The Scales of Justice

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8536, 17 September 1907, Page 2

The Scales of Justice

CHAPTER XXXlL—Continued. "If anybody read all this in a story it would not*be believed," he said. "And yet stranger things happen every day, as a casual glance at the papers tells one. Here we are settled down in the house of the man we are pledjred to destroy " "No, no," said the other one. "Remember, we have given our promise on that score. There is a great deal in what Drummond said the other day, and I was struck with it. We can deal Beard a more crushing blow fian that if his story is true." "Ay, and if it is false also," David Delamere said, with a stern ring in his voice. "We have that fellow in the hollow of our hand, brother. And yet we hesitate. This i 3 a fine old place, the very mention of the word violence is an outrage here; we are being entertained by two of the noblest women I have ever met. For their sakes we must be careful. I never dreamt of such hospitality as this. What say you?" "Say that we should take advantage of, the good fortune that favours us. 'Beard has gone away. It must have some desperate thing that induced him to go off like this, leaving us masters of the place even for a little time. To-morrow we see that girl, and if she is sufficiently recovered to receive us we ascertain if Beard's story is true." The listener nodded emphatically. He had been thinking of the same plan. Then for, a long time they talked in little above a whisper.

The news that Beard had been called away the night before on important business was received with a certain amount of relief by the Meat House party at breakfast time. Sybil had come over to see if the good news was true. She had only to look at the smiling faces of Flora ar.d Mary to know that it was. The former was puzzled and at the same time vaguely alarmed. "i hope that this strange train of events has not brought trouble to Gilbert Doyle," Sybil said anxiously. "I thought of him directly I heard where poor Winifred was found. Anna's cottage is a very small one, and she has only two bedrooms. Marston found Winifred, I hear, and Dr. Beard was with him at the time. Then, where was Gilbert Doyle?" "That we cannot tell you," Flora explained. "Winifred must have been attracted by the light in the window of the cottage. lam pretty sure that Mr Doyle was reading by the lamp, for old Anna goes to bed ab'mt eight o'clock. It is quite evident, therefore, that there was a meeting between Winifred and Gilbert Doyle, which was interrupted by Marston and Dr. Beard. Mr Doyle may have managed to escape by the bedroom window, but the evidence of a stranger's presence would not escape the sharp eyes of Dr. Beard. If his suspicions were aroused he would say nothing at the time, but he would drop a note to the authorities advising them to pay a visit to Anna's cottage, especially as he has known for some time that the escaped convict was ■ Gilbert Doyle." "Did he write a letter or note before he went away?" Mary asked. "He had very little time," Flora ' explained. "I'll go to the library and see." Flora came back looking disturbed. A hastily-written letter already stamped and sealed lay on Beard's desk. And the letter was addressed to the governor of Greystone Prison. "It is, perhaps, a wrong thing to do," she said. "But this letter must not be posted. Its delivery would be no less than a catastrophe. I will slip it in the blotting-pad." The letter was placed in the blot-ting-pad, and then left there as if it had been overlooked by some careless servant. Beard was in the habit of leaving his correspondence for one of the footmen to post; naturally he had assumed that a letter of his to the governor of Greystone would excite no comment. Flora and Mary decided to go and see Winifred at ence. They would be the more free to talk now that Beard was away. But the Virginians had preceded them. And Marston, by a good hour, had preceded the two Americans. Marston found Gilbert at his break-

fast. Winifred was not awake yet; v the old woman said she had had a splendid night's rest, and seemed quite cool and normal. "It's a pretty ease altogether,". Marston said, as he took a seat. "Very strange that Miss Cawdor should have chosen to come here, of all places. It was foolish of you not •to put out the lamp. Beard as nearly as possible had you. I came upon him just in time to prevent the catastrophe. He had his hand on the latch when I took it and pretended . that it was locked. I felt pretty sure ■ when I saw that you had nor gone to bed that Miss Cawdor had come here. I'm glad you took my hint and got the old-wwian up." "You see, 1 :new the door was not locked, and u,. t aroused my suspicions directly I heard that you had a companion outside," Gilbert said. "It was lucky for me that old Anna took in the situation so quickly. I got through my bedroom window into the garden and returned by the door when you had all gone. Of course, Beard had no suspicions." "I'm very much afraid that he had," Marston said grimly. "You were reading a volume of Tennyson's poems when Miss Cawdor came in. It was open with the face to the table as we entered, your tweed cap was hanging on a peg behind the door. You forgot all about that when you made a bolt for it through your | bedroom window. But 1 saw Beard's I eyes on the Tennyson, I saw him look

7*l- ■■ p-pf rHPim*"" 1 By FEED If. WHITE,

[Publishedsßy .Special Arrangement.] [AiL EightsJEeserved.]

at the cap. He said nothing-—for he seldom gives himself away—but he is a man very smart at deduction, and he knows the name of the person who got away from Greystune. Before night I must find you another retreat. I expect you are safe so long as Miss Cawdor is here, but I expect she will be removed in the course of the afternoon." "I'll do anything you desire," Gilbert said. "It is very good of you to >> But Marston cut the speaker short. He was off to scheme something out for Gilbert before the latter could finish his thanks. Almost in the same moment the door of the bedroom opened, and Winifred came in. Her pretty face flushed, her eyes grew soft and tender. "I am fully as well to-day," she said. "A little stiff and sore, but bright and clear. Gilbert, you must not stay here, it is dangerous for you. If Dr. Beard returns—"

Gilbert explained that Beard was out of the way for a time. Presently Mary and Flora would come to the cottage, but there was nothing to fear from anybody else. Gilbert refrained from saying anything about Marston's recent visit, and he was going to make the most of his opportunities with Winifred. Old Anna came in I presently, bonneted and cloaked, with the intimation that she was going to the village, but would not be long. Familiarity with danger breeds contempt, for Gilbert did not lock the door; neither did he and Winifred hear the tapping of somebody outside. They were too engrossed in each other for that. Winifred looked up presently, and gave a little cry. Two strangers were standing gravely in the room. Gilbert guessed who they were. "We are sorry to intrude," the latter said; "but if you are Miss Winifred Beard, why, ■we should be greatly obliged if " "There is some mistake here," Gilbert saic 1 . He was discovered now, so there was no reason why he should not speak. "If Beard has told you that Miss Winifred Cawdor is related to him he has told you a falsehood. I assure you that she is no relation of his at all. I can produce the most positive evidence of that, not a mile from here." "And if it is not a rude question, sir," David Delamere asked, "who are you?" "You have heard my story," Gilbert replied. "Ithas been told in the newspapers. Possibly you may have heard of the man who was to marry Winifred Cawdor. The man was arrested on his wedding morning and convicted on a charge of stealing bonds. Some time ago that man escaped from prison and has not been recaptured. Need I say more?" "You have not told me the name of the gentleman in question," Delamere replied. "Indeed!" Gilbert said coldly. "His name was Gilbert Doyle. And lam the man!" CHAPTER XXXIII.

PACE TO FACE. Gilbert had spoken on the spur of the moment. Why, he could not tell, save that there was something in the look of the two men that he liked. And' they did not shrink from him. On the contrary, they regarded him with sympathy. He made rather a striking picture too, standing with his head thrown back, a look of defiance on his face. Winifred had crossed to the side of her lover, and her arm was drawn affectionately through his. David Delamere permitted himself a grim smile. "You are a plucky man!" he said. "I guess that things went badly for you. You don't look like a man who is guilty of a crime." "Nor ami," Gibert said. "I am as innocent as either of you two gentlemen. I was the victim of a j vile conspiracy, and Bernard Beard was at the bottom of it. I did not find out until I broke prison." "Are you quite sure?" David Delamere asked. He seemed to do most of the talking. His brother stood by, following the conversation intently. "Are you sure of your facts?" "Yes. At first I could not understand why any one should serve me so vilely—what they could have to gain by fastening the guilt on me." "It gives the guilty parties considerable immunity," Delamere suggested drily. "Yes; that is not The culprits had the stolen property. They might have spared themselves the trouble of letting me carry off five thousand pounds of the spoils. You may say that that was a deep and cunning part of the plan, and perhaps it was. But those people were playing at something very different to throwing the the blame on my shoulders. Unless I am greatly mistaken the thief who carried out the robbery was Madame Regnier. You know her, indeed 1 understand she comes from the States."

(To be continued.) Elderly people suffer much from rheumatism, gout, scia'ica, and la "na?o. Rheumo quickly cures by driving out the excess uric acid from the blood. All sto.ea and chemists, 2s 6d and 4s Gd. iTou just try it.