Men Were... ...Deceivers Ever.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1046, 21 July 1904, Page 4

Men Were... ...Deceivers Ever.

CHAPTER XI-»Continuod

BY EDITH FRANCIS

" Howover, wo had not left tho tropica when «omothing happened that sot our own quarrol aside for tho time, at least in my mind, For our ship had .-Iru- k a tornado, and when at last the storm subsided, wo know that sho was sinking fust, " It w#s a question of all to tho boats," Jaok went oil, " and I had scon Mrs Harden into comparative safety, when suddonly she clung to me in frenzy and begged me to go back to her cabin to savo her jowel case, I ought lo havo been warned, for 1 had seen hor and her precious brother whispering togolher, but in a timo of general danger like that I nevjr thought of treachery. I wont back, to find Jose waiting for me, an.l striking a terrific blow which laid mo senseless on the deck of tho sinking ship. "How I escaped deaih is a miracle, (or tho boats put off, in the confusion I was not missed by any of the oil™, so these two fiends left me to my fate, lint mercifully the wreck kept alloat till daybreak, when nnothor ship, a liner, saw the derelict,. They boarded her anil hind mo senseless in the cabin, "Of course thoy took me back lo tlioii own ship, wliero the doctois gave me every attention, but tho brain had received such an injury that I was practically without memory oven when I recovered some dcprco of consciousness. Tlioy look me to Now York, ami for six months I lav in hospital thcro. Then a surgeon perfomited a dangerous operation which be knew might ki'l me, though lliere was just a possibility that it would cure. And euro mo it did, for three month? later I camo out with all tnv faculties restored, and Jet sail for England. I determined to como upon yon unexpectedly, hoping to find a welcome." '' That yon certainly have found," Sir Godfrey said. " But havo you heard nothing mcro of that infamous couple who would have murdered you ?" "Yery little, though beforo I left America I set some inquiries afoot which told mo that tho boats had all been picked up by a ship bound for England, so that Sara Warden and her brother must have reached England without nnioh delay. Good heavens I I wish I could seo her again, Woman though she is I think I could kill her for her treachery to my poor dead friend and to mo," "It would bo justifiable homicide," Sir Godfrey said, but Alino, more quick to notico ut chango in her cousin's face, started up with ii quick cry. " Jack, what is tho matter ?" sho asked. "You look as if you lud seen a ghost." " i have," he said. " Sir Godfrey, Aline, bolieve me or not, as you will, but I ssw Sara Warden's faeo reflected in that mirror," He pointed to one on the wall hanging just opposite to the door, which was half open, and of course tho face ho had soon had been but the reflection of tho woman who had been gliding across tho hall, and who had paused to take one last look. at those sho was leaving behind. But the simple explanation did not oc» our toanyono o' the trio; thoy wero Still bolieving that Jack '.vas the victim of somo strange hallucination, wlion tlieio came to them tho faint sound of tho closing of the greet front door. Sara, Lady St, Clare, had flod from her homo, carrying with her all her jewels and every possiblo valuablo which sho could take away. ' CHAPTER XII, TIIK I;ND, Neil heard a dog howl an ho lounged with his back against the slight rail which guarded one side of the narro.v bridge over the weir, waiting for Sara, and it set him wondering if the bruto was baying the moon or if tliero was any truth in old women's that at tho full of tho moon spirits wero about. ; However, he was too taken up with tho excitement of (he moment to think of such things for moro than a minute. A few minutes more and Sara would be with bim, his at last, after all her caprioiousness and tho weary waiting. He bad loved many a girl, but novel' had his nature, his passimis been so stirred, novor before had his mind been so sot on the possession of any woman ns now. He whs growing impatient, too, and when the clock of the village church struck midnight he began lo fenr that something had prevented Sara from making her Bieapo, Determined not to give way to imaginary fears, he fixed his eye on ailarge cloud, which seemed to him to bo shaped like a dragon, and, taking out his watch, mado a bet with himself as to tho minutes it would take to swallow up the moon. The cloud drew nearer and nearer, till at tho end of tlireo minutes—tho limo ho lind guessed at —'ts odgo began to blanket the silvery globo night, and in another fow seoonds all was darkness, It was lonely enough on tho bridgo, with no sound to be heard except the rush of the stream benoalh him, tho sigh of tho wind in tho sedges, snd, dominant love all, tho howl of the uiißceu dog. Several niivuites elapsed before Ins listening ear eauglit the sound of a creak on tho footboards of liie narrow bridge, as if lomeono had stepped on them, Ho heaved a sigh of relief. It must be Sura, "My darling," he whispered. " I bad begun to think yon wero novcr coming." " Ob, Neil, I saw you waiting for mo on tho bridgo, and I should havo como at once, for I know for whom you lud como, but J could not leave tho poor babo lo bo alono without cither of us to mind it, So I killed it, dear; it shall novor fret after me, awl wo shall soon be with it," With a gasp ho drow back. " Alice I" " Why, dear, are you astonishod that I should como ? JTavo I not watched and watched night af;er night for you ? Come, my husband, and put your arms round mo and let us go to our homo beneath tho flowing water" Sho stepped forward, and, beforo ho could prevent hor, threw her baro arms about his neck, "Kiss me dear," she murmured, "one long kiss, and then—" " What nonsense you talk, Alice," he said pee/ishly. "Go back to bed child, and I will como and seo you in tho morn-i ing," He felt hor arms cling tighter round his eok,

"No dour," sho whispered, '' Why should you alter you mind ? You havo come to claim 1110 at length, as I know you would, and lam quito ready, Wo will lio with cloied oyes mid her arms round one anothor: but I think baby will visit us. Now dear, before the moon breaks through '.ho cloud," Ho tried to push hor away, but ho could not put out his full force for fear of pushing her into the wacor, She had thrown horsolf passionatoly upon him, and clung to him liko ivy to a wall, To be continued,)