assassin's dagger out of it." "Yes, sir, but also the mail that; turns the dagger. W© have no time to "spare, if you please. She will be intent to overhead what we cay." The two, walked down the path to the other side .of the house, co ea.rnest in their talk that they paused right in front of the clump of bushes to which the detective had referred. •'I have carefully carried out all your instructions, Judge," Cronkite was saying, "for I realised how anxious you are that Miss Norris should not be entrapped into marriage with an adventurer. "Why, I went out to Alfrado, where he worked for some time. I did not hear ! anything to his credit there, though you may be interested in knowing that he • seemed deeply in love with a certain Miss Druell. with whose people he stopped. Can't blame him for that, sir ; nor would you either i? you saw her.» Perhaps, though, he had too faint a heart for such ', a fair lady, for he went away disconso- J late. "Since his return he has been doing well. Ask any of the men of his pre- ' feasion, and they will say that Professor John Tenier stands A No. 1. It's all "flight for him to have Miss iforris, ' though, were I in his shoes, I'd be -back { to my old iove to try my luck again. j "Listen, sir, don't you bear? the de- \ tective went on in lowered tones. "She is off already, working "her "way back . toward the hfll. Don't you see that shadow along the fence — see; see! Ah, a woman in a thousand ! She is acting just as I knew she would. I "Instead ol fainting >r having hys- j terics on learning for the first time who the man is with whom Mies Norris is to keep an appointment which she plotted shall be fatal, she is off, regardless of the risk of the suspicion sure to be cast on her brother if she is recognised, to warn Tenier against danger. So far so good, eir, if you will now do your part." I Without a word the Judge slipped back into the house, and rejoined the gathering of Edith's friends in the parlour. Merriment still prevailed, though with one notable exception. Mrs Norris presently drew him aside, her placid face strained with sipprchension. . "Oh, Judge,"' she said, "I am so worried. I can't find dear Eddth anywhere, and thera is' still an hour before , her birthday comes and that- awful con- I tingency is banished for ever. You know how headstrong she is. She didn't , like my refusing to invite Tenier yester- ' day. She didn't like my caution, though I had good grounds for it, I assure you. j I hear she has gone off to meet that j man — and who can say what may not j befall her?" I The Judge looked inquiringly about the room and then amusedly into Mrs Mrs Nor.ris'3 eyes. ' j "I don't see your little son, Edwin here | either," he remarked. "A fine boy, a trifle mischievous and enterprising, but all the more, boylike for that." "Edwin? Why, he was here just now," returned Mrs Norris, her breath short and quick. "You don't for a moment think — <£ieat heavens!''

'• _ "So full of fun," the Judge went on. | "He came to me an hour since fairly ■ brimming over with the news that he was sure Edifab was going to slip out j to meet her lover, and, 3 she did, he : was going to follow her. I confess I did)n't restrain him, thinking it was 1 better to " i But wdth a shriek Mrs Norris tore wildly from the room. When the Judge, I with a startled throng behind him, went 1 out on the verandah he could barely -make out her shadow as it flitted up the 1 bill at the back of the garden, like a despairing ghost in the cold moonlight. 'Come," -said Cronkite, stepping forward ; "come all to the toolhonse over the abandoned copper mine." CHAPTER IV. The two men soon outstripped in their engrossing energy" the othens, who hung uncertain, questioning as to the cause of the excitement, the lads quieting the fears of the maidens. Though the ligat of the: lessened moon was -now at its brightest they lost sight of Mrs Norris before they were half way up the hill. "She hae come across Druell, and he has told her that it is now too late, that the flooring has already fallen through," concluded Cronkite. "If so I should hate to be in bis shoes, Judge. She will blame him for -.the- .loss of her sort ; she ' will have revenge for all her former love." " But would she give up all hope for Edwin so readily.? " asked the Judge. " Why not? Edwin »nd Edith disappeared just about the time that -Druell fjom bis hiding must have heard the floor crash through that awful pit at my impact. It gave me a start, Judge, even prepared as I was, to have such proof of cold, calculating cruelty. "I believe their scheme is to say that Tenier fixed the floor so that he a-ndi Edith might' die together. It was black dark up to half an hour ago ; of course Mrs Norris must feel sure that a heedless, excited boy, following into the hut, would precipitate himself into that blacker nothingness of death. " Lord; sir — look ! look ! There's the other woman, Miss- Druell, a tragic figure, a priestess of antiquity, about to sacrifice. Hold ! Hold ! Miss Druell. It is not as bad as you think. Wait, for God's sake, wait until I com*." Even as the detective broke into a mad rush, with these shouts, for -the toolhouse, now resplendent in the moonlight on the brow of the hill, the majestic woman who had been standing 'in th« doorway of the little hut, her upraised face -waiter than snow, swung- sharply; about, and with a toss of her arms plunged inward and 1 down. "My God, sir ! " gasped Cronldte, coming back in a tremble. " She threw herself down the/ shaft, believing to share the fate she tfoad', brought on Tenier. Was there ever .such £ woman? The game* wasn't worth the price." "It m-ust.be played to the end," said! tne Judge (resolutely, as he led' the way back to the house. * Mrs Nonris, the very shadow of herself, was on the porch. By her side stood a slight, dark main, whose features twitched as he pressed forward. "I was just explaining to Mrs Norris, Judge Marcellus," he said, "my fear that my relative, Edith Norris — I am Paul Druell, you know — has been done to d«atli. " As I happened to be East on business I came to town to-day to joip my sincere congratulations with those of her friends on ber surviving her eighteenth birthday. The night being fine I came across fields and by the old mint. "As I passed the toolbouse I saw a young girl and middle-aged man entering, his arm around her waist. The clouds broke away just then, and I recognised him as am adventurer nam«d Tenier, whom I knew in the West. "It all happened in a moment. As they stepped ineide the flooring fell with a crash, leaving the- black jaw of a shaft down which I gazed horror-stricken, waiting intentlyy in vain, for tbe slighest gasp, though a dying breath, of the unfortunate victims." . • " Oh, I can't endure it ! " moaned Mrs Norrus, tearing at her bosom. ." The heeTttess' wretch, to describe the verj agonies my darling little boy has suffered through his negligence ! No, Paul, keep away from me — there is a sea of blood between us. I will tell everything. It was he — it was he, who planned it all, who fixed the Joooriivg, who " ''Abe,'' cried Judge Marcellus significantly, and even as Paul Druell wn* slipping away the detective's strong hands caught him and bound him and bore him into safe keeping, an almost inanimate lump of terror. " You deserve to suffer, ma'am," saidi the Judge sternly, " though perhaps not so much as you a/re now suffering. Let your agony now be a warning to you hereafter. Do you, my friends," he continued, turning to the young folks, who, keen to the situation, were about to disperse appalled, " wait my return but a moment," and he hurried upstairs to his room. In a moment the Judge did return, but not alone. On his arm was Edith, whale he led a bright-eyed lad by the hand. • " Edwin ! Edwin, ! O merciful God, forgive and bless ! " murmured Mrs Norris as she fell on her knees by her son. "Yes," said the beaming Judge, addressing the young folks, who were swarming about Edith, " I thought it prudent two hours ago to lock these children, up for safe keeping. They w«re very good about it. Now, one and all " He turned to the table on which the glasses were set with a significant glance at the hall clock. As that timepiece, as if in glad obedience, began to toll out the hour of 12 a -scholarly-looking man, -with a kind though abstracted look, stepped in from the Verandah. '"Edith, darling," he said, "I am come to da-ink long life and happine^ to you on your birthday. I have kageied over-

long at my desk, but I am sure ibis occasion has been joyous." It was Professor. John Tenier. — Weekly Free Press.