THE WELFLEET MYSTERY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7366, 18 January 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WELFLEET MYSTERY.

' ' By MRS GKORGIE SHELDON. Author of " Geoffrey's Victory," " Dorothy Arnold's Escape," " Brownie "b Triumph," "That Dowdy," "The Forsaken Bride," etc., etc.

CHAPTER XXVI. .(Continued).

So, the next morning, Sylvia was dressed in a wrapper of blue flannel, whic 1 jkthe forethought of some one had provided for her, drawn out in a great easy chair to a sunny window, and away from her sick companions; and there her strange friend came to see her.

She watched him with a keen, eager look as he crossed the wide room to her.

He was light-complexigned, though considerably >unbrowned. He had waving, chestnut hair, honest, small ej-es, a strong though frank face, and a handsome mouth.

He was, apparently, about thirty years of age: and the moment she met his kind eyes she knew she conld trust him entirely. He was a man to whom the name of "woman" was sacred. He came and took her hand, bowing respectfully before her. "I am very glad to find j r ou able to be up, Miss Sylvia — pardon me." he interposed, smiling 1 slightly; "but I know you as yet by no other name." "My name is Sylvia Houghton," she said, with drooping- lids, and flushing painfully, as she realised how she had trailed it in the dust. "Thanks," he returned, pleasantly. "Allow me to introduce myself as Edward Stewart." ■fee drew a chair and sat down near her as he said this. "Mr Stewart," Sylvia began, lifting her mournful blue eyes to him; then her delicate lips began to tremble. a sudden rush of tears blinded her, and she could not go on. He leaned with a pitying look, but said, in rather an authoritative way: "Hush! do not say it. I think I know what is in your heart, and it will answer just as well if you will keep it there. I am an entire stranger to you, but I wish you to have confidence in me, so I am going to tell you a little about myself. When I was a boy I had one of the best mothers who ever lived. She died, however, before I passed my boyhood, but not before she had done her best to teach me some tender lessons which T hope never to forget; and one of these was to help everybody whom I saw in trouble. 'Always lend a hand. Ned, my boy, no matter who needs it,' sTie used to say, 'and I promise you yon'll be the happiest lad alive.' After she died" — Mr Stewart's voice trembled slightly over the words — "my father put me into the navy, where I have spent most of my life; but my mother's motto has followed me everywhere. Three years ago her only brother, a queer old "gentleman, died, leaving me all his worldly possessions, provided 1 would resign my commission. When the will was read to me a familiar voice from afar seemed to come to me with almost a trumpet sound, saying. 'Lend a hand, Ned, with a will.' It was like a message from a dear one coming from a far country, and while I live I mean that it shall control my every action.

"So, Miss Houghton." he continued, with a grave, sweet smile, '"you will understand why I interrupted you, telling you to keep the expressions of your gratitude within your* own heart. Whatever help any one may get from me is due to her who is gone — the thanks belong to her. If you think you must give expression to any gratitude, just whisper it in your prayers to-night, and perhaps the angels will carry it aloft to her to whom it belongs. But I beg your pardon; I did not mean to be sentimental," he added, brushing a tear from his eyes; "but you make me think of my mother with your thin, delicate ' hands, your pale face and great blue-grey eyes."

"Do you suppose I ever 'say my prayers?' " Sylvia said, with a sudden burst of tears. "I haven't prayed these ten years."

"Ah!" returned Mr Stewart, gravely, "you should not have let go that rope, for it is the strongest one aboard ship. But our Captain, you know, was a 'man of sorrows.' He "knows all about it, and He never forsakes anybody who is struggling in deep waters — a rope is always ready

— Lo\e is its name — any one who will can reach out hi& hand, heize it and be pulled safely ashore once more.'"

A perfect torrent of tears was running over Sylvia's face now; but the man by her side saw that it was like a refreshing shower upon parched and thirsty soil, and would do her good, and bo he talked on — talked in his sailor fashion, yet in s'icli a prtu-1 ivral and tender way that ovej-y wi.rd .sank deep into the heart of Ihe unhifppy girl who listened to hi in

He talked until she began to c »*el th;ii i* miiihi be possible, in spite oi" the wasted years of her life — j ven after the depths of sin and degradation to which she had sunk for her to become once more a womanly woman: to put behind her all the bitter pa>t and begin anew— turn a fresh leaf and start 1 upon a fair, clean page. This assurance crept into her wounded heart as balm-like, healing oil.

"Yon have saved me. Mr. Stewart." she breathed, fervently, as he paused while she looked up through her tears, her delicate face "lowing with "•ratiiude and new-born hop*. '•Pardon me: no. Miss Houahton." he replied, very gravely: "you overestimate my instrumentaliiy in this master: it is for you. with God's help, to save yourself, and. you have t.o easy task before you. You will find much to discourage you. for. as you* gain strength, the old appetite may return — pardon me. but T think i+ best to speak plainly — and you will need all your resolution, with an abundance of faith, to battle against i1 But." he added, with his genial smile, "always remember that there will be One -who ever stands ready to 'lend a hand' in every emergency."

She thanked him with quivering lips, and steadfastly asserted . that if it had not been for him she never would have been saved: while she reiterated, over and over again, that she would never touch the vile drug, which had so nearly proved her ruin, during the remainder of her life.

She told him her story — told h:m of her happy, innocent childhood: of her girlhood, passed . m pleasant study with her father: of his death, her subsequent betrothal to the man who had put such a terrible temptation before her, and of all the wretchedness of her downward r ourse afterwards.

"You were more sinned against than sinning." Mr. Stewart told her when she concluded; "and the man of whom yon have told me" — she had mentioned no name — "will have much to answer for when he comes to be tried at the great tribunal beyond Ihis life."

Sylvia gained rapidly after that visit. Tt hod done her good to unbnrden her heart, while the wise, kind counsels of her new friend cheered and encouraged her.

Tn three weeks from that time she was pronounced fully restored and able to leave the hospital.

Mr. Stewart came several times during those three weeks, and every time tha'l he looked into' her face, which was fast acquiring 1 much of the freshness and beauty of her earlier yeai-«=. lie wondered how it could have been possible for one so lovely, refined and intelligent to descend to such depths as those in which he had found her.

"Have you any plans for the future?" he asked hex one day. just before she expected to leave the hospital.

"T shall teach, T suppose, if I can find a situation, since T am better fii'ted for that than anything else. But'* — a wistful look coming into her beautiful eyes — "while I have been here my sympathies have been so aroused by the sufferings of those around hip., I have been almost tempted to. turn nurse. 1 told yon that f once took care of a man during a dangerous illness." she continued, with downcast eyes and a flushed cheek, "and it was said that my skill and faithfulness saver 1 his life."

Mr. Stewart regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments: then he said:

"Tt seems like too menial work for you; you are above it — at least in one sense of the word, for you are fitted for almost any position in life: but — T am almost tempted to say that T believe it would be the best thins 1 in the world for you for a while, for it would keep hands, heart and brain fully occupied, and that is what you need, at least for a time."

After conversing- a while longer upon the subject. Mr. Stewart took his leave, and then went directly to the head surgeon, told him of Sylvia's wishes, and made arrangements with him for her to be retained in the hospital as an assistant for a time. Meanwhile he intended to find some safe and pleasant home for her, where she could be occupied in a more congenial way.

A few weeks sufficed to prove that no sweeter nor more tender-hearted woman ever devoted herself to the good of others than Sylvia Houghton,

and when, one day. application was made by a wealthy gentleman for «omeone to go and take care of a sick child, she was chosen for the work.

She was so successful, and won so upon the hearts of her patrons, that they recommended her to a friend, and she. in turn, to others, until the beautiful woman was so sought after that she could not begin to resj.ond to the applications which poured in upon her. She seemed to carry healing wherever she went, performing her duties with such sweetness, and patience, and; sympathy, that all who came in contact with her grew to love her.

Only once did she have occasion to do battle with the fierce appetite which had once possessed her — with that one mighty passion of her life.

Tt was occasioned by being obliged at one time to administer strong doses of laudanum to a patient, and the fume? of the powerful drug seemed, for a season, likely to drive her mad.

But it was only for a little while, though the conflict took all her strength and made her nearly ill.

"I can die!" she wailed, pressing 1 her white hands to her wildly throbing temples, and pacing lip and down her room, whither she had fled to fio'ht her battle out alone, with nervous, trembling steps; "I can die! but — I will never yield! Oh, Heaven! destroy — exorcise — crush out the life of this demon within me."

That agonised prayer was heard. There came a great calm into Sylvia Houffh ton's heart after a little, and from that hour she was free; henceforth the old appetite had no power over her.

When she told Mr Stewart of it afterward, his face glowed with feeling. "Never let go the rope which links with earth, and you are saft," hp said, earnestly.

'By the 'rope' you mean prayer?'' she questioned.

"Yes. I thank Heaven every day that my mother taught me how to pray." he replied, reverently; and, with fast-dropping tears, the. woman nhom he had saved thanked Him aTso.

This, in substance, is Sylvia Houghroii"? story; and, since she will henceforth be an important character in tin's tale, it seemed necessary to give ;t:; t: while, as we follow her in" the future, we shall se how it was possible for one who had sunk deep in the plough of sin and degradation to rise triumphant from it to a position of usefulness and honour in the world, ami all the better fitted for her lifework for the suffering and -orrow 'h'.Tni'h which she had passed.