The Storyteller.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2550, 10 July 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Storyteller.

V: THE ADVENTURES OF RUSSELL HOWARD. (By A. E. Jobson.) 1 (All Rights Reserved.) XI.

THE FIRE INSURANCE MATTER. Everyone will recall to mind the euceessful claims of the Mullins Millions Syndicate in England, a few years ago. . Property, the value of which ran into millions of pounds, had remained in chancery for many years, until the discovery of some old letters led to a , certain 'William Mullins to enquire into his title to the estates. He had not sulncient money of his own to prosecute liis enquiries, but he satisfied a number of speculators that there was something in his claims, and they formed themselves into a syndicate, with a capital of something luce .JEoOOO to follow up the matter. One of the first things they did was to retain Russell Howard’s services to make the necessary enquiries and seai'ches in England. . ....

This story docs not directly concern the Mullins Millions, as, though the details connected with that affair were exceedingly complicated, beyond a groat deal of patient and arduous research, it presented no points of great interest.

It was the means, however, of bringing Howard to visit Sydney after he had brought the Syndicate’s claims to an extremely satisfactory conclusion, and proved the Mullins’ Estates to be a better investment than Mount Morgan shares. Ho had been to Australia come years previously, and this business, together with the warm invitations of some of the principal shareholders, had determined him to repeat his visit and see how the country had grown. It was only natural that he should meet a number of principal business men of Sydney during his stay, and amongst them was Mr. Weston, the manager of the Universal Eire Insurance Company for Australasia, a company that did one of the largest businesses in fire risks in Australia. He had met Mr. Weston several times, and that gentleman had always taken a great interest in the rtrany stories that people had to tell about Russell Howard. Some of them were extravagantly untrue, but Howard neither contradicted nor confirmed. If people liked to tell extravagant stories of his abilities, he simply regarded them as advertising his business. He vyas quite satisfied with his own powers to wrestle with any problem given Him, and, as it would have sometimes . been awkward to have to acknowledge the part he had played in certain transactions, ho made a point of neither admitting nor denying them.

AA’hen Mr. AVeston called on him at his hotel he was not surprised, as he had now a number of acquaintances who regularly sought him out, but it soon became apparent that he had called on business, and Russell Howard immediately became alert. “Mr. Howard, lie began., “there is a matter in connection with my business at the present time that is troubling me considerably. It presents many difficulties to me, and appears to be just such a problem that you might deal with. Now, I know that you are out here for a holiday, and, if you have any objections to hearing business- matters, please tell me and I will not inflict them on you.”

“My clear Mr. Weston,” replied Howard, “I hare no objections whatever to taking up any case for you. My trip out was sufficient holiday, and I begin to fear I am getting rusty for want of work; so if you have any problem to submit to me, I shall be rnost happy to attend to it. I .had almost thought that- everything ran "too smoothly in this sunny city to need a man of my profession.” “Well, then, Mr. Howard, of course i understand that anything I tell you will be treated as altogether confidential, whether you take up this case or not.” “Certainly,” replied Howard. “Thank you,” said Mr. Weston. “You must excuse my asking the question, but much that I shall have to tell you is of a very personal nature, and I should not like it to go any further.” “You have my word.” said Howard, “that everything you tell me will be regarded as an absolute secret.” “Then, in the first place, Mr. Howard, you must know that I have a nephew who lias not been altogether a

credit to his family. He was employed as a book-keeper by Felix Bergstrom and Sons, a large retail hou.se in this city. He had access to a large amount

ifvi; of cash every day, and, I am sorry to jj-f say, helped himself to a considerable I j amount of it to cover his losses on 'the racecourse. . , Felix Bergstrom found this out, hut i'- my nephew had got away in the xnean- ? time.

He sent word to the office that he was ill, and, at home had said that he £V., -was going -away for a few days’ holi- ' .v'f-ty. ..He had, however, obtained a. pas-lt;-V usage on-a'boat going to Fiji, and left : ; for, there.... - ••<•/. \F': He managed to get clear away wifch-

: ■ c.-nt leaving'any trace, and although Felix Bergstrom had detectives at work, ij he never found out where he had jy,: gone. ' ji He left a letter for me, saying that

lie was going to Fiji, and asking me to let his jieople know, and to ask them to forgive him. He was going to try and strike out for himself under a now name, he said. He never thought ho would be unable to return the money ho had taken until the end, and then ho could not face the. disgrace, so had cleared out. He intended to try to earn sufficient to pay back the amount he had taken, and would not rest content till this was done. Then he gave me some • startling information. On the day before he left the firm, he went-into Mr. Bergstrom's private office while he was away, to get a book which it was necessary to have in order to cloak his defi-

cienees. While he was there he heard Bergstrom returning, accompanied by another man. He had no right in the room, and should ho hare been found there an explanation would be required, and it might lead to detection of his errors; so he did the oidy thing that there was time for him to do, and that was to secrete himself in a large empty orate that happened to be in the room, and that, had contained some specially valI liable samples that the head of the firm had taken under lu's own care. Ho had hardly time to pull doivn tho lid when Mr. Bergstrom walked in, talking in a loud voice to his companion about some samples he wished to show him. No sooner had the door closed, however, than Iris manner changed.

He quietened down, and the other man took up the running. My nephew liad no chance of seeing him, and not once while lie was there was his name mentioned, nor anything that would give a clue to his identity. His impression of him from his voice was that he was a big, rather rough man. “Let’s get down to business right away,” he said. “I want to understand exactly what you want now, for you can see it won’t do for me to come and see you now and again. It will be better to have my instructions ■ now. and the cheque. Then you can fix the date, and everything will hap- ■ pen nicely in the usual way, and you will wake up one morning to see by the papers that there has been another great fire in the city. Your warehouse will be a total loss, and you will : receive the condolences of your friends —and congratulate yourself. . The ini surance offices will come up with the money—and there you are.” Felix Bergstrom laughed at this. “Very well, then,” he said, “I’ve thought it all out. . A Sunday will be s the beet day. I can make all my arrangements with the stock, and if a i fire breaks out on the Sunday—well, of ; course, it has been a cigarette smouldering since Saturday, or something . like that. I don’t care, anyhow, how ■ they 4 account for it, so long as they don’t suspect it’s been set on fire, and ; so long as you make a good job of it. “You leave that to me,” the other man said. Then my nephew heard . them draw up their chairs to the table; heard them creak as they sat down, and then heard the rustle of paper and scratch of a pen as he, no doubt, signed a cheque and handed it over. There were a few words more, and then Bergstrom opened the door, and, for the benefit of anyone within hearing. said: “Oh, well, good-bye, then, and if any of those samples are in your ■ line I shall be most happy to fix you up.” Bergstrom came back and paced up and down for awhile; then apparently becoming restless he went out again, and my nephew heard him call to one of his clerks, “Wilson! get that empty crate taken out of my room, win - you!” After that, it did not take long to get clear of the room, but between the information that he had just learned and the knowledge of his own defalcations, his head was.in a whirl. Tha" evening he had sure indications that his theft of moneys could not remain undetected longer, and he fled; writing to me what I have told you, before he left.’ Now, I am in a quandary over it. 1 cannot very well go to the police without bringing my nephew into it. They would want something more to go on than my suspicions, and I cannot mention his name or show them the letter without putting them on his track, and that Ido not wish to do. For the sake of his mother I must screen him. At the same time I believe that an attempt is quite likely to be made to burn the place down. The firm of Felix Bergstrom and Sons, although generally supposed to be extremely prosperous, lias been lately almost in difficulties. Their name carries them along so far, but not a few business men arc beginning to be afraid to trust them much further. Personally, I believe, too, that there have been a number of shady transactions with goods; buying cm credit and selling at a lower figure than they can afford. If a fire came now no one could say what amount of stock they carried' at the time, and they would be safe.” “Have you employed detectives at • all?” asked howard. 4. 1 “Yes,” replied Mr. Wost onU.bT-have 1 had two good men making.'.enquiries, - bub they have discovered r-tdmffitoly 3 nothing for me. They made careful < enquiries of the' police, but foil'd not ( place the man with whom Bergstrom ( made arrangements, What I have told you with, regard to the firm’s position ] has only been my own suspicions, and although I feel perfectly satisfied of ( them in my own mind, a good many 1

men in Sydney would ■ laugh at them and say I was mad.” “Then what do you want me to do? ' asked Howard. • " “Well,” said . Mr. Weston, “what would you advise ? Can you tell me what to do. I am at present divided between loyalty to my company and to my nephew. I ivant to protect the insurance company from loss, and at the same time I also want"to shield my nephew.” “I suppose, Mr, "Weston,” said Howard, “that as manager of the insurance company you. would be entitled to make your own arrangements to guard against such a serious loss to them, as this would be, probably £50,000, I should imagine, if I remember the place aright. Are you prepared to insure against this loss by paying a premium of one-half per cent? I will put it that way.”

“Yes, Mr. Howard. I will be perfectly willing, and only too glad to bo free from worry for that sum.”

“Then, if you don’t mind, Mr. Weston,” said Howard, “I would prefer to be prepaid, then I will guarantee you freedom irom any further worry. Of course, in matters like this, it would perhaps be impossible for mo to disclose to you the means I adopted to secure the proper result, and you might possibly not be able to recognise my agency in the matter. So in all cases of this kind I make it a point to receive my fee first.. I should also prefer that the money should be in gold, as that is less easy to trace than notes or a cheque, should it be attempted to prove any connection between us. If .you send along my fee then, I shall consider myself at your service and immediately start on the case.” As an evidence of Mr. Weston’s eagerness to obtain Russell Howard’s services, the money arrived by a special messenger half an hour later. Howard lost no time. in going out. There was a brightness in his eyes that had been lacking for some days past. The hospitality of liis friends had kept him chained to Sydney, for the evenings, as least—the days ho usually had to himself—and the inaction had begun to weary him. He longed to be up and doing, but there were no problems to occupy his attention. He had amused himself sketching around the harbor, and at places within easy distances of the city, but nothing pleased him like the excitement now promised.

His first visit was to the bank, where lie paid in his fee. Then he made a number of visits of enquiry, and by the evening the sum total of his knowledge

gained was, that there was no caretaken in the building when it was closed; that Felix Bergstrom and Sons had obtained large supplie v s from various firms on credit; that certain special articles that they had obtained were not in stock at Bergstrom’s showing that they had considerably reduced their supplies; and that they had. undoubtedly been selling for some time past at prices which other firms could not touch.

His enquiries were made discreetly,

anti lie gathered that the firms to which Felix Bergstrom and Soils were indebted to had no. doubts as to their reliability, but some of those houses who were undoubtedly rivals remarked with a shake of the head that “they did not know liow it was done.” AVhicli might, after all, be put down to jealousy.

Howard then made an excuse to see Felix Bergstrom and found that he did not like his face. It was not one he felt he could place reliance in, and this decided him.

It was now Thursday, and, as ho did not expect a fire to occur before Sunday at the earliest, he had two daj r s before him. Next day his next move was somewhat different. He hauled out of his trunks his oldest suit of clothes. It was a suit he had used for knocking about in rough country,' and being an old friend was rather a favorite. He held the clothes up and looked at them. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but you don’t look old enough yet. .1 don’t like treating you this way,, but I’m forced to.” He rolled them up and tlirey them about, then he put them on the floor and trampled on them, and when he had worn a couple of holes in them he appeared satisfied. He next raked out an old soft shirt and maltreated that likewise; then he dressed himself in them. An old tweed cap did for his head. He did not trouble to shave, and managed to smudge his face with dirt. He was somewhat troubled about what to wear on liis feet, until he hunted out a pair of old white canvas shoes. AAThen he - had dirtied them sufficiently they went well with the rest of his costume.

Then he went out. He walked boldly down the stairs. If anybody saw him they would only make him out for a workman about the place, but lie went right out without remark.

In a back street he found a place with a sign “Lodgings for Single Men.” He bargained for a iroom for himself, and also. wanted somewhere to keep a step-ladder. He said he had got a job and would be out all day, but wanted to carry liis ladder home at night. He paid for the room in advance, then said he would bring his luggage in.that afternoon, and come there to stay that night. Next, he went out, and after diligently seeking, purchased a step-ladder that would suit. 1 1 is. : pur poso; .together with *a suit of' white" overalls', several miscellaneous 'rags,* a bucket, a piece of chamois leather, and a battered. Gladstone bag, and returned fully-lad-en to his lodgings. None of liis friends would have by any chance recognised him had they met him on the street* |

He cancelled his engagements for that evening and spent ...the night at his new lodgings, and came to the con-

elusion that he had already earned hie fee by the restless night he put in. He stayed in front of Felix Bergstrom’s warehouse till one o’clock, when he saw the employees como rushing out. There was an air of briskness about everyone as they, left for their Saturday afternoon’s half-holiday. The coverings over the shop windows were run lip and the doors locked in record time. Two or three of the head clerics, whose duty it was to see that everything was secure, at last" came through a wicket gate and waited until Felix Bergstrom himself joined them. Then tlic gate was locked, and nodding to each other they separated and went to tlieir various homes.

Howard went back to ’ his lodgings and got out diis ladder, bucket and cloths. Told his landlord, as lie want out, that lie had a job of cleaning windows for the afternoon.

He chose the Pitt-street front of the big warehouse, arid deliberately stood his step-ladder on the foot-path. Pittstreet was almost empty now, and the few passers-by took no particular notice of the man in white overalls, who was evidently starting work as they were leaving off. . He bung out bis cloths on a step of the ladder and trudged slowly off to a drinking fountain near to fill his bucket. Everything was done slowly and deliberately, as became an experienced workman, who was being paid for the afternoon.

tie climbed the ladder to the windows of the first floor, and hoisted his bucket of water on to the sill. Then lie sat beside it and commenced to fill his pipe, rubbing the tobacco fine in his hands, and watching with an air of detachment two newsboys having a squabble at the next corner.

A policeman passed by with measured tread, but merely gave a glance up as lie saw a ladder on the footpath. There was nothing suspicious in a man cleaning windows, especially when he was smoking and wasting half his'time watching what was going on in tlie street. He merely stepped a littlo on one side to avoid any splashes from the bucket.

Howard conscientiously cleaned three windows, shifting his ladder along as lie went, tie managed to spill a fair amount of water on the pavement, and so gave the idea that he had been working for some time. At the next window he marked a small circle on tlie glass at the top ol the lower pane, with a diamond ring, and under coyer of the cloth with which lie was cleaning it, broke it in. It fell into the room with a little tinkle, leaving a hole large enough for his hand. He carefully put his hand through and slipped the latch. He pulled the top sash down and cleaned that, then throwing both sashes up to the top, stepped inside. He then went to the two or three windows and threw them wide open also. Everything that he did was done without any concealment, and as naturally as if lie had a regular job of window cleaning.

After working at them for a while and leaving liis bucket and cloths in full view, he drew back out of sight into the room and commenced operations.

He had a number of articles stowed about his person under his overalls. First lie drew out a long piece of slow match which he had carefully calculated would burn for half an hour. He laid that on the floor; then at the far end lie put a heap of loose' wax matches. On top of that he laid some paper soaked in kerosene. Next came tarred rags, guarranteed to burn and smoke well. Then he hunted round for cardboard boxes and straw wrappings. He found plenty of these, and piled them up; first the boxes, then the straw, which he slightly dampened. When he had finished he lit the slow match and watched it well started. Then he pulled the windows down at the bottom. leaving them open at the top, gathered up his things, and departed, carrying his ladder. No one saw him fit the lodging house as he left his ladder' and bucket, and he did not wait a minute longer than he could help, but slipped off his overalls and stowed them away with the bucket in the shed.

He then went off to his hotel, where he had the same luck as when ho went out, for, if anyone did notice him, they merely took him for a workman about the place. He let himself into his room, changed quickly into decent clothes, and strolled out down Pitt-street.

He was in good time, for the halfhour was barely up, so lie loitered about opposite the warehouse looking in the chop windows.

His calculations proved pretty true, however, for five minutes after the half hour lie noticed a thin stream of smoke coming from one of the windows...- This soon became stronger and stronger.

There was a news-boy just near, and he pointed it out to him.

“Doesn’t that lode as if the place is on fire!” he said.

“B’gosh, it docs!” the youngster re-plied-excitedly. “I’m off to the telephone.” He rushed off to the street fire alarm, and Howard departed, well satisfied. That afternoon he spent with some friends in a launch on the harbor, and, the night and Sunday out of town, so ho hoard nothing more of the fire until Monday morning, .when Mr. Weston called while he was reading an account of it in the paper. That gentleman looked jubilant. “They got ahead of ns after all,” he said, “but it’s come out alt right. They started the fire, but it didn’t get, a chance to burn up before a newsboy saw the smoke, and had the engines down in no time. The men got to work before it properly got a hold, and put

it out, and the best of it is they got evidence that it was set on fire, for there was a heap of cardboard and straw and stuff Ml piled up in the middle of the floor. It’s the best thing that could have happened, for there will be a j>retty searching enquiry now, and the firm’s books will be gone into to see how they stand. Several other houses have been making enquiries about them already. “It’s the best thing that could have happened to us!” he repeated, excitedly, “for even if they get out of it this time they can’t try it on again; while if the place had been burnt down and no evidence loft I expect we should have had to pay.” Russell Howard agreed with his visitor that it was right into his hands, and hoped he would reward the newsboy who gave the alarm. “Oh, rather!”,said Mr. AA'eston, “we won’t forget him, I can tell you. It’s taken a great load off my mind. I can tell you I got a shock at first, though, when I opened the paper and saw the heading ‘Fire in the City, Felix Bergstrom and Son’s warehouse.’ I thought it was gone.” » They talked for a while, and then Air. AVeston began to fidget slightly. At last lie said, “Of course, there will not be any necessity for your services now. Perhaps we might come to some arrangement about it. AVo will, of course, pay you a foe for having placed your services at our disposal. Er—perhaps you might suggest how we should meet you.” Russell Howard smiled slightly. “I’m afraid I cannot meet you that way, Air. AA’eston,” he said. “I think you rather forget that I was paid somewhat in the nature of an insurance premium. A’ou were perfectly willing to pay me that sum and ask no further questions. iNow, I think you had better leave it at that. You go on with this matter now you have an opening, and push it to a definite conclusion. I am not in a position to tell you what I have done in return for your money. I may have done nothing at all; still, you are satisfied with affairs as they now stand, and you had better leave it at that.”

Mr. AVeston gasped. He had never for an instant connected Howard with the fire, but now he began to wonder. A look of doubt spread over his face, and he wavered. He reached round for his hat and stood up. “But, Air. Howard,” he began, “j’ou don’t mean to say—”

Russell Howard rose and shook Ins hand warmly, at the same time edging him towards the door.

“Now, Mr. AA’eston,” he said, “don’t ask irie any questions and you won’t get any lies. I take it you know enough to, push your advantage while you have it —so good-bye. If there is any other little matter, you know—only too happy to look into it for you.

AVeston walked back to the omce a puzzled mail.

AVliether Howard really knew all about this fire, or whether he was simply taking advantage of a lucky turn of events, was more than he could tell. Nothing was proved against Felix Bergstrom on account of the fire. The place had evidently been broken into and set on fire, and a policeman remembered having seen a man cleaning windows a short, time before, but no trace of him could now be found. The ladder and other articles even were not mentioned by the lodging house keeper, who evidently determinto keep them for his own use. The firm’s books, however, disclosed a bad state of affairs, and the firm was forced into liquidation, and subsequently Russell Howard saw by papers sent 'him, proceedings were being taken against them for fraud.