CHAPTER XLV1.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 227, 5 November 1887, Page 8

CHAPTER XLVI.

BUBY S RELEASE EXPLAINED. Edmund Ca:u'i:ntf.]i's face had grown absolutely ghastly while the officer was speaking. He saw thai he was hedged about on every side— everything was known, and it would need but a word from Mr Conant to throw him into prison to await a trial upon charges that were liable to result in a sentence of penal servitude- for perhaps twenty years. Death would be preferable to that ; his haughty spirit could never brook confine ment ; and, turning his white face to the architect, he demanded, sullenly • " What arc your terms ?" "That bank-note iiist," was the relentless leply. Without another word, the young man drew from an inner pocket a small Russia leather covered diary, and taking from it a bank-bill, passed it to ]\Jr Conant. He unfolded it, and after a moment's examination he said : " This is all light— the number it 805." Then Mr Conant took from the (able near which he was standing a small package of crisp new bills, and passed them to Mi Carpenter, adding : " We have no intention of robbing you, bir ; you will iincl the eqimalont of thib bill here. He nodded to the officer a» he spoke, and the man withdiew, much to Edmuud Carpenter's relief. But at the same moment a door on the opposite side of the room opened, and lie saw his father's old lawyer, Mr Fail banks, enter, followed by Mrs Coxon. He knew well enough what this arrival portended, and overcome by the evidence that was accumulating against him, he sank with a groan into a chair, hi-, spirit ot defiance all crushed out of him. Mr Fairbanks sat down by the table, and produced a document, which he unfolded, saying : " Mr Carpenter, 1 received this instrument this morning ; it is your — it is Mr Ralph Carpentei's will, which, at the time of his death, I was sure oxi&tcrl. As the parties most interested in it are present, 1 have been requested to read it here and now." He proceeded to do so, and it was found that Ralph Carpenter had divided his property equally between Edmund Carpenter and Walter Richardson. "I shall contest that unjust will — my father must have been demented when he did such an outrageous thing," ciied Edmund, starting up crimson with anger, when that clause was read. "Ahem ! do not think that would be a wise proceeding ior a number of reasons," dryly responded the lawyer, glancing significantly at him over the top of his spectacles. " But wait ; perhaps you may be induced to change your mind after you hear Mr Carpenter's explanation and reasons for bequeathing hib propeity in this way. Li& ten. " ' This dhision I make because both arc dear to me as my own sons. Such a statement may sound strangely at. iirst, and especially so to Edmund, who, doubtless, will feel that I owe him most on account of. kinship. But when he knows — as he must learn from other papers which I inclose with this will — that he is, an adopted son — ' *' "Adopted!" cried the startled man, aghast, but the lawyer read on as it he had not been interrupted. "'He will understand at once why I feel justified in bequeathing the half of tiny possessions to the son of one who was very dear to me in early life, and who would doubtless have been my wife but for my own wilfulnesb and unreasonable passion.'" ! Then there followed a clear statement of his affairs, with two or tlneo small bequests to servants. In the envelope, with the will, there was found a certificate of the adoption of "Edmund Wales" by Ralph Carpenter and his wife, together with an account of the whole transaction. Mr and Mrs Carpenter had travelled a good deal during their early married life, and once, while in the fay s.outh-west, they had come across a little child who had been born in a mining district. The mother had died soon after the birth of her boy, and ho had been left to the- doubtful care which conld be secured in that wild region. Mrs Carpenter had becomo immediately interested in the child, and proposed to adopt it, if tho father's consent could be gained. This was not a very difficult matter, and then the baby was taken to San Francisco, where it was supposed, by Mr and Mrs Carpenter's frionds, to have been born, and no one else had ever known until now fchat ho had been an adopted son.^ Walter was as much surprised as anyone by this unexpected disclosure, and, nnder any other circumstances, he would have wondered at Mr Carpenter for having made it ; but looking back, ho could now lealise how disappointed the noble-hearted man must have been with the cold return which the boy had given him for all the cave and affoction he had lavi&hed upon him ; and how he must have contracted his own (Walter's) loving gratrtudo and tender attentions with the indiiTerencc and almost noglcct of his supposed son. Edmund Carpenter was rendered speechless by whJit ho had heard. It was a ! thunderbolt that served to crush him ! effectually, and ho had nob a word further to offer in objection to the conditions of the will. " These papers, regarding your adoption, I will resign into your hands at onco," Mr j Fairbanks resumed, "and now this will must be a .fair division of all that you possess. We have ascertained, among our other discoveries, that you have been turning all your property into money, with the

intention of sKortfly/ qniitmig the country. Now this money, since your late father has appointed me executor, must all be relinquished into my hands and I will see that justice is- done.. If— now, mark you Mr Carpenter, this is a very important condition and a very, magnanimous one in my estimation—if you agree to this and give no trouble in this settlement, no pioceedings will be taken against you, as Mr Richardson shrinks from adopting aggressive measures against one who has so long sustained the relationship of son to his beloved benefactorMiss Gordon, also, is a\erse to the notoriety of a trial lor the wrong that you have done her. How is it, air— do you agiee to our terms ?" There was a dead silence for the space of a minute, then Edmund Carpenter said in a subdued tone : "Yen, I agree." "Will you swear that you will not attempt to leave the city until full restitution has been made to Mr Richardson ?" "Yes 1 swear it." " Of course Ido not" need to tell 1 you that every precaution will Lo taken to prevent your doing &o," Mr Fairbanks paid, with emphatic significance, and now, I believe, we have no further ncod of your presence here to-day. " I Edmund Carpenter arose at tin's abrupt dismissal, looking as if years had passed, over him since he sat down. He shot one glance of hatied and malice at Walter, who waa regarding him with real pity and soriow ; then his eyes rested for an instant with a sort of despairing tenderness upon Rubv'b aveiLcd face, after which he turned and walked quietly horn the loom, too thoroughly "vanquished even to caie to keep up the appearacne of defiance. It may as well be stated here-tliat he was closely " shadowed" until he delivered half his foi tune into Mr K-ui banks' hands for Walter ; which, since it had to bo done, he was eager t > do immediately, and after that he suddenly disappeared liom the city and was never seen thoic nc>nin. Years afierwaid, when Walter and Ruby wore travelling abroad, they heard of him a 5 hung a disputed life- at a noted gambling resort, and fast wasLJng the noble bequcfct winch he had received from his^ adopted father. ■ * ¥■ T 7T 1 # * Now we must go> back a, little to that adventitious afternoon when Mr Rugglcd and Annie Partridge learned the secret of Ruby's disappearance. Mr JlugglecJ pi'oceeded directly to Mr Conant's office, where he was fortunate enough to find that gentleman, he having been obliged to remain theie on a matter of business befoie starling upon his own search for the missing girl. With groat excitement, Mr Ruggles related to him his discovery, and then together they hunted up Walter, who nearly lost his self-command upon learning tliafc. his lost darling was found. All three gentlemen at once started forth, secured the service^ of two tm.sty officers and a couple of carnages, and immediately repaired to the house of Edmund Carpenter's " particular friend " the physician. All this transpired in loss than two hours niter Ruby had tin own the message to her friend Annie. When the carriage stopped before tho door, a man v>a,s seen standing ab oueof thelower window-. : but upon one o£ blie officers alighting from the first \ chicle, he suddenly disappeared, and the policeman's ring was. inssverccl by a mcek-looLing Fervant-girl. Tho man entered the moment the door was opened, and, pioducina a .searchwairant, connnaiuted the gill to tell him if Mis;, Ruby <->u\lon was forcibly detained in the house. To his surpiir-e, ?he at once answered in the afrumatiN c. Bub she explained it afterward by con-fe-^inglhathermo^fer had told her, a minute before, ns ho find from tho house by a back, way, "to make no resistance, the gam& was up, and the girl must be released.",) He could' nsi'be found afterward ; his family remained there, living very quietly for a little while, then they too suddenly disappeared. Walter and Mr Ruggles followed the ofHoer into the house, and the girl conducted all three directly up staiis, tv the 100 m occupied by Ruby, and there they found her lying upon a Fora in a half-conscious state. She had fallen fainting to the floor after thiov, ing her note from the window; bufc after a time '•he had revived sufficiently to creep to the lounge, where, her strength all gone, could only helplessly pray that deliverance might come to her soon, for sho felt thai:, fche could not livo much longer in that way. When the pervant opened the door, Wai tor wjj* the lh-^t one to blep within the room •. but Ruby thinking it was only the girl, did not Imo strength or interest enough to turn e\cn her o\o.< in that diiecliou.'and waa only conbcious that she was rcbcued when she felt herself gathered into a pair of .strong arms and her head lifted to her lover's breast. Tho joy was 100 much for her, and with one fondlook she save a glad ciy, and then fainted dead away. AY hen she came to herself again she was lying in a beautiful room in Mr Conant's oVn"hoiibC, and found Walter and Mrs Conanb bending o\ er her, tonderly chafing her hands and bathing her face. The sense of safety which she at once experienced was a good restoiative, and it was not long before &ho was able to take some nourihlimcnt md to tell them something of what had occurred since she had been so cunningly decoyed into tho trap bet for her. When "W'llrer told her that his trial had been dofe-ned until the next day, her joy knew no bounds. "Then I can sa\e you !" she cried, almost hysterically, "for, oh ! I know all about that miserable plot that has been, laid to 1 uin you. I have been nearly \vil<& all day thinking that you were being tried am( would surely be convicted. But '" suddenly breaking oft' and looking him cyrer — " v hat suit ha\e you on V" "My best one of course, as I desire! to make as favourable an impression as possible in court," Walter leplicd, sailing, )3ut wondering al the apparent irrelevance of her question. "Then go and exchange it ar>a let mo have it at once," Ruby said, excUedly. " Why, Ruby ! Avhub can you mean ?" "Oh ! 1 do not believe that, I ought to tell you-- 1 am ahaid it would not be bess for you to know just yet. Sond Mr Cona^t to me— l will tell him, and I will be governed by what he says," Ruby relied, with a troubled look. Ever since she had known that the diamonds wore concealed about his clothing, sho had thought if she could only secure them without his knowledge, and return them to her si&tex% Mrs Gordon could swear that he had never oven scon her property, and the affair could be hushed up without; bringing her to shame. Ruby could nob endure tho thought of having to betray Estollo'f complicity with Edmund Carpenter, for bhe was her own brother's wife, and her good name was dear to her for his sake. Walter began to suspect something of what was in her mind. He started and m-ew palo as it flashed upon him that he had worn that very suit out to Forestvale that night, and that he had found his coab lying upon the floor the next morning, instead of upon tho chair where he was sure ho had hung it.