The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7881, 25 July 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

THE SOMNAMBULIST. (Ontinued), Dr. Durrans bad scarcely left Messrs Briel and tkai's office when MrsDurrans was show* iR. Shecarn:tabook by an amwmymous author which kad caused a lilsrary sensation, and pal it on the table. "I saw my husband drive awau," she said. "1 can guess why lie has teen here. Mr Heal, it's the" most ridiculous thing on the face of the cartii. Hwe are the jewels Dtftog stolen day by day, and he won't do anything, because—it'* too dreadful, but be has told you. of course— he suspects me 01 taking them far my, brother's sake ! He does not understand now it is I have so great a command of ready money just now, how I bare been able 10 help my brother, and I won't tell Mm, because really he- do*s aot deserve it, and ought to be punished; but 1 don't mind telling you. Someone said to me once 'Everyone has it in them to write one good book' , s» when Claud got into difficulties, I tried. This,'' she touched the popular book of the moment, "is the result. I've made a success, and my publishers have treated me splendidly

"I don't tftiik I need tell yon I have not touched the jewels; my own opinio* is that bis very peculiar and trying work has had an effect npoi his brain, and that he has taken tiea himself. Whether he is aware of it er aot, ol course, is more Uata I caa tell. He has coon here, I am surs, t» ask you to try to clear up the mystery ; and with all my heart and son! I hope you will be able to. Bat don't waste your time watching me, I have had nothing to do with the disappearance of the jewels." "I am sore you have not," Mr ' Heal answered, "but fo it not possible that some other member of the household may have 7 I don't, of course, means your sons or daughters." "Quite impossible, I think," she answered. "I have the key of the fefe, which 1* never let out of my possession; my husband also has one. Apart, too, from this, there is not a member of my household whom I do not implicitly trust. No, the jewels have been taken in no ordinary way. Personally, I think my husband has them, and is, perhaps, unconscious of the fact. A man who all day long ministers to minds diseased is, perhaps, liable to lose the balance of his own. If you can clear up the mystery. Mr ft«al, I shall be only too thankful." ■Whether Mrs Durrans knew or not in what capacity Bernard Capes, Mr Heal's nephew, was introduced into the household of Dr. Durrans, the young mat did not know. Anyway,, while pretending «• assist the doctor, hi kept a sharp watch upon everyone, and also got a good idea of the workings ol the household. The servants had all been in their places for some years, and seemed absolutely trusltworthT; the cihild- * ren of the liouse—young men and women most of them—seemed, one and all, bright and happy. Betwsen the doctor and his wife there was eviN dently a coWoess, though the wife affected not to' see it. A day shewed him that Dr. Dur- , rans was*, to say tin very least of it, very highly strung ; be started if addressed suddenly, looking sometimes almost vacant. To Bernard ■ Capes it seemed as if be was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And yet, in his consulting room he ■ was a different man ; the needs of 1 the moment seemed to pull him together ; there was nothing nervous or preoccupied about him there, no man ' could have been more alert. "He's living too much on top notes but for all that," Bernard told himself, "I don't see why he should , have taken the jewels—if he has taken tbem, he knows ; then why should ' he accuse his wife." It was quite clear to Bernard, af- ' ter a day or two, that Mrs Durl rans and hrr children bad nothing to '" do with the jewel thefts. A set ol rubies vanished from the safe one ( night, but Bernard could have sworn to Uieir innocence : he' could only think that one ol the tried and f trusted servants was guilty, ami dei ' termincd to watch them closely. i "It's a frightful thing to have conic ' into my life !" Dr. Durrans said to Bernard Capes one. night. "You do not think so, 1 know, hut I'm next door to positive that my wife is the thief—only she and I have a key and f can't bring it heme to her. There is only one set of jewels left tww--tbc pilaris. I'm so anxibus about them I can hardly sleep." He was lying bark in his chair, pretty well worn out after his day's work* now and then he shut ins eyes and opened them with an effort. "I don't think Mrs Durrans has taken the jewels," Bernard Capes said. "It seems to me preposterous to think of such a thing." • 1 "Then where arc they ?" Dr. Durrans asked'excitedly. '"They go and go, one set after another. 11 will he the pearls next, and then there ' will he nothing to take !" He closed his eyes, and Bernard did not speak. The man looked white and strained. A sleep would probably do him good. Bernard Capes sat smoking quietly, and |Dt. \Durrans drbpped off lo sleep. Bernard heard him say the words. ; "Pearls—not safe—must tak,e care of them." Then, quite quickly, Dr. Durraas rose from his chair.' Bernard Capes opened his mouth to speak, but realised the doctor was still sleeping. An explanation of the mystery flashed across him, and he too rose. Quite quickly, without the slightest hesitation. Dr. Durrans crossed theroom, opened the door, and went up stairs, Bernard following. Straight to the room in which the i safe was kept he made his way, took out his keys, opened it. Papers and jewel cases, and silver wrapped in chamois leather, laythere. Dr. Durrans put his hand unfalteringly on a large case, and took - it out. "The pearls '" he said, half under f his breath. "I must take care of the pearls !" He opened the case, and seemed to ■ look at them, Bernard standing qnwHy by. Then he locked the *af." and turned from the room, Bernard following still. Up the stairs he »«it, walking as freely as though he had been in poss-

cssiou of Jris waking senses, straight: to his own dressing-loom ; then he I opened a wardrobe, and look (roni it' a Icathex case. Bernard Capes held his bieath as the sleeping man look his keys ironi flis pocket, inserted one in the lock* and opened the case ; the, tor a moment he drew back, almost blindi.l by the flash of jewels that met Iris sight. They were all there, every set Dr Durrans had said was missing; in a state ;>f somnambulism he had taken ll.em all, and at the same time suspected his wife of stealing them! It was a curious case, the doctor's mental balance being, no doubt, disturbed, if not altogether upset, by Us peculiar work. Having saiely locked tiro jewels in the dressinifcase, Dr. Dnrrans returned to his study, Bernard Capes following him, sat down in bis chair, and continued to sleep. In half an hour he woke. "I'm afraid I have been asleep," he said witir a smile ; "you must please excuse me for my rudeness." "You have been asleep," Bernard answered, "but I'm afraid you have not rested much. Have you ever suspected, Dr. Durrans, that you walked in your sleep ?" He sat up quickly, galvanised by the words into quick attention. '•I? No!" he answered. "My brain U absolutely normal; no normal brain is possessed by a man who walks in his sleep." "Yet you walk in yours," Bernard answered, "and you do strange things. You have been worried lately, by 'the disappearance of heirlooms from your safe; it will, no doubt, surprise you to know you have taken them yourself." A flush of anger swept Dr. Durrans* face and Bernard hurried on to explain. A second visit to Dr Durrans' dressing-room, and the examination of the case, showed' that every piece of jewellery that had been missing was there. One by one, in a sleepwalking condition, he had taken them ! Within five minutes from discovering the secret of the mystery, Dr. Durrans went to his wife, and begged her forgiveness for his suspicions.

"You have been working too hard, and you must take a holiday," she said. "A holiday for which I will pay. You didn't know, did you, that your wife, anonymouslv, is tlit most talked of woman in England at present 7 I have written a book, and the book has written my name on the pages of fame. Do you mind having a wife who, if she chose, could be famous ?" "Can you forgive a husband who has been infamous '.'" he answored. "How could I have suspected you?" "You never did," she answered "Over-work upset you, and so, for the future, you will take thin-s more easily ; it's quite enough to be busy while we are awake, and. as your wife, I put my veto cm sleepwalking.''