A WIFE FOR A. DAY; The Finger of Fate,

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12809, 17 March 1905, Page 6

A WIFE FOR A. DAY; The Finger of Fate,

By EMMA G. WELD ON, An t nor of " Love and Diplomacy," " Ucnevieue's Triumph." "A (Strange Bridal/ " Friends and Rivals, 11 Cupid's Dilemma," etc., ate.

CHAPTER L. , IJJ PERIL OF HER IyIFE. I Madgp and Rushmore were . walking homeward in the eairly _'vening. •! "Jf we get home before tiic rain ? :omcs .• we shall be ludky," said < Liais/hmoxe, looking tip at tihe lowering! sjkios. "A, pity we didn't . MVe !M! M -\ B.ii't Madge, was not listening. She seemed to be absorbed in her ,j lhcxii£|hts. The terrible strain of f Llie past few wedks showed itself A unmistakably in ; her face. \ Ajp^rt friom the inqf.iirdes that were Tieing made by the police au- j thiofities, Rushmore had employed \ a well-known New York detective, -, whk) "had come on to the Berk- \ shires. They had ]ust left him. He ; liaji notyiincr bhit failure to re- . port. "Coino we must walk / more quickly !" said Rushmore, present- t Iy, as a h,eavy peel of' thunder .. brolke almost overhead, ati'd a few -j heavy drops of rain began to fall, i But Madge had sudidenly stop- j peid, as thicfugh the lightning hiafl •jent a;n electric summons to her j . "Archie, the woman we are searchr , ing [or is near us now/— is watch- - t ng us at this very moment !" , "•'WThat do yon mean ?" he cried, looking at! her incretiuJLoWsly. , • l Even^ if she were, how ccfcild you Uajve seen her in the diiisik ?" j But M'a-dge stood rooted to the , 4pot, hoeidless of the rain tliat was beating down faster an,d faster. ".I have not seen, her, bnt I \ know ! She is watching lis frtoni ,ome hading- place not far away — wajt'ohitig us at this very moment! Hiow 'do I know ? I can't tell you —only I know !" she cried, almost hysterically. "Ru^hltnofe stood looking at her, •till iwcjreduloflis. Far a little, breathless; pause , >.hey stood as if waiting for sonic- , thinig. In spite of himself, in spite , of the luardj-headcd, practical com- . moil sense on which he prided himself, R-uwhmore was conscious of a iitdiden imcann} r thtrill. "AVieJ must • gh '^nid sefetefcii. !" Mad|ge said, feverishly. "She is 'lijdiug ; but we must ciraw her o«t yi her hiding place ! Bob nwist be ,-aived !" ailecha'r.ically he obeyed her, tHomgih inr.rec'iulity still lingered in his miiud. Thfiy seax.chotl patiently in the vicinity, but there was no sign of anything luiinaii. "It is useless, M'adgc/ he said at '.engtth. "You must come home. Yoju aire wet through already . It is no use making yourself ill -* J Ho ipersuadc-d her at last. 'Mu'l-gi© went u:p to her room and slowly biegjan to take of! h<er wet clothes, with this one th'oftigttit 'dominating her mind : To-night this woiman . whiom the i police, toad •ojiugSit for in v&in, was in hiding tamonw! . the radii^soaked hills thojugh hidden in the darikness, yet was there now. To-morrow she might be far away, beyond the rcadi of discovery. Ainjd she had gi«veui < Mp the -.eaxfctfi ! , "Dear, 'dear, miss, I hope yofu're lot going out again on yireh a flight, swely ?" said Mrs Page, •ojning , cut of ■ the kitchen is die iheat.'d Madge open the front loop. "Yes, 'Mrs Page." Madge pa'usdto adU, as a sadden tihxwjgM <ti\±k her : "Tf I shpaiid be away i long time— say, two 'Ircdtr'-— .vil-/, ydu seiud a message to Mr X.aildim.ore, saying that I have back to search ? YonVll rerneinfer that — go:ie Uteicj-v to searlch." •JVDadgp left the roojd a-njd, came auit on! the rain-soaked hillside. Thie s-iduiur of her footsteps ceased, ar<d t/he world grew silent about her, and seemed to cloce her in in a'bbolbt/e loneliness . xHiow long haid she waited there, in the place where first that ofckl feeling oi a tfliirfcl person's prcjeni:c'haid oommwikated itself to 'ier, wihc;i rhe and Rur/^more were returning U1 t;lTe ra i n > Maidge did not l<!n!o'w. Was it five minhvtes or an ihou'r ? Thle Muldd-en, quick inta/ke of her breath Quivered througih the silence. Out of the 'darkness something had comef— 'a sonin'd !« — and as '.Madge heaiid it a ceaseless sihivcring lit passed througih her lmibs. That low, evil lGUi'ffh oarriefd to her ears on tlhe wind tolld tier that the woman was there. 'Wiit'h/oiut 'moving, Matige stood trying to determine from which di-•-ettion the scftiwd had come. Moments [passed ; then, in the wan light of the half-ofeaired moon, -ihe saw a fijguffe stptpf&xh- saw the fact of the woman thjat onl^e before sQie had seen in the mwon\ight. The lips were mXnttermg :easeleflsly ; there was a wild, walriaering look in the eyes. Blkvl to her own danger, Majtlgc c*it a«VI filing her arms io*«i>l ths. woman, s'tVlidenly cousciotuls in fb/at moment that sht was- matching her powers against >ji C whoati siren o-th was twice her owl ( — v=t!^(i'i<r]ed despev'ately in silence 1V» ln»M I'tir- » wivmam, who Uni?»\H like a m.ad thing in ln-r hersVlf Inoni the grip or Chose encirtldini[r arms. To «'Jnrl fro they swayed ; the drife^ling rain falling ution tihem ; overhead a heaN'y crarfk of tWuii-

Jer blroike and etllioedl awiay unions the hills, like some willi, jlemeivtal orchestra to this dirama Lliat v/as being played oait in gjrim silcin t . JUti).^:. ielt her strcivgtih fast ebb'n I^-. Tlie roads au<l fields were <le■eitcd'. Desperately y,hq realised ihat the wotnan would eseajpe her. "Help ! help !,"- cried Madisre ; but die Ivatl no lioipe tlrat her cry , A'o/akl be answered. A' skMMple of pr'udcn-oa had jro'm'p'tod her to tell Mrs Page to •;eH"I Rmsihmore after her if , ,vere away long, but .^lie dared Dot ioy>e that he would come yet. IMie madwoman looked fiercely d.t ler, as Madge sti:l chijig de^penatey with a last weal-cening. efiort,, ani'd ivit'h failing senses. Then a iigjure caped omt •of the gloom, as Ma/'ipre's grasp relaxed, anid she fell lenselcy.^. Fortlujiately 11' rs Page had e:c:eedo<:l inwtrnvtions, anil before an :o'v-,v had passed after M^-lwe's de-pai'tvu-e, had, in 1-^cr alarm, sent Lhc message to RusMmore, who ;iad come at once with vlerry. As "he sri/.ed the woman Trom oe/htiin-d, Rushmore t-houted owt to Jeiiry to go at onte for help. It iieefdied all lids strenigth to houi her till tih'e village constable • anxt others arrived. In the wo,i2Lan"s pocket the o'fli.cr foiuid a couple of cartridges. Rusjirmore to<xk them, oxjeitedly [.'om his hand. They were of the <am'c lrua-ke as those th'ait Bob Aniuesleigth used for his revolver. "i*f an\- liiTther proof were wanting, here it is !" cried R'nsflumore. CHAPTER I/I. IMADGK MAKES UP IIKR HIND. There was great cxiitcment in the 'viijagfc. The news had j^pread ■ ike wildfire that the prosecution ij-i Bob Anncsleigih hofd been ojQii ialh' tjja ashed, and that he was coming 'home that morning. His drire tli;* owif^h the village was a ttiilumiphial progress. I^Ha'd'ge waited for "him inside the h'afti/se ; >jlie felt that she cduM not trtust 'li'erself to meet, befotre anirioms eJyes, the ; mjani she hiad saJv'ed. ''There is Miss Cartaret, inside, "Master Bcyb," sard Mrs Deane, as he was about to pass throta|gjh iliLo the hall. A>iinesleig'h sto'j.'pcdi. For a moment he ha-d forgotten that Bladge v. a^ Mi:;s Carta.ret HjOw. "EniU ?" he cried, in sfcldiden cagcrne. c -s. As the word left his lips he tKrrne-d to find himself face to fa<.e with I\lia<:lge, ani:l remembarc;!. Enikl ! The woid ha/il gone lfee a stab 1o M.at'uc's hca.^t, but she msaiiaigc-'d some'lvow to hs'lde her h,i-4r t iviwlcr a forced .^mile, an-d Bob did not dream of the efiort it tost her. EirF> -it v •-•■••• hrdrl he lrtvefd ! She l:«a!d bliiidefl herself to tire tnith for a little while ; but that 'in- st i; ','-•, '-• 1 last rag ol seHldetc<;<tiou from her eyes. 'SMiaJdjge !" £V.ors Deane Mhut the door, leaving them: alone together. * * * •* "Bob/ 1 h>he said, prescntl}-, "I mustn't stay very leng. I . halve to go to "New York to-day.' 1 ' "To New York? And totdayot all -days, when I halve come back iionie ?'* IM Tcs, Bob. Au»l I can't tell yon why, now — il U my secret. When I iMiie 'back to-morrow I shall tell yoi'.-' "Yo'j mu»st go ?" "■?(!j;ist, must ! Yesteiidtaiy I didn't know that I who-'uVl 'have to I go," ;;ue trying to rfpeaik j-tcaidi'y with hei r eyes averted from 'his face ; "but this mo'unimg I 1 canned that' it was inevitable." "I forgive 3^o*ll now, little woman, of course, 1 ' ho said, in rather a |};»^Jr.d way ; "only I wfeh yon hrl'din't to nui away an.H leave me r o scon alter my release." 'Ftlow. little he knew that her icl'.H'f.'QV i.O'chxy to New Yoilk needed a bravery far •]'t was abi»ut ci<-;ht o'clodk when rw.ti'^e roa 'hod the G; a, r jd SLation. A ',[ sorter called a hacjk for her, and s ! he was presently at tjhe 'door of that shaU*),v tenement wh-ere, on the a-ccif-iou of her former visit to the mcLropoli. i: . lvad seen Knidi— fivoor, .^aid-fai e»l Knid'. "Is -iii.-s W'cbb at home ? V1 she aslkad the 'ivntkly scnvant ; who oaime to the door. "Yes, I think so, miis." (M'Pi'dj- it foil nved her into the ! •hialib'i^y Jiujmi^hcdi room. : Mrs W'cHb arid Kn*d were there. "Yot'i !" criotl Knirl, in a startled tcne. Then sihe added, in a low \'oije : "E was very gfrateflul to you for ycfur- tcle^raan yester/day, Miss Ccirta r et, telling me that Bobf— Mr A'njnesjlci'olb — was to be released, that his innocence was proved. It wa i J gpocl of you to relieve . our anixicty. But we b&rjdly expected to see yoir — 1—"1 — " "T; .(Hid n,ot know myself la,st nijgli't tluat I mlxo'uM b.c coming," ya^l MaKl'ge, abrifntly. "You ha.vo not cojne witJi baid news ?'•' ctiod Knid, :in cijiiick ala.rm. "Bob is not — • — " "Hie was" released iMs mioanin.g. T Jva^c no baid news. 'I haVe come to tdear away an olid, foolisji mis.ni*forsto}«j»li''>V- T lihvrt coino to lake yrfi h-tji witli me ' to the fßeife>lrires. v I

1 I\U^'e; paused. Sire saw the • :.La,vtlc.U: loo.k in her listener's eyes. . "Kiiii-V— and IMadge went forward 'and took the girl's hnn'oh- "lDuid, > 1 hane come io take yora bacfk to Hob. It U you whom he loves — % oaC — only yo\i ! You ir.u.st believe tlut ! Hjitfl, you will let me taJce ' ' ojii bac^c to him — to br* ingi him ins heart's r'^^vc?" 1 (To be continued.)