The Dark House at Highgate

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10683, 1 August 1912, Page 2

The Dark House at Highgate

OUP SEKIAL.)

C.iiABTK-Ii VIL— Continued

Tliat we wore a. little Tato. for lunch 111 -1 clay -iypa, perhaps, oxeus'ablo ; and t'-hac ive were both a Ittle annoyed Id find that 'Mr Thorn its K-sdaiio was to srhnro till at repast with us was, I think, <q>a • fly pardonable. It appeared that Mrs Kettering, the kinder ead iea.'/fc suspicious ci' women, had detained the young man i\& he war", pasoing the gate, and he had expressed concern, at the oonstructio'..i whieli had been put upon his evidence'at the inquest:. No doubt lie -would act his part skilfully, and seem to the anxious mother of the bracelet's young .scamp a sensible and sympathetic periS')ii. So an invite,ticJi to .stay to hmch was given and accepted; and when Anne, with t:.!l-ta!e face, entered the dining room and apologised for uupu'nctuailil'y, he it.*a moodily to shake hands wit-h her. guessed how mittens steed, and, with hardened .faco, 'Sat down again to \i':ds 1: s mortification, by addressing him-.e.t exci'usively to Airs Kettering. Later, when he and I were alone, with our coffee and cigarettes, after a few trite remark.'-;, he said wudden-

CHAPTER YUI

LOT -221

"I suppose I ought to congratulate you, -Mr Kyon.lt; but as .1 can't do it with a good grace, i think I'd better say HiOtihing. Aiiss Kettering has told you, no lolnubt, tliat I' was once stupid enough to think T might stand a cbence miys'elf."

"Alfes Kettering to I'd me on one ooeasic'.i, 'wi'.u some diet rose., tk'at you hod been a little persistent," I said, severely, "aiid had even indulged in seme scarcely veiled thn-at.s as to how voiir ill will' might alfeet her broth-

"Yes," he replied, "-no doubt she ■would put it that way; Aliss Kettering is nu."r(> .sensible than, mos't girl.s

e:p.e meets; but, like all women, she's hound to be unfair to any one against whom ?he's prejudiced. I made no tr.trea.to. I pouted cut that I might he cal'led upon to give some evidence to which thick-witted jurors might attach undue importance, and said if f could siiippresjj that evidence for anybody'., fake it would he for hers. But ¥:iat, a.s a moderately honest parson, .1 couldn't ihj'jkl my tongue; and i}askoat her to think no worse of me for that—filiates, all."

Tt was a. little lame, this explanation, and it hardly accorded with what Atmc had told me; but- I fcl.ir/npSht the nrm meant to apologise, so far as his pride we.uj.l allow him. for bae.l conduce; and, being in a eom,r. 'ace'iit mood ni-'yeot, I agi'eed to regard the- incident as closed. .But .1. felt that It was vi ry int.prob iblo that ALr l'ki;!,.iii ; - a,nd myeeif ueuld over ci>me to cn.tori-ain any cordial I'cg'ai'd f v one another.

I had fully made up my mind to g j to London and try to s.ive Tony ifrenv his De'lilah, hut delayed one day in order to attend a fjale of some of tlio effects of tihe- late Air Betsavorth. Jt would be sad to see the old art co-Hector's' reas.v.ires dispersed, re-in-em'b.oriii'g iiis pleasure in them ; but

P'roba'bly lie himself would have preferred that thoy *hr.ulß fall into tlic Siaiuls' of those who knew how to np- ,] ireciate them properly, rather than that they should be merely scrambled for hv dealeir.s.

There wore several of the latter fraternity present when 1 entered the lir.oso on the- day of the sale, together with a* good ninny local people, some drawn thither by morbid curiosity, some by a genuine desire to buy. 'For itny own part I. wa-s thinking much of a- house in St'. John's Wood or .Hamp.stead that 1 expected to have ito ifr.rn.v.ih -shortly ; no I pushed my Avay-info the parlour, where' the auction had just commenced, intent on fieouring bargains. The auctioneer's chair a.n,d desk had been mounted on a big table, and ihe overlooked the crowd, with a keen 'Watchful eye, gonial, .brisk, .thorough .in x or of tho sitnaiton. "Any. bid for this handsome mah.ogany .whfatnot?" he waft clamoirring, adding, as if in, so'lioquy, "Xow, I call this rcaNy handsome. A little oldifas'hioned, but -mahogany's 'coming in again. Do to show off your Dresden china. Turn it he-other way round, Jo-hn," .this in a mock aside, "and they won't notice tliat the leg is chipped." 'The porter turned it about, unmoved by professional facetiousnes-s, and 1, who was in. a mood to-da.y to be iim.iii.sed by anybody's.jests, smiled indulgently. "I reckon that's a right smart man," feaiel a slightly drawling voice in mv ear.

1 turned sharply. Beside me stood .Ri.niington, the stout American, whom 1 had suspected, on somewhat shadowy evidence, of doubnful behaviour

BY DERWENT MIALL. A tJior of "Lady Rosalie's Legacy," "Bellamy's Wamitig," "The Strange Case "i Yincent Hume," "In the-We;)." Etc Etc.

<>n the night of m v ik is",\ cri-hy' mysterious d(ath.

;lt .startled mo to istc him Mic.rc\ and I way further surprised that a man., looking so ill should attend a public sale and permit himself to, be elbowed in a rostl'os* crowd. For the American doctor's face way puffy and gray, his lips twitched enr;vousl,v. and he .seemed to bo billowing under the at rests of some excitement. Bui, if lu'y presence astonished mo, life conduct wets destined a little later in astonis-h me a good deal more.

When J had recovered somewhat from the surprise of seeing Doctor KiriKugt'an, I thought to ask after his pjut-it nt—the. iiia.n who .had been with him the dollv Firmer Inn.

"I've «ent him back to his friends," he replied. "I'm glad to gay I've made a eatisfactory euro in liiy case. 1 only got news of fins' s-nle this morning, and c.-me straight from Londo,n to attend if. There should be seme stuff worth having. Was there a. private view?" ''Yes," I faid, yejstorday." "Ah! J wish I. had known in time," «,■'.id ivimington. "To buy books l , for exa,ni.plo, without handling them first is like buying a. pig in a poke."

''There a-re no- valuable hooks to lj. offered." I observed. "Mr Betsworth, it appears., was no book collector. But .he bought pictures- by 'living men, too— an excellent eccentricity."

ifn, spite of instinctive distrust of lii rain g ton, I found myself talking to him in quite an amiable tpirit, for Jiow could I be otherwise than beiiigiKiiiiii and amiable when en.gaged in buying things' for a heme that was to he provided over by Anne? ii.'t'hongh he had come all the way Cevum London for the purpose, the American made no hidis. Once, I re-momhe-r, I a.'-ked him if he found the room too wasm; ft)-r, iiheugh a stout man, lie looked very ill, turning the pages of his catalogue feverishly ant! incesshntly, with a restlessness "that told of shattered nerve?:'.' It wa.s as the/ugh tlie piiysic an had caught his late patient'.-, painful disorder.

Some small assorted lots were p;u up near the end of the ."ale, and, reflecting that sreli trillcs as toasting forks and filters Avcre a.s nece-fj.sary in a properly eonstituted heme as- ea.re

tiables, picture?;., and Venetian J made a fe.w !: : '.s f'sr mi-ccllLuieou: ■t,rifles.

"Lot 1:2.!," erie;! the auetio-aocr and the American eageriy tamed t I;::-; cita!( ; gi:e and re'ad: ~ot 211— Braisa toasting fork. Bmai'i j>pli':t- «t-f,-vi . 'Small ml etove. Tea caddy." "Half a drown," fa id seme one.

"Five shillings,," I -cried, and the 'ln became mine. "One minute, .John," is.-id the auctioneer to the man who wao putting te article,s aside with the rest of nn.y purchases, "isn't there a key to that dittle cabinet!' See what's inside- we can't afford to give anything aw-ay. Locked, isn't it!'" "Yqs, s'ir, the key's lost,"

"Oil. very welL we must make the gentleman a present of the dia-iivon-dfe," fiaid th.e auctioneer. "Fut the next lot on the tabl'e." A strident vecie at tlvls moment rose hig'h above the auctioneeli-'s : "See here, sir, that little cabinet should iliavo been included in lot 222." It was Bimington wlio spoke, nd J saw tliat lie was referring to the little cabinet that fluid heen in eluded in lot 221. "Mistake in the catalogue," 'rejoined the auctioneer, importirrbably. " 'Tea caddy' g-hoiflcl read 'te? ':abinet.' llhe 'Cabinet 'in this l next lot is altogether a superior article. Ebony, John, isn't it? Open it. Only painted deal? Csever mind; it'll do to ikeep love lettdiis in just as well. '.rieire you are, sir, a better cabinet than the .other. Do you say ten shillings, for a start!' Worth a guinea by itself, without the bracket lamp." But Kimjngton did not say ten shillings. (To be Continue..,