HIS FATAL WEAKNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 10

HIS FATAL WEAKNESS.

CHAPTER X. 1 BAFFLED. "Rita, ao you know who's at the halldoor inking for you, insisting on seeing you:" Mrs Drown burst unceremoniously into ihe 1 nig. lighted drawing-room. Rita, exl..""i'-l upon a couch, raised her mag-oilict-i. eyi_ to her mother's excited f-aoc "Nu one worth so much excitement 1 should imagine." she drawled. "It—it's Vane Dexter." 1-—Xher whispered. "Kita, don't, see liim. I'm filled ■wit.ii forebodingß of evil. Let mc get rid of him." "What arc you talking about?" Rita pushed her mother on one side. "Not isci- Vane! Kvil forebodings! You are mud." She went to the door and opened it; Vane stood in biie-hall. "Vane- -Vane at last! Oh. my dear— my deare-t. How glad I am to see, to welcome you! Come in here and tell mc all. W„y have you kept -away from mc all these weary days? Why, why?" -Why." Vane laughed harshly. "You have, only to look at mc." lie can ie right it—o the room, stood in the full light, opened 'i'is shabby jacket. and Jit-played an old knitted waistcoat. He wore no overcoa.t. and the night was cold. lb' lic-ld up liis hands- over which hung limp, frayed linen- -soiled and crumpled. He touched his unkempt I—_d: tihe once rrisp. curly hair lay matted about the temples. And i.hen be laugh—l. a harsh, rrcklosfi laugh that chilled the woman's •blood, weakened her nerves. •Look al mi— loo!: well. Mrs Kenyon. Do 1 dink a sniiable visitor for a fashionable wonraii. a tit object to si! down among sui-ii splendour?" "Don't—mli. don't!" Rita's voice broke in :i sob. Somehow. I'iis wreck nf a man appealed -more t.u her than ho hud done ■in bis iiriiglil manhood. All that was bist. in Marguerite Kenyon came upporniiisi, and ai- sin- reflected thai, it was she who ih.nl brought Vane Dexter to this pass, she almost relented. Then tiie thought or Nancy ca.me to her ininil, and site set ber lip_ firmly for fear they might. utter words wlvi-e-h. later, iii tihe <-old light of reason, Eiie might repent. ■Sit here beside mc. Tf only you bad crime i.i mc sooner! This." she touched the shabby sleeve tenderly, "would not have happened. Vane." Ami then. strange to say. she need almost the identical words Thcodiore Twiring had ii_s,d v.-lie-n In- appealed for N —ley's love. "Vane, is il so hard a tilting in ask you. Can you not care a little for me— enough to—to-—" She bung ber bead. Hardened though Rila Kenyon was. i-he felt how unwomanly ii. was to ask this man to in.irry lie.r. Still, a-s .the- circiLmsf ances vver-- uniqiio. fine liacl an excuse for re'their Tcßpccl'ive positions. '"Marry mc," -she continued. "1 am wealthy—•or. rathoT, 1 shall be." "You mean" — tihe vagabond stood before her. hant——>ine despite his unkempt appearance——wjieii you are paid the price nf your treachery. I know all, Mrs Kenyan. I know now'now I came to play the fool, .in fall into your iliands. Stop! Slay where you are!" Wil li n gesture of com—land be tbrnst luck her pleading arms, strode across Ihe room, opened an inlaid secretaire, and took from it a book, the "chequebook"' made out upon "Tbe Bank of Love"! "This is how it was done. I remember all now. It came upon mc in a flash. I-iook! 'My muiif is 'iotc. 1 remember your saying. 'Thal is a. bad signature. Vane, try again.' 1 d-id. The second -time a. real i-heqne. one on the Empire Bank wae si i Instituted. You see. 1 know v.iur plans -well, -largneri—e Dale. This is not the first time such a ruse succoecbrd." he- added —H»_iuc__—y. He faced ber tvhrhrkin %; forai, F?t_reil relentief—lv -i_to t—e -a—lien corrate—ance and ja—gbeil alond a mocking laugh in -v**bich was no mirth. Retails- day was over; iV_Tie DCTter's •-*_*• <a_ .—and! •■"Wiry _o yon. call -mc *by thai name?" -he juuitered. "Be—i—ec it to -j-outs. You are Mrs Hoe Dale. A imaTTied -w_cn_a— to ask a ana— _-> _!__— y "be.Tl v *I a—*c a -widow," she tbejgan. Tlciy by he_ -*-ens, yon are not!" erjed* a —•cm.- voice Iwhind them. "Stand back. 5f -yon please, Mre Brown. Magj»ie, old girL ai-en'ifc yo_ rd to see your lawful _iu——,T—F? A kiss—-W—at, not one for ttie retiirne_ prodigai! Not one?" "YtrnV Only one -word, and for the first time an ber life Rita Kenyon, or Mrs. ,loe Dale as ehe really; was, fainted dead away! "WelT?" *nieodore Twiring looked up eagerly, impatiently. This time Bill Bolton stood before his pa_ron in the sumptnously-fumished —rawing room, now decorated with masse, of spring flowers, although, by reason of the chilliness uf the weather, a clear fire, burned in the grate. It was -rident that guests were expected at the splendid mansion in Duke's Square, for soft-foe—ed servants glided hither and t_H—-r, arranging this and that, preparing a. surrrpt—ous repast for which covers were set for a hundred guests. "Y"o_ arc late!*' Twiring scowled. "I am expe—ti—g (friends to w_om 1 am introd.cing my __-ire wife. Miss Belford." The wastrel raised his head and _uigbed insolently. "Are you so sure that there will be a wedd—tg, Mr. Twiring?" Dale, alias Bill lk>!ton. as—ed'•\Y—at do you mean, you cur? Another such question and ont. you go, neck and crop. Yon are drunk." The man sniggered. "As sober as you are, Mr. Twiring. I'm ibere to give my report. Fve found youi ru_r." '"Ha! Where?" "v\"beTe he has been the last coupb of months —with mo. Wo shared tin same -room in the lodging-hom3e ou' S'epr.oy way. So you see we've ha< r'niy of time to talk and compare uotit? Mr. Twiring, your ga-n-ie is up. At thi v.ry minute Vane Dexter is with hi F-.ectbe.irt. T daresay he has her in hi ann o and i." kissing her now." ••*! ou villain—what do you mean " "I mean that 1 know the whole crui plot. 1 should do. seeing that 1 am th '..i-.i-.i-. if'i! Mr = . Kenyon. husband—le Dal- . alias Bi'l Bolton, alias Silent Bil ox-emviet. No. she is.n"t so much 1 h _T»e. and even i! sho was. I"m hi ] ivvful !:iii-band. and it's my duty, a: my ploasuro to stand by her. I dor want any 'nterferanee either. No goi r vi-r came of coming between husbai and wife. Only she's got to do as I t her, bow."

By PAUL, VIVIAN. Author of "Falsely Wed," "A Point cf Honour," eto.

Twiring staggered. What had bap- | f pened? Had he indeed lost Nancy? The v picture which thi3 ex-convict bad drawn t with such malignant force, rose before v him. Nancy was in her lover's arm_! £ Nancy's head on Vane Dexter- breast! Oh. it w-as too murh to contemplate 1 quietly! i Hy heavens, it should not be! He would make a fight for it. And be did, but * it was all of no avail. Quietly, in the j privacy of his study, Joe Dale told liim j tlie game was up: that in the portrait ' of Mr-. Kenyon he had recognised his wife: that in his possession at that r moment was tlie fictitious cheque-book; r that it w-as an old trick of Hita's, which ' once before had been successful. After a " second attempt the game, was played c out. ' " ' Baffled like an animal, trapped. Theo- v dore turned nasty. "Yuu don't inc|tiire where your wife lias been during your enforced absence. , Shall I tell your Dale laughed. ' "Vim may, if you like. It doesn't matter to mc uot a red cent. 1 took her, as she did mc, for better or worse, and if it's all worse and no better, why. that's . only the fortune of war. I'm aphiloso- ' plier. I am. Xo, Mr. Twiring, your ' game's up. No vvedditig--day for you, not just yet. and—l'll thank you to • band mc tliat faked document." " ' "I will not. J .intend to use it."' '•Do as yon like, only I don't fancy ; the name of Theodore Twiring will look very well in print when tlie case is thrashed out in court. A bit shady your purl in the Irani-action, e!i You've "used mc for your dirty work far too often for ; mc not to know there's two sides to your business. Besides " Theodore held up his hand. "_*. iv no • more. My guests arc arriving. Here is the—the document you—demand. Now go. and if ever you .-liow your dirty face here again, I'll band you over to the police. Now got"' '•With pleasure."' .Too Dale swepl him a mock liow. cannoning against one of the six flunkey- in his haste to get out with iiiri prize. The Honourable Mercia Chesncy. a woman of a certain age and high lineage who wiw to do the honours of Mr. Theodore Twiring- bachelor establishment, put up a supercilious eyeglass. '•Who is that uncouth erpature, dear Mr. '["wiring? lie almost knocked mc down." Twiring smiled grimly. He was not devoid of humour. Should lie tell tins smart society woman that the "uncoiltil . creature had robbed liim ol what was more to him than all the wealth—liis bride! "That man was a thief. During the liriei" time lie was here lie—stole niy mo.-t, valuable jewel." Tho Honourable -Mercia uttered a little shriek. "And you let him go free! ■ Suppose he comes back und steak our i jewels!" Theodore's face wa- impassive. "You ; need have no fear. Mrs. Chesnev," he - said quietly. "He took all he wanted -' with him. .\nd now 1 have to break to ■ you and my guests an unfortunate pice ' of new--. Mis S fielford is--is unavoid- • ably prevented from being here this evening, therefore I am unable to pre- ' sent her to you as 1 had intended." The guests were assembling quickly by • now, and nods and winks passed freely J between Diem. "Something's up," said one. "Is- she . ill, or is it broken offr' asked another. All the same, they did full justice ' to the excellent supper later on provided for them: and gossiped over their host's j affairs tlie while an operatic star of the ; lirst magnitude sang for their amuse- . ment. 3 But no one was very much surprised . when a week later the society journals 2 announced the fact that, "the marriage. _ arranged between Mr. Theodore Twiring. j of Colden Buildings, City, and Miss Nancy Belford, Duke's Square, would not . take place." "I knew something was up that night!" <> they cried tninmphaiitly one to the other. "I wonder who Twiring will a marry now." % They were not long left in doubt. Scarce a month elapsed before the same omniscient journal gave forth that "Mr. a Theodore Twiring, the millionaire oi :. Colden Buildings, was qtriotly married d at iSL Alloysis. to the. Honourable Merit eia Chesncy, widow or Captain the Honr ourable Plantage.net Chesncy, late of the Imperial Guards." c CHAPTER XI. d HER RICH rewaiid: "I've come to say- good-bye, dearest." "Good-bye, Vane! What do you mean? Where are you going? Oh, dearest, you must not leave mc again." a Nancy's face, pale but unutterably l t lovely, was raised pathetically to Vane Dexter's. ._ "Vane"—she laid her little hand on s bis arm, her head upon his shoulder— , "I will not Jet you go,"' she whispered. r "Wherever yon go, I go too. You will , not leave mc lonely, dearest?" "You have your mother and father 1 down in the pretty Devonshire farm of which you have so often spoken." Vane t said. "Narrt-v. it would not lie fair to . tie your young life to mine. Dearest, ■> 1 know you—love mc. Heaven bless you 1 for it. and for your sweet faith and devotion! Now that I know all you did, a all yon suffered fur my sake." I find I I have not words enough with which to express my gratitude." ~ She uttered a little cry of pain. "Vane b Vane, I don't want your gratitude, 1 want-your-your love. I want-vou!" -Down went the beautiful bead till it n rested on h,s breast. He could feel her r heart beating against liis own. W_o was he. what was he to have won such a treasure! Dare he take it. hold it to le his heart? Dare he. ousht he' „. Somehow Nancy felt that a 6trucro-]e it was taking place within her l oV cr_ id breast, and, woman-like, B bc took full s. advantage of her knowledge, id "'You must not send mc from you, is \ an.c. _ ou need mc." i.s "Ah, heavens I do." The words burst from him unconsciously. el "And I need you. Let us go together he to Woodbine Farm. There you will of,got well and strong. You will "lose that ill, racking cough, and when you are once I to j more your own dear self, then wo'il fi-'lit! lerjthe world together, side In.- side." ,nd Her eyes sought his. 'There was no n't false modesty in their earnest regard. >od only a true woman's lonaing to he md near the beloved, his nearest, his dearie!! est, his helpmeet through life's lon'journey. " "

And how could Vane refuse this sweet appeal? He could not. (lathering her more closely in his arms, he kissed her tenderly. "Do with mc as you will, my heart's treasure. I cannot live without you!" And he did not. On the following day they travelled down to the peaceful farm ■in Devonshire, where they were received with open arms by Nancy's father and mother, and In tho pure "fresh air Vane regained such health and vigour that one fair June day a pretty rustic wedding was celebrated in tiie village, church iii the valley, and Vane and Nancy Dexter went forth to fight life's battles together. And they won! At first it was an uphill struggle, and more titan once tbe young couple were put to sore straits; but bravely tliey persevered, and one day they had their reward. Vane came in for a windfall. His godfather, who to him had been but a name. di"d and left him the sum of three thousand pounds. It was not a very large sum as counted against Theodore Twiring's enormous wealth, but sufficient to invest in a lucrative business, and now Nancy has a pretty little cottage in the country, only half an hour's run from the greit Babylon where fortunes are made and lost daily. And every evening, when Cane returns. liis day's toil and stress ended, to the rose-embowered cottage be calls "home." he finds Nancy waiting for him at the gate or window, and he thanks heaven for giving him so great a treasure as a true woman's love. Mr. and Mrs. Stockleigh are frequent visitors at Hose Cottage; and one day as the two matrons sat side by side, talking over old times. Nancy made the rein a rl;: "I wonder what became of "Mrs. Kenyon. They say sho disappeared sud-denly—rau.->t have gone like a thief in the night. Sometimes I feel as though, even now. I can never forgive her. She so nearly ruined Vane's life." "You can afford to forgive her now. You a-k mo ii I ever sco her. I fancied 1 saw her one evening when I bad gone to meet Harry in the Slr.ind. and yet I suppo=e I must have been mistaken. I hardly think il could have been her. for she was very shabliy and was walking -vith such a "strange-looking man. shabby too. but with something about, him that made one think he had -eon bet! or days." "That was Bill Bolton." said Vane, who hail just entered ami overheard Tilly's remark. "Nance. dearest. t don't want vo:i ever to meet that woman again, bill I'd like to ilo what I could for her husband. May 1. sweetheart?" "Of course you may. Vane. Had it not been for Silent Bill we might never have been—as—wo are." . Ami she took his band in hers and laid it lovingly against Iter soft check. [The F.n0.1