| Show BANNER SERIAL FICTION FICTION- I She Painted Her Face race I 4 A dw tf and d a DORNFORD YATES PATES 0 o J Vol YOta Yo Sonic I CRAFTER CHAPTER XI Continued 23 23 As the door closed Lord Ferdl Ferdi Ferdinand nand spoke again Will Will will he go to London with you I shook my head Hell take lake me to Innsbruck this evening spend the night there and be back tomorrow at noon I 1 see Rife He said no more but I saw him pick up a pencil as though to write Then he seemed to remember my m presence and laid the pencil down Winter entered re-entered the room As he gave ga the case into my hand band band- I bandI handI I shall shag want you again I said so wait walt within call caU Very good sir As he left lett the chamber I held a paper up The statement I said A copy of the first of ot the statements your I brother made The second does not concern you because it only deals with the secret of ot Brief grief The man rose half half rose from his chair but I bade him sit still Then 1 I stepped to his side and laid the paper before him for him to read read I am am glad to record that tha t in the next three minutes that heart blackheart black heart hearted ed parricide paid a part of his debt As he read I saw him writhing and the sweat fell tell down from his bis forehead to blur the ink It was a frightful indictment Twice while he read he dropped his head to the table and cried aloud and when he had done he fairly burst into tears and laid his head down on his arm and sobbed ruto liko a child I drew the statement from under his hb sprawling arm Then I picked d dup up a pen and wrote When I had done I called Winter Fetch Mr Parish 1 said Lord Ferdinand started up lifting lift lUt lifting ing a II visage that made even Winter blench Parish Her Graces Grace's page What has he he- he heTo heTo To witness your yo r signature 1 I Ishall shall witness it and so will my man But Parish is independent and and to No no I never consented to any such thing JAye y riI f aUe ase said I and fold folded ed the statement up Turn out the car car Winter I 1 want to be at ai Gabble within the hour Very good sir said Winter and turned No no Not that that cried the theother th theother other and savaged his thumb Parish or Gabble said I. I I Its for you to choose After a frightful struggle struggle- To witness my signature only You'll cover the statement up I Yes Very well I 1 I turned again to Winter Fetch Mr Parish I said Whilst we waited he got to his feet and went to a glass and general general- generally ly did what he could to pull him him- himself himself self sel into some shape and I looked out the window with folded arms Five minutes later the thing was over and done The damning indorsement is ly lying ly- ly lying ing before me now I 1 have read this statement through from beginning to end and andI I 1 hereby confess that all aU that it says is true FERDINAND ELBERT VIRGIL for tor 22 years supposed to be Count of Brief Signed of his own free free will willOn willOn willOn On the twenty second July 1936 In the presence of us Richard Exon Samuel Parish George Winter As A's Winter Wl laid down his pen pen pen- x 1 aU I said Parish inclined his head and turned to io t the door You can c n take my dispatch case case Winter and pack and pack my things We leave for Innsbruck together at four Very good sir said Winter obediently I 1 blotted the precious Indorse Indorse- Indorsement Indorsement ment meat and folded the statement up Then I 1 put it into my pocket and faced the man I had bluffed Youve done your part part I said and I shall do mine Alone Aa one who fis ls is listening intently he kept his eyes I upon upon mine and greeted every phrase with a nod of his head I will rec rec- recommend recommend that you be allowed to dis dis- disappear dis- dis appear appear to to go to change your name and never come back As Ive I've told you I dont don't think they'll do it It it a a a hand went up to his mouth the mouth the punishment doesn't matter its it's a question of righting a II wrong And that is why I think they'll theU insist that the case must proceed But I Ishall Ishan Ishall shall shan know on Friday and on Sun Sun- Suni Sunday i day I shall be back As I opened the door I looked i back back to to see his outstretched hand band handI I whip back to his side As though tho I had noticed nothing I kit laft l ft the room room I have no doubt at at all that be- be before before before fore the door had closed he bad had badi i picked the timetable up Ai t I took my way to the tower I Il l laid my plans I had to leave Brief at four four no no Question of that for tor though we had the game won it was highly de de- desirable desirable de- de desirable that the Count should take the departure which he had planned If it he fled to avoid arrest as as at present he Intended to do- do dohe dohe dohe he would indeed disappear for good and all and would never ne more be heard of because he could not take such a risk but U if he had reason to think that he had been bluffed I though now we e could force torce his hand he would stand upon the order of his going and would certainly be a 11 nui nul nuisance nuisance sance for as long as he happened to live And so the she plain clothes man must leave lea for London at four And there 1 stood still in my tracks for all of a sudden I saw that here was my chance to do what sooner or later I had to do that do-that that Is Isto Isto isto to say to walk out of my ladys lady's life me As I saw it It I think I aged for while my whole being revolted from I the plunge ten times as awful as as' as that into Palfreys Palfrey's well 1 I knew in my heart that I must take it be be- because because because cause such a chance would never occur again I glanced at my watch The time was a quarter to ten Once my de decision de- de decision was taken I could have wished that the time was a quarter to lo four I had already determined that no noone noone noone one must know what had happened till fill after the Count had fled tied and now I perceived that all that I 1 had bad to do was to leave a note for the Duchess to be delivered as soon as my victim was gone I entered my room Toom to find Win Win- Winter Winter Winter ter suitcase suit in hand Leave the packing for the mo mo- moment moment ment I 1 said Ill tell teU you when to begin I want you to send off a wire I sat down and wrote it out out out-ad- ad addressed dressed to myself Turn out the Rolls and take this to Gabble at once And on the way back you ou ml might ht get rid of that suit sulL Old Harry looked round And now she said said grim grim- grimly ly Iy enough Luncheon was over and nc coHee had h d been served in her suite For the first time for 15 hours bours Elizabeth Herrick and I were alone with the Duchess of Whelp She was Of f humor hum i and andI had I an uneasy feeling that she knew more than I 1 was prepared to tell terL She demanded And why does does' my my host keep his room If II he heill ill hes he's breaking a record for never be be- before before fore has indisposition denied me the courtesy due to my state She slapped the arm of her ber chair The enemy has retired Im I'm not at all deceived for this is a II fight to fight fig to the death death but but I want to know what he is doing and when and where he be heis heis beis is going to reappear la femme said Her Her- tick What of the maid Old Harry looked at my lady lad You ou heard beard what he be said she declared Why the devil dont don't you tell us the truth Elizabeth glanced at the door quite all right Godolphin is standing outside and she knows no English at alL aU My lady took a deep breath Last night an attempt was made to put me to death My maid admitted ad ad- admitted admitted my cousin into my suite Richard came to my help and help and walked M into a trap But by his wit and his courage he be saved us both That Is why my my cousin and Elsa have disappeared Herricks Herrick's face was a study but the Duchess of Whelp merely nod nod- nodded nodded ded and then lien picked up her cup and drank what coffee was left As she set it down down- more like it It it she said saidI saidI I 1 mean that is credible I 1 knew your life lite was in danger yet et what could I 1 do except do-except except trust In Richard Exon She turned upon me Did you ou liquidate Ie him Or did your our bet better betto ter to Judgment impel you OU to spare his life lite Madam 1 m said I 1 he Is dead Well Veil done said Old Harry Well neli done But Dut you shouldn't drop shirts about when a lady lets leis you OU out of her bedroom at half past three Elizabeth started and clapped a hand to 10 her mouth Madam I 1 said I 1 see sec youve you've received a note nole Yes said the Duchess I did And Ill I'll make you a present of this I I dismissed its contents at once as being untrue But Dut when I heard that Elizabeths Elizabeth's maid was gone gone gone- well ell I knew there was something behind them and hoped for the best And now what about you ou I under under- t t I rl e y t t d dI i I i a. a i fl a t. t I i h r 74 r y R r h r And There I Stood Still in La My Tracks stand you had a note Why didn't you er act upon it Madam said I I preferred to I hope for the best The piercing gray eyes held mine Did you indeed Now I should have gone to see the writer at once I 1 knew that Parish had told her as much as he knew Madam forgive me With great respect respect respect-I've Ive I've a delicate hand to Play How long shall you watt wait wain Till tomorrow morning madam No longer than that Craft is not my strong point and the effort I had made mace that morning seemed to have tired my brain Then again though success success' seemed certain the Count Counts was still in his seat and I was forever fearing that something or or other would happen to tomake tomake tomake make him change the decision to which I was sure he had come Above all my own decision to dis disappear disappear appear hung like some loathsome monster upon my neck insisting upon my attention and gleefully in in- indicating indicating the several lovely features of the paradise I was to lose Had HadI I been examined cross or even been asked to relate what had happened the night before I should I believe have ha burst out and disgraced my my- myself myself self for the present was so 10 overwhelming over over- overwhelming overwhelming whelming and the future so very bleak bl ak that to deal with the past was like going into training when you are condemned to death And there the maid Godolphin I came in with my telegram Cra c ea case e fixed axed for lor r Friday Frida He Ile counts count upon you ou Fors Fou Ih th My goodness I said and got cot gotto cotto gotto to my feet Elizabeth stifled a n cry but the tile Duchess sat perfectly still As for Herrick I 1 must go to London I 1 said saidI I must leave for Innsbruck at once a al at t least ns as soon as Ive I've parked packed I must catch the evening train Elizabeth let out n cry cr My dear Ive I've no choice Six SI weeks ago the Die servant I had before Winter inter was charged with theft I I had always alwa s 's found him honest and I 1 Isaid i said that Id I'd much when whenever swear ns as n ever he stood his trial And his case has been fixed for Friday I cant can't let him down But Dut I can be beback beback beback I back on Sunday I turned to the Duchess of ot Whelp Will you ex- ex excuse excuse cuse cure me madam I must make certain arrangements I shall ask ark arkyou you to see me again before I leave You are arc excused Richard Ex on I bowed and went Whilst Winter packed I wrote the best letter I 1 could Madam By the time lime that you read rend this let let- letter letter ter 1 am very nearly sure lure that the Count will have disappeared Whether he has or has haa not you will know the best use to make of 0 IOU these documents I told him that he would be arrested unless he made himself scarce and that Virgil had disappeared under fear fur of ot being charged with the theft of ol Ellis Eliza bethi beths jewels Elsa II It wanted for forgery when the she knew that Id I'd found that out she may have thought It better betterto to find a 8 new place I think that's all U Im I'm rather worried about the servant who saw law me drop my shirt Perhaps you could straighten that out for you youcan youcan youcan can do what wha you will with the servants of Brief Of course ourse Im I'm not coming back Its Iff It better to so St I mean there theres no nomore nomore nomore more to be done and as I I can con neither glaze her nor rope myself off olf It wouldn't be fair to her to make matters matteri worse than I have Madam I have so 10 much Jo thank you for Your obedient affectionate servant Richard Exon With this I enclosed two docu ments One was the statement indorsed by Lord Ferdinand and the other the death certificate of Matthew Gering Coring TO HE lIE CONTINUED |
