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THE CARBUNCLE CLUE -(A MYSTERY),

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THE CARBUNCLE CLUE (A MYSTERY), .1 -1 BY FERG US HUME, Allhar W TJw lfyatq" of a Haaeom Cab," 'Madame Midas," "Monsieur Judaa," "Island of TtotaBjr," -&4-A&% in toBdn." "Harlequin Opal," "The Nameless City," "The Dwarf'* Chamber," "rbs fcditt 2ugl«," -no Bishop's Secret," "The Gol'ien Wans-HV "Shylock of the Ktvw," "The Turnpike Bouae," "Jonah's Luck," Ac. START TH8 STORY TO-DAY.! MtfNCIPftL CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS, I GERALD CX)XWAY, nephew and heir to I Lord Batchwin, arrested for the murder of a man found in his chambers. OOTAVITJS FANKS, a famous detective, known to Conway in private life as Barton, takes up the case out of friendship for the I aocused. LENA DASEELL, daughter of a. famous philanthropist, engaged to Conway. I MBA. PROE-NEY, housekeeper at the cham- bers. DOOLAJf, Oonway's valet, an Irish-American, who professes to be deaf. MANUEL MADRASZO from Lima, who bM enambers in the same house as Conway. BO.RACE BBNNTCTT, Oonway's cousin, who is supposed to have died at Lime., and to whose property Conway succeeded. but who I turns up in London and is met by Con- way on the evening before the murder. Krs. BB.Y-NMAUB, a. Mexican, living in London, whose antecedents are shrouded. kit unknown man is discovered murdered tn the chambers of Mr. Gerald Conway. Garry-street. Westminster. The whole affair i is a profound mystery, and the only oluo to the man's identity is a gold bangle on the left wrist, in which is a carbunclej: Craven with the form of a weasel. Conwa.y is arrested on suspicion, and his! friend Rixton (known in other circles as ya nk?, a famous detective) determines to aift the mystery. MTS. Phorney tells him that on the night in Question she heard the light ertep of a -wom&n on the stairs leading to Gera?ld Oonwaye apartments. She let the glass fall with a crash on the floor. Next he questions Doolan, who speaks of « letter received by Conway on the aven- insr before the murder, and a question by him as to whether his cousin. Horace Bennett, waa really dead. While in Conway's room Rixton discovers a peculiar perfume in the blotting-pad on the writing-table, which perfume re-calls a-woman, and be ejaculates, "Good heavens I What was she doing here on that night?" A visit to Conway in prison elicits the amazing information that the letter received by the accused on the evening before the murder was from Horace Ben- nett and that Conway met him at the Athenian Club that evening. RLxton discovers th&t Madrasio borrowed Conway's door key and took an impression of it in wax. Miss Darrell and Mrs. Bryn- EBaur are brought into the mystery, and Jiadrasso gives Kiftos a folded paper which he says contains the namt oi a friend who had a carbunole bracelet. T AFWA Darrell. when Rixton suggests to ber that she was in Conway's room on the right cf the murder, remarks, despairingly, "You know that? I am lost.' This cryptic remark she, however, explained by stating that. dared to do so by Mrs. Brynmaur, she visited Conway a room and left a note for him on the table. In further conversa- tion ftixton discovers that it is Mre. Bryn- maur and not Lena Darrell who uses the perfume which Rixton detected on tne ( blotting-pad. The inference is that M rs. j Brynmaur was also at Conway s room, and got Lenas note. Further trace of Bennett's movements is [ found at Slowman's Hotel, and a search of Bonnett's box reveals further traces of the weasel emble After that Rixton opens the paper given him by Madraszo, and reads the name, "Horace Bennett." Meanwhile the case against Oonway breaks down. and he is released. To him Bixton shows an initialled sixpence, found under Oonwviy's desk after the murder was I discovered, and Conway recognises it as belonging to Lena. Darrell's father. I CHAPTER XIII. J PRETTY MRS. BRYNMAUR. ) During the drive to Kerrymore-gajdens out little conversation was exchanged between the pair. After that last statement regarding the sixpence which he had recog- nised as the property of Michael Darrell, the detective refused to further enlighten his friend. "We will talk of these matters later on," he said, smiling. At present my theory is eo imperfect that I do not wish to submit it to anyone. My suspicions are strong, but they may provs incorrect. All I ask is that ycu should hold your tongue, and be civil to Mrs. Brynmaur." "I sha'n't go rear the woman," growled Conway, crossly. You will meet her this morning at Kerry- more-gardens," said Bixton, significantly. Oh, do not look so astonished—it is not chance, but arrangement. I requested Miss Darrell to ask her. I wish to see her-in your presence. I c'on't &ae how that will help yon," said Gerald, flushing. "Probably rot; but I have my reasons, and I wish to work the matter out in my own wl-Y. Mrs. Brynmaur," explained Rix- ton. "is *n loe with on. She has made a bold stroke to get you for a husband. Her plot has failed througa untoward circum- stances, and I now wish to see her attitude towards jou. I am at your disposal, my dear fellow," said Conwav, heartily. You have done so much for me and for Lena that I would, indeed, be ungrateful not to do what you wish. I'll be civility itself to Mrs. Brynmaur, and," add--d he, with an effort, to Mr. Darrell." Don't assume that h* is guilty," remarked Bixton, quickl; "the lost sixpence proves that lie was in the library on the night, but it doesn't say that he killed Bennett." But what the dickens was he doing in my room, then?" II For an answer to that I must refer you to Mrs. Brynmaur." f)tl!" Fa4d Conway, sceptically, "do you think that there is anything between her and the old man? Tha,t. said Riston, with great emphasis, is what I mean to find out this morning. There is no doubt in my mind that old Darrell accompanied Mrs. Brynmaur to your rooms on that fatal Wednesday. Mrs. Phorney declared that after eleven she heard the footsteps of a man and a woman. The woman was Mrs. Brynmaur; the man, your future father-in-law. Poor Lena. "Don't pity her until we know the worst. As yet we don't!" It is all of a tangle, Bixton; I fail to see how you'dan unravel it," "I know you do," said the detective, good. humouredly, as the cab stopped at Kerry-! Tmore-srardene; "but don't be afraid; I bold all the clues in my hand." It was after eleven when they found them- selves in the drawing-room at Kerrymore- gardens, for the conversation in the library had taken longer than either anticipated. Mrs. Brynmaur, who never by any chance kept appointments to the minute, had not yet arrived, so Lena had her restored lover all to herself for quite ten minutes, during which period Bixton discreetly retired to the window. The last meeting between the lovers bad been painful enongh, as it had taken place in Holloway Gaol, under the superin- tendence of the (fetective, but the sadness of the past was lost sight of in the joy of the present. •• My darling!" said Lena, fondly kissing Oonway's haggard cheek. how thankful I Wn to 6" 'U\I1 trmm nuua. I thought that my heart would have broken last week." All's well that ends well," replied Con- way, returning the embrace, though, to be sure, the matter isn't ended yet." "But, Gerald, you are free—you are inno- cent r" Some people don't think so," rejoined Conway, with a sigh. I'm still suspected as having killed my cousin, in order to keep the estates. Indeed, but for Rixton's advice I would have left town this afternoon." You must not do that, Gerald. Mr. Bixton is quite right; you must wait till the mystery of the death is cleared up, then none can say a word against you. I shall help you, Mr. Rixton shall help you, and be- tween us we may find rut the truth." Gerald kissel her again. All the same, I am very angry with you," he said, playfully; how could you be so rash as to visit my rooms on that night?" I only did it out of bravado, dear," replied Lena, with a nervous augh. I have been so accustomed to go about by myself. and to s-et coaventionality at defiance, that your laughter piqued me. I know it was rash and foolish, but no one knows about my escapade but Mrs. Brynmaur." She suggested it, I believe?" said Conway, with a frown. "Yes, and I told her the next morning; I but I did not know then that she had my note." "I suppose -here is no question of that ?" Well, Mr. Rixton says she must have taken it off the desk in your room-I left it there, you know. But it will be all right, Gerald. Mrs. Brynmaur is too much a friend to say anything. "My dear!" said Gerald, decidedly, "I do not approve of your acquaintance with Mrs. Brynmaur. She is a bad woman, I think." Oh, Gerald!' Yes, she is; I am certain of it, and so is Bixton!" On bearing his name, that gentleman'came forward with a smile. Am I summoned to the council?" he asked, lightly. We were talking of Mrs. Brynmanr," said Conway, with a rather embarrassed laugh, which did not escape the ears of Lena. You had better not talk of Mrs. Bryn- maur," observed Bixton, with another smile; she will be here shortly, and we must be amiable to her." Amiable!" murmured Lena, who was beginning to hate the lady with all the promptitude of a jealous woman. Don't trouble about her, Miss Darrell," said Bixton, observing this; I promise you that in a few days Mrs. Brynmaur will have her hands too full to trouble either of you." "She won't trouble me," cried Conway. I hate the woman; and I'm not at all sure that sue isn't a criminal." Well, she certainly stole and opened a letter addressed to another person," laughed Rixton; but for the rest we'll say nothing at present. However, before she arrives I would like to know a little about her career. You are intimate with her, Miss Darrell, so perhaps you can inform me. Who is Mrs. ,ijrynmaur ?" She is the wife of the late Mr. Brynmaur." I know that she is a widow, and mighty well the dress becomes her. But who was Mr. Brynmaur?" He was a rich couutr.1 squire, Shropshire family, I think," said Lena, to whom Mrs. Brynmaur had tokl as much. of her career as suited her. "He met her in Paris, where she wae sent from Mexico to school; there he fell in love and married her about three years ago. He died from a. cold he caught when out shooting, and she has been a widow for the last two years." And well off she is, too, if the gossip of the clubs goes for anything," said Conway; close on £ 20,000 a year, the house in Bene- dict-square, and a country mansion in Shrop- shire. A good catch for some impecunious bachelor. Pray do not look so doubtfully at me, Lena. I am not a hard-np bachelor, and if I were starving I should cetftainly not marry Mrs. Brynmaur." Lena felt her jealousy assuaged, and re- warded her lover with a kisa for that speech. With a meditative aspect Rixton looked on. Did she come straight from Mexico to Paris?" he asked. So she says." "And since being Mrs. Brynmaur, has she paid a. visit to the New World?" N o!" replied Lena, decidedly. "She hates the New World, and has no desire to return home; since her- marriage she has lived partly in London, in Paris, and in Shrop- shire." "Ah," murmured Bixton, in a queer tone, as he thought of Madraszo's story, "I won- der when she found time to visit Lima?" Before L-ena could reply to this remark the dcor was thrown open and Mrs. Brynmaur was announced by the tall servant. A pretty brunette with a vivacious manner, richly dressed in a dainty raiment, with a coquet- tish widow s cap, showing a line of white under the bonnet, entered the room, and advanced- towards Lena with outstretched hands. S-he was so small and delicate that she almost had to stand on tip-toe to kiss I her friend; and talked all the time in a silvery voice, with much display of hands and effective shots at both gentlemen from her large black eyes. Altogether she was a I charming little widow, as full of grimacing and posturing as a ballet-dancer. Of her greeting with Lena and her meeting II with Conway it is needless to speak fully. She kissed the one and shook hands frankly with the other, congratulating both on the happy issue of their troubles. 1 know I cried my eyes out for your sake, dear." she said to Lena. "The horrid wretches, to shut up poor Mr. Conway; but, of course, I never doubted for a moment -but that he was guiltless." Bearing in mind the late conversation, Lena received this gushing with even more than her usual coolness, an' Mrs. Byrnmaur was clever enough to see that the girl was doubtful of her genuineness. But she deftly turned her attention to Rixton, and went on acting, as only a woman can act under the eyes of another. Rixton responded readily enough to her attentions, but not with the show of admiration that she so artlessly exhibited to him. He wished to find out her real feelings, which he was pretty sure were not all she wanted the trio to believe. Her face was pale under her rouge; there were I suspicious circlea under her eyes, whioh hinted at sleepless nights; and, altlough she was carefully dressed, a lack of freshness about her appearance. Her manner, too, I was forced, and she seemed anxious and worried; but, like the clever woman she was, she went on acting a frivolous part so bril- liantly as to deceive all—save Rirton. And after ail," she said to him, I don't think I'll remain in Eaigland. When the season is at an end I shall go to Mexico on a visit to my own people." I I don't knjw Mexico, Mrs. Brynmaur, but I have bet-n :o Lima," said Rixton. This was a lie, but the lady did not know it to be one, and oetrayed her surprise by a start and a keen glance at the young man. But she was equal to the occasion. "Have you -Qliy? Perhaps you met that poor Mr. Dennett there—fajicy QxaX story j about his having died at Cuzoo. I read it all in the 'Alorning Planet.' You have no idea how it interested me." Oh. yes, I have," said Bixton, signifi- cantly. 0 What odd things you say," replied Mrs. Brynmaur, nervously; "of conrse, like all London. I am immensely ii terested in the case. I suppose it -s tnke?" So far a.3 Mr. Conway is concerned it is— not otherwise." "I suppese those detective pebple are still looking for the criminal ?—what a horrid crimimal-what a horrid man be must be." Perhaps he isn't a man at all," hinted Rixton, but Mrs. Brynmaur, as the saying is, did not turn a hair at the pointed remark. "You don't say so?" she said, coolly. How very interesting, but what a dreadful thing. I wonder who she was." Oh, some woman with a grudge against Bennett," remarked Rixton. "Perhaps she also came from Lima." Ah really, I wish you would get me a glass of water, Mr. Rixton, I feel so faint with the beat of the room." "I think it must be the strong scent you use." said Rixton, and got her the water as requested. It a Hitu," explained Mrs. Brynmaur, sip- ping the water, quite a rew scent. You have never heard of it before?" "Oh, yes; twice, Mrs. Brynmaur—once when you told ma about it at your own hou-se, and again in the library of our friend, Mr. Oonway." The little woman paled under her rouge, and let the glass fall with a clash on the floor. (TO BE CONTINUED TO-MORROW.)

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