THE SECRET OF PAUL FARLEY.

Evening Star, Issue 13031, 15 August 1908, Page 3

THE SECRET OF PAUL FARLEY.

(All Rights Reserved.]

By John March (Author of A Child of Many Prayers,' etc).

CHAPTER XXVn.—(Continued.)

The night was dying. Rowena Wycherly would soon see its ghostly grey dawn, and he—her life's great love—had not yet come.

Not a glimmer of light shone from the windows of the Larches. The blinds were drawn, the grey stone house nestling among the trees lay wrapped in slumbrous stillness, striped by inky shadows traced with tho moon's pencil from behind the reflected larches. The lower half of the boudoir window was open, an inch of the fluttering blind was bent back, and a parr of hazel eyes gazed stealthily down the drive, and held the approach "to the gate. Rowena, insufficiently clad in a cream silk evening gown, had "knelt in her tedious, cramped position for hours, unmindful of the stinging bite of the wind, watching for a sign from the emissary she had despatched upon a delicate, mysterious mission, a purpose that represented life or death to her—a gay, laughing, dancing life, a lone, hot summer of maddest love, or the void, frozen stillness of death's long winter.

At last! A shadow planced over the intensified whiteness of the gate. It was the shade cast by the burly form of her ambassador, and he, the wary veteran of a host of .Tough, drrnken campaigns, had sworn that he would not return to the Larches alone. She shrank back, softly, crouching behind the wainscotuntil the crimson camellia in her hair touched the dark wood. Heavy footfalls echoed from the frozen gravel, advancing nearer and nearer, in regular, monotonous precision, till they stopped suddenly beneath the boudoir window, and their welcome sound was repkiiCed bv a low, not unmusical whistle. The 'smile died on her lips as she tore the Wind aside, leaned out bare-netked, and lookt-d into the upturned, brutal, drink-sodden face of the man below.

" Alone.!" she gasped. "Alono!" "I met everyone on them trains," he i;aid. ( in a subdued whisper, " since I sent the 'gram, 'cept laret. Thin I wint inter the Guse and Gridiron for a glass, an'— an' missed the beggar." "You good-foT-nothin:;, drunken knave !" she exclaimed, perking out her arms with a violent gesture, indicative of an ungovernable desire to strike could she reach him. "Not one shilling, one pennv, not one farthing reward !" _ " Hullo, milady! not so fast. Stop! I'v«» not finished ; listen! Comin' out o' the public I see Pointer, an' I arsed who'd come along o' the mail, an' he says only wun passenger—the young secketarv char from f Hall. I follord hard after him, and I seed Miss Fleming a-letting o' him in at th' garden winder. I thought mavbe yer might be weary o' waitin', so I come to tell ye he's theer, an' I'm a-goin' backto watch th* housen."

"Perhaps he will stay there all night." "Not he, milady. Th' Squire's abed. -Miss Agnes, she couldn't keep him o' th' JV'm ' twonld P* to th * doctor's ears Hell go to th' Hall, else to th' Popinjay, aD then'll come me chaunce." "Bring him bo me, Denham; bring him unhurt, and Til make the one hundred pounds—two."

" Gude, milady. Til bring him if I har to fatch him out o' th' Manor." long do you think you will be?" " I dunno. Depends on how lone he stop theer. 3

"If you are obliged to use force, don't strike too hard, Denham. If he has to be nnrt I will do it myseli." "Very gude, milady. Ye stud] have him with a whole hide, or me name's not Joshua .Denham."

The man slouched across the garden into an adjoining field, and from thence over a couple of marahes into the Squire's shrubbery crawknd round to the front hedge. Two hundred pun! My certv' \ roaring price for th* likes o' him. ""with uer darned booty to tice a personable man what can th* wench want o' that sickly! mealy-mouthed chap. I'm feaied virtue am t hex strong point." CHAPTER XXYiri. BKAFDfG TOE WHTKLWIND. The Larches had awakened from its period of darkness and slrcpy repos«. Lights shone through the draw'ing room windows, a curious sensuous shade diffused itself over the mellow tinge of the pictures, over the carpet, which teemed to glow with living flowers, over the artistic taste tint wrought such artful splendor from the variety of decoration adorning the room. On a couch, drawn close to the fireplace, almost touching the marble figure of a woman veiled in her own nude beauty, Paul Farley lay, his eyes closed, his face pale, a smear of blood across one temple. Rowena knelt by his side, bathing his forehead with eau-de-Cologne. She was crooning to him in little abrupt melodious whispers, and alternately stroking his dark hair. " I told you not to hurt him," she said, looking at Denham, who stood awaiting further orders. **l believe you have killed him!"

" No fear, milady, he ain't dead, nor near dead ; he's a bit stun. Yon see, ma'am, I were forced to gie him a tap. I couldn't har carried a long chap like him a kicking, struggling, and a bawling not comfortable like. You've the brandy, ma'am, and the suits. Is theer onything else I can git?" " No, you can go. Take the key otrt of the door, and lock it after yon." Denham efficiently carried out his mistress's orders, and remained a few minutes in a soliloquoua mood on the landing scratch, ing his head.

" I'm blowed !" be muttered thoughtfully, and as no other inspiration waa forthcoming he repeated: "Well, theer, I'm blowed!"

It took time, but at length Rowena won him from his lethargy, and he awoke first to the strange loveliness of his surroundings and then to the chill of her presence, to the horror of the beautiful face bending over him. He struggled to a sitting pos° turc, and stared at her, fear and abhorrence written largely on every line of his face. He was terrified, and showed it. Nevertheless Rowena met the look with a tender smile and calm melancholy grace, "You are afraid of me. Why?" "Because you act like a mad woman. Why behave so extraordinarily? Why resort to assault and abduction? Why outrage common decency by employing force and violence to retain mc here against my will?"

"Why? Because no other method would have availed."

"Rowcna, have yon no self-respect, no womanly instincts, no healthy, heavenlv germs in your nature to beget self-abnega-tion, self-effacement? Is there nothing in creation, either in the heights above or *n the depths below, nothing better, worthier dearer than yourself?" ' " Nothing " she said in a hoarse voice, pent with passion, throwing herself full length on the Jeopard skin. "I have no more generous instincts in my nature than you have in yours. You did not scrnplo to aeceve me, and deceiving, let Mr Hare takp the corsequences of that deception. 1 tried to kill him, hut I did not succeed, anu I am glad, because I am at liberty to revenge myself on the real culprit. I meant to kill somebody, because the thirst for blood tun been on me for some tim«* past. I only wonder I have not killed the child. You see, Paul, homicidal mania is in our family, on my father's side. It was latent might have remained si>, bad every desire in life not been frustrated. Never, in one instance during my whole existence have I gained one "single th:ng upon which I set my heart and mind. I have sown affection and reaped bate; I Imvf sown kindness ar,d reaper* treachery. Then you ask whether I hive no self effacement. Have you no sense of the ludicrous?"

He stared at the beautiful creature .rrovellmg and pluckipg the fur from the rug at his feet. He was frightened and

bewildered. He had no manner of doubt but that the crisis in hia life had coma. He was np . here alone at the Larches, miles from any other habitation. Not a creature, with* the exception of the drinksodden laborer on the other aid* of the door, and a little idiot child, to hear him, even if he succeeded in breaking the windows and shouting. Had his sin been so great as to warrant a violent death at the hand of a maniac? Possibly was he not holding the safety of three, perhaps four, lives in the hollow of his hand? Why had he persisted in the disgnue which had wrought misery and catastrophe to the homes of those who bad taken him on trust, and bean kind to hira ?

If tho horror were coming he hoped it would cone soon, There was little use in prolonging the agony, though Felix was alive, and naturally he now wished to live. And this was his punishment—no doubt well earned—never to be able to tell them he was sorry—sorry for the grief he had caused those dear friends. They would find out. Agones in her distress would tell, and a bitter resentment, would cling to all that was left of him. He would become a painful memory to those he loved, especially to one for whom he would have laid down his life. He had never intended to see Felix agaio. Ho had been determined on that score But to be in the world, and know that Felix, too, was there, to hear of him, to think of him, to dream of him, would be a God-given boon, would—ah,. Rowena's hands were creeping upwards, and he feared they were coming about his neck.

He sprang to his feet, unwisely acting nnder the influence of his intense dislike to her caressing touch. "Get up, Rowena," he exclaimed sharply, " and sit on a chair." She obeyed immediately, and flushed with success he added : " Now open the door."'

"Never," she whispered, with a cunning laugh. " You are my prisoner, Paul. My stolen property. I am going to keep you here." " You can't. Someone will surely come," he cried, goaded to desperation by the expression in her eyes. " I will break every window in the room if you don't open the door."

" Do it," she said, looking at him admiringly. " You are at liberty to wrck tho contents of the room. You shall do anything you chooso, anything that amuses you. If you consider the old china and bric-a-brac worthy of you; strength, I shall feel they wore worth the mint of money they cost, and of sormpractical nse at the lart. Here," she screamed excitedly, diving beneath an ebony cabinet, and bringing out a pair of small revolvers. "I know a better game than that—let us shoot."

" No, no," he implored, almost tearfully, pushing her back, "put them away." She laughed mirthfully, with something of the old childish lilt in the laugh. " I don't want to shoot," he said. trying to be calm and pressing her dow i into her chair ; " I only want one thing : I want—dear Rowena, will you let m< go ?"

"There is nothing elso I could denv you. I can't let you go. I should nevei see you again, and then I might as wel' be dead. Shall I be dead? Shall we both be dead? Yes. let's both be dead You first, then I." She sat smiling at him. He had his hand on her shoulder. He was tremblino in every limb and terribly upset; he had not the faintest idea_ what he was say ing, but he was talking to her in a persuasive, soothing tone, when she raised her hand and pointed the muzjJe of the weapon close to his face.

" Stand still ; let me kill you; or sit down, if you like. I can aim straight." It had come then, the crucial, the aw ful moment had come. He staggered back into his chair panting, half swoon ing, wondering in a vague, silly way at the curious scuffling in the fold of a "curtain behind him. The next instant a ringing yell made his blood run cold. It forced open his eyes and he saw something white dash past to spring with the agility of a panther on to the Jap of the woman opposite him. With the impact the revolver kicked, and simultaneously with the stinging pain in his left thumb he heard a hoarse, tuneless voice shrieking : " She shan't hurt you, man, kind man; th; goat shall hurt her; the goat shall hurt her, like she hurts me so—soso!"

Half fainting, hplf dazed, and full of excruciating pain,'' he stared at the horrible scene before him. Gny's red, bony fingers ■were fastened round his mother's slim, ■white throat; he clung there, shrieking to Paul to run away, to hide himself now while the goat held her. The woman struggled to her feet, and tried desperately to throw him off; she struck sickening blows at him with the butt end of the revolver; she scratched, fought, writhed, lost her balance, and fell back in her chair, with the strong fingers locked, smelted into an iron grip by the frenzy of the mad_ paroxysm consnming him. Several times Paul essayed to rise from his chair. He had a confused idea that he could persuade the boy to leave hold, to let go his choking, gurgling victim. But constant anxiety and loss of nerve power, combined with his present supreme horror, had completed their work; he was powerless to move or to speak, utterly unable to interfere between the rocking creatures—the yelling boy and the gurgling woman. The beating of her jewelled hands gradually became more feeble, the face lost its marvellous beauty, the passionate heaving of the full, white bosom grew lees, and watching against his will the awful agony, the revolting torture, he fainted. How long he remained unconscious he was unable to conjecture, but slowly regaining his aensos, he awoke to a strange, weird stillness. The fire had burned hoilow, the boy's screaming had ceased; nevertheless he still clung tenaciously to the stiff upright figure of a woman whose crown of corn-colored hair coiled and waved above a dead, black, distorted face. He closed his eyes; he felt sick, ill, almost dying, his teeth chattered, and he shook with the chill of the fast oooling room, with the cold atmosphere that was forming, circling round th« rigid corpse. "Oh, God!" Waa he to be locked in there to stare for ever at that hideous sight? Hark! there were voices outside. Someone had wondered at the prolonged silence, someone was coming to see if all was right —aa it should be. The key grated in the lock, the handle was wrung round by a powerful hand, the door flung open, and three men trooped in. Felix was foremost; he looked at the frightful shape of death, with the boy kneeling on its stiffening lap, uttered an exclamation of amazed horror, and hastened across the room to Paul.

"Are you hurt!'' he asked briefly. He said something in response, he did not know what. He was ill, weak, wounded, utterly broken down and cowed' Seeing through a blurred mist the face of his deliverer, he just raised his arms feebly and clung to Felix's neck, "Oh Felix, dear Felix," he said tear- .!?' ? efc me ont of the room." "I will; don't give way yet, there's a B°™ fellow. The boy strangled her." 'She was going to shoot me—the boy has a liking for me—he came from-«ome-where and—did that."

. Ralph! the Squire said, without turning, give Mr Farley your arm and walk back with hun to the Manor; th«j take the cob and go for Dr Hunter." "As to you, Denham," he added, when the door closed, "yon skulking fool, yon abominable brute and kidnapper, separate those two!' The severance was appalling. Guy's lust of hate, the reaping of the dislike, the unkindness, the neglect heaped upon Mm, sown broadcast across his poor life, and culminating in one ungovernable desire for vengeance, apparently was not even yet sated, and he absolutely refused to nve up his ghastly prey. *^ "Guy," Felix called, his back turned on Denham's repulsive test, -Guy, come here!

The boy did from the set limbs and ran to nun. Felix seized him and hurried from the room, followed close at his heels by Uenham, who evinced no morbid desire to linger behind. "Lock the door, Denham, and take charge of the child fo? a day or two. I will put the proper machinery in motion for this matter as soon as it's day^gfct

and I will stay downstairs until the doctor comes. Yon need not hurry to frighten the servants, Joshua." 'TH let 'em find it out, sir; that JLeonie is a jabbering, prating fool. She'll shrike the housen down;. she'll—theor's blude on yer collar, sir, an' on yer shut front." "■ Blood I" he exclaimed. '" I've not been near blood, and there is none on the boy. How the deuce did it get there?" "I dunno, but it's theer, an' " "Heavens!" Farley put his arm round his neck. Was it from him? Had she shot him? Was he hurt, after all? "Catch hold of this boy, Denham," he said, impatiently. " I won't stay. Tell Dr Hunter to hurry up and come straight on to the Manor—l expect Mr Parley is hurt. By the way, how did that boy cet into the room?"

I dunno; leastways, he wor on the stairs in his shut when I carried Mr Farley in. Spec he follard and hid, sir." CHAPTER XXTX MB3 GBUJOIY FEOWNS. The crass inconristency of women! Felix had pushed open the parlor door, and from his coign of vantage beheld Paul lying back supported by cushions, with Agnes perched familiarly on the arm of his chair. Ho was sipping coffee, she holding the saucer and he tho cup. A plate of the daintiest of ham sandwiches stood untouched on a stool, unnoticed, forgotten in the interesting absorption, so engrossed were thev one with the other. Agnes's head had all but touched his, while she apparently laid down the law in a subdued voice and impressive manner, which appeared to possess the power of eliciting his entire attention. The exposition had also the gratifying advantage of promoting profound silence on the part of her auditor, causing him to listen to her with a melancholy apology for a smile and a pained contraction of tho evebrows. Felix marvelled at the* quantitv and wondered at the quality of that softened, unbroken Qovr. Awhile back she was distinctly averse to his entering the house and now she had rushed to tho opposite extreme. She was objectionably close to him, patting his hand—salving' her conscience without doubt, at any rate treating him much in the same way, with the same freedom she might adopt towards himself.

It was curious, women were phenomenally incomprehensible, and it was simply a waste of timo and energy to try to penetrate or fathom their motives. They had none, they were swayed by impulse, influenced by circumstances, and generally illowed their hearts to take precedence of their heads. It was high time to disturb the colloquy, !f only to assure himself to what extent Paul was hurt, to take him under his own wing, and insist upon absoj l Ulet a niellt of such excitement ind horror. Accordingly, he cleared his throat, shut the door, marched across the »arlor, and swept Agnes unceremoniously off her perch. ' " There are plenty of chairs in the room •\gnos, mr dear," he remarked, in a tone • liat had a disagreeable amount of stamh m it and then, laying a hand on Paul's -houlder, he added, anxiously; "Where's ■h> mischief, dear bov?" Paul brought a hand swathed in linen -ag from boncath his coat and looked at it dubiously.

"Miss Agnes has been good enough to bandage it for me." " Is it a bad wound ?"

"It's just a bad scratch. Tt " "Is that statement absolutely veracious'" Felix asked, looking over his shoulder at Agnes. "This young mw'« criticism is apt to be extremely inadequate where he himself is concerned."

It was untrue, as both she and Pa"l knew The wound was a severe and an exceedingly painful one. The shot hnd ploughed the thickest part of the thumb lacerated a.nd torn an inch of flesh from the bone. 'lhe dressing had horrified and sickened Agnes; but bv hook or bv crook its serious character mrst be hidden from telix, otherwise Paid would never be permitted to leave by the first train. They had been apportioned ample time in which to chalk out their ground, and they meant to adhere to it, to walk in its narrow course, hed.ed and bristling as it was with a host of harassing dim ulties. "That is hardly correct," she said, her eyes fastened on Paul's. " It's rather mora than a scratch—perhaps just verging on a slight wound." ?

'• Weil, it is best left till Hunter comef' and then he can have a look at it and do it up properly. In the meantime " "He will have to come quickly, then" Paul interrupted, looking at his watch ' J mean to catch the first up train," and he devoutly prayed for that happy consummation to his plans. _ "Do you, indeed?" Felix asked, with an indulgent smile. "Well, then, disabuse yourself of the idea at once, because vou won't do anything so absurd. What have you had to eat?"

"Oh, lots! Something—it was a—why a sandwich; lam sure I had one of these sandwiches."

"I should imagine you feel as if yon had come away from a Lord Mayor's banquet," Felix remarked, dryly, "on a meal off a 6andwich the aizu of "my thumb nail' Agnes, tell Rose tc hustle Mrs Pilgrim! and say we shall want a hot breakfast fit to sat down to in a couple of hours' time. What have yon in the house?" "There's that steak, Felix, and the pheasant yon 6hot." "We will have them both, and some tomato sauce; and tell the old lady the quuker we get it the bettor pleased we shall be. And, Paul,'| he said, twisting round, "in the meantime, yon come upstairs with mc and lie down""

Agnes had started on her errand to the kitchen, but come to a dead stop at the parlor door.

" Felix," she said, and she tried to 6peak in a casual, commonplace way, "the spare bed blankets are almost aired, but I think Mr Farley will like a nap in a chair here by the fire just as well." "He can sleep there to-night. He will stay a day or two now he is here—won't you, Farley?" Agnes looked at him. He had risen from his seat, and his face wasjjloodless. "Thank you," he said, nervously. "You are both very kind, but I cannot accept your hospitality. . I have made up my mind. I mean to go back by the 6.35 train."

"Nonsense, man! With Mre WychailyY decease the necessity for your return is removed."

"I have practically left the Hall—at least, I am to stay in town until Sir Thomas decides to recall mo."

' Well, in the interval let me entertain yon. Sir Thomas can send his communications here as well and better than to the 'Pendennis.' Come, there's no reason in the world why yon shouldn't stay a couple of days. At any rate, I won't hear of yoirr going by the early train. You won't go off in that shaky condition without a meal—not if I know it, young man." "You must really please accept my refusal. I "

" Not I. We are well matched in obsti nacy," Felix said, laughing. " But I generally get my way, and I mean to have it if I never do again."' -What is it you wish?" Paul asked, as Felix hooked his arm within his.

"Why, I want you to come upstairs with me for a wash and a quiet snoose. A nap will eteady your nerves. You're as limp as a piece of chewed string." "Can't I have it here?" he asked, looking anxiously round the room. "Let Mr Farley do as he likes, Felix," Agnes interposed. "If he does not want the trouble of going upstairs, why, he caa lie on the wiucn here."

1 " Don't interfere, Agnes. It does not concern you," he said, testily. " Besides, Rose is coming to turn this room out." "She need not,** Agnes pemsiated. "But there are the noises in the,house, the onell of the cooking, and- " "Supposs Dr Hunter sees me first, and then if he prescribes such profound, undisturbed repose, why -" "Have you any objection to come up-* stairs to my room with me?" "I?" he asked, with elaborate astonishment; "dear me, no. What is there to object to?"

" Well, come along, then, and don't let's ; have any more tomfoolery." I Pyd stood irresolute, staring at the comical look of helplessness o?» Agneeb

face,; haveemiled had the^e&na-< tion been-less serious and acute. 1 helix's genuine, tcoocem, hi* f affectionate jtftbftfctr his simple faith in himj his ness, his utter uncopsciousneee tijpf'he was over the boundary fence treading par-' bidden ground, was so ludicrous, so 6y6.' tericolly fmwiy, that he was just aJ»u|-to laugh or 'to cry—he was not sure wniffli—when, of all the acceptable diversion he would have welcomed,,; the door bollTraiig. " There's Jack!" Agnes lantly, and Paul dropped heavily intofhia chair. ••■": ' : 'ijl-. (To be continued.) : ii|: ■■■■■'' :: ; "' ■■'%£■■