MR. PERKINS Of New Jersey, OR, THE STOLEN BONDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 151, 27 June 1888, Page 7

MR. PERKINS Of New Jersey, OR, THE STOLEN BONDS.

CHAPTER. XVIII. Marlow gone, Ethel and Sarah wbiled away the time as usual. When evening cattie, Ethel proposed that Sarah fetch her knitting to the parlour, and that she would sing or read a story to her to pass the time. Sarah, all mildness, acceded.

'I love to hear you sing,' she said ; 'you make xae think of a wildwood bird.'

' Sarah,' said the girl, ' my hearb feels sad; I seem so alone. Papa gone, Alex g6'iie, I feel all alone in the world.' 'That's the blues/ said Sarah, cheerfully, • ancl 'tis natural to you in your situation ; but it will all come right when Master Alex comes back with the madam. Things will brighten then.'

' Yes, but I do so want to see my father. Sarah, you don't kilow how my heart aches when I think of him !' and tears, streamed down her face.

Sarah was touched. 'Cheer up, my pretty,' said she, and seating' herself, she took Ethel upon her lap. 'Such a frail thing,' said she, stroking theglrl'sdark hair; • such a frail thing to be so buffeted about; but cheer up, my pretty, when Master Alex comes back with his mother he'l! turn to nndhuntupyour pa. Master Alex is a master hand at that business. See how he's hunted and hunted, and now he's found his mother.' 'Sarah,' said the girl, *do you think she'll like me ?'

'I think so, 1 said Sarah. 'She's very picking and choosing, is the madam, bub she can't fail to like you, and my staying here too. I'll tell her I was always on hand, and she knows I can be trusted, and if lam a poor woman I am a respectable one, and that'll settle it.'

■ ' Was there any harm in my staying; here ?' the girl asked, wistfully. • I had nowhere else to go.'

' Not a bit,' said Sarah. ' A sweet innocent like you ! and' Master Ale* as good as gold, and me that's respectable—No, ho; the world may talk, but there's nothing to talk about here ; I saw to that.'

Ethei was mystified by Sarah's remarks. She was densely ignorant on these matters, and had only her instinct to guide her. JFortunately in her case, her youth and innocence had acted like an armour to Shield her. But as Sarah assured her she had taken oharge of the proprieties, she Wisely concluded to let the matter rest, and think of something else* She loved to be petted, and appreciated the honour that Sarah did her iti unbending So far as to hold her. Putting- her arms about the spinster's heck she laid her head on Sarah's austere bosom and said, 'You are so good and sweet! Ido love you !' Sarah's hearb swelled. When had she ever had such language used to her before ? ,' My pretty oh 6J my sweet ono !' she murmured, kissing Ethel's slender hand by way of a caress. Just here a loud ring was heard at the area door. ■■/;.■

4 Why !') cried Sarah, ' who can that be ? The milkman has come and gone tdo long ia talk about.1 She put Ethel otf her lap and rose up hastily. ' I'il go and see.1 'Let me go. with you/ said Ethel. ' Ar'n't you afraid f ' Afraid ?' Sarah laughed. ' Afraid of vhat, .child ? And what help could you be to anybody in'danger? No, no, you stay here ; I'll be back in a minute.'

Sarah lit a candle that she kept in a japan candlestick ready for emergencies and went down the basement stairs. I'he candle gave., a \ fee bio glimmer, for Sarah had, with that frugality ,oa which she prided herself, turned off the gas, arid the basement was all darltness. ' VVhy, it is after ten o'clock,' said Sai'ah to herself, glancing at the kitchen clock. * What can anyone want this time of night ? \Vho is. there?' she asked.

'If you please, I want to see you a Biinutei'

. 'And who are you V asked Sarah, a trifle aii^ious oii EtheL'a account. <;

'Mr Appier sent me on a message,' Answered the voice, and Sarah boldly opened the door. Ethel, waiting at the head of the base* ment stairs^ heaM a loud scream from Sarah. Wild' with terror, she ran for the basenvent; as she reached the bottom of the stairs the sight that met her eyes appalled her and turned her into stone.

r : As Sarah .opened the door a man entered) and stepped by her into the hall. He had his hat crowded doWn Over his eyes '; a dark silk handkerchief tied over the lower part of his face; a loose long overcoat concealed his figure. He stepped into the hall and then quickly around behind Sarah as she stood with tha half-opened door in her hand, looking at another man close upon the first one's heels, and similarly attired.

Before the astonished Sarah could take in the situation^ the first comer had pimoned her elbqws, and did it with such a jerk that the door flew outtrf her hand, and the two men kicking it bo, it closed with a slam. .

' Sarah uttered a frightened scream that drowned its slamming. Before she could utter another the second man jerked out of bis pocket two handkerchiefs, crammed otje into her mouth, arid with the ofchev tied it there, thus securely muffling her. Sarah struggled desperately, but the men were strong and the one in the rear held her with an iron grip. In the scuffle the hat of the man in front was knocked off, and his handkerchief mask dropped. Sarah got a glimpse of his face, but it was that of a stranger. Before she could take in any tiore the man jerked a pillow-case from his other poGket, drew it over Sarah's head, and secured it by tying another, handkerchief about her neck. He then assisted the other man ia tying her hands behind her. Having pinioned and muffled her, they proceeded to lay her down in, a corner. All this was done with a rapidity and dexterity that bespoke practised hands; as indeed they were ; one of thfi men being a professional garroter. By fehe time Ethel reached the bottom of the step 3 they were putting the finishing touches to their work and the first man pounced on her before the horrified girl could clearly take in the fact or realise what they had done to Sarah. And the next moment the garroter la 3 muffled her with handkerchiefs and gllow-casje, while the first man held her. He then tied her hands behind her back with his silk handkerchief, being careful Hot to bruise her delicatfe limbs. The garroter then went out to a carnage drawn up, waiting at the side walk, and took thence a large shawl inwhich the girl was completely enveloped. After ' which the two men lifted her bymajn force ih their arms, carried her put of the house, carefully shutting the door behind them and pub her in the carriage. One got in with her', the other mounted the box and drove rapidly oft. If Sarah was blind and dumb, she was jot deaf. She heard the struggle with Ethel, her moans of fright, the door open .and,6hutj and the carriage drive away, and she realised that Ethel had been kidnat»ped. • .Wild with fright, she struggled desperately but vainly to free herself. TBen a terrible feeling of suffocation came on, for we men had cruelly laid her on her face, and she soon discovered that unless she

c°uld move she -would be smothered. Terror Bwe her strength. After many' desperate worts, by pushing with her feefc against •"? wall, she managed to burn over, first on Me, t-hen ,on her back. , ■ True she now suffered cruelly with hei' oaiidg wbicli were crushed by the weight of a«f body, biff, bettdv pain thfttvsuiTocallbn. AH i,igi lt iong sho lay there, suffering .^njire i hf hauiis and arms throbbed and

ached, and at k9fc became numbed and dead. In vain did she beat with ,her heels upon the _ floor. In vain did she utter muffled cries; no one seemed to hear her. As the hours rolled by she began to wonder when anyone would find her ; the house was securely locked up ; no one could hear herj no one could get to her, till Marlow came homo. And whab a sight for him to behold! And to tell him that Ethel was gone ! Oh, how could she do it ? —Oh, how could' she face him ! —and say, ! She is gone !'—and gone where ? Who had taken her? Whab would happen, to her? What might be happening to her then ? She strained at her bonds, but strained in vain—the handkerchiefs were new and strong. She tortured herself with these thoughts for hours, and then another awful idea occuned to her—suppose Marlow should be detained in Alburn for several days—or a week— what would she do?— Starve to death ! —Die by inches of paralysis !—Oh ! It was awful, awful!

The night slowly passed, day broke. The 'roar and rattle of the street recommenced, and Sarah began to see that her chances of being heard were less and less. She thought of rolling towards the door and pounding it with her heels, but she had no idea where it was. She rolled here and there, though it was torture, pounding the wall with her feefci At last'she found the door, for it gave back a different sound, and she beat upon it with her heels, but no one paid any attention to her. Finally the milk waggon stopped, the milkman came to get his can ancl put down another. Sarah gave a tremendous bang upon the door with her feet, and the milkman jumped. ' Gracious !' said he, ' what is that ?' Bang ! Bang ! Bang ! went the feet till the door rattled.

•f This is very strange,' said the milkman ; 1 sounds like Miss Sarah has a goat shut up in hem

Then there came a curious, frightful, muffled sound. The cry of a human voice in distress,, and yet it had the sound of a dumb animal's too.

' She must have a fit,' thought the frightened man, and he ventured to try the latch. The dcor. yielded, and he peeped in. By the dim light of the candle, which was guttering in its socket, the milkrtari saw a queer-looking- object scuffling on the floor, uttering terrible sounds!

' Great Goodness !' said he. " What can it be?' . ,r

Trembling all over, he looked closely. Yes, it was a woman, and it looked like Sarah. And all the while she kept uttering muffled cries of entreaty. The frightened fellow: bethought himself to light the gas - a stream of light fell full on the strange figure. Yes, it was Sarah-, with—good gracious ! —her head in a; bag ! She. continued her dumb entreaties and the man proceeded to pull Re* into a fitting posture and untie the. handkerchief that fastened the pillowcase. ' Goodness !' he muttered, ' how tight it's knotted !' , r The handkerchief loosened, the pillowcase was carefully pulled off, and there sat Sarah securely gagged. '.'._.., . 'Lord-amussy !' he ejaculated, .'What devil's work is this ?' Tears of pain and. emotion began to stream down Sarah's face, and the man made haste to free her mouth that she might speak. But from long gagging the moisture had dried* aild her toingue was like a bone. , . .....< • ,< • The audacious cuss !' mUttered > the man, as he closed hdr mouth, for her jaws were well-nigh paralysed"; ' thfe oUdaoious cuss ' He ought, to erid:his days in Sing Sing! Well, I do declare ! if her hands ain't tied behind her ! and all but'blue! Yes, ma'am, I'll get ifc doile ih a ihinute,' he said, in answer to her moans of entreaty; and he commenced to unfasten the complicated knots. /: '•:..,,- ~''.:'. .'.'-■. At last she was free, and the milkman hurried into the kitchen* returned with a pitcher of water, ftet one of the handkerchiefs and dampened her jtongue, then gave her a Hbtl6 to Srihlt. After a little Sarah managed to speak; and tell whabth.e milkman was bursting to know, and while he rubbed her hands and arms to restore the circulation, Sstrab, between hysterical sobs, told her tale, to which tho milkman listened in horror. At last he was forced to tear himself away, promising to send Sarah the first policeman he met, and also to stop at the house of a friend of hers "d few squares off, and send the woman to her. This he the more readily promised as she was one of his customers, and he being behind on his route she was now' up. '•"■ f •' ■ (To be Continued,) . ■