Show BANNER SERIAL ER AL FICTION FICTION- She Painted Eder Ber race Pace A 4 u of- of and ue Zy YATES O Y Qt mm CHAPTER VII Continued VU-Continued Continued 15 15 c Then Winter appeared In the door- door doors 5 s way way and and Brenda wide-eyed wide behind him with one of her hands to her throat t. t I hurt said I I. I Mr Herricks Herrick's pistol went off of Where did you put it it Brenda I mean when you made the bed On the chest of drawers sir sir pointing I see said I. I And what time did you make the bed At six o'clock sir As a rule I make It at nine but as you were out to dinner I made It before And then I visited my cousins at Monein h and spent the evening with them Well that's all right said I. I You go back to bed Let your father and mother believe that we fired by mistake I will do that said Brenda but please may I know the truth Its simple enough said I. I As soon as you'd left for Monein some some- somebody somebody somebody body entered this house and came up to this room They took Mr Herricks Herrick's pistol which you had laid over there and put it into his bed Before they put it In In they put down the safety And they laid it with its mouth to the pillow that pillow that ruck shows that on firing the pis pis- pistol tol tot kicked kicked and and shifted towards the foot foot Now they've very light triggers trIggers these these things Mr Herrick touched it oft off of by sitting on the edge of the bed But if i hed he'd got into his bed in the ordinary way and had touched it off with his foot foot foot-as as somebody meant him to do s After so full a day and in view of f. f j. j what was to come we were thank thank- thankful thankful thankful ful to have a week-end week with noth noth- nothing nothing ing to do for all that I 1 must con con- conless less fess that had I not been sure that the Duchess would be annoyed I 1 would have driven to Tracery ev ev- f cry ery day not day not to assure myself that I V my lady was safe for of that I could have no doubt but because 1 I was mad to see her and hear her call me by name Instead 1 I sat in inthe inthe inthe the meadows and played with the dream which the Duchess of ot Whelp jn wisdom had taken taka away the Countess of Brief in her had given me back And because e I 1 was foolish I wrote her hera a lit litti note which all the world might have read which I posted myself at Gabble on Saturday after afternoon noon Here 1 should sho say that out of evil came good the attempt upon Her Her- Herrick's Herricks Herricks Herricks Herrick's ricks rick's life had cleared the air We had thought it likely that some such attempt would be made and while t we were not uneasy our senses did constant duty against some sur sur- r prise But now the attempt had been made and the danger was past for tor for Virgil Virgi would know that whether er he won or lost his throw could not noi be bidden hidden or made out an acci acci- accident accident dent and so would be sure to give Raven a very wide berth On Sunday the police came to n. n Raven and we reconstructed for i them what had been so nearly a aI I crime i. i As they were leaving leaving- Sirs said the sergeant one day he will go too far and will pull up the sluice which will let all our evidence go And then he will be overwhelmed To arrest him now would be futile He bears a very big name and his word would be betaken betaken taken before yours In the absence of definite proof s r I entirely entirety agree said Herrick In fact tact 1 I was In two minds whether er or no to report this latest af fair You see we were frightfully 11 tired tire Dining outs out's all very well but when the house huse youre you're dining ats at's 90 miles off t. t Ninety miles cried the ser ser- sergeant sergeant ser geant Well how far Is Tracery said Herrick If IOU you go by Gosch en r Tracery Herrick surveyed the sergeant In some sunrise s Trace be he said We dined I with the Duchess of Whelp The sergeant appeared to have lost the power Dower of speech At length length- I beg your pardon my lord I I- I II I am not a lord said Herrick The other waved his statement away I 1 I 1 bad had no idea he be stam- stam If It I had known that known that first day He broke off there and put a hand to his bis bead head If It Her Grace were to learn that one of her ber friends had been subjected to to- to Her Grace Gr ce said Herrick swift swift- swiftly iy ly would also learn how highly the friend in question thought of the toe po po- po- po lice The sergeant flushed with delight Your lordship is very good g Not at all said Herrick Not at all And now dont don't you rush this business We both agreed just now that the time wasn't ripe And if tf I 1 am content to wait well walt well Im I'm pretty closely concerned In fact tact may 1 I leave it like this this that that before you take any action you'll let lct me know The Tte sergeant gave his assurance assurance i k kL L r with all his might and after fur fur- further further further ther civilities took his leave As we turned to the house house- Of such said Herrick quietly Is the kingdom of earth On Monday a note came by hand from Crom Brief The Count of Brief presents his bis compliments to Mr John Herrick and begs to express the hope that he and Mr Richard Exon will make it convenient to become his guests tomorrow at six o'clock to meet the Duchess of Whelp and to remain at Brief during Her Graces Grace's pleas pleas- ure Herrick read this aloud and fin fin- his chin Ice for two he said shortly I 1 suppose it could have been ruder but the blood you wring out of a astone astone astone stone is usually thin And when we roll up at four hell he'll go blue inthe In Inthe Inthe the face As for Percy the Good he must be half haU out of his mind a mind a vic vic- victim victim victim tim raised from the dead and two witnesses coming to stay Lets Let's send him a wire signed Max Bracher asking to be met at the station at past half three You know this play has its points It may be melo melodrama melodrama drama but you must admit that the situation is pregnant pregnant U if nothing more Ill be glad when its it's over said I. I Hes wicked enough in cold blood but hes he's going to be red hot with his back to the wall CHAPTER VIII How good of you to come early Herrick and I looked round round from from one of at the magnificent which hung on the hall of Brief Percy Elbert Virgil was standing six paces away For that that said Herrick slowly the warmth of our invitation must m st be our excuse Virgil raised his eyebrows and took out a cigarette My uncle will see you later Till then you must put up with vitti me Well manage somehow said Herrick I 1 dont don't remember you here in 1912 The other frowned Allow me m to warn you he said not to refer to that visit when my uncle is here As you probably know in 1914 his father and wife were both killed and his only broth broth- brother er my father met with a hideous fate And these three terrible blows blows' all fell within 24 hours From that day to this he has never so much as mentioned what went before For him the past Is buried buried In in holy ground Is it indeed said Herrick Id no idea And I dont don't think his daugh daughter ter has She never never- said said sald- His daughter When did you meet her The queries flamed That Herrick had drawn first blood was as clear as day At Tracery said Herrick calm calm- ly We dined there on Friday night Virgil stood still as death Then as though released from some spell he turned to a table be be- beside beside beside side him struck a match and light light- lighted ed a cigarette Well well he said lightly And how are you proposing to get me down The sudden Impudent question hit me between the eyes but Herrick replied as coolly as if i a child had come up and asked him the time Well we rather thought of leav leav- leaving leaving leaving ing that operation to you Virgil laughed I dont don't know that I blame you he said and took his scat seat on the arm of a mighty chair Its rotten to be laughed out of court Have Haveth they th y found Max Ma yet yen They found him on Tuesday i said Herrick Well that ought to help you you said Virgil comfortably I I think It will wm said Herrick before were we're through Virgil fingered his chin Where were you he said on Wednesday at past half nine Elsewhere said Herrick short short- ly Where were you on Friday at past half six That said Virgil Is easy Never mind lets let's look at your rooms rooms He got to his feet Did you bring a servant of sorts Or Orare Orare Orare are you working alone I dont don't think hed he'd suit you said Herrick If IOU that's what you mean Is that meant to be rude said Virgil Intensely said Herrick Virgil sucked In his breath Then Then- As your host I I- I What makes you think said Herrick that you are our host The others other's eyes burned in his head Then with a manifest effort effort- Come he said thickly Ill take you a way that you know And so he did At the foot of each staircase tur tur- turret turret ret ref there were two doors one of which gave to the terrace and nd one oneto to the house A moment later there therefore there fore we vc followed him into the tur 1 ret which gave to Elizabeths Elizabeth's suite climbed the stair and passed through her lovely rooms And then we had entered the tow tow- tower tower er and were climbing up to the bedroom I knew so welL Winter was busy unpacking As we came In he turned with a shirt In his hands Now Winter of course was pre pre- prepared prepared prepared pared for some such encounter as this but Virgil was not and the sudden improvised meeting with the valet whom he had oppressed who must he knew be itching to take revenge hit our unpleasant companion extremely hard Indeed for one one or two moments his bis self self- possession was gone and he seemed the prey of some nightmare too grim to be bc true As a man who comes full on a snake he started violently back And then in a n flash he was round and searching my face and Herrack's Her Her- Herrick's Herricks ricks rick's with bolting eyes We regarded him coolly enough I said he wouldn't suit you said Herrick complacently For an instant I thought that the fellow would launch an attack As Asa a beast about to spring he dropped to a crouch and actually lifted his lip tip Then he had himself in hand band and had turned about As he crossed to the window window- all certain he said Im not at that Brief Is going to suit him I addressed myself to Winter Did you hear that remark I did sir said Winter quietly Repeat It to Mr Parish her Graces Grace's page Very good sir Virgil stood very still with his back to the room When at last he turned I saw he was very pale My uncle will receive you he said in a quarter of an hour Then he passed to the doorway and left us alone Two things were now clear and Herrick at once sat down and wrote the Duchess a note Madam Before we had been here ten minutes i iVirgil Virgil took care to warn me not to re re- remind reI remind remind I mind his uncle of anything which had happened before he became Count of Brief This I 1 submit goes to show that Virgil Is aware of the truth The presence of Winter appeared to shock him so much that I am sure he regards him not only as a personal en enemy enemy emy but as a witness to be used against him if 11 and when he is charged with the theft of the fee m Je Th Yours to command J. J 11 II This note we gave to Winter to give to Parish at once Then we washed our hands and made our way back to the hall We were not sent for lor to go to the Count of Brief In fact we did not see him until he passed through the hall on his way to re re- receive receive receive the Duchess whose car had hade entered e the drive This I suppose by design design so so that Herrick should have no time to awaken such sleep sleeping ing dogs as the Count desired to let lie I shall never forget his appear appear- appearance appearance ance or how startling to me was his coming across the hall for ex ex- except except that he was stouter and seem seemingly seemingly younger In years he might have been his poor brother come comeback comeback comeback back to life lite If he was ill at ease he never showed it but used us both cavalier cavalier- cavalierly ly as though to confirm the Impression impression sion his letter conveyed Which is which he demanded and gave us no time to reply Oh Oh this must be Herrick The Th Duchess mentioned your name If you want anything ask the steward he ho knows the rules of the house And now you'd better come with me She will expect to see you upon the tho steps With that for welcome he led the way to the courtyard as though he were late A little tittle bevy of servants was standing beside the steps with steps with Ber Ber- Bertram Bertram Bertram tram the steward before them wand In hand On the other side were standing Parish and Winter and two women waiting In black As I came out with Herrick Par Par- Parish Parish ish came forward at once to pay his bis respects I put out my hand for his Im looking forward I said to toa a talk with you you As he took my hand handI bandI band band- I 1 shall be honored sir when when- whenever ever you please I 1 turned to sec see the Count staring staring- and Percy Virgil beside him poking his head Then the Count said some some- something something thing In German at a t which the two of them laughed HerrIcks HerrIck's voice rang out as the crack of a lash We know the Duchess Duchess' servants because we know Tracery Can you say as much you two His words might have been a aspelL aspelL spelL Everyone In the courtyard seemed suddenly turned to stone Bertram stood open mouthed with witha a hand way halfway to his bis head and the others stared straight before them not seeming to breathe Only the Count and Virgil turned slowly as red as fire and at this full full-fla fla moment I heard the crunch of gravel beneath the wheels of a car Since this meant that the Duchess was come the tense situation was less relieved than submerged and andall andall andall all eyes were turned to the archway which led to the drive A liveried groom appeared back back- backing backIng ing Then a long limousine turned slowly into the courtyard and moved to the foot of the steps steps and and there were Elizabeth smiling and the Duchess of Whelp leaning back with the air of a Lord Chief Justice up upon upon upon on his Bench The chauffeurs sat still uncovered uncovered uncovered ered while a footman opened the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and the Count stood bowing and waiting forthe for the Duchess to put putout pu putout hated hand d i j Jc a. a out a 71 In silence Old Harry s surveyed him Then she spoke clear cl ar and loud There Is something different about you Were We're both of us older of course but its it's deeper than that The flesh is Esaus Esau's flesh but the spirit White to the lips the Count looked ready to swoon Its very strange I should never have said you were Brief Somehow the man made answer In twenty four years madam madam- No no its it's not that The leop leop- leopard leopard leopard ard grows old but he never changes his spots Never mind daughter back She has escaped escaped- this time but I think you should warn all your servants within and without to expect another attempt well well any time now With that having set two t o balls balis rolling before she had fairly ar arrived ar- ar arrived rived Old Harry got to her feet and stepped out of the car and and declining de de- declining declining clining the arm the Count offered walked up to the head of the steps There she stopped and looked round TO BE DE CONTINUED |