Romance and Mystery,
Zora, the Invisible
By J. R. WILMOT.
(Author of "The Moorcroft Manor Mystery.")
CHAPTER I
than exact.
down!!
After the short, formal ceremony, Sonia and her mother slipped quietly from the court by a side door, Into their waiting motor-car, a move which Inspector Webster had thoughtfully arranged in order that both might escape the morbid vigilance of the waiting crowds (n the street outside.
The first act of the grim drama
CHAPTER IV,
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
was "Oyster."
TRIDAY, JUNE
1928.
LIGHT, COMEDY PROGRAMME.
AMUSING FARE AT THE QUEEN'S,
found beneath the grate in the dead "Only a gent from Guy's, sir. nian's office. So congealed was it Wanted to know if you could make that he had to resort to breaking it convenient to call and see Dr. it with a small hammer. Beneathi Muirhead some time, to-morrow the lens of the microscope Blayne morning."
found that the ash was that de-. Thanks, Hooker. I shall not posited when vegetable paper is be wanting lunch until well past burned, but what had caused it to two. If anyone calls in the mean- turn hard there were again no in- time, I'm not at home."
A wholly light comedy pra- dications to show. To test this "Very good, sir," and Hooker ho placed a small piece of the ash grammo is the current attraction withdrow into the shadows of his in a test-tube into which he poured at the Queen's Theatre-a bill kingdom with a curious frown dis-a small quantity of powerful acid.
CHAPTER V.
Indulging a Little History. Behind the locked door of his
mer-
"Not at all. Not at all," the
name.
The
In addition, there is a long and
There
turbing his usually complacent The ash evaporated in the mixture, which is really refreshing and , to lead that full life of open enjoy brow. That was so like Dr. Blayne but when he had completed bie entertaining faro,
ment commensurate with her very irregular with his meals.jannlysis he was left with a few
The main picture features that The Inquest Reveals Little, father's social position and ample As he passed through the dining-drops of yellow-brown solution al-
means. She had been radiantly room on his way to the laboratory, most of the consistency of syrup engaging personality, Laura La The Inquest into the circum- happy, but now strange fears Blayne's glance rested for a moment which he could not identify. That Plante, in "Finders Keepers," stances surrounding the death of lurked in her brain-ftars as un- on the squat, black figure on the it was some strange poison he had which is the tale of how a Montgomery Gaynor was opened fathomable as they were fantasmantelshelf. Somehow or other it little doubt and if this had been the following morning, and after tic.
looked more forbidding than ever the means of the diamond
Colonel's daughter, having become evidence of identification had been
to-day, as if a sudden fantastic chant's death, he must discover | "sweetheart". to most of the taken, the Coroner announced that
thought flashed through the young something more about its potent soldiers in her father's regiment he would adjourn the inquiry for
doctor's brain-then he smiled. properties before ho could form any a week, not only that the police
How could this dovilish idol have opinion as to how and by whom it for the sake of cheering them up might pursue their investigations,
any significance in connexion with had been administered.
and keeping them happy, falls but also that a full medical report
the peculiar crime he had promised The more he pondered over the of the autopsy-which was, as yet,
Inspector Webster to Investigate problem the more Blayne realised seriously in love with the latest by no means complete-might be
that he was working in the dark arrival in the battalion. furnished.
Thanks largely to the newa.
and that any further investigation manner in which this lucky youth along those lines was futile.
makes his conquest is humorously papers who had seized eagerly in which they found themselves un-
Locking the door behind him, he unconventional and there is a upon the mystery and accorded it willing players was over, and dur-laboratory Blayne set to work. He entered the dining-room and rang series of really funny incidents an amazing amount of publicity, ing the drive through Hampstead adjusted his highpowered mi- for Hooker.
when Laura and he want to get the Coroner's Court was crowded. Into the verdant countryside be croscope and carefully examined. "By the way," said Blayne, as married just before the Battalion Formal evidence regarding the yond, mother and daughter, as if the slides he had made during the Hooker entered with his lunch, nils for France. Laura, in order discovery of the body was given by tacit consent or mutual inclina-blood test. For close on twenty "has that nian Dereham called to get into the camp and so get by William Bannister, the care- tion, spoke but little.
minutes he scrutinised them again?"
the Chaplain to marry them, taker who, as is usual in ponie
methodically, and while there was "No, sir, not since this morning." dresses up as a soldier and there cases of this clinracter, avalled
ample evidence that the blood was The name of this unknown caller have been few more humorous himself of this public opportunity
The Idol of Ebony.
perfectly normal, around some of was quite unfamiliar to Blayne un-situations over depleted on the film of Indulging his descriptive
atil he remembered the antique than those in which she eventually Peter Blayne had a bachelor flat the corpuscles he detected abilities which were, it must be in Half Moon Street, one room of peculiar, haze of a greyish white dealer from whom he had purchased finds herself. But she has to wait recorded, much more expressive which was fitted up as a laboratory." colour, the like of which he had the squat idol.
until the war Is over before the He had not long to wait, how-ceremony is completed. The remaining rooms were furnish- never met before. If Montgomery "I could scarcely belleve my ed with exquisite taste as becomea Gaynor had been poisoned the blood ever; for he had barely finished his The acting throughout, both of than Mr. Prendeville the principals and the supporters, eyes, your Honour," he said, "for young man, the artistic side of test and its reaction would have lunch
is excellent, and the direction of I've seen a few dead men in my whose nature was unusually well-evealed it with satisfactory cer- Dercham was announced. time, but 'e didn't look like none developed.
tainty, but here were no signs of "Good afternoon, Mr. Dereham," Wesley Ruggles has resulted in a of 'em. ' was aitlin in le chair
poisoning at all-except that greeted Blayne. "I was sorry to film that sustains interest at high From time to time he had collect peculiar film. over the rest corpuscles be out when you called. I hope I lookin' as 'ale and early as yer ud a number of curios-little things and that was not to be regarded as didn't inconvenience you."
point throughout. Honour does yourself. 1 can't yet of no considerable value-picked up consistent proof. believe that 'e was dead, sir."'. in odd places whenever he had the
The Coroner, a fussy old ventlo-Lime and the inclination to browse and stared at them thoughtfully. manner. "I happened to be pass-
Peter Blayne laid aside his slides dealer assured him, in his excitable interesting "Gazette" of recent world-wide and local happenings, man, was growing impatient. among the dismal salons of
籍 and comic cartoon of the the He had, early that morning, beening and I thought I would tell you; "I am not taking any medical dealers in antiques, evidence to-day, Bannister," he One such
present at the post mortem and he something about the idol you pur-favourite Inkwell series. latest had seen for himself the condition chased from relic-bis
me recently. The should be big houses for this pro- interrupted, tarlly. "Please stand nequisition-was a curiously carved of the various organs. The heart, Indy who brought it has been in the gramme, which lasts until Satur
ebony idol scarecly more than four for a man of Gaynor's ample pro salon again and I took the oppor- day. inches in height. Singularly portions, was wonderfully sound; Lunity of asking her its enough he had been attracted to it the lungs, too, were good, except She tells me it is known as 'Zora,' more by reason of its grotesque that at the base of each was a small I thought you would like to know, ugliness than by the vapourings of quantity of fluid
Mr. Amery, answering Mr.. Day. that defied especially as the curio is such a in the House of Commons, suid The next witness was Mrs. the dealer from whom he had pur- analysis.
rarity." Montgomery Gaynor, who said her chased it, and who had detailed, at
the total expenditure of the But it was the condition of the Peter Blayne's features did not. name was Elaine, and that the great length and with unusual en-brain that had interested Blayne betray the surprise Mr. Dereham's publicity work for the year ending Empire Marketing Board on late Mr. Montgomery Gaynor, "ofphasis and eloquence, its rarity most of all. There was something announcement had given him, whose body she had "had the fand its great age.
singularly abnormal about it. 11. "I am much obliged to you, Mr.March 31 was £206,337. view,"
was her lawful husband. The idol represented the squat had the appearance of having been Dereham," smiled the young man.. She looked athetic figure on the figure of a man with lega crossal, shrivelled on the right side, and "I always think it is so much nicer witness stand-a small, delicate Eastern fashion, and with two, al considering that the dead man's to know the baptismal names of 'woman with, liquid blue eyes and most boving, horns in place of cars, skull revealed no indications of as- the idols one collects. Many thanks a. detached expression upon her The expression on the face was sault, the phenomenon was all the for your trouble. I shall probably ivory features.
salamic, and the closed eyes ac-more remarkable and it had puzzled be along again before very long Peter Blayne, who was sented centuated the malignant puckerings Blayne and his co-workers con- when I have a few minutes to alongside Inspector Webster, of the face and the cruel, hard aiderably.
xpare,"
Here is the solution 'to the watched her with Interest. lines of the mouth,
When the antique dealer had puzzle on another page. Among his many qualifications he Never had Oriental art contrived that he was face to face with gone, Blayne ant quite still gazing was a keen student of physiognomy | so baleful a figure. The mephisto | mystery of more than ordinary in at the evil countenance of the In- and the emotions. To him, Mrs. phalian attributes had been 80 terest. Whatever had, killed Mont-dian idol. Elaine Muntgomery Gaynor offered cunningly reproduced that they gomery Gaynor it had been some. Slowly he extracted his pocket no complex problem. She was a gave added conviction to the dealer's thing which, at the moment at any book and took from it a small, torn singularly sensitive, woman, but description that as
was rate, was far removed from scienti- piece of paper upon which was in- one who, nevertheless, possessed hown the idol was practically fic understanding. That a man seribed in green ink one word only that quality of impassivity by unique in that it
could remain so utterly life-like-ZORA, which, when her mind beenme favourite god of a peculiar after death-that his bodily or
It was the piece of paper he had over-wrought by some great grief, Brahmin sect who, under the in- gans' could respond to the applica- found beneath the firegrate in she was able to think with a fluences of a powerful leader, had tion of artificial stimulus so per- Montgomery Gaynor's office.
of nothing short curious, if perhaps uncomprehend broken away from their accepted fectly was
amazing. ing, detachment.
faith and established a code of life She answered the Coroner's which was the very antithesis of
Blayne next turned his attention questions, in a low, catm voice, in the deep, fanatical spiritual faith to the peculiarly rigid ash he had which her emotions were by no of their forefathers, and one which means dominant. Blayne's eyes believed that man's destiny was followed her back to her sent ruled by un Evil Genius cast out behind the solicitors' bench. Her from Heaven for his disobedience. eyes told him she had spent a and who becoming more powerful night of intense suffering, and it than God, had sworn to protect all was clear she had loved her hus-hose who enlisted under him. band with a singular completeness. The story continued that some day, This fact was an important one to the full of the moon, the Evil the young man for he had not, One would rise up and suite the having vanquished as yet, had an opportunity of world and, Investigating the private life of earth. Heaven would fall beneath
his malignant away. Montgomery Gaynor. No woman, as Blayne wall knew, could poss sibly act with such emotional cleverness, She
was genuine. There could be no doubt about that,
Mr. Bannister, misinterpreting the caustic comnient, went back to his seat with a satisfied expression on his face.
Next, Peter Blayne turned to study Mrs. Montgomery Gaynor's daughter, who sit impassively at her mother's side.
far as
Was the
The name of this formidable per- on, the denter in antiques did not know. Ho hud purchased the idol
month ago from a charmingly dressed woman-he remembered her perfectly who seemed curious- ly anxious to part company with it.
Now I stood on the mantelshelf in Blayne's dining-room, an im pressive elony caricature of Evil.
Blayne bad much to occupy hi mind immediately after the inquest. Having parted from Inspecto Webster, he walked briskly in the direction of Half Moon Street, and let himself in with his latch key.
She would not be more than twenty, he told himself. Her face, too, was pale, but the eyes were unusually bright-an intense blue like the sea on a cloudless day in midsummer. As Blane watched, he experienced an altogether new
"Any message for me, Hooker" emotion. This girl was out of the he called along the passare, his ordinary. She appealed strongly fingers pausing on the metal handle to his latent savagery as no other of the dining room door. woman had ever done. He fell a Christopher Hooker emerged sudden urge to go over and sit from the kitchen, his abirt sleeves beside her-u most unusual thing rolled to the elbows and his hands for Blayne who had, hitherto, smeared with flour. He had been looked upon all women with what Blayne's baiman during the war, his friends jocularly described as and a man whom Blayne had a "discreditable detachment," of gallantly rescued during a hot en which title he was not a little counter along the Menin Road in | 1917. Blayne, realising a treasure, proud.
Sonia Gaynor was innocently un-had now converted him into a aware of Blayne's seratiny. The domestie combination which in- ahock of her father's death had left|cluded such duties as chef, general her rather numb, and the pub-servant and valet. He was a man licity had bitten deeply into her bordering on middle age; a ar. aansitive, soul. During all these whom Nature, had obviously in- years she had led a quiet, unobtru-tended for the position he, now - give life and now, with a sudden cupied. His efficiency was never ness which had given her little called into dispute, and what was time to contemplate the enormity more,, his devotion to Blayne was, of it, she and her mother had found akin to that of a terrier who can' themselves plunged Into the seldom be couxed from his master's maelstrom of that grimly relentless side. undercurrent of sensational reality that flows beneath the unhurried surface of life.
Hooker was hardly the sort of man to possess relatives. He never spoke about himself and his quiet, Her father had denied her unobtrusive disposition was singu- nothing. She had been educated at larly disarming to the curious- a convent school in France and, at minded. When it came to a con- the age of eighteen, she had settled versation including personalities, down with her parents in England Christopher Hooker's middle nume
„
It was evident to the young man
(To be Continued.) (The characters in this story are entirely imaginary and no reference to living persons is intended.)
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