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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1931-02-12, Page 74 .eummanammemmeeeele fon 71q11,11,1•14.0r,... THE EXETER TIMES4f, VOCATZ WiRSDAX, FIEBIWARYi9 IOU /NG .iliargaret Leferre marries Luke Mak dison, wealthy beaker, after he ias transferred to her .4very ol- tar he has: in the werld. After ' Ceremony he asks her for some money with which eto pay an.eb- • ligation. She refuses, declaring *bat he shall never have 4 cent of • his nieuey She discloses to allMthe fact that her lerotheeeji,ex who was ;Pound, snot, had left a note . saying that leaddison had ruined -him, and Margaret had ' arried Luke for reveieg,. She • does not know that Rex forged elladdlson's eame to a large check' ' Idaddison leaves her and wanders about London, .trying to wider- etand what happened, when he 4. meets Lewieg, .an underworld "ammeter who has previously •brought hien a message from Cue- ' leer Haynes, a Malone American ,crook. The two are attacked by Joe connors* gang, who think Luke is -a, detective whem Lewing has put on their trial. Lewing Is killed and. Madclison seriously wounded. Ile recovers .conscousness two weeks leter and fleas he is known in the .hospital only as ",Smith." He :decides to retain that name, A messenger 'from Connors - calls 't at the hospital, gives him ee5.O0 1, • 3AR.WACE • .telmotl rin ts1n.g you,mith, that Maddison, beaker, burglar, hold -UP. a Mau that knows Dant)! AO the Lee man, companion of questionable wing gang and cells at Scotland ladies, with the cAlleat a octane' Yard to see his friend the SI/arrow, tilt who lied happened, upon a new isn't a healthy fellow to have roiled and interesting discoYery. the Wiese," Here wes an immense happening There was .a long palms, And thee To displeY ,anger or. hemiliation he added:. be ii,benril.fr,One has no regztron itori "That% wily yen're not going to •a sense of- decency when flee be around the house." ' eurthqualte and its tumbling. He looked up at gate of the leen walls. thoughtfully: She went to e.d; and such is the "When ihigh tide?" serenity of resolute mien that e. "Four o'loOl," she slept dremlessly, In the morn - :et Connor medded, Again Ms ark Mg while she was sitting at., break - eyes fell on Luke. d fest came. Inspgetor Gorton; elm lis - "Yen a good .swinimer?" rtmenclre., "We'll give you a little to- calmly to his .confession of "Falr,". said Luke eclollee "The fellow ran like a here, .He night," seed Conuer."Put him idip . inuet have, been a trebled athlete," -. n the ooier, Haery." he said. "I'm pretty stare now that g he is the fellow who was knifeel Connor earried on a 'legitimate. • iin f unprofftable business, He WS a a gang fight le South Lennon. Le - dealer In :certain` betiding materiel, will"1,4erilive4swaksiliLedeWieg?" she asked. and barges carne regularly but at Gorton shrugged his broad shoed - rare intervAle, to this wharf and were unloaded. He bought and sold dors, • "Nobody in particular, although urge) iron, cenlent, any commoditY he gave his, name to a gang. The which offered an immediate -17it. The wharfcould be, and was, hired real leader of that crowd is a gentle - foe a' ' :c man named Danty Morell—ehough fee. • he hasn't taken any very active- . A tew'paces from the door of the She had put :clown her ewe, Xis sitting room they came to aeother. .0,white she was. Luke could not help wondering saw 11w "Danty Moven? You don't mewl whether the little •chamber into: • and the address of a Mrs. Fraser, which he -was thrust had been used ' ,explaining the there is a room for before for the same ilurpoee. el; him there and that the gang wants had im windows, but in other re- ip make mends for its mistake sopects was curiously like a prison ' in attacking him. Luke goes to cell. It might have peen employed :the Ginnett Street address and for .the storage of coal, but there ' rinds a good room ready for him. was nothing in it now, not even a Meanwhile Margaret has had a bed or a stool. In tee light of the • telegram from Faris signed 'Luke' man's electric torch he saw that the saying he has found consolations walls were of brick and whit -wash - elsewhere and will let her haveea ed. Thee the door slammed on hinf; divoroe. She doubts that it 18 he leecida bolt shot, and he was left ' genuine. Denton Morell, a friend alone with the unpleasant knowledge of her brother Rex, calls on her that it would be high tide in five ' to try to get, some. money. She hours, and that Mr. Connor, in his. horrifies him by Oiling hull that n1 emiwbie way, had panned "a dip" she has given all the money which a Luke gave her back to his trustee for him. • who is' making her an allowance to live on. Shgis convineed. that Luka has gone to his favorite re- sort in Spain, and intends to join • him there. Morell realizes that Margaret is' in love with her hus- • band and. that his own schemes are likely to fall through. :NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY The ear stopped. There was the creak of a gate .being opeuecl, and then they 'went forwards again, jolt- ing over uneven .ground e -presently addressed to the •solicitor, but the ihe car stopped and engine WaS !Ong off. • "Are you awake'?" asked a voice. "I'm awake all right." said Luke, "Then get out of this. 'Why was you eo foolish, Smith?" • A mild question from a man who, enly ten minutes ago, had stunned laim. He found himself In a roomnot Gaily furnished but overfurnished. Connor was sitting at a table Shuffling a pack of cards. He look- ed up as Luke entered the room. "Did you have to cosh him?" he - asked pleasantly. . The man who held Luke's arm grinned. "He wouldn't be • sensible," he said. "Sit clown." •Connor pointed to la. horsehair sofa against the wall; .laid Ltike wee. glad to accept the hie 'citation, "Tried to.put up a •Squeal, Adid you, Smith?" There was nothing unfriendly in. Connor's tone, but lie did not cease shuffling the cards as he spoke. "I thought you 'were a man yhen :you did that bust—yes; one of any lads saw you get into that flat, and ,saw you when you bolted. But you're nothing better than a dirty •squealer ▪ Tent in the Yard and asked for the Sparrow, did you? Is he a pal of yours?" • "I know him," said Luke. er. Connor, nodded pleasantly, "And then You tried to get him On the phone—What was the squeal' about? Don't trouble to, tell me; I mow. I never trusted Australians," Degpito his aching head, Luke totild net but smile at this libel. "I shouldn't thiak they trust you great deal, do they?" be asked. Not much,' said Connor, • Be cut the pack 'into tw'o, thein scientifically; and all the time his eyes were on Luke, "aor you know the :Sparrow? That's good... bet., you know 'Danty, too." 'Dant' aZorell?" ho asked. Why had Delay gone out of his eeind? 'Why had be forgotten that Danty WAS the tonfitlant'of his wife -,---that his one 'desire, in' seeking tteeedem from the sinister eleviron- eliont in which he found 'himself, had tmen to expose. that confidence man? • "Itnow Danty, too!" •.Conner" voice Wa8 ehriOst Admiring. "And Coles? • .Teuee nodded. • ""Yes, Coles„—that Itis servant." 'n1 ers.smiled broadly, ,and there *ere grins, on the faces of the other two men. ' "Pi is his servant all right: YOU Meet( to know the, the whole darnimon-elace kind. She accepted Luke Mr. Denton Morell who lives in Half Moon Street?" Gorton smiled. "teerhape I oughtn't to have •seld that, but I thought Mr. Bird.' told you. You know Mr. Bird! I hope you don't know Mr. Morelli," "I know him very well," she said; her voice was steady and :smiling. "But you may rely on my discretion, Inspectoe—I feel almost like a Scot- land Yard ,orricpr myself." She had her hands folded in her lap so that he could not see how they were trembling.. "He may, of :course, Wive turned over a new leaf," Said Gorton, un- easily, conscious that he had said the wrong thing. "Some of these fellows' "Ingenious but not original." he drawled, his thin lips curling in eon - tempt. "You're drouning him in river, of course, and 'the water will dissolve the salt,. the amine will 4rop eff, and the verdict will be 'Death front misadventure,' What a pity!". "What's the: pity, -Gunner?" .ask,' ed Connor, • "That 1 happened to butt In," said Haynes. "Who's the victiell?"' "There's ifo victim," said Connor loudly' "This poor fellow is ill and we're taking him off to the 110sPita1.' The Gunner nodded'. thought you. might be pickling him," he sald, .shook his head and repeated: "Ingenious but: not origin-. al, No marks of violence en the body, nothing to show thatlee didn't drown, as people do (hewn, by .ac- eident. spry to have, spoiled your work, but you'll have to let hien go," "Why?" asked Connor, "Because," said Gunner eellberete- ly, "I'm in ItI Yon don't catch me as accessory before, after, or in the act of murder. It's not iny graft, ,Connor. Remove that interesting apparatus. Connor smiled. His band drop- ped quite naturally out of :sight he, low the level of the table. - "If you pull a gun op me," said the Gunner, not a muscle of his lean body moving, "I shall shoot you through the stomach, It'll take you five days to die, and it's a very pain - fel death by all Accounts. I shall then go out and explain to the police why I shot you, and there will be no flowers from :Scotland Yard." One of Connor's assistants moved atop toward him. e . "Look here, .GunnerNele" he began mildly enough. Haynes's fist shot out so swiftly that the man could not counter the, Mow, He went down with a crash. The Gunner stood motionless, watch- ing. "Both hands in sight," said Haynes. "Lay 'em on the table, ••••••••••411•1111•••• Connor." He had no weapon in his hand, but none knew better than the livid Malt ,on the oiler side of the table holv quickly the Gunner could draw, with what .devilish accuracy he could shoot. "What'e the fuss?" he :growled.. "This bird doesn't alleeu a thing to you." "Ilelece united the :Gunner.' sorry to bete in, as I said be - tore," 'What did YOU :come here for, guy - way?" asked the ether iavagelY. The Gunner ieoked up et the oell- log. "X 'forget exactly," he said untruth- eully. And then: "Who is this man?", "Man named <Smith. He squealed. On me tonight, .and then trie.dto perry it off with a tale .about being a • banker—he's got a nerve! Luke' something or other," 'Gunner Haynes bent :dew and -Peered into. Luke's Mee. He recognized the sleeping roan instantly. • "Luke something or other, .eh?' Where did yon pick him up?" As lie spoke beebeciconed one of the Men. "Take that chain off," he said. The man glanced uneasily at Ms chief, but ,Connor nodded, "The truuoze with you,..Connor, is that you will interfere with eother people's .graft. If you want to knew who he is, he did that lob to -day in Bond' Street." • Ile related "Sinith'e biography;" Gunner Haynes 'knew that be was telling the truth. He was puzzled, but not greatly, Be. had lived too long on the seamy and shadowy side of life to be surprised' at anything. Men had lived double lives before; • but this was the kind of double life which Haynes thought belonged to the realm of imaginative' novelists. A banker who amused himself in. smash-and-grab raids' was wildly flee ti•onal—but possible.. There might be, he thought, a wo- man somewhere en the background. Where. women touched life, the- in- Margaret found severed sheets of do. I know there's been no com- notepaper on the Deer of Luke's plaint against him ae the Yard for :'• room. She picked up one, read it a very long time. ,Morell isn't Ms and gasped. The date had been name, 01 course—I forget what it is, scrawled hi on the 'cop line, and it hut the Sparrow—I mean 'Me. Bird began: • knows. Wonderful fellow, Danty! My dear Hulbert, I am In a He can talk the hind leg off a' done most terrible= key. They say he's the cleverest confidence, man th,at ever operated It was Luke'e 'vatting! . waS Luke' who had been there that night. In • Europe. Perhap's . he's anedu S eimugh. money to.' retire." • he 'Wed •another sheet - --covered. ' ' with smudged writing.; this also was Denton Morell! How' had she oerae to know him?' She .tried to trace*back tile friendship. Of course, it was her brother—her poor brother —.Wh'o' had introduced him. Rex knew so many 'queer people. ,She trusted him—she had trusted' Danty. She had believed implicity, believed him when he told her that Luke had hounded her brother to his 'death, believed him when he had produced the pitiable note written on two small sheets o.f paper—that at least was genuine, for she knew her own brother's handwriting. • She was viewing a new world, or viewing it from a new angle; and somehow she was able. to cope with prOblems•which the clay before would have terrified 'her. OE that new gift she was unoonstious—she could only feel the effect: " * three scrawled lines were undecipher- able. He had •deliberately crossed them out, Evidently he had sat down to write a. letter to Hulbert, lied made. two attempts' and then had changed his mind. It was so like Luke; . he could never resist the temptation offered by a sheet of paper—be Must write somecne, he had often told her. Luke :had been here; Luke was the burglar. But -why? She turned to the detective, and it was on the tip of her tongue to make the revelation when he said something that struck speech from her lips. "He must have been a pretty bacl man, that fellow—one of our men recognized him as the chap who was driving a ear this afternoon when Taffanny's was rqbbed. He gave one of the shop's assistants a, punch on the jaw—" "But that's imnossible!" she said in dienantly. "This Man—" "Ah, you've read about it in. the papers— ce bearded man. That's right, madam, he's taken his beard ofe this afternoon. Johnson -- that's the officer—saw him driving with a girl around' the park." Again speech fled from herlips. "They got her tonight," said the communicative detective." wrr. Gor- ton's pretty sure she'll put up a squeal—er, I mean to say, she'll tell' who her companion •was. Prom all accounts he's a man who's beet seen about with her a great deal in the past year or two." She was stunned, bewildered; she could :offly shake her head in feeble protest. "It couldn't have been the same man," she .said at last', "Do you know him ----the fellow who was, hete? The detective leek - ed •at her keenly, "No, no," lie said hastily. "I only thought . , it would be such en extra orditaty coincidence." "I've got en Iden Mr. Gorton knows him. "The detective shut the door behind her as she walked out of the room. "I heave him WHIM the sergeant that he might be the fel- low who was knifed the night a man named Lewing was killed. If thet's' the cage, he's Only been out ef hos- pital a few days," • .She offered the effieer some motl- ey; he refused it with great themes and escorted her to her taxi. She was reMinded by the UM, when she reached her home, that she had been two houre absent, She was not 'shocked', It wastoo tram -W(1118 a discovery to prOditee emotional 'phenomena of the tom, During the hours which Luke Maddison .had spent in his Deleon house, it was curious that he should think so little of serious 'topics. He was face to face with. ,dea,th in its most hideous aspect—et was impos- sible to ;mistake Connor' intentions —and yet for the main part his mind was ,oceupied by veriest trivialities. If he thought of Margaret at all it was only in a detached and imper- sonal way and' to find an explanation for her presence with the police at his flat that night. • She must have had he key; the polite went to her —but why? Two Meeks of reek salt .ware put on, the floor under Luke's legs, anti with a knife one of the. mee.seraped a deep clegeession in. two of the cor- ners. The 'other two Unice were laid on top. Connor lifted the heavy chain, wound it :carefully around and around the salt, fastening the last two links with a piece of wire. They discussed their grisly work without emotion. You want tot be careful It doesn't slip •oyee his feet, Harry," said Connor, "Tighten that chain a bit—not too tight or you will break the salt." At last it was finished and Con- nor straightened his haek. • "Get that old plank to lay'hint he .041=a:rled and the bigger of the two men worked to the door and pulled it ,open, COnnor saw him start and his face wrinkle, "Who's that?" he asked sharply, 'The mall Who Was hi the passage walked into the room at his leisure. Connor ectie him and showed his tooth like an angry dog. "guile. Gunner!. What the heli are you doing around. Imre?" Gunner Haynes looked frole Con - i101* te, the unconscious man ott the floor. • A New C Ridin E New explieahle .becalues: almost ilay-light ,clear. "What are you going to do with him?" asked ,Connor, as the Mien steeped :and scarcely au :effort lifted the nuconsOtoUS auto the ehalr. The Gunner •diti. not :answer the question. Instead, :he propounded, one Pt his own. "Have you any slush 1 n this place?* he asked: and saw a look .of alarM come into the imperturbable face of the other. "Slush?" .said Connor quickly. "No—why should we? don't 'deal In that kind of Stuff," "No forged French banknotes?" The Gunner shook his head in anti- cipation of the answer. "What do you mean, Gunner?" A. smile lit up the saturine face. "You asked ine why Z'Came here. and I'm -telling you, .Tbey're raid - lag your place to -night, I only got to know of it an • tient' ago, thought ra come along.and tell You. I don't know why,. but that's my nee ture, helping ppor crooks!" He sew the three men glance at one another, and the alarm in C.oele nor's face was pateet. "We had a. parcel ever from pails the other day," he said uneasily. "Harry get it up," He looked at the huddled figure of Luke. "You're melting a big mistake about this bird," lie said. 'Yo1 let him get into the hands. of the pollee, and he'll put up a squeal that'll make you deaf!" • (To be .continued) "MRS. j. BLANSHARD The death occurred on Wednes- day of last week of Mrs. Melvin J. 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