CHAPTER XVII.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 168, 4 September 1886, Page 6

CHAPTER XVII.

'<- j AN ENVELOP^ IN AN ODD PLACE. * ; Thbee days later Vabce"waJ"bac¥in New $jprk:«>HS ig&dftouncL m4fhMk\\\<&MfJ(< i in the season ; not efel^His ; beautiful yaqfit}^a§4 t j?W4A 8 w , aBou .i°C spirits, .restless j/. Walking into Mrs Herbeit's, private upf&fca)irs sitting-room, juJ-rfTbefbfe the dinner " 'Bpur^^^O^cC^MaVde^'and" Lillie there, i dreB&ea<ior > tB r e" L eVdnin r g i t and Waiting Mr' «Jr^t^^ai: u ; s '' ( ;\:\! -, --;: •••■*-' "*• V7f Js»^Yjffis> tfb^t, aidjGhface ,aay about - >tNewp ( ort,;" asJsjadLMie/ with a/smile, after, .'crying,ottt about hia returning bo sooril'i " " i ft V B.aid she Bhduldn^t.gp near, it!" mobcffrV.^ T^V v Wh'y?" „^,,+\ / "* , ' *"" J ". f " J -•"- ■" i 'Cl^se^m going >; be lifere; I infer. ' She'a^talking.aboutTa trip. to Egypt. Con'sidering.thle^objept^of her journey, I should. ?:;^si»© aaid'^His hijgave''a%arp glance "sib. ! Maude, hoping that her.countenance^would^ betray, % truth if he had,made!ahiti'in'ttfe " Tight , directjton.\ , He .had an idea that she 'kneyp. W.here Oacar.hadTfled, and.waa inlcbr--respondence with him. , \ '" ' ' . '*'- "*j f'-Wha^ is the .object—her health?" in., quired Maude,, with l such t innocent interest^ looking up, at him without any apparent" bonßcipueness of his design/ that he was baffled,.- JjJ j „\[] t V : -. ""'" '' -" • ".JHer health"? , Certainly. She" needs sl. -change of climate^ .She .tells me" that she is , suffering from a broken Heart," "Dipl she tell you that ?" asked Lillie, quite.ehpcked that one of her sex shouldadmit such t a thing, to be "I. thought, Grace was modest to the verge of prudishnesB." , , ' ' % ''She is all that is good and proper, sis,, be aure ; ( but she can't conquer her weakneaa for qqr naughty brother. Sb, ; instead of being allowed to patch up her broken heart with my "offered affection she has sent me., away with mine cracked ,too." , He threw himself down on the sofa looking dark and frowning, as he was apt towhen things did, not go to , suit his wishes. Lillie immediately drew her chair beside him and began to smooth his hair and pat. his cheeks, cooing over him. ' 11 " Poor. Vance ! it was naughty of her, to treat you bo. I don't see how she can pine for Oscar, after what he said about marrying her, {or, her money. I wish, she, had more", spirit* for I love, her very much." .' •JSpdoL". "Po -youj really, Vance ? I wish she hadi fancied- you in the first place." i , Lillie did not mean tojbe any more harsh and condemnatory i toward Oscar than his-, conduct, had. merited j, she felt sorry for him, and .often .wept in secret over his absence; but she resented the trouble he had brought on the, family, and. even chided*. Maude, for. defending him. Vance had! alwaysbeen her hero. His faults, in , her admiring eyes, were mere foibles, which set off his brightness. She. bore with hiacapricea and ill-tempera, perfectly satisfied when, he chose to again make himself agreeable. She really thought it rather unreasonable, of Grace not to gladly accept his. homage. They chatted , together on the subject*, she petting and sympathising with him, while Maude, her head. Joent low over some tancy-workj paid no attention to either of them, until she heard her husband's step on. thestaii p. \ Then she, went over .to Vance and stooping to. his ear whispered : rl V After : dinner, I .want you to return to this room. . I>ahall be here, alone, waiting, to see, you on important business." " The deuce ! What fe i*. Maude ?" But he turned from him and went to meet Mr Herbert at^the door. . . . She: quit© ruined her half-brother's appetite for the excellent dinner to which, they, were presently called. A man -who b'e&r j about with him a restless conscience is easily startled. Vance kept asking himself what this "business " would be ; but hecould read no explanation in the placid* somewhat- serious countenance of his sister. Visions of duns, debts, of betting on horse, races, and yacht-races, of. various wild.do--JfogSj rose •up in memory; ; and, closer and* more unpleasant than, any, phantoms of one. tgreat crime which seemed a perfect success.! Was Maude about to: confront him with any accusations ! Impossible! Yet he was-, ill'^at eaae;^ f 'lmportant btcsinessl" and.her manner had been .very impressive. . He refused soup, trifled with the lamb and greets pease, ignored the stewed spring-chicken.,. , and salad, and walked about the dining- - room while the others partook of the daintyiced pudding, returning to , drink two • cupa ' of strong French coffee which ended the meal. I After dinner the quartette went into the parlours* from .which .Mrs Herbert soon disappeared, followed ;by Vance, t who > found her < in -the fitting-room, waiting, for him. ■ Although dinner waanot served until six, o'clock, it was not yet'dubk of the long June day. . i A bright glow from the western Bky fell over Maude's face as she stood by the " windpw,,t and , he saw that ", it * was.agitated, while the delicate white hand clutching the sill trembled, . '■' . "Well, lovie, what is it?" inquired he, with affected nonchalance.; ' r , " Vance, while you were away, 1 in--etrucfced the housekeeper to have your room, put in^order, preparatory to shutting up the house.," "" - J '-'" , "WeU?" * _ , ""The-carpet- was taken up to 'prevent imothai— " . " " ' ' ll " " ' . ""Well ? Is this .what youiadies call important business,? ' It will not disturb me." 1 You needn't apologise, sie3ie. I can stop, at the hotel, as for that, until we are off for the^n — " '. • . ' : He suddenly came to a blank pause, and turned white to the lips. He had recalled ,s,omething which had hitherto escaped ' bia, recollection.' -' / • '' ' " There were somepapersunder the carpet, 1 which the housekeeper brought to me," continued' Maude; in a low, but firm voice, and' I a's' she said itj she fixed her eyes full on those. 1 , of her brother. 1 - ' Behalf- groaned out a smothered oath between his teeth; -- > • * ' '"You did not read them? You had no right to read my-papers, Maude !'•' i d They*J^efe not' your- papers,* Vanoe;-. arid I did read them." -v - ' " V'hathave you done with them?" '"I have "deposited them in a certain safein' a .down-town ioffioeV tfntil I can let their* owner'Khow where they aie. , They will never come 4 into' ybur v hands again, Vance, thank; Heaven!" 0 * ' <; 3 J *' - ? L"J ! "",you ttn f al meddling -fool The. muttered, < his'* face - ; - black* -with«^wrath;, " Wh v b r kn6ws of this besidelyouraelf V' -' ! "••No^one, as yet. r 3^ wrote to Oecar last. nign^"'' iT; " ; -.^toiwuTfeijii-ur^u'-i ;?•"*) tv i '•*« Kyour letter mUiM ?!' w toi „ . !a«♦ It isi and oH ita w»V» ts l n^pe. M-iM -i - >,

coining up and Uying a hoary hand onner A Mawde?J'3 \ni d y,o<: (\ ttqirm'JL j T nt vi . wouUttratfaek niiif you -than Oscar, If - you call it so, Vanoe. <^Y«u:*aw*altti6st *«ined him by your infamou* treachery and 'deceit of all kinds; amounting to absolute •xjrime, which places you under the penalty .of tbe'iaw; t^ifr is mot I who ruin 1 you. You have rained yourself; Rest assured, I shall not see the innocent continue to suffer, ?your place ; though ' Heaven knows. -Vance,'! tfbuld/shield you, too; itthat were ipossible, and yet exonerate Oaca*." 1 <urn ni • w« Oh, hang Oscar! 'HtfJs 1 always getting, in'my way. irv -I have been'g'uilty of a crime, for I have committed a blander which Voltaire says is worse than a critae. I should* Hot have forgotten those papers.' But then I did not know that you ever * took 5 car?pets,! unless you were ?rbm, a : house. Hew soon' are ybirgoingto « blow; ' l on me, dovie ?as the-regulars %ay.° excuse Tihe vulgarity." -.-.--**.' ,t V.v . ; j^She was surprised at the recklessness of, Shis manner. ' The fact was he so ' overwhelmed by f he' BuddenbesW arid obmplete-. ttSM* of faer'aiscoveryi'arict'Uhe jtfeafc, importent truth that «he ! held' th©^ papers of which Oii had told him, that he felt as if r iifa '" game^ ' tip." *Hel could hoTbribe.. ' threaten,' or coax heir** as he might have TJondLillie." v !i^'- : : - - « Why-do you askV' : I ' ; *' Bocauee^Tsed Before me a near prospect of pistol-shot on' the brain. Wh'en there's nothing else left for a man there's always the; • comfort *of suicide, ' »Bu*t I would like to wind Tip sdme of the smaller bbßbiiis'/first, . if I have titnei Mind; M aude, I'm not going to face themu'sic. l So tell me, honestly, how long before you set about explaining 1 things *to the public-in-general and frienda-iri-par--tieular." *rr.ii " I have not decided, that will depend ■something on your own conduct^ Vane©. But Ido not propose to- say any thing until Oscar arrives, which he cannot do for some weeks." - ' * " Weeks ! by Jove,quite a furlough? Kot even to Mr Herbert ?* J "Kot even to my Tjusband, ' Unless, as I•^warn you, you do something to force me to such a disclosure. In the 'first place, you must spend only what money is necessary -for your 'ordinary eirpensesj secondly, you 'must cease annoying "Wi*s Delzemar with -your attentions. ' She and Oscar will make peace after all is explained:" ' Vance indulged in 'an ugly laugh j the ndea waernot agreeable to him. . He walked, "up "" and * Down, "for 1 some '. time. Maude waited 'for -him /to calm down a little. ' She] did not thoroughly believe that . he would dotrimit suicide ; but 'th§ threat -troubled and diecompjeed her. , ' ' ' He saw that it; did. \ He rioted ; the "effect the sly' as he walked back and forth. .Discomposure and anxiety were written on the fair^ace,' which^as "still faintly 'flushed *by the waning 1 light of sunset. Th^ 1 moment that he had foiind .thathis exposure waa delayed for some time'he Had taken heart. "Vance 'never troubled "himself 1 about the futures' now was' the only time "worth anything to him. | A few weeks'"! Good ! He might win and wed Grace Delzemar in ' ;thoße few weeks^ if the Fates should favour him. ; True, there were small prospects of it ; but events' as desperate had ' come to pass. Tt"wa¥"thV o*nly"giSme now left for ihim to play^^ To marry G?ace would be to effect nearly all the "objects for which he had first set out. , It. would seal her lips — and, perhape, Maude's also— from denouncing him.' 'It would h6r immense ' iortune — that is the dee of it which he-could 'Obtain as her husband. - It; would ■ be a savage blow at Oscar, however Oscar might denounce him and -betray; his • infamous -scheme. _. . -, » , • •If Grace would take him .with her she might go, to the Nile, in welcome/ He would like ,to be as far away as , that .when the storm broke, for he was in, great .danger trom the strong hand of the law, and, flight would be his only 'rescue, except, as he had intended, suicide. < AH these plans swept ±hrough his whirling brain, while. Maude 'stood waiting for his promise. , «'Very well, doviejl will live as economically as a poor student for the ministry; -and I will promise not to interfere 'between these two lovers. - Anything more ! No. Then, in return, T must ask you to give me =an hour or two's warning before you -come • down on me." That's no more than fair." , „" But 1 don't want you to kill yourself. A'ance." ■** Then you shouldn't drive me to it." '"..Imust protect, Oscar. .Jlf I .cqujd'do it and still Bhield you, I would, Butl can see no way to do it. Oscar's reputation ihas Buffered, openly; he will naturally be -determined, to redress, it. * No, -Vance -r-as you 'sow you must reap. 1 . But Ido not feel harshly toward .you. I wish you would go away to some new country, before' this affair comes to light, and there begin life anew.. You are, young, and talented; you can make your way anywhere. ,We will all Head a helping hand to set you up in some honourable business. , Oh, Vane©,! if you wiU only be sorry for what, you^have^ done, -and try to live differently — a better life, —I will do all that I possibly can for you!" > The tears were 'streaming down her •face. ' , . «' Bah.siesie, don't cry ;. and pray, don't' preach ! You're a good little thing ! it's «asy for you to be good. , But I was bifilt •of different timber. 1 have always enjoyed •myself , and kept at the -head. ; Iwaß not ■made to be, industrious nor prudent, ' I've had a good time. The only. thing lean think of now is the one I apoke pf^ I'd far rather go out in a flash, at once, than fly my country to glimmer- out by slow degrees in -Bomedull spot. Thank you; pletols for me, after the fun ie ojer ! There's JLiUie calling us. Wipe your eyes, and yfe Willgo •down ; and remember, all I aelt is a fair warning." i i „ .] I . He opened the door for her, and they returnsd to the parlour. > / "What were you doing?" queried Lillie, -taking his arm and- dragging, him toward the piano. "Consulting about house cleaning, my .pretty." / : ,' Kf * " I should think Maude wouldleave such topics to the housekeeper." . , . " Wo all havo some dirty work to do in ■this world, my pet. What is it you want •of me ? To sing ? How can I, so soon after -dinner?" ; , " You did not eat three bits of anything, "Vance. Come, I>aht you to try this new song. It might have been written for your -voice." j, '' - - * "It ' might have been ;' but it was not. Tou know what Whittier says : JOf all sad words, of tongue or pen, The saddtst ars these-;', it miKhtj have been.' I can hardly, have heart to sing, the music 'under fuen circumstances, M , , v tm .> What, a, tease you' are,> Yancei t Come,' tryit." .f».v «-t|v ? m \\ n h^: t< lie sat down to<the instrument and played the piece for. £e.f. ' Hia voioe was^ .one of : tho3©;r«jf flMeHcioa a; tenors, which melt the lU^eqel'jCvery^SQul. 0 ffhisifivening, ( he Bangvtt'ith,ftn,'o«fe,i an i .abandon, an^xi t asj>ify : heihad*no^a; care^in; *on the evcriteorthe day, but all' the time

'fa^'f Stfffl&be Wi tiff MlWm; f Hft°Bt juWthtft ttaipeta, ' Sh© ahudderisd. ' a* if the room were chilly. il ' "''A&'j&a'dtiWWa warm evening, little "pK no"! On^ the contrary, the air is oppressively warm." "I 'saw you shfverjpg," " I Had an s ugly thought!" < ; ( " By .the, way, Maude, I have a letter for yqii, which t l forgot to give you ,when I came *»»." t$ k| ng,*t ffrp«s f frp«$ % brcwtj-pocket of hie ,coat., . * . l ' "l" l -I " Where from?" MJ !»i * ! M<*too. „"I dare say ife all right, little wife,- this haying a masculine correspondent pf whom your husband knows nothing," jest- ; •" You'mav be Burs it is all right. The handwriting is n.ot unknown to you, Jay. It may be that you disapprove ; but— time will show.' " .; i , She checked thus suddenly, although.her tongue was trembling to .utter its protest against her] husband's injustice , toolbar—although she, longed/ to use the power which' she nowhplcl of vindicating her brother; b'i^ it, ,^as y , ,w;isor to wait for; L that .brother's arrival on the scene, , so she checked herself, (% by, jk mighty effort (for a 'WW) »P d hurried into the, library, across the hall, to read her letter alone *,* Oh, dear, Jiow unfortunate i" she cried,, twisting her little hands together in distress. ««I, cannot taeU, no'^ how, long it, will be, before the .matter is,, made right.. Oh, I ,w^Bh be hadscpme home, as L begged him. There is danger that he will never set the .letter, which^ , despatched , yesterday. I must .write, again to this new, address. How stupjdt ! , How- unbearable ! , (One thing, Vance Bhall know-nothing of this delay. I will try and get him out of the country. I don't want him .playing high tragedy here. It wjll beat least three months ibef ore I can hop©,, to Bee Oecar. Meantime, I must frighten and persuade Vapoe) to. go abroad. 111 1 dp, nptj want 1 thQee - two to . meet. lam afraid the.re ; will b© bloodshed." She eat a short $ime thinking over this new complication caused by the information received in the, letter ; then placing the letter in her, own little writing desk, she locked the desk, and hung' the* key on her watch-chain. Since she had. gone into a secret correspondence with, Oecar she had been careful to keep his letters under lock and Jtey untjl she, was ready to destroy them. She then returned to the parlours, into -which, , meantime, several evening callers had dropped in. The most of these were young gentlemen, calling upon Lillie ; Dice youths with rich.fathers, who spent os much t^jojn^theirtoiletg as Lillie did on bera ; *nd wfio-aali -aßouV'the room in immaculate summer costumes, rosebuds in their coat-labels, and gold eye-glasses dangling beneath ; and who talked about its being time to desert the city, about the seaside, and other fashonable topics ; one and ill declaring that they wished to know where she was going before they decided what resort was most attractive. While bhe little witch sat composedly in -their* midst, lovely as a seraph in blue silk und white muslin, cheeks and eyes just brightaninec to their prettiest under the delicious axcitement of pitting one against another, &nd tossing up all their hearts like jackstones, keeping them, going, never letting ' 3ne fall ! * Mrs Herbert, who " had been there," but svhose day for such sport was now over, kept judiciously to one side, allowing her bright little Bister to enjoy her game. Vance came and sat by her side, $nd waa ( rery talkative and amusing, seeming to cherish no anger, indeed, to have forgotten the J scene of an hour or two previous. Vyhen Mr Herbert'had finished reading the last edition of his evening paper Vanoe told him about a slight accident which had ocBarred to his yacht,, and how he was waiting F6i* her to be repaired before he returned to Ne.wpoijt. . „'",', Thus* the short evening, slipped away untiLten or .eleven o'clock, when the last caller took his departure and the houee was closed for the night. „ . , *']: shall stay here,, suisie,' if you can accommodate me," Vance said to "Sirs Herbert. _ . • > , "Certainly,! ean f All the carpets are not up. , You can have the front room to the left on the second floor." " Thanks. Good night, all. I. will retire early, and like^ good boy'; rest on the Sound last night, and feel stupid. Uood--night, i Liilie. j " , r , ' . , • .' , , He went oflf to hie room. , Turning on the atairshe waft a kiss to Lillie/ as he went " lou women are, tender-hearted iit+le^ aogels," he said, j " you were as careful to hurt "young .Schuyler's feelings tjb"s evening, ' Lillie, as , if he.^ere a trout and you were a hook' with a fly on !" , " Oh,, Vance, I didn't do anything— not » thing !" protested she, blushing. •'.Well,. goodUmight, .the third time, and out," and he disappeared. . n . Not" very much later the household was in repose, >"ight» out, except a faint glimmer in the halls, voices silent in slumber. Perhaps it was one o'clock when Vance's door noiselessly opened, and, .he stepped cut into the hall jn, dre sing-gown and slippors," standing a little while, listening, and. looking upland down. The most persistent lie- awake would not, have heard his light step on the thick,, velvet carpets, as he . glided dow ( n .stair*, passed . into the library, carefully closed the dopr,, struck a match, arid lighted the drop light on the table. '.„.*,,, "Now, siseie, he whispered, "let's read your interesting letter." He had a ring full of tiny keys -7 keys .of, his fWriting desk, dreating-box, and various, other fancy boxes and small drawers -which hp triedi flnfi., after the other, in the' lock of Maude's /writing-desk, succeeding, after a few trials, in getting one that fitted. The next instant the letter which she had received and retired to -read— he having noted every movement of hers, and even overheard her half-whispered talk with her hufeband— was in his eager hand. , ■' " His handwriting, as I thought ! Now, let us ccc where my fine brother is keeping himself. Mexico ! Good ! Couldn't be a better place for a man who covets an early death! What is he doing there ?" '■ The letter was a long one. With his hand on the screw ready to turn off the gas at the least alarm, he sat and perused the long epistle from beginning to end, some parts of it twice over. xJ' » fc u waB ,.? ha PPy thought, to look for this,' he Bpljfoquieed, when he had finished it. "I knew several things of which beforeI was ignorant. , I know that if Maude keepe' her word, I- ; have at least three in which to work, out oUhe astsrape a st5rape into » which I Jiave. gotten myself. ; Three , months! I ought tofbe able to accomplish almost anything >,in that time— say, i for instar.oe, to ,conj am th^« . papew <Q\jt qfethafr eaf e, andi intojny.pQßißflaaioniagain; -To get back tsfyi papers, td Tnarfy Grace Belzemar, toidisappo^Owar «3l4lfoqVfM%uAe,^then he f shaTl f have posted-baclchere ; surely these obiects c ire^tu^.w^fctrySn^ iot.jjlmtelMbi' load m^jrftvpj^e^us^M^nofeiuntil XhaW; ■ou«Vb6^t mtpQ takoj dp\f o>*hi«ts addre^t Vclt tant, excluded ranch in' the hortKprnwSfc Mexico— a mine hidden in the mountains--'

6dmanQM*a^4^^£V>n two sides,- te fvolationiats and-gaerrillas on the others*-^ trulj{l~sw«etK»pol} k vGecafi wilkneVer ; get' 'ife^Mto M^ai^FW s ' r «< wm t >^ im&d to mriffl i;h'at * ( yras ' talcing ! her advise; .and statfi^f bj «?'• foreign •' tour. Instead, s I might 'viaiib California; end outi r about ihe Isabella Mining Company, get ( 6n OacarV trail, ploy the part of an Apache, and come downfon hfrn^withmy revolver. if.Ba ! -what am I talking! about ? il m a donsciencelese, ■ jealous scoundrel, I know ; but not co bad as' <Wi not 1 8O ( bid u ae that 1 ff * i '»/ ;J hi ' "-Let him Hv4, if he'ean. ' And prbeper,' too, if he can. I didn't really like to take' his. money.', I would have, preferred it to be somebody's else's ; but when it came to a choice between big interests and mine, his had to go under. ,<lf he oanget again, all right. -, „-.«.,. ,-- „. i - ' ■ "rd like, to marry • Grace first -that's all." , . t u ..f., »; v ••.-•! . His head whirled with the crowd of; ideas' whioh . beset, it. •■ He sat* so long that) the early . morning , had beepn to redden I the ' least before he bethought him- to replace the letter— having first copied a few extracts from it— re, lock th 6 box, and betake himself up-Btaira to bed. , , ; -