The Swoop of the Vulture

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10716, 9 October 1912, Page 2

The Swoop of the Vulture

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CM A ITER- XXVI. (Continued.) in this 'quandary ~P . m l the rattle of machinery, an. !, lovd "toot-toot" under the window. He jumped up and looked out. -Thank Heaven! '1 hero's hairr«ives with his Pan-hard." He ran downstairs just as tin big {'ortv-'horse-poA-er motor, owned hy ],is 'partner, stopped p»nt:np a« «h« door. Ho snatched his cap oil tae , peg' in the hall as ho ran out au<, , hailed his friend. ,„,„ ; "Hello, Enstone," exclaimed Har.rresieves "what's wrong?" " "It\ evorvthing that's serious to me Haa-greaves, I want that car, , and there isn't a moment to waste. Got reudv; I'll tell you as wo go along. I'm twenty five miles from En stone, and sixty miles from Newcastle, and I must catch the vlock t? cr gpt n f special. ,It'is :.dmeth-uig nidre 'tbaii A MU* doaili to me!" "Jump up. and I'll liars you hi [ Newcastle inside of eighty minutes. | By tho Lord Harry, this is just the 'sort of fun I like." | The horn tooted, and the great motor car hounded forward and vanished in a cloud of dust away down the long country road. They caught the London express, with ten minutes to spare, and H»rgreave.s accompanied his partner to the end of tho journey. Unfortunately their luek had changed. While driving to Charing Cross station, a cab accident, caused the loss of the boat train by moments only. Enstone swore to- no purpose. A special could not bo trot ready in time, so finally he and HargreaveS. went to Colonel Rowel-Graver's house and were glad to find the ItowelGrovers at home. Thev wore naturally surprised to see En stone, who was "not expected back for two or thre" days. He ap" 1 "< r :/.c A d for Ins solder; ''inva-iion. "in Induced his friend, and with hi:; usual directness $-<;t to business at once. To his disgust, but not .altogether j to his astonishment, lie learned that they 1 ; knew nothing of Grace's departure for the Continent. All that Mrs Grover could tell him was that the princess had brought a message from Grace to herself and Lady Georgina. t~ the effect til at Grnee had bee,n a little overcome with the heat and had a headache, so she was Iving down for half an hour, wih the j princess' maid looking after her. "Then that settles it," said Eistono. "If this trip had been all fair and square, Grace would certainly not have sent such a message as that to vou. Instead of that, the princess brings vou a message, which i is probably n lie. sends the carriage i home for Lucy and some luggage, I and vneishes." i "Tt i«. very extraordinary," she reI plied, "but the idea of her being tak-j I en away' against her will is surely' out of 'the question. This is the twentieth century, Mr Enstone, not the eighteenth.'' 5 ■ 1 "Yes." he eo''tiVned. "but money can still work mirncHes." j "But Enstone." said the colonel, ■ "people don't run sveh a tremend-J mis .risk- as that of aWucting one of the he«t-V.nown women in society. | without some very strong motive, and what reason could Siemens have for such an amazing act?" "Quickly explained," Enstone said. Then he gave an outline of his suspicioiif ?.-i to Siemens' identity with the desperado Ranfiekl, nnd the means he had taken to satisfy himself on the point. "Now." he continued, "if I am right, and he knows it, he is just the man to go to any length for his self protection." "Granted all that, but how did they get her away unless she were willing? As Fanny said, you ean't carry well-known women off to the coast, and put them en ■board a yacht nowadays: and. besides, they've gone to Paris. 7 haven't the slightest doubt you wilPhear from her in the morning." "I wish I could believe it." said Enstone. "Good heavens! T believe "I've got it," he exclaimed, suddenly getting tin from his chair. "That follow Izah-Ramal at the Institute! Tie has the same uncanny powers as Halkino had, and at one time Grace was very susceptible to hypnotic influence, and perhaps he suggested the trip to Paris. She would go just as though she went of her own free will. No one would notice anything out if the way about her. and they could take her where they liked. That's what they've done!" Harold had got nearer to the facts

BY OWEN'MASTERS.

Author of "His Heart's Besir e," "One Impassioned Hour," "Captain Emlyn's Bride," "The Deveieli Heritage," "Xbo Ironmaster's Daughter" eta.

than any of hi.7. hearers believed, ;;:xl l:was well for him tnat he did not iv:o,v Lhe whole of the horrible truth. He wanted all ids energy and wits about him if Grace was to he found, and the knowledge that sho was th'.reaoenoc|. by the hideous fate to which Cara Natieff and her husband had doomed her might well have gone far toward unhinging hi,s mind for the time l>oiiig. "Tihere might be something in th.it," said Mrs Grover. "Every one says that Doctor Bamal possesses remarkable powers; hut, Mr Enstone, I am convinced that ho would never use them for such an abominable purpose as that." "For my wife's wake I hope not," Harold groaned; then ho turned to Hargreaves. "Yeu bad .better sleep ai my place. You must help mo to see this thin*; through,'>" "I'm ready,» 'l'm hi your service, also, if ] can be of the least use," the colonel put in. "I'll wire to every hotel in Paris until I find where thev are stopping. There's a telegraph offieo here, open both day and night, and I'll find the operator something to do!" .Enstone a nd Hargrea.ve s ' drove to Prince's Gardens almost in silence, only broken now and then by the tenngs which escaped Harold's tightly clenched teeth. His friend knew > what Jus feelings must be. and respected them. Ho had not been married quite a s lon K as Enstone so it was not difficult for him to sum up the situation. (To be Continued.)