A SECRET OF TELEGRAPH HILL

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5890, 23 July 1890, Page 4

A SECRET OF TELEGRAPH HILL

[BY BRET HARTS.] CHAPTER IV. The fortnight slowly passed. She retuvued, but lie did not sco her. She whs always out or engaged in her room with some female friend when Herbert was at homo. Tl is was singular, as she had never appeared to him as a young girl who was fond of visiting- or had" ever"effected female. friendship, in fact, there was Httle doubt now that, wiltiugly or unwittingly, she was avoiding him. Hβ was moodily sitting by the fire one evening, having returned early from dinner. In reply to his habitual, but affectedly careless, enquiry, Elleu had told him that Mrs Brooks was confined to her room by a slight headache, and that Miss Brooks was out. He whs trying to read and listening to tho wind that "occasionally rattled the casement find caused tho solitary gas-lamp thut was visible in the side street to flicker and leap wildly. Suddenly he heard the same footfall upon his outer step and v light tap at the door. Determined this time to solve the mystery he sprang to his feet and ran 10 the door ; but to his auger and astonishment it was locked, and the key was gone. Yet he was positive thut he had not taken it oat. The tap was timidly repeated. In dosperutiou he called out: "Please don't go away yet. The key is gone ; but I'll find it in a moment." "Nevertheless he was at his wit's end. There was a hesitating pause, and then the sound of i» key cautiously thrust iuto the lock. It turned, the door opeued, and a tall figure whose face and form were completely hidden in a veil and long gray shawl, quickly glided into the room, and closed the door behind it. Then it suddeuly raised its arms, the shawl was parted the veil fell aside, and Cherry stood before him. Her face was quite pale. Her eyes, usually downcast, frightened, or coldly clear, were bright and beautiful with excitement. The dimples were faintly then?, although the smile was sad and halt hysterical. She remained standing, erect and tall, her arms dropped at her hide, holding the veil and shawl that st :, l depended iroin her shoulders. "So—l've caught you !" she said, with ft strange liuio laugh." "Oh! yes. 'Please don't go away yet." I'll get the key in a moment,' " she continued, mimicking his recent utterance. He could only slammer, " Miss Brooksthen it was you ?" "Yes; and you thought it was she, didn't you? Well, aud you're caught! I didn't b'-'iieve it: 1 wouldn't beb'eve it wh* n they said it. I deteruiitit d to f i; ud it out myself. And 1 iiuve. and it's Wie." Unable to determine whether she was peritcas or j'-.-'iiiy;, and joneious only of hv< delight at si-fir.g h-.-r tiguin, he ndvaueid impulsively. Bur h<-r i xpressiou i'lstamly ch:"isgt d ; she letaiiie at one-.! Mill: and s.:l:'.;i.il girli>My formal, and r-lepped Iviel; toward lie do'.r. "Don't me J;e:iv i.miiu'. rir Til go.'' *he said tpuickiy, with her hand v; on the loi.k '' Lilt not-before ;,i:it t< il me. .vb.it y< v liM.an," h>: said li:i!f laughingly, half e.irne*ily. "Who is sli<r and what wouldn't you have besiVied ': Imji upon my lii.iiior, Mi-.i Brooks, I d'.in't know what veu arc talking about. His evident frankness and truthful jiianat-r appeared d> puzzle her. " \o\\ us , . .iv to s-ay you wore expcditijr no oner" she s;ud, sharply. " I iissute you I was not." " And —and :r) woman was fiver here—at that door ':" He hesitated. " Not to-night—not for a lortif liino; not sitice you returned from Oakland." v Then there was one?" " I believe K>." '• You believe—you don't know ? " " I believed it was a woman from her voice; for the door ivas locki-d, atnl the Uey was down htair.s. Whou I fetched it aud opened the door, «he—or whoever it was—wa* gone." " And thiit's why yousnid so imploringly ju«t now, 'Please don't go away yet: , ' You see, I've caught you. Ah! I don't wonder you bluch ! " If he bad his cheeks had caught fire from her brilliant eyes and tho extravagantly affi'cled sternness—h< of a si-hool-gii-l monitor —in her aninitttpd face. Certninly he had never seen such a transformation. " Yes ; hut, you see, I wanted to know who the intruder wa,-." he said, smiling lit his own embarrassment. "You did r—well, perhaps that will tell you. It wa? found under your door heforu I went awftv." She Biiddnily produced from her packet a folded paper, and handed it to him. It was a misspelt scrawl, and ran as* follows : " Win , arc you so entel ? Why do you keep me diluting ou the steps btfore them yurls at the windows? V/hh it. that stuckup fc-iiiur. Hiss Bi'uiik:', that you were afraid of, niy dax'i 0 you fa.ithlw.s trater ! Wait till I ketch you ! I'll tear your eyes out and hern !" It did not require grout penetration for Herbert to bo instantly convinced that, tin: writer i>f this vulgar epistle ami the owner of the unknown voice were two very different individuals. The note was evidently a inck, A wusrjiciou of its perpetrators flashed upon him. " Whoever the woman was, it was not Aie who wriito that note," ho ~ ;; ii(J positively. " S'liUf-bo'ly must havu seen her at tho door. I nmemlxr now that the-. , -'.' girls, your n"i"hbor.- : . were watching me from their window when I caiuo out. Depend upon it ihif luUcr comes from them." Obt'rry'M eyes opunert widely with a. sud«Un, cb'idlike pert-i-ption, hdJ then shyly dropped. " V«'H," Aw xii<l slowly, "they did wateli yon, for it was they who made it the talk oi the neighborhood, aud that's how it catrie 1" muthi-r's earn." S!i<: stopped, and, with a frightened look, stepped back toward tlie door again. " Then that was why your mother—" "Oh, ye»," interrupitd Cherry, quickly. " That was why I went over to Oakland, and why mother forbade my walking wilt' you again, and why she had a talk with friends about your conduct, and why she came ne;ir telling Mr Uar.stou-! nil about it uutil I stopped her." She clucked luwlf hij could hardly heli-ive his oye.s— the pale, nuulike girl was absolutely blushing. "I thank you, Miss Brooks," he said, gravely, " lor your thougiufuhiefs, alt'iioti'jh I hope I could liavo still proven niy innoci-ncc to Mrs Carefone, even if Home urkiiov.iJ woman tried my door by mistake, and was snan doing it. I'ut I urn f;.i!-i«-d io think that you could have me capal'le of k> wanton and absurd an impropriety —and such h gross disrespect to your mother's houso." "Uut," Ohciry, with eh : !dlii;H naivete. " you know you don't think imythinir of such things, and that's what I told mother.*' " You told your mother that ?" "Oh, ye.-:—1 tohl her Tnppington says ic'.-i ciuite coiniuou with j'oung men. Please don't lnujjh —for it'n dreadful Tappington did'nt laugh when he told it to me as a warning, lie was i-hockod." " But my dear Miss IJroolis—" " There — now you aio iinirry —and that's aw bad. Are you euro you didn't know tint woman ':" •' Positive !" " Yet you suiiined veiy anxious just now that *he should wait till you opened th-j door." " 'JHiai was pcrTeuilv ujituml." •' I aon'l tbinic ir. vras nttunl at all." " But—aocor.ii!. to J'appington—." "■" ■ •■"• ln-fittifir is very good you i ■ ■ "t him." i; 1 jii'-uv'- you J have no such intention. But what more can i tay ? I give you my word that I don't Iniow who that unlucky woman ".vas. No *oubt shu nmy have been eo'.ny near-lighted neighbor who had inistuken the lioiioe. mid I dave hay was ii.s thoroughly asionirilied at my voice as i wa.i at hc.v.-f. Can I say mure? Is it necessary for mo to swear thnt since I iifivc hu'-i litre no woman has evi.-r uiiteved that door— but" ; ' But whom':" '■ iToui's^tv' " 1 S.iKAV what you mean," sho .snid -hii'.'ii'"l!y> with licr old frigineuod loot, g!ii 'ug to the outer dijor. "It's shamii'nl what I'v'j dnne. But f. only did it beeair-i- ---— becuns-j—l had failh in you, aud don't bciievi; what they s«id was true." Sbohitd iiiiuady teratd the lock. There were teitr» in her pretty eyes. " btop"'s.ii'l Herbert geul.ly. He v.alki'd slowly toward her, and within reueli o£ her frightened figure stopped with tin; jtiJi'id re. t.i'jtl of a mature and genuine passU'U. " Y'di liitist niiV. be scm> going out ot thtti. 'd, or," he .-aid };raviiy. " i'ou rnrst let mo go Jirst, and when I cm gone lock ihif iliioi' tgi'iu .:'i.! 1..-H lhi-..rgh thti hall to your oi , . a vo;>ci. l\"o i«f i:iu>t kTiov. , thi.t I was iv Liii! hotiM! wu-.'ii yiii cnu "i at ih- ,- door. O ■<i in.-^t." Wiikuut r..tl, ,iv: ; - ! :-. h:r,,:l i>e lifted hi ■ tV<:.- to I: '"-'I- , -: din:;'liM rt'fV'J 11^1 tuiT,;—S'i'.'i ; r ~-;..-j. iju buwnl uad passed out. (TO EX COi'TIKUED J <