CHAPTER VIII.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 119, 20 May 1892, Page 3

CHAPTER VIII.

FLED !

Mr Gilbert wenb bo his room, went to his bed, bub he did nob go to sleep. He lay awake so long, tossing restlessly, bhab, ab last, in disgust, he gob up, dressed himself partly, and sab down in bhe darkness by his open chamber window, to have ib out.

Whab was bhe mabber wibh Norine? Headache, she had said — bub bo eyes sharpened by deep, brue love, ib looked more like heart-ache. Those averted eyes, bhab faltering voice, bhose pallid cheeks, bhab shrinking form, bebokened somebhing deeper .than headache. Was she, ab bhe elevenbh hour, repenting her marriage? Was she still in love with Laurence Thorndyke ? Was she pining for the freedom sho had. resigned ? Was there no spark of affection "for him in her girl's heart, after all . . 'I was mad and presumptuous to dream ofib,' he thought. 'I am thirty-five—she is sevonbeen. I am nob handsome, nor brillianb, nor attracbive to a girl's fancy in any way—he is all. Yes, she is pining for him, and repenting of her hastily plighted troth. Well, then, she shall have ib back. If I loved her tenfold more than I do—and Heaven knows to love her any bebter than I do mortal man cannot—still I would resign her. No woman shall ever come to me ns wife with her hearb in the keeping of anothor man. Better a thousand times to part now than bo parb after marriage. I have seen quibe boo much in my professional capacity of marrying in haste and repenting at leisure, to try it myself. I will speak to her to-morrow ; she shall tell me the truth fearlessly and frankly while it is not yeb too late, and if it be as I dread, why, bhen, I can do as better men have done-bear my pain and go my way. Poor, pretty libble Norry ! wibh her drooping face and pathetic, wistful eyes—she lones to tell me, I know, and is afraid. Ib is a very tender heart, a very romantic little heart, and who is to blame her if ib burns to him, young and handsome as she is herself, insboad of to the grave, dull, middle-aged lawyer ? And yet, ib will be very hard to say erood-bye.' He broke down for a moment, alone as he was. A great flood of recollection came over him—the thought of parting—now— was bitter indeed. A vision rose before him. Norine as he had scon her first, standing f-hyly downcast in bho train, her dark, child-like eyes glarscingimploringly around, the sensitive colour coming and going in her innocent faco. She rose before him again has he had seen her later, flushed and downcast, sweet and smiling, bending over Laurence Thorndyke, with ' Love's young dream' written in every line of her happy faco. Again, as he had seen her that day when, he epoko—pale, startled, troubled, afraid to accept, afraid to refuse, and faltering oub the words thab made him so idiotically happy, with her little, white, handsome face, keeping its sbarbled pallor.

'Yes,' be said, 'yes, yea, I see it all. She said "yes," because ib is nob in her yielding, gentle, child's heart to aay no. And tfow she ia repenting when she thinks ib is too late. Bub it ia not too late ; tomorrow I wi|l apeak and she will answer ; and if'there be ono lingering doubb in her mind, we will ahake hands and part. My little love ! I wish for your sake Laurence Thorndyke were worthy of you, and mighb return ; bub to meet him again is the worst fate that can befall you, and in three months poor Helen Holmeß will be his bride.' Hark 1 was bhab a sound ? Ho broke off hie reverie to listen. No, all was still again —only the surging of the wind in the maples. * Ib certainly sounded like the opening ot a door below,' he thought; ' arab perhaps —all are in bed.'

He was looking blankly oub into the windy darkness. This time to-morrow nighb his faco would be decided. Would he abill be in this room, waiting for Thursday morning bo dawn and give him Norine, or—

He broke off abruptly again. Was bhab a figure moving down in the gloom to the gate? Surely not, and yeb something moved. A second more, and ithad vanished. Waa thia fancy, too ? He waited, he listenod. Clearly through bho dusk, borne on the wind, there came bo him the faint, far-off sound of laughter.

'Who can ib bo?' he bhoughb, puzzled. 'No fancy bhis time. I certainly heard a laugh. Rather an odd hour and lonely spob for mirbh.' He listened once more, and onco more, fainter and farther off, came on the wind that laugh. Did he dream, or did a cry mingle wibh ib ? The next instant he started to hia feet as the loud, rapid rush of carriage wheels sounded through bhe deep, mysterious eilenco of the nighb. What did ib mean ? Had some one stealthily left bhe house and driven away? He rose, drew on his coab, and wibhoub his boots, quibbed bis room and descended bhe ebaira. The houae door stood ajar—some one had left bhus, and driven away.

He walked to the gate. Nothing was to be seen, nobhing to be heard. The gloomy night eky, the tossing trees, the soughing wind, nobhing else far or near.

'It may have been Reuben or Joe Kent,' he thought; * and yet at this time of night, and in secret 1 And there was a cry for help, or whab cerbainly sounded like one. No need bo puzzle over ib, however—tomorrow will tell. A New England farmhouse is aboub bhe lasb place on earbh to look for mysteries.'

Mr Gilbert went bo bed again, and, somewhere in bhe small hours, to sleep. Ib was rather late when he awoke, and an hour pasb bhe usual breakfasb time when, his toilet completed, he descended the stairs. The storm had come, in pouring rain, in driving wind, in sodden earth, and frowning sky.

Aunt Hetty was alone, the bable was laid for two, a delightful odour of coffee and waffles perfumed the air. She looked up from her sewing with a smile as he bade her good-morning.

' I was jusb wondering if you and Norry meant bo keep your rooms all day. Oh, you noedn'b make any apology ; ib is as easy bo waib breakfasb for two as one. The boys and me '—They were bhe ' boys' still to Miss Hester Kent)—'had ours ab seven o'clock. Now sib righb down, Mr Gilbert, and I'll go and roub out Norry, and you and her can have your breakfasb sociably bogebher. You'll have a good many sociable breakfasts alone bogebher, I dare say, before long. Gloomy sort of day now, ain't it ?'

'Norine is nob down then?' tho lawyer said, startled a little, yeb hardly knowing why.

' Not yeb. She ain'b often lazy o' morn ings. is Norry, neibher. You waib bhough, I'll have her down in ten minutes.'

He looked ab her as though to say something, changed his mind suddenly, and took a seat. M.bs Kenb lefb bhe room. Five minubes passed. Then she came rushing down the stairs, and back to his side, all whibe and frightened.

' Mr Gilbert, Norine's nob in her room. Her bed was nob slepb in ab all lasb night!' She sab down ab once, pressing her hand hard over her hewk- ' l'__^ sfes said, pant-

"%&: I'm very foolish, I know, bub ib has given me a burn.' .

Be rose to his feeb. He knew ib then f As well as he ever knew ib in the after Me'; Richard Gilbert knew ib all bhen I Nofina had fled !

■m was she, bhen, who lefb the house | as|night,' he said, in a hushed voice; ana ib was a man's laugh 1 Was it My Gw was ib ' He stopped, turning white with the horror of thab thoughb. 'Call your brobhers,' he said, his voice r"!$ D_?i nis face sebbing white and stern ac ston e , 'We must search for her ab once. Aball cosbs, we must find her back. Quick, MiJI Kenb ! Your brothers 1 I am afraid Notine has fled !'

'S-ed!'

'Pled—run away from home, for fear of tarrying me ! Don'b you undersband, Mies Kenb ? Call your brobhers, I say— every minute may be worbh a life or more ! Quick!'

She obeyed, sbunned, stupefied by the Bnoel_, the horror of her amaze. Tho two rushed wildly in, frightened by their sister's incoherenb words. Rapidly, clearly, Riclard Gilberb told them whab he had heard lasb nigh., told them even what he feared most.

~ '.Thorndyke ha 3 come back, and eibher persuaded her bo run away wibh him, or forcibly abducbed her. I feel sure of ib. I hearcl him laugh, and her cry oub last nighb as plainly as I hear my own voice now. The«fe is nob a momenb to be losb. On with yourcoats ! out wibh bhe horses, and leb us be biff! Better she were dead than with him| They are gone, and the woman Bib 3 alone* stunned, speechless, unable bo realise ib, only] dumbly conscious thab somebhing awful has happened. Norine has gone ! Fledl on the very eve of her bridal, wibh another man. Norine—libtle Norry, who bub.^esberday seemed to her as a young, innoeenb child.

The woman sits and weeps alone by her desolate hearth. The men go forth into the jvorld, and forgeb their grief for the bime,in bhe excibemenb of bhe search—the metij who have bhe besb of ib always.

A| his life long thab miserable day remfined in Richard Gilberb's memory more as afockening dream bhan as a realiby. He su fitted afterward—horribly—to-day he was too dazed to suffer or feel. Whether found or fob, Norine Bourdon was lost bo him for ever ; dumbly he felb bhab ; bub she muat be found. Ab all coefcs, she musb be brought back from Laurence Thorndyke. The two men acted passively under his orders—awed inbo silence by bhe look on his set, white face. Even bo them that day remained a dizzy dream. Now they were at tbe station, listening to Gilberb's rapid, lucid inquiries and description, bub the clerk shook his head.

' No,' he said ; ' so far as he could recollect; no two parties, answering the description, had lefb by the earliest train thab morning.'

Then Mr Gilbert lefb the station and examined the registers of the various hotels for the name of Thorndyke. It did nob appear, bub in one of bhe lesser hotels the question was solved. 'Thar hain't ben nobody here answerin' to tbat air,' said the Down-East innkeeper; ' but thar hes ben a chap callin' himself Smith—John Smibh, Thab maybe bhe cove you want Likely'a nob, ye know, if he's ben up bo any of his larks, he wold give a- false name, ye know. He come Saturday nighb — staid Sunday and Mohday, paid his bill lasb evenin', and made himself scarce. Shouldn't be a mite surprised, now, if he's the rooster you'er after.'

•Describe him,' bhe lawyer eaid, briefly,

'Wal, he was a good-lookiu' young fellow as ye'd wish to see. Tall and slim, and genteel, city clothes, a moustache, bluish eyes, and sorter light hair—a swell young chap, sech as we ain't used to in our house.'

' Thorndyke 1' the lawyer muttered, ba« tween his teeth.

'He never stirred oub all Sunday,' pursued mine hosb, ' until after nightfall. Then he started off afoot, and it was past eleven when he gob back. All day Monday he loafed about his room the same way, and on Monday evenin', a3 I said, he paid his bill, gob a buggy somewhere, and drove off. And I calk'late square, he'd been a drinkin' ; he kinder looked and talked that way. That's all I know aboub Mr John Smith.'

They telegraphed along the line, bub withoub success. Nothing satisfactory could be discovered. Ib was noon now— there was a brain for Boston at two. Mr Gilbert looked at his watch.

'I will nob reburn wibh you,' he said, decisively. ' I will go on to Boston. lam positive he will take her there. Meantime, you will leave no stone unturned to track bh9 fugitives here

' I'll go with you to Boston,' said Uncle Reuben, quietly, •if he's taken her there, my place is on the ground. Joe will do all he can here. And, by the Lord ! when I do see him, I'll make ib the dearest nighb's work he ever did in his life.'

So ib was arranged. In the dismal loneliness of the pouring afternoon, Joe Kent drove back alone bo Kent Hill and bo bhe tortured woman waibing bhere. Who knew? thoughb quiet Joe. Perhaps Mr Gilbert and Reuben had been boo hasby, afber all. Perhaps Norine was back.

But Norine was nob back. The house was empty and desolate—Aunb Eebby sab crying alone. She had gone and lefb no trace behind, nob ono word, no note, no letter. Her clothes were all untouched, except those she had worn, and her waterproof cloak. Surely she had .never meant to run away, or she would have gone differently from that, and left some line of farewell, some prayer for pardon .behind. Ib musb be as Mr Gilberb had said—bhe villain had baken her by force.

And while the rainy afternoon deepened into nighb, bhe two sad, silent men sab aide by side, flying along bo Boston. At every station inquiries were made, but no one had seen anything of a young girl and a young man answering the description given. So many came and wenb always it was impossible to remember. So when nighb fell in lashing rain and raw easb wind the lawyer and the farmer were in Boston, and no trace of runaway Norine had been found.

{To be Continued.)