THE MILL-OWNER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1623, 28 April 1919, Page 2

THE MILL-OWNER.

(By T. «. PVXSHON. Aotkor of "Tho MUor Earl" "The C»oU»." "Tht Spin of tb« Coin." etc.]

[A!! Rijhu Btttrrtd.] CHAPTER IX. TWO UNDER THE STAR?. Though Damaris obeyed him, for, indeed, the did not know" what else to do, while his hind upon her arm compelled her with a strength against whieh she itemed helpless to contend; none the less. she remained distrustful and full of aager. She followed him qnietly enough M t£»y pawed in silenee together through the darkness of the ni-jht, but tho fury of her resentment still burned brightly in her heart. She reminded herself of all that lad happened two weeks ago, to which Bow be bad ad>led this further outrage. She burned with indignation as she resaemrerei how she had been trapped: and far this last attack, in which the had isalty loot her locket, she still held him •lone resign-il.le. "I will lead him on." she 'aid to heraelf with a cold fnry of resentment; *'jws IjIJP bad him on till we get within iftW, and then I will give him in efrarpe. Oh, I hope they will put him in orison for years anil years.'' " It seemed, indeed, to iJamaris that ouly hy the infliction of tome such punishvest, severe to the point of cruelty, and. too, inflicted on him throneh her, and by her. and owing to her efforts, would she srrer he able to icgain her self respect. But in the meantime, as they stumbled «m together through the darkness, it began to be apparent to her that whatever else this young man might be. he was, at any rate, exceedingly efficient He reemed, somehow, to understand just when the needed help, just where she required support, just how his hand upon her arm would be an assistance to her; ashen fee pointed ont to her where shi* was to step, there she was e.lways sure to find Arm footing. "Look." he said, pausing abruptly and fainting behind tbem. She glanced over her shoulder and saw whir.-, some distance behind, shiniue through intervening trees, a powerful light had suddenly appeared. It was, it aecmed. one of the lamps from her motor ear that their two pursuers had lighted, and by its strong beam the two men were plainly risible to the fugitives, though their faces could hardly le distinguished. One appeared to be quite an old man. for his hair and beard were white, though his hearing seemed to suggest strength and vigour little diminished. The other was an unusually tall and powerful-looking ■an. and it could be seen that he held in hj» ritrht hand a formidable bludgeon. "Why can't we fee their faces betterf" Clifford muttered. "I believe they ■mat be wearing masks." "A precaution you neglected 1" Daciaris remarked. "Ah, yes," he agreed, turning to look at her as if be wondered that in a moment •f such p. ril the could ttill sneer aud phm She returned his gaie haughtily, and im a meswnt or so they stood perfertly •till, locking foil into each other faces. Very slowly Damaris perceived a change •amtag over her companion's face, and with a flutter of amazement she watched | the item and hard expression he hadj always worn lefore, soften and alter, while into bit fieree eyes crept something that it teemed was almost admiration. I And on his [.art it came to him like a stvelation that »he, of whom hitherto be havi only thought as an enemy and an obstacle to lie overcome, was in fact a |fixl, young, with a.-i ex pre-* ion full of character and charm. , "Well, now, I tay," ha muttered. Daararis understood what was passing kt kit Blind as well as if he had put it all bio wordr—perhaps the understood' l-e-!et indeed because lie said cotliing. A shock of bewilderment, ot resentment at lis presumption, of other feelings that aVcMild not analyse, came upon.her; and the.., on her part, she realised that-he of whom she had hitherto thought as an astda im* rogue and breaker of laws was tri;'.>-. nnd very preventable man with a huKUome, pleasant fare, and with eyo in which truth and honour scenicd to ■ML

On» knows not if it were purely by accident that these two diseovered all this in the quiet evening, after the vetting •f tie tun, the air full of reft murmuring* of falling night, around them the awailnn i that eut them off from the reft •f the world, far above them the shining. Hailing stars. There also, riding through the white clou-Is, the moon whose pure and tender light has illumined.the meeting of so many lover". ''Why, why," she »aid, amazed and fearful, full of wonder at what hail happened to herself. "Xow, I «y," he muttered, amazed, fearful, full of wonder at what had happened to th« world and all that was around th«m. He half railed one hand and a panic cane upon her—a panic more keen ami piercing, a fear more overpowering, tl.au aaj she bad ever known before, because it was fear not of others but of herself alone. She said quickly and loudly: "Now, just understand, if you please, I shall give you in charge the moment we get anywhere." And the moment she had said this it aeemed to her a wicked thing to have threatened, and one *she would never have the power or the will to earn- out. "Now, I mean it," she said again. Bet hi» eyes on her were ardent and fenainoTU, and hi* voire was a soft whisper as he replied: "Of coarse, your saying that makes it absolutely necessary I .should go all tan way with yon." "Oh, what nonsense," Damaris ex claimed, greatly astonished. '' Why, ta*y would send you to prison!" "We may separate—wc must aeparate," he answered her slowly: "bat you will never frighten me from yoa—no, never," he declared with deciaion. He made her a motion to continue walking, and for some time they hurjie»l on in silence. Looking at him aMeways as they walked, she burst out aaddenly, as if under the pressure of an immcE-o necessity to remind herself of what she said: "But you arc a thief, a burglar—you an things like that." "And you," he said, "you are Daanri* Ellwood—Miss Kllwood of the KHwool Milts." "Well," >le said, looking at him gravely, "why do you say it like that? In it an injury to vou that" I am Damaris EDwOodt" "I am only reminding myself," he answered, '-that it will be your ilutv to

(jive roe into rutitody as soon as" we reach civilisation ajain." . "Oh. w, my dirty," she aj.'reed, anil •he was glad be had rallcl it rv that word, for she had an idea that that Made it caster not to <\o it—in fart, {■possible to do it. "All the same." fht remarked, "I do tot /eel that I nndcrstand you in the least." "WelJ, well," he said moodily, "the lea* one understands the better* Life is so much simpler when one does not ■aderstand." They both became silent again, ami Dstrrris felt the tide of an inexpressible Cmotioa ruing fact in her beating hurt. It seemed as though a spell were cj.ee her, a subtle spell woven of the

quiet of the evening and of the shining of tho silent, smiling stars above, and of this man's ardent eyes that he kept so carefully aloof from her, and his soft voice "out of the encircling darkness. Sho felt as one drowning might feel on clutching a floating plank when she remembered that tho moment they reached help she would be able to give him into custody on a disgraceful charge. The thought was liko a refuge to her, and sho sighed. Sho tried to think of him in prison, but could not, nnd then she said quickly and with some agitation in her voice: "No; I do not understand you at all. I do not think—besides, where are you taking me now? Why should I trust you and follow you!"

And it now appeared to her the most simple, foolish thing in the world that she had accompanied him as sho had done.

"You have come with me," he said quietly, but in a tone of extreme conviction, "because you know very well that vou do trust me."

"Come now; now you are quite intolerable," she cried, with a heaving breast, stung beyond the limit of endurance by the truth of what he said. "I am alone nnd helpless," she cried out piteously, "and you choose to insult me."

"Well," he exclaimed, disconcerted in his turn and hot with boyish anger at her accusation. "Yon lo say things. What do you mean! I never insulted you —never.*' "You know yon did, you know you did," she repeated quickly. "And yon meant to," she added.

"Well, of all the people I ever met," he exclaimed in great exasperation. "Go away," she ordered. "Kindly leave me this instant. And I warn you the police shall lie searching for you the moment I can communicate with them," >-hc added with vicious emphasis. "Now just go away this moment.'' He put his hands in his pockets and eyed her, doggedly snllen. " I won't," he said. Damans experienced a wild desire to repeat her earlier exjdoit of soundly slapping his cheek. The next moment she was deeply ashamed of this impulse. "Xo, I'll- never leave you," he declared loudly. "Oh! oh!" Damaris exclaimed. "At least, T mean, of course," he explained hurriedly, "not till I've seen you safe home to-night—that's what I mean, of course."

"Then you'll be given in charge," said Damaris. "nave you forgotten that.' I mean it, you know," and she wondered greatly whether she would actually do as she said or not. With a flash of self-knowledge she supposed she would act on whatever impulse was uppermost at the moment of their arrival.

"You say that so often," he com plained.

Again they were silent; but now a fresh anger arose in Damaris's heart against this man. She supposed he thought her a feeble coward, and that she would never dare to denounce him. Well, he would find out his mistake, that was all. She remembered suddenly that it had been her first idea to entice ami hire him to his capture. She was glad that she had made this resolution, and she determined fiercely to carry it out. Only at tho last moment he might take alarm and run away and escape. Damaris felt now that that would never do. For all that he had done, his insults aud robberies, for everything she would have her revenge; and when, his capture due to her own efforts, he was safe in prison, then perhaps slie would l>c able to forget him and all about his disconcerting behaviour. Yes, she would lure him on to his doom, so that he should have no possible ehan<e of escapes And then she fell to wondering greatly just how one does lure a man. "The darkness is so terrible, you will keep with me," she said as her first attempt, trying to make her voice soft and charming.

But as Xature Lad already done that • for her to a very satisfactory extent, she i only succeeded in making it sound queer. i '' Xow, for goodness sake,'' cried Clifford in alarm,'' don't start crying again, there's a good girl. You are quite safe if yon will only be a bit reasonable." ''l've not the least intention of crying," flamed Damans, furious at this failure of her first attempt at luring, and feeling rise in her again that keen hatred she had. in point of fact, somewhat forgotten these last few minutes: "and I'm not accustomed to be called 'a good girl,' " she added haughtily. "Xo, I can undertsand that," he mused.

Damaris decided to take no notice of this childish and petty attempt at sarcasm. Besides, she could not think of anything effective to retort. So they walked on in silence, and Damaris wondered again how to practise that art, craft, and mystery of luring men, in which her first attempt had not been a great success. She was quite certain now that Clifford only waited an opportunity to escape. After some time she said, by way of beginning a thoroughly friendly conversation and making him feel that she might be persuaded to take a less hostile interest in him. "Your voice seems that of an educated man. How have you come to sink so low?"

"From a habit I have," he answered. "of setting my eyes on a star; in gazing at which I catch my foot on a stone or a tuft of grass, and so go flat on my nose." "Dear me," said Damaris, interested, "but whv do you do that? It seems rather a foolish habit, surely."

"It is indeed a foolish habit," he agreed. "It has happened to-night ami given me quite a bad fall."

"Did you hurt yourself?" she asked ansiouslv.

"Hurts mend," he answered grimly "or if thev don't one dies of them."

Damaris pondered. It seemed to her now that it would be a cruel thing to lure him on into the hands of the police, and sho almost fancied she was sorry for this mau who in watching stars received such bad falls. But as she thought, doubts began to creep into her mind and presently she said slowly:

"I don't believe you mean a word of what vou say."

"Oh," he began, "I assure you " "You are just laughing at me," she cried angrily.

And she decided finally that she would denounce him the moment they reached help.

"I wasn't," he protested hunildy; "indeed I wasn't—only you do pick a fellow up so—ono would think you liked quarrelling, you are so snappish with me."

"I'm not quarrelling with yon, ami you aro most presumptuous to bint at such a tiling," cried Daman*, "am) I ■lon'l know how you dare call me snappish." ••Perhaps." lie admitted, "I should have said 'slappish,' " au.l he felt feelingly his still aching cheek. "Oh, oli," cried Daiiiaris, furious. "All my life long no one lias over dared say such things to me, ami I won't go another step with yon, I won't."

Thou it occurred to ber that this was not exactly luring him on to accompany her. She thought to herself almo-'t with despair that somehow-this man. this Clifford, always defeated her, always bent ber will to his, always made her do what he wanted and not as she wished. But he did not seem to

have paid her declaration any atten ,tion.

"Look," he said, "are not those the lights of Ardingley House!" "Oh, so they are," she exclaimed, and looking round her she added, "I know where we are now. I advise you to ileave me now; this, will be almost your last chance of escape." "Oh, you know very well," he said quietly, "that you have made it necessary for me to accompany you every step of the way."

Damaris said nothing, but once again a new and strange fear touched her heart. So it seemed then that, without knowing it, she had in fact lured him ou to his capture; and all at once this seemed to her a very dreadful thing. Strange was it to her to realise that she had done it so unconsciously, and she seemed to realise with a sudden glimpse into her own nature that all the best of her power lay in what she did unconsciously. And then this seemed to her absurd.

"Now, just listen to me," she said quickly; "if you come any nearer you will be arrested. You will."

He said nothing, but walked on quietly by her side. "I mean it," she cried out. "Oh," he answered, "I am sure you always mean what you say —I invariably do." She came to a halt at a small gate, admitting into her grounds. "If you come in here," she began, and then with a sudden change of tone she cried out, "Oh, please don't come any further." "I must," he answered, "really, I must.'' "Now, I just might have known," she cried, "that it was no good my asking you anything." "I am sorry," he said formally. "Very good," she said, and-with a pale face and angry eyes, with the air of one whose mind is thoroughly made up, she marched on towards the house. "I wonder if she will —I don't care if she does —I hope she will," thought Clifford, as he followed sulkily behind her.

"And I will, I will, I will," Damaris was repeating in her heart like a song; "I just will, and I'm just glad I will —now, we shall see," she said to herself as they came to the tennis court quite near to the house. (To be continued.)