The Gold Magnet

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 22, 18 April 1927, Page 12

The Gold Magnet

by

T.C. Bridges.

Author of “ The Whip* Hand'* Price of Liberty ** “ The Home Her Fathcra," frc.. &c.

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS CHAPTERS L lo Ui. — a reroclous face, pressed against the window of a train, frightens a mysterious passenger, Stuart Egerton, who is interested in Malayan tin mines, and just afterwards, the train is wrecked. Bruce Carey gets Egerton out of the wreck, but the man is dying lie gets Bruce to promise that he will deliver a bag, which contains an invention, to his daughter, Silvia, who holds the key. A pitiless enemy, James hurgan, who has ruined Bruce's half-brother, also- wants the invention. Bruce finds an American friend. Randolph Colt. The motor in which they are travelling to Silvia’s cottage is held up by armed men

CHAPTERS 111 to V.—Having no alternative, Bruce hands over the bag containing the invention. After the Inter ruption the two men reach Silvia's home When Bruce tells her of the robbery of the invention entrusted to him she says it is useless without the directions, which are in her possession. He vows to recover it from Lurgan. Bruce's halfbrother, Claude Bryston, goes to a gambling house near Hyde Park, and Bruce follows. After some sharp practice on the part of a man Crane and an accomplice Stroud, there are heated words and a fight. CHAPTERS VI. to VIII—A rough-and-tumble of four men against two Claude wakes up suddenly and comes to the rescue of his brother's friend. The tinal victory is with Carey and Colt. Bruce tells his brother about Egerton and Lurgan, and adds that Claude is to keep out of it. The next day Bruce travels down to Mortimer, where Silvia dwells, to attend Egerton’s funeral Afterwards he goes to Deeping Cottage He expresses his anxiety about Silvia's future, and she assures him that she lias an independency, inherited from her mother. Bruce gives her Colt s idea as to what Lurgan is likely to do, then takes leave as he intends walking back to Reading. On the way Lurgan steps out of a wood and joins him. He proposes a half share in the new Gold Recovery Syndicate. Bruce tells him that he would sooner go into partnership with the devil. CHAPTERS IX. to XIII.—A strategic step is made by Claude, who cultivates the friendship of Duggan, one of Lurgan's henchmen, and finds out where Lurgan lives. A raid or. the villain's house is contemplated. At. Silvia's invitation. Bruce goes to Reading to look through her father's papers and he makes the discovery that his one desire is to "take her in his arms and never leave her." Then he sets out to make the raid on Lurgan's place, single-handed; and in the dusk arrives at Friar's Bank. The old mansion is forbidding, but Bruce forces iron bars apart and gets Egerton's bag from the strong room. The burglary is discovered and Bruce is pursued and shot at. He trips on an obstacle and becomes unconscious. CHAPTERS XIV. to XVII.: Bruce wakes up to find himself trapped; they have been waiting for his attempt to rob the house. Lurgan renews his offer of a partnership and Bruce refuses until he is threatened with imprisonment not only for burglary but .for manslaughter,

our hero having knocked down and killed a man who tried to stop him from escaping. Subjected to strong temptation. Bruce almost gives in and accepts trie partnership But finally he tells Lurgan that he can do his worst, and the villain immediately starts to do it. Meanwhile Claude Bryson calls in a lawyer friend of his. Newspapers broadcast the "robbery and murder” and the friends of Bruce, the lawyer Hammond, Colt and Bryson, are conferring on how they can get him out of the mess.

CHAPTER XVIII TO XX.: The day of the inquest on the man who was killed by Bruce arrives. The friends of Bruce are pinning ther faith to the testimony of Silvia At the last moment a report comes in that her car has met with an accident. Lurgan and others give evidence and the jury, without retiring, brings in a verdict of murder. Bruce is remanded for trial at the Assizes. Silvia, shaken by the accident, is in her bed when Lurgan calls. He says that the only chance of saving Bruce is to form a partnership of the three of them Though Silvia feels the hypnotic power of Lurgan she refuses his offer after receiving a letter from Bruce. CHAPTER XXI. to XXIV.: Bruce comes up for trial. Lurgan gives his damning evidence and Oakes is called. He admits that there was a delay in ringing for the police after the death was discovered. Bruce’s barrister tells the whole story of the magnet, the train accident, the hold-up and the attempted robbery, and evidence is given. The weak points in the defence are attacked and the jury brings in a verdict of seven years’ penal servitude. Silvia bears up bravely and all Bruce’s friends decide to do their utmost to get him released. If they could find the man who stole the bag they realise that he would be a great help. The ex-henchman of Lurgan’s, Duggan, is anxious to atone for his misdeeds and he tells Colt that Lurgan’s gang meets at Duke’s Gate each week. CHAPTERS XXV. to XXVII.: The conference of Lurgan, Orme, Crane and Straud has just decided that Silvia will have to be held in order that they may get the papers, when the others discover that Stroud is a fake. With the aid of a smoke-bomb, the masquerader gets away. Silvia visits Bruce in prison and though he is condemned to gaol for seven years, he has enough courage to tell her he loves her. The engagement is celebrated while the warder turns his back. “ I’ll allow he has tried all he knew.” replied Randolph whimsically. “ And now it is my turn to try all I know for him,” said Silvia. Randolph nodded. " I like to hear you talk that way. Miss Silvia, but you have sure got a hard row to hoe. I’ve got tq tell you that Hammond says we have no evidence to go to the Appeal Court. I certainly messed it up that day I got in among the gang,” he added regretfully. “ You did splendidly,” said Silvia warmly. " You ought to have heard Bruce laugh when I told him. Besides, you have damaged Lurgan badly.” “In the pocket only. And the poorer that sort get the more dangerous they are.” "Is there anything else wf can do?” asked Silvia earnestly.

“ I am plumb gravelled for the time, Miss Silvia. But speaking of time reminds me of what I came down'to tell you. I’ve got to sail for New York.” A look of real dismay crossed Silvia’s face. “New York!” she repeated. “ I got a cable last night to say poor old dad died yesterday.” “ Oh, I am so sorry,” exclaimed Silvia, “ and what a selfish person you must think me.” “ Selfishness is the last word I would put next you,” replied Randolph. “ I guess you are just made to do things for other folk. But I sure hate leaving you and Bruce. I wouldn’t do. it, except I am the only son and I’ve got to fix business matters for my two sisters.” "You are not to.think of us,” said Sylvia. “ Surely you have done enought for us already.” Randolph smiled. “ 1 am going to do a heap of thinking on board ship,” he said, “ and if I get any good notions I will send them along by post or cable. I won’t be a great while away, Miss Silvia, and you will be careful while I “Very careful,” promised Silvia. “You’ll watch out for Lurgan,” warned Randoplh. “I don’t reckon he will try any strong arm business, but you never know.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go if I want to make that boat-train. Good-bye, Miss Silvia. Here’s my New York address, cable if you need me.” Silvia gave him both hands. “I am so very, very sorry for your loss,” she said. She went with him to the gate and saw him drive off. As she watched his car vanish round the corner she sighed, and when she went back to her work she was no longer singing. A week later Silvia had a cable from Randolph that he had arrived safely and was writing. When his letter came he told her that he was off to California to look after an oil well in which his father had been interested. “I don’t reckon I will hardly get back in a month,” he ended. In spite of Randolph’s absence Silvia was not left alone. Mark Hammond came down to see her and told her that Claude had gone into a stockbroker’s office in the city. Cluade himself usually drove down at week-ends, and Silvia was pleased to see how well he looked. He brought her boxes of chocolates and all the latest news. He told her that the house in Duke’s

Gate was closed, but that he could not find out what Lurgan and Co. were about. He took Silvia out for drives and taught her how to drive his car. She was so apt a pupil as to earn Claude’s unbounded admiration. “You ought to have a car of yo\ir own,” he said, but Silvia smiled and said she could not possibly afford such a luxury. “Well, see here,” said Claude, “I never use my car during the week. I’ll leave it down here this week and you can get some practice. You’ve got a coach-house you can keep it in.” Silvia protested, but Claude insisted, and that week Silvia was out nearly every day, exploring the country and incidentally learning to handle the twoseater as well as Claude himself. It was on Friday that she had her first mishap, a puncture. The road was a lonely one, running through thick woods, and, though Silvia was quite unaware of the fact, she was close to the very spot where Bruce had waited all those hours in the train before attempting his ill-starred burglary. Silvia was not at all dismayed. She had a spare wheel and thought she knew just how to put it on. She got out the jack and had already raised the car so that the back wheel was clear of the ground, when a deep voice behind her said, “Can I be of any assistance, Miss Egerton?” Silvia’s heart dropped a beat, yet there was no sign of dismay on her face as she rose and faced Lurgan. “Thank you,” she answered with icy politeness. “I am quite capable of managing for myself, and in any case do not require your assistance.” A little flash of admiration showed in Lurgan’s eyes. Brute as he was he could appreciate courage. “As you please,” he said quietly, but he did not move away. Silvia went on with her work as steadily as if there had been no one within a mile. Presently Lurgan spoke again. “Mr. Colt is away,” he remarked. Silvia paid no attention and Lurgan went on. “And Mr. Carey will be moved to Dartmoor next week.” Inwardly Silvia was hot with indignation, but the only sign she showed was that she went a little pale. “It seems a pity,” continued Lurgan mildly. “Yes, it’s a pity that a clever man to waste all his best years of life in prison just out of sheer obstinacy.” The slur on Bruce roused Silvia. “That would be your term for what is

commonly called honesty and right feeling,” she said with quiet, yet biting sarcasm. Lurgan remained unmoved. “Miss Egerton,” he said, “what would you give to get him out?” Silvia rose and faced him. “You have tried bargaining with me before,” she said, speaking very quietly and distinctly. “You know what my answer was then. It is the same now.” “But that was before Mr. Carey was sent to seven years’ penal servitude,” replied Lurgan. “It is a big slice out a man’s life, Miss Egerton, and even if he survives it he is never the same again. The prison brand sticks. Mr. Carey will be old, broken in health and spirits, and you will hardly recognise him for the same man he was a couple of months ago.” Every word hit Silvia like a blow. The change wrought by only a few days in prison, had horrified her. What would that change be in seven years? Lurgan, with his uncanny trick of thought-reading, realised what was in Silvia’s mind, and went on: “Mr. Colt has no doubt told you of my suggestion for offering you information on which you could base an appeal,” he said coolly. “1 am ready to offer such information for a half-share in your father’s invention. In this case I do not ask a partnership, merely a half-share in the profits.” “And sim-msing I agree. How do you know you would get this halfshare?” asked Silvia sharply. “Your word would be quite enough,” replied Lurgan. Thoughts were racing through Silvia’s brain so rapidly that she felt almost dizzy, yet her voice was quite under control as she answered “I will think it over, and if I consider the matter further will communicate with you.” Lurgan looked at her, and h looked at the car. "Letters are dangerous,” he said. “All you need to do is to write one word on a sheet of paper, a day of the week, and post that to me at Friars Bank. On that day, whatever it is, I will be waiting here for you at this time in the afternoon.” Silvia returned his gaze. “Which ‘h-.-ts -iving you an opportunity of trying what Mr. Colt calls strong-arm methods,” she said coolly. Something approaching a smile crossed Lurgan’s saturnine face. "For what it is worth,” he said, “I give you

my word that no such methods will be adopted.” “For what it is worth I \yill take it.” replied Silvia, "not that any such methods would do you any good,” she added, “for I don’t even know where the papers are. Only Mr. Carey knows, and I purposely asked him not to tell me.” So saying, Silvia calmly returned to her work. Lurgan raised his hat and walked away, but as he reached a corner of the road where it turned downhill he looked back. "That’s a real woman,” he said under his breath. “Damn it, I could almost envy Carey.” CHAPTER XXVIII. —DECLINED WITHOUT THANKS. Silvia, having got her spare wheel on, drove home slowly, for her mind was on anything but her driving. All her thoughts were concentrated on what Lurgan had said. The money, what did. the money matter if only she could free Bruce. If she had a million she would have given it readily to get him out of prison. True, it was horrible to think of Lurgan pro; ■

ing by the magnet, yet even that was better than the present state of things. She had told Bruce that she would wait for him, and she had never meant anything more intensely than that nr< mise, yet the thought of all those dreary years of waiting appalled her The main question was whether Lurgan’s offer was genuine. Silvia had no illusions about Lurgan. Yet, on the whole, she thought that in this case he meant what he had said. She knew he was hard up, she knew that he and his gang were mad for money. From what Randolph had overheard, it was certain that Grane and his other accomplices were angry with Lurgan for venting his spite on Bruce, and it seemed to her likely that by this time i’rgan himself was regretting it Reaching home, she put the car away, and went into the house, to find Mrs. Morris bringing in tea. “Mrs. Morris,” she said, “you know Dartmoor, don’t you?” “I ought to. Miss Silvia. I was born in Tavistock.” “Do you know Princetown prison?” "I do that. My mother’s.brother was a warder there for 22 years, and as a girl I have stayed in Princetown with my aunt.” “Sit down and tell me something about it,’ 'said Silvia.

“You have your tea first, miss,” said Mrs. Morris. And Silvia obediently sat down and poured out a cup. Mrs. Morris was not boasting: when she said she knew the moor, and once she started talking she went on for nearly an hour. She had quite a gift of description, and before she had finished Silvia felt she could almost see the grim, granite buildings, surrounded by their grey circle of 15-feet stone wall. “The wall is just a mile round,” Mrs. Morris told her. (To be continued.)