CHAPTER LIU.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 295, 1 September 1888, Page 5

CHAPTER LIU.

MAGUIK IS MISSINCJ. Doctor Renfrew drove across from Ravens, wold in the summer twilight, pasfciug the captain and Lady Marguerite just beyond the park. ' Tell Maggie I c uld not call in as T piomised,' said Marguerite, 'it is too late j — and be sure and bring her with you in ! the morning.' The old doctor nodded pleasantly, and i urged his pony forward, humming softly to himself, as he meditated : i ' That fellow's face strikes me every time I see him,' he was thinking. ' T must have j met him before ; yet I cannot remember when. A fine, whole-hearted fellow, and poor little Pearl loves him. I wonder if they -will marry her to Brompton ? And ■ he's changed out of belief, BrompLon has. I liked him that summer he stopped in Northumberland ; but now — pah! — his face makes me c ick ' It would be a pity to throw pretty Pearl away on Buch a cad. But that old orjre of a countess has the whole of 'em under her thumb, Strathspey and all. I think I'll sound him on the subiecb, for Marguerite' 1 ? «ake. I like the child. (She's like her mother.' The sun was quite down, and the golden ] gloom of the summer twilight wrapped the old Highland home, as he approached. He saw the carriage in the stable-yard, and knew that his sister and her husband had returned from Perch. ' Where's Maggie ?' he wondered. ' She's always on the watch for me. Looking at Janet's purchases, no doubt — fond o J finery, woman-hke.' • I He smiled grimly in the grloom, and then his thoughts went back to the Strathspeys. ' Poor Strathspey, if ever a man was to be J nitied, he is. The sooner death comes to him the better. I knew it w^uld be so I wonder what he'll do with that son of his — or so-called son ? What a ruffianly brute he is ! It will be a difficult matter to disown him now, there's not a bit of proof to ' begrin with : and the other child's gone. Bless me, what a tangle it, all is ! 'I wonder who's at the bottom of it, and what it all means ?' He had reached the gate by this time, and the stable boy came forward to take his horse. As he stepped down from the ! bugcy, he &aw his eister running down from the house to meet him. Her face was very white in the semi-darkness. ' Kenneth,' she cried. ' where's Maggie ? Isn't she at Ravenswold ?' ' ? INo ! She hasn't been to Ravenswo)d to-day. ' 'Then it's very strange,' continued his 6ister. 'Shehaseone, and none of the servants know where. The cook says she made the queen-cakes about three o'clock, and then went up to her room, and no one's seen her since.' ' Oh, she's out in the grounds somewheie,' replied the doctor, carelessly, but his face looked pale, and he made mighty strides toward the house. 'But her room** all in disorder,' continued Mrs Keith ; ' arid that trunk's open, and some of the things are out ; that's strange !' The old man made no answer ; he pushed his sister aside, and made his way to Maggie's appartment. The window was open, and the suit of infant's clothing 'still hung on the sill, where Maggie had hung the articles in the sunshine. The flannel cloak, with its satin linen ripped loose, had fallen to the floor ; and the trunk was open, and the jewel -casket in full view. Doctor Renfrew stood and tra/.cd about him in utter bewilderment. What could it mean ?

'And all Maggie's clothing is here, even her hab and shawl,' said his sister, coming to his side. * Kenneth, what can it mean ' Where is she ?' The old man made no answer. His grey eyes were fixed upon the torn lining of the flannel cloak. ' What does that mean ?' he said, at last, half aloud, half to himself ; * what was in there ? Some proof of the child's identity V s Then all at once he turned to his sister, with a white, awed face. 'There's something wrong, Jan at,' lie cried. 'My heart misgives "me. Where's my bairn, my one ewe lamb ? If harm befalls her, my grey haiis will go down in sorrow to the grave. She was all I had in the wide woi'ld.' He dropped down upon the side of the bed and sobbed like a child. Meanwhile, Mr Keith, a very shrewd and energetic man, who had once been a member of the Scotland Yard fraternity, was making investigations. He questioned the servant's, and examined the premises, nnd found out that a carriage, a twowheeled affair, had been stationed below the house. Tho prints of the wheels and of the horses' feot were quite vi&ible. And when Captain Fo-sbrooke returned from Kavenswold, an hour later, ho testified to having passed a vehicle of that descrip tion with a gentleman driving, and a lady lying prostrate acioss the seat. ' Whom did the man look like?' questioned the doctor. ' Describe him !' The captain hesitated. ' Why, Fossbrooke,' cried the old man, ' would you keep back Iho truth in a case like this ? My daughter's life, her honour, may be in jeopardy !' The captain spoke out : ' Lady Marguerite thought he looked like ha- brother, Lord Angus,' he said. 'And you?' put in Mr Keith, sharply. 'I thought so, too — thought &o, remember. lam not at all certain.' 'I am, then,' replied the doctor; '1 feaied tho worst from the fh-bt — that young villain hayS kidnapped my daughter. Keith,' he added, springing up excitedly, ' there's not a moment to lose — do you put the best detectives in the country on his track — and, captain, if you'll accompany me, we'll diive back to Ravens wold and see the earl.' By moonlight the whilom peaceful Highlands weie in a whirl of excitement and commotion. Men were galloping like troopers up and down the highways, making inquiries at every point and from every individual, and half-a-dozen detectives, warned by telegram of what hud taken place, were on their way to the scene of action. Lady "Neville went to bed from grief and shame, the countess uttered all manner of execrations, and Lady Marguerite kept her own apartments, in disgrace for having so far forgotten herself as to ride with Captain B^ossbrooke, and in terror for the fate of her Friend. The earl was awfully worked up, and vowed all manner of vengeance on his recreant heir, if ho really turned out to be the offender. 'As if,' so said Lady Neville, ' poor Angus were to blame ! Even if the whole thing were true, of course the shameless sirl enticed him to carry her off! For her pait, she had never fancied the doctors daughter ! And &uch a hueand cry as they were makine over it ! If it were not for her regard for the countess she would take tail for London before night. ' ' Wait till the wedding's over,' suggested the dowager ; ' let'sget Marguerite married first — and the sooner the better. ' In the height of the hubbub, Sir Bayard Brompton returned from London, accompained by his valet, Leonard. He Pound it so awkward to get on without hi« valet. But the whole structure of suspicion toppled over with a crash when only two clays after Maggie's disappearance Lord Angus rode leisurely up the avenue to Ravenswold with as cool and easy an air as if no misunderstanding had ever arisen between him and his father. Pearl was on the terrace, and espied him Hrst, and flew to meet and warn him. She loved her coarse, brutal brother, with all his errors. • Oh, Angus,' she cried, clasping both his hands, • I am so glad you have come — there is such an awful thing — and papa is so angry— and Doctor Renfrew has detectives everywhere. Oh, Angus, you did not do it, did you ':' The young man burst into a laugh. • Why, Pearl, my dear child,' he cried, 'what can you mean? What's the matter? Didn't I do what ?' ' Why, carry off Maggie, to be sure,' replied Pearl, innocently ; ' she's gone and no one knows where, and they all say you took her away. ' ' Child, are you losing your senses ? Maggie who's gone ?' ' Maggie Renfrew. Oh, Angus say you did not cany her off— ifc is such a terrible thing — I'm sure you didirt do it.' Her brother patted her golden head caressingly, for the first time, perhaps?, in all his life. 'No, Marguerite,' he replied, 'I did not carry off Maggie Renfrew, certainly ; I know nothing about her' — and he added, as he saw the earl advancing — ' yonder comes your papa, as you call him ; and you must make my peace with him, Pearl.' She ilew like an arrow to intercept her j lather, always eager to do good. 'Oh, papa,' she cried, 'dear papa, brother Angus is here, and he is innocent ; he knows nothing of Maggie and you musn t be angry with him a moment longer — you won't now please, dear papa ?' But the carl put the lovely young intercessor abide, almost roughly, and advanced te meet his son. ' Have you dared to come into my presence again sir ?' he thundered, the very sight of the young man's face putting him in a passion.' ' Well, ye?, sir, I have,' replied Lord Angus, quietly. ' 1 have come to ask your pardon - I was wrong — I am hot-headed like yourself. Can't you forgive me, and retract your threat of disinheritance ?' ' What have you done with Doctor Renfrew's daughter?' questioned the earl, taking no heed of what he said. • The deuce take Doctor Renfrew, and his daughter, too ; what have I to do with her ?' ' Didn't yon carry her oh" two evenings ago from Mrs Keith's ?' The young man laughed. 'Upon my word,' he said, 'one would think your Highland trip had turned all your brains — every soul I meet cornea at me about Renfrew's daughter. No, I didn't carry her off, • and didn't want her. Will that do ?' His bold eyes never faltered. The earl was staggered, and stood silent. ' Well, 3 continued the young man, after a momentary pause, ' is it to be peace or war between us ? Can I come in for tho nisrht, father?' ( Lord Strathspey's heart thrilled. The boy had called him father for so many years. It pained him inexpressibly to treat him ill, villain though he knew him to be. ' Nut now,' he said, his voice softening ; ' ride over to Keith's first and convince Renfrew that you know nothing of his daughter, if you are innocent.' 'Not I,' replied Lord Angus. 'If he wants to be convinced, let him come to me ; I sha'n't bother about him. I'll go back to

Perth, since you give mo puch a cool welcome.' And suiting the acton to the word, he strode away toward his horse. The oarl stood gazing after him with a bitter pain at his heart. After all his hopes and prayers for an heir, to be disappointed so was almost more than he could bear. He remembered the day when the boy wa.-> restored to him ; and how he rejoiced. How tenderly he had loved him, how carefully he hud trained him, through all the years of his boyhood, and now, this was his reward, lie was a brute, a villain, wellnigh a murderer, and he was not his son. The oarl ielt sure of the truth, as he stood there in the summer twilight, the boy he had reared as> his own wae not his son. Yet, when his passion and excitement were over, it was no pleasant thing to think even of proclaiming the fact to the world, and disinheriting him ; no pleasant thing to do, especially to a man like the earl, hot-tempered and impulsive, but kind and gentle of heart. Lady Marguerite, who had crept to her father's sido again, was watching his lace, and seeing its unutterable sadness and despair, &ho stole her soft hand into his, and whispered : ' Dear, dear papa, please forgive him ! please call him back.' The tears filled her fathers eyes, but he shook hid head slowly. Then a sudden thought struck him. He took out his memorandum-book and tore off a blank leaf, upon which he wrote a few lines. ' Here, Pearl,' he said, ' run and give him this, but let him go on : it is bettor that he 4-hould.' Pearl took the paper and flew after her brother, who was on the point of mounting his horse. ' Here, Angus,' she cried, ' napa sent you this, and he's not a bit angry with you.' The young man took tho paper, and his eyes Hashed as they ran over it. It was the earl's order for a thousand pounds. ' Much obliged, my dear,' he replied, ' and very considerate ot your ' dear papa,' I'm sure ; but if he h.id only a hint of the purpose this very timely little sum will be putto, I'm quite sure he'd regret his generosity ; but I thank him all the same, and bid you good-evening.' Pie leaped upon his saddle and galloped away, and Lady Marguerite returned to her father, with a sad and anxious look in her dove-like eyes. Somehow her brother's sneering words and ugly looks had disappointed and disconcerted her.