THE AVENGER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 3

THE AVENGER.

[PUBLISHED BY aPECUTi AEEANGEMENT.]

BY. E. PHILLIPS OPPBNHF.Hr, . Author of " The Mysterious Mr. Babin." '}.-" A Man' and Ilia Kingdom,". "A "; Prince of Sinners," .'- "Mr. Wingrave. Millionaire," and "A Maker of History," ; ; 1 ' etc., etc., etc. ;■;',.' [ALL EIGHTS BESEBVED.] • ■ [COPYBIGHT.] , " " CHAPTER XLL WitAJSOM glanced at the clock-for the twentieth time. • ~r >'■?■■ .■■- " lam afraid," he said gravely, " that Mr. Sydney Barnes has been one too/many for us." - - .;•;'■-;'. „ "Do you think," Louise asked, ; "that he has persuaded the girl to give him the packet?" ;.•■'. ;.,;.- ; \->-" '■". "■.■'■'■, v' f ; " It looks like it," Wrayson confessed. - Louise frowned. v "Of course," she said, "I,think that you were-; mad . to -let her go before. .She had the ; letters here In the room. ' You would • have been perfectly justified in taking them from her." ■ ' • " . "I suppose so," Wrayson-assented doubtfully. Somehow she seemed to get the ;upper hand of us towards the; end. J I think she suspected that some of us ; knew more than we cared to tell her about her. husband's death." ■v.; Louise shivered, a little and jremained silent. Wrayson*walked to the window and back ■'' •■ ■;...,:;; "To tell you the. truth," he said, "I expected someone else here ; tonight who has failed to; turn-up," .■ ,•.-.•-; <■.■".-?'■, - : ... ■■: • "Who is that'£,". the baroness' asked. : Wrayson hesitated for a" moment. ■ and glanced to wards Louise. ~';",., ■"Colonel' Fit'zmaurice,'*' lie'said.'' "■'" "-■---'■ v-Louise • seemei to : turn < suddenly rigid. She looked at him steadfastly for a moment without speaking. v.-'; v ' : : "- : : : . : " My father,?, she murmured : at last. , •'♦ Wrayson nodded. • - ■./■'.■" Yes," he said. ;''J ,' .;':.;i'"'.;: : . "But what has he to do .with this?" Louise asked, .with; her eyes fixed; anxious".ly, almost fearfully, upon his. ■•• ■/:, '• ■: "I went to him for advice,". Wrayson said, quietly: ; " He has always been' very kind,■.and I thought it possible that he might be able to help us. He promised to bo here : at the same hour... as the others. ' Listen There.is the bell at last." i ■ The colonel entered; the ■ room. Louise half "rose to her feet, w;Wrayson hastened to meet him. ; "Herbert," lie said, with an affectionate smile, "forgive me for, being a little late, baroness, I am delighted to see you—and Louise." The baroness held out both hands,- which the, colonel raised;-gallantly; to .his lips. : Louise he greeted with a fatherly; and unembarrassed smile. ', ! ' ' : " .. . - ■ "I must apologise , to all.v of ■ you," he said, "but perhaps :', "this will' be "my best ['excuse." -" :: ;,•''•;"■';''v: ■'"';-.';.'■';(■""■:■; \ ;/^'■.,.''■....,;■;.' i He .took* the packet- from ' his , breast \, pocket and handed it: over to the baroness. The : room seemed filled with exclamations. The colonel beamed upon them all.;' . - " Quite simple," he declared. ",;. "I have just taken them from Mr. Sydney. Barnes upstairs. He, : 'i. in his turn; j took them from—" . . :/::':^i . „ ; |„ ■ .? The door was suddenly ; opened. - Mrs. Morris Barnes rushed into the room and gazed wildly around. '"" >' | '' , '" i" Where vis-: he -she exclaimed. "He has robbed,. me. "The little beast! '") He got into my room > while : I was out." ;: The colonel led.".her,gallantly! to a chair. f " Calm yourself, my dear young lady," he said. . --.'.'■' : ' . "Where, is he?" she cried. "Has he been here;?". - 1 ; The' colonel.'shook 'his head. ' "He is" in his. room upstairs," ho said, "but I should hot advise you to go to ■lnm." , .*••: ,'<;;',- '•- ~% ~.,,,. _ " He has my !pacjket~rAugustus' packet," •-she cried,"springing/-up. ' - The colonel laid life hand upon her arm: ' " No!" he said, "that packet has been ■ restored to its rightful owners," - She rose ; to her feet, trembling with \ anger.' The colonel motioned her to resume j her seat. - . ■ ".Come," ,he 'said, "so far -.'"as.-. you ; are I concerned,' you have nothing'to* complain | of. sYou .offered, I believe, to give; it: up yourself ."on _ one condition." - '•/,"';, : ; looked at him with, sudden ness; ~. . ■.; ..." - •--■• "■-. /'•■ "' ".Well?":'she 'cried,,, impatiently, ;..' \' 'tTfoat condition," he said, "shall" be complied, with." -.- ( ".:.-.' »" ' &he" looked into his face with -a.'strange intentne^s.-;,: ■■- ' . * / !: . rf w ;-.v, . "You'mean," she said, slowly, "that I shall know who it was who killed my ; husband.?"; ' \ .". '' ''' "'" "' " ' ' ' " " ''; ",".;, \. : !"the\colonel answered. ■>' - ; A' sudden r cry rang' : through the room. Louise was on her feet. She came stagger-' ing towards them, her hands outstretched.;. "No!".she screamed, "no! father! you are ; :ihad! ; Send ; the Woman away!": j ' ; He smiled at ; her deprecatingly: ;, '.'■ My dear Louise!" he exclaimed. "Our word has been passed to this young woman. Besides," ■■~ he added, . " circumstances which , have' occurred within the last hour with I our ;young friend upstairs Lwould 'probably I render '.;. an - explanation imperative! f>- I ,-,' am sorry-for your sake, my dear young ladyi"_ he; continued, turning to Mrs. Barnes, ; " to have, to tell you this, but if, you, insist upon knowing, it was . I : who killed your husband." .' Louise fell back into her. chair, and covered her face with;, her hands. The baroness looked shocked, but not surprised. Wrayson, .dumb" and ; unnerved, had staggered back, and was . leaning against-the table. Mrs. Barnes had already taken a step towards the door.: She was very pale, but her eyes were ablaze. Incredulity, struggled with , her , passionate - desire for vengeance. :■-■'■■'- ' '''.;■■;;■'■;';"■':■>'■■■■':■ '„!'• I : "You'!" she exclaimed. "What 'should you .want to kill him "for?" "' ' " '• : The colonel, sighed,, regretfully. -■ .■-•■■'- - "My dear young lady;" he' said, "it is I very., painful- for me -to have to be so ex- j plicit, but-: the;; situation demands', it. " I j killed, him . ; because, he was unfit -to; ; live j because he 'was 'a..blackmailer of women, j an .'unclean liver; a foul ; _ thing upon the j face of the earth." • ■".' ; J "It's a,— lie!" the girl hissed. ■ "He j was good-to me, ; and you'*shall swing for it," _ "■'Y'■:•-''. ? -- ' , .The' colonel looked genuinely distressed. ■ "I am afraid," .lie said, "that you are prejudiced. If he was, as you say, kind ] to you, it was for his own pleasure. Believe nic, I made a careful, study _ of his'j character /before ; I decided, that he must | go.'" ' ' ".',"■/ She looked at him with fierce curiosity. | "Are you a godj" she demanded,;. "that you should liave " power of life or death V | Who are i you,.to ..set yourself up as. a j judge?" ' ■ ■ "Pray do not believe," he .begged, "that I arrogateJr.to myself any such "position. Only, unfortunately, as regards your late husband's character there : could be, no mistake, : and concerning such men as he, I have very strong convictions.'"" , .- i Wrayson, i who : had recovered himself a little, .'laid his hand upon the colonel's shoulder. ''''■■, . .'.;" •';;;<• ! Colonel,";-he. said, hoarsely, ;"you're not " serious!'." You can't "lie!" Be careful. : This woman; means mischief; she will take you at your word." : - - : : : :-;> :;S ■ : ■ , -';- r;;: "How else should she take me?" the colonel asked, calmly. "I; suppose her | prejudice in favour of this man : was natural, but all I can say ; is that, under similar i circumstances, ~ I should act to-day, pre- j , cisely, as I did on the night I found him j about to sell a woman's honour, for money I ,to.; minister to the degraded' pleasures' of ■ j his life." /. ;•-;":--. ■ . I .The woman leaned towards him, venomous and passionate. , ~.,' . -.^,1.;-:Vi >^'.';>■« ':;.' You are a nice one to preach, you are," she; cried, hysterically, " you, with a man's ; blood upon your hands! r 4 You, a murderer! Degraded, indeed! ; What were his poor sins compared with yours?" j The colonel shook his head sadly. i "I am afraid, my- dear young lady," he '• said, "that I should never be able, to conl vert you to my point of view. You _are naturally* prejudiced,- 1 and when I consider that I have failed to convince* my :i own daughter" : glanced towards Louise "of the soundness of my views* it; goes

without saying that I should find you also unsympathetic. You arc anxious, I see, to leave us. Permit me!" He- held open the door for her with grave courtesy, but Wr&yson pushed him aside. He had recovered himself to some extent, but he still felt as though he ; were moving in some horrible dream. "Co-Tone!!" he exclaimed, hoarsely, "you know, what this ; means] > You ; know where she will go!" "If he don't, let me tell him," she interrupted. "To the nearest police station! That's where I'm off." ; , - Wrayson glanced quickly at the colonel, who seemed in no -way discomposed. '"Naturally,"- he assented. "No one, my dear young lady, will interfere with you in your desire to carry out your painfully imperfect sense of justice." Pray pass out!"' She hesitated for a moment. „: Her poor little brain, was struggling, perhaps,'? for tli© last time, to adapt itself ;to his point of viewto understand why, at a moment so % critical, he should treat her with the easy - composure and : tolerant good-nature of one who gives to a spoilt child its own way. ; Then she saw signs of further interference on Wray son's, part, and she delayed no longer. [~

(To be concluded to-morrow).: ■