I
'TH!« -T«IR\ Ill'.AM* N"
Tin: M VSTKRY
-OF-
A HANSOM CAB.
KV KKH'il s H. 11l Mi:.
( HAI'TKIi VI. »n riNUKi'.
Moi eland ;ti"«»-*• :ill> 1 to asi le
table. brought WiiUe- aihum. which •
he liti'l on the table and opened in
silence J hi* contents were vei v
much the siuiK' as tlx- photographs
in tie room. burlesque actresses and
};t]i*"> of th«- Ullet predominating:
but Mr. Moreland turned over the
jtill iif-Jtr!v the end. when he
stopped at a i irge cabinet photo
giaph, and pu-hed the album towai d
Mr. ' iorln.
"That was tlie cau-e. he -aid
It was the figure of a chai mindly
piettv 11 ]. ill  --ed 11: W.Llte, With a
sailor hat on hei fair liair. and hold
ing a .awn t« niih racket. She was
bending half forward, with a winning
smile, and in the background was a
mass of -ome tropical plants. Mis.
Hah'.eton gave a cry of surprise at
weeing this.
•*\Vhv, it's Miss Frett lby. slie
httid "How did 11«* know hei
"Knew lier tit her—letters >l in
troduction, and all that soit ol
ti m ,r , ' -aid Mr Moreland, g»'bl\.
-Ah. indeed ' said Mr. (rorby.
slowlv. "So Mr. Wliyte knew Malk
l'rettlbv, the milli »naire; but how
did he obtain a photograph of the
daughter'
"She gave it to him. said More
land. "The fact i.-. Wliyte was v.-rv
much in love with her.
"And she -
••\Va- in love with some one else,
finished Moreland.
"Kxaeth'
"Yes, -lie loved a Mr. l»rian lit/.-
gerald, to whom she i- nm* engaged.
He was mad on her. at.d W hyte and
he used to tjuarrel over the young
lady desperately."
"Indeed' said Mr. (ioiby. Vnd
ilo vou know this Mr Fitzgerald'
"Oh. dear, no! answered the. oth
er. coollv. "Whyte's fi i* mis were
not mine, lie was a rich young man
who had goo 1 introductions. I am
>n 1v a poor devil on the outskirts of
socii tv. trvmg t > push lev w,tv in the
wor d.
"Vou know hi- persona! appear
ance, of course' observed Mr. (lor
bv.
"Oh. \es, 1 caii tell \uu that, said
Moreland. "In tact, he - not at all
unlike me. which 1 take to be rather
a compliuu nt. as h" is -: iid to be
good looking. He is * tail, rather
tail", talks .u a b, i * . 1 suit of maimer,
ami is altv , tl.er what one would
call a heav% -well: but you must
have seen iiin .' he w. Nt on. turning
to Mrs. Hibleton. "lie wa- here
tinet or four wvek- ago. Whvte told
ine.
"Oh. that was Mi I'U/g' iald, wa
it' said Ml- Ha 1 at . suuprise.
ft
• \ he was l athvr'.ike y.»u : and -
the lad\ the\ ,i ;arreid' over must
*
have been M ;-- Fl  ttlbv
"\ ery li xt \. -ai .1 M. : - ,ai. i. i i-ii.
"Well. I'm off Here's my address?"
putting a cai ! in (loibv's hand
"I in glad to l»e ai.v u-e to you .u
tms matter, a-" \\ i.vte w.ts niv d
est friend, an 1 1 1 all mt.% ] ow
11 to he.p \t.\» t l ti! i oil* tli« -
derer.'
"I don't think ti at . .» :% diffi
cult matter, -a. 1 Mr. 1 ;1 v. w
ly.
"Oh, you have su.-i icion ' -aid
Moreland. looking at him.
"I have.
"Then wl > ,'h. you think lered
\Yu\ti-'"
Mr. Cicil'v jar..-t i . tit. ai.
then said deiil't : at*. \ .
"I have an idea—' it J :n not c- r
tain when I a: , certain. 11l -v» ik "
I
••You tii nk Fitzgerald killed my
friend." said Moreland "I wi* in
vour face.
fr. Gorbv smiled "I'erhaps.
\,o said. and>iguously. "Wait till I
(in) eei tain.
CHAPTFK VII.
A W 001 KINO.
Mark Frettlbv was one of those
foitunate individuals who turned
everything he touched into -old.
Hi> luck was proverbial throughout
Australia It there wa any speculi*.
turn for which Maik I'iettlby went
in. other men would be suie to fol
low. and in every case the result
turned out a- well, and in many cases
than th v expected. He had come
out in the early da\s »1 the colony
with compaiatively little money, but.
hi- resit pei sevel since and nevsr-fflil-
Suck had soon changed hi> liun
died- into thou>and>. and now at the
age of •*>•" he did not himself know
the extent of his income. He had
1 a r• r e stations scattered ail over the
''• o
co!(iii\ of Yictoiia. which brought
him in a splendid income: a charm
i 11«r (OUlitl'V llOUS«\ wluM'* 4 rtt CM" hi in
'o
seasons of the year he dispensed hos
pitality to his friends, like the lord
df an Knglish manor, and a magniti
cent town house down in St. Kilda.
which would not have been unworthy
of Park lane.
Xor were his domestic relations
1« sj- iiapi»y. He had a charming wife,
who was one of the* hest known and
most popular la ies ot Melbourne,
and an equally charming daughter,
who, being both pretty and an heir
ess, naturally attracted crowds ot
suitors, lint Madge Prettily was
capricious and i fused innumerable
otters Being an extremely indepen
dent young person, wit i a mind of
her own. as she had not yet seen any
one she could love, she decided to
n main single, and with her mother
continred to dispense the hospitality
of the mansion at. St. Kilda. But
the fairy prinee comes to every wo
man, even if she has to wait a hun
dred years like the Sleeping Beauty,
and iii this case he arrived at the
appointed time. Ah! what a de
lightful princS he was. tall, baud
some and fair hair. l. who came from
Ireland, and answered to the name
of Brian Fitzgerald. He had lett
behind him in the old country a
ruined castle and a few acres of bar
ren land, inhabited by discontented
tenants who refused to pay the rent.
;iud talked darkly about the Land
and other disagreeable tl inrs.
r- r> o
Under these circumstances, with no
lent coming in. and no prospect of
doing anything in the future. Brian
had left the castle of his forefathers
t> the rats and the family banshee,
and came out to Australia to make
hi> fortune. He biought letters of
inli duction to Maik Frettlbv. and
that gentleman, having taken a fan
cy to him. assisted him by every
means in his power. Under Frettl
by s advice Brian bought a station,
and. to. his astonishment, >n a few
veais found himself growing rich.
» P O
The Fit/.geralds had always been
more famous for spending than for
saving, and it was an agreeable sur
\ rise to their latest representative
t> tind the monev rolling in instead
%. P
 out. He began to indulge in cas-
P P
t.« - u: the air concerning that oilier
:ut!' in Inland, with the barren
a> t sand discontented tenants. In
• •'S mind - t\e Ue saw the old place
iise up m all its pristine splendor
it of its ruins : he saw the barren
:ure- well cultivated, and the ten
ant- happy and content —he was
rather doubtful on this latter point.
: it. with the rash confidence of eight
a!. : twenty, determined to do his
best to perform even the impossible.
Having built and furnished his cr s
l.e :n the air. Brian naturally thought
• g -t a mistress, and this time
• ' .... appearance took the place of
i. He ft . in ! ve with Mad ,r e
P
1 "ett.by. ami Laving decided in his
w . i...:. 1 ti.nt -he and none otLt r
was :.tt*d to grace the visi,nary
Lulls of Lis reuovated ca-t «. lie
watched his opportunity ami de
-larel himself. She. woman like,
coquetted with him for some time,
but at last, unable to withstand the
impetuosity of her Irish lover, con
fessed in a low voice. with a pretty
smile on her face. that she could not
live without him Whereupon —well
—lover- being »f a conservative turn
of mind, and accustomed to observe
the traditional forms of wooing. t';e
result can easily be guessed. Briau
hunted all over the jewelers' shops
in Mell ourne with lovo like assiduity,
and having obtained a I inr wherein
i
were set some torquois stones as
blue as his own eyes, he p'aced it on
her slender tinker, and at last felt
that his engagement was an accom
j lihhed fact.. This being sat'sfacto
lilv arranged, he nc\t proceeded to
interview the father, and had just
screwed his courage up to the awful
ordeal, when something occupied
which postponed the interview imlef
initelv. Mrs. Frettiby was out driv
ing, when the horses took fright and
bolted. The coachman and groom
both escaped unhurt.but Mrs. Fretti
by was thrown out and killed in
stantaneously. This was the first
leally great trouble that had fallen
on Mark Frettiby, and he seemed
t> be stunned by it. Shutting him
self up in his room he refused to see
any one. even his daughter, and ap
peared at the funeral with a white
and haggard face, whi h shocked ev
eiy one. When everything was over
and the body of the late Mrs. Frettl
bv was consigned to the earth with
%. O
all the pomp and ceremony which
money could give, the bereaved hus
band rode home and resumed his
old life. But he was never the
same again. His face, which had
always been so genial and bright,
became stern and sad. He seldom
smiled, and when he did it was a
faint, wintry smile, which seemed
mechanical. His whole heart seemed
centered in his daughter. She be
came the sole mistress of the St. Kil
da mansion, and her father idolized
her. She seemed to be the one
thing left to him which gave him an
interest in life, and had it not been
for her bright presence constantly
near him. Mark Frettiby would have
wished himself lying beside his dead
wife in the quiet graveyard, where
there is no trouble or cue. After a
tiiuvt had elapsed Brian again re
solved to ask Mr. Frettiby for the
hand of his daughter when for the
second time fate interposed. This
time it was a rival suitor who made
his appearance, and Brian s hot Irish
temper rose when he saw another
Richmond in the field. Ihe gentle
man in question was a Mr. Oliver
Whyte, who had come out from Eng
land a few months previously, and
brought a letter of introduction to
Mr. Frettiby. who received him hos
pitablv, as was his custom, and
Whyte soon made himself perfectly,
at home in the St. Kilda mansion.
Brian took a dislike to the new
comer the first time he saw him. for
Mr. Fitzgerald was a student of Lav
ater. and prided himself on his lead
ing of character. His opinion of
Whyte was anything but flattering
to that gentleman, for in spite of his
handsome face and suave manners,
both Brian and Madge felt the same
repulsion toward him as they would
have to a snake. Mr. Whyte. how
ever. with true diplomacy, affected
not to notice the cold way in which
Mad"e received him. and began to
c w
pay marked attention to her. much to
Brian s disgust. At last he asked
htr to be his wife, and notwithstand
ing her prompt refusal, spoke to Mr.
Frettlbv 011 the subject. Much to
tie daughter's astonishment. that
gentleman consented to W hvte spay-
C?
n,_r } a , ai ] lre>ses to Madge, and told
her that he wished her to cor.sider
the vuui g mans proposal favorably.
In spite of ah Ma Ige co.:. 1 say. he
refused to alter Lis decision, ai d
Whvte, feeling Lims« If safe, began to
treat Brian w:tL an insolence which
was LigL'y -ailing to Fitzgerald'-
proud nature. He called on W byte
:»t his lodging-, and after a violent
quarrel with him bad left the house,
vowing to kill W bvte should he mar-
O •
ry Madge Frettlby. Fitzgerald went
alone to Mr. Frettlby that same
ni r ht. and had an interview with him.
0
He confessed that lie loved Madge,
ai d that his love was returned. So.
when Madge added her entreaties to
Brian's. Mr. Frettlby found himself
unable to withstand the combined
force« v and gave his consent to their
en"a r "infnt. \\ 1 vte was absent in
the country for the next few days af
ter his stormy interview with Brian,
and it was only on his return that he
learnt thai Madge was engaged to
his rival. He -aw Mr. Frettlby on
the subject, and having learnt from
his own 11 j>- that such was the ease,
he left the house at once, and swoie
that he would never enter it again
He little know how prophetic his
words were, for on that same night
he met hi- death in a hansom cab
He had passed cut of the life of both
the lovers, and they, glad that he
troub'ed them no more, never MIS
ppcted for a moment that tie body of
the unknown man tound in Kovston s
cab was that of Oliver Whyte.
About two weeks after \\ bytes
disappearance, Mr. Frettlby gave u
dinner pai ty in honor ot his daugh
ter's birthday. It was a delightful
evening, and the wide French win
dows. which led on to the veranda
were open, letting in a gentle breeze,
blowing with a fresh, salt odor from
the ocean.  hitside there was a kind
of screen of tropical plants, and
through the tangle of the boughs
the guests, seated at the table, could
just see the waters of the bay gilt
tering like silver in the pale moon
light. Brian was seated opposite to
Madie, and everv now and then he
O
caught a glimpse of her bright face
behind the great silver epergne. tilled
with fruits and tlowers, which stood
in t' e centre of the table. Mark
Frettlby was at the head of the table,
and appeared in very good spirits,
for his stern features were somew hat
relaxed, and he drank more wne
than usual. The soup had ju.->t been
removed when some one who was
late entered with apologies and took
his seat Some one in this case was
Mr. Felix Kolleston. one of the best
i noun young men in Melbourne.
He had an inccme of his our. KTIII
bled a little for the papers, was to
1 e seen at every hou-e of any pre
tensions to fashion in Melbourne,
and was always bright, happy and
full of news. Whenever any scandal
occured Felix Kollestoji was sure to
know it first, and could tell more
about it than any one else. He
knew everything that was going on.
both at home and abroad. His
knowledge, if not very accurate. wa>
at least extensive, and his conversa
tion was piquant and witty. AsCal
ton. one of the leading lawyers of
the city, said "Rolleston put him in
mind of w hat Beaconsfield said of
one of his characters in •Lothair."
•He wasn't an intellectual Cm-u-.
but his pockets were always full of
sixpences ' There was a good leal
of truth in Calton's remarks, and Fe
lix always distributed his sixpences
freelv. The conversation had been
dull for the last few minutes at the
Frettlby dinner table : consequently
when Felix arrived everybody bright
ened, as they felt certain now that
the conversation would be amusing.
•\v» aw fully sorry, don t you know."
.-aid Fel x. as he slij ped into a seat
bv Madge, "but a fellow like me has
trot to be careful of hi- time —so
many calls >n it
"So many call- in it. vou mean.,
retor.ed Madge with a di-l>e]ieving
smile. "Confess, now.you have been
making a round of-visit.-.*
"Well. yes. assented Mr. nolles
t !., "that - the li.sadvantage of hav
ing a 'arge circle of acquaint ance-
Thev give vou w ;tk tea a'.. 1 thin
bread and butter, whereas -
Y .1 wouUl lather Lave a 15 an 1
S. and f-ome devi'»d kidney-. fin
ished Brian.
There was a laugh at this, hut Mr.
Holleston disdained to notice the in
terruption.
-The onlv advantage of a 5 o clock*
tea." he went on. "is that it brings
people together, and one hears what s
going on.*
"Ah. ves. Holleston. said Mr.
Frettlbv. who was looking at him
with an amused smile.-"what news
have }Ou v ' '■
"Good news, bad neivs. and such
• news yon have never heard of,
quoted Holleston. gravely. "Yes. I v
have a bit of news. Have you heard
! it
As no one knew what the new>
was thev could not very well say
that they had. so Holleston wasjiap
pv. having found out that he could
make a sensation.
••Well do you know, he said*
gravely fixing in his eyeglass, "they
found out the name of the fellow
that was murdered in the hansom
cab?"
"Never! * cried every one eagerly.
•'Yes. went on Holleston. "ami
what's more you all know him.
"It's never Whyte* said Brain,
in a horntied tone.
"Hang it, how did vou know
r*» ~ •
said Holleston. rather annoytd at be
ill forestalled. Why I just heard
it at the St. Hilda station.
"() . easily enough said Brain,
rather confused. "I used to see
Whyte const mtly. and as I had not
set eyes on him for the la.»t two
weeks 1 thought it might be hum'
"How did they find out who it
wast asked -Mr. Frettlbv, idly oy
ing w itli his wine ghiss.
0 n
"Oh one of those detective fel
lows. you know, answered Felix.
"They know everything.
"I am sorry to hear it. said
Frettlb;, referring to the fact that
Whyte was murdered. "He hail a
letter of introduction to me and
seeine.l a clever, pushing young fel
low.''
"A confounded cad, muttered Fe
lix, under his breath : and Brain. who
overheard him. seemed Inclined to
assent.
For the rest of the meal nothing
was talked about but the minder
and the mystery in which it was
shrouded. When the ladies retired
they chatted about it in the drawing
room, but finally dropped it for
more agreeable subjects. 1 lie gen
tlemen, however, when the cloth had
been removed, filled their glas.se>,
and conitnued their discussion with
unabated vigor. Brain alone did
not take part in the "oiivers-timi.
He sat moodily lai ii gat !n> u:i
tasted wine, and wrapped in a blown
study.
(TO UK rovriM Kn. i
IV.
"1 )oes the man drive fast '
"Yes, very fa.^t.
"He may run over and kill some
body .'
"Yes, he may. but he doe- not
seem t«» care for that. \h it is a
doctor! That i- why he i- on tin
rush.
"Is someone dying .'
"I fear there i«. See how he rush
es up to that door and null- the be 1 !
Now he goes in. Now he eome- out.
1 w ill speak with him,
"What does he sa\
"He >a\ - that the :*. ii who - ,
here eahed and t*>; 1 1 n:. *}.'! i.i
wife had heart ti-ml • *ii. ! '1 t
not live an hour.
"x > .H>r thing ' A: i . • f .! : '
dead ' '
" >i,. ii". He foni ; i 1 >w !.
town on a -hopping *•»;!-: r -IU 1
she left word that she w ; i:. •
home until dai k.
"An-1 won't she die '
"Not unles- her husbin.l ref
t » buy her a new Ire-- or cut'- hr
sh■: t on 1  Lnet-.
The ! tte-l traveling outfit i- i 1
mile ti ket or book '»'/•] frit- i ' •
C 1
over ah railroad- in tl.e r .utrv f >•:
one wur from date for :.■ pc:-on
only. w:. »-e pL'-tognph 1- t a ' 1
the J It will co-t .*lOO