THE VOICE IN THE DARK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 141, 13 June 1908, Page 17

THE VOICE IN THE DARK.

CHAPTER VII. THE EAXD IX THE DARK. 3lrs. Sanderson threw a suspicious glance at Nora as she entered the house. It cut right through the girl. "My father came over to bring mc a me-sage," she stammered from pure necessity. The elder woman's mouth hardened. "It seems a pity that your fatheT cannot come up to the door like any other porson."' she coldly remarked. Nora looked down, flushing conscious-

ly. " ""Why can't he?" asked Mrs. Sandereon. "I do not recollect having denied you the right of visitors." "You've never denied mc anything,' , replied the girl. Mrs. Sanderson turned from her impatiently. ""It's no use," she said. "Nothing that I can say or do will make you caneid with mc!"

And with this she went off abruptly, leavimr Nora alone.

"Oh. how hateful I must seem to her!" cried the irirl. "And how hateful I am to myself!'"

Lite was becoming less endurable every hour. Her father's warning hung over her like the sword of Damocles. She knew that the words had not been merely the outcome of a guilty conscience. She knew, moreover, that her enemies were of the calibre that stops eyes as she read it to her. -rile. Throughout that day she was in a constant state of nervousness.

Every little sound made her star* fearfully. Each time Bashi came into the room she turned white. Her hand shook, as she ate her meals. ilr*. Sanderson watched her narrower She drew attention to the latest new= —the loss of the cruiser Hildegarde— and noted the widening horror in Nora's

From this and recent events of a similar kind iirs. Sanderson drew certain deductions. Although she could not fathom why or how, "she was convinced that these repeated naval catastrophes were affecting Isora personally, and in no minor degree. But no suspicion of the truth struck her—a fact which did not surprise her when, not irany hours later, it ■was laid bare!

After dinner Mrs. Sanderson went to her son, and Kora remained alone in the library.

Takinc "out a book, she began to read j it, in the hope that it might, even foi . a few minutes, distract her from the thoughts and fears that oppressed her. The words, however, danced beiore her eyes, and scon she replaced the novel in its case. The loneliness of the room began to •work on her nerves. She wondered •when Mrs. Sanderson would return to and whether she wouia he required to play in the dark room that night. >fot half an hour had gone since her benefactress had joined her son, yet to Nora it seemed hours.

She walked up and down restlessly. Once the door was pushed open, and the head of Basbi appeared round the corner. THe movement 'was quiet, and to Nora, stealthy.

Her dry lips opened. "What do yon want?" she demanded. "Mis' San'son." i spiled the Jap, with. Us usual broad, good-natured smile. **Slte not here, eh?" "No. she's np-stairs. Shall I call her?" "So matter, mis. I wait. I come lack." Smiling anS bowing, he disappeared, and the door was noiselessly closed after him. Nora breathed fast as she resumed her march-

Presently he reappeared. "Mis' San'son —she not here yet. eh?* he inquired. -No: you'd better tell mc what you ■want." Nora exerted herself to say. SandeTSon may be gone some

time." , 1 "Alia light, mis'. I wait.- repeated Eashi. and once more vanished. Irritation mingled with Nora's ncr- j Tonsness. _ ~; What did Bashi want? Why would he not tell heT? . i There was nothing really mysterious in the Jap-s conduct, yet to Nora it was full of meanins. Imagination conjured up one horrible thing after another in her distorted brain. Her fears increased as the hall-hour lengthened into an hour. How much longer would Mrs. Sanderson remain up-staixs? <=h»? =tood in the centre of the room, Esstening for the sound of her footsteps, but ther Tvwe not to be heard. THe house was silent. It was a stffl and frosty night, and every thin- witnin and ■B-ithout the house seemed more than HSiiallv rnnet. But" as she stood there a noise—at first fsint. then more distinct—d-laied itself. eh» trembled violently, and turned icy cold. It seemed to her that something—someone—was outside the wmTt any other time she would not have heeded the noise, 10-nigh., wilU£n a few hours of her fathers warning, it held for her possibilities of a singer Jdad. She listened, standing like a marDle imawe—and as white. It ramr a-ain—a sound as of a hand tumbling on" the window-panes. Suddenly Nora rushed acrossthe room end sent the blind up -with a jerfc. Just foca flg lihrary door opened, and she tnißwTto meat Eashi's smile. "Mis', you call Mis' San-son?" he questioned amiably. An answer gurgled in Nora's throat. -You call mis'- said Bashi, this time as a request. "Vnrr. what do you want? -I tell her somei/ing. Tha dinfl^-rc-orn window—v open." he replied. -The diriflg-rooaa wiadow open,; _saia Nora. '-Well what of that. Baste -' -I do="t knew." said the boy- ~ l S° in the -com ju-r now. I the silver in Lhr drawer. I feel cold. I pull 9 blind, and see window open. I M °V <m it. Yon cone sec. mis'. lir led the way.aad Nora followed. In th- dining-room. Eashi pursued the r ~Z-- ns ; s - ? yes teH Mis' >an-sOT not Bas «• fault, eh?" ilrt <aaderson"s roiec was now heard ealiSaa. Xe.- :1 horriad o-ar to end her at the loot nf the ftairs. "WSi yea £0 up to DesiEond?" said thf* Ws!naa, Xora ne<J6eu and priced ou her way.

A Tale at a Mysterious Castaway.

BT KIT DEAMET.

Mrs. Sanderson went into tie library. Bashi was left staring perplexedly at the open window, which seemed to pTey on his mind. , He was just about to close it. when a figure emerged from behind the curtains of the adjoining wipdow. Bashi turned. A cry rose to his lips, which was instant iy checked at an imperative sign from "the intruder—a short, evil-looking Japanese. A few sentences in their own tongue passed rapidly between the two men. Then, with a stealthy movement, as of a cat stalking its prey, the newcomer glided out of the room and up the stairs. At the door of the room from which the music was issuing the figure paused, then slipped behind the heavy curtain which was hung outside. For a few seconds he tarried, searching for the handle, finding it, he silently pushed the door a few inches ajar and peered into the darkness, to assure himself that the player was alone. In another moment he was between thr door and the inner curtain, and the door was closed behind him. Nora had gone gladly into the darkness. It had seemed to her like going out of a storm into a summer calm. The very darkness soothed her racked Wild, desolate melodies, that were the expression of a breaking heart—chords harmonically incorrect, yet poignant with suffering—Nora played on, forgetting fear, remembering nothing but sorrow. And while she was playing a picture rose before her. She saw into the future—herself, forlorn and hopeless, a creature shadowed by the cloud of a great crime, shut out from the light of life almost as completely as the man in this dark room.

She saw her father drifting slowly toward the grave—a sinner whose past would be ever present, whose sins could never be wiped out on this earth. She thought of her dead mother, and a cry of anguish broke from her. The very sound, involuntary as it had been, brought her abruptly to"her senses, and she went on playing, desperately trying to banish her unhappy thoughts. Slowly, gradually, other feelings and impressions began to assert themselves. All the warmth in her body seemed to be leaving it. Her hands grew icy cold ac they struggled over the keys.

Something—she knew not what—had suddenly thrilled her with dread. The voice, to-night, was silent, vet never had she longed so much to hear it. She wanted to cry out and, beseech it to speak, but the words froze on her tongue She went on playing, but now as a mere automaton. The intensity of the darkness was no longer soothing; it had become fearful. She wondered how long she could sit there and bear it. A movement near her brought a cry through her dry lips. She reached out both arms quickly.

The next instant two long, horrible, bony hands met like a vice around her throat. "Desmond! Pcs !" Choking, cackling, the name fell on the blind man's ears. He awoke as from a dream. "Whas is it? What is it?" he said, starting to his feet.

Nothing but that awful ominous cackling answered him.

He stumbled over the room, groping about him. He reached the piano and put out his hands. Then he knew that there was some one with Nora, and that they were struggling.

Staggering over to the door with but one thought, he pulled back the curtains.

Everything was forgotten but the knowledge that the girl he loved was in nenL

"'Help! Help!" he called out hoarsely. The light hr the passage streamed in upon him. It danced before his eves.

"My God! I can seel I can see!" he gasped. He turned and looked wildly over the room. The picture defined itself with sufficient clearness to show him "what; ■was taking place. He saw Nora grappling for her life ■with a man—a Japanese. In an instant he was upon the man and Nora felt the murderous fingers on her throat suddenly relax. For a second she knew nothing. Then a memory shot into her numbed brain. "One ray of light. I see no more on earth.Mrs. Sanderson heard the cries and came hurrying up. One glance showed her Nora lying senseles a-cross the doorway. She looked beyond into the room. -The light!" she gasped. "My God! The room is light!" She stepped over the girl's body and rushed into the room.

By the piano two men were engaged in a desperate struggle —her son and a Jap whom she had never seen before. She clutched at the bell and rang it furiously. As she did so she heard Desmond give a short cry. and the Jap fell, with a \ stifled curse, face downward. The woman took a rapid step to her j son. He was kneeling, staring before him. His face was gray, like the face of the dead. She grasped his arm. ■•"Desmond." she said hoarsely, "can you see?" j He shook his head slowly. "250." he answered. "I see nothing now —nothing." Her presence of mind returned "to her. She took a handkerchief fro-n her pocket and bandaged his eyes feverishly, ob- , livious to everything but the danger to his sijjhfc. "Oh. my son. my son!" she said. "God grant that no harm has been done to your poor eyes f He stumbled to his feet". A question came from him as he pointed downward. "Is he—dead?" Mrs. Sanderson threw a glance at the Jap and shuddered. "I dent know," she said. "He isn't moving." "He tried to kill Nora." he said between his teeth. "To kill Nora.'"' echoed the woman, looking from the innnimate Jap to the figure that was stretched across the door. "-Yes. Where is she? Is fclie safe?" Mrs. Sanderson took his arm, and felt him trembling. =cc to her." she iisswered. "But you must sit down. Yon mnrt think of Vonrself. Dwaond—of yourself/ i* "Nora— Nora, where yon.- jie i eat as suiTerpd himself to be [led to the ceseb. ! Air- Sanderson threw another jriance at t&e Jap- assured herself that he was stJH unconscious, then moved across to i th- 2iiH and bent over ber. ! Desn:tjnd"s old nurse came running

along toward her. She looked up. "Send for the police," she called to them. "Get help—quickly! quickly!"* The nurse turned and ran swiftly. Mrs. Sanderson unloosed Nora's dress, her thoughts working rapidly. She remembered Nora's fear of the Japanese servant, and knew now that the girl must have been in daily fear of what had come to pass. It was the aftermath of Nora's past—and what had that past been? She heard her son calling piteously. "Nora—Nora!" "Oh. God!"' she thought, as she strove to bring animation back to the unconscious girl, <r how is all this going to end? Why did I ever bring this girl into his lifeH

For in that hour she learned that Nora and her music had grown to be her blind son's very world —Nora May Heller, who had come from out of the sea. And who and what was Nora May HeHer?

Would this night tell? Mrs. Sanderson prayed that it might.

Nora opened her eyes. She was lying in her own bed. The gas was burning low. Mrs. Sanderson was bending over her. "What has happened:'" asked the girl faintly. Then, as memory slowly returned, a gleam of fear shot into her eves. '"\\ here is—that man?" she added. "In the hands of the police,"' Mrs. Sanderson replied. "Gone?" "Yes. They have taken him away/* Nora gave a sigh of relief. "Thank Heaven! , " she said. "How are you feeling now?" questioned Mrs. Sanderson. The girl's hands went to her throat, on which was a dark-blue mark like a bruise. "He nearly choked me,'* she said. '"My son saved you," said the elder woman. "He has risked losing his sight forever by what he did to-night." Nora looked at her dumbly. "One ray of light—one ray of light." The words haunted her, lashed her. "But i don't mean to reproach you," continued the mother, reading the "look. "I know you did not willingly place him or yourself in such a terrible position. Well, this must be the end of it. I just hate to say it, but—you cannot stay here any longer.*' "I know! I know! " came from the girl in a sob. '" As soon as you are well enough, you must go." '• Let mc go to-night—now! ** Mrs. Sanderson shook her head. '" It"? too late," she replied. " It is past twelve o'clock. But in the morning we will arrange something. Do not worry. Nora," she added in a kinder

voice. " You shall not go unprovided for. You will find mc still your friend, in spite of all." Nora tried to speak, but failed. She was mute with misery. The events of the evening had taken all the vitality out of her. In the early hours of the morning she arose, feeling weak and ill, but determined to leave Staten House that day. She drew up her blind and looked out on the snow-clad scene.

She tried to recall everything that had taken place the night before.

Suddenly a black object lyins against the snowy ground, about half-way dotvn the garden, caught her eye. She looked at it intently, and became aware that the object was a man.

Something familiar in the grey head struck her. She dressed quickly and ran downstairs.

No one was about. It was too early for the domestics. Nora unlocked the garden door and sped out, every pulse in her body throbbing with ansiety.

The truth was quickly forced on her.

It was the figure of her father, and he lay dead, with a horrible gash in his throat.

She sank down beside him, crying out impotently:

" Father—oh, father! " (To be continued daily.)