HER VENGEANCE!

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 160, 7 July 1909, Page 11

HER VENGEANCE!

,-•-■■ cHAPTEK SHI. THKEE TOGETHER. i--. manner was singularly quiet ' tiaaquil, indeed, that even the of put--m-tiiM upori herself. She sat began slowly dOSD m oveh7r gloves, looking the while j° Ifl Ch to Bra and back again, 'iron Hu<*h d«ar," she said •?£%£ the pleasure 1 .rtnir -rour friend." C «\v» beean Hugh, axvtwardly enough, - N * . g _»> and tHere he paused. "% ;- realft terrible what blunders "* -- make"" said Delia, thoughtfully wrrS fto- out the gloves she had just 0 "that stupid fellow, James zf t ™p Ladr Castleham was here ■*?Xw strang-e, as I had only * Wt Lady Oastleham's companySi now perceive here is another Lady jjSttia. «"* she de a mockms and trembling in every J? uttered no response, after a pause, SJ said in the same awkward and emdid not 6 STl<«ne, dear," said Delia, stUl moothing her gloves, "I am so sorry if I grSTtOTopted a private inter-

V '»oi tut tot havent," said Eira eageri v . <•! Wanted to go without waiting to j .Hetherington, and Mr. Tallentine -is Biting mc wait for him." "flt-now I understand," said Delia, toming her gloves and pulling at the Sh her belt till not a petal om them W 3 left; "that explains why I saw you jtodiag ia the hall outside the door j, eT e and ihen come back inside the room." . Neither of the others answered this. To Hugh the situation appeared frightful, iaramceivable, with almost a quality of aigitmare attaching to it. Delia's mood, too, threatened some outbreak Bore frightful than aay she had hitherto gircu way to, and what that meant Hngh knew well. It struck him that such fnricras rage as he saw brewing in her might .well overturn a bxain stronger and better balanced than be conceived Delia's to he. He was glad, however, that at esy rate she did not seem to have recognised in this fashionably dressed stranger of to-day, tie flower girl oi the previous efternoon. As for Eira herself, sh.« eeemed half paralysed with terror and dismay. Sometimes she just glanced at ftini, always to look avray again hmnedi-, ately. He had the strangest feeling in his Jieart, a yearning, a longing towards ter snch as he had never felt before for any human being, or even imagined could exist. He knew quite well that ehe only kept herself from breaking down entirely %y an immense effort. 'Tf the question does not seem impertinent," Delia said, breaking the silence at last, "I should like to know the reason why *Lady Castleham , has honoured us with this unexpected visit ?* "I am not lady Castieham," said Eira in a suffocating voice. said Delia, lifting-"her eyetaraw j^A —no doubt the footman misTm4etsn»d you" v ?How long will uncle be ?" Hugh, nnit'taai! anions only to put an end ta the itißßof this intolerable interview. ■"Som little time, I am afraid," said Belia, "bni need we wait for him? If jpfcr.Tiitor is not Lady Castleham, she iss obtained admission here under a iionhde-nlinne, shall we say?" ""It is nothing to do with you if I law," flashed out Eira -with something of her former spirit. "Tm not so sure of that," said Delia, looking at Hugh. "This is unbearable," cried Eira, with ier iands pressed hard against her heaving breast.

lovely she seemed to Hugh in her mraress; how abhorrent Delia seemed as Mβ sat and smiled and called him 'dear , fe every sentence. Yet he did not hide tm himself for one moment that he Bust-ank himself with Delia against ttas mibnoTCn, unauthorised intruder But he did n ot think that Delia had any nght to sit and smile like that. He looked once more at Eira; and a wild -tapuke was upon him to seize her, and Md her m his arms, and kiss her frag- *"* tar, and defy Delia and all the Entff?*" He " crushed the deling «nm told himself he must be mad Hγ*-^ 6 -*"* and two dee P Beriou s affect hun with such weakness; and fenS <.1 fiar " said 3Delia . " do you policeman." 7 yf« ? aid th 3 at 'T atitude ' Jjeua, BtiU smiling, destroyed the -£*™ Brt of the bare stalks of her

<Lear " murmured. k ' exclaimed Eira suddenly, ■-aSfifp f id - " don ' t y°« Si?'* tMs -° f y Qur o^ : fcri^V eX l perha P s Bhe wiU filing fOf the Sneer as PP- al*MleW Rr ! became suddenly red, *ta toT^f 5 flashed dangerously, as if > w>, aad a temper e "t Era P * A& to the man," burst •?y caUing h,im ' dears at i«Sft Sh f oul d I «ot," cried Delia, **ttat 1? ' all ablaze with rage W'L C °° slant "ttte stabbing "when '^ eeffeCt she ™ h "aarriedr 6aßa J engaged to be lo * ATI d Hu - h knew v «y well t0 herself ali erttZ h %teXediust before s£t§m? H d i are engaged ■" ?f Unseat tM. „ " . Hefchen ngton gave • %B . y «»t fact Bhroia be mentioned I"• hugils of e °ur ee> it fa aothing.

BY E. R. PUNSHONrAuthor of "Tie Choice," "The Spin of th e> Coin,' , etc.. eta.

to mc whether you are engaged or married or not." "That's a lie," said Delia, moving forward till she and Eira faced each other not more than a yard apart. "It's not, it's not," cried Eira, "I dont care anything about it; oh, I can't bear this." Hugh stepped between them, and taking Delia round the waist lifted her back. "Delia," he said sternly, ac he stood holding her, "you are behaving foolishly j —you a,re forgetting yourself." *'Xo, I am not," cried Delia, wrenching herself away from him; "you know that woman, you have met her before, you know you have." Hugh flushed, unable to deny this, and Delia was quick to see his confusion. "I thought as much," she cried passionately, "so that is why she is here. She knew papa and I were out, and she came sneaking here to talk to you behind my back." "•'Oh, I never," cried Eira; "oh, what ideas you have; thi3 is horrible. Why don't you fetch your policeman and let mc. ge>t away?" "You hare known him a long time," Delia raged on, "you have written to him; perhaps you have letters of his in your pockets; show mc what you have in your pockets." She advanced towards her, and Eira snatched up a ruler from the table. "If you touch mc, I will kill j'ou," she cried. The two women faced each other like a pair of angry tigresses on the point of combat, and then Hugh went between them. "I think we are all three mad together," he said, taking the ruler from Eira with one hand and with the other motioning Delia backwards. "Oh, you Take her side," cried Delia, "you admit everything." "Don't be so foolish," said Hugh; "you are talking in wildest way." "Am I?" cried Delia; "well, but for you she would be in custody now." "I only asked you to think about it," said Hugh. "You have a- right to call in the police, if you like." "You just do what you want," cried Eira passionately to Delia ; "it has nothing to do with him—it is no business of his." "Well, we will see what he really means," said Delia, and she ran to the bell and touched it. A footman came at once to the door. "You tell him what we want," said Delia, looking straight at Hugh. Hugh, very pale, made no answer, but glanced at Eira. He now knew well how much he loved her. "Fetch a policeman," he muttered by an effort, as though compelled by a force outside himself. The footman remained impassive and immobile. Eira was watching him with a kind of cold defiance, as if she wished him to understand she cared nothing what he did or said. Delia, had seated herself again and was very busy smoothing her gloves, yet all the time she da-rted continually ewift glances from Hugh to' Eira and back from Eira to Hugh. Not one of the three moved or spoke, and on a sudden Hugh understood that whal he had said he had said in so low a whisper that not one of the three had so much as caught a sound. They were all still waiting for him to speak. He looked a.t Delia and he looked at Eira. (His love, was .-with the one, but an unlawful love. With the other was justice and his plighted word; he could not deny to himself that Delia had a right to a.s'k from him what she had asked. He folded his arms. He decided that he would not speak. Not all the powers of earth would at that moment "have forced a word from his lips. "Well," said Delia looking at him with scorn. "You are to fetch a policeman," said Eira to the footman, and she, too, gave Hugh a look of contempt. The footman started, hesitated, looked at Delia, then understood the order was seriously given, was meant to be obeyed. He withdrew quickly. In the study no one spoke a word. Eira seemed the most composed. Dclii gloomed sullenly to herself, for she felt she had been cheated out of the best part of her triumph, and all her suspicions of Hugh's loyalty were strengthened As for Hugh, he knew that they both despised him, and he kne-w that "he heserved this from them both. A heavy step sounded in the corridor and a policeman entered. Hugh looked at him, but could not see him clearly. It did indeed occur to him that the man's features were familiar; yet they were strange, too, as though perhaps seen ■before under some very different circumstances. He heard Delia's voice saying: "Oh, Hugh, dear, will you tell th» officer "why we want him?" Hugh stiffened himself. He thought this was cruel of Delia, and yet she was acting within her rights. It was his duty to take her side. Both these women scorned him; and yet he would show them that he knew what he ought to do, and that he had the strength to do it. "Constable," he said, motioning to Eira, "this lady has obtained admission here by falsely representing herself to be Lady Castleham." "Very good, sir," said the constable, advancing towards i-ira, "you come along with mc, young woman." "Fetch a cab —a four-wheeler," said Hugh to the footman, lingering in the open doorway. "Thoughtful as ever," sneered Delia, not even yet content. The footman withdrew, and the constable stood stolidly by Eira's side. "But she ought to be searched, officer." said Delia; "she was alone in the room, and she may have stolen something." Tlie constable? looked embarrassed. "There is a female searcher at the police station to attend to that, miss," he said. "Oh, but I could do it," said Delia quickly, still obsessed by the idea that some letter from Hugh might be in Eira's pocket. "'Don't you dare touch mc," , said Eira fiercely. "Better leave it to the female searcher." recommended the constable. The footman appeared., :;!1 excitement, i "Four-wheeler at the door, miss," he ' said. j "Come along, young woman," said the I constable, holding Eira by the arm and marching her towards the door. A mist seemed to swim before Hugh's j eyes. Ec saw that Dolia was watching him. As the constable was leading her throueh the coor, Eira looked back at him. ~ Hugh thought his brain must i

burst, it seemed' to swell as if all the i Wood in, his bady had rushed to it, and yet he knew he must not stir nor give the faintest sign. The effort by which he stood quite still and motionless was an effort greater than he could ever have made when his life hung upon a blow or his speed. "Oh, but wait a moment," Delia called; "ought we not to come, too, to charge the woman?" "Oh, yes, miss, certainly," the policeman answered, pausing and looking back. "Certainly, miss. High Street police station, miss. You will come at once, will you not, miss?" "Certainly, we will both come." said Delia, glancing at Hugh. The policeman and his ca-pbive disappeared into the waiting cab. Delia looked again at Hugh and he looked back at her. Something in his expression daunted her, and yet her moody anger and suspicion were not yet satisfied. "Well," she said, "well, Hugh, you seemed interested in that young woman?" "There is more in this than you understand, Delia," said Hugh, trying to speak as quietly as he could. "So I bdi-ave," said Delia. She turned as if to leave the room and then turned back to face Hugh. In another moment the storm would have broken; when the door was flung open and Mr. H-etherington, who had returned just in time to see the fourwheeler driving away, burst into the room. "What's all this?" he shouted; I've given James the sack. Has some one been here while I've been out?" "Only for a minute; " Hugh began, but his uncle interrupted him. "A minute's •enough," he shouted, and ran across the room, and hurlsd himself at the great safe near the fireplace. "It's open," he screamed as he pulled at the handle, "I left it locked." Hβ flung the door wide, and for a moment searched within like a man distraught. *"CrOne !" he yelled suddenly. "My God! they've got it at last!" "What's gone?" asked Delia. He looked round wildly with a madman's face. He staggered to a chair and sat down; his lips moved but no sound came, only a little froth gathered on his moustache. ""\Yhat ha= gone?" asked Delia looking rather frightened. "Papa, it can't be anything so important as all that." "It was more," he answered her in the same wild way. Nothing like it in the world—no one can guess " "I think I could," said Hugh. "You!" cried Mr. Hetherington turning on him. "Was it, by any chance," said Hugh, "a secret process for the manufacture of diamonds?" (To be continued daily.)