"THE WEB."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8864, 26 October 1907, Page 2

"THE WEB."

CHAPTER XV. --Continued. "Then you are convinced I know nothing more than yourself." "Absolutely. You have trouble enough on your hands just now evidently, and whether we moot again or rot, I wish you luck and thank you for all you have done Hail Columbia, the very man !" The American brushed by the outstretched hand of his travelling companion, and ran after a man who was endeavouring to mingle himself with the crowd. "Mr Peter Tidey!" he cried, dropping bundles and bags, and scattering porters with their luggage and protesting passengers in all directions. The man, who was trying to avoid :him, or had not S2en him, could not possibly escape him. "Where is Rennie? She is safe in London; she arrived here this afternoon? She has sent you to the station —the considerate little girl — knowing that I would follow on sharp! I hadn't your address, but I knew it would come right, and I'm darned glad to see you, Mr Tidey. Come over here, I want to introduce you to an Englishman whose been saving us a deal of trouble." Feebly murmuring a mild protest, Mr Peter Tidey was hustled across the platform where Jack Strangways stood watching the comedy with an amused smile. "Mr Strangways, Mr Peter Tidey, Rennie's —I mean Miss Rentoul's uncle. Mr Tidey, Mr Strangways, the gentleman who put a roof oyer our heads 1 when we were all well-nigh broken to pieces on the railroad; and now that we have all «)et together, let's get a cocktail before we just hustle into a cab behind the fastest horse in this slow city of yours and get along home to Rennie." Mr Tidey bowed stiffly, and Jack, almost fotge'tting the courtesies of the moment, watched his fa:e with strange interest. Where on earth had he seen this man before? They had met somewhere—of that he was csrtain. The other man, however, gave no indication that he recognized him. While they were looking at each other a passing man cannoned against a porter carrying a servant's tin travelling trunk. The porter stumbled against another man and the trunk rolled over on to the platform immediately in front of Jack's feet. '

He stepped back quickly to avoid it,. A violent blow sent him forward over the trunk, and as he gathered himself up to look round at the man who had pushed him, he noticed thnt the train had started shunting out of the station, and but for thi3 friendly blow on his shoulder, he would have fallen back between the footplat" and ths platform in his. endeavour to save his toes from the trunk.

"Close shave that, sir; you ought to keep farther from the train when you stand talking to your friends; we warned you all to stand back, and but for that young man, it might have been a serious case." The young man, whoever he was, wai too modest to remain to be thanked, and was lost in the crowd before Jack could ,get upon him. Moreover, another matter had riveted his attention. The gentleman to whom he was introduced had stepped out of the way before the trunk fell, but in doing so his hat was knocked off. At the same time a long lock of iron-grey hair, brushed carefully over his forehead, was swept aside, and an ugly scar revealed itself. In an instant the whole scene flashed itself back. They had last met in Ludgate Circus' on the day he walked down from the Old Bailey after the trial. What an age it seemed since then! It was a pure coincidence their meeting again now, but the fact that this was one of the first live creatures of whom he had taken any notice after the verdict of the jury released him from custody, brought back the haunting memory of that hideous day.

"And now we must have a cocktail to pull you together," persisted Beeton, but Mr 'l'idey interposed.

"I so seldom take refreshment of any kind, and indeed I am most anxious to be away, I must thank you, Mr Strangways, for your courtesy to my niece, and I assure you she would have thanked you in person, but that mos't important and imperative consideration demanded her immediate return to America." "To America!" screamed Theodore Beeton. "What on earth do you mean, man? Is she not with you? Where is she? Tell me quick!" "Did ohe not tell you herself? She left Yorkshire this morning very early in order that she might catch the train to Southampton to.day. The boat sails to-morrow, .and " Theodore Beeton waited to hear no jnore.

"Where is the stationmaster? .Somebody tell me how to get to Southampton. Hold up all the traffic for it. Call upon Theodore Eeeton for every < > liar of damage if you like. Hi, tn you man in the uniform, take me the station-master and I'll give you a sovereign." Hanging on to a terrified ticket col-/ lector, who thought it prudent to humour him, the crazed man was led to the station-master's office, and Jack found himself ip the embarrassing position of having to talk to a man of whom he knew nothing. He was soon relieved of this difficulty, for in the commotion Mr Peter Tidey had disappeared

So far things were running smoothly, but what had become of Tom Medlmrst. The best plan was to wait, and he strolled into the first-class refreshment room, after all. He ordered a whisky and soda because it was the type of refreshment that naturally carr.e to his tongue and he wanted an excuse for pitering there, but he toyed with it

PAUL TO QUHART. [Published 2 By t*Special Akkangement.] [All Bights Reserved.]

instead of drinking il. "' | ginning to realize thai ; 1 11 i very clear head to get ro iX' 1"" life in the difficult posi' ■■■ ■ h he had inherited. He had • ;■ -i'.ting there about five minnr - when r? sunburnt man, clad in Lnvircnts obviously cut ii) a viUni"' "hoit, stumbled into the refn-hment-room and called for a pint of bet r. The prim young 1 fitly behind tiie bar glanced superciliously at him and remarked to her fluffy-haired companion, "Country bumpkin," as she passed along the counter to get change for the shilling he threw down. The man carried his beer over to the table where Strangways was sitting, and murmured apologetically— "Don't mind my sitting here, sir? "Not at all," Jack replied cheerfully. "What's the harvest like this year? Good crops in your part of the country?" The man pulled a crumpled newspaper out of his pocket. "Times be bad, sir. Look at that, that's what squire said last Wednesday week as ever was." With a sigh of resignation, Strangways took the paper ud. He had let himself in for a nice thing. He had Struck an agricultural bore, and was going to have to endure a long string ofconventional complaints. He made a show of reading the paragraph, and was about to hand the paper back with the soothing remark, "A very sensible man, your squire," whence noticed a pencil mark in the white margin, and the countryman following the direction of his eye, added, "Read it all, sir." He did read it all, and though fhere was not much of it, it seemed to interest him immensely. The two talked of the times, the bad times, and the good old times, comparing Yorkshire with Somersetshire, and agreeing that there was not much to choose between any place now* adays, to the infinite amusement of the professional men and manufacturers who were waiting to catch their train. The yokel finished his beer, and with a hearty "Goodnight, sir," strolled , out on to the platform. • A few minutes later Jack ostentatiously ordered a porter to put his bag in a hansom, arJ gave the number of his flat in the West End, adding that he would walk along there as he had a few calls to make. With this apparent intention he strolled leisurely down the platform, sent a telegram away and drifted into the station hotel. He knew the place we'l. He had put up there often in the old days when he had landed in town in the middle of the night, and he made his way to a snug sitting-room on the second floor.

"I have an appointment with a gentleman from the country here this evening. He will give the name of Jessop. My name is Baxter," he said to the lift man. Half an hour later Mr "Jessop" presented himself and modestly brushed aside the compliments showered upon his splendid get up. "And now, Medhurst, as you suppose, I am jjust dying to know what it is you have got to tell me. 1 have reached London you see without mishap. The railway company has not been unconsciously aiding our enemies this time."

"The railway Company had nothing to do with what happened before; it was one of the cleverest pieces of train wrecking I have ever heard of, and it was manoeuvred by just exactly the same people who nearly had you under the train an hour when I caught you that swipe on "the shoulder."

"Are you sure of that?" asked Jack, rubbing his shoulder, still sore from the hard knuckles of the ex-de-tective.

"Never surer of anything in my life. lam weaving a nice little web around a few people, which grows bigger and bigger, wider and wider every day, and when we do gather them in, it will be one of the biggest hauls on record. They were very near eating each other up like Kilkenny cats to-day, and I'm not quite sure whether it wouldn't hava been a good thing for society had the scum been cleared off the earth, but that would not have suited our purpose. All this is Chinese to you, I know, but it is a fact, nevertheless, as you will understand when 1 explain that I have with my own eyes seen the two men who are directing the plot against you fighting to within an inch of their lives. Had I been in the force still, there would have been the prettiest chance I ever had of taking a man red-handed. I could have bagged the two of them, hut that would not have served our purpose, and my business is to find your father's murderer. The evidence 011 that point is not yet quite complete, but I ought to warn you that the longer we wait, the more dangerous it is to you." (To be Continued.)