A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10563, 20 February 1912, Page 2

A DEEP GAME. OR THE HONOUR OF THE TREVELLANS.

OUR SERIAL.

By Mr# Da Winter Biker, Author of "The Sin of Oarine," "Sir Blandford'fl Protegee," "For Weial or .Woe," etc.

CHAPTER XXXlll—Continued. ' Sir Eric crossed to the bureau and took out a bunch of telegrams. He selected the one required and handed it over.. Cole scrutinised it carefully "Did .you notice where this was handed in? " lie asked. ■ "Yes Aklgate Post Office, wasn't it?" replied Sir Eric. "Didn't that strike you as remarkable ?" . . , „ "L never gave. it a thought. dear old boy—Jove 'lias indeed made you blind! ' Xorliuui Colo smiled broadly. "Ever been in Aklgate?" "I know Where it is, but I can't-sav that I ihave over visited tbe East End."". "Well, if vou had, you would knowit would hardily be the kind of neighbourhood that a young lady of nineteen would bo liked y to visit to send a telegram from." 'Wihat arc you driving at Norman? Eric's excitement was rising again.

'Can't you see? The. telegram is as much a forgery as the note. Lattice had as little to do with either as you or I." «'Phen—then; —who wrote the letter —who sent the telegram? is ■ Lettice ? Oh, I say, let us stop this infernal questioning and get t<4 business. It's absolute torture to sit still and do nothing while that dear girl might be in danger at this very moment." Eric jumped up again and .began to pace irritably up and down the room. "Have you not formed any theory—good heavens man —don't you realise the gravity of the situation? Has she been kidnapped or what? Oh speak, for goodness' sake, say something." In his agitation the young man's, voice rose to a high, quavering pitch. "Yes—l have something to saysomething to ask you." Norman Cole rose and faced his friend. "I want yoii to show mo over the castki," • "Show you over the'castle. Eric's jaw .dropped. . His'•••face wor? .an. injured .look' "Wihat—with:, .iiy somewhere in London—-kidnapped by some ruffian—or" perhaps lying in the hospital. I'm sorry, old (iiiap, Wit I must ask* you W" excuses I'm : goi»g to catch the next train-up to London from the station, I- " Normaii Cole advanced and laid his hand on Eric's shoulder firmly. 'You are going to do oothing of the sort, Eric," said Cole-quietly, ""iou 'are going;to show me over the castle at once!' ' Something in his voice and look made Eric calm down in a moment. ■ ■ "

I ''Why?" he managed to gasp. I "Because T have formed a theory, •; and want to .{est It." \ ••* * , Positively declining t-0 enlighten his j friend any further, Cole insisted on j being shown round the castle, and irt -the end his firmness prevailed, as he had intended. from the first that it i should. This was the very first ,real live mystery lie had ever been called 1 upon to solve. Ho was determined to. go about it 'in' his own fashion. ) "I'm sure I don't know what' you ' expect to find here," . Eric muttered I gloomily;, as he led the way out of the hall. '"'For heaven's sake, don't tell ' me .that yon are going to ferret out ! that- mystery about 'Margaret-.' I'm i sick of the whole affair—never want to J hear about it again." ■ "My dear boy, I assure you I had. almost forgotten all about 'Margaret-,' | —Whoever she is," ,was Cole's fejoill--s>s he followed the young baronet J up the broad stftirettSe. 'V "Well—what do you want to see fil'Stf" Erie's question was by_ 110 mfetins graciously put, but his friend YviVs sensible enough to understand and to make no comment. He realised •that Eric could hardly ;be expected to be master of himself in face of this new and inexplicable mystery the disappearance of the girl he was going to msfrry. - ' "The only tiling that interests me .at present is the Black Room," and' •without further ado Eric led the way. up until they reached the long turret corridor. But the outer gate of the Black Room was securely locked this time, | and despite Eric rattling and shaking 110 one came to open it. , The noise, however, produced some result, for Grace Omer came hurrying round the corner from the dowager's ] room, and approached the two men. Her,.face was white. Cole m'ade a mental note that it was a whiteness from sliw "funk," "What is It, sir?" she asked breathlessly. • "Who has the key of this room.? asked Eric .sharply. Omer eyed him askance, and threw a ghwnee of open suspicion at his companion before replying. "Her ladyship, sir. She doesn't- allow anyone in there. She's asleep at present. I can't disturb her." "Yet you -seem to bo able to go in •and out of this room whenever you like, Omer!!'', began Eric when he felt his arm pinched from behind. "Oh, it really does not matter,".put in Norman Cole with a pleasant smile. "I was only being shown over the castle, and if this room is private I would not think of entering it. Come along, Eric;. Take me out to see the stables." Ho linked his arm in his friend's and dragged him away toward the stairs. Omer stared agape at the two departing figures. As soon as they were out of sight she drew a key from her pocket and opened the door of the Black Room and went in. "Danger ahead," she said. "I must j find Mark at once." i

CHAPTER XXXIV. ON THE TRACK AT LAST. Cole whistled softly to himself as he descended the stairs in company with Eric. He asked to be taken out into the castle grounds and refused to answer any questions. "I am doing all the questioning this journey," was the only answer that he would give. "Now —I have seen Omer, and think I have sized her up. Tel! me some .more about Jason!" Eric proceeded to relate all lie knew. He told the story of the strange light nl the pillar in the dispel on the night previous to Lattice's departure. Immediately Cole asked to be shown tho pillar. But the chapel screen was locked when they came to it. Cole smiled grimly but said nothing. Guided by Eric he now visited the Limo Tree Walk and examined tho East Wing. ' 'I suppose that is tbe window of tho Black Room," he said, pointing up to a deep-mullioned window just beneath the eaves of the castle.' There were three similar openings in a row, and' Eric, after pondering for a little while, picked out the first as the one belonging to the Black Room. Norpxan Cole suddenly paced backward, liis eyes fixed aloft. Back and back lie went, then stopped and beckoned to Eric.

'Got a pair of field glasses?" he asked. •

Eric dived into tho house and came out with jx pair of race glasses in a leather case. 1 Wonderingly he watched his friend focus them on the window of the Black Room as 1$ thought. "Any children round about here?" asked Norman, adjusting the glasses and handing them back. "You mean iri; the house ? There are generally one or two knocking about the stables. The coachman Is a mar•ried mail." replied Eric. i ,H© had given 40 fathapinvth6; workings of his friend's miujd, and .aqqyiesped>at once, invWoody" silence when Cole asked .to be taken round to the stables. . ' .

• : f.Th% found agroup : of small chil-dren-merrily playifig at "horses" with reins and an old bit. * "Hello, kiddies," was Cole's; cheery greeting., "Like this game better than flying latest or balloons?" Immediately the group fell into an awed and' awkward-silence, as children \yill when disturbed at their games by gi'own-ups. The eldest of the party—a youth of. some six summers—looked 'up gravely. - ; "We ain't got no kites nor balloons neitliet'," his distrustful and dis--1 gusted reply. I "What! flown a kite?" The amateur detective drew a shilling from his pocket. "Here, you go right off and buy one. You "will find it splendid fun." ' ; He patted each on the head in turn, /i'Cien irejoined Eric, who had been watching this procedure with growing impatience. "Is there\any way of getting onto the roof of the castle?" Cole asked. '"Look; here," growled the young baronet, "I have had enough, of this. I wish you would take me into your ; confidence. we enough mys- [ tery as it'is, tfithout'all this tomfoolery about kites and things?" ""pole smiled a -superior sort of asmile. .••"I-.think I can promise to show you something that will interest .you, if you let me get onto the roof of the castle." . , "What are you going to do? &how me the scenery from that elevation, or*examine the chimney pots? Eiie laughed sarcastically. , • "Chimney pots?—not all of tliem--■orily one,'' was • his cryptic Eric's buigih died away in his throat. The re was a note of determination—of discovery—in his friend's voice that had not'been thero before. ' ] "Come along then, -therms a spiral staircase at tho back of the west wing. Sort of fire-escape affair. I remember climbing it when I was a kid." With new eagerness lie caught his friend by tho'arm, and together the two men. rushed out of the stable yard and made- for "th e west wing of tbe castle. •

, CHAPTER XXXV. ON THK 1H)0F. . A gentle breeze blew over the turreted roof of Trevellan Castle. :It sported playfully with a little paper bag that appeared to lie tied to one.of the chimney pots. Puff —the little bag strained at the woollen rope, then dropped mournfully over "the side as the wind dropped away. The flimsy spiral staircase at the' back of the west >yin.g quivered and. swayed with the unaccustomed strain of rushing footsteps as Eric and his friend wound their way up to the topThey looked for all the world like a couple of spinning mice in a cage as they revolved their way upward at frantic speed, Eric leading, and Norman close upon his heels. They stood breathless at last upon the Hat battlements. They were a pair of adventurers in a forest of chimney pots. (To be Continued.)