THE NOVELIST. [Published by Special Arrangement.] mantrap" manor.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 71

THE NOVELIST. [Published by Special Arrangement.] mantrap" manor.

By GUT THOMNE, Amtkor of "When- It W«s Dark," "Mad»

*" in His Image," " First It Was Or- - dautod," "A Lost' Cause," etc., ate.

"ComtKarr.]

THE LAST CHAPTER.— THE BELLS

OF MOOBCHESTER.

RASH! Over all Moorchester the

jubilant noise of the old church bells pealed on a cold, clear autumn day.

Plain Bobs, Bob Triples, Bob -Majors, and Grandsire Bob Cators were sending out their deep metallic -music over moor, fell, and the holiday Yorkshire town. Sadie Wil■hire had married Gilbert Atberton.

All England had rung with the news of the dastardly and terrible attempt upon the life of the young man, who to-day was the hero of his native place. The whole story had come to light, no single detail of it had escaped the clever journalists from London. The whole of the country knew of the fiendish plot which ■bad germinated for so many years, and ■which had been foiled at the last moment and in the very act of its execution. Four months had passed since the last •wild moment when the servants had i;all«ped over the moor, led by their master, to rescue bis son.

There had been a mock trial of Mt Edward Woople for the manslaughter of Ramon de Toros. __ Mr Woople had sat in an armchair in the well of the court, smiling self-con-cckFUsly, while the judge of assize tried him, with a. smile, and the jury stood up in their box bowing towards the I'ttle man. The whole proceedings had raken six minutes, the verdict was "justifiable liomicide." There -were cheers in the old Justice House of Mobrchester as the judge leant forward towards the prisoner dud said : "Mr Edward Woople, the verdict which the jury have just recorded is one which, is entirely in accord with my own sentiments, and one which J directed them to give. I shall be gratified now, Mr Woople, if you will sit beside me upon the bench while I proceed with the busipess of the assize."

How the old bells pealed and rang over the town, in ecstacy at thk wedding of a, man who was loved and honoured before any other inhabitant of Moorchester, to a radiant and beautiful daughtei of the iWest. The long cavalcade of carriages went their way from the old Gothic church, down through. Church street towards vhe great works upon'the river bank. In the first carriage of all Gilbert and Sadie saj> together, hand in hand. Gilbert's hair was grey now, the white frost of bis agony iad died away from it, and, as he held his bride closely to him, .and looked at his owd face >in the mirror ai> the eide of the carriage, she turned to him with a provoking -little smile, "Sakes, Gilbert,"" she said, "but your hair is coming "back. You will be just 7 ik« you used to be in another six months." "Wouldn't yoa love me for ever and ev«r If my hair was as white as it was jyhen the >»yernpi- found tt*? 4

"Silly boy, of course I should." "Then why do you make fun of your jpoor husband?"

At that word she flushed, and her eyes grew very bright.

"Oh," she said, "Mr Husband, you are beginning to assert yourself rather early, don't yon think?"

He gripped her iand still harder, gazed at the lovely confusion on her face, and kissed her upon the cheek.

"Ah," he said to her, "when you say 'husband/ it is to hear the sweetest music that I have ever heard. You are mine, and I am yours for ever and a day. My love, my lady, before us stretches a vista of perfect happiness, of supreme union. I will be always to you '

"Silly boy," she said, "of course I know it. Don't say all that or else I shall break down, and I guess we've got to go through something of an ordeal by the side of the river." - ' He laughed a bright, happy laugh. "You have" guessed right, my little wife," he said* v In the second carriage old Sir William Atherton was sitting with the Earl of Utiddersfield, Lord Lieutenant of the County. "This is a great day for you, Atnerion," the Lieutenant said, as they drove slowly -through the cheering crowds. "It is, Huddersfield," Sir William answered. "I don't think I was ever so happy in my life before, and yet I don't think I ever felt such a sense oipathos. "Why is that, Atherton?" "I am thinking," t Sir William answered in slow tone, "of my deaT old friers madness, worked upon by that Sooth American devil who so very nearly killed my boy 4our months ago." "Tut, tut," the peer replied, "on a day like this you must "not think of anything of the sort. Becali your youth, remember when. you were married, and »f the joy and emotion you felt at that time. "That, my dear Huddersfield, Js just what I am remembering," Sir William answered. And in all his happiness there was a slight melancholy which tmgedhis voice. , . . , Down they went, down from the nigh places to the town towards the riverside where the clustering houses of the -workmen were, among which the great works rose up like a modern castle, a castle "of successful industry.- And as they rolled in, through the great gateway into the yard thronged with' the servants of William Atherton andr Company, there rose such, a full-throated- cheer,' such * thunder of genuine love and delight that eventhe few servants -left at Abnash Croft might well have heard that ringing salutation. Then there were ceremonies. There was a silver service to be .given 1 to the bridal pair, and the foreman of the works presented it in *a voice broken by emotion and affecjbkm for the father and son whom he had served so many years, and who had rewarded him so fairly and so well. The great experimental shed had been cleared of all its machinery, and lone tables, loaded for a feast, went up and down it. Joyously, and still shoutings the workmen of the company poured into that marriage breakfast, and looked with eager interest to the dais upon which another table waa set, and -where very shortly the young couple would- be among them all. In Gilbert's private room, where he had spent so many years of worthy work, the Lord Lieutenant, Sir William, and Colonel Harrop, the Mayor, sat together with Sadie and Gilßert. The old baronet's eyes were suffused with tears, as he -blessed his son and newly-made daughter, as some patriarch of old. . , , "Children," he said in a voice broken with uncontrollable emotion, "children, this is the happiest day I have ever known. And, I think perhaps it is happier because of alf the terrible things that have preceded it. I shall say no more of the past — let us forget all that. God ble/ss you, God bless you." As Sir William finished and made an end of speaking',, the door which led out of Gilbert* room into Woople'e room suddenly opened. The little man who had followed the cortege in a private carriage, entered upon the scene, and on his arm was a tall young ' lady in" a tailor-made costume, and with downcast eyes.' "Here is dear old Woople," Gilbert said. "My dear old friend, how glad I am to see you with me to-day.' Hallo, who's this?" " . _> "It is a little dramatic surprise. Mr Gilbert," said the engineer-, "and I beg you will pardon me it I intrude my private matters upon such, a glorious occasion as this. But, Sir William and Mr Gilbert, I have become engaged, and I am. ehortly y going to be married." Gilbert, in great surprise, looked at thf distinguished young person upon the arm of little Mr Woople. "Why^" he said, "it is Niobe Eobb." With a quick, impulsive gesture, Sadie went up to the blushing girl, who had been their servant. "My! Niobe," she said, "you have struck it thick and lucky ; you have got a peach in Edward Woople." "And! now darling," Gilbert said, 'let us go together to the breakfast for the men, because, dear, I want them all to see how sweet aad beautiful you are."

"Sakes!" said Mass Sadie Wilshire, or, rather, Mrs Gilbert Atherton.

In an old house, set in a remote place upon the Yorkshire moors, an elderly gentleman resides in great comfort and in the assiduous care of 4 Mr Kennard, 'onoe a. mechanician in the Amerioan firm of Wilsbire, de Toros, and Company. Each week he la visited by a lady in the habit of a hospital nurse, a lady who is Matron of the Moorchester Home for Incurables. And it is not £he least of the suave and courteous lunatic s ameliorations that Miss Lucy Harrop should come ajMi chat with h»m for an hour eaelf week. Spe seems to understand him, and she often gives Kirn the greatest pleasure that Mb clouded intellect e*tt know* fcijr bringing

him this or that newly-invented meehani- * cal toy. Sometimes, also, but not very often, Lord and Lady Atherton go to Kenyon Manor to fee a man who was once called "Julius Wilshire." But he very rarely recognises them, and is chiefly interested, upon their arrival, in displaying to them the cleverness of the running rabbit or the nursery clown which his quiet -visitor, in, her nurse's uniform, is wont to bring him to alleviate ■his hours. (The End.) [All Rights Rzsxbvxd.]