LINKED BY PERIL

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12249, 22 September 1925, Page 12

LINKED BY PERIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. POWERFUL STORY OF LOVE AND MYSTERY.

BY

BEN BOLT,

Author of "The Lady of the Miniature," "The Lifting of tbo Shadow," "Love Find* the Clue," dec., dec.

t COPYRIGHT.!

CHAPTER XXIII. When Jack Wandesforde left the church, after explaining to the clergyman that the marriage oould not take place 6ince the intended bridegroom had tied, he found Sylva waiting for him in the shadow of a giant yew tree. The apathetic look of woe was gone from her face, and her dark eyes were alight with curiosity. "What lias, happened?" she asked quickly. "Why did Mr Smendon run away?" "I can't tell you tha reason exactly, Miss Gauntlett, but whilst I was having x heart-to-heart talk with him, & couple >f men butted in. I noticed them in the diadow of the trees as we drove up. They evidently 'had it in for Lorry, for me of them had a naked knife in his hand. Lorry jerked me into them and we went down, all three of us, and l>y the time I'd picked myself up he was in his car fast moving off. One of the gipsies flung, himself upon ——" "Gipsies!" cried Sylva, a startled look upon her face. "Were the men gipsies?" "No question of the fact. They wer* the true gipsy 6tock. It was written all aver them. But what does it matter what the men jyere, Miss Gauntlett? "A very great deal !" answered Sylva, oromptly, and then for a moment en ab ?cnc look fame into her face. "Oh. I wonder!" she murmured to herself. "I wonder !' "If you would be so good as to tell mo* what you are wondering. Miss Gauntlett, perhaps I could help you." "It seems almost too dreadful W put into words." said Sylva, hesitatingly. "Oh, I don’t know about that, ' whs* the careless reply. "I know Cousin Lorry pretty thoroughly by this time. Nothing that he has done is likely to shock me overmuch. You can say exactly what you think. Miss Gauntlett/' He looked down to find Sylva staring nt him in surprise, and asked quickly: "What is it?" "Tr Mr Smendon your cousin?" "Yes—worse luck!'’ "And you Ah! I know now:" she cried. "-You are Cyril Wandesforde's brother!" "Yes," he answered,- smiling. "Cyril and I are brothers. I'd forgotten 1 hadn't introduced myself. Miss Gauntleti. I'm Jack Wandesforde—at your service." "You've proved that," cried Sylva, smiling happily, "but Cyril thinks you are. dead; go docs everyone el?e. . Why—why didn't you telegraph?" "I had my reasons," answered Wandesforde lightily, "and one of them has just run away in u motor-car. But you have not yet told me what was behind vour question about those gipsies. Miss Gauntlett."

Welt. I must tell you that a few weeks ago a gipsy girl was found murdered at Wandesforde, and Cyril was arrested and tried for the murder " "Cyril arrested and tried!" cried her companion in amazement. "What utter foolery! Whv "

/So the judge thought," broke in Sylva quickly. "Your brother was quite exonerated, because, though someone had married the poor murdered girl in your brother's name, it was proved conclusively that he was not the man. But beiore that happened he was attacked several times by gipsies, who knew him only by name, and who had never seen Zillah i’etengo’s husband. And since you say these men from whom Mr Smendon fled were gipsies, I am wondering whether—w hether "

*'By jove—yes I I see. You think that Lorry Smendon may be the girl's husband, and that they are after him for that. It is possible—more than possible, Miss Gauntlett. From what I know of his character he is quite capable of a thing like that. You must know that ho tried to get rid of Cyril and me by paying a man to wreck our schooner in the South Seas, and he nearly succeeded."

"Ahexclaimed Sylva. "That explains your brother's suspicions, and proves that they were right. You must know. Mr Wandesforde, that my father and I were living only a few miles from the place where you were wrecked, and that Cyril managed to make his way to f) i ,r house. He told us that he was morally certain that you and he had been left in the schooner on purpose—deserted by the skipper and crew." "And he was right. I have certain proof of it, and Lorry Smendon was at the bottom of it all." /But why should he " "The motive is as simple as it is sordid- He is our cousin, and the next in the line of succession to the Wandesforde estates. With Cyril and myself out of 4 he way he would have succeeded to the property on my Hide's death. He even owned as much to the man whom he employed to carry out bis vile purpose, so you can easily see that I do not find it very difficult to believe anything of my cousin. He always was a waster! He stopped, looked at Sylva, then added brusquely: "Now, I would not mind betting that you have a fair amount of cash. Miss Gauntlett." I.am not quite without," owned Sylva in surprise. "But why you should " Oh," laughed Wandesforde, "that the secret of Lorry Smendon pressing yoil into the marriage which has been so conveniently interrupted. It may not he flattering to your self-esteem, but I

think it is certain that he wanted to get control of your money." "And I would have given it him—all of it, rather than marry him, if 1 had known' "Well," was the laughing reply, "yon keep both your life and your money, which is rather a reversal of the good oid order. . • . But it is time we were leaving heve. Are you going back to Wandesforde?" "I—l suppose I must," said Sylva, hesitatingly, a little shadow of doubt in her eyee. "Where do you camp there?" "With Lady Tray nor. She is chaperoning me at present." "With l Aunt Penelone!" laughed the young man, cheerfully. "Then 1 can understand your reluctance to return Cyril and I could never stand her, and she returned the un-Christian sentiment with interest. Lorry Smendon was always her favourite! Hid you tell her you were coming to Winstow to marry him?" "No!" said Sylva. "Nor leave any word —letter or that sort of thing to be found by your maid pinned to the curtains, in the classic style of the shockers?" "No. again," and this time Sylva laughed outright. "Well, Miss Gauntlett, I don't want to rob you, but I'm willing to wager that my Aunt Penelope knows all about this little jaunt to Winstow, and that at this moment she is preparing her benediction." "But she can't know," laughed Sylva. "I have told you—- " And I have told you that Lorry was as the child of her heart. You may be certain she knew all about this affair. I should like to see her face when Lorry returns without you, or you return without Lorry, whichever event happens first. It is worth while going back to the Manor if only to see that great sight. And if you like I will drive you there. 1 must get off now. Those gipsy fellows interrupted me, and there's something 1 still want to say to Lorry Smendon, and I have a fancy that if I'm to say it 1 must hurry Will you come?” "Yes," assented Sylva, who had no wish to see Lady Traynor, if what her uephew suggested was true, but who in her secret ncart wished to see Cyril Wandesforde, in the hop© that—that . She did not finish the thought—even to herself. But she stepped into the enr a very different girl from the one who had descended half .an hour before. Hope was 6hining in her eyes, and there was a little splash of colour in her cheeks. No longer was she condemned to a marriage which she hated, and life was taking on more joyous hues. As they started the 6un broke through the clouds, filling the earth with light and warmth, and she found that sudden radiance symbolic of the change in her life which the las* half-hour had wrought. They glided swiftly along the roads, and in something like twenty minutes overtook a couple of horsemen galloping fast along the grass at the side of the road, almost at the top of the hill where Sylva's car had troken down. Wandesforde sounded the horn, to give them warning and both of the men glanced r6und. "The gipsies by Jove! We must speak to them. I think, Miss Gauntlett. We must find out if what we both think is correct. I'll run past and then stop the car." He did so, and at the very top of the descent stopped up and waited for the gipsies. "I say, men, I would like a word with you two, if—" One of the gipsies shouted something that he did not catch, but neither of them drew rein. Both of them were 6taring ahead, and as they swung post one of them cried something to his fellow in Romany and pointed down the bill. "These fellows have it in for Lorrysure. Miss Gauntlett. But they'll never catch him on horseback, and we can easily keep them in sight; hut—hallo! what's up down there?" "There is something wrong, I fancy. There are cjuite a number of people about\ and it looks as if the road was blocked." /Yes, you're right, Miss Gauntlett," said Wandesforde, standing up and shading his eyes. "Your car is there, and it looks as if there had been anotber breakdown. Great Scott!—why " He broke off abruptly, and there was a suppressed excitment in his manner. "Miss Gauntlett," he said, "you don't mind if I leave you here for a minute or two whilst I go down there to find out what is the matter. rt's no use running the car down if there i 9 no fairway." Without waiting for her answer he descended from the car and began to walk rapidly down the hill. She watched him go with curious eyes, wondering at the sudden change in his manner. What could have occasioned it? A thoiight leaped in her mind, and as it did so her face went deadly pale, and she .stood up m the car. She saw Jack Wandesforde reach the place that he hod started for, saw the little crowd part at his coming, and then before it closed again caught the glint of the sun on a green motor body. As she did that she fell back in her seat and covered her face with her hands. (To be continued.)