The Brussels Post, 1926-6-30, Page 7he Tyrant
Mr, Floss held up his hancl----he
had -not been nide to eta') him be.
Tom
"Be c.areful, Transom; you will
be required to repeat this before
the magi -trate."
"So I will!" retorted Transom,
looking round. • 'His furious glance
rested oti Kate, and he seized her
by the arm, and dragged her for-
wards. "And there',( one as can
give evidence, too. 13' God! I see
it all now; I understand! She \vein
off bemuse she knows some'ut about
it! She met Mr, Gordon—she was
in the wood that niglett—tand 'went
off because She knonid some'ut
Speak out, you—!"
He raised hie hand tts a to strike
her, but jack seized his aim and
ewung him round, and Kate 'fell into
a Anis. end hid her face in her arms,
thing out on 'the table.
There was an awful silence. It
was broken by Selby Layton.
"I am afraid the case looks very
- bad," he said, as if involuntarily. "I
have just heard that she obtained
this man's gun, which one of' the
gamekeepers found up against a tree
near the Hawk's Pool—obtained it
under the pretence that it belonged
to Dick Reeve. That is so, John-
son?" he asked, turning to the un-
der -keeper, who was hovering at the
edge of the crowd. Johnson nodded
reluctantly and drew still farther
back. "Then we have the fact that
he went off that night, disappeared
without any reason," continued- Sel-
by Layton, smoothly. Then he stop-
ped as he felt he had gone too far,
for Esther had shrunk from him.
"But, perhaps, Mr. Gordon—Sir John
can explain?" •
Jack leant egainst the mantel -shelf
with his arms folded. He was pale,
but h'is eyes flashed round upon the
crowd that now clustered about the
-door and over the threshold.
"I've no explanation to offer," he
said, quietly, "and if I had there is
no one here who would believe me."
Rate raised her head; but it was
Esther who stepped out and stood
beside him with head erect, and eyes
that flashed even more indignantly
than his owe.
"Yes, there is one!" she said, in
a low voice, hut with thrilling dis-
tinctness. "I believe you. I would
ansaver for your innocence with my
life!"
Instinctively she held out her
hand, and as instinctively he grasped
it.
"Thank you!"
A commonplace response enough;
but the tone in which it was spoken,
the look that accompanied it, brought
the blood to her face and. set her
heart leaping with the passionate
love with which it o'erwelled.
Selby Layton moved towards them
his face pale, his underlip twisted.
"Esther!" he exclaimed, reproach,
fully.
She turned upoe him, as if his
presence, his word of reproach, were
the last straw,
"It is true! I do believe him in-
nocent! I say so now, I will say it
even if—to the end!"
At this moment there was a stir
in the crowd which, murmuring ex-
citedly, rnade way for two1)108who
had approached unobserved. One of
them was Dick Reeve—pale and wan,
the other a gentlemanly -looking in-
dividual with a singularly cool and
self-possessed an'
At sight of Dick Reeve, Selby Lay-
ton flushed and seemed uncertain
what to do or say for a moment; and
he drew back as the gentleman .who
accompanied Reeve entered the cot-
tage, and lookitg round, said:
"Mr. Floss?"
"I am Mr. Floss," said the old
lawyer.
"Thank you, sir; my name's Ilow-
ler--Scotlaiid Yard—"
Mr. Floss nodded. ,
—"Come about this murder, sir,"
"How did you hear of it?" asked
Mr. Floss, with fierce suspicion.
The detective jerked his head to -
Letterheads
Envelopes
Billheads
And all kinds of Business
Stationery printed at The
Post Publishing House.
We will do a job that will
do credit to your business.
Look ever your stock Of.
Office Stationery and it it
requires replenishing call
ni by telephone 81,
The Post •Pohlishlog Noose
11411.111( 1)10S 1.1118 VO, who stood looks
ing before hint moodily.
"This man made a s•teement at the
hospital. They sent for me; and as
.80011 as he WAS Able to trilVO1, I
111'011 11'14 14111 40W11."
( Selby Layton drew a breath of re-
lief and watched from the corners
of his opt; Dick Reeve's moody face.
'The liner of his triumph was at hand.
already the evidence, against this
man Gordon --this Sir John, who had
turned up to •rob Esther of Vancourt
--was blaek enough; Dick Reeve's
•.(vitlence would make it damning -
"What is the statement?" asked
"Y011 are f1 magistrate, and ran
grant me a warrant?" asked the de-
tective; and Mr. Floss nodded. "Well
dr, this man, Richert!: Reeve, was
witness of a murder on Tuesday, the
seventh of last month, at a place
called Hawk's Pool."
There was a murmur of exeite-
ment. Jack stood upright and look-
ed steadily at Dick Reeve, whose
fate( was still downcast, but bore
an expression of sullen determina-
tion, which reassured Selby Layton.
Mr. Floss drew a long breath.
"The accused is here, Mr. Bow-
ler," he said. "Yon can arrest him,"
A cry rose from Kate, but Esther,
the other woman who loved him, ut-
tered no sound. Mr. Floss indicated
Jackeewi•th a movement of his hand;
and the detective went up to him.
"I arrest you on a charge of
wil-
1 murder, Selby Layton," he said,
gravely.
A hoarse Murmur went up; the
crowd though it had not caught the
name, understood that an arrest was
taking place and pressed forward.
Only one or two of those nearest
the principal actors in the dramatic
scene had caught the concluding
words; and they were transfixed by
astonishment. Selby Layton was for
a moment too amazed, too over.
whelmed to move. For a moment
only, then the instinct of self-pres-
ervation which lends wit to the dul-
lest—and he was by no means the
dullest—arose in him. With a quiek
Vet noiseless movement he drew back
as if to keep the crowd from enter-
ing, then slipped in amongst them
and through them.
Mt. Floss was the first to speak.
"What do you say?" he demanded,
crimson with. astonishment. "What
did you call him?"
"One of his numerous aliases, 1
daresay," said the detective, coolly.
"Selby Layton.—But you'll answer
to that name, I suppose?"
"Certainly not,", retorted Jack,
grinily.."1: should prefer any other.
My name happens to be John Van-
court—or Jack Gordon—whiehever
you prefer."
"I told you he'd have an alias or
two r said the detective to Mr.
Floss, with A dry smile.
Voices rose from the .crowd press-
ing still nearer:
"That's not Mr. Laytons" "That's
Mr, Gordon!' "Mr. Layton was here
a minute ago—where's he gone?"
The detective looked slightly con-
fused.
"What's that?" he said, reddening
and turning sharply.
"Is it not Mr. Gordon you want to
arrest?" asked Mr. Floss, in amaze-
ment.
"Certainly not! Unless he is also
Selby Layton!" retorted the detect-
ive, rather brusquely. "I want the
Selby Layton who was staying at the
Towers,"
To the surprise of everyone Sel-
by 'Layton's voice came from the back
of the crowd. He had seen two
policemen in the lane and had quiet-
ly turned back.
"That is my name," he said, with
an assumption of contemptuous in,
difference.
The detective swung round upon
him,
"1 arrest you, Mr. Layton!" he
said,
"Your warrant!" demanded Selby
Layton, with a sang-froid which MI -
pressed everyone but Dias Reeve,
who stood watching the scene in
moody silence.
Mr. Howler slipped between Selby
and the door.
"Mr. Floes will make that out," he
said, nodding to the old lawyer. As
he spoke he took some papers from
his pocket. "Here is my prima-facie
evidence, sir. These—this agree-
ment and photograph, and the style -
graphic pen, which has Mr. Selby
Layton's ioitistls, Were found near
the apa. A cheque drawn by Petr,
Selby Layton was in the pocket of the
murdered tialL" •
A thrill of hotror ran through the
crowd, and Esther (shrank back and
'covered her face With her hands.
But Selby Layton &lamed unmov-
ed, :The tette which Clutched at
his heart SterVed hint to a desperate
delianee. • •••
"I do nottletlY the atatettlent, The
THE BRUSSELS POST
pen, is mine, the ligiaement was
drawn up by the deceased. I met
him at the Hawk's Pool-----"
"Silence!" eald Mr, Floss, sternly,
:le the murmuring of the excited
crowd almost drowned the admission,
"The man W11,1 named Denzil May-
hew, and he was my brother-in-law,
fie applied to me- for aeeistance—
sot Inc the fir:it time; and, as you
(tee, I was willing to ludo He
confeseed that my wif,, his SISIP1',
W114 that the letter was a for-
gery, Naturally I did not wish my
connection with him to be known----"
lie had got this far, delivering the
,seplanei ion slowly and with Absolute
reastse-sion, when the spectators
were startled by a cry coming from
the end of the room, aml everY 0310
till'itod to the trembling figure of
MISS Wends, where she stood at the
bottom of the stairs, gazing at Selby
Layton. He saw her, his face went
white, and his fluent tongue stopped
suddenly. ••
She ral3ed her Meld and pointed
to him, gaeping: •
"My husband!"
At this freeh development of the
mystery the seectators were struck
silent. The detective was the first
to recover, He swung round to Dick
Reeve.
"You stand by your statement,
Reeve?" he asked, sharply.
•Reeve nodded.
"Yes. I saw him do it. He knows
It. It was him as put- me up to shift
ing it on Mr. Gordon. I thought he'd
token Kate away: I know better
now. And—and he saved my life.
saw Mr. Selby Layton strike the
blow with my own eyes. I saw him
tow the body into the lake,"
Moved by some instinct, Jack
strode to Esther, took her by the
arm and drew—one might . almost
write "dragged"—her outside.
"Come away!" he said; and, as If
powerless to resist, she let him lead
her through the crowd and into the
lane. He drew her arm through his
and supported her.
"Don't speak!" he said, hoarsely.
."1 will take you to the Towers—
don't be afraid—you shall do what
you like—anywhere away from here.
My poor girl!"
The last words, breathed rather
than spoken, with an infinity of ten-
derness and pity, broke her down,
and with a cry she sank fainting
,into his arms. Palmer, with a fore-
thought which spoke plainly of his
care of his young mistress, had sent
a carriage, and Jack carried her to
where it stood waiting and put her
in.
As be did so, he heard a pistol -shot
ring out sharply. He hesitated a
moment and looked back; then he
entered the earriage, and, still sup-
porting her, cried "Horne!" to the
coachman. The horses started, but
beforo they had gone far, Harry
Coverdale came tearing down the
road, and, laying hold of the handle
of the carriage door, panted:
"Layton has shot himself! He's
dead! Can I do anything, Van -
court?"
Jack nodded. -
"Yes; help Inc to keep it from her"
he replied, huskily. "Stand by me,
Coverdale, for God's sake!"
Coverdale pressed his hand, and
nodded and dropped back.
CHAPTER XLII,
Some months later Sir John Van-
vourt, Lord Fanworth, and Harry
Coverdale were seated at an early
breakfast at the Towers: early be-
cause the hounds, of which Jack was
now the master, wort to meet at half
past eight sharp, at Crickett Cross.
The tragedy that had happened
fifteen months ago had left its 'mark
on Jack. He was thinner, the hair
on his temples was , silvered, and
there was a certain abstracted and
moody look in his eyes which had
not been there before the discovery
of the murder at Hawk's Pool and
his installation as owner of Vancemet
Towers.
The leest observant of men would
have seen that Sir John Vaneourt
was anything but a happy man; but
everyone admitted ethat ho did pot
wear his heart upon his -sleeve, or
go about the world complaining or
his infelicity.
"The Mystery of Vancourt Tow-
ers," as it was called by the news-
papers, had long ago been complete-
ly cleared up, and everyone knew
the story of Jack's self-sacrifice and
Selby Layton's Villainy; and Jack had
with out •oppoaition, stepped into his
own amidst a concensus of approval
and admiration; but thoughhe avh-s
1101) the meet popular man in the
county, and took his full share of the
pleaaures and responsibilities belong-
ing to his position, everyone knew
that there was a• blank in his life
which no position, howevet exalted,
no wealth, however sleet, could fill,
for there had not only been a 111y8 -
tory and a tragedy, but a romance.
A man like Jack loves but onee
in his life; Sind he lied given this one
love of his life to thither, And me-
ery hone a the day, the fact that.
While he was reigning •at the Pews
'ere, ettiganinded, by •eVery itigury, the
WEDNESDAY, JUNE i) Oth,
You'll
Completely In
the Dark
All the Thee "'mho liesaag
the Groat Ser.W
THE:
By
Mary
Roberts
Alin hart
Unless
You Are Rem
Enough
To Solve It
As You Co
Medea in
s
0'
PRESrts
"THE POST"
NEXT WEEK
ownewwww......w.e..".".nownInre.ww
girl he loveel and longed for was
earning her living in 'grimy Islington
as a music -mistress haunted him.
For Jack had kept his Word, the
word he had given her the day Sel-
by Layton had cut the Gordian knot
by shooting himself, and Jack had
let her go almost without a murmur
of remonstrance. He was wise
enough—though by no means a Sol-
omon—to know that it was his only
course; that her wounded pride
would resent, with a fierce and bit-
ter resentment, any offer of help
from him, and offer of friendship.
11 was hard to bear; and it must
be said to his credit that he bore it
very well. Once Or twice he had
written to Miss Worcester, begging
her to intercede for him; but wail-
ing letters came back telling him
that any attempts at mediation were
futile. Esther, inher pride, remain-
ed Impregnable. Not only would she
'accept no assistance from Sir John
Vancourt, but she declined to hold
any communication with hint. It was
hard.; but there was no help for it,
Jack sighed' for the grand 'old days
'when one could carry off the obitin-
ate woman one loved; but those days
have gone, and he had to make the
best of it. He worked hard; there is
plenty of work for the' owner of such
an estate as Vancourt: and Jack fell
upon it as he used to fall upon the
crates and bales in the docks.
He built rows of model cottages;
put the newest machinery into the
farms; drained the marshes—and
that accursed pool, which is 210W a
rich meadow "unshadowed by a sin-
gle tree." He started workmen's in-
stitutes, erected palatial schools, re-
stored the church, hunted the hounds
short did everything and any-
thing which he could find to do; and
tried to cheat his heart with the be-
lief that e was amusing himself.
But Heaven! how the days and
weeks and ',months dragged! How
-many were the times that he was on
the point of resqving that he would
chuck the *hole thing, turn the fl'ow-
ers into a hospital for incurables,
and go back to the old life in the
bush.
But as has been said, he did not
wear his home: on his -sleeve, and
only such intimate friends as Fan -
worth and Coverdale • guessed how
"bitter bad" was thesavouv of Sir
John Vancourt's Iifs. On this morn-
ing, for instance, he was cheerful
enough and talked brightly of the
ehances of a run.
"It will be rather heavy going,"
remarked Lord Fanworth, as he help-
ed himself liberally to ham and 8553..
"There must have been a deuce of a
rain in the.night."
"Morning," corrected Jack, absent-
ly. "Half -past three." e
Coverdale glanced at him quickly:
insomnig was one of the pleasing re-
sults of Jack's "trouble," though he
said nothing about it, and only let it
out unwittingly, as now.
"What ttre you going to ride, Van,
couot?" asked •Vanworth, when they
had exhausted the weather prospects.
"The chestnut," answered jack,
without looking up from his letter
which he was 'hastily reading.
Lord Fanworth's eyebrows went
up,
"Rather tiresome in the slush, isn't
110?" he remarked.
Jack shrugged his shoulders,
"Oh, he's all right," he said, care-
lessly; then, as Coverdale rose to
fallow Fanworth to the stable, Jack
signed to, him to stop.
s"Hereht a letter 'From Au:drain"
he said, very quietly, thought
you' d like to kaow, They've 'hail 11
good shearing, 'anti things are look-
ing well with them."
"Who wvites it?" asked Coverdole,
with interest,.
-Woods,"- 'replied Oak, for
the wife Selby Layttm bad •4esettecl
WitloW011 - ewe harel.
bore tllo 11111110 .41c 111,1 )0.01 known
by in Chase Street, "She that
they ere all w,•11, 'Kate espeeialiy;
aril tlo.v have had is visitor lately."
"Oh, whoie that?"
"Diet: Reeve!"
-Coverdale nodded significantlie,
and Jaek read, in the same low voles:,
from the letter in his hatel:
,Dee't to( stirtee eel, Sir John, if
ie say next letter I tell you of a wed-
ding. lIuili Reeve has demised so
flood' that you would (:sstreely knew
him. 1Ie works very letrd 111,1
ranche, and he has quite Ion that
wild and reckless look. Ho bns boon
with us ten days, and lei 3,1(1 'Mr.
Transom mit toe(Ale•r ;111 41131
11114 talk Shoop all tle• evening. Kate
sits and works end list((ns ;sad (hike;
not stir noieh; but yesterday I found
her and Reeve sitting by the stable;
Ile was talking earnestly; and though
her head was turmel from him, her
Inc e was flushed and there WAS
look in her eyei; Which we W01110l1
understand. If Dick Reeve keeps
steady and comes up to us again
soon, I shouldn't wonder if I have
to write some news to you.' "
Coverdale nodded.
"That's all right, Jack. Yeur
scheme will pan out as you wanted
it, you see. 'Pon my word you ought
to be very much gratified at being
permitted to play at Providence in
this fashion!"
Jack sighed..
"Yes, money can do some things,"
he said. "Here's another letter," he
sinned as he glanced at it, "It is
from my friend, Mordy Jane. They've
got into their new premises: and she
says everything would be. all right—
'stunning' she calls it—ff her father
wouldn't insist upon doing the re-
pairs in the back shop and in his
shirt -sleeves, instead of waiting on
the eustomers.- But they seem to Is'
flourishing—trust Monty Jane for
that!"
"You appear to have the happy
knack of making your friends hap-
py, Jack," said Coverdale,.as he fill-
ied his sherry -flask at the sideboard;
"it's a pity they can't return the com-
pliment and bring you some happi-
ness."
Jack frowned and laughed shortly.
"Oh, Pm all right," he said, eves -
18(113'.
"There's nothing from---'frent Miss
; Esther?" Coverdale ventured to ask
111 Jaelt shovelled hie letter aside.
Jaels shook ihs head.
"Nothings" he said, laconically.
"Are you ready?"
They started soon .afterwards,
Coverdale and Fanworth ehatting,
Jet+ riding a little in front in the
silence whieh- was now so habitual
with him.
Lord Fanworth /oohed wistfully at
the stalwart figure with its bent heed
and moody (yes,
"What a d—n simile it is that
Fuel) a Man should have his life spoilt
by the vagaries, the mulishness of a
woman—a mere girl r he said to
Coverdale. "She can have no heart,
Harry."
Ceverdale shook his head,
-roo much, sir," he responded.
"That's the trouble. it's my belief
that Ale cares for him as mueb 114
he eaves for her; that She's jive eat-
ing that heart nut there in that beast -
13,' holes as he is eating his out here.
If :the didn't (tare for him she'd for-
give him and let him help her. It's
love and pride—"
"Confounded nonsense, I call it,"
muttered Lord Fanworth, who had
got beyond the age of romance, "How
is it going to end? Why doesn't he
try and forget her, and turn to one
of the girls -1 know three of 'em
at any rate !—who are ready to
jump at him." ,
"Jack is one of those mon who
can't forget, you see," said Cover-
dale. "And, mind you, sir, it wouldn't
bo easy for any man who once loved
Esther to forget her. Marc's the
home farm: he'll stop here—he al-
ways does: never passes it without
a word with the child."
Jadk had pulled up at the gate and
Nettie ran out. Jack leant down,
and helped her on to the saddle in
front of him—the chestnut being
to the performance, offering no
objection—arid she put up her small,
childish lips for her accustomed kiss.
"How soon are you going to take
me -hunting with you, Jack?!' she
asked eagerly. "I can ride. quite
well now, you know."
"Next year, if you're good, Net-
tie," he said, smilingly: his voice was
always brighter when he spoke to
her. "I'll look out for a nice, quiet
little pony well up to your weight,
and we'll have some trial jumps
first; and then—"
"Next year'e 4 long time," she said
with a pout; then, with sudden eage
eenesst "Oh, Jark, friather's had a
latter frem Miss Vancourtr
jack'e face changed in 11 Subtl"
fashion,
"Oh, and what did he say?" he
asked, with assumed •careleseness.
(To Be Continued),
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For BrIJSZFAS arid vicinity Phone 647
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DR. WARDLAW
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Have you, Mr. Business Man, the
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customers and prospective customers
each week? If you could do so, it
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The next best thing to a personal
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4
THE BRUSSELS P ST
.4140,A. Atkte Ta &SA 00,14Mrsirm
t eslii*se Xtete:
1.4.4111441,1)C4tAtilia