A Runge on to the Unknown

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 291, 29 February 1928, Page 5

A Runge on to the Unknown

CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) “I was not wearing it last night, but according to custom my jewel box was brought from the safe downstairs into my dressing room, so that I qould select what jewellery I should wear. The necklace should have been in its case, but the case was empty. ‘That’s what I saw under Lady Doulton’s cloak last night as she came out of your dressing room, said Nield, and went on to explain she had seen Lady Doulton come out of my dressing-room just before she left. She was a little surprised, but assumed Lady Doulton had been to see me, and left via the dressing room door. Immediately afterwards Nield locked up the jewel box in a drawer, and put the keys on the table by my bed-head, and there they lay all night.” "Your maid has told a string of false- | hoods.’’ said Eva. angry and frightened. I ‘‘l never entered your dressing room, land I know nothing about your neck- | lace.” ! Mrs. Tourmaline looked grave and troubled. Truly her triumph had been short lived. “I suppose as a matter of form you wouldn’t mind the room you occupied last night being searched?” she said to Eva. “You may search the room and search me, too, if you like,” answered Eva. hot with wrath. “Oh. I don’t suppose she has it now,” said Mrs. Dickson-Dickson, with an emphasis on the last word. “She is, I expect, one of a gang of thieves —there have been a number of jewel robberies lately—and has already passed it to one of her accomplices. But possibly the threat of prison will make her confess.” “Confess!” cried Eva, she stood up feeling at bay. Mrs. Tourmaline, she could see, had abandoned her. “I’ve nothing to confess. I’ve already said I’ve no objection to being searched. As for my taking the necklace, and passing it on to one of the thievish associates Mrs. Dickson-Dickson credits me with, when had I a chance of doing it? That man,” she indicated Mailing, “forced his company upon me from your door to this house, and I haven’t left it since” “Gad, I have it,” cried Mailing, a radiant, cheerful Mailing, who saw his earlier failure more than balanced bv Mrs. Tourmaline’s blunder, “that big Johnny who helped her to dodge Doulton. he’s got it!” “Ah!”'ejaculated Eva. Strange that the idea of summoning Arnold Berlyn had not already occurred to her. It would, of course, sooner or later but it was a curious chance that the voice of her detested enemy should bring her one friend into her mind. She recalled, with a touch of shame, how coldly she had rejected Ins oifer of assistance the night before, surely it was with prescience of her plight that he had insisted on telling her his telephone number, and said he was always 1 at home in the morning. She crossed 1 the room to the telephone^ - “Exchange, give me 0370 Gerrard.

Turning the receiver to her ear, she flung a scornful glance at the other three. “I’m sending for my supposed accomplice, the big Johnnie, as Mr. Mailing terms % him. He will deal with you,” she indicated Mailing, “as you deserve—yes, is that Mr. Arnold Berlyn? —tell him Miss Eva Wantage w'ishes to speak to him—yes, I’m Eva Wantage, is that Mr. Berlyn? You’ll be interested to learn I've been accused of stealing a diamond necklace from Mrs. Dickson-Dickson* s house last night, find you of being my accomplice—yes, you, a man named Mailing thinks so, and Mrs. Dickson-Dickson says I’m an associate of thieve-s —I’m speaking from Mrs. Tourmaline’s house in Berkeley Square—yes, come at once—please, ask for Mrs. Tourmaline ”

Eva hung up the receiver and touched the electric bell. “Tell your servant,” she ordered Mrs. Tourmaline, “to show Mr. Arnold Berlyn up here directly he comes.”

A somewhat flustered Mrs. Tourmaline gave Sheridan the order, and then approached the angry girl. “There’s no need to quarrel with me, Miss Wantage, I’m on your side. I don't believe you guilty,” then in a lower voice. “Remember, I know absolutely nothing of you. Naturally I was shaken by Henrietta’s direct accusation.” But Eva turned a scornful shoulder. She could not forgive the other weman her feeble defence of her; she had endured a minute of cold terror when prison doors seemed to lo.om in front of her. Mailing was looking unhappy and certainly paler than a minute before. Eva eyed him maliciously. “Have you ever been horsewhipped?” she inquired of him pointedly. Then, as Mrs. Dickson-Dickson ejaculated something, “oh, he won’t do it before you.” “This is all very well, Miss Wantage,” said Mrs. Dickson-Dickson, “you carry things with a high hand, but the fact remains that my ten thousand pounds necklace has been stolen.” “Mr. Berlyn will deal with the matter.” , . “I didn’t know you knew him, Henrietta, but it seems he was at your party last night,” thus Mrs. Tourmaline, trying to keep the conversation between commonplaces. ‘T didn’t, the Cowries brought him.” “I know him by sight; but I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to him,” continued the other, and the talk ran on feebly, all references to the matter in the minds of those present being ignored. but in a very few minutes, for Berlyn was not half a mile away. Sheridan flung open the door. “Mr. Arnold Berlyn,” he announced, and Mr Arnold Berlyn walked in. CHAPTER XIV.—IN BERKELEY SQUARE. Eva came forward to receive him with easy dignity, now that he was here all her fears departed. How he would get her out of this new imbroglio

she had no idea, but she felt every confidence he would. In her heart she blessed Mailing for accusing him of being her accomplice, the preposterous charge formed a link that bound their fortunes together, though in any case she knew instinctively she could count on his aid and support. “I am able to meet you as myself this morning,” she told him, “my assumption of Lady Doulton has ended, I am happy to say; let me introduce you to Mrs. Tourmaline, Mrs. Dickson-Dick-son you know, as you were at her house last night.” Arnold bowed to both ladies, then looked at Mailing, “and this gentleman?” he said, recognising him as Lord Doulton’s companion of the night before, who had gone off with Eva in the taxi.

“A person of no consequence named Mailing, who grossly insulted me last night, and declares you are my accomplice in stealing Mrs. Dickson-Dickson’s diamond necklace.”

“Miss Wantage exaggerates grossly,” declared Mr. Mailing. “Her anger against me is due to the fact that I alone penetrated her secret, and discovered last night she was not Lady Doulton.” * “You’re wrong, sir, I also discovered it.”

“Yes, and helped her to avoid meeting Lord Doulton.” “And if I did, have I to answer for that to you?” “No, but as on the statement of Mrs. Dickson-Dickson the lady lies under suspicion of stealing a diamond necklace, and, as you were evidently in league with her, my guess, when I was unaware of your identity, that you were also concerned in it, was pardonable. Now I know who you are I withdraw unreservedly. But Mrs. DicksonDickson’s accusation against Miss Wantage still stands.” “So does the fact that you’ve grossly insulted Miss Wantage. Wee’ll return to that presently. The immediate topic is the stolen necklace. On what grounds, fnadam, is your accusation based, and am I suspected of being guiltily involved in the theft?” Mrs. Dickson-Dickson volubly absolved him; repeating the story of the theft as the others had heard it. Arnold looked inquiringly at Eva. “I never entered the dressing room, I don't even know where it is—on which floor. The story of the maid is a tissue of lies.” “Then the inference is clear. The servant herself is the thief.” “Nield! impossible!” declared Mrs. Dickson-Dickson. “I've had her for years, and always trusted her implicitly.” “It is by no means a rare occurrence for a trusted subordinate suddenly to betray his or her trust. The papers are continually recording such cases. You go on the assumption that Nield is innocent. I feel certain she is not. Let us examine her story. Note that it is not till she hears an impostor, pardon the epithet,” he bowed to Eva, “was' in your house that she suddenly re-

members seeing the impostor in question leaving your dressing room, half concealing something which she now guesses to be a diamond necklace. Note

the clumsiness of the thief. She has stolen a valuable necklace, she is leaving the room with it, herself enveloped in a long opera cloak, yet is so clumsy that she displays her stolen and easily concealed property. Rather remarkable that!

“Then the thief leaves the house. The theft, I understand, immediately preceded her departure. She left the house in company. I put her into a taxi and stayed behind. But she didn’t return alone. This individual,” he pointed to Mailing, “forced his society upon her and accompanied her to this house. Why didn’t you see the necklace? Or do you say it had already passed out of her hands?”

“I haven’t any theory,” said Mailing, “but allow me to point out Miss Wantage could have easily transferred it to somebody else before she left the house. As Lady Doulton she could penetrate to Mrs. Dickson-Dickson’s dressing room without exciting remark, and downstairs hand it to some accomplice. Not all the guests brought invitation cards. I myself, who have the honour to be an habitue of the house, saw a number of people I didn’t know. You for one, and it doesn’t follow that all the strangers were as much above suspeision yourself. Again, Miss Wantage may have had it on her when we were in the taxi. She may in the night have got rid of it, or may have hidden it in this house. She may have it concealed about her this moment Since she has invited search, why not search her?”

“Because,” said Arnold, “I deny in the first place that any suspicion rests on Miss Wantage. Her character is above it. For over a year, up to a month ago, she was my sister’s resident governess. taking charge of her two little girls. My sister, I know, never engages a governess without unimpeachable references. Miss Wantage left of her own accord, there was I believe a trifling disagreement between her and my sister, but she left with an excellent testimonial. Her only accuser is a servant .whose story as I have pointed out, will not bear analysis. If anyone is to be searched let it be Nield. My advice to Mrs. Dickson-Dickson is immediately to acquaint Scotland Yard with her loss.” “No, no,” cried Mrs. Tourmaline. “I object to detectives being called in.” “But how am I to get my necklace back?” asked Mrs. Dickson-Dickson. “It’s ■worth ten thousand pounds, and • foolishly I’ve not insured it.” | “You know very well, Henrietta, that if Nield is accused the first thing she’ll do is to make public her story—and everyone will know about the impersonation of Eva Doulton.” “That can’t be helped.” said Arnold. ' “Well, if it is made public I’ll publish the actor’s confession,” declared Mrs. Tourmaline. “Actor’s confession?” Arnold looked puzzled. He shrugged his shoulders {when enlightened, glancing from one ( lady to the other. “I take it neither i of you desire publicity? Well, that j hampers us. For I’m sure Nield's the I guilty party. You see, Miss Wantage ; point blank denies her story. Either i Nield or Miss Wantage lies. Of the two alternatives I unhesitatingly believe Miss Wantage. “And so do I,” declared Mrs. Tourma- : line. “And I believe Nield. She can’t have ! stolen it,” Mrs. Dickson-Dickson was , near tears. “We seem to be at an impasse,” remarked Mailing blandly, “between the | immaculate Nield and the immaculate Miss Wantage. Yet the necklace is . missing. Something must be done.” I “I agree with you,” said Eva. She

turned to Arnold. “Before you came Mrs. Dickson-Dickson called me a thief and an adventuress. I insist on b€;ing searched, or on her apologising and withdrawing her accusation.” “You shall not be searched,” said Arnold, “unless Scotland Yard is notified, the loss reported, and the searching done by a woman from the Yard, who will search Nield, too. For we accuse her.” “But what do you suggest, Mr. Berlyn?” asked Mrs. Tourmaline, as reluctant as her foe to appeal to Scotland Yard, with the inevitable result of Nield’s disclosures getting into the Press. Arnold was waiting for the question. “I propose to put private detectives on Nield, to inquire about her, and to watch her. For Miss Wantage 1 will go surety, but if Mrs. Dickson-Dickson likes to employ a private detective agency to watch her, she is at liberty to do so. Miss Wantage’s address is 3 Copperfield Road, Highgate, and she will not change her address without notifying you while the necklace remains missing.” “Yes, that seems the best plan,” said Mrs. Tourmaline, and . Mrs. DieksonDickson, after deep and gloomy thought, reluctantly agreed. “Mrs. Dickson-Dickson does not leave this room,” said Eva, with spirit, “until the epithets ‘thief’ and 'adventuress’ are withdrawn, or I myself report the loss of the necklace to Scotland Yard.” The lady named, being of the large class who are fonder of making accusations than apologising for them, looked mutinous, but Arnold tactfully intervened. . am takin S U P this affair,” he said to her, ‘‘and I don’t mean to rest till your necklace is restored. I am confident in a few days at most I shall succeed in restoring it to you.”

Finally, very ungraciously, some sort .) of an apology was vouchsafed to Eva, Arnold given some information about Nield, and a description of the necklace, and Mrs. Dickson-Dickson rose to depart. Mailing, who had been keeping himself in the background, pre- j pared to accompany her. But Arnold had not done with him. “About this man insulting you,” he began, but Eva said: “Oh, please! On second thoughts, I don’t want the matter followed. Only, j unfortunately, he now knows my address. Can you persuade him not to pursue me there?” “I have no intention of pursuing Miss Wantage,” hastily declared Mailing. Good!” said Arnold. “Please note I am your physical superior, Mr. Mailing. and that I shall personally chastise you if I hear from Miss Wantage that you’ve changed your mind.” Mailing glared, but thought silence the better part. The widows parted constrainedly, but Arnold bowed over Mrs. Dickson-Dickson’s hand like a courtier. “Rely on me,’” he assured her recklessly, for in truth he had not much expectation of doing anything. His chief hope was that Nield had already fled with her plunder. At the door he gave a caution against putting the woman on her guard: she was merely to be told that steps were being taken to recover the necklace. And now,” he said, coming back and addressing Mrs. Tourmaline. T suppose you’ve done with Miss Wantage ?” “Yes,” said Mrs. Tourmaline, briefly. Ladies requiring toilet attention can rely on experienced service in cool, i daylight, beautifully appointed rooms. Permanent waving, Marcel and water i waving, tinting, staining, face massage (with ice packs), head treatment, etc. Stamford’s Salons, opposite “Herald” Office, Queen Street. Phone 42-189. 2

| Bennett was summoned, and bidden ■to bring Miss Wantage’s hat. Eva put it on before a mirror. There was a pause. “One little matter remains to be : settled,” said Arnold suavely—“th'fifty pounds. I understand ten ha\ • been paid on account.” Mrs. Tourmaline had the grace to blush. She had forgotten the matt* r of payment. She feared she hadn’t as much money in the house. She would send Sheridan to cash a cheque. ! “Quite unnecessary,” said Arnold. “Write an open cheque, and we will cash it.” (Te Be Continued.)