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The Colonel's Enemy.

CHAPTER XXlX.—Continued,

"Because he is an Englishman, or which makes him more English still. Scotchmen are very much the same as they were in Dr. Johnson's time, and the most pleasant road in their native land is the one that leads to England. Then again he is a rich man, and England 13 the rich man's country, just as America is the poor man's. Then we mu3t take into consideration the power of old associations, and if you had been in the police force as long as I have, you would know what extraordinary power they have."

"But had he any strong associations?" asked De Viene. "for such a man would rise above their power unless they were very strong indeed." "He had a wife, a beautiful highminded woman, of whom he was passionately fond, a pretty little boy, and a rather eccentric sister. 1 am now on the lookout for them, and when I find them, Dallas Crombie -will not be far away."

Ttie major caught himself repeating the words involuntarily—the wife, a beautiful, high-minded woman, a pretty little boy, and a rather eccentric sister. He was about to speak when a question asked by De Vigne stopped him. "How old would that boy have been when Crombie left the country?"

"That was nearly twenty years ago, when the boy was six or seven."

"And was the brother, the one who died in Buenos Ayres, married?"

"Yes. But his wife was quite a different kind of woman. He married sarly in life, before he had made a position, and as most very young men do, he made the mistake of pleasing his eye inatead of his mind. She was pretty enough, but illiterate; and what became of her I do not Itnow. I was not interested in her welfare. Ha had not lived with her for years, but he allowed her plenty of money." "And you think that if you find Mrs Crombie and her son, Dallas Crombie would not te far away?" "I have no doubt about it, sir. She was one of those ladies whose sense of duty would keep her loyal to her husband, whatever he might do short of murder; and his cant on the subject of restitution would impose upon her." f "Then you think she Would be living with.him" "Ido."

"And I think it would be her duty," said the doctor gravely. "You have been rather hard upon this Crombie, Mr Darlington. You have spoken of his spurious philanthropy, his' cant and his tardy restitution but I do not see that you have any rieht /to condemn him as an utterly bad man. His philanthropy may have been real; he was notoriously kind and charitable in the days of his ; honourable prosperity, and he may have taken the earliest opportunity of making restitution to those he had wronged. Let every man have his due, and do not say there was a bad motive at the back of his good actions." "He was not compelled to be charitable, sir. lam willing to go with you as far as that, and he was not obliged to make any restitution at all; but perhaps he was looking well ahead and having a longing for the ranks of respectability, he bought his way back as it were, since everyone wno accepted his restitution was ir one less to prosecute him; but a man is no better at heart for having a sort of spendthrift generosity. I have known those who would pass an old friend in the street if his coat was shabby, but they would take the lead in some local charity, or send five hundred pounds to a fund to promole the growth of tender thistles for ihfantile donkeys or something about as useful; not that I am sorry to hear you say a good word for a bad man; but my experience does not. leave me much room for belief in Mr Crombie." "Or anybody like him?" "Or anybody line him, sir." "Well, Mr Darlington, my experience does. I am young in my profession, but lam old enough to have stood by many a doath-bed, and all the physical sufficing I have witnessed is an nothing to the agony of remorse, the mental torture of a con-science-stricken man; and if you had not made it clear that you connect Mr Crombie with the colonel's dis- ; appearance, I could find it in my heart to let him end his days in "peace wherever he may be." "And I could not, sir; I would rather unlock a dozen cells in any gaol, here or in Liverpool, and let as many of our most dangerous criminals loose upon society; ruffians as they are, burglars, footpads or garroters, they have never done one hundredth part the harm that has been inflicted by this smooth-tongued hypocrite; they, at least, risked their liberty every time they went out, and they rarely robbed or injured more than one person at a time; but when this . white-handed imposter left the country he left ruin behind him in a thousand homes. You talk of restitution; think of the poor ladies, widows and spinsters who lost their little savings by his fraud and had to eat'the bread of charity eked out with such work as they could find fo/ their poor old fingers. On aiyword, Ido not see [where your sentimental regard for him comes in " "The doctor has seen so much suffering, physical and mental," said Lugard, "that he has a kind word for everyone. Do you think that you are on the track of MrJ Crombie's relatives—the wife and; son and Bister?" "Yes, major, I do. It will not be an easy job, of course, as they have, uo doubt, changed their name or any alias he may be living under. I

By WINTHROP B. HARLAND. Author of "Lady Elgin's Secret," "A Harvest oS Shame," "The Elder Son," "Lord Ashton's Heir," Etc.

dare say I shall find him in some luxurious nest on friendly terms with a bishop perhaps, a model of all the domestic virtues. It will be a change or him to put these on instead of his fine linen and jewelled studs." He jingled a pair of handcuffs between his fingers and thumb, and the sight of them made the doctor shiver. "Do you think that your chance of finding him is so near that you have brought those things with you?" he said; "and can you take him before you are sure he is the instigator of the colonel's disappearance." "I shall take him on spec," was the cnol reply. ' 'The old warrant is still in existence, and when he is once in custodythere will be plenty to come forward against him. I have to ask you both as a favour not to let Fletcher know what I am doing. Let him blunder along in his own way forever if he likes, so long as he does not blunder against me." "He may not be such a blunderer as you think," De Vigne observed. "Perhaps not, sir; and some people believe in him, or he would not make such a good thing of it as he does. When I called to-day he was up to his neck in a heap of letters, which he might as well have put into the fire at once. Why, the letters I have had on the same subject would fill a mail-bag." "And you do not notice any of them?" "I read them, of course, but unless one of them happens to be from a confederate, anxious to make an appointment and save his o»n skin at the expense of his friends, they are only a waßte of time." { "Mr Fletcher is very m .ch of your opinion," the major said; "and so you and he agree in this particular, if in no ofher, but I thought this one sufficiently curious to put in my pocket.'i "I will see the man'for you if you like," said Darlington, when he had glanced over it; "but it is sent, I should say, by some half-cunning rogue who thinks you raay be simple enough to forward him five shillings." "He shall have the five shillings, but I will leave my own man to deal with him," Lugard said. "You have such a very magisterial appearance that you would freeze him into terrified silence at once, and as a fellow of this kind is very likely to have been in some kind of trouble, his instinct would recognize the inspector, though in Piccadilly you might pass for one of the 'habitues.' " "Your man?" the inspector said, growing, even as he sat, an inch or two higher at the compliment, "the one "who was a waiter at the Cornw»llis?" "Yes." | "A clever fellow that, and just the man for a difficult negotiation. He has seen enough of the rough side of life to be at home in doubtful company, and, as an officer's servant, he knows how to deal with a gentleman.'.' [to be continued.]

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19090406.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3156, 6 April 1909, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,511

The Colonel's Enemy. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3156, 6 April 1909, Page 2

The Colonel's Enemy. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3156, 6 April 1909, Page 2

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