YET SHE LOVED HIM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 222, 17 September 1894, Page 3

YET SHE LOVED HIM.

By MRS. KATE VAUGHN.

Author of ' The Mother's Legacy,' 'The Banker's Daughter,' 'ErinGoßragb, 1 •The False Friend,' etc., etc. CHAPTER XXVIII. .'.."' When Jennie, with one hurried prayer, let herself drop from the rope, ehe truly believed she was going to her death, or, ab beat, to have her limbs broken; bub, instead of reaching the earth with a terrible crash as she expected, ehe tound, although the distance was some twenty feob, that Bhe fell into close-growing shrubbery, which so broke her fall that, save for scratches and torn clothes, she found herself, when she managed to geb out, as well as ever. With a momentary prayer of beartfelb thanka to God she awaited the descent of Terry, and, wishing she could tell him of her safety she called up to him. Her voice, however, was lost amid the uproar and the sound of the engines; bub she had nob long to wait before Terry, too, dropped into the friendly bushes. •The Lord be" praised !' he fervently ejaculated. "Jennie, me dear, where are you ?' 'Here, Terry, safe and sound.' Terry was out of the bushes in a trice, and in his joy he flung his arm round Jennie's neck and kissed her ; and Jennie, feeling it was no time for coquetry, per-, haps, did not reprove him. • And now the master. Ah, be mesowl !' ho cried, as a terrific crash told them the roof had fallen, and a huge tongue of dame shot up to heaven from the billows of smoke.

A cry of horror escaped Jennie's lips for they believed Lorrimer, the noble, selfsacrificing hero, was engulfed in the ruins. Terry was speechless and for some seconds stood gazing up and picturing to himself the chasm into which his poor muster had fallen. And Jennie, with tears raining down her cheeks, gazed, too. So complete was the wreck that both felfi there could be no hope of rescue ; that he must be crushed and buried in the burning masa. Yeb, when able to realise the truth, Terry said :

•I'll run round to the front and see if I can get any chance of finding his poor body, Jennie ; you keep here—away from the crowd.'

He waited for nothing, bub dashed away, and Jennie stood hopelessly looting up at the parapet, over which, not a minute ago, they had expected to see him coming to safety. Tho smoke was now somewhat less, the flames still brighter, and Jennie fancied in the clearer atmosphere, she could see the outline of a figure, Sfio ran a few yards farther back to get a,bettor, view. Thank God ! Thank God 1 He was there still. She did not realise the danger he was still in—that to himself hia case was so hopeless that he had given himself up for lost and was only awaiting death. She only kaew he was there —alive still.

She rushed to tbe fronb of the house, where the crowd was a mass of excited people, surging back and forth; as one scene after another passed before their eyes. Her cries of 'vTerry ! Terry !' were unnoticed ; her wild face and gestures found too many counterparts to attract much attention. '•■"' r.:'

Oh, if she could but find Terry. Tho flames had burned everything that could feed thorn ; the walls stood gaunt and bare, smouldering beams and fragments of woodwork alone remaining, bub the centre was a mass of debris, sending up a column of lurid smoke glowing with sparks and embers. Could it be possible poor Terry {dear Terry, she said now in her heart) had rushed in there?

If go, bo was lost.

And then, as her hearb began to turn sick with fear she saw him eagerly importuning for something, and she pushed her way to him. ' Terry, Torry, the master's there ! Ob, save him !'

Those standing round hearing of some one to be saved now listened eagerly to her.

• Come, b'ys !' shouted Terry. And in a minute the crowd, which, in consequence of the side of the house being a dead wall without windows, had kopt only to the front and back, now rushed to /the lately-deserted spot and soon saw Lorrimer.

A great shout went up and told him some effort to help him was to be made. Lorrimer smiled bitterly. There wa« only one way. Would they think of it? And, if they did, would they be able to carry it out ? He was so weak and hoarse from the smoke, his throat being almost raw from what he had inhaled and his position such that he could not hope to make any instructions intelligible below ; but he saw them bringing ladders, many bands ready to help, and he could see them lashing two short ladders to make one long one.

They could nob hope a ladder would rest against that wall without falling into the general ruin. But no; they have Beized the idea. They are lashing cwo more ladders, and then Terry and another man go round to the back of the houae with it. He watched in the murky gloom for their appearance inside the wall. The heat and emoko made the eflorb vory hazardous, but fortunately, just under the wall it was comparatively clear ; the mass of ruins was in the centre. And soon Terry and another man came bringing the ladder between them ; and stepping carefully to avoid the masses of hot embers, they soon stood just undor where he was and planted the ladder, holding ib perpendicularly. Lorrimer now watched with eager interest. He had hitherto feared that their well meant efforts would but hasten tho catastrophe, bub now he saw they realised the danger, and might avoid it. _ Terry stood looking up, and Lorrimer waved his hand to him, which he answered with delight. Lorrimer now saw where he could help himself; he commanded both sides of the wall by his position. He motioned to Terry to approach his ladder, and he took the top rung in his hand ; there at the other side the ladder was standing in the same way. Waiting for the sigiaal, Lorrimer, holding as he was to Terry's ladder could lean forward a little to throw bis voice down and made tho men below understand they were to bring it under hia hand, and then with the top of each ladder in each hand, he elowJy brought them together and held them, though not without danger of being cast down by the efforts ot the men below to place them at a right incline, for thoy could not realise how the vibration and the effort required to hold them in place while they were adjusted below, jeopardised hi 9 position ; but at laEt the two ladders met in an acute angle so that, while steadiod by tho wall, they were yet dependent on each other rather than on the frail brickwork. Terry shouted lustily to those on the other side to hold on firmly, and then he ran half-way up the ladder on the inside to steady it against Lorrimer's weight, as be should descend on tho other. And now, rsisitig his stiffened, blistered body from its perilous position, he placed his feet on the ladder and began slowly to descend. As he gob to the middle, one of the men below shouted to Terry, and bow that all danger of Lorrimer's weight overbalancing thje inside ladder was at an end.

Terry, too, began to descend. There was no sound uttered now till Lorrimer stood on the ground safe, and then n great cheer went up. And Lorrimer, strong man as be was, staggered and fell, fainting, into the arms of thoso who had helped to rescue him. .. ... ;, ~,..... . , ii ; '. :. ■; '. j CHAPTER XXIX. When Bet and Patrick lifted the slighb form of Lady Madge she slightly stirred; she was evidently recovering trom the stupor into which the smoke and terror had caab her. • Take off yer coat, Pat, and kiver her face, then pub yer cap on her head, and we'll carry herbetune us, and if any one sees us, they'll jusb think it's a man with two much whisky.' ■ But it was not likely any one would see thorn. for the way was dark, and they struck across the fields till they reached the road. After walking some distance, the round tower of Glondolkin came in view. They then turned sharply off the road, and were on the brink of an ancient quarry, which was partly overgrown by weeds and trees, only its form and the white face of tho stone, as it broke oub here and there from tbe green, indicated what it once had bean.

Bob stooped and lifted aside a huge tangle of weeds and vines, and with her fooo pushed what seemed a great block of stone; it turned slowly round on a pivot, and revealed a narrow entrance.

fe Bet entered first, then Lady Madge was passed through the aperture, and Pat followed. As soon as he was within the narrow passage he pulled the tangle Bet had displaced back over the mouth of the cavern and then fitted the stone, which, heavy aa it was, had been so nicely adjusted that ib revolved with comparative ease back into its place. Ho struck a match, and taking a long re3in torch from a cleft in the wall, they went forward till they came to a great vaulted room, in which a turf fire was casting its ruddy glow all round and making the air thick with its pungent smoke. Bet now uncovered Madge's head and found her great eyes were open ; she was no longer swooning, but evidently bo confused that she did not know where she was.

1 Now, Pat,' said Bet, in low tones, * thiß girl is bo be cosseted and taken care of and made to believe we are her best friends and are hiding her from danger. What the danger is we're nob to know, madam thinks; but she'll come none o' that onto me. I'll find out, and then if she turns against us, I'll turn on her; but our game is softsawder.'

• I'm glad of that,' said the little man, who wus evidently in awe of his bobber and larger half. ' I'm none for ill-using young ladies. 1

'You're for nothin' bub drinkin' and smokiri,'said Bet,contemptuously. 'Hand me the crayther.' The ' crayther' was whisky in a black jug, which she held to Madge's lips and poured liberally down her throat. •There, thab'll bring yer to, if anything will, and pub some colour in bo yer white face. Pahaw! Such a fuss over a puling thing like thab.' Beb had a profound conbempb for all delicate or small people. Half-choked with the distasteful liquor, Madge yet was benefited by tho roughly administered dose. She bogan to look round, to remember, and, seeing this, Bet came to her and adopted the wheedling tone of onei ferocious by nature, assuming kindness. ' My dearie, yer safe now, and we'll take care of yer. Ye needn't fret.' Madge looked at her and recognised the brutal woman of the asylum, and shuddered. Had she fallen utterly in her power ? 'Tell mo aboub the others? Jennie! Whore is she?'

'Jennie!1 said Bet, wondering. 'Who is she? The lady as is going to take care of you and keep yer from thorn as are yer enemies V

• " Lady ?' " echoed Madge. Then, remembering women of Bet's class call all women ladies, she said : ' Yes. Whab becamo of her!'

'She's all riehb. Bub don'b ask no questions; I can't a-beaj people as ask questions. You won't go back to no euch place as old Marah'e, and you are going to be hidden here for a while.'

Madge's conclusion was thab Beb had been bribed, burough Jennie, by Lorrimer. Ib was sweefc to think she was protected by him, and she aßked no more questions. The reaction from the terrible excitement she had undergone and the reek of the turf made her drowsy. Beb bad laid her on a pile of dried moss when she brought her in, and she fell asleep almost directly. When she woke, she found herself alone. The fire had been newly made up, a bowl of porridge and a pitcher of milk were placed on a inverted barrel, which did duty for a table near her. She understood that the milk was for her, and she drank of ib hearbily, and then stood up. She felt sick and giddy, and was glad to sink once more on the palleb of moss; bub, although her condition was wretched, she believed herself under the protection of Lorrimer, and rejoiced. Perhaps a few hours would release her from' this place. It wa& lighted ouly by the glow of the fire, She looked round and saw. the glittering walls, the stalactite roof, which gleamed, where the smoke had nob dimmed it, like diamonds, and she knew she was in a cavern.

Bob had gone to the scene of the fire. Her place was a lucrative' one, for not every robust woman would have waited Doctor Marsh, and aha waß anxious not to lose her place in his favour. He would lose no time, she knew, in opening his asylum again, and would want her even now to take charge of the poor creatures rescued, but she would plead burned bands, in order bo be free a few days. Jane could manage, so she had bound up both her hands, and went toreportherself. . There she heard of the gentleman about whom there seemed a mystery, who had risked and nearly lost his life in attempting to rescue a patient, and who now lay on a bed of fever, and of his servant, who was making; constant inquiries for her, Bet, and for one of the patients whom Doctor Marsh supposed to be among those who bad lost their lives, bub whom this man nrnd a woman insisted had been saved and given ; to Mike, who in turn declared he had given her into the charge of Bet." Doctor Marsh had got the use of an empty house not far from the scene of the fire, and had there taken his unfortunate patients, three of whom, besides Jennie and Lady Madge, were missing and given up for lost. Doctor Marsh had his own opinion about Jennie's mission, and the gossip that was now rife about Lorrimer's rescue of one patient and her disappearance, but he wanted as little stir made as possible. Ho affected, therefore, to pay no attention, and to believe five souls had perished. Among; those known to have done so was the nnforfcuate author of the disaster, • Miss Braddon.' She had been seen dancing in mad glee to her death. It was Jane who poured forfch all the news to Bot, and, eyeing tho latter curiously, said : 1 What did you do with her when Mike gave her till yez ?' ' What did T do? Put her on the ground, to be suro !' said Bet roughly. 1 It was no time to be paying attentions to any one.' ; • What's come of her, then ?' aeked Jane, evidently suspicious.

1 How should I know ? Old Marsh could tell better than us perhaps. She was in some one's way, that's suro. Perhaps she was chucked back into the house to die comfortably and cost nothin' to bury her,' said the woman, with a"jjrinJ

'Well, there's been foul play some where, said Jane; • '■:

' If there has, depend on it; Marsh knows

all about ib, and won'b waab no sbir made*' This seemed to strike Jane. He certainly did not seom bo wanb a stir made. Bob mighb be right. She did not see what interesb Beb could have in the matter—unless, indeed, she bad been hired by Marsh bo do the deed she spoke of. Jane knew her to be capable of any enormity. She thought ib mighb be wiser to hold her tongue. ■ .' ' When she saw the doctor and told him b.hab she was burned, ho questioned her qyiietly abouothe missing lady who had beon given into her charge. She then told) him the earns thing as she had told othe.rs, adding thab, in consequence of her burned bands, she had been obliged to lay her down on the grass ab the Bicje of bbc house land to go away. When she came back bK'o found she was nob there, and thoughb sho had been taken care of with the other rescued people. Doctor .Marsh was silent. He had no doubt of B'eb, bub he believed Madge had been carried away by friend or foe. . When she had gained: all the news she could and obtained leave of absence, she went back1; bo the cavern to see after her charge, and also to geb ready for her expedition to Laura, who had given her name as Miss Graham.

I To be Continutd:)