THE LONELY BRIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13798, 10 July 1908, Page 3

THE LONELY BRIDE.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

BY FRED M. WHITE, Author of " The Corner House," " The Cardinal Moth," *' The Weight of the Crown," Etc. CHAPTER XIII. FRIEND OB ENEMY. Fob some little time Grace stood there, not having the slightest idea what to say. The question had been so utterly unexpected. Besides, Grace had been more or less satisfied with the efficiency of her disguise; she had never expected to betray herself like this. The tail woman smiled, almost in a patronising way, and Grace felt the colour come into her face. It was just as if she had been some village girl patronised by the great lady of the parish. Grace at length plucked up courage to speak. " It pleases you to be amused," she said. " Better be amused than suspicious," the woman replied. "I don't think it will pay you to adopt that tone with me. I think you ought to see that I have a perfect right to ask'the question, considering that I find a lady of your position masquerading as a. servant in Mr. Fenton's house."

"If it comes to that," Grace said, "I am not the only: one who appears to be masquerading." , Graco looked significantly at the splendid attire of her companion. Tho woman laughed as if Grace had paid her a compliment. . "I daresay we have both plenty to explain," she said. " Only unfortunately there is no time to do it. I recognised you at once; indeed, I have often seen you in London,, though you did not seem to remember me. I assure you that in town my position is a much greater one than you can ever hope to occupy. Now, do you recognise me? Now do my words convey anything to you?" Grace was bound to confess that they did not. Her one idea now was to get away before tho return of the man who called himself George Gattloy. By tihe stream of fresh air that poured into the room the girl knew that the trout door must be wide open. She caught the smell of fresh tobacco; evidently Cattley was smoking on the doorstep.'

*" 1 cannot tell you why I am 'here," Grace said. "I am so dazed and. confused that I hardly know what lam talking about. I appeal to you as one woman appeals to another. I implore you to get mo out of this place at ones; I ask you to keep my presence here a secret. There is something about your face which says you can be kind and good enough if you like." " No, there is no occasion to be afraid of me,' the woman said. "On the whole, I am not sorry you have failed to discover my identity." Svno and what the woman waa Grace could not have said. All the same, she recollected now that part of the conversation between her companion and Cattley which tended to prove that this brilliant creature was another daughter of Fenton's. It was not policy to mention this fact, and Grace went on to speak of herseu. "I want you to get me away from here at once," she said. '.' Arid I shall be all the more obliged to you if you will contrive to do so without Mr. Cattley knowing." "Ah, I,had quite forgotten him," the woman exclaimed. "So you regard him as one of your enemies, do you?" "I am bound to," draco confessed. "The two greatest misfortunes of my life arose almost as soon as I made Mr. Cattley's acquaintance. I fear him: not for worlds would I have him know that I am here tonight," Th* listener smiled in an indulgent kind of way. ' • "Very well," she said. "It shall be entirely as you wish, though I fancy you are mistaken in believing Mr. Cattley to be an enemy of yours. You will find Liter on that he i* nothing of the kind. And now let me deprive you of that disguise of yours, and let me help you into your own clothing, which must be close at hand."

. It wa» all done at length, and Grace was free to depart. Nor did Cattley prove to be any obstacle in the way, for Grace's companion contrived to get hmj out of the path, and a few minutes later Grace was out in the open air once more. She stood there just a moment watching the-dawn breaking over the distant hills;"then it occurred to her that Billy could not be far off. As she walked down the path in the direction of the fields Billv suddenly appeared from behind a hedge, from where he had been watching the house, and danced round Grace with every appearance of extravagant joy. Then he placed his hands to his lips, as if to impose silence, and vanished into the woods. There was nothing further to wait for, so that Grace pushed on towards home as fast, as her legs wodta carry her. There were no signs of life about the house, which was no bad thing, as it was daylight, and the pale face of; Helen could be seen anxiously looking through Grace's bedroom window' A moment later and the girl was back in shelter again, feeling an assurance that her night's - work had not been entirely wasted. ''.#.,•'.< '■".'-:

Don t ask any questions, she said wearily. " Only undress me and get me to bed as soon as possible. You are not to say c word of this to anybody, least of all to anybody in the house. I am so tired —so utterly weary— head —" * The girl collapsed on the bed; all her limbs seemed turned to water. In a vague, drugged manner she was going over the exciting scenes again. Days seemed to elapse, then came a. long, deep, overpowering sleep, which ended presently by Grace sitting up in bed and feebly demanding what was ihe matter with her. A sudden fear filled her with alarm; Helen crept; to her side and held her hand. " What is it?" Grace murmured. "What has happened to me? Surely it is far into the day':" "You had a sort of fainting fit," Helen said. " Don't you remember coming brick at daybreak and my letting you in? Oh, but I see von don't". You have been lying there' over 24 hours. The doctor said you must have had a shock of some kind."

Pour-and-twenty hours! and all this time what had become of Max? Grace dragged herself from the bed, heedless of , the remonstrances of her maid. She felt that she must be up and doing. For the first time in her life she demanded stimulants, brandy, anything to give her strength to carry out her task. It was a cruel stroke of Fate that had overtaxed her powers just at the moment when she needed them most. "Don't tell anyobdy I have gone out," Giace whispered. " I must be away before the doctor stops me. I have to go as far as Water Park at once." Fortunately the general was at home, and welcomed. Grace in hie usual kindly manner. He noticed the deadly pallor of her face. " There is nothing new," he said. "No sign of Max. Would you mind giving me my medicine for my neuralgia? About twenty drops from tliat bottle of morphia on the mantelpiec-.." The old soldier dropped into a chair as he spoke, and Grace could see how overcome he was. She poured out the solution which the old man took off like so much water. " Enough to kill a dozen men there," he said, wearily. " But I have got accustomed to ; t by this time. For a pain like mine there is nothing in the world like morphia, only one has to be very careful in dealing with the doses. Ah, that is better." The speaker drew a deep breath of relief. Then he tinned to Grace, for he could see that she had something important to say to Kim. He could see how her eyes were shining. "Is it possible that you have discovered .something?" he asked. " I think I have discovered everything," Grace cried. "I think I know exactly where to und Max at the present moment. One thing you may be sure about is not dead. But perhaps I had better tell you everything I found out last night." Grace told the whole of her etoryjr. whilst the general listened with deepest attention; He did not interrupt till the narrative was finished, and then his indignation burst out. We will go and rout out the miscreants at once," he said. "I never heard of anything so monstrous in the whole course of my life. It seems incredible to believe that an outrage like this could, take place in England this time of the day. But why should this man Rice" commit such an act— what has he to gain by it?" "I fancy that Max knows something of his past," Grace explained. " I fancy also that Max is to be detained where he is until it is too late mean, too late as far as I ami concerned."

"It is certainly most unfortunate, the general cried, "that you should have broke down at such a critical moment. The loss of these four-and-twenty hours may mean a terrible calamity. ■Still, it is pretty certain that no great harm is likely to happen to Max. At any rate, for some time to come, or they would not have been so careful of him. I am afraid, my dear, we can't do much in the daylight. If we approach the house now those ruffians are sure to see us and take alarm. If we wait till evening we can get some neighbours to help us, and possibly capture all the scoundrels red-handed. Now, go back home and rest vourself. I will let you know what takes place to-night, however late it may be. "I am coining with you," Grace said with determination. " I could not possibly bear the suspense a- moment longer than is absolutely necessary. Please "do not refuse me. I will be very quiet, and promise to keep out of the way, but really I must get you to allow me to accompany you this evening." , General Graham demurred ( or a, moment, but finally gave way to Grace's passionate entreaties. It was all very foolish, he said, but the circumstances were so extraordinary that ho had not the heart to ignore Grace's request. "Very well." he said. "It shall be exactly as you like. You can tell your father that you are coming to have dinner with me this evening, which he will not regard at all as a. suspicious proceeding, and you can also say that it will be my privilege to "?ee you home. You can leave me now, and come back here about eight o'clock. Does that satisfy you?" i (To be continued daily.)