Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1905 — The Yellow Holly [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Yellow Holly

By FERGUS HUME,

Author of “The Myitery of a Hansom Cab,” Etc. X X

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I—George Brendon, a young | Londoner, vizita hlx friend, Leonard Train, who hau lodging* in the boarding house kept by Mr». Jer«ey. Among the boarders is an elderly rntftden lady. Miss Bull. Mrs. Jersey is startled by a piece of yellow holly worn by George. ll—George, whose real name is Vane, tells Train the story of hit life. He is an orphan and the grandson of Lord Derrington, but the latter refuses to recognize the marriage of George’s father (Lord Derrington's son), who had eloped. Brendon desires to establish his position us Lord Derrington's heir in order to marry Dorothy Ward. The place of marriage of George's parents is known only to Mrs. Jersey, formerly maid to George's mother. His mother died at his birth, and his father had been murdered in San Remo, Italy, years before. Ill —In the night Mrs. Jersey Is killed with a stilleto by an unknown person. CHAPTER IV. ON account of its mystery the murder of Mrs. Jersey made a great sensation. The season was dull and there was nothing of interest In the newspapers, therefore the mysterious crime was a godsend to the reporters. From being a peaceful neighborhood Amelia square became quite lively. The boarders found all this most unpleasant. This rude awakening from their sleepy life was too much for them, and the majority made preparations to leave as soon aS the Inquest was over. Until then they were under surveillance and could not leave the neighborhood, a restriction which in Itself was sufficiently unpleasant. Brendon found It particularly so, as be was anxious to get back bis own rooms at Kensington and to his work. But even when he told Inspector Quex that he was merely a visitor and knew nothing about the matter that zealous officer objected to his going. Perhaps, had Brendon insisted, he might have gained his point, but he did not think it was worth while to make the fact of his stay in the Jersey mansion too public and therefore held Ids peace. He stopped with Leonard as usual, but the two men were not such friends as they had been.

Why Train had changed toward him Brendon could not understand, but ever since Leonard had been submitted to the ordeal of seeing the corpse he had been an altered man. From being guy he was now dull; instead of talking volubly, as he usually did, he w*s silent for hours at a stretch, and he appeared to shun Brendon's company. Fool as Train was, Brendon liked him sufficiently to resent his altered demeanor. At the inquest nothing was discovered likely to elucidate the mystery. Not one scrap of evidence could be found to show that any one in the nouse could possibly be guilty. The boarders were all old, the servants all ordinary human beings, and no motive could be assigned to any one person for the committal of so cruel a crime. Moreover, the fact that the instrument used was a stiletto (and the doctor held to that) showed that the crime must hare been committed by a foreigner. The Jury 1 ought in a verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown, and that was all that could be done toward the elucidation of the Amelia square crime. “There's only one thing that wasn’t spoken of,” said Quex when he saw the boarders in the drawing room for the last time; "it seems that Mrs. Jersey always put out the light above the door at 11. or when the guests departed. On this.occasion It burned all night, and as it shines behind crimson glass such a red window might be a guide to any one who did not know the house, but who had been given that sign whereby to distinguish it.” "I can explain that,”~sald Granger, who was present. “When madame was bidding’' farewell to her guests she thought that some of them might be lost in the fog. Therefore she called out after them that she would let the light burn later, so that any might be able to retrace their steps.” “In that case,” said Quex, rising to take Ids leave; “there is nothing more to be discussed. Who killed Mrs. Jersey or why she was killed will probably never be known. Ladies and gentlemen, good day,” and the inspector bowed himself stiffly out of the room with the air of a man who washed his hands of the whole concern. “When are you going back to Duke street?” asked Brendon as he took Ids leave of Train. “This very day,” replied the young man gloomily. “I don't want to stop a moment longer than I can help in this awful house.” “I expect many of the others are of your way of thinking, Train. But. so far as I can see, there is no hope of learning who killed the woman.” “If you had only allowed me to tell Quex about the door being opened he might have traced the assassin.” “I don’t think so.” Brendon shook his head. “It was a foggy night, and whosoever entered would be able to slink away without being seen.” "All the same I wisii I bad told Quex.” '“Well, then, tell him if you like.” said George, vexed with this pertinacity. “But you asked me not to.” “Only because I fear, with your weak ■ature, that one question will lead to another until the whole of my private affairs will come to light. I don’t want those to be known at Scotland Yard,

let alone the chance that I might be accused of the crime.” “Oh, that’s ridiculous! You could not have left the sitting room unless I had let you out, and there is no door from your bedroom.” “That is true enough,” answered Brendon, with an ironical smile, the significance of which was lost on Train. “But if the whole of my story came to light you might be accused of helping me to get rid of the woman.” “I?” Leonard’s hair almost rose on end. “How could Ibe mixed up in it?” “Well, see here,” argued Brendon, who thought it Just as well to make Train's own safety depend upon the discretion of too free a tongue. “I tell you about this house, and on my recommendation you come here. I come to stop with you and reveal my reasons for coming. These have to do with the possession of a secret by the murdered woman. All that to a policeman would be suspicious. What would be easier than for me to go down the stairs and, when the .woman refused to confess as to my legitimacy, to stab her? Then I could return to my bed, and you could prove an alibi on my behalf by your tale of having locked the sitting room door.” Train shuddered. “I see how easily we can get into trouble. I shall say nothing. I wish I had not come here. I shall go abroad until all blows over.” “I am going to see Dorothy,” said Brendon, “and tell her that there is no chance of our marriage. Nor is there, for I cannot see my way to prove my legitimacy. We must part, and I shall probably go down the country for six months or so to finish my novel and to get rid of my heartache.” Train remained silent, looking at the ground. Then he glanced at his friend in a doubtful way. “What has become of your yellow holly?” Brendon produced it from his pocket. “It withered, so I took it out of my coat and put it into this envelope.” “Do you know if Miss Ward gave any one else a piece of yellow holly?” Brendon stared at this strange question. "Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?” Train shuffled bis feet and looked down again. “It is an exceptionally rare sort of thing," he said uneasily, “and its effect on Mrs. Jersey was so strange that I wondered if she connected it with any trouble or disaster.” “You made the same remark before,” said Brendon dryly, “and we could arrive at no conclusion. But, in any case, I don't sec that Miss Ward giving me the holly has anything to do with Mrs. Jersey’s alarm—ls, Indeed, she was alarmed.” “I think she was,” said Train decisively, “and If I were you I would ask Miss Ward why she gave you the holly.” “What would be the sense in that?” “You might learn why Mrs. Jersey was startled." Brendon laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Your active brain Is building up a perfect romance,” he declared. “There can be no connection between Dorothy and Mrs. Jersey.” “Did she know you were coming to stop here on that night?” “Yes. I told her so when I met her in the park in the morning. It was then that she asked me to afternoon tea.” “And at the afternoon tea she gave you tiie holly?” “Yes. You seem to think she did it on purpose that Mrs. Jersey”— Train interrupted him quickly. “It is you who are building up a romance

now," he said. “I never thought anything of the sort. But I do say that the coincidence Is strange-rtbat you should have in your coat a flower—l suppose one can call berried holly a flower —which awakens unpleasant recollections in Mrs. Jersey’s breast” “In a word, Train, you fancy that an inquiry into the circumstances of the yellow holly may lead to a detection of the assassin." "I don’t go so far as that. But I should not be surprised if something of that sort did eventuate.” “Then you do go so far as that,” said Brendon, with a shrug. “However, there is nothing more to be said. My advice to you is to hold your tongug

lest we should both get into trouble.” The two parted, Leonard to pack up and Brendon to Journey with his bag for Kensington. Both men were conscious of a relief when they took leave of each other. Of course the economy of the mansion was disordered when the crime was committed. But, thanks to the firm handling of Miss Bull, who now took the reins which bad fallen from the hands of madame, a few days put a different complexion on affairs. Margery knew where her aunt kept the money, and Miss Bull made several of the boarders behindhand pay up. Thus there was enough money to go on with, and Miss Bull decided to wait until after the funeral before deciding what she intended to do herself. When Mrs. Jersey was buried her lawyer made his appearance with the will. It was read to Margery, and Miss Bull stopped beside the poof girl as the only friend she had in the world. The will was short and concise, as it seemed that there was very little td leave. The lawyer read it and then looked at Margery to hear what she had to say. “You do exactly what you like, dear Miss Bull,” said Margery, rising, and then turned to the lawyer. “Let Miss Bull do exactly as she likes. I leave all In her hands.” “The most sensible thing you can do,” said the legal adviser under his breath, and when Margery had left the room he turned to the old iqald. “Is she an idiot?” “By no means. But she is not very clever. I have taken a great Interest in her, as, to tell you the truth, Mr. James, she was badly treated by her afint.” “It is lucky she has such a friend,” said Mr. James. “About this will,” said Miss Bull, laying one thin finger on the document. “Madame leaves to Margery Watson, her niece, the money in the green box in her sitting room and also her jewels.” “Yes. Also, if you will recollect, the clothes of the deceased lady.” “Is there nothing else?” asked Miss Bull, raising her black eyes Inquiringly. “What of the lease of this house?” “That is the property of Lord Derrington, and he only let the house to Mrs. Jersey by the year.” “Is not that rather strange?” “Very strange. But the whole connection of Lord Derrington with my late client is strange. I know that she received from him an annuity of £SOO a year and the lease of this house—by the year, remember—from December to December. Now she is dead the annuity lapses. The lease ends on the 31st of December and it will not be renewed. Lord Derrington, so far as I know, has no interest in Miss Margery Watson.” “What Interest had he In Mrs. Jersey?” asked Miss Bull, scenting a scandal, and her eyes brightening. “I can’t tell you that, and If I could I would not.” “Quite right. I beg your pardon for asking, but you see, in the Interest of that poor girl, I wish to know exactly how matters stand.” “They stand as I tell you,” said James, and he rose to go. “I have nothing more to do In the matter, and my connection with the late Mrs. Jersey ceases here.” “One moment,” said Miss Bull quietly. “What of the furniture?” “That is also the property of Lord Derrington. He bought the house as it stood from the executor of the last owner, Mr. Anthony Lockwood, fifteen years ago. Mrs. Jersey wished to s6t up a boarding house, so Lord Derrington placed her In here. Every stick in the place belongs to him. Should Miss Watson leave, she goes with the Jewels, the money in the green box and . with her deceased aunt's clothes.” ! “A very poor outfit to start life on at her age,” said Miss Bull, rising in her prim manner. “By the way, Mr. James, what is the name of the late Mr. Lockwood’s executor?” "Roger Ireland,” replied the lawyer, looking rather surprised. “Why do you ask?” “For my own satisfaction, Mr. James. If no one else will assist this poor girl I shall do so. Good day." [TOBE CONTINUED.!

The will was short and concise.