The Dark House at Highgate

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10678, 26 July 1912, Page 2

The Dark House at Highgate

'OUR SERIAL.) J

BY DERWENT MIALL. Author of "Lady Rosalie's I.oi:acy," "Bellamy's Warning," "The Strange Case vi Yincont Hume," "In the We a. " Etc Etc.

CHAPTI<:R: 111. Coninucd. A ah'.ivt walk took ,me from iho farm to Holly Lodge, u ros-c-co-ve.red hnn-v, with lattice windows a.nd a h'Jaurd'al thatch, and I found my.-v.of priv:T.-:ly ■hoping that tlio drains wire all right knowing that good sanitation docs not always go witiii -a picturcr-quo aj>;k;::aneo, and Molly Lodge ic-oked like- ,\ cottage on a ChriMtmivs carl. ] stepped into a garden fringed with forget-me-nots and blood-red wall fib wors'. 1 hero way'a' ■trim lawn, a holly hedge blocking out a tpao'ou.-; kikhen garden, an ;vrh'>r, rose-clad, like, the house, and cawing rooks, novel-: ng over the great trees beyond tho garden. A'nno dame o : ut of the arbor when fiie heard the latch of the gate .vonitd, pasi-ing by a tall young man i',l!o liad .been loaning against the doorframe of tho arbor, 'a;?d who 'Stood avjicfe to let lier cut. I felt an o'dd 'catching .-f ik breath when I saw hoi 1 , cool and pi'etty in a holla rid dress, the dlmp ! ilos in evidence. I had 'never expeefcod Aiiine, or anybody else, to affect mo 'like. that. . " ' ' • "If I were to paint yw-r garde.i, Anne, for a ...luruner magazine, you woukl jay 'it was too pretty to' be real," I said, .meeting lior on the ■ gravel. "How are you?" . "How arj on, Peter?" She smile-1, but there was something amiss. !;i----stt,n ctively i looked over my .shoulder at the yo..ug man who was slowly foSlowiu'g her up the garden path. I own I did not feel prepossessed in his favour. He was a heavy lookling ma>:i, with dark eyes and hair, and eyebrows that nchrly met over ■lris nose; and ho had a well-fed, wellkept appearance, Suggestive, somehow,'of animal courage and latent- in- I e-olenee. After he had favoured with a fetony stare, Aune introduced ' ■us. I "Mr Ryeroft, an old friend <f j mine; Mr Esdail'©," she said. And we bowed with that -charm l-ig-ly polite and offmnvc manner f-.r ] which Englishmen' are so widely ad- | mired on the Continent. i Then, "1 must be going-, Mi.ss Kettering," he said immediately. "I've got to call at the station. No, thanks, I won't wait for tea." lib nodded to me, and '.strode to the garden gate, where his horse wa«> waiting. "Neighbour?" i' asked, laeonicdlv.

"Yes," replied • Anne, "in a sense. He's home, on leave." Then she led me into the arbor, ..nd the- troubled look that I had notice:! in 'her eyes vanished for a t ; me as ?he put questions about people we footh , *kaew'iin Lone. on-. "Bnt it returned again' later. Mindful ;of my duty, I asked aft or Mrs Kettering. "Mothor is, indoo:"'- with sick headache," said Anne. And Tony? He'fe here now, i-n t he?" "Yes. He lias gone to the police station to see if he c-an learn, .anything frofh abo-;it Mr Il'etsworth. "A;h! T3u.it seems to be a very had biKiincfos," I exclaimed. "I mnly ra-ade M'r 'Be.t]Sworth'<\ acq in intaaee yesterday; and now Wc-31, .mor old Ifellowi" "Don't—oh, don't!" cried Anne ■auddcnly; "J. can' [bear it. I '' Her agitation and the p'allor of Ivor face 'startled me. "Why, Anne," I said; "I'm very oorry. I had no idea' he w:.is a great friend yours." "It's not that," die, replied, in a .stifled voice. "But I'm fright-m----cd." Evldeiirtly there was som'e imyoiicry afoot. Wliy v.<as Am no eo profoundly affected by the tragedy? CHAPTER IV.. COXCKRiXtNG TONY. A '"ttle 'later, while In the parlour with Petei', Anne grew composed again, and spoke about the de:id man. "To'ny ikneiv 'him v'ory well, thoiyh mother and I ..veklom .saw him," s/,e said. "He /rather .avoided -women, I think; ;but ljh:'« lias come as a shock to me, little a,s I knew of him." "Is. that !-;T.I .that is troubling you," 1 asked after a .pause. " "Of course, I'm 1 sorry," rcpliad A.nne uneasily," and there w'as a minute's constnaint— a thing very mmvsual 'between us in the ekl da.w. I wondered- if Anne >hi;d changed m-uch. ri'hat is the worst of alienees. It is iso hard to pick np a friemdisliip precisely where it aw-s dropped. "Did you wild anytliing to the Academy thi„ year?" I suddenly asked. "Yes— lit came hack," siaid Anne,

"Only a little thing —cattle K r a ford." ' ' "

'I he irrival of Anne's mother, n;iinoir.ioing tliat tea wa.s ready, ocoasjioiifd a break in i'he con vers >.- jtiou. While the table wa<s hei.-u I laid, in' the arbor, I considered A.-i'.;: compaiv-hmately. Wa.v she i'r.tti'-i over her picture— ;■>, victim of d>appointed ambition ? Scineho.v 1 i;:iralways thouglit her braver than :h:\i ■ though, to he sure, I remembered the time when tho of t!K Hanging Committee had sp;/J.ed b-:v:Ji my npetite a.nd any temper. But whew Aline came to pour on: tho t:a I noticed that her h v U i shook, and .said to .myself: "No, it Ismoothing more t!<«.u the ip.'car.v.'' J leaned .forward, inviting a return of her old eoniidon'tial manner. "A'nii:e." I. said, "what b troubling yo<u? Ma.s Mr Ibdailc anyth-a? ' to do with it?" Anno looked ;i.t me boldly, a do'ib.l < near her lips; -then she bowed forward suddenly, with her face in her .hands., and wept. And I, who had never soen her do anything of the kind before, fell both fluttered and frightened in her ; ptresejiee., anil as astounded o,s I | should (have 'been Wad one of my niah friends behaved in a. s'niilar manner. "It's Tony," *he wailed. I felt relieved. Tony was hen brother, and Tony's debts and Tony'? love affairs had been the shame ami -scandal of this relative for some time ! past; although, ."rimchow, Tony always failed to strike a tragi;: note, as J, personally, viewed matters. Traily was absurd-, rather th m a terrible example, and I, to whom he sometimes poured out lib troubled heart, bore with him because he wad Anne's brother, and becau.se I rath 1 ." liked him for his engaging ways. When Tony ramped up and down my Oholsei. studio with more than convenient vehemence, I would tell him to clear cut; and Tony always went, quite meekly. Latterly he. had elected to spend some time at his mother'.; ■houro in the country— urged thereto by a need for economy, no doubt; for • t'ouv loved the citv.

"My dear Anne," I .said, "what h.u Tony iheen doing, -now? I[e i»s it'll reading law, isn't ;he?" Oh! Yes—stiLV replied An.ne. av if the process hrd hcon a long one - which, in point cf tact, it had. "Xiow, te'll me," I urged, "what ■ is "the trouble this time? Is it money?" i "No," said Anne, dolefully. "Then is it love?" "N:>, ::ide:-d," replied v An.ne. "Will! you tell me, then, what a i*?" "Yes, Peter, T will." ftii'3 took her hands from lier face and ll>oked at me steadily. "I'm, glad you've come, because otherwise I yhculd have had to keep it i.f1.1 to myself, and it frightened me." I felt -an uniiecustomod glow of exultation.- I (liked uncommonly to think 1 could he helpful to Ainne. "It's about Mr Petsivorth," she began. "He w,as a kind old man—1-' prosy a.iiJJ 1 nice, you know. He used to give Tony good advice." "Good heavens!' I've give!n hi in ' heaps of that," I said. "Ann I -also 'prosy and nice?' '' "Tony dined with h.im last night," she -went on. -"He wa.s proba.hly the last porsrm who saw him alive! It sems so dVeadfii*. He'll have to be at—the " "The inquest!" Well, go on." •"He stayed ili-te because of the storm; and 'Mr Esdaile met him coming out of the gate. Mr Esdiaile says Tony - a.9 excited 'and angry. He hardly spoke to iim, h'ut he is sure Tony was upset about something ami looked wihite and' strange." "Well?" "And Mr Esdaile says it Avas Tony'ipistol that was found he fide the body." j "Tony's pistol'!" I eyied inovluntarily, having a vague notion- that J many nn iimccent man. had been brought to destruction by ''circunis'tautial evidence. •'"Mr Esdailo was there this mornhug; he lives iitar Mr Betsworth's house, and he recognised the pistol, but nobody eke did." I began to feci uneasy on Tony's account. (To be Continued.)