“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 10

“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

. By

FRANK PRICE.

(Author of "Behind the Curtains.” etc.)

CHAPTER IN. (Continued). “Yes." she said. ' Somebody else did it!" He glanced al her curiously, puzzled by her tone and she went on hastily: “But what has all this to do with Martin? Why did you say you considered yourself responsible for his quarrel with Mr. Borden?" "That’s simple. Perhaps you know I had a letter of introduction to Mr. Winterton when I came over from S.A. six months ago?"

"I don't." she said. "I don't know a thing about you except what you have just told me. Martin never mentioned you during the week I have been staying with them." "Why should he? He has never mentioned you in the six months I have known him and you are infinitely better worth talking about than 1 am! As for talking to you—l could spend my life doing it!" "What a horrible idea! But you haven't told me what I asked." “About Borden? Well, thanks to my letter of introduction, I met Mr. Winterton. We seemed to get on well together. so I put my account, such as it is, into his branch of the bank. I consulted him about my business and. one thing leading to another, told him pretty much what I have been telling you. It seems that Borden has been trying to put through some bid deal, in which he was negotiating for help from the bank—not Winterion's branch. He went to headquarters. He told a plausible story, and the thing was going through when Mr. Winterton happened to hear of it from a friend at the top. He remembered my story and repeated it in confidence—l suppose all this is frightfully confidential and I oughtn't to be telling you—’’ "Please go on! I wont repeat a word!”

"Well, that led to inquiries which led to Borden's application being turned down with a bump. He wasn't told why, but there seems to have been a leakage somewhere and he knew or guessed that Mr. Winterton was responsible.” "Then that accounts for it!” Barbara exclaimed. "For what?" “His eilmity, his wanting to hurt Martin through " she broke off. "Through whom?" “Nobody! I oughtn't to have said .hat. Forget it, please!”

"Did Borden try to hurt Winterton through you?"

"Good heavens, no! How could he? What am I to Martin?''

“I don't know. I know as little about you as you do of me. But I love you and if anybody tried to hurl you — something is hurling you—frightening you. Won't you toll me what it is?”

"I can't! Don’t ask me." "Will you tell me this: Is it on your own account that you arc afraid?"

“I haven't said I am afraid. I couldn't tell you if I were. And you mustn't question me. You have no right!" "I have told you 1 love you and you I were not angry. Doesn't that give me a right?" "I haven't said I love you. If ever I did you would have the right to question me about anything and I would answer, but until I do, I can tell you nothing.” i "Until you do!" Roy fastened eagerly on the words. "Does that mean that you will some day—that you could love me?" "I don't think it would be difficult." she said with laughter struggling ! against tears in her voice. "But you will make it impossible if you persist in asking me questions 1 can't answer. Won't you stop it. Roy. and—and talk

of something nice'.'” ! "For me that means talking about l you!” he said. "But I won’t ask ani other question you don't want me to!” "That will be lovely!” she said. ' "But dt.n't waste breath talking about I me. Go on tolling me about yourself : That is the subject I am most interest- • ed in.” He was quite ready to obey her wish, and she listened gratefully, content to have got him away from the topic she feared. CHAPTER X For the rest of the meal Roy and Barbara talked exclusively about i themselves. To both it seemed inured-J ible that they knew at little of each I other as was the fact. "1 feel as if I had k nown you all my i life!” Roy said, gazing at her intently.; and Barbara smiled and nodded her i head. She had the same feeling, and it : appeared only right that it should be j mutual. .She learned that R<>y had come to London six months ago as the repre-. .‘tentative of a combine of South African producers, and was working, hard t” make a position for mmself. It was not easy, but be was. not dissate -i fii".'. with the progress he had already made. Im doing betiei than I had anyright to expect." he aid. but it's all; collar work and round g.mig at pre-1 sent. I get a nominal salary arid a ph<-! nomenal commission; .salary quarterly, ■ which about clears the rent of niv j rooms and the so-cajb-i office I've nad to open; commissions when orders i have gom- through and the cash begin-: to come m, I here’s been precious little I of that up to now. but I hall be all : right in a few month.'. if 1 can < M-. , hang oil." I' that whim th,. overdraft you p .ke about la .t night i-mm-s m' she asked, and he n,.dd>-<| t v-‘ we:,. ..nly joj-.mg ' "Ih. :. :. . harm m : t „ - cheerful iie n-rnrrn--1 v. i:h a | ■!’• oc, I -hail ;;.-t ih. agh in.’ ' haw L-. mg n my , .• ml ami KiM ab a’ m., - iwd m.,w. Tlic>. wasn't b HUCh of :' left . :■ ■. • ■ail ; r m.. o. ; p. . ~ ,

[ you this because you ought to know." "Why ought I?" "Why? That's a silly question. Aren't you going to marry me?” "I haven't said so and I'm not sure i you would want me to if you knew all i about me.’ 1 "And you won’t tell that!" His voice ,' was serious for a moment, out rememj boring his promise he went on more I lightly: "Tell me as much as you can.” | There wasn’t a great deal to tell. She ! had lived all her life at High Layley, i where her father, now a widower, was [ a doctor in general practice. Nancy Milton had been her chum at school' ' and the friendship had continuedl ‘ though for a couple of years, they had; ! seen little of each other owing to Nanicy taking a position as secretary in London. Then she married Martin • Winterton and came to live in Streath-i ; am. This visit was the first Barbara j j had paid to them in their home. j t "Not a very exciting story, is it?" she I Laid with a laugh. "I wouldn’t make 1 i much of a heroine for a novel!" ; "Your place isn’t a novel," ho said. "it's in a poem." I "Will you write it?” I “1 mean to do better than that. We (are going to live it together. ’ “That would be lovely if it came i true, but— —" She sighed and ho was : pained to see the strained expression ! i which came into her eyes. Why wouldn't she let him help her? He didn’t know if she could, but he was certain that she needed help. He lowered his voice.

"Is it forbidden to ask how you came to meet Borden? You said something about his having a house near your father’s."

"It's a bungalow. He bought it a little more than a year ago. He used to motor down most weekends, and sometimes stayed longer. I used to see him about and we met two or three times at parties and so on, but I never liked him and we hardly ever spoke.” “And is that all you know about him?" There was a momentary hesitation which did not escape his notice before she said: “Yes—except for what you have told me." He had to leave it at that because of his promise. They had finished coffee and he signalled to the waiter for his check.

“I'm free for the afternoon." he said. "If you don't want to get back to Strcatham we might do a talkie.” "I'd love it!" The prospect of returning to the house in which such an uneasy atmosphere had existed that morning did not appeal to her, and there would be darkness and a chance to think in a picture house. They sat a long programme through but Barbara would not have been able to give any clear account of it afterwards. Her minds was busy with what she had read in the paper about Roger Borden's death. Scanty as were the details the police had given out, there was much food for thought in them. Why had the police come to the conclusion that it was a case of murder? Until she read the report she had never acknowledged to herself the hope which she had harboured that Borden would be assumed to have committed suicide. But it had been

there. The weapon was beside him; only his finger prints could be on it. I That word "finger prints" brought up I another which appeared in the report: The police wore in possession of! clues! What were they" What could; they be? Did they point to her? She! went over and over every move and i action of hers in the flat but could j think of nothing done that could be- l tray her. Had she been seen? Was | some third person in the flat while she ; was there?

A sudden cold shiver went over nor. That sound of a closing door! Had she really heard it as she stood, holding the pistol and watching with frenzied eye-: while Borden so slowly and horrible slumped down on the floor” She could not be sure. There had seemed to be so many other noises-—a roaring in her ears, echoes of the shot, the clatter cd the motor backfiring in the street. Could anyone else have been there'.' But. if so, why had he. or she, not come forward and denounced her' Had that been done” If she had been seen she would not be known to the witness. AU that could be given to tne police was a description of her. They might be looking for her now She pictured the whole vast network of' police investigation, of which she nad ■ read so often, spreading through every j street and corner of London and its! environs searching for her! Her flngi r closed convulsively and she was com-t forted to feel the warm clasp of Rov'shand answering Iwi He h,wd her, he believed in her; he would stand by her if things came to the worst! Then there was that odhnis-looking! manserwint who had been found uuv. n-wious in tb.v flat when the discoy. cry of Borden's death wa . mad. Wu.e did that mean He e. aid nm- base buck front his errand v.a'.b the Icttei until at least two hour.- after the erid ■ f Kruger Borden Kruger' It have been of him those people at the'! tloor > f the other ;L* had talked' imp they krio’.v atiyihing ' There had been! no ’.uggeslion < f :t ,-n what the;, -aid i Round and rmiiid her th.,a ( »!it.-. tmiied ’< -pm while R,-y held her hand n the darkness and the story <>f ■ ,* ■ J'l ill ‘A Ht » ; * !!«• V,‘»*iS y j ' bth v. \ ■ -ct • •rhoilij; u: h-T When Illi prod - r r , J the} .;i’. ■ '’ * ’ ' ‘ < 1 111 11,, I; f, 1 1 i., Ij. 11 \ 't. 1 1 J }J4'h j - : ; otrd :tr.d htHH* bnck at ihr bU’ ’. - . ' : . ■. •. . ■ • ■ ■ . .. .t ■. . ■ ; ' ■ ; ........ <v « * , H S ■ ■ rr ■T H ’ rn f | , r .’ j ' ' .