HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1925-12-16, Page 7t11iAPT1dR HI (Cont'd,
";So I see," said Layton, still null-
tng, but with the Twist of hitt upper
lip beginning to show. "Of coarse
1 don't want to interfere in your af-
fllirse my deur Denzil; but <lo you
tltiukt it is Mee?"
'"ri]at'a toy loot:out," said Derail.
"'Qu te: ,,U,' remarked Layton,
etea.rLh1y. "But the police have long
mt merles, my dear Denzil; and that
little 8'r:lir of you was so very-
very tire -peeve, that I ant afraid if
you wt.r,: ee;vn and recognieed---Por-
giver. tee, but 1 canuot help thinking
that you were safer in Australia,"
"Yon mean that you were safer,"
rc•torted Denzil, with an ugly $ y 31IeEr.
"Australia was well enough,. but It
didn't suit me, 'and 1 got tired of
it,"
"Just lee -.just so!" teee.nteti Selby
Layton- It is a wonderful country,
rich in resourees, I hope you did
well there. my ear Denzil?"
"Oa the cuutrary, your `dear Den-
zil' did very badly; so badly that he
we obliged to come buck, and very
glad he; is to grit back. You appear
to he in clover, my dear Selby," hp
remarked, minucking Layton's soft
voice, "Prospering, eh? You al-
ways were the cunning kind of dog
that gets the meat while others have
the bones."
"Admiring my room, my dear Den-
zil? Yes, it is comfortable.. and 1
am fairly prosperous. Hard 'work,
pm' know; bard work."
Denzil laughed a mirthless and coo
temptuous laugh.
"Hard work! You never did a
clay's hard work in your life! I wish
. I'd tool yo' out in Australia with
erre; I'd have shown you what hard
work 110:11i9. u9. How do you, manage
it, 01, : But that's no business of
min.• I'm glad you're prospering,
bee,. •o you're able to help a pal
who• down on his -luck."
Layton looked grave and shook
his head.
"I shall be only too delighted to
help you, my dear Denzil," he said.
"But 1 fear-"
Denzil expectorated on the Persian
carpet and looked Selby Layton full
in the face with calm insolence.
"I want a hundred pounds." he
said. as if he were remarking that
he wanted d
a anothers lass ' of whisky:
Selby Layton started and sank
back in his chair.
"It's quite impossible," he said,
"1 haven't a hundred pounds in the-
world.
heworld. .1 might manage five -and -
twenty,"
Denzil looked round the expensive-
•ly furnished room significantly.
"You can raise n bill of sale on
this for more than double the a-
mount,"he said, coolly.
The ugly twist in Layton's lip be-
came more pronounced.
"There may be a bill of ,sale on
it already, my dear Denzil," he said.
"I don't care. A hundred pounces
• I want, and mean to have. Borrow
it, steal it, get it how you like; I
don't mind. I mean to have it be•
fore I leave here tit -night"
Layton crossed his legs, and clasp-
ing his knee with his white hands,
looked at his companion with a smile
that, in its way, was; as ugly as Den-
zil's,
"My dear Denzil, don't you think
you are a little exigent, not to say
a little presumptuous? And docs
it not occur to you that I may re-
fuse to give you anything; indeed,
that I may summon my servant,
send for a policeman, and give you
In charge? Really, it would be the
simplest and wiseest way of meeting
your exorbitant demand."
Denzil did not seem at all impress-.
ed.
"Simple enough, I dareetty," he
said, reaching for the whisky decant-
er; "but not very wise."
"I don't know," murmured Selby
Layton, thoughtfully, "The police'
would take you off my hands, and
I should be rid of you for --How
many years do they give for fora-
,cry?„
Denzil's sinister :face grew black
since his ('Yes glittered,
"You don't bluff 'badly, Selby,"
he said. "But you forgot that you
don't hold all the cards. t hold some.
Here's one of 'ern."
He took a. dingy pocket -book from
his pocket, and leisurely extracting,
it long slip of paper, waved it signi-
ficantly.
"Call the police. and I'll hand them
this, and tell them the little soeret
you've kept so carefully; and' 1'11 take
care to let the person this concerns
know whore to find you.- I fancy
you'd pay more than a 'hundred
pounds to keep me quiet.
Layton's fate went pale, and he
watched the slip of paper, as it *es
restored to the pocket book, int sit-
Enee.
"Judging by your surroundings .l_
spooled imagine you don't want to be
disturbed in the little game you're
playing, whatever it may be," said
Denzil. "Thore's sure to,' be some
little game, there always 'was, for
you couldn't run straight any move
than onae others of us; and I dare.
may ,,la'i'c 110 moteanxious to face
the notice than I am. We're in the
same boat, you and I, ;Sttlby) and I'll
it 1`:o :l down, wit !*o down together.,
P11 :..y nothing shoat this, and I'll
hold' r•ty irentrut' for a hundred
rant
our nee that yeti value your own
lately tau highly to errtlarlg'or it
I lightly, if you'll exettret me one mom.
c:nt, 1 will l:cit you the >aohs. They
rel , ztre in the next room."
w i Dettetii nodded ferilnlY.
pounds, rive it to me in notes, tau
try and do ,it cheerfully,"
Layton sat in silent teen1''.t for •t
moment or two, his upper Hp twitch.
lig, his white hands straintrd round
his knee.
"If I \vete tare that a huuelred
pounds were the grand total, my deer
Douzil," he said, "But froth what •I
know of you, 1 feel sure that it 1
not With a manof your expensive
tastes such n sum, large though It i
does not go every far. It is quit"
possible ,that you'll be here in a
week's onto, bent on further black.
mailing,"
Denzil shrugged his shoulders,
"1 daresay I might," he said; "but
it's not very probable.. I want to
leave the country again, nnd I shall
de it with this money, But I don't
want to argue and I don't want to
haggle. And I don't make any prom-
ises, neither. Give methehoney, or
call the police, as you Areatentel
but while they are coming, VII make
it worth while sending for them."
He rose, and with the (agar in the
earner of his mouth, took out a re
volver and covered. Layton; but Lay.
ton did not reeve, and smiled con-
temptuously,
"My dear Denzil, my man is in the
hall downstairs; you could not leave
the house any otherway—the' win
low is too high. Revolvers' may be
very useful in Australia, but th:,y.
;Ire quite out of place. In London --
guile nut of phce."
Denzil's no,trils .oepandcd with on
ugly smile.
"Move an inch and 111 shoot you!"
he said. r"I'm desperate, anal I'd as
soon be lagged for this as for the
otter. 1'11 give you one ,minute to
melte i11,-yet+r_ mime),
"You r,'trlly moan it?" said Selby
Layton. "I suppose I must give you
a check—"
""!'hanks; I think not," said Den.
zil, "You have the notes by you;
1 know; for you ,knew I_was coining:
and would he prepared:"
Layton laughed.
"Your persipacity is r'omat'kirble
Yes, I expected to be blackmailed by
you, and I am prepared. 'I make this
telmission, my dear Denzil, because I
assure you that it le the last money
I:shall give you, let the consequence,
be what they may. As you say,
we go down; wo go down together;
and, from what I know of you, I am
"Leave the door open;". h, :mid.
"11 you attempt to e.cuper, 1 fire."
Selby shot •1 glance at hint full of
bate, but esti nothing, and went into,
the tomo; roti81. 1i- wee bank Again
is 1) 111111!1) with •coins notes ' in hie
Irurtl.
'"!'hitt,, 1a U - money," he said.
the hat you will ever have,"
Denzil put the notes in his pocket-
book, filled his glees again, and drank
it leisurely, as 1t:eieurely lit another
cigar, and, with a nod eauutarn,I to
the door. There he turned had too;t-
ced at Layton with singer curiosity.
woruler :what your little game
is? You would not give me a hun•
dyed noun&, to hold my tongue un-
less my silence was well worth it, Is
it anything I can help you 18, Selby?
If so, say so; and -we'll go into port'
nership•"
Laytons. eyed him under half"closed
lid
"I dee;ire your assistance as little
ne 1 desire your 'presence, my dear
Denzil. Yon have your money; let
ren ldt is e you to drpart b' fore :i
chant;(' my mind,"
With a laugh of insolent mitten -1M
Denzil opened the door, iisteneci fc)t•
a moment, then wentdownstairs and 1
let himself out. Tie opened and. shut
the door so softly that Jack, hidden 1
in his doorway, though he was listen-
ing with all his ears did not hear him
but he can' ht sight of him presently :
as Denzil passed down the other side
of ,the `sl rEot.
Nnw, while he had been waiting.
Jack had had time to consider the
situation. He had intended spring- i
ing out upon the lean, overpowering 1
him, and giving ;him into custody, !
charging him' with the murder of the
'na'1 Jed: ,^.;melon: but rete aa:•i%.,r't-
tlon he saw that this course was
scarcely advisable In the 'first place
he would find Itdifficult to substan-
tiate the charge—tete crime was conr-
mitted in Australia, he had no wit'
nesses, nothing beyond his bare wort{
whii'h would not be sufficient to prove
the man's identity. Then again, if
he gave the man in charge, he would
have to declare his own "identity,
would be conipelled to break his
promis to his dead chum, to reveal
the fact that he himself was Sir John
Vancourt, and that Esther, the sister
of the man who had laid down his
1ef for him, was only a usurper.
As the reader will no doubt have
di )cove rr d, J»elt watt not eupel'natus-
nilly dere('; and the problem puzzled.
him. Ile could only decide to follow
!the maze, to trate: him into Inc lair,
wherever it was. tool to postpone the
qday of reckoning to a, more eon 1
tient ('time: J8elk more to 11111Ltelf
that the day of rot:keit/no
come.
llir waited until Ireerizil, wilt 1,r;••
quickly, had p)1«se'd lira, and �e rte'er J
the end of the street, then he follow-
ed hint, As he had expected, Ilenzil
got into a berg= cab, and Jack
jumped hlto anath r,
"Follow' that call," he said. "And
don't lose sight of it; het don't let
the other delver know you're follow-
ing him,"
• The cabman winked ---he. thought
!Jack was a detective—and the etur-
suit began. Denzil's cab struck oil
north to the great thoroughfare of
Oxford Street, passed into a quieter
pai't•of the town ,and pulled up sud-
denly at the corner of a forsaken and .
neglected little square. It was a din-
gy place with shabby and squalid
houses, Denzil's cab lied stopped at
a dirty and flaring public house, and
iJack, at a discreet dtetance, saw Den -
I zit pay and dismiss hie cabman and
enter the public. 'Telling his man to
wait, Jack got out, and buttoning up
ilrits coat closely, approached the pub
lic-house, and, having as:aired him-
self that there was no exit from the.
back by which Denzil could escape,
waited for his man to come out. •
Thhre was a good deal of noise in-
side the house, as if some of the cus-
tomers were drunk, 'Presently two
or three nen came out. They were
low -looking ruifiians, and. though
they were fairly sober, Jack cooll
see that they had been drinking .heav-
ily. They passed hint, all three walk-
ing close together and talking eager-
ly and in an undertone; but as they
went by Jack distinctly heard one
word—"Notes." Presently they sett.'
coated and disappeared, one down an
alley, the eteete ne the narrow gee
branching from th
ate or two Doled: came out of the
public -hoe .e,: , d for a moment
to look rout;& hes warily, then went
in the direction the• men had taken,
and pnssed Jack almost as closely as
they had done.
Jack remained in the doorway
which screened him until Denzil had,
gone about fifty yards; then he set;.
out to follow him. Denzil passed the 1 1
mouth of the alley, a low whistle
sounded, a mgr sprang from the alley, th
and threw hisarms s around Denzil's`
neck, and the two other men came
running from their hiding placas to
help their coutederato,
night not. ',Melt hl'cl no means of
I This new move took Jack by sol'- hltowing, The thing lniglrt littvc fell-
pl'iee end lu•.ktoili d lot end watch. ti]1 front the pocheto of one of the
ed foe a ntintiLe tedtlar; h'n, ,1f v+hut thieves, though It watt unlikely that
lie should do, deet very few illi- .aac11 footpad;; slloulil possess so lar e
gli.ehmtn ten et.mi Mae while on( ; it ;>llm ❑:' znonc<y.
man 1. 1l°,:`ting a,,;.,in t Odd,. chole„h 1 The thing was a mystery, y Y, azld Jaek
thrlt n' ::;ut.)11 be lot 1 :a11y foe; 1 cult not a little confused and embur-
,anll yu.;):, with , elr,,11t, ;ren towar;la ringed. „il,"rti wee. a 1lundr'oii grounds
• ;heel. The d i e+•;1 1n..tu',l Ilio, ;anti, ' in notes; till rule et : Neil] ret ,
1 21, r'itl]
hedu:; auk./ e' .dill iuutpads, they i9:? I)' 1„ tool: it to ar k.oilue--•
at once -took the.al^rm, and fl lurch' nhie•le clouted be 'elle casieet thing to
Den to 4, 11, ,,Wind, Made 011., Jack t!"— 1h::y' v 111. 'I ;it u.ie•,: ,wl' i:1can-
+txtrte"..it 1:� ,1'11 to remain quiet for teethed car: r:_ in.; wl.i^.h Jeclt would
a tee:, 1.1 ee : t:.; ba' the Men r0.:ea 11a'd it 1i911c•u tet answer; for the
quler'tly, as it' .ire were not hurt, and, tirrt t call !e: "'ivied is your name
without waiting to Mer' how he dleld X11'?"
been rescued. ran clown the street el eel,;rl •;'l T shall have to take
and disappeared round the corner. charge or this rrtyst•If,” lie said. lf
Jack star'cd after hint, but as he. it belongs to that scoundrel, he can
reached the Spot where Denzil bud have it by applying to Mr. Jack Gor'-
falien, hie foot struek against some- don, foreman of .the Vancourt home
thing. lie, picked it: upend found it ferret"
to he 11 large and shabby pocket. Considertiltr that d,
1 t ,t was the proper
' bock. Slipping it into his pocket, he thing to do so, he wrapped the pocket
took up the pursuit again; but Den- hook with the notes in a sheet of pan-
el was not to nae seen. er, and tingle;• for some sealing -wax
'I'hc place was a network of nor- se'alod it u1) and put it safely away in
row streets', each so like the other hies bag. Then he went to bed and
that Jit,,, soon got confused. Every dreamt, not of 'the ranger, but of--
now
f—
now ands then the line of houses was 'tether Vancourt!
broken by a court 'or alley, down any • CHAPTER XIV,
one of which his prey might 1110.11 Jack would very' nruch`have liked
to have gone down to the place where
Very much disappointed, Jack, he had lost eight of the ranger, and
after rt t eel .dead of difficulty, found have tried to track him; but he re-
tie 1811,' Nae'!, 10 Nus cab, and told the membered that he was Miss Van-
n -ten to drive hint to his hotel; and *court's servant, and that he had come
h ('sin teed the man liberally, went up to London on her business. So,
tip to hi: room Ile had been so air having arranged with the manufac- •
snrh'!d in his pursuit and his disap- toren; to send down the machinery
pointment at hi., failure to track the he had bought, he packed up hi'1
ranger, that he had forgotten the things and took. train for hone; and
pocket -book; and it was not until though it may be presumed that a
after he had had lee supper and was man with money in his pocket would
going to bed that the eight of his over enjoy a longer acquaintance with the
coat, which he had throcn across a delights of the wonderful Mertopoli
chair, remindecl him of his "find." ho got into the train with a sense of
He wet for it eagerly, and examined relief and pleasure,
it, turning out the pockets on th:• He was going• back to hard work;
dressing -table, ' hut he wee fond of hard wm•k, and
To ;' +.hat be wee :eerie_.e'. ,, ,a . l,• had g�_ ower fond of the home farm.
,�ht of the packet of bank -notes, 1 He might have added of Vancourt
quite inadequately describes his sen- Towers and the mistress thereof; but
sation; but there they were, staring ; he would not admit as ;suet even to
up at him, to the extent of a hun- i himself. When he got out at the
Bred pounds. The only other loose i small country station with the crag
paper was a certificate of marriage ' which contained, amongst other
between "Adolphus Robinson" and ; things, his new clothes which bad
"'Margaret Mayhew." I seen such adventures, and the rays -
On the leaves of the pocket -book 1terious pocket -book, he was prepared
were: written faded and almost indis- i to walk to the home farm; but 11e
Una memoranda, and the only other ,.found a dog -cart front the' Towers
Dose paper was a pawn ticket for a 1 ,ur:tiling• hi;m..
silver watch. So far as he knew, i "Miss Vancourt sent to meet you,
ere was nothing to prove that the 'sir, on the chance," said Giles, touch -
pocket -book which lay there on the ing his hat as usual. I
table was the property of the ranger. "Very icir
$ e y 1d of eller" said - Jack.
I
His name might be Robinson;R bin
0 on• butita
s
$"Any news, Giles?"
i
1^.;ted.
I "No, llz'. Gerdon," h,llri. Giles,
""Leastwllyn, not uttatth,: Magill got
ant of Ned •ye ti z'day, u»d hurt hie -
Noll', mut tire, doctor sent him hack
;pile. Anil there'll hien some pouch -
1.] t.> 111 tire. West ,Splzlnoy;'"
'"Plartin's an idiot; and that poach,
lady will have to be slapped," ' gild
Jack.
"'dope You've onjoyecd yourself in
',tumult, sir?" said Cllee,
"`O11, very murk, thank you," re-
plied Jnek, drily, thinking of his ad-
ventures,
(Continued Next Week,)
BUSINESS CACUS
THE issclustrla! Morrgageand
Savings Company, of Sarnia
Ontario, are prepared to advance money on
Mortgages on good lands. Pe,rtles desiring
50,5 8 -25 )n, n $portahgOwnl, plaaao wpuo:
110ran* en1 Scher pitrttaulcrs,
The. industrial Mortgage
and Savings CemPgny
t- zzeir711' .*Y. 4a,vo.Yr
AGENT FUER.
fire Automobile aid Wind Ins.
1
C(:MI'ANIa$,
for Brussels and vicinity Rhone 647
JAMES MJ'FAOZEAN
Agent Hawick Mufual fire Insurance Company
II y
Also
Hartford Windstorm and Tornado Insurance
Phone 42 Box 1 Turnborry 8tr4et, Animals
JNO. SUTHERLAND & SONS
y yTLIMITED
d'ke'dG)'tfX.1YF NFd,W'r
D. M. SCOTT
PP.( FS MODERATE
For ,Sur: •. cenault any poraml whasa natee:
11,-,ve, tt •htt,d at. Phone 2828.
T. T. Ibi'frAE
M. B..M. O. P., dt3. O.
M, O. H., Vilixge of &usselr
Physician, Surgeon, Acoonohe'r
Office at residence, opposite Mely 1116 Church,
William street.
DR. WARDLAW
Honor graduate of the Ontario Veterinary
College. Day and night calls. Office opposisc
Flour Mila,1theL
Hr. N. a vechare
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR,
CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBLIC
LECKIE 8LOOK BRUSSELS
'erre Archbishop of York
leading the coffin con-
totalingthe remains of
Marqus Curzon as It left
itedle.ton Hall,
5
Jean
Lamont,
wearing sewn
of green taffeta
with gold lace flounc-
ing In front.
A Jean
Pilon
model.
''They're oft'—at
least the jockey I.. A
double somersault at
a eteeplechese meet-
ing In England.
11101111
Members of the
McAdam, N.B., chain -
planarity First Al.)
team. The Canadian
Pacific aggregation
has collected four
titles in the Pint
Aid world and is now
otter the Montiram-
bert Trophy, em,
blamatic of the Can. -
dean championship,
Loo bendurend, owner of the Canadlcne
hock,, team, and Mrs.. Dandurand, back
from. the Stanley Cup games, wearing the
cowboy centimes presented to them at Cal -
gory on condition they wore them in Mont-
real. They did.
V\
51
ti
The
r'
Prince of
wal,d leaving
• Portsmouth on
N, M. 8. RotI n for a
.Ig atom
6f Alden and
�\ South Ant-
erica.
. •gid
111111111111111111111111111111111111
itoolussommen
Canadian Pacific
8,8. "Princes.
Marguerite" width
has now arrived
at victoria from
th6 OWE. She is
the new boat- on
the Vancouver
-
Victoria . Seattle
run.
p
51
ee.
The new sliver trophy donated
by the Mullah Paothel) Ainmelt,
Men to the Dominion of Canada
Football Asaortatlen for nanoid
c0mpetltinn among the football
61ubt.
re