The Queen of The Isle

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1092, 13 September 1904, Page 4

The Queen of The Isle

OB

BY MAY AGNES FLEMING

Author of "ThoHeirmofGlcnGowcr," "Tho Unsown Bridegroom," ole

CHAFTEK XXlll—Continued Tho meal was over; tho service cleared away. But still Ghristio cauio not. "Very strange," observed Mrs Tom. "Ten o'clock, and Christie rot hero yet My stars I I wonder of anything can hev happened to her ? I've noticed sho's been kind o' silent and pinin' away for tho last two or thrco days. I hope nothin's happonod to her. Oh, here she is now. No, 'tain't neithpv; it's Miss Sybil." The little widow nroso mul came smiling to tho door to welcome her guest, " Well Miss Sybil, I'm glad to seo you, "Walk in and sit down, I thought when you and Mnstcv Guy came homo from iurrin parts you'd stay comfortably in tho island; but 'stead o' that wo never seo you no more nor if you was in Canada or ltooshia, or any outlandish, place. How a the Captain and Mr DrutnmoDd ?" " They tvero both very well when I saw them last, said Sybil, smiling slightly, as she took the proffered seat, from which Mrs Tom had been whisking somo invisible particles oi dust with lior apron. " 1 hope you havo been quite well yourself, Mrs Tom ?"

"Oh, tolbul," said Mrs Tom, complacently, " Fact is, you know, 1 ha'nt no timo to bo sick; it only rich folks, what's well off, cnu afford to indulge in sieknoßs. So yuu'vo hud a great lortuno left yon, Miss Sybil, I've heard till," " Yes; Guy and I havo received a legacy." " Well, tho Lord nivci dues forgot his critters: and ovnry now and then something's allers suro to happen, I've fillers remarked that myself, I s'poso you don't intend to stay hero much longar, Miss Sybil?" " I rather think no!, Wo will loavo you to keep tho island, Mrs Tom. But whero is your uieca this morning ? I do not seo bor,"

" She wont out this morning beforo any of us was up, and hasn't comeback yet I'm getting rale onasy," said Mrs Tom, anxiously getting up and going to tho door, ' I thought sho had gone to sec you."' Sybil gayo a sudden dart and grew deadly palo as she thought of tho wild ciy of murder and the men loaving tho island during tho night. A terrible presentiment flashed across her mind, and sick and dizzy, she fell back in her chair. "My gracious, Miss Sybil! what's the matter? Are you sick?'' said Mis Tom. " Here's some camphor; smell of if, or yell faint. 1 ' " J hank you, I do not rcpre.it." said Sybil. " Have you any idea what timo Christie left the house ?'

"Not tho slightest ideo; 'cause I was asleep at tho time. Carl says that sonicwhero's 'bout midnight, ho seed a woman runnin' through tho storm, and singin' out ' Murder I' But in courso ho was dreoming; there couldn't; hov bin any mcli thing,"

" Oh, merciful heaven! thon it was no delusion on my part, sinco I heard it, too. Oh, this is drci'iil'ul!" said Sybil, wringing her hand;'. " Miss Sybil, what's happened ?" said Mrs, Tom, g. owing vory pale. "Oh, Mrs. Tom! Heaven help mo I Christie!" "Ohristic! what of her?'' cried Mrj. Tom, grasping aclwr, to steady horself •'Oil, Mrs. Tom! must 1 tell von? Christio was, I feai, out last night in tho storm, and-oh. Heaven!' sinking into a chair, with a convulsive shudder,

"Oh, my soul! what has happened? Oh, Christie! dear Christie I whero aro you?' " Christio has, 1 fear, been ,vaylaid and " Murdered ? Oh my God!' exclaimed Mrs, Tom, covirin'g her face with her hands.

There was a moment's awful silence. Then Ms. Tom dropped her hands from her fac.'i and though she was frightfully pale, said it; a vo.ci whoso firmness astonished iSybil:

" What makes you think so, Sybil ? My poor little Christio had nos an enemy in the world!'

"Oh, she had—she had!" cried Sybil, thinking with remorse, how intensely she herself had hated her.

" Who was it ?" said Mrs Tom, starting up. '' No ono but a monster could havo hurted ono hair of her gontle head, Miss Sybil, who do you think has done it ?" "I do not know—as Heaven hoars me, Ido not huow," said Sybil, recovering herself.

" What makes you think she was mmdorcd ?" said Mrs, Tom, fixing her piercing eyes keenly on Sybil's lace. . "Last night I, 100, liko your nephew, heard tho cry of" Murder I" said Sybil, " and, early this morning Idiscoyerod, in a bush down near the shore, a pocket handkerchief, stained with blood aud marked with her nnmo!" " Whoro is tho baukcrchief'?' " ft is thcro still; I did not touch it," " Couio ilinn mid show mi tlio plueo!" said Mrs. Tom—a sudden passionate outburst of sorrow breaking throiifjii all tho composuro sho was endeavouring to assume,

Without exchanging a word thoy hurried to tho spot whero tho ghastly handkor* ohief still fluttered in the breeze,

"Oh, it is hers!' 1 exclaimed Mrs Tom. " Thoy liavo umrdcrod hor on tho beach aud tho tido has carried hor away. Oh, Christie! Christie!" And bowing her face in he.i hands alio wept passionately, Thcro was a long pause, brokon only by Mrs Tom's coimihiv; tobs, Sybil stood wrestling with her own bitter thoughts, not daring to break in upon her griot by any useless words of comfort. At last Mrs Tom looked up, " Who has done this? You know!" she said, laying her hand on Sybil's arm.

" Hoavon bo merciful I Ido not," "Have you noi den? Is thoro no clun ?''

" Tno only eluo is ono so light that oven now I do not know whether I saw it or dreamed it," said Sybil. " Speak! I must know what it is," said Mrs. Tom with a sort of grim vengeance. Then listen, Last night after tho moon arose fomo two hours, I fhnnli) judge, aflor I hwird ilwl. cry of 'Murder! - —on going to the window to look out, I perceived a boat push oil' from (ho shore. containing the form of two men; but so speedily did ihey vc.nisli from sight that I had barely time to catch tho dark nutlino ol their figures: and all passed so quickly, lam HII half disposed to belisvo it t'le ef'cct of fancy." "No br)4 could roach the island in the last night," said Mrs Toni,

"I know that; urnl tint is tho principnl reason I have lor tliinkiii«\vlmllsiiwiiir.y bo tlio I'i't.ct ot funoy. Anil yot soino one uiiiat hiivi) been hoe, elso how arc we to nccoiU't (or tbc coimiii'tiii" of tlio deed?" "I do not know; ii is nil wrnpped in mystery," said Mm Toiu, " but I'll find it out—lM discover Ihe murderers, i( 1 ahould spo.nl my whole lifo in iieekirf; lor thoiii myself!" ■' Wlint do you mean to do V ' said Sybil, anxiously. "Toliovtho island searched the iiiat thing. I siipnoso yon will let Loin como and help'?" 11 Of course. But would it not be a belts

SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE

p'an to go over to N —iinmedialely and inform tho authorities, and let them investigate the matter ?" " Cari shall tako mo light ovor," said Mrs Tom. " I will accompany you," said Sjbil|; '' wo may both bo needed to give testimony." Half an hour later tho boat containing Carl, Mrs Tom and Sybil, was dancing over tho water, in the direction of N—, to electrify tho community by tho |annoneement of tho atrocious deed. But whore, meantime, was Ghristio ? Had she really, as thcysoroadily supposed, fouad a gravo boneath tho wild waves ? I To be continued.)