A Woman Among Thieves.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 19

A Woman Among Thieves.

CHAPTER jCXVI. ! -. friends had previously agreed- that worth Wikon ' B While to try anyone who might follow him to er» ae ; c ourt . Ethel, the maid, bad to of the loiterers outside the captain found himself itch*S a fe ht ln his mood at ltha ' t H_\ it w on ]'d have boded ill if any<J In foul of him. at Madame's abode in Army *£_, the captain slowly ascended SK and rang the beJl of the flat, fMt Ws heart palpitating in an asidung manner, and fancied himself STlike a school miss. toTaare an d Belkl had J ust nnished Jar and the maid was clearing away to the hell tinkled thrice. Bella rose Id the table, and moved towards the Zof her room. Her companion held - . restraining hand. %h don't go away,'" she said. " It's friend, I can assure you. by the signal. Tnull be perfectly safe." °But 1 don't want to see anyone. jjU, protested. " Really I would rather M sfadame gave an inexpressive shrug of ac shoulders, and said, imperiously, You're not to leave. I'll open the door "as she left, Bella darted towards her own room, which opened out of the jininwoom. To her surprise the door _ foeked. She paused in wonderment. "What eonld this mean? Had Madame tamed traitor?" She had not long to wait for an amN to her question, for at that moment a breezy iau £ h resounded in the passage, and a hearty voice she knew onrjtoo well, said: "It's really awfully good of you, jfadame, to mc like tbis ' l shall always remember it. Do you know 1 tumbled across some most important BEW3 to-day, and it becomes really vital for mc to see Miss Martinean." Madame murmured an inaudible response, and the captain without waiting for her to finish, said: "How is the young lady?"

"Oh 111 leave you to find out!" said jjadame, as, preceding Wilson, she entered the dining-room. Bella was s.anding, almost leaning, ogainstf the doorpost of her room. Her eyes were on the carpet, and her race Jud-flushed a rosy red. A sense of glad joy had entered her heart, but in her Bhyness she felt unable to move. "Wilson, however, had no compunction. taring Madame's presence, he dashed across tie room, and clasping Bella to lis arms, murmured, "My darling, my dsuing!" as he kiesed her reluctant lips. Bella attempted to 4 nreak away from ib'close embrace, but without avail. The saMeme joy of that moment was a sense not to be hnrriedly ended, and it was some moments before Wilson's ardour ehsted, and in response to the girl's infkence he led her to a chair.

Bnt the joyiulness with which Bella lid first received the captain had vanished now, and in its place a look of shame overspread her face, and her lead dropped forward.

Wilson opposite to her, and hand. Madame had discreetly gone to her desk, and, with net back .towards them, was writing lettea r, * ~

•iflont mind mc, you young people," Ehe gaily said. " Mind, I'm not gofng to let yon stop long, captain. Just lialf an tour, and then I shall bundle you out, neck and crop, whether you like it or not"

prison smiled at her banter. "Oh, 1 fhink I shall torn you out first," he said. Bella spoke not a word. Bier heart Iras too sad for speech. f What made you run away iceta. mc, foil foolish little minx?" the captain began. "DM you think you would throw Be.over so?"

iOh, Harry—Captain Wilson, I mean!" Ma said, pathetically. " You don't understand what a wicked girl I am. Won't yon believe mc? If you knew, and you must know soon, the depth of my infamy, you would never think of being ffl the same room with mc, let alone «tking"of love. Dear friend," she contjfled, clasping her lover's hand tightly. «?d sending a thrill of delight through ™a, " believe mc, you must leave mc to Sg« my own battles, and let mc go out of your life."

Captain Wilson paled. May's words eqilnnned the grave suspicions he had in t saw;to her. "Let us get it over lie murmuTed to himself, and W& he said:

mc what you are blaming your™tor. I shall never leave you, sv/eet™rt, and so, knowing that, you had "«? be frank, and make mc your father «»W ni find a way out for yon." ■No, no, no!" Bella said, desperately. m mast take mc at my word." This "majhtfle stamp of her foot on the

Tie captain rose, and began to pace m worn. How should he put the ques- ™», was the trouble he was trying to last he ■—* and "You are not Miss May Martineau, are lour name is really Bella Nor-

agreat flood of j°y enter Eke Y*m£ , SeCret W!IS OTlt She felt I ZbT al ? oSt Cr ? "Hurrah!" "But OTerLi i. des P° n dency immediately gg* her again. She sat spellbound. WnL answer her accuser's charge! C Stepped t0 her side > and laid "D. T OSS her sh °ulder. WFK K , Wh ! B P ered ' doping <*c k £ \ rtmble to answer. lean But will l M TT face that lam ri g h t. I tha t^L rOU teU mc how ;t «™«> about ttmaaw y the X f ' ha]l always I h * c °* clDded ; fcis'shniw her head rest confidingly or. 4T?'««1 haltingly and tearsad story of her mone y almost ywrtoemSt.' h t had seen the how sh <> had argued to c ° a ten,pl! sue ™ mbi ug; how she had "'ss; thi 1„ . ; their strange like0{ ler iZX. bbed her Nearest friend she told tbf .; of a) 1 thes e things A^tr ße te h W^ OUt Her W v m the slightest. a SS, n a t rd rr he, ; out witw ™ k " Mf tte Jr, lnterr uption. Occasionally Sgpart nfT 16 ° a Particularly paiiS*S L* N Stoly ' he had Stroked ites.it ST nce > at the mention of ,«IiSX.° ntteE^a^nt, 1 iSVIS e ?y tWa ß had been «*- ---£K * **. clasping her tightly to

By HUGH PHTTj;iI>S.

That is all -over now, dearest. My j love for yon. is not lessened a little i>it by j what yon have just told mc." j "But are you sure?" Bella sard, gleefully, as she placed her arms round the captain's neck, and smilingly looked into j his eyes. "Don't you feel like taming from mc with contempt and spurning mc? Don't you think it may eventually pTove foolish of you to have forgiven mc my misdeeds?" <r No; you must not talk like that," \V3son, Baad, emphatically. "When d. discovered what you had d-one, I was determined to hold you always. What we now have to do is to clear you. Not only of your imposture, but of the suspicion yon have brought upon yourself j in regard to Sir John's death. It's a! heavy task, I fear," he said, regretfully. At this moment Madame Somerheld rose from her desk, discreetly making a loud noise with her chair as she did so, and the lovers broke apart. '"Now, you young people, I think it's time you parted," she said. "Have you settled all your little differences?" Wilson smilingly admitted they had, and then said, "I want you to let May come away with mc." "That's absolutely impossible," Madame replied. "Why, my life wouldn't be worth a moment's purchase were I to do so!" j "But surely you are not being held prisoner here ?" Wilsou said, addressing May. I The girl showed her embarrassment. She could not explain matters, for Mad- ; ame had made her promise not to discuss j what had happened, or for what reason i she was detained. It seemed to her the I captain was inclined to put the worst I interpretation upon her silence, and she looked appealingly at Madame. | The elder woman seated herself at the | table and rested her head between her hands, thinking deeply. "I am afraid, captain," she began, after a while, "that I am not in a position to explain matters. You must rest content with my assurance that no harm shall come to the girl. More than that I cannot say." "But my dear Madame," Wilson said, protestingly, "this is reaHy absurd! What jdo you mean when you say your life would be endangered if you let her go? Surely you cannot mean that?" "Unfortunately I do," Madame said, despondently. Wilson paced the room, and at last he said: — "You must really let mc help you, Madame. The police are on the verge of a great discovery. I am not at liberty to tell you what it Is, but unless you make a confidant of mc I am afraid I you -will regret it exceedingly before j long. You may find that I can show you a way out." Madame paled. "It's awfully good of you, but unfortunately there is one very I serious impediment to your proposition, j j Some friends of mine require something from this aggravating child here. She refuses them, and until she falls into their way of thinking, things are at a deadlock." Wilson looked appealingly at May. "What have you to say to this?" he said, kindly. "You must not ask mc," the girl replied, tearfully, clasping her hands. "1 have already explained how impossible it is for mc to do what they wish. Even if I wished to, it is impossible for mc to accede to their demands. But apart from that, I am under solemn oath to a dead man not to." Madame rose from her chair exasperated. "You're a perfect little fool," she said, addressing the girL "Whether you know the value and importance of what we want I cannot say, but this I may tell you. Unless you do what we wish you are likely to find yourself practically penniless. All your Sir John's fortune will vanish in | thin air." ! Wilson looked surprised, and Bella (as Iwe must henceforth call her) involuni tarily exclaimed: — I "I am already penniless. Sir John's | money has nothing to do with mc." | Madame started. "What do you 'mean?" she excitedly said. j Briefly Wilson explained the circumstances to her, and the woman waa nonplussed. "Whatever will be the outcome of this?" she said, thoughtfully. "Why, it seems to mc you are likely to be prosecuted by Sir John's lawyers. What are you going to do?" "I shall give myself up to the police at the first opportunity," Bella said, dolefully. "Give yourself Tip to fiddlesticks," Wilson said, angrily. "We'll get you out of this." "No, I am sure you never will," Bella replied. "As Madame said, the lawyers are bound to prosecute mc, because the brunt of my deception will fall upon them. Besides that, the real May Martineau is on her way to England, even if she has not already arrived, and I am sure, from what I know of her, that she will not take matters lying down. Harry, you must go away, and never see mc again. There is no hope for mc. I am irretrievably ruined," she pathetically concluded. Captain Wilson made a little gesture ! ridiculing her suggestion, and, turning to Madame Somerfield, said, "Now you know that the girl is not Miss Maffrneau, surely you can release her." "No! lam afraid if the others know it it will aggravate matters. You must let things rest for a while. I'll take care of May, while you muet use your i influence to force her to do what we . wish." The argument was continued for some I time, but Bella was obdurate, and Wilson appealed to Madame Somerfield to explain to him what was wanted. But the elder woman's tongue was tied, and she refused to tell him. Wilson arrived at a sudden decision. "Well, I think you are a couple of dunderheads, and since neither will help mc, I suppose 1 must work in the dark." Bella made a gesture implying that , she knew his efforts would he futile, but the captain continued: — "Next, I must make inquiries into Sir John Gordon's past." "And now, good-bye," the captain said, i and, approaching Bella, he leant towards i her for a farewell kiss. . But the girl did not move. With bowed head, she said, "Good-bye, we . shall never meet again." , (To be continued daily.)