THE GREEN SHADOW

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 964, 6 May 1930, Page 4

THE GREEN SHADOW

By

HERMAN LANDON

Copyright by Publio Ledger

CHAPTER XXVI. — (Continued). Axelson pushed her forward. “Step lively, miss. You're pretty cute, but you've only made more trouble for yourself.’’ She cast a glance over her shoulder. “Who is that?” she could not resist asking. Axelson chuckled maliciously. "Xo need of telling you. Vou know. You’re a smooth pair, you two. He had us fooled for a while, but. not for very long. Careful, miss. These steps are a bit steep.” They were descending a stairway. Adele’s mind was full of jarring perplexities. “Who are you talking about?” she asked, wondering if it were even remotely possible that she had correctly identified the voice she had heard in the dark.

“Aw, you know. You had it all framed up between you. I’ll say you’re smart, you two. But he didn’t get very far, and neither did the cops.”

“The cops?’ she echoed, as they started down another flight of stairs. “As if you didn’t know! The Stamford cops, of course. How you got word to them is more than I caxs figure out. Anyhow, we fooled them.” She listened with a sinking heart. The searchers who had passed so

close to her must have been the police of Stamford, then. Someone must have communicated with them. But the other one: the one whose whisper had startled her after the searchers had passed? The sight of a black, still form haunted her imagination.

Axelson opened a door and stood aside to let her enter. She walked into a large room illuminated by a candle on a table in the centre.

“Sit down and make yourself comfortable,” the old man suggested sneeringly. “Dr. Moffett will be here directly.” With that he closed the door. Dr. Moffett! Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the name again, but she tried to collect her wits for the forthcoming ordeal. The room was sparsely fitted up with old pieces of furniture. The candle’s pale sheen fell on a dreary scene that seemed to have been set for some depressing ritual. Reluctantly she sat down in an old chair with an antimacassar spread over the back. As if to fix her mind on the least depressing object in the room, she gazed at the tall candle in its holder of tarnished brass. It was a green candle. She stared at it as if it were a thing of weird symbolism. Another scene, with a voice speaking out of a green light, filled her with a morbid fascination. And then the candle flame began to flutter. She became aware that a door had opened somewhere, that a current of air was sweeping lazily through the musty atmosphere. She gazed into the far corners of the room, but it was dim and shadowy back there. And now a strange sensation was stealing over her. The atmosphere seemed to change. The dim corners of the room were brightening.

She sprang up -with a little gasp A green illumination, rich and soft as velvet, was falling over the room, transfiguring the decrepit furnishings, touching the faded draperies with a caressing and rejuvenating film of verdant colour. Her pulses were racing; she felt a tightness at the threat. Footsteps were coming toward her, but she strained her eyes in vain. She could see no human form.

And then she stared in stupefaction at the candle flame. Everything about her was stranger than all the rest. She clasped her hands to her cheeks. She shuddered with a sense of the inexplicable. The flame was still there, although now it seemed to burn less brightly than a few moments ago. She could plainly see the tarnished brass candlestick, streaked with tallow at the sides. But the candle itself was gone! She swallowed, opened her eyes wide. Was she going mad? No, the thing w T as actually as she saw it. There was the flame, a luminous wraith in the air, glowing in empty space. And six or eight inches lower down was the tarnished brass holder, but nothing—absolutely nothing —between the holder and the flame. A small, hoarse cry, an expression of sheer uncanniness, sprang from her lips. In the back of the room, bathed in a green sheen, a voice sounded: “Blow it out; we shan’t need it at all, and it only seems to distress you very much.”

She continued to stare at the wraithy flame. A flame without a candle! It seemed even stranger than the footsteps which were approaching her without the accompaniment of a human form. As if to smother something gruesome, she blew it out. The spectral flame vanished. Only the tarnished candlestick showed now. And then, little by little, the candle appeared to return. There was a thin, elongated shadow, a blurred shape of green all but submerged in a brighter and richer green. From sheer exhaustion she sank back into the chair. Her pupils were beginning to respond to the strange illumination. She could see the candle quite plainly now-, but its outlines were still befogged by the surrounding emerald radiance. A chair creaked. As on the former occasion, Dr. Moffett had sat down about half a dozen feet from her. She felt he was looking %at her, but she could see no face, only a greenish smudge that blended elusively into the verdant light.

“Queer about that candle, wasn’t it?” he murmured. He spoke in the same deep, pleasant voice she had heard the other time, but again she perceived a slight twang which told her that he did not wish her to recognise his voice. “Yes, very strange; but it only seemed strange—it was perfectly natural. The same, thing happens when you drop a ruby into a glass of red wine.”

CHAPTER XXVI,

A VOICE IN THE DARK She gazed in his direction in astonishment. The illustration did not seem to make things any clearer. A ruby in red wine? She could not see the parallel. And she could not see Dr. Moffett’s face. The rest of his body was fairly distinct, but in the place where the head and face should have been was only a greenish mist. She wondered if she would be able to see more if lie should come closer, but evidently he meant to remain at a distance. Then .she tried to forget all the strange things that surrounded her

—the vanishing candle, the invisible face, the rich green light that seemed to weave a spell around her senses, and fix her mind solely on her errand. , -j “I’ve brought the cheque, she said, fumbling in the pocket of her blue serge dress. “Will you give me the papers?” , .. “No hurry. Let us chat a wnile. You interest me. Miss Castle. \ou have nerve, and you are resourceful. You gave me an uncomfortable halthour by bringing the police down on me. And then that other surprise. Well,” and he chuckled musingly. 1 can admire cleverness even when it inconveniences me.” She listened silently to the undeserved compliment. Now she could almost feel his eyes searching her face. She tried to meet that uncanny scrutiny without flinching. Did she only imagine it, or were there two hard glints of grey in the greenish mist where his face should have been? “Let’s be absolutely frank 101 a moment.” he urged her, a faint note of playfulness in his voice. Xou can’t see my face, can you?”

“No.” , “And you haven’t th 3 least idea who I am?” “No,” -she said again, steadying her voice. “All I know is what you told me, that you don't want people to see your face because you are ugly

and that you are suffering from a nervous aiiment that causes ail colours except green to irritate your

°'“Aml you believed me when I told you that?” “There was no reason why I should either doubt or believe you.” Her indignation rose suddenly. “I know you are a beast and a scounarel. That’s enough.” He laughed indulgently. “I don t mind plain words. They are stimulating when they come; from a pretty young woman. What I told you was at least partly true, and what you are telling me is partly true. I suppose I am a beast at times. But as long as you don’t know who I am and there is no danger of your seeing my face, the beastly side of me needn’t trouble you.” Adede stirred uneasily. “It s getting late,” She observed. “If you don’t mind we will get down to business.”

“Business,” said Dr. Moffett dis approvingly. “That word has a queer sound coming from pretty lips like yours. Oh, well, since you insist. You brought your personal cheque for 100,000 dollars?” “X did.” Adele draw a slia of paper from her pocket. “Does your father know you are here?” “No.”

There was a faint vibration in the green light that seemed to indicate a nod. “I happen to know that that is the truth. Does anyone know?” ‘.‘l haven’t told anyone.”

A faint chuckle sounded. “That isn’t strictly true, but we’ll let it pass. Put the cheque on the table, please.” “Not until you show me the Forrester papers—the originals.” Doctor Moffett laughed again and this time the laugh was less pleasant. “Good —very good. You amuse me. You insist on the originals, do you? Why, my charming young lady, if you had acted in good faith on the night of the Mummers’ Frolic, you should have had the originals then But instead of following out my instructions, you brought a padded package of money, with a one-thousand-dollar bill on top and on the bottom —and those bills were marked!”

She felt a little dazed again. Dr. Moffett seemed to know everything. “And now,” he went on, “you expect me to exchange valuable documents for a worthless cheque. You admit the cheque is worthless, don’t you?” “I did as you told me.”

“That’s true. But w-hat did you think when I instructed you to bring me your personal cheque for one hundred thousand dollars? You didn’t imagine that I expected to take it to the bank and cash it, did you?” “No, hardly that.” “Then what did you think?” Adele befit forward a little. “I merely did as you told me.” “Your idea was to follow my instructions and then be guided by developments as they came along. You also thought that a certain friend of yours—a Mr. Dale —would be on hand in case you should need him. That was exactly what I hoped you wonld think. Otherwise you would not have come here.”

“Anyway, I am here.” said Adele. "Can’t we finish our business so I can go home?” Dr. Moffett ignored the question. “Yes, I hoped you would feel safe to come out here. I permitted Mr. Dale to go ahead up to a certain point and then I set my foot down. Everything has come out as I planned. I plan far ahead, Miss Castle. Why do you suppose I approached you in this matter in the first place, instead of continuing to deal directly with your father? Why, only because I foresaw certain eventualities and wished to lead up gradually to a point where I could persuade you tts come out and favour me with a visit to an isolated and unfrequented place like this.” She said nothing, but she recalled how Dale had opened her eyes to Dr. Moffett’s true intention regarding this visit.

“And now everything is serene again,” the speaker w-ent on. “The police went away without finding what they looked for. The other incident passed off harmlessly. Mr. Castle’s charming daughter is my guest. The fates are smiling. What more could one ask?”

His voice was pleasant, yet it had a disagreeable edge. She imagined a smile of satisfaction wreathing his lips.

“You may go home,” he said slowly, “when our business is finished, and our business will be finished when the cheque you brought has been converted into hard cash.”

She caught her breath. This was exactly what Dale had predicted, but Dr. Moffett’s way of stating it made it come as a shock.

“What do you mean?” she asked quickly, pretending she did not understand. “I understand Mr. Castle adores you,” he replied after a little pause. “That will make it easier. He will go to any extremes rather than that you should suffer harm. He will make the cheque good. In the meantime you will stay here as a pledge against the fulfilment of the obligation.” A shudder of horror ran through her, but for the moment indignation was uppermost. “What a contemptible blackguard you are!” she cried. “Oh, no,” said Dr. Moffett smoothly.

“I am only a peaceably inclined tleman who intends to correct the a v surd mistake Providence made whe a Iw as bom poor.” He laughed aoftjj j “I was brought up in cotton, but my tastes run toward purple and fi ae linen. If my good luck continues Well. Axelson?” The old man had entered the roo* with a catlike tread. The green lighj seemed to accentuate marks of Tip lainy in his face. He stepped close to where Dr, Moffett sat. and the tv* conversed in an undertone. The only word Adele could distinguish “conscious.” Her thoughts flew back to the turbulent scene in the narrow hall and the motionless form on the floor. Had her mysterious guide eoSe back to consciousness? Was that what Axelson was telling his master? CHAPTER XXVIt. SOME ONE INTERRUPTS Adele felt an overwhelming weakness dragging her down. The rooar swam in crazy blurs before her eyes. Doctor Moffett’s words and the smiling, murderous look that accompanied them jumbled chaotically in her brain. Her head felt curiously unsteady, as if all the blood had deserted it. She reeled, staggered and would have fallen if Axelson had not caught her. With surprising strength for a man who looked so old and feeble, Aieison carried her to a chair. Her head fell limply to her shoulder. “Fainted.” he announced. Doctor Moffett nodded. "Pretty young thing.” he observed musingly, then shrugged. “Too bad!” Axelson started at him ou* of his shrewd, bleary eyes. “You are not thinking of ” .„ §, “I am not thinking at all,” Doctor Moffett interrupted. “I am merely acting in accordance with certain inflexible rules and safeguards which I have formulated for my self-protee-tion and the success of our pleasant little enterprises.” “But she is worth a hundred thousand dollars to us. - ’ “I know. - ’ The doctor smile! faintly. He looked at his watch “Half-past one. You will get word ts Castle, Axelson. I can trust you t> state the situation as—er —graphically as is necessary. Tell him to rake together one hundred thousand dollars in currency or securities ani come here tomorrow afternoon ani get his daughter.”

“Yes, but I thought ” “Don't think.” Doctor Moffett advised. The smile insinuated itself a little more deeply into the lines of his face. “It isn't necessary to tell Castle that he may not find his daughter in the full bloom of health and youth.” “I understand,” said Axelson, h s voice shaking a little, “but—er—do we have to ” “Please don’t argue,” Doctor Moffett interrupted. “I want to live in peace. Miss Castle has unfortunately discovered my identity. How maty peaceful moments do you suppose I would have if she were permitted to go back and prattle about her discovery? And what would become of our plans?” Axelson nodded, but his grey face ttvitched uneasily. Apparently the argument had persuaded him, but he gazed uncertainly at the unconscious figure in the chair. “She will need a—ahem!—stimulant after a while,” Doctor Moffett murmured. “You have seen the small bottle with the blue label on the shelf in the pantry. Next to it is a still smaller bottle w-ith a white and red label. It would be a natural mistake ” His voice trailed off into a silence more eloquent than words. Axs!s:ra shuddered a little. Doctor Moffett had been contemplating the floor, but now he raised his head. “You needn’t delay,” he said softly. “This present undertaking of oers has been full of surprises. You had better act before the next surprise comes along. We never know ’’ He broke off abruptly. A long, loud peal went through the house. His lips tightened and a shadow of annoyance crossed his face. Axelson had turned deathly pale. “See who it is,” directed Dr. Moffett evenly. Axelson went out. The doctor took a pistol from his pocket, examined it carefully and dropped it into ilia pocket again. Without a glance at the unconscious girl, he paced the floor until Axelson returned. “It’s Castle!” announced the old man excitedly. “Castle?” Dr. Moffett stared for a moment. “Virgil Ellsworth Castle?” The old man nodded in a perturbed way. “That’s curious. Still another surprise!” The doctor chuckled mirthlessly. “How did he find his v*£ here?” “I didn’t ask him.” “Is he alone?” “He seems to be.” The doctor reflected. His wrinkled brow showed that this was a development that did not fit into the scheme. “Turn on the green light in the sitting room,” he directed. “FH see Castle there. And. " with a glance at the girl in the chair, '‘you needn’t hurry about the—er—stimulant." Axelson looked somev.'hat relieved.

“After you have shown Castle into the sitting room,” the doctor went on, still gazing at the unconscious ffiri, “take this young lady upstairs. She seems to be coming to.”

Adele was stirring drowsily in the chair. Her eyelids moved sluggishly. Axelson proceeded to obey orders. Soon the visitor was ushered into the same room in which the interview between Adele and Dr. Moffett had taken place. He carried himself with an air of spurious fortitude, as seemed natural for one coming on an errand of this sort. When Axelson had withdrawn and closed the door, he fat down and looked about him bewilderedly. He seemed a little nervous# and the curious character of the illumination appeared to puzzle him. 31 “Hello, Castle.” said a voice.

The visitor's stick clattered to the floor. A look of stark amazement Doctor Moffett was talking now. speaking in a voice so low that sha could not hear a single word, but bis tone somehow made her blood run cold. Axelson withdrew. She heard a sigh of satisfaction from the chair in which Moffett sat. “Good old soul. Axelson.” he w*a3Q mumbling. “The only man I trust, the only living person who has seen mV face and recognised me. Miss Conway saw me. but she —she is dead.” A shiver ran through Adele. Dr. Moffett appeared to have been talking to himself. She felt that, consciously, his words had betrayed the motive lot the murder of Miss Conway. “I have a little matter to attend to. he now told her. and in the same instant she heard a click and the preeit r light faded out, leaving her in darkness. “You will wait here.” i(To be continued tomorrow®