THIS CORNER HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12878, 29 May 1905, Page 3

THIS CORNER HOUSE.

[PUBLISHED BY- SPECIAL ABKANOKMKKT.]

BY FEED. M. WHITE, Author of "The Slave of Silence.'' " Lady Bountiful." "The Weight of I"* Crown." "Craven Fortune." etc.. etc. SYNOPSIS. f .„ AI . T , _ ;, T0 v._T„, story open. in the WV; liautlv-lii : residence "' County Lit.s<\ »• £ fashionable ( n»rt ..I Um.l.m. JJext -oo * ,<" corner house black, cl.muiy '">d closely s ~ utlt • The counted is Jioltli'mr . reception, an.l '« P™" cip.a characters i:i the story are pre" it, } '"• Gordon Bruce l;i straggling London doetoi), « < > Lawrence (Countess Lull's governess), an <->" bert J/awren.-e (>» famous novelist). 'the coin te« is passionately in love with Dr. Bruce, whose evident preference for Hetty greatly angers lie hostess. At supper Gilbert Lawrence states . unit he once sketched out a novel, taking .the my- « > of the corner house for his subject, but had fievu had time to write it. Hetty, who is nursing Mowi« l.nlflge, the delicate daughter ot I lie countess, by chance a horrible tare lit a window <>t ine corner house, and when; Die reception is ovn slie sees the same face In Countess Lalage s moiu-ing-room. The countess endeavours to convince her that her nerves are unstrung, but when Item has gone to bed the countess has an Interview with the man in the morning-room, who turns out to lie her husband, a dissolute scoundrel wlfo is hiding from the police in the corner house. His efforts to blackmail the countess are futile, for Die reason that she is a penniless adventuress, ami he returns to his hiding-place. chapter Vl.' A VISITOIt. On lite whole, Gordon Bruce.was persuaded that the world was a pleasant place to live in. lie had youth and intellect and ambition that looked likely to be satisfied. Two years before he had recklessly ventured his small capital on a suite of ground Hootrooms in Duke-street, and for some little time he had had a hard struggle to keep Tip appearances, and pay the instalments as they came due on his somewhat showy furnil tire. Dill it had all come right in the end. He had had a little luck, Inn his great, good fortune, or so it seemed, was when he had been called in to attend little .Mamie Lalage. The countess was just beginning to swim then upon the. high tide of popularity. That the woman in her passionate, headstrong way hud fallen in love with him Unite never dreamt. It was only Hetty's woman's eyes and woman's instinct thai had found the. truth. But the countess was the fashion, and her doctor looked like being the fashion, too. A duchess had taken him up; she had firmly persuaded herself that Eruce had saved the life of one of her children. From a hundred or two. Bruce suddenly found his income expanded to as many thousands. No wonder that his dreams were pleasant as he lay hack smoking a cigarette after dinner. There was only one drawback of those two thousand pounds were on his books. Well, his credit was good. If he could lay Ins hands upon a hundred or two now he would begin to furnish the house in Green-street at one. Then when the season was over he and (felly could be married. Yes, on the whole Cordon Brnce's cigarette just (hen was an enchanting one. There was a ring at the hall and a servant came in. Gordon hoped thai it was not a patient. lie was dressed for a party, where he hoped to meet Hetty; not a grand affair, but a few friends in Gilbert Lawrence's luxurious chambers. Bruce looked at the card in his hand. " I wonder who He it -Max Kroniu is'.'" he muttered. " Ask the gentleman in." lie came, a mild-looking elderly German, with heavy grey moustache, and eyes hidden behind a pair of silver-rimmed spectacles. He was slow of speech and grasped a great deal as if he had some trouble at his heart. " You wished to speak to me," said Gordon. " Pray sit down." The elderly stranger did so. and immediately the atmosphere was impregnated with an odour of strong tobacco. " it is not .as a patient. I came," he, said. "J lake the liberty to occupy some of your valuable time. If you are in one hurry—" "Not in the least," Bruce replied. "I have half an hour at your disposal. Your case—"

"Ach, but T have no case, J am not what you call ft- patient, li. is another mattera. mat of sentiment."

Gordon bowed again; evidently a lunatic of the harmless type. " Some days ago you bough'- it picture," Herr Kronin proceeded. "It was a small picture of the early Dutch school, signed J. ilalbin. A woman nursing a sick child, and the father looking on. Not a valuable picture."

"Certainly not." Bruce agreed. "I happen to know an expert who told me. so. It took my fancy and 1 gave ten pounds for it, which, I understand, is about a tenth of its full value."

, fir .Maxim Kronin nodded approvingly. "That is so. Otherwise 1 .should not be here to-night. As pictures go, .€IOO is not much. But that picture belonged to my mother's family—in fact, slip is descended from the J. Ilalbin who painted it. It was sold some years ago at a time of great distress. We were sorry. Sentimental, you say, but it would be a bad world without sentiment. .My sister, she never ceased to mourn over that picture. When the good time comes she try to get him back. lint he has disappeared, Picture my delight when I see him in a little time ago in a shop window. I go home for my cheque-book for 1 am not a poor man. If err Bruce, now — and I hurry back to the shop. On my way I send a, telegram to my sister to say the picture is found. When 1 reach the shop you have beaten me by ten minutes.'' Heir Kronin paused, overcome by deep distress. His eyes behind the big glasses looked appealingly at Bruce. " So you want, to buy it from me," he suggest ed encouragingly. " Oh, that is it, JTerr Bruce, beyond doubt, that is it. It will be easier for me, 1 shall not be so distressed, if you let me make a bargain with yon. Hen- Bruce, 1 will give you £200 for the picture." Bruce hesitated for a moment. But why no!,'.' The man was wealthy, and the picture was worth half what he asked, perhaps more, for experts are not always correct. And £200 would mean the beginning of the furnishing of the new house. Dim visions of a happy honeymoon rose before him. " Very well." he said. "Von shall have the picture. II is there on the sideboard wrapped tip as my expert friend returned it. Where shall I have the pleasure of sending it for vou'.'"

"I will take him with me,'' Kronin said eagerly. "It will be good to feel that f have got him, that there will be no more cups slipped from /.e lip. Sentiment again! But, there is no sentiment about these banknotes, mv friend."

lie counted out turfy £5 Rank of England notes on the tit hie with a hand that trembled strangely, lie seemed restless anil eager to he away now, as if fearful that l'ruee might, change, his mind. The whole thing might have been a dream save for (he crisp, crackling notes on I lie table.

" Never rains but it pours," Bruce smiled as he thrust Ihe notes in his breast pocket. "To-morrow every penny goes for that wonderful lot of niti furniture in Tottenham Court Road. What a pleasant surprise, for Hetty!"

It, required some strength of mind to keep the secret from the girl, but Bruce managed it. It seemed to him that Hetty looked a little while and drawn, but as the evening went, on the happy look came back to her eyes again. There was a small fernery at the back of the dining-room into which (lordon hurried Hetty presently. " My dearest girl, what is the. matter'.'" he asked."

It, was good In be with him there, to feel the pressure of his hand, and to look into his keen, resolute face. With Gordon by her side Hetty felt eipial to meeting any terrors. Vet. after the lapse of a few hours the whole thing seemed so vague and intangible that, she hesitated to speak. " Is it the corner house again'.'" Bruce suggested fully. "Don't laugh, dear," Hetty whispered. " The place haunts me. 1 never seem to be. able, to yet away from the horrors' of it. And last night--''' "Go on, darling, f promise you not to laugh again." By degrees Hetty told Iter story. It was real enough to her, but to Brace's practical mind it sounded unsubstantial and shadowy. After all, she might easily have imagined the face at the window, and as to the man in the morning-room, he had only been mistily reflected in a dim old mirror. But T should recognise him anywhere,'' Hetty protested, Bruce thought that she would probably never have the chance, but he did not say so.

"Did Countess Lalage allude to it this morning'.'" lie asked. "Not a word," Hetty admitted. "She was- glad to see me better; she breakfasted with Mamie and myself, ami she was altogether charming, but— -" " Bub? There is much behind that word. You don't like her, Hetty " I am afraid of her; .1 mistrust her; she frightens me. Call it prejudice if you like, but there is something wrong about dial. woman. Did she find out. anything about us last night, Cordon';" " I. had to tell her, of course," Gordon replied. "She accused me of flirting with you, and I had to speak for your sake." "And what, happened alter that':" " Upon my word 1 forget. Oh, yes. .She sent me at once for an ice, saying that she would think of something pretty by the time 1 returned. She must have forgotten all about it, for when I got back she. had vanished." It was Hetty's turn to hold her peace now. Leonn Lalage had not felt equal to facing Cordon at that, moment. Even her iron will and resolution were not quite equal to the strain. " If 1 was only out of the house," she said. "If J was only out of that house." Cordon bent and kissed the quivering lips. His little secret was on the tip of his tongue, but lie repressed it. "It will not be for long, dearest," he whispered. "Courage, darling." If he had only told her if he had only spoken I hen! (To be continued daily.)