Was He the Man?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10213, 15 April 1911, Page 2

Was He the Man?

OUR SfcRIAL.

BY F. L. DAGRE, Anthor of "A Phantom of the Past," "Tronholme's Trust," "The Doctor's Secret," "A Loveless Marriage," "Sir John's Heiress," etc.

CHAPTER XlV.—Continued

"No; I'm all right, thanks, was my roplv; "slipped on something." A' good-natured soul picked up my hat and handed it to me. A little n-.hbing-down of my clothes, and I v. as not much tho worse for my encounter with tho pavement, but tho hansom, with Fitzgerald, had by this \hno got far away. For the second ;;.,!,■ ho had eluded me, and I felt terriblv chagrined. '"That's all right," said Fenton, "and now perhaps you will tell me v.liiU sudden impulse moved you to ir>h off like that, shouting 'Follow me!' Was it tho scent of the melodrama still clinging to you?" "It was Fitzgerald!" T exclaimed, "I saw him getting into a hansom."

knows bettor than to run a needless risk. He might find someone he did not care to see awaiting him. No, he prefers to take yon unawares, until ho discovers Avhether measures are being taken for his arrest. I'll post a man on the watch hard by, with orders to keep trace of him. should he favour von with another call."

"By tho way," said Fonton, addressing me, "It would he interesting to know how ho learned where to find you." "Of course, from his friend James Robson," I replied. Morel shook his head.

"The deuce it was!" said Fenton. "Well, all I can say is, you may bless that piece of orange peel or whatever it was that brought you to grief. But for that you might have bungled the whole business. Supposing you had come up to him in time, what then? Had you formulated any plan?" "I should have denounced him as tho murderer of my friend," I said. "With what result? You have no warrant for his arrest. He would in turn have denounced you as mad, very lik-jly have knocked you down, jumped iv-to bis hansom, and driven away. rJh would have been warned what step; were being taken for his capture —tl'.D very thing we are so anxious to conceal —and would have made himself scarce. All our work might have had to he started again. Great Scott, what a blunder you've escaped." I could not but admit that he was right, and felt as a man generally does when he has made a fool of himself.

"Of oourso not," I should say," he said. "He is much too artful, and would be careful to do nothing from which collusion with an accomplice could be inferred. No, you may depend upon it, he has received his information from another source. Ha ! the directory."

"No," I interposed, "I'm not in the directory. I did not come hero till January, and had been out of England for some time; so that won't do."

"By Jove! You're about right, I fancy," I replied. "It was a narrow squeak, and I deserved all I got for being such an egregious ass." "I will not contradict you," said. Fenton sententiously. Then, with a laugh, he slipped his arm through my own, and we set off towards my chambers. "By the way," he asked presently, "do you think the scoundrel recognised you?" "I am confident he did not," I replied. "I saw his face but for an instant, while he was turning to enter tho cab. No, there's no fear of that." At tho.moment of arriving at my chambers, a man advanced to meet us. It was Morel. "Ah, well met, messieurs," he said, as he doffed his hat; "I have but just arrived. No news of our bird so far, but I fancy wo shall find his nest tonight." "I have seen him, my friend," i could not help saying. "Really!" exclaimed the Frenchman, making a slight movement hackward in his amazement. It was rarely that he allowed himself to show surprise. "You have seen him. And do you know his whereabouts?"

"Your club," suggested Fenton. "He could scarcely know it, but, if he did, they would not give a member's address to a stranger." My gaze fell upon the unopened letter on the table, as I spoke, and I seized it, saying: "This may throw some light upon the question. It is from Morton. Let us see what he says." T tore open the envelope, and began to read the contents. I read only the first few lines, when astonishment caused me to pause, and share the surprise witE mv companions. "Of all the soft-brained fools," I said, "listen to this." I read the letter aloud to them : "My Dear Sir, —1 have the most extraordinary, well-nigh incredible news to communicate. This morning a clerk brought, me a card that bore the name of —prepare yourself for a shock—Major Henry F. Denver, with the name of his regiment. You may imagine my surprise. At first I was simply dumfounded; then suddenly I bethought myself of course this was the impostor for whose coming I had in a measure been prepared some weeks ago by our mutual friend, Mr Smith.

I told him all the circumstances. "Next," he said, "did he see you?" I reassured him on that point, and he resumed:

"My friend, you were born under a lucky star; that fall which extricated you from an awkward dilemma proves it. More criminals slip through the fingers of the police through overeagerness than through tardiness of action. It is fortunate that no harm has heen caused bv it on this occasion.

" 'Ha!' thought I, 'l'll soon unmask you, you'll rue the clay when you tried this game n me.' And, with a good deal of pleasurable excitement at the prospect of the man's discomfiture, I instructed the clerk to show him in. Half a minute later in walked—Major Denver —yes, my old client, Denver, whom I had never doubted T had seen dead and buried! "For the moment I thought it was his spectre; I was never in all my life so taken back. Before I had found my tonguo he was shaking me vigorously by the hand. 'Glad to see you,' he said. 'l've come back hearty and strong!' Then, noticing my bewilderment, lie went on, 'But you don't look quite up to the mark. What's the matter with you? Do you take me for my ghost? Upon my word, I believe you do!' And he broke in with the hearty laugh that I know so well, although it is long since I had heard it. "By this time I had somewhat recovered mvself. 'I am very glad to see you.' I said, 'but you will admit that it is rather startling to find one's

Fenton interposed with the observation that the street was not a dis-1 cussioh forum, and moved that the de-' bate should stand adjourend until we had mounted the stairs to my room; so I led the way, and let them in with my latchkey.

A second surprise awaited us, for, on the marble slab of the hat stand lay a visiting card, and a letter that had come by mail. With a sort of idle curiosity I took up the first; a glance at it made me start, and caused my whole frame to thrill. Never had printed words given "me such a shock. The card bore the name "Major Henry F. Denver," Late Twenty-third Rifles." There was no address. "Great Scott!" I exclaimed. "He lias been here. Look! This is his card." "Fitzgerald!" both my companions exclaimed together. "Well, he calls himself Denver here —the impudent scoundrel," I rejoined "Perhaps, after all, he's entitled to," laughed Fenton. "Suppose it was the impostor whom you buried?" "Oh, that's rot," I exclaimed, a little rougrWv "Asnf I couldn't recognise my iend!" All J .his „nile we had been standing in the lobby; I now picked up the letter that had been lying by Fitzgerald's card, and led the way into the sitting room. I brought out the whisky and glasses, and we sat down to discuss the latest phase of the "affaire 1 Fitzgerald," as the Frenchman stvled it. "Well," he said,, "our friend has opened the ball; ho shall have the dancing to his heart's content. It is clear your eyes did not deceive you to-night, Mr Grey. It is something to know for a fact that ho is in London, and on tho move. Our period of inaction is at an end." "Here's to his speedy capture," I exclaimed. Wo clinked' glasses, and drank, and I resumed : ['l wonder ho didn't scribble an appointment on his card, since it's plain ho wants to meet me?" "I don't," rejoined Morel. "Ho

1 self face to face with a man whose funeral one has attended. At this he laughed again boisterously. 'lt is,' I grant.' he said, 'lint we'll soon put all that business right. I'm only sorry that the scoundrel who personated me is beyond the reach of punishment. But the marvel is, how you, an astute lawyer, could have been deceived. You may imagine rijy astonishment when I read the account of my own death in the papers. I wired you at once. You got my cablegram ? I told him I had, and he continued. 'And how's dear old Grey? I should have called on him, but I had not bis address. You will give it to me ? I did so, and no. doubt you will see him soon. "Then we chatted about old friends and old times, and other matters familiar to our friend Denver

"To sum up, he convinced me, if I had ever doubted after seeing him, that he was indeed the man whom he professed to be. It is impossible for any living man to be the absolute counterpart of Denver, other than the man himself. Height, build, features, expression, tone of voice and laughter, all are Denver's, and Denver's only. How the other fellow can have taken us in beat,? me; and you will say the same when you have seen him. * No doubt this will make a great difference in your prospects, but, knowing how dear a friend you are of Denver's, I am confident that any disappointment at your pecuniary loss will he more than compensated by your pleasure in the knowledge that your friend is still iilive. "Major Denver's return will necessarily involve certain legal formalities, of which you shall have due notice. . Your? faithfully, William Morton." "What do you think of that harebrained effusion?" I asked, wli-en I had finished. "I like his coolness in assuming that T shall meekly adopt his views." I laughed contemptuously at the notion. (To be CcntinuedV