AT WHOSE DOOR?

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 129, 7 January 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

AT WHOSE DOOR?

"Murdered! Poisoned'.'' exclaimed B\ wife, her eves dilating with horror. '•imposible, Robert: ' lou must be making a mistake." '•1 am making no mistake," I answered, with the (aim assurance oi the man who knows what he is talking about. "Unfortunately, 1 am only too sure. Otherw.se, Bessie, 1 should not have not have mentioned the matter

to you. . p "But who can lie (long it.- What tan the motive be?' ! o*ked my wife, frtill incredulous. "It would be neither wise nor right to accuse anyone," I implied; "but the person who is committing this terrible crime is erf necessity one of three persons—either Mr Setcott's son or his daughter, or old Hannah, the servant. There is nobody else in the house with him. And at> it would be ridiculous to suspect Hannah. I am forced to the conclusion, that oithefr Reginald or Marv Selcott is a secret poisoner. ' -Nonsense! L dont's like Reggie Schott—l never did—but to believe him capable of such an atrocity is ab>urd. -And as for Mary, why, the girl is one of the fiweetebt creatures i know

••■Sweet creatures,'' I suggested, ■have been known to plot against the lives of their nearest More to-day. ' ••Do voii mean to say, Bob, that You e-uspect that dear girl?'" Bessie demanded. "It is infamous!" '■l suspect nobody." 1 "but someone living in the house is guilty; and there is a very strong motive which might impel either of these young people to such a deed.'

"And what is that, pray?" "Ten thousand pounds, my love. In his prosperous days old Jaspra - Selcott insured his life for twenty thousand, and since he lost his money in frivolous speculations one of his old cronies has been good enough to pay the yearly premiums. On .Mr Selcott's death liis children share his money."' .Much upset by my discovery—a discovery to which for days past I had been wilfully shutting my eyes, hoping against hope, until there was no longer the .slightest room for doubt, that I was in error—l went about muoni: ray patients that day with a heavy heart. More than one of them not>3d niv abstraction. In the evening 1 paid another visit to Cravenwood Hall, the home of the ruined Jasper Selcott. The neglect and dilapidation of the place struck me more forcibly than they had ever done; and as J reflected 'on the hideous nature of the domestic tragedy being enacted behind thase weather-stained walls my 1 eart grew still heavier. ""Which is guilty-"' I kept on asking myself. '•\Vhich is guilty r"

Reginald Selcott answered my knock. H;s late lit up wu.mi he saw me. •'Dad seems a lot better to-nglit." l.e cried, br.ghtly —"ever so much better. You must stay and have a chat itnd ft pipe witli him, doctor." He led the way upstairs to his fatlvr's room, talking tne wir.le. ••Jhere, dau," he cried, as we entered. ' here s Ur Sewell come to have a you."

voting Selcott approachh s hand vour

Complete Short Story. (Copy right.)

So Reginald Selcoit went to London, to do work invented tor the express purpose oi finding him employment away from home, and during Ins absence Irs sister was more assiduous than ever in her attentions to the sick man.

"1 must not let him miss Peggie if 1 can help it,'' she cooed more than once into my ear. And 1 could only warn her not to overtax her strength. Meanwhile day succeeded day, and tiu poisoner continued his work unchecked. In about three weeks Reggie returned, and a day or two afterwards my wite accompanied mo on my visit to Ja«n?r Selcott. The change in him shocked her. , . "Why, Bob,'' she whispered. ' ne s nothing but a wreck." "Thanks to your favourite," I replied grimly. ''This anxiety is making me quite ill myself." "Oh. Mrs Sewoll." cried -Mary Selcott, coming into the room, her tad 1 lighting up with genuine pleasure. "1 am pleased to see you." Bessie stooped to kiss the girl - tanface. "My dear," she said. "I have come on purpose to sl'e you. to take you awavwith me, if you Will come. L am going to Scarborough to-morrow, and F want you to go with me. You will not disappoint me, will you?" "Oh, but 1 could not leave dad," Mary Seloott objected. "A stranger would not understand him. I "But you look wretchedly ill, Mary. broke in mv wife. "You are too devoted. Yoii will knock yourself up if you go on in this way." "1 think vou had biter go, as you arc asked, Mary," said Reginald Selcott, quietly, "f will see that lather has every attention." The words were simple- enough, but the tone in which they weitJ spoken grated unpleasantly on my ear. "Great heavens! what it these two are in league, ' tiasU-d through my mind. Yes; now it was that the fallacy of my former reasoning was made clear to mc.

"Verv well, Hcfigio, I will do as you w'.sh." *

And -Mary Selcott gazed into lie brother's face.

It was with feelings of no little anxiety that 1 tended my pat;..: t during Irs daughter's absence ir. mie. And quite according to my c.\j stations, the plan against Ja.-; -: se.cott's life stil! matured. 1 w, - ..letally appalled by the magnitmu. oi lis children's wickedness. Hideous as their irime was of itself, it was rem!,:.! doubly loathsome by the display of affection which they had invariably made for their victim. That a brother and sister who were scarcely more tnan boy and girl, .should join in scheming to do their old father to death, wais a thing too awful to contemplate wi: • any degree of calmness; but detestable as'such an action was, it would have lost some of its horror had it not been accompanied by such lavish protestations of love and tenderness. .No words! can serve to express the repugnance with which 1 was tilled. For some time ! was at a loss v. hat course to pursue, but at lujgth determined to roundly accuse H.'ginakl Selcott, face to face, of the dastardly deed, '.therefore J wrote Imu a note.arkng h'f to call at my house, winch note lie anin person the sani'J evening. his proffered hand( 1 went the point. This no ■fejUatiuil

ready plunged into the cosiest chair oi a moot cosily-I'urnished room, and was in the act oi viciously biting the end oif one of my best cigars when 1 entered ■' Prepare for another smoke, Sewoll," lie said. "1 must have a serious talk with you.'' " Fire away,'' I grunted, lighting my pipe. "Hows Mr. Selcott?' ''Worse, much worse!" he answered, shortly. "The poisoner has been most dilligent this last week. Not only have his doses increased in number, they have likewise increased in strength." I stared at him in the blankest amazement.

"Then Reginald Selcott is innocent ?" I gasped. "Of course he is." the old gentleman replied, testily. ''Were you really donkey enough to believe otherwise?" ••'Who is guilty, then'" I demanded with some brusqueness. for T resented his tone.

"flint's just what wo musf find nut," he returned, gravely, ' and there is no t : iiic to lie lost either. M.uNys a:e . t a crisis. But, do you know/' in a mysterious kind of whisper, peering oddly into every corner of the room, "I have an idea. Sowed?'' "Yes:-" "As you must lie aware." lie went on, "Craven-wood Hall is a very oln structure, dating bark four hundred yeans at least. And in the times dining which .t was built, but few ma;' sior.s were .node without their secret passage-, amd hiding-places. Now, JL is my ide:; that soniooody— who, I cannot even giiois but that somebody who wishes old Soleotl out of the way has discovered the entrance to some old forgotten passage of thib kind, an J thereby obtained ingress to '.lie old man's bed-chamber. Com? row, don t you think it likely!-" "Well, to speak truly, 1 ion't." i replied, "but at the same 'line j* is possible. That the house holds hidden lurking places with disused and longforgotten exits is highly probable, but find me a tangible reason why anyone except Irs children—and we know now it is neither of them who is doing itshould desire the death of Jasper Soteott. '•'

•'I can't," he allowed. "But the fact remains that someone is desiring it very much, and that someone is a human .No ghost was over substantia enough to pur poison into an invalids medicine. Anyway, in view of my theory being correct. I am going to watch to-night in Jasper Selcott's bedroom. You remember the screen acros- the corner? I -hall hide myself behind it. unknown to anybody, and Heaven help the prisoner who comes my way. I feel on my mettle. Swell, aiid I foci also as though victory is near at hand. Yes, I believe lam go ing to discover the real murderer tonight. 1 wish that you might jo n me." F wished it too. but I might not. Had not I promised Reginald that I would keep away from the Hall until the mystery wis cleared up." "Does the old chnp seem to miss hi* children r" I ask. d.

"No. lie believes them, like yourself, to be tawny for a necessary change, and such knowledge satisfies him. Of course, lie has a letter every day from one or other of them." Ami after a little more talk on different topics, the old doctor bid me good, night. Soon afterwards I went to be.;, but not to sleep. No: so worried was I n'nent the mystery of Cravenwood Hall that, try as 1 wou'd, J could iix my on no other subject. U t 1 believe 1 was really on the verge of sleep when suddenly, . I;e i 1 n limit light in the midst oi '..'!■ a ghastly -oolution oi the niystvi 1 ' came to me. i sprang out ol bed. dressed myself, and pa'ed rapi !.y to and fro. Yes, there could be little doubt about it. IJoth Dr. .Mortimer and I were correct—he in his idea of a seerot staircase, commun'cating from without wth Mr. Selcott's bedroom: I in my opinion of the guilt o! one or both - oi the old man's children. easier than for them to bribe HbkLagent to carry on the fatal work Bki eir eniorcei.l ab.-ence!' f wonHii not new H^iei! I wake fcfe,. ■■n,.: m t no