THE MILL-OWNER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1642, 20 May 1919, Page 6

THE MILL-OWNER.

tßy K. R. PUNSHON. Author of "The Miser Earl," "The Choice," "The Spin of the Coin," etc.] [All Righte Reserved.) ;' •-■■.': CHAPTER XlX.—(Continued.) BETKAYAL. , •.JBut-JDjuiiaris stood up. Now that she l>lu|J£oiJghtdawn her temporary inclination to hysteria, she felt that the crisis found herself necdeiLimmediate action, ' ' and the very fact that it was so extra- . ordinary, so utterly" incomprehensible, stirred • her to • take immediate steps. , And ever she seemed.to hear whisper- - ing in her ear the words: "You have .;•'■ been betrayed!" 1 "I must go out at once," she said. .'.'., "Don't talk to me, Lizzie, or try; to! argue—there is more in this than I ' think you'understand. I must dress and go straight to the police and then to a j firm of lawyers." Lizzie, looking rather frightened,! litwitated, and then ran downstairs. " Eeyther,'' she said anxiously, " oor Toity 'h worse nor ever. Now shefs read _v about Miss Ellwood's funeral she says ■ •;'' fihe ni'ii'n go to th' police about it." jSp "'five; police! " exclaimed Mr Eroars. t^r "Poor, crazed lass! Well, thou hadst bettor run for th' doctor, Lizzie. He'll r wit PI <■ stirring as it's Sunday, but tell " .m )iow bad she is. . *,-. Damaris heard ■l.i/.zie cross the room iho.ir she heard another *dfg!j3S&Wi wore ominous—that of a key in the lock. "But that is nonsense; they cannot keep me here against my will," said Dainaris to herself, crushing down the foaTs that sound of the key turned ,'Made rise up in her heart. Slowly sho went down the stairs into the- kitchen, where she found Mr Frears alone, "Mr Frears," she said, "yon at least hnow perfectly well that I am not Polly , frears or-your, daughter." Ho looked at her without answering, ' but something ominous and threatening ,', ftujijs eyes filled her with fresh panic door," she said, in a 1 * y oice all hor efforts could not make -ntcady, and crossing to the door she found it, a"s she had expected, locked, £nd the key removed. l • . ■ "Best stay hen;," he said, looking at ■ foci darkly. «* • "I will not I" she answered quickly; can you keep me against my will. ■ I warn you, you are playing a danger- .-■-.' ous game. I shall take care to see that nil concerned arc properly punished." •'' You are my lass, Polly, "he said, "and you're off your head." She was afraid, but she would.not show it. • »"■':,' ." "Open the door," she said, "or I'll emash the window and scream till help monies. Are you so foolish as to imagine that you can keep me here against jny will?'' •"Oh, no," he: answered, "of course not. That's quite impossible, I know." He turned and lifted the lid from a pot •>f potatoes boiling on the lire behind him. '' Of course, no one can keep j r ou against your will," lie repeated "but won't you wait till doctor comes?" "No," said Damans, "I don't want •to see the doctor. Open the door at 's' once," and, though she could see no possibility of danger, she was .yet aware of something deeply threatening in his manner. "The key's on the mantelpiece, if thou wilt have it," he said, shrugging his-shoulders, and then, turning his back to her, he again looked at the potatoes boiling on the fire behind him. "They're ■-■_• nearly done," lie remarked. Damaris came up quickly and took the key from the mantelpiece. '.'lt's your own fault you know," Baid Frears, and by a dextrous movement, as he stepped quickly backwards 1 , ho managed somehow to upset tho whole yan of boiling water and potatoes right on Dainaris's foot. She fell to tho ground with a loud cry of pain, and; bending over her, he said, ' grinning: "Of course, no one can keep you hcreagaiust your will." * . CHAPTER XX. - THE WEB OF CIRCUMSTANCE. The pain of the scald and the sudden ■hock of it, added to the weakness from ■Which she hud not yet recovered, were ;■. too much for Dainaris, Once more a groat darkness enveloped her, and again the felt her senses leaving her. When she came to herself she was in Jbod again, and bending over her was a strange man-with a brown beard and eyeglasses. She looked at him dazedly and became conscious of a pain in her foot, and then she murmured faintly: "Why, where am I now?"- ; ''Eh, she's cooming round, " said a voico Dainaris knew was Lizzie's. ■. "She's asking where she jb," observed the man with the eyeglasses. . "; •. ''Eh," said Lizzie, "thismorn she wer' "Worse nor that; 7wKen ; she' eoonr round she

wer' buried. It, fair gave me the creeps to listen to 'or." Dainaris half raised herself in the bed. "Arc you the doctor?" she said. c lie nodded. , "How do yon feel now?" he asked. "Never mind that," she said quickly I and excitedly.; "There is some dread-1 fnl conspiracy—l do not understand, but I must see a lawyer immediately and the police. Will you send them to me at I once?" j • "Oh, you must get better first," saidi . the doctor gently, "and then we will i discuss all that." ' "But there is no time to lose," ex- . claimed Dainaris in terror; "why, 1/ , might; be murdered. I am afraid to be , left here.. Already they have persuaded . people I am dead." ! • "Well, you are not dead, are you?"| said the doctor in the same gentle tones; I , "so you will soon be able to show them j i what a mistake they were making.. And!'you must not be afraid of being mur-i i'dered ; —your sister here won't let -any , one murder you, will yon, Lizzie?" i "Nay, indeed, th' poor lass/" said [ t Lizzie pityingly. - i "Oh, "said Dainaris, with an iiii- i ■ patient movement, "what could she do? j [. Look at my foot —he scab led that on j j purpose." ; ■ i "Too bad, too bad of him," said the | . doctor, who had taken hold of ber wrist, j I and was feeling her pulse, "but yon; 1 roust not excite yourself. Yes, there is j I ; just a touch of fever. Now I ahi going ! to give you a cooling draught aniL— -■' , ( "Oh," interrupted Damaris,, begin-[ f ning to realise he did not believe or j i understand a word she said. It""'Struck her she had been talking rather wildly t and disconnectedly, but with her own [ identity so plain to her it was -hard to . I remember that other people must naturl ally- take her for Lizzie Frears?s sister. Polly. She now felt she ought to have j i begun her-story from the beginning, i No wonder the doctor thought her still delirious. "Will you please listen to ; me for one moment? "she asked. . "Why, of course," he answered" cheerily, "provided you don't excite yourself top much.'.' , "Yon. think lam Polly Frears, a sis- ' lev of Lizzie's,".she said. "I am. not. [ I am Miss Ellwood. My father was , John Ellwood, and I inherited the Ell- [ wood Mills from hiin. Wait a moment," she added, seeing he was about to say ' something, '' I can prove quite easily . the truth of what I am saying. Every week since I came here I have had a , letter from my Uncle, Mr Joseph Bll- ' wood. I have them all. in my box [ there —unless they have been stolon," t she added, with sudden panic. '.'Will ' yon look and read those letters-?" • The doctor seemed a little impressed ' by her manner. He went over to the' box and tried the lid. '.!" "It is locked," he said. . "The key is in my purse," . said Damaris. ' She told Lizzie to give the purse to \ the doctor, who took out the key and ' opened the box. . '' There seem to be several letters J here," he remarked, "but they are all addressed to Miss Polly Frears, and the ' post-mark is Manchester." ... ' " "Of course," said Damaris im'pa--1 tic.ntly, "did you suppose my uhelc I would address me by my own name •' when he knew I was passing here as Lizzie's sister? As for the post-mark, t he sent them all from Manchester —lie t frequently goes to Manchester—to ) avoid the risk of anyone at home seeing 5 the address and wondering who the i Polly Frears he was corresponding with might bo. But will you kindly read the f letters themselves? You will see. that ; they are signed by my uncle, Mr Joseph : Ellwood, and that they contain many i references to tho business and my • friends at home." , (Tc be continued.) ' >