A WIFE'S PERIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1896, Page 10

A WIFE'S PERIL.

BY MBS M. E. HOLMES.

of 'A Woman's Love,' 'Her Fatal Sin,' 'The Tragedy of Redmount,' Etc., Etc.

CHAPTER ll—(Continued). Jack looked up when ho had finished reading the letter: his face had grown older— more haggard. •That is my story, and the story of your mother, children,' he said. * What do you tbink of it?' •Poor dad 1' Noel said. •You did nob divorce our mother, did you ?' Mispah asked. ' No,' ho answered. •so far aa the law is concerned, she waa still my wife when she died.' •I am glad of that,' the girl said. •Why?' Jack asked, quickly. 'Because,' she said, gently, 'lam sure that Bhe never wrote thab letter.' 1 Never wrote it!' Jack said, with a little harsh laugh. * Why Mispah, do you suppose that I do not know my wife's writing' ? • However poor my mobher'a people were, ■be was a lady by birth, was she nob ?' the girl said, ' I know little about such things, except from intbincb ; bub I am perfectly sure, that bo lady would write such a letter as that—it is a forgery. A man such as you have described Ralph Sefton to be, would nob bo above forging a letter.' A wild hope flashed for a moment into Jack's face, then died away. ' No, no,' he said ; ' she wrote tho letter, and she lefb me for him.' ' Not knowingly, nob willingly,' the girl continued. * You do nob know what he may have said to induce her to get into the carriage; and, when she reached the Castle, something tells me she was his prisoner, nob hia willing guest. You say you never saw her again ; did yob try V ' After that lebber . No.' • Oh, my poor mother 1' Mispah said. 4 And she was waiting and hoping bhab you would come and ieb her free. I remember her so well, dad ; she loved you so dearly. You have done her wrong in yonr thoughts all these years, and she dead now. Poor mother 1' He looked down at tha lebter. Waa ib possible bhat it could be a forgery ? Could any one imitate so exactly bhab delicabe writing? No—no; surely nob. Trembling in every limb, he pub down the nugget, went into another room of bhe hut, unlocked a tiny box, which had nob been unlocked for years, and took oub some letters, his Muriel's love-letters ; then, with them in hie hands, he went back to Mispah. • You have raised a terrible hope and a terrible fear in my heart 1' he said. •If you can set ib ab resb, these are letters written by your mother before our marriage; then* are non 9 written after, for we wero never separated. Compare them with this one which your hearb tells yo,u is a forgery, and tell me, if you can, thab bhe same hand did nob write all.

She took tho letters in her hand. Noel crept round to her side, and together they looked at them, hoping and fearing, almost praying that they mighb find something altogether different in the letters which wera written before their mother's marriage, and this single one which had dealt such a terrible blow to their father; but bhey could not; if there was any difference, ib would have taken an expert to find ib out).

'No,' Mispah said, looking up, 'I can see no difference. And yet lam sure thab my mother never wrote that letter. You have money«,now,i: Never mind about thinking of comfort for us; spend the money in proving whab I am,sure is the truth—that our mother your faithful wife. If she had been bad, aa you think hor, do you nob believe ths'b some of the badness would have reappeared in her children 1 Have you ever noticed any deceit in either Noel or me? Faults of course wo have, bub, father dear—dear dad, no 4 thab one !'

«Mv hearb is pleading with your words, Mispah,' Jack said, softly. '1 would giro lay lifo to know bhab my darling did not leave me willingly. I waa a fool to leavs England aa I did. I ought to have insisted upon seeing her ; bub that letter broke my Jjeart, and I could not stop in the country where I had been so happy. But now I have money, or something thab I can turn into money, and I can figbb Ralph Seffcon with his own weapon—wealth ; and, if I find thab he forged thab letter and book my wife away from me by force, ruining my life, as God is my witness, I will kill him.'

Hiß voice rose, hia eyes flashed, he looked the rery incarßaHon of just anger. • Hush, dad, hush !' Mispah said, gently. ' You would nob do that, I know, because it: would be a sin, and because,' her voice grew even softer, * you would th6n lose your hope of meeting our mother again. It will be enough to clear her name, and i am sure thab you will. And now, dad, tell ua how aoon you think we shall leave here.'

He took the lebters, tied them up together, keaping the one thab he hoped with'all his hearb waa a forgery separate; then he gave himself a little shake, aB though to get rid of unpleasant recollections, and sab down bebween his children, taking the nuggeb once more in hiß hands. * We will have news aa soon aa possible,' he said. ' I shall sell my claim for anything I can get for it. Experience has taught me that it is seldom two greab finds like thi?,' touching his treasqre, 'are found in one place ; there will be only dust there now. We will gob away from here as quickly and as quietly aa we can. One man in tho camp knows already that I have found a nugget. Even now we are not safe.'

As he spoke, thero came a slight tap at the door. Jack threw his coat over his treasure, felt for his pistol, and called oub •Come in.'

Tho door was opened, and a curiouslooking individual entered. He was not above four feeb in heighb, his arms were extraordinary long, hia hands almost touching the ground ; on his back he had an immense hump, which pushed bis head forward ; his teet wero huge ; his hair long, and hanging in matted masses over his face. Bub, when the hair was pushed aside iind'you saw tho face, ib almost made you cry out, it was so beautiful: for Dame Nature had been in a curious mood when B he turned him oub and combined hideousnesa with utter beauty. • Why, it's Uncle Humpy !' Mispah said, running, and taking his hand. * Sit down, . Uncle Humpy.' •Sit up, you mean,'he said, putting his lontf arms upon the table and vaulting himself en to it. '^"" >'« always forgetting, Mispah, that, where ocners rise, I fall, and that, as others get abased by sitting, I geb exalted ; bub never mind; So,' turning to Jack, "! you've had luck at last.' • Yes, Humpy,' be said, emiling; ■ib was time enough, was ib not? You've soou heard of \it.' .... • The news is all over the camp, he i?aid. «Sandy Luke told us. You'll have as much as you can do now to keep your treasure.' • I expect so. Did Sandy Luke tell you that already some one has tried to take my Jifo to get it?' . 1 What, already?' Humpy said, while the children looked with horror at their father. ' Net., he did not tell me thab. Who was the naan ?' • Sandy Luke,' Jack said. ' Ah, then, ib is nob wonderful thab he •did nob tell me, is it?' he said ; '.but I am anbsurprised; and, if I am not mistaken, Wore the night is over,1 more than he will try to get your nuggeb. You see, it's a greab temptation : tb<n men it*** fcfawk •«>- *

thing of taking a life, and some have had so little luck. You will leave the camp, of course—thab is, if you geb through thia night safely V • Yes, I Bhall go as soon aa I have sold my claim.' Humpy looked surprised. • You'll not wait for thab, surely,' he said ; 'if the nugget is as big as Sandy Luke Baid, you'll nob wanb the little you would gob for thab. Will you Bhow ib me?' Jack took his coat from off it, Humpy gave a start. INo wonder Luke tried to geb it,' he said, looking ab it keenly; • it's pure gold, scarcely mixed wibh earth even. Ib is worth many, many thousands ; you musb get away to-morrow if you can, Jack. Your life iiin'b worbh a cent here, or yonr children's Uvea. You'll be followed, I fear. Such a fortune is worth risking something for.' 'Bub surely I am strong enough to defend bhe treasure.' Humpy looked grave. • I think nob,' he said. • Are you strong enough nevor to Bleep, never to close your eyes for a single instant until you bave lodged your nugget in some bank 1 Can you be always on bhe alert, always on your guard? Can you promise yourself bhat you will truafe no one, thab you will think of every man, woman and child aa a thief, a would-be murderer thirsting for, yonr life aad your gold V ' You think I Bhall be attacked here in my hub ?' ' I am sure of it.' He turned and looked at the boy and girl as he spoke, his beautiful eyes resting longest on the girl, poor deformed thing bhab he was, with adoring love. • Don'b be frightened,' he Baid ; * don't fear, Mispah.' «I do nob fear, Hnmpy,' she said ; * you have thoughb of some way to help dad.' 1 Yes,' he said, smiling ab her; 'I have thoughb of some way, I wanb you and Noel to go to my hnb, and take the nugget with you. I will show you where to hide ib. Your father and I will stfty here to receive the boys. Dan will take care of you.' •No, no,' Mispah said, quickly, 'surely we can help ; I am a good shob wibh the pistol, and to defend my father's life I would shoob my straighfcesb.' • And I,' Noel supplemented. * Let us stay, Uncle Humpy, surely wo could help.' • I have asked you to help,' he said. * I wanb you bo mine he nuggefc—to have bhe greatest respor. ability, after all. Come now ; the men are down at tha store as yeb, bub soon they will be skulking round, and we shall lose our chance.' • Won't you let us stay, dad ?' Noel askod. ' Better do aa Humpy tells you,' he answered, * he knows best.' So, very cautiously they opened bhe door of bhe hub, and very sbealbhily they looked aboub bhem, and crept bo Humpy's hub, Jack carrying the nuggeb. When bhey opened bhe door a greab bulldog came toward bhem wagging his bail. • Good Dan—brave Dan,' Humpy said. • We've work for you to do, Dan. Good dog, capital old fellow 1' He stroked the creature's head wibh his long, strong hand, thea took the nuggeb from Jack. 'I shall pub ib where my little hoard is kept,' he said. ' I fancy no one will look for it there.' Ho stooped down, and scraped a little of the loose earth which covered the floor of hia hub upon one aide, then be took oub his knife, and with ib lifted a board. Under the board there was a square hole, and at the bottom of the hole a red cotton handkerchief with something tied up in ib. •My savings,' he eaid ; 'my little fortune Geld dusb, Mispab.' He gave bhe girl the handkerchief to feel the weight. Sha toek ib, and smiled. • Fortunate Humpy,' she said, in much the same tone as one would address a petted child.' 'Quito a large fortune, is it nob?' She put it back in bhe hole again, then Jack placed the nuggeb there ; the board •was fixed firmly, the earth raked over ib. 'Now, Dan,' Humpy said, taking up a small piece of matting, and placing it over the hiding-place. Dan came, wagging his tail, and took his seat thereon. * Dun'b stir from there, sir, unless any one tries to get in ; then give bhem greeting, and go back to your seat again.' Dan licked his lips. •He understands,' Humpy said, looking round and smiling. • He's more sensible than two-thirds of the men and women I've met. Now, Mispah, I'll show you how tbe bolts work.' He book her to the door, and made' her slip the bolts in and oub of their fastenings. 'I'll put the shutters up,' he said, suiting [ tbe actionu to the words ; *' and light Vhe candle. I'll keep one burning all night : , it'e exbravaganb, bub company, so don'b! blow ib oub, because my ways are knowa, | and.bhe lighb glimmers between the chinks, j | There's o couple of revolvers, and you've , brought your own, I see. Bub I think you , won't be disturbed. Good nighb, Noel ; good nighb, Mispah. Take care ox them, ; Dan,' said Humpy. Jack wished his children good nighb, , kissed them fondly, and then with Humpy lefb the hub. The nighb was dark, the clouds hnng [ heavily, almost touching the earth. No moon ; not a star was bo be seen. Shadows j seemed to have wrapped everything ; darkness reigned supremo, and darkness and sin walk hand in hand.

( To be Continmd.)