THE RED PARASOL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 16

THE RED PARASOL.

*r E. R. PIMSHON. (Author of "Earl's Great Lord," "The Choice," etc)

1 CHAPTER XYTL I ONE AT OF ESCAPE. , Slowly this masked stranger came cut . from between the curtains and moved to- • wards Altessa, wiio stood and watdied • her in a dull despair. Now she could ' have said like the AmaJekite of old, • "Surely the bitterness of death is past." , Yet she was not conscious of any fear, i it was only that a kind of numbness ! spread itself over her. mind and body j alike, and that she had no longer any 1 hope. ! A yard or two away the masked I -woman paused, and Altessa found herself ! regarding her with interest. She was tall. I of a slender, exquisitely shaped form, ! and with a remarkably graceful carriage. j an ease and lightness of bearing so that ! with every movement one expected to j see her Stepping from the earth into the air. her natural element. Eren when she lifted one of her hands it was wonderful : so. it seamed, one of the old Greek goddesses might hare beckoned to a lover to approach her. The hands were small and beautifully shaped, the fingers long i and slender, the rosy palm and carefully j tended nail? alike noticeable. The feet, too. were very, very small, and of cxi quisite form, and with delicately curved J ankie=. She 17a* dressed in a close fitting I "Direct oire" costume, thai fw-t off to adj miration the perfect lines of her figure, I and even in the cold despair thai gripped her. AItPSRa thought that if only this woman* hidden face matched her body not al l factory could show her equal, not ' Cleopa ra of the ancient Nile, nor fabled ' Hekn. nor Rosamund who held a king in thrall, nor any other among all women. She notice.}, too. that '.he eyes prering ; at her through the fclit? in *be mask were of perhaps the rarest and most beautiful : of all colour? —a deep, violet blueand that her Inxuriant hair was of that rar» gold-en tint, soft and delicately l>ri<jht. that one hears of but so Feldom !>eeß. , Dimly Alte«sa bad a pacing ieeling of '. wonder that one appuren*'jp fn blessed ■ above all otter women wiej ffte richest ! gift of nature, a perfect bcmity. should ! choosy to be living this reckless, outlaw j life. Still the stranger had not spoken, and still Alteesa waited dully, as- it is said I the bird waits till its enemy, the serpent. j is ready to devour it. At last, by an J effort, AJtesea spoke: ' 1 "Are you going to murder mc?" she Said. i "Why. I thing so," th* masked woman i answered in soft, wonderfully musical tone?- • "Yes, I think so." she repeated i inkier dulcet voice, "for it "would foe hardI ly safe, yon know, to let. you go. I hope I you wilj not mind?" , she added, and her i eyes from behind her mask mocked like I a fiend's. j "No, only be quick," AJtessa said with I a. little e*»»pShe tboaght she could bear anything except -waiting longer, and it is perhaps > a tribute to the power this masked woman possessed that Altesea never thought ! either of flight or resistance. Both would have seemed to her equally useless. She I experienced almost a. sensation of relief I »"hen she noticed that the masked woman i was holding a pistol in her hand. j "Oh. be q-aick." she said again. "I never hurry," the masked woman ! answered softly. "T have waited two : days watching you, and it has amused I mc, T did not think any one alive would I have had the audacity to pretend to be i — ME." j She raised her pistol softly, and Ali fesea watched it.-< yawning muzzle tea* ! seemed to her no black and >inge. Her [ mind became very busy. A thousand scenes from her past life flashed before her; and she thought of &er happy days J in golden California, and she thought j hour' strange it seemed that she should J hare left her home to meet with such a j fate in this old country of settled habit j and abiding law. It all seemed strange to her, but a great peace came to envelope her, and she was interested to i watch the motes playing hi a yellow sun- ■ •beam that fell slantingly between her: aud the black inuar.le of the pistol. She toped ther* would be plenty of light •where ehe was going. Her mica , • . and her heart were at pe&ca. she had no sensation of fear at all, •but rather a groat longing to he down and be -at re*t. It seemed to her she was ( a baby again, with her mother bendm? over her to tnck h«"r securely in her bed. ' and she remembered her mother's i*«--with a clear distinctness she had never experienced before. "'Are you Dot afraid a voice asked. Alteesa roased herself with an effort. The masked woman had spoken with a note of disappointed cnjelty running j through her soft tones. j "Oh. I had forgotten you." Alt-e«sa =aid I in surprise. ! "Forgotten me?"' the other echoed. ! "Forgottenwhy. are you not afraid?" i "'Oh, no," AJtessa replied, surprised at a question which seemed to her only foolish, for why should sue *ear that res* and . peace for which her soul longed} i "Ah. well." the masked ■oman 3ard. '. vend vrhußtted; "now we'll see."' , At once AJtessa heard the door behind ber. the outer door admitting from tie ! shop. open, and some one enter. She ; looked round and saw -..he Greek, his ! handsome «vil face flushed and pale al- . teniat-ely. j "Shooting would make a noise.* , the mae-ked woman ea-id. 'so you can &co to her. Mil] you?" j "Oh. yes. ni see to her." the Greek ' answered, edging his way towards Al--1 Mssa. his hands up a.- if ready to seize her. His tongue mechanically licking his lips that had suddenly become dry and I cracked. ! '"Oh, I see you are afraid now." said : the masked woman, looking at- Altessa. and laughing, a as soft and musical as the exquisite tones of lter voice when ! speaking. ; "'Just kill aa," Altessa said to her with ! a little gasp. I ""Oh, Jimmy wil] do that," the masked I ■woman answered. "A]] in good time., you • must not hurry him."' she mocked, and how awful -were her eyes gleaming through the slii<s in the mask she were. Altessa drew a step backward but could I go no further, for the wall tiopped her. The Greek came ever softly nearer. The • masked woman laughed again, like the ' tinkling of silver beils heard far away on a quiet night. A thought came to" Altessa. and she put bar hand into her breast tad pulled rat *he little keen poictof etiletU) she had found in the maskel woman's safe, and had carried on her person ever since. "Keep off.." she said to the Greek, lift- • ing the TPeapoii to strike. "Ha. ha," the Greek laughed, "dc you think you (an hart mc with lia.t?" '""Be careful."' i be marked woman excfeiined suddenly, 'that's what 1 killed Johnny Green with,—it's poisoned."" I '•■Poisoned ?"' tie Greek repeated springI ing backwards. j

"Yes," said the masked woman, "a ! scratch from it is certain death, Take off your coat and catch the point in it—■ throw it over her. but mind she doesn't scratch you." "Poisoned V Altessa repeated. Yet who will blame her. She acted on the quick impulse that told ber here was one way of escape, her only way. With j firm hand she struck the weapon down, I against her breast, just above her heart, i She felt the prick of the steel as it : pierced her clothing and penetrated her flesh. All things seemed to draw away from her— away into an infinite dist tance. She saw the Greek with open >- mouth and staring eyes, and she saw him 1 vanish away into the far distance: she i & saw the evil violet eyes peering at her 1 I, through slits in a mask, recede swiftly far j "' off. it seemed to her she alone stood still ! •, and that all things drew away from her, ! s away for ever. j v "Ah. death could have lived and ! r loved." she murmured, and fell to her ; knees, and then forward, prone, her bonny i young face to the dusty floor. ' f Motionless she lay. and above her proeI, trate body the Greek" the masked -, woman looked silently at each other. t CHAPTER XYIIL > NEGOTIATION* ? A detective had just left the study, 1 and Lord Deremount looked wearily; '• ; across the table al his friend, Milbourne, i " a thin but powerfully built man, with a j clever, clean-shaven face. A barrister by ' profession, he iad been Derernount's ? chief adviser throughout all the erlorts ' ! made to trace little Teddy, and though • ■' j no success had been attained, that was "i certainly due to no fault of his. The de- • I tective who had just left, had but repeat- j 'I ed the old, dismal story of failure to ob- j " I tain even the slightest clue to the child's ' • I whereabouts, and Deremount sighed j *. heavily a3 he said: j ! j "It's just a month to-day since that at- | r ! tempted burglary, and we know no more j ' I than we did then. I am beginning to lose ' j heart." 1 "Oh. we will find Teddy sooner or • j later." said iiiiboorne. with an apparent j •I confidence he by no mean- felt :n rcali.;,. j 5 | "I have a conviction." said Dercmoun' ' : slowly, "that we shall never succeed ex- ' I eep: through that —that girl you know • j of. She saved my life that night, 1 be- ■ ■ lievp. and I believe also that she will - I save Teddy for mc." ' "Then." said Milbourne. "you don't be- ' lieve that story we got hold of, that she ' was dead?" ' "If she were dead." said Deremount '" with conviction. "I should have known it." ' Milbourne struggled his shoojders. ' Privately he thought the strain of these • past weeks bad had an effect on Dere- . 1 mount's mind, but he only shrregged his Shoulders and remarked: - "The account seemed circumstantial she seems to have made an impression on 1 you.'" he added, "yet I would bet a good ' deal that she is one of them. Or how is ' she mixed up in it?" "If she is one of fJnem, why did she ! warn mc that night?" Deremount asked. r "I consider that she saved my life." ; "She may have had ends to serve." remarked Melbourne, "but it is certainly > puzzling." He got up to go. remarking., however, I that he would like to see Mrs. de Win- ' ton for a minute or two. Deremcrant said " nothing, and Milbourne found Mrs. de I 1 Wrnton sittimr in her morning room. busy. I J or apparently busy with some accounts, | ? for she was supposed to exercise a sen- I ' eral supervision over Deremount's estab- ! ' lisbmeßt. though ttiere was of course an experienced housekeeper to attend to all details. He sat down and chatted for a I 1 -torrent or two on indifferent subjects. * ' Rut all the time he watched her keenly. ] ' for though he had been able to prove I ' nothing, it was towards her that his j " snsweions chicftv turned. i "Now. I wonder." he said to himself, I " "why she keeps her eves half closed Eke j 1 that?"" and by a sudden, apparently ac-i " cidental movement- he upset a book. i '• Tt ft-V. with a loud and sudden noise. j - Mrs. de Winton sat rigid and impassive i > as if she had not heard, and for a moment I : Milbourne emerienced a distinct disap-' 1 -pointment till, as he lifted himself from ! 1 stoonina' to pick up the book, he caught - sight of her face. It was white and. ' strained, and the eyes were wide, staring - as one might stare on the verjre of in- ' gtant and terrible death "I fear I startled you." he said poßte- ■ ly : * "No." she answered, mouthing and » straining to pronounce foe word. "No," I j she repeated and walked from the room.' < | Milbourne looked after her and pulled. , bis moustache. i 1 He hesitated a. moment, and then went' ; out after her. She was sitting on the! stairs at the end of the corridor, her' • dress a little disarranged, her ev»?s hid- ' den beneath heavy 'ids. Peeing him shiyawned in bis face fid smiled faint!v, j then yawned again. "Day dreams, Mrs de Winton *" Mil- i • boir-ne asked. i "Yes," she murmured, "pleasant mea-! ' dows. green meadows by a »hady stream ■ t 1 —and near by that gir! and all of them 1 in tormentand I watch them —oh." she I said yawning again, "I am so sleepy. Mr • ' ! Milbourne., I mast go and lie dow-nand 1 such great, lovely flowers, so beautiful ' and no ashes hidden in them, such as I , j have seen sometimes." ! : I She rose and went slowly up the stairs, j holding by the rail, and Milbourne watch- ' i ed ber till she -was out of sight. 1 , "Morphia," he said. & .A turned away. 1 I and went back to Lord Deremount. "Come and lunch with mc at the club." ' he said. "1 be fresh air will do you good." Deremount yielded— says yielded.' for he was in a mood just now which , made him dislike any exertion and prefer ( to sjt alone in his study and dream andthink. and remember that young girl I whom he had seen so seldom and always I under such strange circumstances, and , I yet who bad made so deep and so strong ; j an impression on him. j They had gone perhaps half-way. I neither having spoken more than a word ; or two, when a ragged little urchin be- , gan pestering them to buy matches. "No. no," Deremount said with some i impatience. "I don't want any." i "Well. then. what'll you give mc for L this, guvnor?" asked the boy. and produced a baby's shoe. In an instant Deremount had him se--1 cnrely by the arm, nor, agile as was the lad, did he find himself able to avoid the i • j man's quick grasp. | 1 "What do you mean?"" said Deremount! . j sternly, "who are you ?" I "Name o" Gussie Ward." answered the ! ' boy calmly : 'profession, recently reform-' • I ed character: present occupation, selling . j matches: present business, this 'ere j shoe," "What about it!" asked Deremount ; eagerly. | "Dunno nothing." said the lad. sudden- ! ly assuming a densely stupid air. i "Bring him along to the. pojice stai tion." advised Milbourne. i "Gam!" said the "hoy contemptuously. i "do you think peelers'!] get. anything out 1 of me—l don't think."' ' > '"Weil, what do you mean?" asked . Deremount. i "I've got a message for you." said | Gossie. "which is. as sea air is good for ] kids; and ii yon want to talk with folks, j 'i

! you 'ad better ta>~ a trip +- I self. But if you bring peSft S. see nor 'ear nothing,- and j' »2!* t * w t you as a kid is easy put .^Ji**^ • 'This is a trick of maJZL. i 1. Milbourne; "it would be bett«r ♦ J the boy-we could get someOnL™>P * him. ™T Wit 0 j I ! "Not you. for you don't fa,*. , M j j retorted Gussie, '"and if rao** **? ' I couldn't, for why? 'cause 'laJstJ* ) $ ; nothing. You see, along 0 ' ffie !**>* reformed character, tad neve * any more, they 'a Te BO m ore Lj'^^ag \ now.and don't care what arms * ** So if you likes to negotiate!*!! io . tt t .if you don't—only I was tPteh ***' | ] one don't want to 'arm ife bi -? 011 a * '; jit can be "elix-d." ' " **le ' i Still holding Gussie by (&• aTIn ~ , mount turned to consult Tin) I 8 *" They spoke in Trench that fiww"? 6 - I not understand, and agreed thai f ; whole it was the best plan tn ° *» ; .to negotiate. c ™ "Mat . I "Only mind." said Gussie «»-. ' '■ ! sent mc say that if yon tryW^L*' ! the kid'!] suffer." 7 ** *"* «*>» How are we to know yum- $, . - tends no trick?" asked JanfonrnT * "Along o' this," Gussie answers «, only wants money and they dotfta* I? to bring a penny piece with you." m | "Where ere we to gof j. mount. JJBre- | "It'll be in fhe agony oohsnj, *__ • row. said Gussie. "ItjdllK>W and it will be signed 'Gas' ,313 itTi tell Lucy to meet im; and ft. rf»«! -£* .it says." will be the place £&J« to. .Ml yon aye to do, is to Jo asit ST and a cove will meet you there, and vm . follow, and that's all." * ** j "Very good." said Deremount.«™« «... ; tell your friends that we agree.' SB iwe are prepared to pay Eheraflv if ft! | child is restored to us safe and «,£ - | and -we shall be equally md T ft i any treachery thai may be attempted.' He released Gussie, who stood and rub. bed lis arm hard. I ■•Lor', you 'aye a grip* he said. „ I j wond/r what she saw in yon," he a<3n*l I i thoughtfully I I '"Who?" asked Deremount. 'Her." Gus answered, "I don't see » much, lots of faces same as yonra but she seemed to think a lot of it, someiraT" Deremount. very red in fte &cc ttrra commented on. made a quick step forward, but Cussie was not to he otuAt twice and he was off like tie wind. Daremount turned back to MSboarne who «- claimed: ~ "Why, where's your wafeehj" "The impudent little vuTain/' odaanel Deremoui.t, looking ruefully at the broba chain dangfing from his pocket, "he anat have done it right under my nose." - "Well, it's a rum go, bat ft looks a fit > tie like business," said Milbourne. % ] They walked on, talking eagerfr together about this erne so unespeeteffir 1 offered them when Deremount felt a tin I at his coat, and looking down saw Gran once more at his side. "Beg pardon, fdr,*' said tie boy, cahnlrt showing Deremount his gold hunting watch, "I claimed it from, force oi abit, ! so to speak, quite forgetting a* I ■»■» » recently reformed character. Catch 'old, air—and look at the tame," he added ia a whisper, then turning and running off at top of his speed. i |. "Well, this business gets qqaerer eiery ! minute," said Dsremonat "Why should I ! look at, the time. I wonder V | j He pressed the knob of the an as he : spoke, and the watch, opening, disclosed j a piece of dirty paper throat between tim 1 case and the glass. He smoothed the paper out and read: v-wfr-I "Don't go. It's a plan; what they aaatj J is to kill you, same as they done 'er. Ihe j kid ain't thoer. lam watched and «a-----1 not tcrk. Don't go." ; ~££ j More puzzled than ever, and a good j deal excited at this suggestion that » I crisis was approaching, Dercsnount mi Milbourne went on tc their elnb and ate their lunch while discussing the incident and the whole affair of Teddy's diaip , peaxance from every conceivable standI point. But if they had only known it; a , clue to all that so puzzled him could at : that moment have been found.at De* mount House itself, where, almost at tin very moment when they sat down to : lunch, there was ushered into Mrs, de Winton's presence a tall, slender woman, ' fashionably dressed and -wearing so hear? j a veil that no glimpse of her' featnw could be seen, and with her very least movement characterised Igr an extreme and wonderful gracefulneaa. She. offered ' no greeting to Mrs. tie Winton, who. rale and trembling, looked on in silence "while j her visitor with her delicately gloved, ! shapely hands removed her veflj showing ! a black mask that hid all her face. ! Through slits in it them peered her | violet eyes, beautiful and evil, and he* . hair was brighter than Dm very sunshine lof the morning, I "WelL" she said, "how tm tilings go- ! ing? You have been at the morphia j again, I can see, and that ia very foolish ! of you." ; - "I cannot help it," answered Mrs. de Wini-on. "Why have yoa come? Is anything wrong "No," answered the other, tie sweetness of whose voice equalled the perfection -of frier form, "but things are coming to a head, and we need every help. Ton, too, , must do your part, if you wish to set ' your son become lord Dereraoant, or hope yourself to handle the Deremoirot revenues." ! "But what can I ioT asked lite-it Wint-on, "yo& told mc you would arrange everything -nd that I should not he mised up in rt_" 1 "We need your help now," the masked woman replied, "we want yon to find out whether Lord Deremount and Mr iElbourne will go to a certain place which will- be mentioned in an agony advertisement to-morrow, and whether they vrill both go, or only one of them. As soon as you know, you are to send a telegram to this address. Yon see we are making arrangement's to welcome them. "What?'' asked Mrs de Winton, trembling till the chair on which she sat seemed to shake in sympathy, "hut what!" "'Nothing that yon need know," tin j other replied. ''Be' careful to find out 2 they mean to take detectives with them. If they do our business wDI have to 1* postponed." ' "I understand." murmured Mrs dfi Winton. still trembling like a shaken leaf. The masked woman gave hex some ! other instructions, ana asked ii she were sure she thoroughly understood what fib* i was to do. j "Nothing must go wrong this tin* you know." she observed, "for, thanks to that accident in which I was nearly killed, we have not succeeded very well so far." I "It was thai girl, that Altessa Or- ■ mond. who. ruined everything," said Mr* ,de Winton: "can you not dispose of her. ' put her safely out of the way! I *■ afraid every moment of her turning up again." "Oh. dsuVt you know?" said the masked woman carelessly as she turned towards the door: "why. she is dead, shf-'li never trouble us any more; she is dead, and buried, too, by this time, 1 suppose." I (To be continued weekly.)