A QUEEN OF THE STAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 270, 11 November 1908, Page 11

A QUEEN OF THE STAGE.

By Fred M. White.

;hapter xiy. A Kl>lJ & Ki;\BUJL Once more the cruel red flush stained I pora's face. *he did not need to guess j at the identity of the footsteps. She { knew them only too well. They cam* j halting aiid staggering up the stairs, xeeling ac-roio thu landing, and then n j ijeaw" 5 rigure stunibk-vi uganst the door. ••Hide mc at once,' , Iza whispered. TVhatever happens, he must not see mc Let, Us wait arid watch event?." Be/ore the door could be opened, Iza wa3 -Landing back in the. shadow of the t,ldiocni. Without herself being seen, 4 e was able to observe all that was loin* on. >he saw Carney blunder across the floor and drop sideways into an armchair by the fire. The man was fjanklT intoxicated. His speech wus tliiii 'and incoherent, but he seemed to be pleased with hinieelf. ■•Sitting up for mc again."' he stammered. ""Why do yen do W: 1 have so often told yen noi tu." -I could Ji"t s-.Vcji till I knew you *eie safe." Dora said sadly. "Do you anything before 1 retireV" -I Tron't gr> to Uxl yet,"' Campy replied. "1 have some good news for you jit "irl. What do you say to a holidaV.'a. real holiday in Paris with money to" spend? You trust your old father. He may bf a i° c 'l m * ome things, but he is not such a fool as he looks. It's a Tare stroke of business I have don° ihis iime." "So long as it if honest," Dora said, l 'l don't mind " r 'fHonest he hanged:" Carney broke out. "What's the good of honesty jn a. world like this.' This job is going to be worth a thousand pounds to mc. I have only got m wait till to-morrow afternoon, and the money will V as good as in my pocket."

"A thousand pounds:' , Dora rrird. •TVhv thai i= the sum that Mr. AYeiss , is offering for information that will lead | to the arrest nf .Mr. Father. I, you don't mem to lell mc you have! sunk so low—" i "A thousand pound? is a thousand | pounds."' Carney --aid dogma tically. j "And don't, i-omc interfering in things! you don't understand. Besides, you I; don't call that getting money dishonest- h ly. However, it doesn't matter what you call it. ray dear. I have got it j down in my pouket-book. 50 that. 1 shan't forget it. After to-morrow we will go to Faris and have a real good time."' The speaker":- voice trailed off into incoherent, muttering?: then his head fell back, and snore after snore came from him. Iza crept into the room. Her face was pale, but her eyes were blazing with determination. ■"Now try to wake him," she whispered. "'I want to sec if he is really sound asleep. I understand that when 1 men get in that state it is almost impossible to bring them to their senses again until the effects of the drink have pised off. Shake him vigorously, pinch him, shout in his ears. Don did us Iza urged, but Carney might bare been dead so tar as the girl's efforts were concerned. "That's right."' Iza said. "Sow we won't be long. Search his pockets and find that book he spoke about." 'The search was not difficult, for Carney's pockets were empty, with the exception of a pipe and ounch of keys and a few coppers and odds and ends. The memorandum-ljcrok proved to b<? in the form of a small pocket-diary. Yari-ons-mysterious itemi and hieroglyphics were scribbled on some pages. On one page a single entry consisted only of a-n addfes?. and the word? "rive o'clock.' , -This is it/ Iza exclaimed. '"This is the address we want. "Johnson's Ho»L Wilderness road.' The words 'five o'clock' indicate 1 lie time to-morrow when the arrest will Vie made. This address has only been written to-day, th<? pencilling is fresli and unblurred, and. you see, it is under tue proper date. I am exceedingly thankful I came here tonipht. With a little courage and determination I shall be able to save Gerald. Doubtless somebody has betrayed him." ~ "But you can do nothing to-night."' Dora urged. "Indeed. I can." Iza replied. '"T must."' "1 know Wilderness-road."' Dora said. "It i≤ not more than half a mile, from here, and lie neighbourhood is as bad as this. You cannot undertake a. journey lite that alone at this time of night. It would V,p madness."' I - "Madness or not. 1 am going." Iza isaid re.-olut.fily. "Don't jou see that to-morrow will be 100 la.te ':" ."I see you mean to have your own *3y." Dora said, "but you are not. going tlone. My father is not likely to wake for some hours, and that leaves mc free. I will go at onrp fi Regent- Terrace a n 4 tpU them what has happened. ■Terhaps I had better go to the nearest I telephone office and interna Miss Vane now." 1 ""Ask her tn call up Mr. Sefton and get him t.i jolk.w mc at oner to Wild- 1 I Road. It will encourage mc to' know that I shall have help."" Iza was already moving 10 the door. As foor. 3~ ?he had reached the street |! s> walked along rapidly till she- nir.t I £ policeman, and desired him to direct. wr tue nearest way to Wilderness Eoad. ihe oliicf-r looked ;it her iliihiously. I'mA though Iza was dressed plainly.' there feu bo mistaking her air and manner. and the polueTimn had had hi* spell <if intv in the West End. He inquired pointedly \i Iza was going alone. i 1 want to see a friend who i> in trrabkv' flic explained. "I suppose sa if *•'* "'Nell, 1 wouldn't exactly say it is unsafe." the policeman replied.' "Only X is. not the kind of locality where We 10 meet a lady." If you *"1 walk with mc 1 will put. you' in ™>?e of thu unstable on the next I beat." ka demurred at this, for it was the * cr y contingency she most particularly to aM.id' -he got her own way ** iengtii and walked hurriedly off in ? e . n^! i It did not occur her that WiUonle,, Ro.id was nn.cb l on - tba n Parker's Buildings. There we fewer rfiildren about, for the hour £«= late. One or two seedy-looking waters glanced suspiciously at her as ac passea. but no one offered to molest -X- the was walking more slowly and wmmung the houses on either side i she ,MUJd 1 Ira «e of I IIT^ 5 Hotel " lf la had expected /. in the way of a private i- she was doomed to dis--1 Sγ^™ 4 - she reached it, I P. uhllc " hou « of the ; flasbv M -ter-'o/', place ' dts S lire a ° d gUt" Bnnors, straogely unfit e«r-

, , Published by Special Arrangement.

roundings for the squalid, poverty-strick-en men and women who passed in a steady tric-kle through the swing doors of the bars. Iza's heart sank within her as she realised that this was her destination. What to do next she had not the least idea. It was maddening to think that Gerald was within a few yards of her and wholly unconscious of ihe danger which threatened him. As Iza stood there one half-drunken loungf>r madt a remark which brought the blood fiaming into her face. Another loafer jeered and laughed, and Iza hastily crossed the road. She was dazed and frightened, and for the moment had los; her head. Before she knew what she was doing she had passed through the swing doors and into the centre of the great roaring bar. It wa* well for Iza that she bethough.t herself of the black veil which her maid had thoughtfully I twisted round the black sailor hat she was wearing. At any lute, slip could j hide her features, had hardly done Iso before a heavy hand was laid on her i arm, and *be turned in terror to tin j . a big man at her side.

He was tall and muscular, but his fairly good-looking face was maned with tracv.s of dissipation. There was a. reckless air about him which spoke plainly of a turbulent, spirit within. On the whole, though, what with his rough hair and long rod; beard, the man looked out Of place. He j would be much more at home in a mining camp or a ranche. "Well, the world is a small place," he said, "and I have long since got over any ! feeling of astonishment at. finding old friends everywhere. But to see you here of all places in th" world, you who were always so cold and distant and haughty. 1 bet my bottom dollar on one thing. You didn't come here to get a drink.' , "Absurd," Iza, stammered. Sh-e was trembling ircm head lo foot with foir and anger. "I am looking for a friend, Mr. I'ord. It was necessary for mc to come, but you can imagine "' "Oh. 1 can imagine all that," the mm called Ford declared. "Aud a? to friends, why you ha.ye a good one in Xed Ford, hod a* he is 3ud bad as he is likely to remain. It isn't you I have a quarrel with, but. the man I'm looking for is Jim Biake, and v hen I last saw that infernal you wore in his company. Xext time 1 meet Jim, let him lnok to himself. I have, sworn to have that rascal's blood and I'll have it if I hang for it. Look b-f-re. ray dear, see what I have got in my hand. Xo reason to ask you to guess what they are, for you know as well as I do.' , "1 know what they are." lia stammered. "They arc uncut diamonds worth a king's ransom." "Right you are. my girl, and there arc plenty more where these came. from. 1 got them in the good old-fashioned way, plenty of danger in it. Nothing like danger to make a man appreciate good fortune when it comes his way. Those stones are worth a king's ransom as you say, and every one of them is yours, if you will only tell mc where 1 can lay hands on Jim Blake." ""I would not touch them if I were starving,"' Iza cried. "I was never wiih you in that disgraceful business. - I was no more than a tool of Mr. — 1 mean Jim Blabe and the other?. Neither will 1 give any information about Blake's movements. No violence shall come through mc."

"I like your grit," Ford said admiringly. "Xow let's try you another way. Supposing you are here looking for somebody you arc very fond of; wn will say if you like, that Ivo lias got into a bit of trouble and i≤ anxious not to be too friendly with the gentlemen in blue. It I were fo tell you where you can find him at this very moment, will you give mc the information I'm aft-eri"'

Iza he3ita.ted. The temptation was terrible. She did not stop to consider how this man had come to know so much, but made up her mind rapidly there and then not to accept any aid at the hinds of Ned Ford. "I can make no bargain with you,' , she ; said coldly. "If you like to help mc you j can and I shall be very grateful, but I | can promise nothing in return.' , I "Very well." the man said goodr humouredly. "You see that room yonder; if you go through there you will find a passage on the other side leading into another room. Thfl place is in darkness, but go boldly along and I will see you are not molested. Wait a few moments and I will try " Iza hurried on, only too thank ful to escape s-om vie siucll and glitter ajid glare of tho bar. She was in utter darkness, but the fresh air blowing on her ioroVead was cooling and grateful. (To t>e continued daily.)