A DOUBLE MASK.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5563, 14 April 1905, Page 2

A DOUBLE MASK.

BY II NORMAN SILVER. (Author of “A Daughter of Mystery,” ‘■The Golden Dwarf,” etc., etc.)

CHAP. XLIV. (continued.) The broken, tremulous voice from the thicket ceased. Hackott played with the trigger-guard of his revolver. “What is it?” he asked drily. “Sho is living near here,” he was told, “known as Mrs East. If sho knew that I was dying, perhaps she'd come. I want to speak to her.” Hackott hesitated and looked dubiously at the artist. ‘•You—vou won’t try to get away?” “No.” was the reply; “but you needn’t trouble to bring the police. If vou do, I shall only put a bullot through niy head. I want my wife and no one else.” Austin Darner intervened. ‘T know Mrs East,” he said; “I will go to her, and Hnokett will keep watch. Whether we are doing what is legally justifiable, I -will not pause to inquire.” Ho bent over to add a hasty warning in a cautions undertone—to his companion. “Be on your guard against a surprise,” lie said. “Ferris was not alone when ho escaped.” By way of answer Hackott cocked the "revolver and sat down with his back against the flat wall of rock and a bluff boulder in front. His largo, firm hand, with the weapon in it, rested on his knee. Austin Darner looked at his watch and then began to climb out of tho Cleft. At tho top of the ravine ho broke into the swift trot of the practised runner, and struck across tho moors towards the Chasms. As lie entered the hall of the old house the Colonel citesed it. Owen Rutherford was om» mono his handsome, well-groomed self. But ho walked ns though weighted by thought, and his shadowed countenance gave no sign of increased confidence or decision. Tho artist stepped up - t'O him. ■‘Colonel Rutherford,” he said, “I’m afraid I must ask you to excuse ray coming to breakfast. If you will loan mo your dogcart and a good horso they may he the means of enabling Mrs East to sco her greatly erring husband alive.” Tho Colonel started. “He—he is injured—dying?’ stammered Owen Rutherford. “He lies in Ingle Cleft, some threequarters of a mile from here,” said the artist, “with Hackott mounting guard over him. Ho was wounded im an attempt to break into my caravan, probably, it occurs to me, in the hope of obtaining some disguise with which to cover his dress suit. Ho is armed, and threatens, should tho pol Eco bo summoned, to destroy himself. His one desire is apparently to speak with his wife.”

CHAPTER XLY. A WAYFARER OVERTAKEN. “No news?” “No. sir; none.” Austin Darner sighed as ho passed tho burly policeman who had just an-swered-his question, and went on down over the precipitous side of Ingle Cleft. The constable with whom he had exchanged so melancholy a query and response was one of a dozen forming a rough cordon round the ravine. Outside tho cordon lingered a scattered crowd of sightseers, cyclists, horsemen, pedestrians, and ; drivers , of. assorted vehicles. Occasionally 'the crowd was added to; occasionally someone withdrew and departed reluctantly. Tho sun was setting; the spectators shifted their ground restlessly. For three days the same species of crowd, drawn thither by piquing . newspaper paragraphs, had fidgeted outside the limit indicated by the uniformed guardians of the place. Tho artist descended to tho rocky opening upon which, for some seventytwo hours, such an absorbed, attention had been concentrated. A couple of constables kept watch over .'it; they saluted him respectfully. .“I believe Mr Rutherford is here,” said Austin Darner. Ono of the custodians; answered him in .'the-affirmative.. ■ "He’s inside the. caves somewhere, sir;” the artist was told, “hut. we can’t say more than that; they seem to be finding new holes and comers every day, though there’s no sign of them they’re looking for.” A deep hay, half-bark,. half howl, sounded in the rock-tunnel behind. Austin Damer turned. Philip Rutherford had just passed into sight and by him trotted a big and , favourite boar hound of the Col ovets. , Rebind him cam© Hackott, carrying . a .flaming torch. A motley : group of searchers followed. The younger man held out Ids hand when ho saw the artist, and shook his head.’ ■ • “Not the least use;” ho observed despairingly ; “Llewellyn • will do nothing (but howl—the . place frightens him. If only wo had thought to telegraph for bloodhounds while tho scent was warm! How—how is ” Austin Darner answered him gravely. hi saw Nora for a moment,” was his response; “he had passed away without, since his last collapse, recovering consciousness.” Philip stood, the dog licking his hand. "And he—he was really George Ferris, and her father?” asked tho younger man. The artist assented. “I thought I would come down and go on with the fresh shift of searchers,” ho added. “I—l got an. hour’s sleep at the Court.” Tho other averted his head. “There —there won’t he any more searching,” he said hoarsely : "it’s—it’s not any good. Tho police are confident that dad was done away with immediately, and the others, in trying to find a way out, have fallen into some pit;—thcro ar© scores. It’s all a hideous muddle.” His voice broke; ho gave to an at tendant the leash by which he led the hound, and put his arm in the artist’s. “Como up to ‘The Chasms,’ ” h© murmured ; “I—l can’t hear the place alone. It’s—it’s like a grave without dad.” The artist addressed himself to the ascent. A kind of path had been beaten in the irregular slope by the coming and going of th© searchers, and they mounted it with more ease than had been possible before. Philip Rutherford did not speak; his nerves were shaken by an agony of despair. Austin Damer comprehended, and they walked silently across the moor in the cold, grey fall of the. evening. The crowd made way for them considerately, and then followed, with a pitiful, covert gaze, the son of the vanished man. On the crest of the upland the grey stone walls of “Th© Chasms” loomed through the evening haze, and a light or two twinkled from their windows. Austin Damer heard a suppressed, mastering sob, and clasped sympathetically tho arm of his companion. (To be Continued.)