CHAPTER V.
Kate did not make her appearance next day until breakfast was over. Justas she came down, Hall entered the library with a paper--Kate followed.She was very pale, but looked very determined.
"Mr. Hall," she said, toying nervously with a paper-cutter, "I havereconsidered the offer which you made me yesterday, and, if you stillwish it, I am willing to--to--" (the paper-cutter snapped in two) "tobecome your wife."
Hall looked at her curiously for a moment. He felt certain her fatherhad not spoken to her, and attributed her agitation to any but the truecause.
"I am glad, Kate--I may call you Kate?" She bowed but did not look athim. "I am glad indeed! For I love you, Kate, as I never believed mancould love woman!"
There was sincerity in the simple words and in the tone of his voice. Hecame over slowly--he felt half afraid of her now--and pressed his lipsto her forehead just as Mr. Stafford entered.
"Mr. Stafford, I am happy to be able to tell you Kate has relented. Shehas consented to be mine!"
There was a ring of genuine pride and exultation in Hall's voiceand--well, everybody loves a lover, and notwithstanding an unpleasantremembrance of the previous night, Mr. Stafford said heartily:
"Well, my boy, I'm glad you are out of your agony," adding in a jestingtone which caused Kate to shudder, "Has the day been fixed?"
"Not yet, but it might as well be done now! Come Kate! Name the day!"
By way of reply Kate fell back on a sofa. The strain was too great andshe had fainted. Hastily summoning Mrs. Stafford the men adjourned toHall's rooms. Both were honestly surprised at Kate's agitation.
"Had you spoken to her?" asked Hall.
"No, I have not. I had intended to, but it seems to be unnecessary."
During the remainder of the day Kate was invisible, and next morningboth men started for London. Hall was generous in his happiness,apparently, for the object of the journey was to relieve Mr. Stafford ofall farther strain for the present, in regard to the mortgage andinterest then coming due.
It did not take long to transact the business in London, and afterdining together, the men parted, Stafford starting for home, and Hall,having further business to transact, remained in London.
Hall's "business" during the afternoon, did not appear to be verypressing, as he spent the time drinking and playing billiards. Justabout dusk he quit playing, paid his score, and after taking a partingdrink, left the place.
His destination was the same tumble-down rookery which he visited on hisprevious trip to London. It had begun to rain during the afternoon, adrizzling, misty rain, with the regulation fog accompaniment, and no onewould recognize in the man in the big rough coat and slouch hat, thecollar of the one turned up and the brim of the other pulled down, theelegant and natty Mr. Hall.
Entering the house after a rapid though useless glance behind, uselessbecause he could not see ten feet behind him, Hall ascended to thesecond floor. His knock was answered by a miserable looking old man, whopeered cautiously at him through the partly-open door.
"Bah! Why, you fool, do you suppose if it was the police you could keepthem out!" and pushing the door open Hall entered.
The old man--he was certainly seventy--locked and bolted the dooragain, and then following the example of his visitor, sat down.
"Now then," said Hall, opening the conversation, "you promised to have acopy of this Carden's will the next time I called, which was to beto-night. Have you got it?"
The old man shook his head in the negative and Hall asked angrily, "Whynot?"
"Thought I'd be a fool to trust anyone else 'n I can't do itmyself--that's why."
"Well, how do you suppose I'm to trust you? Do you want me to buy a pigin a poke? What kind of property is this? Why hasn't some one tried tofind this Carden's relatives?" And having fired this volley ofquestions, Hall threw himself back in his chair and looked at the oldman sharply.
"Well, in the first place this 'ere Carden was a curious kind of acustomer. Kept away from everybody 'n nobody knowed who 'e wuz or wherehe come from. When he died I happened to be the first to find him. Ifelt sure he had plenty of coin, 'n he had. There was some dust--notmuch--but he had nearly L20,000 in diamonds sewed in his belt----"
"How do you know?" interrupted Hall.
"Because I seed 'em. I had just found these 'ere papers, an' just as Iwuz goin' to undo the belt along comes a crowd from the camp. It woslucky I didn't touch the dust--they'd a hung me sure! The papers wosdown my bootleg, but only the body wos stone cold, an' they'd seen me incamp just afore, they'd swung me up anyhow."
"And you have--actually have these papers yourself? No third partybusiness?"
"Yes, I've got 'em myself! Right here!"
The old man made an involuntary movement with his right hand toward hisbreast, but checked himself instantly. It was too late, however, forHall, who was watching his every movement, noted the action and said,with a malicious laugh:
"Rather an unsafe place, isn't it?" and before the old man could reply,continued: "Was there anything else besides these diamonds--and whatbecame of them?"
This question, asked simply to throw the old man off his guard, boreunexpected fruit.
"The Government took charge of the diamonds, but there was a lot of land'round Melbourne worth twice as much as them."
Hall had now learned all he wanted and more than he expected.
"Well, you've been talking about this thing for over two years now, andit's time I saw something to prove all this. What do you want for thepapers?"
"Five thousand pounds."
"Five thousand grandmothers! Why, you must be crazy!"
"Five thousand, and not a penny less," returned the old man, firmly.
Hall did not speak again for a few minutes. He looked thoughtfully atthe old man as though considering his proposition. The latter, eversince Hall had located the papers, had watched him suspiciously, and hadmoved his chair so that they sat directly in front of each other. Hishands were thrust into the pockets of his loose sack coat, and Hall ashe gazed at him, saw the butt of a pistol peeping from the right handpocket. He had heard or read somewhere of the Australian trick ofshooting through the pocket, and he smiled wickedly when he caught sightof the pistol. It may be that what followed would not have happened hadhe not seen it.
The smile made the old man move nervously in his chair, and thatrecalled Hall.
"Well, since you will not take less, I suppose you must have the fivethousand; but what will you do with it, you, an old man, who may be deadin an hour?"
Hall's face wore a perfectly devilish smile as he said this, and the oldman felt anything but comfortable.
"Look-a-here, Mr. Hall," he said, nervously, "don't you try to play anygames on me!"
"Oh, nonsense! Come! Let's have some of that black bottle of yours!"
The host's faith in his visitor's good intentions was shown by hisbacking up to the closet, from which he took the black bottle referredto and a couple of heavy bottom tumblers--watching Hall all the time.The latter laughed at this--not a pleasant laugh by any means.
"Why, man," he said, "what are you afraid of? Do you think I would befoolish enough to _shoot you_, as I see you are prepared to do for me,to obtain these precious papers of yours?"
The old man looked confused, but said nothing, and returned to his chairopposite Hall, to whom he handed the one glass which he filled. It wastossed off in an instant and extended for more, although the contentswas brandy, stolen brandy. To a keen observer it would appear that Hallwas nerving himself for something desperate. His smile was trulywonderful as he held forth his glass for refilling. The old manrefilled it, and was about to fill his own when Hall said in a carelessway:
"Those are not the papers behind you, are they?"
There was nothing on the table behind the old man except a couple ofnewspapers, but he turned his head for an instant, and in that instant apinch of white powder, scarcely enough to be perceptible to the keeneyes of youth, was dropped into his g
lass.
"Gave you a scare, didn't I?" said Hall, with a harsh laugh; thenchanging his tone: "Come! Drink up! Drink my success!"
The old man filled the glass slowly--very slowly it seemed to thewatcher, who was holding his glass to his lips, waiting for the other,and looking very excited.
"Drink! Drink!" he repeated.
The old man had the glass to his lips, but set it down. "I won't," hereplied, looking suspiciously at Hall.
"Then, d---- you, I'll make you!" exclaimed Hall, dashing his glass tothe floor, and in an instant he had a pistol pointed at the old man'shead, but suddenly recovered himself and restored it to his pocket.
"Blast you!" he said, in a quiet tone, although his eyes still blazedlike coals, "you would drive Job out of patience with your suspicions.Can't you see plainly that I can't get along without the information Imay yet need in this matter? It's not my policy to harm you."
Picking up his glass and filling it to the brim, he continued:
"Since you will not drink your own, drink mine," and apparentlyexchanged glasses, but kept his own nevertheless.
Almost any third-rate juggler--any amateur with pretensions tosleight-of-hand--can perform the trick, but the old man knew nothing ofjuggling. He did know he was in dangerous company, and to please Hall hetook the glass and drained it.
"Ugh! Lord, how bitter! Oh! oh! You devil, you're----"
"No more--no more, old man. Your time is up, although the trick camenear failing."
The poor old wretch fell from the chair to the floor, striking his headagainst the table as he fell.
For a few moments the murderer was unnerved by his work. He sat pale andtrembling in his chair, with his eyes averted from the heap on thefloor, but the old man's glassy stare seemed fixed on him. He seemed tofeel it. His outstretched arms seemed grasping for him.
In a little while he recovered himself, and grasping the bottle emptiedit at one draught. Then he proceeded to remove all traces of _his_presence. The glass he had used himself he put back in the closet, andthe packet from which he had taken the pinch of powder he placed in theold man's pocket.
He now stooped over the body and took from an inside pocket a package ofpapers. A glance satisfied him that they were what he wanted.
He next removed a money-belt which the old man wore, and after feelingof it smiled sardonically. "I knew the old thief was lying," hemuttered. Something had fallen from his person while removing themoney-belt, but he was still too excited to notice it.
Stepping quietly to the door, he opened it and listened. All was quietin the house, and nothing could be heard but the falling rain outside.Shutting the door softly behind him, Hall stole down-stairs and out intothe night--possessed of certain very valuable papers, a money-belt whichhe felt certain contained diamonds worth L20,000, and the brand of Cainupon his brow; and forever after, notwithstanding his great nerve andcoolness, to be hunted either actually or in his imagination, and to bestartled at every careless joke, and to run from shadows.
Harry Blount, the Detective; Or, The Martin Mystery Solved Page 5