Was He the Man?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10227, 2 May 1911, Page 2

Was He the Man?

OUR SERIAL.

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

CHAPTER XXlV.—Continued.

Though I should never bo able to forget what I had seen, it wou.d be the memory of a dream, rath" I than tho memory of a real tragedy; ' and if tho new hopes already spiing- ! ing up in my heart were but ixaliz- ' ed, even to the extent of Kat'.ilc.m s ( i consent that I should try to win her from tho past to tho future, I had I but littlo fear that the influence jof her presence and the sweet labour of ' love would effectually strengthen the mind that had teen polluted ani enfeebled by the exercise of Fitzgerald's hateful and mysterious influence over j inc. | When I got back to my hotel I cas not a little surprised to find a letter from Fenton waiting for me. He knew of my intention to go to Egypt, but I had told him that I should pr"eeed south directly, and yet here was a letter addressed to Paris. X opiened it and read: . "Temple, December "16th, 1SS — My Dear Crey: lam t • spend Christmas in Paris, and shail cvo'io tomorrow —Wednesday—by way (.f Calais. Morel, who has been in London for twenty-four hours, on business, i will cross with me. If you havo not ] started yet, I'should bo glad if you will fold tho pinions of love for another'night, and let us spend •' he vrcning with you. Ido not wire, as Ido not want to stop you possibly <>n the point of departure. But if this catohes you, and you will stay, I. can p-o----miso you a complete clearing up of the mystery attached to Denver s double. } ours erer, "Arthur Fenton '

. pHAPTER XXV.

CLEARING UP 1 HE MYSTERY

It was ten o'clock on the evening nf the day when I had received Fent-ju t> letter. He, Morel and I had diiiei! together in a private room at my hotel and we were now seated over our aft«r dinner coffee. We had discussed the execution which I had witnessed chat morning, whpn Fenton drew a iqtog* envelope frc#m his breast pocket, and took from ,it a manuscript of several pages., "You have seen this before," he remarked to me, "but you are quite ignorant of its contents. It is the comunication you received from poor BurtoK tbe day before he and Rotsson were found in the Thames. You remember that you handed it to me without looking at it. In ordinary circumstances you would have been eager to read it; but just then you were so completely under the influence of the man who died this morning that your interest in the case was entirely deadened, save as regard the artificially implanted anxiety to prove that Fitzgerald was Major Denver. Barton's sudden disappearance was inexplicable to us, and we at once suspected foul play; but you had already had reason to believe that Burton coald not l;:ive come forward as <t witness without placing himself in' grave danypr, in fact, without losing his liberty, " and, perhaps, his life." "ItesJ" I repliwi, "he did uijti? to me and tell me something of the sort, but my recollection of all that passed just then is-now so hazy and confused that I could not tell what he said."

"This ruarrascrip''; explains everything; but, before'we go through it, I think Morel had Jbetter satisfy your curiosity ais to his arrest of Fitzgerald amd the influence which that individual managed to exert over you to such strange effect." .'That is just what I should like "explained bi-fora a iy tiling else. 1 ' "To begin .with,' said Morel,' "I should say that I was absolutely oor--vinced that Fitzgeiald-was Fitag nuld and not Major Denver, from tho moment ho appeared on tho scene. I knew the true of your a roam vision of the horsebreudng at Gravesend. It Was lot evidence, in law, for law and fact are. two very different things., I have studied the'ociut aspects, of human nature for severalyears, not only professionally, but for my own terest. I at once saw, Mr Grey,.that, with your highly developed nervcil organism, you were what is, in spiritualism, called an excellent medium. 'Several facts in Fitzgerald's previous career had given me a itrong impression that he v.'as a practical hypnotist of great, natural force. At ofce time ho and Robson broke into the house at Gravesend, you were phy.a

j cally asleep, and, your as- ; tral self was freed from che rosvn;ing influenco of its corporeal other ; self. All your thoughts were, at that period, concentrated o*> : l:o Donvrr case. Similarly, all Fitzgerald's wore just then concentrated on you, for, - as far as he knew, the success or fails ure of his schemes depends! i.n y:u. ' * That night was a crucial noi it, for lh> ' undoubtedly entered the umuv to ob- : tain possession of the private papers : and other things which \ve> 3 ri'ccssj ary to establish his identity with Ma- - jor Denver. In fact, on I hesc, and i on the influence to which he meant to ■ subject you, he depended to prqvo his case. i "Now, by some freak of & * unknown power, you witnesed tin whole scene. How this happened rioco not 1 matter, since the facts prove that all what you saw actually took place. Not only did tho button you fou«' 1 lea. I 1o the tracing out of Robson, 1 1 liavt actually found some of the late Ma. 1 or Denver's property among tho things that Robson left behind l.itn in his hiding place in a "Walworth slum, j when he found it necessary to disappear rather suddenly. "When Fitzgerald met you face to , face at Half Moon Street, he—without your knowing anything about it, laid you partially under hypnotic influence, and, by concentrating his mental force upon you after I had taken him to Bow Street, was able to strengthen the influence sufficiently to bring you to him in the prison cell. Once there, he obtained personal contact with you, and could make you do anyth'ing that he suggested. He . could not, however, keep:,awake indefi-; ' I nitely, and thus, as soon as he went {to sleep, his power over you weakened {sufficiently to allow your astral self a certain amount'of liberty. But his own thoughts at this time must have been very much occupied with Burton and Robson for he knew that Burton could prove beyond a doubt that he was not Major Denver; while, as for Robson, if ko were captured, and mado any disclosures, Fitzgerald's position would become very perilous. This, then, is my explanation of your exporiences lender Fitzgerald's influence. I do not say that it is absolutely err rect, but I hope I may claim for it that it is in fairly strict accordance with the facts." « For two or three minutes after Morel ceased speaking, I thought over his words in silence. Then I *«aid: • "Correct or not, I must grant that it tallies rot only vith the facts, but also with my own experiences in every detail. So I think we oi<iy accept fche explanatbi as true. And now i<Ti me about Fitzgerald's second arru&t." - j (To I)© GcntinneHV j