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WHEN THE SEA GIVES UP ITS DEAD." By MRS. GEORGE CORBETT, t AUTHOR OF s k'fe," Pharisees Unveiled," The p Note," Cassandm," "S#crets of a ate Enquiry Office," Experiences t a Lady JDatsctiTe," The Mystery ,of Fellsmore," &c. CHAPTER IV. to A SUSPICIOUS DEATH. °PP°aite the residence of Mr. Sta- re was an untenanted house. The was well planted with trees and wl afforded capital shelter to two Ihe 0 bad loitered there for some time. 1? WeTe known to us, being none other ItbH- Cory and Hilton Riddell. They somewhat fidgety lest a mistake somewhere, for it was long appointed for Hugh Stavanger's with Captain Cochrane, and yet neither the one nor the other, v Chouse had been strictlj watched B° ara' e have eluded us by going away the time named," said Hilton, 'No,aid, Op was the confident reply. HAnnie Vo been sure to let ua know some- **0 l°ther-" from H • 8^e suspected, and is prevented <irj, 0lnS anything further just now." ? *s possible. But I doubt it, for she *Ve no need or opportunity to watch tbe da a\langer in any suspicious way during t j even sh0 had found it desi- id n, so, and had been detected, what lot a, these people do to her ? They could You shall not go out, because tVe '3eea stealing, and don't hfc* t)*° be caught 1' As for locking ^r*°tia»n ^er roomJ that would be hardly jp 9' No, since she has not come out 4 oor., c) that events are still multiplying »0on all that we shall hear all about it It ill A.b, there is somebody coming out! expect." Oof, „>*t is a womau, But it is not Miss "It. t13 a ft.er^ant—and on an urgent mes- "8be is actually running." s^e m'8bt bear us. Now she has p..Qs' Shall I follow her, do you .n°> stay here. Look how the lights lng about those upper rooms. The an uproar, and o^! ih*n hear a woman screaming. Good y are murdering Annie." almost shouted this, in his sudlen I ^'thJ'C°ry' followed by Hilton, rushed and up the steps leading to Mr. house. Someone was evidently re* i/°r t'le ^oor waa °Pene^ as soon as n an<* a y°unS &'rl' the house- £ 2..Iy' stood before them with clasped « r\,a 8treaming eyes. fiiPi are you the doctor?'' she ex- j :iv "It's just awful. Wear has been flon a su^^en> an^ is rolling on ^onyY,r ?&nd screaming dreadful with the j ■° bg |^e.s in. 'J'he missus is too frightened anr8ide ^er* ^uli t*36 governess is with "j> °b dear, doctor, do be quick!" n°t the doctor," answered Mr. Cory NJ' "bu,k 1,11 fetch one directly. I was an^ heard the screams. Come ft* later both men were hastening k c to»e!i ° Mayne, whom they knew.. lot far from here, and from him they a^e ^ear a ^ew a^er ^etails j °{^ e' fortunately, he was at home, and g0a 0nce* The doctor whom the servant T had not been in when she ( ^UtM ,at bis house, so Dr. Mayne was ad- *o the patient at once. But the b» i e looked at her he judged her oase J v ^Peless. I Oj* »w < he mistaken. Poor Wear wa*, as 8eQlaid said, in mortal agony, which, ( >iZ to the reader, 1 will refrain from j w "^n bour later she was dead. ( a MfkT°ob she was tired and heartsick, er to the last, rendering what help > and wondering all the while if this ( 3p0g(w,event could be the accident it was < i0h tto For tho woman's death, at JU n"fure» with Hugh Stavanger's secret yPonn rayed by her, was so strangely j ntean occurrence that less suspicious ( 40athan Annie's might easily suspect II it. () the Stavaugers to have had a hand Wea r Tas known to be rather fond of an t*v of u Hollands, and this propen- tH. hCrS caused her death. For on her tl, H bK r. roomi was found a gin bottle, from jT* evidently been drinking. But W0tl s 6 c<?ntained no gin, but a deadly ^etimes used for disinfecting pur- ih" W v this happened to be in an un- j/lsU]fe and how Wear happened to fKv«r u'J for gin, are mysteries which have dead0 e^acidated, and never will be now, 5 can reveal neither these other one, which was so im- to the people in whose house she eleven o'clock when this event 1^8 of °ur two watchers were in a great tK ^sty and suspense, which was not Mayne, surprised to see that when he left the house, told -•C?* »" o'«r. III ^bin~ itoe» Mayne, I will explain to yon. At present anxietv is 4^Khter." ^O; B|jl8.8be ill ?>' 30at dfj*8 at borne. The. woman who to ?toc ?!n a^fol death knew a secret W v ^ung Stavanger his liberty and i\iy^ a\vare ??ng Riddell, and the Stavangera ?*0ehto« at 8^e bad them in her power. '• Hw i lts thOTe' Slie »ls° thcir l't« u no safer than Wear's was. She shall stay no longer, lest she also be poisoned." You are saying terrible things, Mr. Cory," said the doctor, but your exoitement must prove your excuse. The unfortunate woman certainly died from poison. But there is noth- ing in the event to lead to the supposition that anyone but herself was to blame for the acci- dent. In any case it is of a kind to which your daughter could hardly fall a victim. Even if Wear had been deliberately poisoned, and I do not for a moment think this is so, a repetition of the same kind of tragedy would not be ventured upon even by the most reck- less criminals. The young lady whom I take to be your daughter looked so ill and upset that I advised her to go to bed at once, and I know that she agreed to follow my advice. Where is Mr. Stavanger ?" "I do not know. There are no men in the house, I think, at present, and the women are all considerably out up by to-night's scene. And now, as I have had several broken nights lately, and am very tired, I will say good-bye. To-morrow I will talk things over." Now, what do you think it behoves us to do ?" asked Hilton, who was greatly per- plexed and alarmed, as Mr. Cory was. "1 cannot understand how it happens that the Stavangcrs, senior and junior, and this Cap- tain Cochrane, of whom Annie spoke, have I not turned up." I have it," said Mr. Cory, after some I deliberation. There has been some altera- tion of plans. We left home perhaps earlier than Annie expected, and there may even now be a message waiting for us. Hush-there oomes a woman. I must whisper still lower until she has passed. See how she loiters though. One would think she was as much interested in this house as we are." Why, ao she is. It is bliss Cory, I am sure." And so it proved. It was Miss Cory, indeed, looking for her brother and friend, who seen disclosed their hiding-place on dis- covering her identity, Whatever brings you here, Margaret ? asked Mr. Cory in considerable surprise. "Come here and you shall know," she answered. You can do nothing more here, and I have much to tell you. Annie is not coming out to-night. She is all right. Now listen." And as the trio walked homewards Miss Cory gave them the following particulars You had not gone many minutes," she said, when a letter from Annie arrived, say- ing that she would come home to-morrow, as her work would then, she thought, be quite done. She alao said that Mrs. Stavanger had received a telegraphic message during the You are, I am quite sure. the man who stole the diamond; and swore away another man's liberty to save your own skin. morning. It was addressed to her busbandp f but she had opened it, as was her usual ous- tom with messages which came to the house, [t simply said :—' Can't come bring H.S. at 3.30 to Millwall Dock sail to-morrow.' Annie understood the message, which Mrs. Star anger indiscreetly read aloud. To the mistress of the house it was not so intel- ligible. But she comprehended that it might be important, and sent the boy who does odd jobs about the house during the day to the shop with it. It seems to me that it would take a very clever individual to throw dust in Annie's eyes. '1 am not sure,' she writes, that it is safe to neglect watching the house. And yet Hilton at lea,8t should try to keep Hugh Stavanger in sight. What we want is to prove that he has the liamonds. It is no use, as we know, to ittempt to have him arrested until we have proof in our possession that will convict him. Jf course, we know that he is guilty. And certain other people know it also. But we may lot be able to induce them to give evidence )n our side. Mr. Lyon has the honour of the irm to support. Mr. Stavanger's family credit md prosperity would be entirely ruined by the proof of his son's guilt. Wear will stick io the Stavangers if they make her a suffi- >iently high bid for her silence. We must, therefore, place our reliance on the diamonds, which Hugh Stavanger must have hidden somewhere or other. 'l'hf'Y will be our salva- tion if we can only show that they have been seen in the scoundrel's possession. I am afraid it is a dangerous thing to do, but, there seems to be nothing for it but to follow the man to sea. If he does not conJe home before eight o'clock it is hardly likely that the stolen property is here. If he does come home it might be almost safe to arrest him on the chance of finding the things on him. Hut I dread ruining all by premature action, so im- plore you to be cautious. Let father watch here, with a detectire if he likes, but let Hilton go at once to Millwall Dock and keep a sharp look out there. He might, perhaps, discover the name of the ship Captain Coch- rane is commanding, and get a passage in h6r. If he cannot go as a passenger he can try, after changing his disguise, to go as cook or steward. Of course, he does not know the -voTk, but that is a detail that cannot be ¡ taken into consideration when such great issues are at stake." "Now, what do you think of that?" said Miss Cory, folding up the letter, which she had stopped to read by the light of a street lamp. "I think Annie is a wonderful girl. She seems to think of everything," was Hilton's reply, given in a tone of great disappointment. But her excellent advice came too late. Our bird has flown, and it will be almost impossible to discover him to-morrow, since I he is sure to keep dark, and we do not even know the name of the ship to which he his been taken." Yes, men generally have an idea that women are of no use," Miss Cory said, and her voice had such a triumphant inflection in it that her hearers at onoe found themselves heartened again. But in this case they may thank their stars that they have got women to help them." We shall be only too glad to thank our stars—the women themselves," quoth Hilton. Whereupon Miss Cory rejoined— Very prettily said. Mr. Riddell, but you don'c know yet what you have to thank me for. Listen. I know where young Stavanger is to be found this minute." "HeaUyP" Yes, really and truly." But how in the world have you managed it?" Well, you see, when Annie's letter arrived you had already left home, and for a while I was more than a little puzzled as to what was best to be done. But there was no time to spare, and I soon bad to come to a decision. Had I come to fetch either of you to go to Millwall we should have been too late. And had I thought of intercepting either of the Stavangers on the way my efforts would have been futile. There was but one course open to me, and I adopted it without delay. You and I, John, are about the same size. It being already nightfall, and it being, moreover, very essen- tial that I should not be noticed much my- self, I took a liberty with your wardrobe which you must excuse. I haven't seen much of dock life, as you know. But I have an idea, which has proved to be correct, that women, at least respectable women, don't hang about the dock gates at night, unless they are on the look-out for some par- ticular ship. I am not one to stick at trifles. But I did not want to be mistaken for some- body who wasn't respectable, and I did want to be as unnoticed as possible. So I just got dressed in one of your suits, put my hair out of the way-there isn't much of it-donned a long topcoat, and took an old hat, and set off for Millwall. I took the Underground, and changed at Mark-lane. At Fenchuroh-street I just caught a train starting for the docks. If I bad had to wait there 1 should have had a fruitless errand. For I had lost a little time at the other end, hunting about for the dock gates, and I was afraid to attract atten- tion to myself by asking my way. Perhaps you think that I ought to have known it, as I was down there with you last summer to look over one of the ships in which you are a shareholder. But things look very different in the bright sunshine, when you have a lot of friends with you; all bent upon pleasure, to what they do at night, when you are alone and nervous and fearful alike of being seen your- self, or of failing to see those of whum you are in search. I am thankful, however, to say that I over- came all obstacles, and I was luckier in my mission than I could have dreamed of. For I had barely got up to the dock gates when a cab stopped for a moment to put down two men, whom I had little difficulty in recognising as Mr. David Stavanger and his son Hugh. 1 almost betrayed myself by trying to get too near them as they questioned the watchman. But I suppose they thought themselves quite safe in that out-of-the-way region, and did not even trouble themselves to speak low or to notice who stood near them. Do you know where the Merry Maid is lying ? asked Mr. Stavangar. Yes, sir, she's lying over there, sir, in that basin, but she's not easy to get at. She's been shifted into the middle of the dook, sir. She was to have sailed this tide, but the bo'sun was telling my mate, a bit since, that none of her stores have come aboard, through the steward not ordering them, and telling the skipper he had. There's been a jolly row, and the steward had to clear in a hurry to-night, although he bad signed articles.' Then I suppose everybody all round is in a tear about it ?' put in Hugh Stavanger. Not a bit of it, sir,' was the watchman's reply. Why should anybody be vexed, ex- cept the owners ? They are the only losers, having to pay a day's expenses for nothing. The men are nearly all ashore, enjoying them- selves a bit longer.' "'But how are we to get on board, if the ship is in the middle of the doak i" Oh that's easy managed, air, when you know how to go about it. Hallo, Jim, just show the gents the way on board the Merry Maid.' "'Right you are,' said the individual addressed as Jim, Come along, sirs.' The next minute the Stavangers were on their way to the ship, and 1 was trudging back to the station, quite satisfied with the results of my mission, except for one thing. I had kept a sharp look out on both father and son, but could see that they had no luggage what- ever with them. Hugh Stavanger may have the diamonds concealed about him, or, as he is sure to have some luggage of some sort to follow him on board in the morning, the pro- perty we want to trace may be sent him to-morrow. Anyhow, Hilton here, if he can get on board, will make it his business to seek it. He knows where to go, and he ought to start early, as the ship again sails about noon. Just to finish my story-I got home as quickly as I could, and changed my olothes. Then I thought that, as you had missed Annie's letter, you would, perhaps, hang about here all night, on the lookout for Captain Coohrane and his passenger. So I took a cab, and got out in the next street to the one I expected to find you in. and here I am, dead iired, if I may own the truth." When Miss Cory had been talking the trio had been walking homewards. They hoped to come across a belated cab or hansom by the way. but were not fortunate enough to do so. They were all, therefore, very glad when they reached home, where warmth, food, and rest awaited them. Both men were warm in praise of Miss Cory's courage and promptitude, and Mrs. Riddell joined in their paean of praise, the while she did what she could for the comfort of them all. CH APT ICR V. AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW GUISE. The s.s. Merry Maid was making capita progress. She was well-engined, well- manned. Her disc was well in evidence, and wind and weather were all that oould be desired. The captain was in an unusually good humour, for, in addition to his regular means of making money over and above his salary, he had an extra good speculation on hand in the shape of a young passenger whose supposed name was Paul Torrens, but whom we have known as Hugh Stavanger. Mr. Torrens, as we will also call him for a time, hardly looked like the typical fugitive from justice, for his face, as he sat talking to Captain Cochrane, was that of a man who feels exceedingly well pleased with himself. The two men were sitting in the oabin of the steamer. Before them stood bottles-and glasses, and the clouded atmosphere of the apartment gave testimony to the supposition that both men were ardent votaries of the golden nicotine. After all, it's quite jolly to be at sea," observed Mr. Torrens. I expected to feel no end of squeamish." To which elegant remark Captain Cochrane replied in kind—" And you haven't turned a hair I'm glad, too, for I hate to have to do with folk who get sea-sick. They are such an awful nuisance while ill, and are limp and un- sociable for days sometimes even after they are supposed to be over the worst of the visi- tation. A fellow who can take his share at the whisky-bottle is more to my taste." Then I ought to suit you ? fI Yes, you do. Perhaps better than you imagine." 6' Indeed I should like to know what you mean. It's something new to be so well appreciated." It doesn't take much to please me. Kin- dred tastes and a well-lined pooket go a long way towards it." "But if the owner of the well-lined pooket declines to part with the rhino P In this case there is something more at stake than mere rhino, and I think that the present possessor of it will not dare refuse to go shares with me." As Captain Cochrane said this he empha- sised his meaning by such an unmistakably menacing look that Mr. Torrens shrank together as if struck, and grew pale to the very lips. Of whom and of what are you speaking ? he stammered. But his whole manner showed that he entertained no doubt on the subject; and his companion was so sure of his position that he did not trouble himself to enter into explanations, but smiled coldly and remarked: Suppose we go. into my berth to discuss matters more folly P It may save future trouble if we come to an understanding at once, and this place is, perhaps, not quite private enough." Without a word of remonstrance or com- ment, Mr. Torrens rose and followed the captain into his private berth. The latter closed the door behind his visitor, and pointed out a comfortable chair to him. Now, then, we will talk business, Mr. Torrens. I happen to know that the indi- vidual who got potted for a certain diamond robbery had no more to do with the job than I had." How do you happen to know that ?" Well, during the time that elapsed be- tween receiving a visit from a certain Mr. Stavanger and the reception of his son as a passenger on board the Merry Maid I made a good many inquiries, which enlightened me considerably. 1 based my inquiries on the oircumstance that it was found desirable to send Mr. Hugh Stavanger out of the country, presumably for his health, which happens to be very good. That little yarn about his declining health turn- ing out to be fiction, I looked around for another reason, since it was evident that a reason there must be. It was not difficult to 1 discover that Mr. Hugh Stavanger had of late been leading a very fast life, and that he had been much more flush of money since the robbery than was the case before that event took place. I am not given to be foolishly j charitable in my opinion of others, and I did j not think myself to be far wrong in believing that I knew the source of his increased I income. There was another thing that con- E vinced me that I was right. There had been ( no hesitation in fixing the guilt of the robbery ( upon a man against whom there had j never been a breath of suspicion, and ¡ who had proved himself a valued ser- vant. The rancour with which such a man I was Dursued to his doom ought to have set ( blear-eyed Justice on the right track. But she has such a curious knack of toadying to | wealth and position that a poor devil in the dock stands no chance at all, but may thank, his stars that no more lies are raked up i against him. No doubt Messrs. Stavanger felt it to be neoessary to seoure a conviction, since, the affair being apparently settled, the I law's sagacious bloodhounds could turn their attention to a less simple case on the face of it. Perhaps they have not remembered that this Riddell whom they have sent to penal. servitude has friends and relations who may even now be trying to find evidence against the real thief." And if they are seeking evidence, what has that to do with me ?" Everything, my dear sir, since it may result in a reversal of your positions. But we have beaten about the bush long enough. 9 ,.I It's time we spoke plainly. You are, I am quite sure, the man wh" stole the diamonds and swore away another man's liberty to save your own skin. There must be a good share of the stolen property in your possession. In fact, it is in that little leather bag that you take such care of that it goes to bed with you at night. Too much valuable property is good for no man. You will, therefore, fetch that bag out of your berth at once. You will then open it and spread its contents upon this table, the door being securely fastened against intruders. I shall then choose my share of the plunder, as a solatium to my conscience for consenting to associate with a thief." And what if I refuse?" Then I shall have you fastened in the remaining spare berth, without giving you a chance to overhaul your baggage. I shall then have you taken ashore at Malta and formally charged with being an absconding thief. Your baggage will be searched, and you know best whether you can afford to refuse my offer of complete protection, on condition that we go shares in the plunder." For a few seconds Mr. Torrens did not reply. Then he resigned himself to the inevitable, and, cursing his ill-luok, which left him no peace; cursing his father, who had ohoaea a scoundrel to convey him out of

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SURE TO FALL, Bilkina: Your friend Scribble seems to ba alwaye short of funds. If his books don't sell, why don't you try him at office work when you need a new man ? Boomer: No use. A man who can't succeed as a novelist hasn't imagination enough for the real estate business.

harm's way cursing the captain, because h< was an avaricious brute; cursing anything and anybody but his own vile self, bi prooeeded to the berth he had occupied do.. ing the time he had been at sea. Thence ha soon after emerged, carrying the small bag to which Captain Cochrane had referred. Meanwhile the latter was smiling with satisfaction, and chuckling at the astuteness which was helping him to enrich himself ao easily. When Mr. Torrens left him for a mo-' ment he felt no uneasiness concerning the diamonds, for he considered that that worldly-, wise young man would not throw the proof* of his guilt through the window in preference to sharing it with another. He is not fool enough to chuck it away, and if he were so inclined I am keeping at sharp eye on his berth, and can stop him if he even tries to open the bag before he brings it here." So murmured the captain, quite unconscious of the fact that his low spoken words found an eager listener. Yet, so it was, and to ex- plain how this happened a slight description of the oabin of the Merry Maid is neoes- sary. It was a square apartment, lighted from a' large skylight in the centre. On either side, it was flanked by berths. To the right, at the' foot of the companion, was the stewards pantry. Then came the berth allotted to Mr.' Torrens, and those which the officers occupied; Immediately opposite the passenger's bertty was the captain's room. On either side of thfl latter were built respectively a small berth fOI the steward and a bath-room. Another sparf berth on this side completed the accommoda. tion. The steward was evidently a man with av inquisitive turn of mind, for during the con*, versation just recorded he was kneeling on the: top of his bunk, with his ear pressed close to a( small orifice in the partition wall. It was an odd coincidence that the steward, who haci shipped under the name of William Trace." should have a hole also at the front of hia berth, through which he could survey the' oabin when desirous of doing so. Still more odd was it that the pantry should also be similarly furnished with means of observation^ To prevent undue notioe of his own move-t ments, Mr. Trace had furnished his peepholes; with small disks of cardboard, with which haj covered them when h-ó r- quired a light in his room. The orifices wert. so small and sa cleverly placed as to be almost certain to escape detection, provided the steward wers' careful. When we first observe him wafching tha captain, and listening to his conversation witTli Mr. Torrens, his face is lighted up with joy and-his limbs are shaking with excitement. j He cannot escape me," he thinks. I have run him to earth, and within ten days he will be denounced. Heaven grant ino patience to keep my counsel until we reach Malta. Ha! now he returns with his ill* gotten gains, and that other scoundrel little imagines how he will be punished for bit greed." For the next ten minutes Mr. Trace finds aonnected thought impossible, Lut, with bit eye put close to the peephole, is taking a necessarily circumscribed view of the scene; being enacted in the captain's berth. There is a tempting display of very beautiful jewellery, md there is considerable haggling anent ite iistribution. But the latter is accomplished afc last, and the captain places his share in his private desk, which he locks veiy carefully.' Mr. Torrens, wearing a very different look on his face, crosses the cabin to his own berth,' ind fastens the door after him. As it is still jarly in the afternoon, he is, perhaps, thinkings )f taking a nap. The steward is apparently satisfied with his observations for the present, for he gets down :rom his post of 'vantage, and prepares him- .r I P, ;elf for his afternoon duties. Tea has to ba ready at five o'clock, and, from a purely stewardly point of view, much time has been wasted, so that it behoves him to hurry him- self now. His beard, which is brown and bushy, requires some little re-adjustment, and Captain Cochrane would be considerably surprised if he could see how easily removable both beard and wig are. But we, who already reoognise in William Trace our friend Hilton liiddell, fed no sur.. prise whatever, unless it be at his temerity in offering himself for a post concern- ing the duties of which he knew positively nothing. When, on attempting to engage a berth as passenger in the Merry Maid ba found his application rejected, he straightway resolved to ohange his disguise, and, having found that the ship bad not her full comple- ment of men. and could not sail until morn- ing, he resolved to apply to the mate to ba taken on as steward. The mate, without much inquiry, gave him the post, and had already repented of his indiscretion, for a man may have a great deal of natural aptitude, and yet fail utterly at a post that is quite strange to him. It was so with William Trace, and be had already learnt the savour of a seaman's invective. It may have hurt his pride a little to hear himself called a fraud and a duffer, and to have a number of burning adjectives hurled at his head every day. But, in view of bis: recent disooveries, he is inclined to condone these offences against this self-respect, and his shaggy beard has quite a triumphant curl in it as he once more busies himselt with his uncongenial duties. f Unfortunately for him, he has forgotten to lower the piece of cardboard with which he is wont to cover the peep-hole which overlooks the captain's berth. From such a simple oversight, do tragediei spring ( [T. be wtHnued Commenced Marek 1893J