LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7731, 6 February 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

pp.. FLAT BURGLARS* j fig l " A gentleman to see youj 6fr,'* S&ad the respectful clerk* HESiroid Clincher glanced at the ■BST that handed to ium. H£fcrian Alington ! " be said. " Good BbSTßrian ! Haven't seen you since 11 Hk Oxford. Show the gentleman up mgZ Harold° Clincher was at OxHRnt be bad earned a reputation as ■■Fwnful man to go to if one was in Hfw'-'tlgbt place. He was not only the ffPStM'ynor of a remarkably good as the slangy underexpressed it, but was also KM' flue athlete, and a particularly BSSfefnl man to have on your side if gjlyE ranie to s rougiumd-tumblc with upon tto towpatK. ME,.* With such a reputation as this, it was only natural when he blofri'C sonwxi Into a solicitor and opened a j? neat littto office ;n Bedford-row, his [jL -gldOxford pals kept up their early I*-practtoa of going to " old Clinks'' whenever they found themsi:.ves face

j!> to face with a difficulty that they i. Could not overcome. ' A And Harold was not wrong in V | thinking thait it was a motive of this kind that had induced his oH if. pa) Alington to come and look him I up for the first time since the old - r '.Varsity days. I "How d'ye do, Brian, old chap! Bit down there in the big arm-chair, | "j? smoke Hhis weed, and trot out the "trouble.'- " Juit the same " old Clink 9 ' als g-.obeyai his host's injunctions as to weed and the arm-chair; and pvthen he proceeded further to unbuigi den 4ss mind as to his errand. K 1 "The-fact is, old man," he began ? serlousty, •• I'm in love." ;f". " JRardon me, my dear Brian, if I jJ.M. remind. you that there are plenty of physicians in and plenfe. ly of lunatic asylumd scattered' all Si? 7 - over tMe" country to which you might go before bothering a busy lawyer in BedtfonH'ow." AHngton waved a deprecating cigar the air. " Give me a chance, old jjH man, to got if off my chest before fc - you begin packing me o(T to Colney jfe. Hatch! To begin with, the girl I am in lore with is KM Zcna Fer-

S •?«*-" £ r •• Daughter of old John Forriot ■/; the stockbroker ? " queries Clincher. !(•' Exactly. I've Known the Fer- - Hots for yeor% end Zfena and I have . been in love with each other ever i ssnce we wero children together, so that we never thought it necessary :: to get to the stage of a formal engagement. Of course, I've only got , a sinalji income, but the question of money docs not bother either Zena •- or me *ery much." " Yea t " assented CYncher, in - rather a bored tone. "But about six months ago a rival appeared on the scene in the peri" son of Mr Joseph Combermere, the African mHKonaire." . - Clincher suddenly sat up and bOA -- gan to look interested. " Combermere fell violently in love with Zena, and, of course, it was only natural that John Ferriot pjl should rook upon him as a more dejfijp' sirable parti than a poor devil like Sic me with six hundred a- year." " Well ? " said CSmcher, JmpaUent-

El Well," said Alington, " that's jDSt how things stand at present. Zena hates the man, but is afraid of her father. An elopement seems the only satisfactory way out of the difficulty: but it occurred to me, that, if I came and talked it over with you, you might be able to suggest some better, solution oi the pro Mem." ,CHneher got up from his seat. - "My dear old chap," he said, solemnly, ° f just wipe that elopement idea off the slaJie. You've just-turn-ip up in the nick of time to help g?>- me in a little scheme which: wMI go 00 a long- way towards establishing reputation as a lawyer, while I & " tMnk It will clear your friend ComI"," bermera out of the way for good jjg and aH. An you on ? £* . "Of .course, old chap," said Alp: •» ®Btoo, simply. " But what thetlucc g do you know about Combermere?" g' " I know a good deal more than gt'_ i» at aU good for bis health," replid CBnefier. " Just sit down again, |L'' *od Jet me trot out the details of ek my litHe scheme." " Oo ahead," said AKngton. rT 1 Well, now, in the first place, has it ever occurred to you that deuced & little seems to be known about this ■»« Combermere, and thfe precise source from which his wealth is dcIrV rived?" |k " I don't know that'fthas," said »Sjts< Aihjjton. " Sirica 6b, of course, a pRt pretty wide address, and may cover JS.,-. a multitude- of—Wrings." j|f,' " Just so," assented Clincher. And !g- then he saW-suddenly, " did you ever . St, see a play catted - Jim the Feni|p' '''man'7" gSt-i " Yes," sajd Alington; " years «go"jggjjh Very well, then," said Clincher, spealting low, but very distinctly; IT that'a the kind, of cuss thai Jospc eph Combermere is , and I'm going to . prove it; and, what's more, you arc J* 1 *" going to help roe." 5-u " Never f " said Alington, incredufe- lously. •" It's a fact, I assure you» You p ' know all these mysterious Jewel robr £3, berieß that have been going on late- ¥■*,' ly, which have completely baffled the Bi. poitce. Well, I have every reason to jpf',- believe that the man at) the bottom k-"i: oi them is the respected Joseph Combermere, and that's the source fe- - Irom which bis wealth comes*" £}; • -r My dear old CKnks, you are a p" ' perfect marvel, if you are right in your conjecture. But how on earth %.'< are you goiflg to prove ft ?"• g?/' * Have you ever committed bur* Ej'. gfary?" Inquired Clincher, cheerily, sj;- "So," nid Alington. £C. ' Wei*, you are going to make a §' beginning to-night. lam going to &£ burgje Conibermere's fiat, and you are going to bejp me." To say that Brian Alington was - astonfctoed, would be putting It miMjy. But he had almost unquestion- * teg faith in Harold Clinchen and accordingly he expressed his willingf' ness to undertake whatever role P'V was teaigned to him in this curious i?-"' undertaking! 7s' Clincher's sckfeme was a simple one. 1 He was firmly convinced that Combermere was the author of all the big jewel robberies that had rp- •; cently startled Society, and he was further of opinion <that the had not yet been disposed of, but ? were safely concealed somewhere in 5.j Combermere's flat. His plan was to 'r got into the flut, carry od the swag, and then place it in the hands of the police as evidence against ComberSj. mere. That evening CKneher and Alingfr >- . ton dined at the club of the former , as a preliminary to their raid. ' " I've found out that Combermere is going to Lady Carnforth's At Home to-night," said Clincher, "so that we shall find the coast clear." After dinner they played billiards until about half-past teiv and then OMnoher told the porter to call » cab for. ■him. Getting into the hansotn, he told the man to drive them to Empire Mansions, where Combermere" reddecK On arriving there Clin-> ' . dm dittniffiKd the cab. s '•* We have just left Mr Combermere at Lady Carnforth's," said Clincher to the hall porter. "He tuid us to drive on here and wait n- for him." * The two men were so obviou:l.y gentiemea that the porter never hesitated for a moment, but at once i directed a page-boy to take them uo tbe lift to Mr Combermere's flat. ' The tx>y let them in with a pass " fey, Switched on the electric light, ft 1 . and then wished them good-night, * and left them. "Good business, so far," said Ei Clincher, quietly. "Now let's see b how tl» land lies." t They went into the bedroom, and Clincher wetft straight to the window. " That's neat! " he said, cal- > qido ladder leading to the roof, presumably for escape in case of tire. Then they both proceeded to make a s rapid search in the hope of finding pi.- some hkKng-place where stolen jewels " might be concealed ; but, after ta|>ping the walls and floors to sec if * there were any hollow space that f- n i-jht serve as a receptacle, they, pi came to the conclusion that no such ' oitfmary and commonplace device had ijl ' ' been adopted. Suddenly Clincher gave an exclaiua"tion of dtOrght, Jove, «Id manj, I thjnlc I've ■" 10 pointed to the lookBfev' mg-glasa <»n the dressing-table, wh'th - was supported between two massive Bg :» . wooden pillarti. ' *l>at about those pillars ? " he breathlessly. And in another BEjigi moment he had unscrewed the tnirH§SK*»r. an! was dexteriouMy iapii'.pg of the pilars with ft view of an opening. A second fce bed found the opening, and BSvt'- -pouring out a strem of glitter- j Hw|||jMrß<pi9 upon the bed.