THE TRAGEDY 0.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 253, 26 October 1896, Page 2

THE TRAGEDY 0.

BY MRS E. M. HOLMES.

Author of ' A Woman's Love,' ' Her]lW Sin,' Etc., Etc'

CHAPTER VI.

Raoul did nob see a fierce, sullen ia* lowering upon him aa ho left Ela. f^P one of tha tents a man watched then Beparato, and then Bferode towardß the gift his eyes glittering with jealous fury.

' So you've been with him again l' k. muttered, his voice hoarse with passion.

Sbe turned angrily.

* Yea ; why not. Does it concern you y ■ Does it concern me ?' he retorted, _j, mouth drawn in mocking hideoueoMj, ' Does ib concern me thab 1 have a heart ig this miserable body of mine—thab I ci,n l^\ the curse of life, the tormenbof anexigten w that is undesirable—condemned ! Look it me and laugh.'

• Were you out in the storm, Woolly she asked, leading up to that deadly subj^ wibh the subtle cunning of her race.

He turned co quickly that her hearb atooi still with sudden euspense.

' What is that to you V

She did not answer, bub stretched tt[ ber hand and touched the clook he btd thrown about his ungainly shoulders.

It was reeking wet. As though an asp had stung her, she lei ber hand fall and her face grew chill.

• Were you obliged to tramp throngh that deluge ?' she asked, sharply. »Wonld no one give you shelter ?'

• I didn't ask ib.'

Sho shut hor mouth close, to keep back tbo angry cry thab nearly betrayed her agitation. Eia moved from beneath tho pale light, gl>_d bo hide in the night's darkness. Woolff, who bad a nervous, supersbikiooi horror of a storm, could not have been long in tho tent, yet ho was waiting for her, while at any other time she would have found bim crouched in some dark corner, as though expecting an earthquake to devour him.

Woolff, who had watched Ela move from beneath the shelter of the caravan, suddenly sprang toward ber. • Where do you think you are going?' he hissed, twining his long and twisted fingera in tbe tangled lengths of her clinging hair, • To bim V

She felt his hob breath on her cheek, and his deep-set eyes were like two glittering streaks of light, half hidden by hia scowling brows.

With a furiousness bern of her dread and loathing, she lifted her clenched hand and struck him.

His cruel fingeVs tightened amongik her wild hair.

She did not cry oub, though tbe pain the endured brought hot tears to her eyes. Sbe felt tbab the blow ehe had dealt him migh. cost her her lifo. She knew he would resent ie, perhaps years hence, but ehe never dreamed bow ho would try to work out his revenge, or through whom. a Ab thab momenb her spirit was on fire;! every pulse in her body throbbed hetly, a_d she tried desperately to fling aside his detested touch. '.

' I never knew how much I hated you till now !' she cried furiously. ' I havo alwaji pitied you for your affliction.' 'It wouldn't bake much bo make m strangle you, he eaid, smiling savagely. Ono of the gipsies, whose haughty beer' ing seemed to denote some dignified distinction from the'rest, approached when bhe girl stood, and, folding his arms acroii hia breast, sternly demanded to know whj she had nob returned earlier bo the encaaif ment.

She did nob reply, bub glanced round mutely, and suddenly, with a low hysterical, laugh, broke from their midst and rushed away.

She flung herself down under one of tbe trees and laid her faco against the aeddei ground. Away frpm human companion' ship eke mighb school her mind to meet .he worst. With their searching eyes upon her face she felb that nerve And courage would give way ; thab ehe would have to tell them where to find the murdered man.

Obher thoughts tortured her. Would Raoul keep faith with her? Was ths love he proffered feigned purposely fco buy her secrecy in this matter of life and death?

Her hearb was consumed with slumber... suspicion now that she was alone—away from his influence.

11 have a hold over him,' she muttered, lifting her head, and peering acroe_ t_. darkness to where tbe lights ot Redmouti loomed like co many stars. 'He dare not deceive me; he knows my temper veil enough not to run the risk.'

'He can never give his love to to. woman while I live,' she mused.

And then, as if touched by somesiagolit instinct, ehe sprang to her feeb and stood quite still, with brows drawn, and h.r hands firmly clenched, ' Bub he mighb geb rid of me at well—if I am in his way.' She whispered this over to herself several times after the thought flashed throngh ber brain. She was icy cold, and the pale moon, cleared from its dense veil, sent a silvered whiteness over the dusky scene and orer her wild, beautiful face.

i Ah, it will drive me mad to dwell upon such evil dreams. Why should I fear? " he wished me dead, death would be sweeter bhan life without his love.' While she stood bhus ehe heard what seemed to be the last dull, slow sweep o! the storm-wind against the trees. She turned her glance backward with • gleam of the old terror returning to her eyes, and her clasped hands were lifted •' if to still the shock of frightened angniw

that vibrated bhrough her heart,

She saw two figures in the dim moonlight — strange, unsightly figures they were, one benb and dwarfed, bub strong « tbe vigour of life; bhe other —prone, frozen, helpless, beyond bhe power of eel'support. Ela did not have to look bwice to kdow to whom those weird figures belong^ She eank down and tried to shut oat W odious sight. Woolff had stumbled against aad *»' dragging the poor dumb outcast fron «" desolate grave. Hi» seb, cold face rose in iti serem beauty bo condemn and accuse. , She felb as though her hand had robM« from ib the lighb of life. j She crouched down, hiding her ttotr but she could hear the slow incessant am of the heavy body and the ehuffl i»g *«,a of Woolff aa he drew nearer the encampment. . „_ 'Our secret is unsafe,' ehe -bong"'" ahudderingly. 'Nothing can aver. «« doom if Woolff suspects anything.' She did nob move from her hiding-pis"' nor look agaiu ab that awkward ngD™ labouring wifch its senseless burden. . The Bounds of movement ceased preeeowj bub she did nob stir. The stars broke out one by one, » seemed all bhe brighter for the reW etorm. ; , rt . She heard the distant clocks CM** vaguely conecious of the speeding o The gloom and suspense at her «o_Y ?, her in a state of deep despondency, *J"r^ waited there a long while, loet »° ■■ misery of ber uncertain brooding. ( To le Continuedt)