sThe Qaeen of The Isle

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1091, 12 September 1904, Page 4

sThe Qaeen of The Isle

OR

SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE BY MAY AGNES FLEMING Author of "Tho Hoireng of Glen Gowcr," "The Unseen Bridegroom," olc

CHAPTER XXIII. i (Continued) A sonsntion ot horror cumo over Sybil, Had there really been a murder committed there that night? Shrinking from touching it,- Bho was about leaving tho spot whoa ono comer, when, freo from tho horrible stains that covered the rest, her oye fell on something like n iiiimo of initials. Taking tho cornor with Iho tips of her fingers, alio beheld, marked in full, the name "Christina." It was hers, than, Christie'?. What could havo brought it there? Hud anything happened to her ? " Oh impossible," thought Sybil. •' Who is there in the world to vhoin she is of the slightest■ importance, cxci-pt, indeed, to mo ? Willard is gone; Imu only torturing myself wiib useless foavs. I will return to the lodge." So saoing, to the great satisfaction of hor attendant, she turned slowly toward the old hall. On their way they passed the cottage of Mrs. Tom. All was perfectly quiet there; and, mystified and uneasy, Sybil sought her room onco more, to wonder and speculate upon tho events of the night until morning should dawn, The bustling littlb widow, Mrs, Tom, ' —like all those who seem 10 havo least occasion for it-was in the habit of gelling up very early in the morning, to the serious annoyance of young Mr. Henley, who preferred' to lot the sun riso without \mpertinently staring at him as he did ao. Christie, too, would just as soon not bo awakened from somo rosy dream at daylight hy tho shrill voico of tho old lady; but Aunt Tom's word was law, and when she culled there was no such word as disoboy. Tho widow was quito nwaro of thoir disinclination for early rising, therefore groat was ho amazement, upon going to tho outer room, lo find Christie absent, tho bed made, tho door unlocked, giving evidence of her being up and out, " Weill" cjacuhted Mrs. Tom, "what won't eomo to pass? First timo I oven knew Christie to pit up 'thotit bein' told. Hero you, Carl! Carl!" shrieked Mrs. Tom, going lo tho foot of the ladder and looking up through the tup. A sound sho _was well accustomed to. something between a snort and a groan, was Mr. Henley's answer. 11 Hurry up, thcro, of you don't want mo to go up and help ye." called Mrs. Tom, "of I do, ye'll wish yo had got up 'thout my holp, that's all, I'll dress yon," Now, as this was a formula Mrs Tom had repeated for somo ten yews, Carl sprang up and began dressing in all hesto, considering ho was half asleep during tho performance. Mrs. Tom, meanwhile, sot about kindling a five and preparing breakfast. " Where's Christio'?" was Carl's first question upon reaching tho kitchen, where every morning about tins hour, ho was ao> ountomod to see her making her bed, "Upandgaihering sea moss an hour ago, I'll bo bound," replied Mrs Tom, " same as you would do if you wasn't tho most shiftless young vagaboncs on tho faco of the nirlh! 1 hope now this will bo a warning to you for the futer. Think o' all the sea moss and borries and maninosio and sich you could Imvo gathered every iinruin' 'foro this lime, of you was wotth your salt. But it ul'tiys was my luck, ever sinco I was bom, lo bo plaguod with a set o' tho la/.'cst, most good-for-nothing boin's as I saw upon tho face of the airth! Stand out o' my way will, you, ef youdontwautto break my neck?" Trot, llio tmfoMimito cat. cainoin, as usual, for tho lattor part of this outburst of eloquence, emphasized by a kick.

"My Bakes!" exclaimed Mrs Tom, •' what did you do then ?" "Well, then," said Carl, in ft lower koy. " I got tired of sottin' up, so I laid down and went asleop. Who do yon s'poso it was, AuiK Tom ?" " I don t think it was nobody. S'pose folks is fools to run out in sich a storm as that there? I know Miss Sybil has queer notions sometimes, hut sho has more sense nor Ic go out philundoring through tho rain." " Well it must havo been somebody,' said Carl, "I know I seen a woman mining like a houso afire through all the wind and rain," "No you didn'r," said Aunt Tom shortly, ""t'was only a touch ot nightmare ; so don't bother mo any more." Thus silenced Carl proceeded hizily to assist in tlio pioparalion of broakfast. The .'coffee and bifcuits were smoking at length on tho table, but Christie did not nuke her appearauce. " Very slrango,"said Mrs Tom; " don't see what in tho world keeps the gal. Carl jest run out and seo ef you oan see nor.' Carl started on his mission but soon returned announcing that nothing was to be seen of her. "Then there's no use a-wailing* any longer," said Mrs Tom. " Set down ; maybe she's gono to tho lodge to breakfast with Miss Sybil." To be continued.)

"Lor' sakes, Aunt Tom!" exclaimed Master Carl. " You don't want a feller to get up in the middle of tho night, do you ? By, granny, it's too bad, no matter how early a feller gels up, you always think ho ought to get up earlier st 11." "Yes, grumble," said tho active littlo woman. " I never know you doing anything else, ef you was told to work. I'ily if a great, big, lazy fellow liko you can t got up as airly as Christie, n deliky young gal, tool See her, up and out while you was suorin' away like a pig up thoro; you ought to bo 'shamed o' yourself." " I say, Aunt Tom," said Carl, " was sho out a little 'for twelve, when it was astormin' so." " 'For twclvo ?" said Mrs Tom in a high koy; "look here now, you Carl, of I hadn't my bunds in this dough I'd box your cars till you wouldn't ask mo such a question ogin." "Now, AnntTora," said Carl," it's too bad, so it is; a fellar can't say nothing you don't got mad at. If it wa'n't Christie 'twos Mk> Sybil. I saw some wojian or other out 'bin; midnight, running liko mad through tiwstorm. An' what's more I heed ber, too.'

"My coiipcinice!' ejaculated Mrs. 'lorn, lifted up liar floury hands in holy horror: "my 'ouseienco! how that thcro boy dcos lie! Carl flonloy, do you mean lo tell coo thai you was out in that storm lost night, and saw Miss Sybil ?" "No; I wn'n't out myself,"said Mr Henley tearing the comb fiercely through his Low locks in his deep indignation at having his vemcityand reason both doubted, " But I seen wh.it 1 saw, for all that. B'poso you ha'n't forgotten, Aunt Tom that thoro's a pane of glass broken out of ono of tho windows upstairs, with your old bonnet stuck through it. Well," said Carl, "your old bonnet got blown out with the wind last night, and llio first thin;.; woko kw wild tho rain a-bcaling inlo my face, Ho I jumped up to fix it, and just as I got to the window there came .«uch a Hush of lightning os I never seen afore. Everything for nigh onto ten lninutos was considerably clearer nor day! and just then I seen a woman llyin' through tho storm; and as ahj passed the house I hoard her sing out 1 Murder!' I was prol'y considerably sourer), ihoughJ did think it was only Miss Sybil, for sbo had long black hair just like hers, When the Hush went away 1 c jiildn't see nothing, and though I was scared of tho storm. 1 war.tnl to seo if it was MiBS fciybd, and I stood there waiting for tho neyt, but when it came she waß gone,