MONA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12653, 6 September 1904, Page 3

MONA.

BY MRS. (SEORGIE SHELDON, Author of "Trixy," "Brownie's Triumph," " Earle Wayne's Nobility," " Queea Boss," "The Forsaken Bride," "His Heart's !■;>■':'.'■' Queen," ete., etc. CHAPTER XXXVn.~(Continued.) With despair in her heart, out a dauntless mien, the fair girl obeyed, and crossing the wide entrance hall mounted the great staircase to the second 3torey. As they were passing through a long, upper hall a door suddenly opened, and a gentleman came out of one of the rooms. Mona'a heart gave a leap of joy as she saw him, for she was almost sure that he was an American, and she was upon the point of speaking to him, but he passed her so quickly she had no opportunity. > She was rejoiced, however, to observe that her guide stopped before the door of a room next to the one which the stranger had just left, and she resolved that she would listen for his return, and manage to communicate with him in some way before morning. The porter threw open the door, and stood aside to allow her to pass in. The room was lighted, and she saw that while it was not large it -was comfortably furnished, and her trunk stood unstrapped in one corner. The next moment the door was closed upon, her, and she heard the key turned in the lock. A bitter sob burst from her as she dashed the hot tears from her eyes, and a low, eager cry broke from her lips as she noticed that a" door connected her room with the one from which the gentleman had issued a few moments before. She sprang toward it, and turned the handla. It, was looked, of course. She told herself she might have known it would be, but she had acted upon an uncontrollable impulse. But as she released her hold upon the knob she thought she heard someone moving about within the other room. Perhaps the gentleman had his wife with him. and impelled by a wild hope Mona knocked upon a panel* to attract attention, and the next 'moment she was sure she caught the rustle of skirts as someone glided toward her.. Putting her lips to the keyhole she said, in a low, appealing tone: " Oh! can you speak English, French, or German! Pray answer me." She thought" she had never heard sweeter music than -when the clear, gentle voice of a woman replied: " I can speak English, but no other language. " "Oh! I am so glad!" almost shrieked Mona, "Please put your ear close to the kevhole. and let me tell you something. I dare not talk loud for fear of being qverlieard. lam a young girl, a little more than eighteen year's old, and I am in a fearful extremity. Will you help me?" "Certainly, if you -are in need of help," returned the other voice. " Oh, thank you! thank you!" cried Mona. and then in low, rapid tones she briefly told her story to the listener on the other side of tha door. When she concluded the woman said, wonderingly: „ , . "It is the most dreadful thing 1 ever heard of. My brother, with whom lam travelling, will soon be back. We are to leave earlv in the morning, and he has gone down to the office to settle our bill and make necessary arrangements. I.will tell him ; your story, and we will see what can be done for vou." . . Mona again thanked her, but brokenly, and then, overcome by this unexpected succour, she sank prone upon the floor weeping passionately ; the tension on her nerves had given way "and her overwrought feelings had to have their way. . Presently a hand touched the key in, her door. ■•:■■■.■■■ , . .. Startled beyond measure she sprang to it, feeling sure that Louis Hamblin stood with"Do not. dare to open this door!" she cried, authoritatively. " Certainly not; I simply wished to ask if you have everything you wish for the night," the young mac returned; in perfectly courteous tones. " Yes." . ■ "Very well, then good-night, I hope you will rest well," he said ; then, drawing th« key from the lock, he passed on, and the next moment Mona heard a door shut across the hall. ' It was scarcely five minutes later when ; she heard someone enter the room next to j hers, and her. heart leaped again with hope. i Then she heard a gentleman and lady conversing in low tones, and knew that her story was being repeated to one who had the power, if he chose to use it, to save her from her persecutor. A little later she heard the gentleman go to a window and open it. Then there came a gentle tap upon the door, and the lady said to the eager ear at the keyhole "There is a little balcony outside our window and another outside yours with only a narrow space between. My brother says if you will go out upon yours he will help you across to us-, then we can talk more freely together, and decide upon the best way to help you. Turn down your light first, however," so that no one outside will* see you." "Yes, yes," breathed Mona, eagerly, and then putting out her light she sprang away to the window. She raised it as cautiously as she could, crept out upon the narrow iron balcony, and found a tall, dark figure looming up before her upon the other. "•Give me your hand," said the gentleman, in a full," rich voice that won the girl's heart at once, " then step upon the railing, and trust yourself entirely to me ; you will not fall." Mona unhesitatingly reached out her hands to him; he grasped them firmly; she stepped upon the railing, and the next moment was swung safely over the space between the two balconies, and stood beside her unknown friend. He went before her through the window, and assisted her into the darkened room ; the curtain was then lowered, and the gas turned up, and Mona found herself ia the presence of a tall, handsome man of about thirtythree years, and a gentle, attractive-looking woman a few years his senior.

CHAPTER XXXVIII. mona's escape.

The gentleman and lady both regarded the young girl with curious and searching interest as she stood, flushed and panting from excitement, in the centre of the room beneath the blazing chandelier. "Sit here, Miss Montague," said the gentleman, pulling forward a low rocker for her, " but first/ he added, with a pleasant smile, " allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cutler—Justin Cutler, and this lady is my sister, Miss Marie Cutler. Now, it is late—we will waive all ceremony, so tell us at once about your trouble, and then we will see if we cannot help you out of it." Mona sat down and briefly related all that had occurred in connection with her trip since she left New York, together with some of the circumstances which she believed had made Mrs. Montague and Louis Hamblin so resolute to force her into a marriage with the latter. Her companions listened to her with deep interest, and it was plain to be seen that all their warmest .sympathies were enlisted in. her cause. . ~ Mr. Cutler expressed great indignation, and declared that LoUis Hamblm merited the severest sentence that the law could impose, but, of course, he knew that nothing could be done to bring him to justice in that strange country ; so, after considering the matter for a while, he concluded that the best wav tc release Mona from her difficulties would be bv the use of strategy. " We are to leave on a steamer for New York to-morrow morning, and you shall go with us," Mr, Cutler remarked, "and if we can. get you away from the hotel and on board the boat without young Hamblin s knowledge you will be all right, and there will be no disagreeable disturbance or scandal to annoy you. Even should he discover your flight, "and succeed in boarding the vessel before she sails, he will be helpless, for a quiet appeal to the captain will effectually baffle him. But how about your baggage'?" he asked, in conclusion. '•My trunk is ip my room," Mona returned. " 01 course you must have that, said Mr. Cutler ; " the only difficulty will be in getting it away without; exciting suspicion*, We

must Lave this door between these rooms opened by some means. I wonder if the key to ours would fit the lock?" v He arose immediately and went to try it ? but it would not work. "No.' I did not expect our first effort would succeed," he smilingly remarked, as he saw Mona's face fall., " There is one way that we can try if all other plans fail," he added, after thinking a moment; "you can go back to the other room and unpack your trunk, when I. could easily remove it through the window and it could be repacked in here ; but that plan would require considerable time and labour., and shall be adopted only as a last resort. But wait a minute." He sprang to his feet, and disappeared through the window, and the next moment they heard him moving softly in the other room. ' Presently he returned, but looking grave and thoughtful. ~ "I hoped I might find a key somewhere in there, he explained, " but the door bolts on that side. There should be a key to depend upon for this side. I wonder" He suddenly seized a chair, placed it before the door, stepped upon it, and reached up over the fanciful moulding above itj, slipping his hand along behind it. "Aba!" he.triumphantly exclaimed all at ! once, "I have it!" and he held up before their eager gaze a rusty and dusty iron key. A moment later the door was unlocked, and swung open between the two rooms. Five minutes after, all Mona's baggage was transferred to Miss Cutler's; apartment, the door was relocked and bolted as before, and the fair girl felt as if her troubles were over. Overcome by the sense of relief which this assurance) afforded her she impulsively threw her arms about Miss Cutler, laid her head on her shoulder and burst into grateful tears. "Oh, I am so glad—so thankful!" she sobbed. . "Hush, dear child," said the gentle lady, kindly, " you must not allow yourself to become unnerved, for you will not sleep, and I ant sure you need rest. I am going to send Justin away at once, then we will both retire." "Yes, I will go directly," Mr. Cutler remarked, " but I shall call you early. ; I will have your breakfast sent tip here, when your trunks can be removed. Then, Miss Montague, you are to put on a wrap belonging to-my sister, and tie a thick veil over your face. I will come to take you to the carriage, and no one will suspect but that you are Marie. Meantime she will slip down another stairway, and out of the hotel, and all will be* well. Now, goodnight, ladies, and a good sleep to you," he concluded, cheerfully, as he quietly left the room. (To be continued daily.)