CHAPTER XLIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 225, 22 October 1887, Page 5

CHAPTER XLIII.

RUBY S DISAPPEARANCE DISCOVERED. Madam Howland insisted that Walter should " come home " at oner — there must be no more living in an ordinary boardinghouse — and, of course, the change could not be otherwise than a pleasant one for him. These words, "come home," spoken in his grandmother's tremulously tender tones, were almost the sweetest that had greeted hip ears since the going out of his fair young mother's life had left him home- i less and an orphan, while the fond woman spared no pains to make life attractive and | delightful to him. She was recovering but slowly from her ! injuries, and she informed Walter that he would have to be hands for her until she was able to use Lor own. It was both touching and amusing to how she loved to have him wait upon her, and the many little devices which she employed to make him do so and keep him near her, while he was always ready and eager to bestow every caie and attention upon her. She manifested a gieat deal of interest in his work, caret ally looking over all his plans, and diiving out every pleasant day to see how his building was pi ogressing, while their evenings were passed in talking over the past, in reading, or playing chess or backgammon. But as time passed, and Walter received no tidings of or from Ruby, he began to feel both anxious and disturbed. Twice every week he had written to her believing her to be at Redville, but no answer had come to his letters. At last he wrote to Mr Conanfc inquiring if he knew anything regarding MibS Gordon's movements, and that gentleman replied that both Mrs and Miss Gordon had gone to Harrisburg, called thither by the sudden and fatal illness of the elder lady's sister. This news relieved his mind somewhat, although it did not satisfy him. He thought it very strange that Ruby had not written to tell him of the change in her plans and give him her address. Still, she might have done so, and her letter miscarried, and he kept hoping that each day would bring him some message from her. Bub none came, and his anxiety increased, though he tiied to reassure himself with tho reflection that he would soon see her, for she would be obliged to be present at his trial, which was now drawing very near. The day at last arrived, and, as he entered the court-room in company with Mr Conant and his counsel, he glanced anxiously round for his loved one. Mrs Gordon was pitting by herself near a window, and dressed in fresh mourning ; but Ruby was not visible. Edmund Carpenter was sealed at a table in earnest conversation with the counsel for the prosecution. He had looked up, and nodded pleasantly to Mrs Gordon as she entered the room, and then resumed what he was saying to the lawyer. Presently the door opened again, and Mr Ruggles entered, and Walter's face grew ghastly white as he saw that he also was alone. «• Mr Conant, will you kindly ask Mrs Gordon whore Miss Gordon is ? ' he asked his friend, unable to endure the suspense another moment. The gentleman arose to comply just as Mrs Gordon herself espied Mr Rnggles, and started up to greet him, asking eagerly why Ruby had not come with him. The man turned and looked at her in amazement. " Well, mann, that strikes me as a rather queer question," he answered, giving her a searching look. " How could she come with me when she has been with you in Harrisburg all these weeks ?'' " Been with me J" repeated Mrs Gordon, with a dazed look. " What do you mean ?" Mr Ruggles's face lost much of its natural ruddy glow at this inquiry, for he saw that her astonishment was genuine. «< I—l1 — I hope, mann, that it's all right, but / haven't seen Miss Ruby since about two hours after you left Forestvale to go to your sister. Then she wanted to go to Redville, and urged me to take her home with me that afternoon, in spite of the rain ; bub she sent me word later that she decided it was best to join you in Harrisburg ; so, of course, I had to go back without her, which, I'm free to say, was a great disappointment to both mother and me." Mrs Gordon involuntarily turned her white, startled face towards Edmund Carpenter, instinctively feeling that he might be able to explain this mystery. She had supposed Ruby safe at Redville during all this time, although she had wondered at not hearing from hex-. She had written once, but the letter had never been sent, having been overlooked in the worry and excitement of her sister's illness, and she had found plenty in that home of sorrow to fill both heart and hands, to the exclusion of all else ; for the invalid had been a fearful sufferer, lingering upon the borders of the grave for weeks, and had only been released by death a few days before the trial. Mrs Gordon had confidently expected to meet Ruby upon her return to Philadelphia, and it had been a particulaily pleasant prospect, for remorse had been busy in her heart, condemning her for the part which she had taken against her. Edmund Carpenter saw her turn toward him after Mr Ruggles had concluded, and he knew well enough what was in her mind ; but he appeared to be perfectly at ease, and wore an unconcerned air which baffled hor completely. "And 1 have not seen Ruby since I bade her good-,bye in Mr Carpenter's house on the morning when I was so suddenly summoned to my sister," she said, in a trembling tone, as she turned again to Mr Ruggles. "Then Heaven help us all! — something dreadful must, have happened to hei'," re i turned Mr Ruggles, greatly agitated.

Just then Edmund Carpenter arose, and approaching them, shook hands with his uncle and Mrs Gordon in a cordial manner ; then asked, in a natural, off-hand way : " Where is Miss Euby ? — she ought to be here to-day. Was sho not able to come with you?" Mrs Gordon's heart sank, for she argued at once that he could know nothing regarding her young sister's strange disappearance. His question had entirely deceived her ; but Mr Ruggles regarded the young man keenly, while Mr Conant, who had stood silently by during the above conversation, was very sure that the wily plotter knew much more more than anyone else of this mysterious matter. , He appeared greatly surprised, however, when the facts were stated to him, and related in turn that he had parted from Ruby soon after Mr Rugglcs had left, as he had urgent business in town ; and that he had been somewhat surprised to learn from his coachman, upon his return, that she had changed her mind at the last moment and gone to Harrisburg. " Who took the message to Mrs Rugglcs ?" ! asked Mrs Gordon. "Thomas." " What was her reason for changing her mind ?" " That it seemed too bad to desert you when you were in trouble, and she thought she mighb be of some help and comfort if she should go to you." This was like Ruby and sounded reasonable, and yet Mrs Gordon was not satisfied. She knew how determined Edmund had been to win Ruby, while, lemem boring his strange manner and his eager questions regarding the broken desk, it suddenly flashed upon her that that might have had something to do with this inexplicable affair. " And you have not seen her since ?" she asked, regarding him earnestly. " No, I have not seen her since that day," the man answered, and truthfully, for Ruby's precautions against intruders had been successful, and the moment she heard his step outside her door she had taken refuse in her chamber and locked herself in. Walter had drawn near during the conversation ; he was so anxious he could not wait patiently, and his face was absolutely colourless as he listened, while in his heart he was confident that Edmund Carpenter had been guilty of foul play in Ruby's disappearance. X"IX "I believe you know the truth,"' he cried, turning upon him with blazing eyes ; " but if any evil has befallen Miss Gordon you shall answer for it.'' "To whom?" sneered the young man, with a malicious smile. "I do not doubt you would be glad to constitute yourself Miss Gordon's champion in the future, as you have tried to do in the past ; but there is a possibility, you know, that you may not have the opportunity." Walter quivered in every nerve at this cruel thrust, but he felt that it would be unwise to retort, and turning abruptly away, he said, in a low, de.spaii.ing tone, to Mr Conant : "What shall we do? The suspense is maddening, and I fully believe that this rascal is at the bottom of it all." Mr Conant linked his arm within the young man's, and led him away to a seat. He knew it would not do to have any confusion in the court-ioom, for a cave was being tried that had been put over from the day before, and already the group that "had gathered around Mrs Gordon had attracted attention. "I am pretty sure of that myself," said Mr Conant, " but ii« will not do to make a scene here. We will, however, sco what can be done as soon as this affair is settled." Mr Conant's face was very grave as he concluded. He did not appear very hopeful regarding his young friend's case. If it was a plot to ruin him, as both Walter and his counsel seemed to think, he feared that proof sufficient to convict him might be brought against him ; he did not believe that a man like Edmund Carpenter would go to work blindly, and he thought he must have felt pretty sure of his position in order to have caused his arrest. As the hours went by, and they still had to wait for the other case, Mrs Gordon's anxiety increased, and more than once she begged Mr Ruggles to go out and do something to find her ; but he could not be persuaded to leave the court-room, troubled as his own heart was on account of the young girl, until he knew how Walter's trial was to be conducted. But it was so late in the afternoon before his case was called that it was thought best to put it over until the next day, and thus the anxious witnesses Avere released until the following morning at ten. Then Mr Rue-gles, Mr Conant, and Walter met to discuss ways and means to find Ruby, and, after a brief consultation, separated, each to pursue the course laid out for him. Mrs Gordon passed a most wretched night. She was thoroughly frightened about her young sister, and began to realise something of the enormity of her own conduct towards her. in having lent herself to a plot to ruin her happiness and a young man's honour. Ruby's goodness, her unvarying sweetness and gentleness came up before her in contrast to her own harshness, her selfishness and intrigue, and she bitterly repented of the wrong she had done her. She resolved that she would make an end of her own duplicity at once, and confess the plot that had been laid to ruin Walter. She had seen Madam Howland that day, and learned of the change in his prospects ; she had seen how the noble woman loved him and depended upon him; how kind and devoted he was to her, and she was determined that the young man's fair fame should not be sullied — the truth should be told, and ho should be honourably acquitted ; she would do that much to atone for the past, whether Ruby was ever restored to her or not. During the weeks that had elapsed since Ruby's abduction Edmund Carpenter had been very busy. He had been getting his affairs into a condition to enable him to flee from the country at a moment's warning. He had put all his real estate into the hands of a broker, and it had been sold at a price that exceeded his expectations. He had given notice at the various banks where he had money deposited that ho should wish to draw upon them at a certain date, and he had also disposed of all shares and stocks which he had owned. Thus his property had all, or nearly all, been turned into money ; he had even negotiated for a passage abroad, and had resolved to sail the week following Walter's trial. Ho had not a doubt but that he would ruin his enemy ; he meant to wait to witness his downfall ; then he would release Ruby, or cause her to bo released, upon the day that he sailed, and she might do her very worst with tho will that she had found ; while Walter Richardson would never get one penny of his father's monoy ; -while he would spend some years in travelling and pleasure, and finally settle comfortably in some foreign land when he tired of sightseeing. It had all been very nicely planned, and thus far very satisfactorily executed ; and tho younc man was in a most excellent mood with himself as ho saw his victim so

apparently helpless before him, although he had been somewhat disappointed at tho delay in the trial, and he was confidents that the morrow would bring the shameful downfall he had so long anticipated. He had not been out of the court-room, an hour, however, before he became aware that he was being shadowed by a detective, and knew that Mr Ruggles and Mr Conanb had begun their work of trying to ascertain Ruby's whereabouts?. But this only amused him ; it simply added romance to tho affair, It was not necessary for him to go near the young girl ; she would be well cared for if he did not enter the house where &he was confined for a week or even a month ; and, knowing that, he took a sort of fiendish delight in doubling and turning upon his pursuer, and led that much-tried official a dance which ho never forgot, and all to no mi r nose.

( To be Continued. )