MAUBIKECK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 268, 9 November 1895, Page 6

MAUBIKECK.

THE. UOH-TMER-

BY SMWABD W. HOPKINS.

Author of 'Jack Bobbins of America,' ' In tho China Sea/ ' Two Genblemen of Hawaii,' * On a False Charge,' Etc., Etc.

CHAPTER IV. To my surprise, neibher the lion tamer nor Nita exhibited any signs of having been shot. Above tho roar of the crowd I beard his voice. 'Nita 1' he cried. 'Nibal Leapinbomy arms. Do nob hesitate. I can hold you.' The girl obedient to his command and confident of his power, swung tho burning trapeze outward, then inward, and releasing tha bar, leaped squarely ab Maubikeck bbrough space. His outstretched hands seized her and held her safe.

Tbe impact Bwung the major and me Boveral feeb, bub wo rebained our hold on bhe ropo. Simulbaneously with Niba's courageous leap, a cry came from bho crowd. ' Maligni's snob!' somo one cried, and the cry was taken up and echoed all over the Garden. Tho uproar increased, and tbe centre of excitement moved away from us bo that poinb where the wounded showman lay. We paid very little attention to Maligni's part in bho affair, ab leasb I did. In a few minutes Maubikeck had descended with his half-fainting burden, and his bruised hands held her tenderly, while a flask of brandy that some person handed to the major wa3 pressed to her lips. ' Gob her safely home,' said the major. ' Dick, you stay and help the lion tamer. I am going to see what haa happened to bbc Italian.'

So he loft. I did not see Dilkins. He had disappeared in bhe crowd, probably around Maligni. ' Can I be of any help?' I asked Maubikock.

' Who are you ?' he asked, in reply. « Wilbarton, of tbo Lotus Club,' I an ewerecl.

'Come with us,' he said. 'Perhaps you may be able to help me solve this hellish mystery. This girl is surrounded by enemies, who are trying to kill her. The reason we do not know. Come witn us to her hotel. Maligni will not interfere tonighb.'

■ Did not somo one cry thab Maligni was shot,?' asked the girl. 1 Yos,' I replied. ' Some one has shot $c Italian.'

*oh, Heaven !' she cried, in intense excitement. ' When and how will it all end ?' Motioning for me to follow, the liontamer lod her away, and I followed at a respectful distance. He took her firsb to her dressing-room, where he left her in charge of an attendant. Then he joined me.

' When Nita is dressed,' he said, ' we will go to her hotel. lam nob accusbomed to Now York. You may be able to help us find her enemies.

Keeping tho knowledge of whab I had seen—the Italian firing the rope — for future divulgenc6,l stood with Maubikeck, awaiting the appearance of the trapeze queen. Ab last sho came.

Although I had been fascinated by her beauty as seen in the circus, I was nob prepared for bhe vision of loveliness that came, pale bub smiling, from the dressing-room and gave her hand to Maubikeck to be led away.

Beautiful as the trapeze queen had seemed in her brilliant waist and tights, as ehe appeared in her trapeze performance, sho was doubly beautiful now, clad modestly and becomingly for the street.

Thero had beon before a sort of goddesslike sacredness about her in her abbreviated garments which made her seem like a beautiful being apart from us ; but clad in the conventional form, she was a woman with all the graco and attractions of the mosb beautiful of her sex when clothed with lavish richness combined with excellont taste.

In her circus glibferinga she had 'not seemed so tall, bub now I saw thab she was of good 3tature, and her bearing was queenly. Yet, with ib all there was a look of settled sadness on her face, tbe same that wo had noticed before. And thab sadness, instead of being hidden by the smile of gratitude we received when sho came out and found us waiting, seemed augmented by the oxcitemenb and danger through which sho had jusb passed. As Nita came from her dressing-room she was accompanied by an ugly Italian woman, who acted probably in the capacity of maid and attendant, but more particularly, I learned later, ao a sorb of keeper or watchdog for Maligni. Upon this woman's face there was a look of angry protest, aa if she had held forbh againsb the departure of Nita with Maubikeck and myself. But the girl came forward and was met by the lion-tamer, who phiced her hand on his arm and led her through a private hall and exit to the street. I had hesitated about accompanying them, bub Maubikeck had repeated his request that 1 should assist him, if possible, to unravel the mystery of the murderous animosity with which the girl was surrounded.

When Maubikeck spoke Nita burned boward me, and said : ' You are the gentleman who assisted in saving my life. I thank you, sir, for the great kindness. Surely, I am in some person's way, and unless the secret is discovered I shall, no doubb, bo murdered. If you can help me, you will win my grabibude.'

Thus prettily asked I walked beside them, and the old woman came ambling after, muttering to herself things I could nob understand, bub in which I frequently heard the name Maligni. Now, there was more than one reason why it seemed perfectly proper for me to accompany Nita and Maubikeck, and lend what assistance I could in this < time of need. To begin with, I was. much interested in the girl herself—personally— becaust of her grand beauty, and tbe romantic interest always attached to a beautiful girl in bor position. Now thab she was in danger chivalry seemed to direct mo to her assistance. I did not feel thab this was at all a mabter in which I was romantically concerned, for I loved Edith Brougbfcon, and no amounb of glamo.ur or other foil could dull that love.

Secondly, I was interested in Nita Barlotti, as has been shown heretofore, because she closely resembled the photograph of Charles Graviscourt's wife, and because in that resemblance there had seemed to be somo shadowy hint) thab Graviscourb was not. all thab ho seemed to be before the world. And in striking' ab Graviscourt, I was striking a blow for my own love, and this is a motive thafc will always stir the heart of a man whose love is withheld from him by another's will. Thirdly, I was interested in fche lionturn... He impressed me as being no ordinary individual—very different from the average circus attache, as was Earlotfci herself; and in the evidences of love that I hud seen pass between these two, I had pcnrned to see a reflection of my own, and this claimed my interest if nothing else. Fourthly, I had seen fche acb of tbe man who had set fire to fche trapeze rope, and was, no doubt, the only human being save himself, who had seen it. Ib became me, therefore, to aid Maubikeck and Nita by using the knowledge I possessed, and by identifying the miscreant who had fired fche rope, ascertain through him his motive, or,

if he had been employed to do the thing, the name of his cowardly employer. One of the facta that I learned by thia adventure was thab bhe sbars of a circus lived, when away from the glare and the tin_el of their profession, much like other people wibh plenby of money to spend. Leaving the Gardeue by means of one of the private entrances, Maubikeck hailed a carriage. Ib was a good one, and was drawn by a team of well-fed, sleek-looking horses, and I thoughb ib was probably the one he used every nighb for hia own conveyance, and wa all gob into ib. Maubikeck and Niba sat together, and the old hag sat with me, with our backs toward the driver. She was not a pleasanb carriage companion, and I would gladly have changed places with Maubikeck. The old woman swayed back and forth, moaned, wrung her hands, and spoke fiercely to Maubikeck, who told her wibh unmistakable emphasis to hold her tongue. ■ 1 will explain this woman's vehemence, Signor Wilberton,' said the lion-tamer. •Pacho Maligni is a hard master and a jealous man. He allows no one bub himself and those hired for the purpose to come near Nita Barlobbi. Believe me, this is bhe firsttime since we openedin Madison Square Garden thab I have accompanied the signorina to her hotel. Maligni keeps her constantly under his care, and this woman ia employed by him to prevenb others— especially myself —from coming into tbe presence of tho signorina. Thab we are enabled to be with her now is due solely to the mishap which has befallen Maligni. He may be dead ab this moment or seriously wounded. Thab he is wounded is corbain, or he would have been on hand as usual to tak Niba to bhe hotel.' ' And where does Maligni live .' I asked. • Ab the same hotel.'

Maubikeck, when we had started from the Garden, had directed the driver to a certain well-known hotel, much frequented by show people, and I know where we were being taken.

' Bub whab is this Maligni's hold on the ' Bigmorina ?' I asked. * Where does he geb his authority over her ?' Nita shuddered and crouched closer to the stalwart frame of Maubikeck. ' Ho is ray master by my father's will,' ehe said in a voice that was touching in its plaintive sweetness. * And your father was a performer like yourself, was he nob, signorina ?' I said. ' Yes— I will toll you aboub his death when we reach my rooms.' This interruption of her reply was caused by the rattling ot the carriage up to the curb, the sudden stopping of ib, and the opening of the carriage door by tho coachman. We all stepped out, Maubikeck assisting Niba, and I following them. leaving tho old Italian woman to clamber down as besb she could. Maubikeck turned to the coachman and said : ' Waib for me.' We enterod the hotel by a private door, and ascended two flights of stairs. Then traversing for some distance a wide and ! well lighted hall, we paused before a door. ■■ Then Nita uttered a startled little exclamation.

« The key !' she gasped. * Maligni ha 6 fche key !' Here was a dilemma. Maubikeck was a stranger at bhe hotel, having taken up his residence ab another, some distance away. Here a happy thought came to me. I was the one to help them out. Taking fche number of tho room, which was 112, I went down to the office, and found on duty there a clerk who knew me. 'How do you do, Mr Wilberton?' said this clerk, sauvely. * I am as usual, Mervice,' I replied, * and have come for a little assistance. Perhaps you have nob heard of bhe unfortunate mishap thab has befallen one of your guests ?' •No. Whab is- ib ?' he asked, with fche expression of a man on guard againsb any accident thab might reflect on bhe hotel management, ' Maligni, tbe circun man, has jusb been shot ab the Garden. T was fortunate enough to be of some asaistaneo to his charge Signorina Barlotfci, who has t t.rj__fl 12, and with a friend of hers brought her here. She recollects now bhab Maligni has the koy to her room. I want a duplicate, if you have one, so that the signorina can geb in. She needs resb, and ib may be some time before they bring Maligni here.' Mervice shrugged his shoulders, turned to a drawer in his desk, and handed me therefrom a key to number 112. 'If the fellow who shot Maligni only killed him,' he said, 'I don'b think the world will owe him a grudge.' Without replying to his evident dislike of Maligni I hurried back with the koy and soon had fcho door opened. One thing was certain : No matter how severe, harsh or byrannical Maligni might be, he certainly was not niggardly in regard fco Nita's comforb. Number 112 waa but fche fi.Bb of a suite of four rooms, one of which was a parlour, one a cozy little dress-ing-room, and fche other two, bedrooms, one for Nita and one for bho old hag who served her. A door opened from bbc dressingroom and one of the bedrooms, and I knew from fcho general plan of the hotel, with which I was familiar, bhab fche suite included a private bath. 'Maligni lives there,' said Nita, pointing fco number 111, across fche hall. (To be Continued.).

A-i-Hsements,