A DESPERATE GAME.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10109, 3 October 1910, Page 2

A DESPERATE GAME.

(OUR SERIAL.)

By OWEN MASTERS. Author of "The Master of Tredcroft," "One Impassioned Hour," "The Deverel Heritage," "When Love Rules the Heart," "Captain Emlyn's Bride," etc.

CHAPTER Vlll.—Continued

I was so startled for the moment that I nearly lost my hold, but what followed put nerve and rigidity into iriv grasp—or the paralysis, possibly of utter fear —though it set me trembling in every limb. It was the sound of a voice hissing up from the shadows below me "Get away from here quick, Ronald Nonnington!" it said. "If you linger what has been done in that house may be set to _ your account!" It was a concrete expression of fear that had oppressed me all through, and it showed me how real the peril was, for here was someone who not only recognised nio, but who realised,* too, the risks I ran. His hand was removed, but for a minute or two I remained poised on the wall, unable to get full grip of my faculties. When at last I managed to evolve some order in the chaos of my thoughts I leaped down and looked around me for the man whose, voice I had heard. But that short interval of inaction had been sufficient. He had stepped back into-the darkness and silence from which he had emerged, and the night covered his movements. Nor did I waste much time searching for him. His advice had been too sound to be neglected, and I crept away, choosing the quieter streets, and the darker' side of those. I realisefl to the full that night what it was to be accused and branded. In the eyes of the law I belonged to the criminal class, and that would be weighty evidence against me, where I so much as seen in the neighbourhood. W r ho was the man That had spoken? Was he the murderer? Had he seen the deed committed? Had he recognised Maynard Drew and witnessed the abduction of Constance Vanneck ?

His presence, hi ssudden appearance, and, above all, the tenor and wording of his warning, only added to the deep darkness in which the mystery was enwrapped. You may be sure I was up early next day and out in search of the morning papers, of which I purchased half a dozen but, though I scanned them from end to end, and examined tliem line by line, no reference could I discover to any. tragedy at Hampstead. Evidently it had not been discovered.

Then began a time for me of weary and anxious waiting. I dared not go to Hampstead, and yet I could do nothing while, this mystery was hanging over me. Twice I made up my mind to go to Coy ton and see if I could find Maynard Drew —and Constance; and twice I held back. Fortunately "evening" is a wide term as applied to London newspapers, most of them having an edition 011 sale by ten or eleven a.m. By the very first I purchased I saw that the tragedy had been discovered, and from the account it gave I learned one of two things of which I had previously been Let me give the paragraph just as it appeared in the Piccadilly Gazette. The headlines were hi themselves a revelation

myself. There were two columns and :i "half in the next edition of the Gazette. The first was merely an expansion of Phoebe's discovery, and may be passed o' r er. But then the reporter reached the question of ttie disappearance of the other servants and the murdered man's daughter, and there he had one or two items that were new to me. CHAPTER IX. THE NEWSP Air lilt ACCOUNT. There wore, it seemed, two servants kept at Holme Lea—Phoebe Lott, the housemaid, and Nora Hardcastle, the cook, a young woman of twenty five years or thereabouts, who had been in Mr Vanneck's service about five months. She had gone and of her whereabouts nothing absolutely was known. That she had disappeared in somewhat of a hurry seemed evident from the fact that she had left her two trunks and her clothes and other belongings behind her. It was not suggested in the Gazette that she was the murderess ; it was rather surmised that she had gone away-with her young mistress, Miss Constance Vanneck, who was also missing. Indeed, all these theories, inferences, and deductions were based upon the' supposition that mistress and servant had gone away together,' and emphasis was laid on the urgent necessity of finding them. Here followed a terse, highly interesting interview with Phoebe Lott. The reporter who had been put on the Hainpstead "story" knew his business. He "had made Phoebe talk, but he gave in his paper only what bore directly on the mystery. "Miss Phoebe Lott," went on the report, "is twenty years of age, and had been for just two years in the service of the deceased. The terrible effects of her recent discovery, and of this tragedy of her life, were very noticeable in her speech and manner, but she appears very anxious to help in solving the mystery, not only, nor perhaps so much, for its own sake, as for the love she j bore her yoimg mistress, personal at- | tendance upon whom was part of her duty. "It seems that Miss Pheobe Lott and tliQ missing Nora Hardcastle were the only servants that slept in i the house, a day girl being in attendance from eight a.m. to six p.m., while a woman came in on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday to help with the washing and the heavier housework. It may be said here that both of them had been interviewed, and are able to throw absolutely no light on the affair. Indeed, the girl Elsie Roper, avers that as she left the house at ten minutes past six on the fatal evening she saw Mr Vanneck standing in the hall. She also states that, so far as she knows, Mr Vanneck, Miss Vanneck, and Nora Hardcastle were the only ocucpants of the house there being no visitors, while Phoebe the housemaid, had left at eight o'clock in the morning for a twentyfour hour holiday. \ "To return to Phoebe herself

GHASTLY DISCOVERY AT HAMPSTEAD. A GENTLEMAN MURDERED IN HIS DINING ROOM.

"Was the household a happy one?" asked out representative. "Were there any quarrels between Mr Vannec.k and liis daughter?".

WHAT THE SERVANT SAW. The last line was one which for a few moments fixed my attention. What had the servant seen? Had she—or he—for example seen me; and if so, would she recognise me again ? It was a minute or two ere I could settle down to read the account with calmness and . deliberation, so ever present with me was the prison taint and the fear of the demon of circumstantial evidence. But let me quote just what the Gazette said in its special edition:

"Never," was the emphatic reply. "They were very fond of each other always. If people think that Miss Constance mur—did this, they don't know what they're talking about." "Did you see Miss Constance bciore you went out that morning?" "Oil, yes; I took a .cup of tea to ■her room at half past seven. I was going to help her to dress, but she told me to hurry off and catch the early train." I "Who fixed the day for your go-

"Early his morning a sensational and tragic discovery was made at Holme Lea, Cranford road, Hampsttad. Phcebe Lott the housemaid, returned at 8 o'clock this morning after a day's holiday, found herself unable to procure admission by the usual door at the rear. She knocked and rang for a long time, but nobody came, and then she tried the front door. This she found was unlocked, and she went in. Surprisetl at seeing nobody about, she entered the various rooms one after the other, and in the dining room was horrified to find her employer, Mr Richard Vanneck, dead, with a gaping wound in his forehead. She ran from the house and communicated the tragic story to the police."

ing?" "Fixed tli« day? It was my birthday. That's why I went, and that's why' i was allowed to stay overnight. Generally, I had to be back by ten o'clock."

"Was there any mention of visitors being expected?" "No ; not that I remember." "Did Miss Constance suggest that he would be going away? she would be going away?"

"No; I don't remember. If she was she didn't mention the fact. I went up to her the minute I came in this morning." "You went to her room?"

That was all. Evidently the news had only just come in as the Gazette was going to press, and they had thrust the bare details in as briefly and rapidly as possible. Nor did the paragraph tell me much that I did not know, save with regard to Phoebe Lott and her doings. Mention .of the. housemaid did suggest, however, that there were other servants. Where were, they?

"Yes, and it was that that set me wondering. Her bed was made. I couldn't understand'it, because Elsie Roper hadn't come, and Nora never touched the bedrooms. And then I looked round again, and it came to me that the bed hadn't been slept in. I went downstairs, and there in the dining room I saw Mr Van neck lying across the table, and " "Precisely. And now' abouif Nora Hardcastle.' Were you and she good friends?" "We did not speak." "Oh!" "Of course, I mean we had to speak sometimes about work, but we spoke in the briefest way. In fact, we had had some words——" "About?"

I waited feverishly for the later editions, and thanks to the manner in which the evening press revells in a murder story, I found myself as well posted in the course of events as I could possibly have been had I been at Hampstead investigating

(To be Continued.)