1928-06-06 — Page 11

Romance and Mystery.

Zora, the Invisible

By J. R. WILMOT,

(Author of "The Moorcroft Manor Mystery.")

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS

CHAPTERS.

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

you to infer that the house is tenanted by a woman and her daughter? Is that what

mean?"

The sergeant coloured.

you

That's it, sir," he replied. "A

AMAZING £1,000,000 million pounds, and Mr. Abd

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1928.

DIAMOND DEAL.

TRANSACTION.

handsome girl she is, too, but she MR. S. B. JOEL AND SOVIET never gives any name to the shop- keepers and the postman-old Ran- dalle, that is, sir, has never de livered any letters at the placa dur- ing the three months they've beesi

there."

went-away.

Before making this offer. Mr. Abrahams placed his private sea! on cnch box and Solomon also

fixed a seal. There is a rule in the trade, counsel explained, that so long as the seals are intact tho deal is still "on."

The negotiations continued COLONEL'S LAW SUIT.enbled to Watts to 800

until March 1921, when Cohn Litvinoft

Confisented Gems.

"Do mother and daughter live there alone?" was Blayne's next the famous diamond house of De would accept English coal up to Amazing allegations, in which and offer him £700,000 for the diamonds, provided the Sövlet to the station until he had satis-

question. ted himself in regard to this im-

"I was coming to that, sir. They Boers was mentioned, were made the value of £400,000 in part pay- Montgomery Gaynor, a wealthy portant particular.

may and they may not. That is to

In Paris courts recently. Col. ment. diamond merchant, is found dead At length the belt of trees end-say ever since they came there's al- Montague Hill, D.S.O., a former

From that time the negotiations in his office. Inspector Webster, ed and here he found a side roadways been a lot of niggers knock-officer in the Guards, sued for appeared to have reached a dead- noting that the body appears per leading off to the left. Following ing about. I've seen 'em strolling commission on the sale of £1,000,-lock. Meanwhile, said counsel, fectly lifelike, telephones for Doctor this for a short distanco de soo around the grounds about sun-200 of diamonds confiscated by the price of diamonds had fallen Peter Blayne, a brilliant young caught a glimpse through the trees down.... reading books."

the Soviet from the Russian Bank.

substantially. criminologist and a medico, who has gf what appeared to be an old Blayne passed a hand across his It was also alleged that Mr. It later became known to Watts frequently assisted Scotland Yard manor house whose redtiled roof forehead. What a rambling fellow Solly Barnato Joel had bought the and Biscoe that some weeks after In a specialised capacity. Blayne and low sweeping gables gave it a this sergeant was to be sure. jawels to keep them off the mar-this situation was reached Mr. performs a blood test, and also singularly picturesque appearance black men ?" he asked. "Not neces

"By niggers I suppose you mean ket.

Harry Abrahani de Beers expert, finds a quantity of peculiarly can- in the afternoon sunshine. gealed ash beneath the fire-grate

paid a second visit to Reval, Many of its walls were creeper-sarily natives of Jamalca or the

where he represented himself as together with a serap or paper bear-covered and Ivy frequently ob- Rand?" ing the word "Zorn."

scured its small latticed windows. I couldn't say where they come

a buyer on behalf of a Mr. Bed- ford. The grounds were apparently ex-from, air, confessed the sergeant tensive but so far as Blayne could with a suggestion of helplessness.

A Woman's Part. discover there was no sign of hu-"But they're niggers all right." man setivity anywhere. Without "Thanks!" murmured Blayne, pausing Blayne endeavoured to get looking at the clock on the wall. his topography correct. The house Just keep a sharp eye on the place lay on the eastern side of Oaktree during the next twenty-four hours village while the house where and report to Scotland Yard by Montgomery Gaynor had lived was 'phone immediately if you see any- on the slight incline to the west thing suspicious, and try if you with Oaktree mestling in the hollow can, on some pretext or another, hetween the two.

to find out the name of the lady and Atle further along were a her daughter."

The blood test does not give any of the recognised reactions and Blayne is puzzled over the analysis of the ash. He is convinced that Gaynor did not die a natural death. Blayne is secretly in love with Sonia Gaynor. He finds later that Gaynor was living in fear of some thing.

CHAPTER IX (Cont.). Now Blayne knew that no normal person, unless suffering from one,

tion,

HOW....

door fast behind him.

the Tribunal de Commerce.

The action was heard before

It was brought by Colonel Mon- tague Hill, D.S.O., formerly of the Scots Guards, against Captain The intermediar in this deal Jefferson Davis Cohn, to recover was stated to be a Mrs. Kull, and £3,900 alleged to be due to him as the affair was found to have been commission on the sale of dia-carried through with the assist- monds confiscated by the Soviet ance of two men nanied Ganjou- Government from the Russian moss and Reichel.. Bank.

He claims that they were pur- knew Watts and Biscoe well, but chased by Mr. S. B. Joel, the were unaware that the latter were South African multi-millionaire, in any way interested in the negő- as the result of his having in- tiations that had been carried on froduced the matter to Captain by them some days earlier with Jefferson Cohu.

Mr. Abrahams, Mr. Joci and Cap- tain Cohn,

Both these men, counsel stated,

One Million Sterling.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Abra- hams, acting other for Mr. Joel Maitre Emile Laurent, for

alone or jointly for him and Cap- Colonel Hill stated that in 1920 tain Coburchased through Mrs. the Soviet were anxious to buy Kull, Ganjoumoss and Reichel 14 100,000 tons of British coal. Inveigar boxes of diamonds, during ing no liquid capital, they authe seriod of July 8 and 11, 1921, thorised Krassin, through the ve boxes for £274,000, and be Soviet Trading Organisation, to tween July 12 and July 24, 1921, well large quantities of diamonds four boxes for £116,000, making and other jewels.

These jewels, valued at one million sterling, had been

aristocratie families,

de-

a total of £390,000.

It is for his commision of 1 per cent. on these deals that Colonel

With a gasp of relief he tumbled posited in the Russian Bank by will was now suing. into the compartment and flung the

Counsel put in, numerous docu A man named Watts, living in ments, including a series of letters Reval as a local representative of alleged to have been exchanged British concern, heard of the between Captain Cohn and Miss proposition from Solomon, the Lily Iria, an actress, of Warring- head of the Arcos.

ton-crescent, Maida-vale, to whom Being unable to find the neces- Colonel Hill, in October 1921,

he mentioned the mat-after he had gone whom it was arranged should go to to "collect all moneys due to me Ler to Captain Steward Biscoe, farming, gave awer of attorney to Rhodesia

London, where he saw a Colonel from Mr. Joel and Captain Cohn," Koberis, whe put him in touch with Colonial Hill as being a man who might find purchasers.

seductively.

.Profit-Shoring.

Captain Cohn asked Colonel Hill

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of the many varieties of phobia | number of newly-built pebble-dash- "You don't think they've got known to medical science, is really ed villas, some of which, bordering anything to do with Mr. Gaynor's afraid unless there is very good close to the big estate, the builder death, do you, sir?" asked the ser- cause for that particular mental had not yet succeeded in aclling.nt, wonderingly, condition, and from what Blayne They were in marked contrast to "My thoughts are not for pub- knew of the dead man, he was not the big old house among the trees,feation at the moment," "smiled the sort of person to be the victim like a challenge From the present to layne as with a cheery "Good-day, of a worthless and absurd ballugina- the past. It seemed to Blayne that geant," he passed out into the

ake in architecture could always street. It was while engrossed in this held its own and that it had nothing

Blayne arrived at the station thought that something happened to fear from the economical arti- just as the five-twenty was begin-

with such startling saddenness fices of the modern, builder.

Ining to move unt, but with a sprint that for the moment a sense of the Glancing at his watch he was sure managed to jump on to the foot unreal, the uncanny, enveloped him,prised to notice it was almost half-board at a point where he noticed Something whistled past his head past four and that if he did not one of the carriage doors had not with a peculiar whirring noise fol-hurry he might easily miss the five-been properly closed and which w lowed immediately by a sharp twenty. Yet what did Grains mat-beginning to swing outwards as "ping" somewhere on the other side ter now? He was

far more in the train gathered speed. of the road.

trigued by this old house than he The young man stood still, not would probably have been prepared daring to move. His brain was to admit. He had a strong pre- working rapidly. Whatever it was monition that it had something

Dropping into a seat by the win- that had gone past him had been very vital to do with the mystery dow Blayne's immediate impression dispatched from the wood on his of. Montgomery Gayner's death, was that he was not alone. The left. He glanced towards the spot, but just how and why he had yet impression was an accurate one, quickly. At that point, the trees to learn.

for sented on the opposite side of were somewhat more dense, and it would be sheer madness to vault that steel dart at him ten minutes dressed young woman of slightly

Whoever, it was had precipitated the compartment

was a stylishly the low wooden railing that separatago had committed an enormous continental appearance. Her dark- ed them from the road, and search blunder. Had nothing happened eyes regard him with interested for, the person who had made the Blayne knew that he would never amusement, but when she saw him

In December 1922, Captain attack. By that time, the invisible have paid any attention to the watching her she lowered

them

Cohn, it was alleged, wrote that somebody might be several hun-neighbourhood, but dreds of yards away.

"Nothing had come to hand," and whether it was Intended as a ward- A wisp of jet-black half strayed

In Paris Colonel Hill met Mr.in another letter he stated. "I Instead, Blayne walked the road and examined that trunk terest, and he would not be content filing hat-a striking contrast counsel continued, that he should till the goods are sold. The last criming or not, it had aroused his in-from beneath her scarlet, close- Horatio Bottomley, who suggested. cannot get anything from Solly of the tree which was in a direct until he had proved its innocence. against her slightly olive yet fault-see his son-in-law, Captain Cohn, time I asked him he squealed like line from where he had been at the He felt sure that there was some less complexion. She was certainly on the matter. moment he had heard that preuliar one in the immediate vicinity who attractive, but in much the sanic

a child and said he was losing Captain Cohn, Colonel Hill un- "ping."

kaew who he was, and who knew way that a great many women lonk derstood, was at that time either over the matter and still had the Judging that whatever it had also that he was engaged on the attractive sented at the open-air officially, or unofficially acting for

goods on hand." heen would be approximately about case lie hat in hand. Perhaps, for tables, in the boulevard cafes of Mr. S. Joel as a broker for ther Mr. Joel made a profit or a There was no question of whe- the same height as his head, since all he knew, they were also awareParis, Berlin, and Vienna.

einus stones. Mr. Joel directed loss. He had, alleged counsel, The missile must have passed his of his conversation with Sonia Blayne turned to admire the Captain Colin to investigate the bought the goods to keep them, off ear for him to hear it so distinctly, Gaynor earlier in the afternoon, passing panorama of the country-matter on his behalf.. he examined the rough oak bark

the market. Even if he did, as A sudden frown came to Blayne's side for a few moments, but when carefully. At first he could see brow. He was tempted to take the next glanced across the cam-

asserted, make a loss of two mil aothing, but after a while his train-bull by the horns and explore, the partment, the Continental lady was

lion francs on the deal, what was ed eyesight detected a faint sparkle, place himself, but on second apparently similarly engaged at the

that on a deal of £330,000, the ob Running his hand lightly over the thoughts he decided to make sonic site window.

to go with him to Reval, promis-jeet of which was to prevent a surface at that point he discovered inquiries at the village police sta-

Came a grinding of brakes, and ing that he should have a share loss of perhaps millions sterling M.V. "GREYSTOKE CASTLE" Balls hence on or about 28th Juno. somethin embedded firmly in the

tion.

the train slowed down at Chessing in the profits from the deal. Hill in De Beers? wood. Taking his knife from his

Not wishing to return by the len, finally coming to a halt at the agreed, and, in October 1920

Evidence that it had been re- pocket he carefully cut away the same way he had coine, Blayne con- mall, flower-bedded platform. left with Cahn, Roberts and Bis-cognised that commission was due bark, and at length prised out, a tinued straight on along the road The lady opposite gathered her silk coe for Reval, where they joined had been afforded, counsel stated, small sted-pointed dart, not more until he came to a sign-post in-roat about her, und grasped her Watts.

by the fact that Watts, without than half-an-inch long, such as are forming him that he was only one handbag which had lain in her lap Mr. So Joel's object in pur-having to used by certain mitive tribes as mile from Oaktree.

take the matter into preparatory to alighting, and chasing the diamonds, counsel in court, had been paid £500 by Abra- effective death weapon by the nid Following the direction, it was Blayne, with customary courtesy,sisted, was not to sell. of a blowpipe.

hams in settlement of "all claims not long before he found himself opened the carriage door for her. He was anxious that this large against Abrahams, Cohn, Joc) and Blayne stand staring down at the in the village again, with twenty

She smiled her acknowledgment, quantity of stones should not be others." while Biscoe was settled little dart as it lay in the palm of minutes to spare before his train and Blayne watched her walk with thrown on the market to the pre- with a rovment of £200. his hand. It was an "et neat was dite. There would be just perfect leisurely polse along the judice of the do Beera concern. little thing, and had it entered his time, he told himself, for him to platform towards the booking-hall

The Defence. He planned, alleged counsel, to temple instead of the tree, he would have a word with the local police.exit. Then he turned from have been removed from the neces-

the dole them out in small quantities This, he argued, was equivalent sity of further conducting his reting reading a newspaper as he en

Blayne found the sergeant sit-window.

in order to keep up prices..

to an admission that commission The train had commenced its It was agreed between the was also owing to the plaintiff.. searches into the mysterious death tered, He was a big, round-faced journey again before he noticed party in Reval that they should In such dircumstances he was of Montgomery Gaynor. "The thought file hint shudder, man with a healthy complexion and something white lying against the share between them the commis astonished that Captain Cohn, hack of the seat where she had been sin of 10 nor cent, which, it was who was a wealthy man, the pro- The method employed was diaboli-

"I'm from Scotland Yard," sitting. He leaned across cal, for that innocent steel point Blayne explained, quietly, "and I'm found it was a email, square en-to pay on whatever price he had mont, and the owner of the

and understood, Mr. Joel was willingprietor of a great racing establish might even yet be impregunted engaged on the Gaynor case. Ivelop. For a moment le gazed at to pay for the diamonds, and that Champs Elysees Theatre, shouldUTWARDS FOR SHANGHAL, YOKOHAMA, with some virulent polson,

Carefully he took out his pocket want you to tell me who lives in it,,stunned. It was addressed in that should be shared in the fol-resist Colonel Hill's claim. book, and allowed the evil weapon over there," he went on, pointing

a trees ngat handwriting to "Peter lowing proportions:--Cohn, 4 per M. Caron, for the defendant,

Blayne, Esquire." to fall lightly into an empty com-out through the open door from

Feverishly be lore open the cent.; Watts and Biscoe, 2 per Insisted that Colonel Hill went to partment.

"Seems as if I'm not as popular which the road ledding, from the envelope and pulled out a small cent. each; Hill and Roberts, 1 Reval simply and solely as Cup-

cross could be seen.

single sheet of paper upon which per cent, each.

tain Cohn's bodyguard, and was as I thought I was," he mused, as

entitled to commission, if he was The sergeant laid aside his news-was written in the same not hand- he continued his way along the road

Englishmen's Custom. writing:

entitled at all, as a bodyguard but just as if nothing at all had happen-paper and stood up. He had a સસ્તું.

"Warnings are not intended to Kreat respoet' for Scotland Yard,

Captain Cohn, counsel added, not as an intermediary. although up to the present the be ignored. Thank this over care-pleadged himself personally to He merely met Captain Cohn on Criminal Investigation Department fully and you will understand.this as the agent for Mr. Joel, the racecourse, and told him had been little more than a legend ZORA."

If Joel did not carry out his con- Krassin had a lot of diamonds to to him.

For a moment Blayne gazed at tract, Captain Cohn said he should sell. Mr. Cohn was not a jewel "I know which place you mean, the paper unbelievingly. Then, consider himself personally Kable merchant in this matter. Ife sir," said the sergeant, "but I can't quite calmly, he stood up and pulled to the others for their shares. merely passed the business on to No written agreement was en- his friend Mr. Joel. Why should mystery, that place is, sir. I'm

tered into. "It is a custom among Captain Cohn or Joel be asked to blest if can understand it. Not!

Englishmen," counsel explained, pay commission? They

to keep their word in matters of neither of them, the sellers of the "honour, and Captain Cohn insist diamonds,

ed that his word was his bond." After his return from Reval; After seeing Solomon, the Boviet Captain Cohn had nothing far- representative, in Reval, Captain ther. to do with the matter: When Cohn returned to London with the first negotiations had failed. Here is the solution to the Colonel Hill to complete arrange- Mr. Joel sent Mr. Abrahams out

CHAPTER X.

keen, grey eyes.

that old house among the

that it's ever given us any trouble,"

hu added,

(To be Continued.) (The characters in this story are entirely imaginary and no reference to buing persons is intended.)

LETTER · GOLF SOLUTION.

The House of Mystery. Blayne was not unnaturally anxious to learn what precisely lay behind that dense sirip of wood-tell you who lives there. Bit of the communication cord. land that ran deep to the road,

About a hundred yards further along he was not surprised to find the entrance to a carriage drive "guarded by a pair of massive iron gates composed of an amount of eupler is" naked Blayne, surprised. "You don't know who the oc- exquisite 17th century filigree "I thought you county chaps raude work. He would have stopped in it your business to know everyone front of them had not his quick for miles around." eyes noticed that the gates were locked and that it would be useless to endeavour to gain admission that

way.

He was also aware that his pro-

never give us the chance of know-

"There are some people who puzzle on another page. Ing 'em," he replied, "and she's one of 'em, sir."

gress along the road was probably is a woman?" A new note of sur- "She? You mean the occupler being watched by anmenne, from within that dark woodland from prise had erept into Blayne's voice.

The officer nodded. whence had come that evil little dart which reposed in his pocket he told Blayne. "She doesn't come "Not that I've seen much of hor," book. But this fact did not trouble down to the village overmuch. If him overmuch. If they had want anything's wanted from the 'stores ed to dispatch him they could quite she either telephones or the young casily have done

so many times lady comes down." over. That first attempt was ob

"Hadn't you better explain what

viously intended as a warning, but all this is about?" said Blayne, a he had no intention of returning trife irritably. "Do I understand

ו'

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export, and two other experts ar- There was not a scrap of docu rived in Reval and made an ins-mentary evidence, counsel insist- pection of the diamonds offered.ed, to show that the claim against

These were contained in 14 Captain Cohn was well founded. from him. As to the letters from At the conclusion of counsel's elgar boxes: All the gems · had

There was no evidence he had Captain Cohn to Mias Lily Iris, speeches the President stated that been torn from their settings. promised any payment beyond say counsel characterised them as beg-the caga would be taken under Abrahams inade an offer to Solo-ing that if he "touched" anything ging letters. One of the letters rview and brought up again later. mon of “a quarter of a million for he would give the other man a was headed "8.0.8.” -

This is understood to mean that the lot."

share.

All Hill's expenses, in Reval, if, after considering the dossier, Mr. Solomon reported that the As Captain Cohn had never counsel added, were paid by Cap-the Court find it necessary, a fur Soviet Government required one touched a sou in the affair there tain Cohn, and there never had ther Inquiry may be ordered." I

was no reason to claim anything been any question of commission not, a decision may be given later.

20