“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 December 1939, Page 12

“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

LESLIE BERESFORD.

Author of "Mr Appleton Awakes," "The Other Mr North,” etc.

CHAPTER 11. Continued. “Man. why don’t you get on with the speech-making? If it’s dried-up your tongue is, wet your whistle, and let the flow of words come.” Again the little man looked offended by this directness. It was evident that he still was not too happy over the presence of these two. He would have preferred to be with Peters alone. However, he stretched his mouth in a feeble grin, and sipped at the drink the Irishman had poured out and passed to him. “I can’t be hurried " he was beginning, when Peters interrupted. “Take your time, Mr Tucker,” he said. "O'Corrigan is a bit of a speedfiend. Don’t pay any attention to him. please. About this name of mine- —” “The fact is that your father bore the name of Peters,” the other explained, "and so passed it on to you. There was a reason, which I don’t suppose he ever told you. It is possible tiiat he did not foresee the truth coming to light.” "What truth?' Peters asked sharply. “I’m coming to it. Your father was the result of a secret marriage made close on three-quarters of a century ago, between a man of a wealthy family and a girl in a poor position of life. There was likely to be so much trouble over the marriage that it was never made known, the wife coming over to America, where your father was born. His mother had taken the name of Peters, which was her own maiden name.”

“Well?” urged Peters, as the other lapsed into an impressive silence for a while. “Meantime, of course,” the little man proceeded, goaded by Peters's sharp tone of voice, "the husband remained in England. He could not marry again of course, and in fact he did not live long enough to come into the family wealth. He was killed accidentally on a shoot. As a result, a cousin of his eventually inherited, and descendants of his have since enjoyed, and are now enjoying what should rightly be yours.”

"I don’t know whether, out in this part of the world, you may ever have heard of what are known as the Accrington fnillions?” the little man added with a beam of triumph, as he gazed at the faces of the others. “I certainly have heard of them," Peters said slowly, somewhat to the little man’s disappointment. "In fact, not long ago, a law case was mentioned in the papers, and it had something to do with them.” ‘Well,” smiled the little man in his furtive way, "you have only to place yourself in my hands, Mr ' John Accrington, and there will be another law case which will result in you becoming an extremely wealthy man —a millionaire in fact.” CHAPTER 111. "What a story for the newspapers!" chuckled the little man, delighted by the sensation his words had created in Peters’s two companions, even though Peters himself appeared unmoved. "Just a minute!” Peters began sharply. "This story of yours may sound very pretty. Doesn't it rather want proving before we get so far as law cases and newspaper headlines?” "Precisely, my dear sir, where I come in,” retaliated the other. “Do you imagine that I'd have gone to all the time, trouble and expense to trace the facts and you, if I hadn't the necessary proof to show you?" "Well, what about producing it?” Peters suggested. The other laughed. "I’m not carrying it with me,” he said. "It wouldn't be possible, anyhow, for it’s in an old marriage register of a certain country church in England. But where that church is, only I happen to know. And. naturally, I’m not disclosing that essential piece of information until you and I. Mr Accrington, have come to a definite business understanding.” “I rather expected that," Peters nodned. “Business is business, after all. isn't it?" chuckled the little man with an air of being extremely reasonable. "So soon as I made the discovery that a secret marriage existed——"

"Supposing you tell us how you came to do that?’ demanded Peters. "It was simple. I was, at the time, confidential clerk to an old firm of solicitors who had handled a good deal of the Accrington family legal business. In this connection I was turning up some old papers, and so came on a letter to your grandfather from his wife in America. She wrote, thanking him for a generous allowance he was making her secretly, spoke of the marriage and even of the little church where it had been held." "I saw at once the importance of this letter, which apparently nobody had noticed," proceeded the other. "And as it mentioned a son. .1 thought it quite likely someone might still be living as a result of that marriage. My subsequent search has brought me to you." "And now. I gather, you expect it to bring you some money." Peters said merely. "Naturally." smirked the other. "To engage on my inquiries I had to relinquish a comfortable berth with that firm of solicitors. I am no longer young. I look to retire in comfort as the result of our talk tonight, my dear sir. Incidentally " He searched in a pocket-wallet, producing and unfolding a piece of paper, yellow with age. which he handed across to Peters. “Just in case you should be in doubt as to my bona fides.” he said, "here is a half of the letter I have mentioned. You see how frankly it speaks of the marriage, bearing out what I have told you—" "And the rest of the letter?" Peters, ached presently having scanned ttie sheet he held.

"That,” replied the other, again with a smirk, "contains mention of the church where the proof is to be found. I cannot let you see that until we have come to an understanding. Merely a matter of drawing up and signing a little legal document, promising me the sum I have in mind.” "Whatever that may be,” Peters said, ‘I don’t know, or care. So far as I am concerned, the best thing you can do is to restore this letter to the firm from whom you appear to have purloined it, Mr Tucker. There will be an airliner leaving for England early in the morning.” For a moment,a tense silence fell. De Brissac and O'Corrigan were staring at Peters as he flung the yellow sheet on the table before the little man. The latter was at first too staggered to speak. He looked indeed as if he were choking, and his eyes bulged wildly in his pale foxy face. "Why—why-—?” he gasped at last. "You must be joking, surely?” “I’m perfectly serious, Mr Tucker," said Peters quite definitely. "1 am not interested in the Accrington millions, or in you." "Then you must be stark, raving mad!” expostulated the other. Peters ignored the outburst and continued quietly: "I may as well tell you this, Mr Tucker. I have known all about that secret manage since I was a boy. My father told me, and in fact he left with me certain proofs which might help me to establish a claim to the Accrington money, if ever I felt so disposed. 1 agree that I have not the name of the church, where the one essential proof is to be found, so you are at an advantage there. Still." he added, "you are welcome to that. I have no intention whatever of even attempting to claim the Accrington money. So, as I said, an airliner crosses the Atlantic in. the morning ” “But —but —you cant treat me like that!” raged the other suddenly, risen to his feet and shaking his fist in the calm face of Peters. “What about all the trouble and expense to which I have been put, coming here?” he demanded. Peters shrugged. “Nobody asked you to go to that troubles and expense,” he said quietly. It looked as though the little man was about to collapse in a fit. His face was ashen in hue. and his twisted mouth lolled open, while his staring eyes had a horible expression. De Brissac forced him down into a chair, poured out some neat whisky, and forced some between the man’s lips.

He gradually recovered himself, and then sat staring at Peters, till he was sufficiently himself again to speak. ‘Are you really telling me that you actually refuse to claim your rights?" he asked under his breath. “If you knew as much about John Peters as we do. m’sieur," de Brissac answered from, the other, “you'd not ask that question. When he says he won’t do a thing, nothing and no one will alter his mind." "Throwing away a heap of money just as if it didn't matter!" murmured the other, eyeing Peters in a dazed fashion, as if even now he could not understand him. Then, for a while, he seemed deep in thought, before suddenly coming to a decision. "Very well." he said, rising again and looking down at Peters. ’And you won’t do anything for me, either, after all the trouble to which I've put myself? Anyhow, somebody's got to pay for that, and I'll see to it. However —" "I appear to be wasting time here." he went on, turning to go. "All the same, just in case you may think better of it and change your mind, I'll be at the airport hotel, Mr Peters. If you’re not really as mad as you seem, you'll look in there before the airliner leaves in the morning.” He walked unsteadily down the dining-room and passed 1 out into the night. 1 "If ever I've seen a filthy piece of work, that was one!" O'Corrigan said, with a grin. "A sadly disappointed man," Peters laughed. "He'd got it all so neatly weighed up. I'm sorry 1 didn't ask him just how much lie wanted for himself out of the estate ”

"Listen,” interrupted de Brissac. "Aren't you being a bit silly over those millions, brother? If they're yours by right, why not claim them? You're a queer fish. How is it you never told us anything about all this?"

"Because. Pierre, I’ve clone my best to forget it, myself," answered the other. "There have been many times, when things were going badly. Ive been sore tempted to get the law working on what proofs my father left with me when he died. lie didn't want me to claim, anyhow, said it was tainted money, and wouldn't do me any good." "Sure, and 1 wouldnt care for good or bad. if\ there was a few millions round a corner waiting for me!" chuckled O'Corrigan, and then leaned towards Peters. "Which reminds me, boy." he said. " 'Tis a mighty queer thing you're doing. turning down that fellow, even though he may be a filthy piece of work. Have you forgotten that you've only just chucked yourself out of job?" "Ay!" intervened de Brissac. "I'd come near to forgetting about that, with all this other excitement turning, up. What's happened between you and Hughson, then, to cause the smash-up?" "Let's get away to my quarters, boys, and I II tell you." Peters replied leading tin l way.

(To be Continued )