CHRISTINA

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14263, 16 July 1910, Page 5

CHRISTINA

By L. G. MOBERLEY,

CHAPTER X.—(Continued.) “T found an uncomfortable state of things in the house to which we aro.going, when I got there to-day.” “Was someone very ill?” Christina questioned; “tho lady said ‘a matter of life and death.’ ” “It was certainly that,” he answered grimly, “considering I was only just in time to save her from being murdered by as violent a homicidal maniac as I ever saw. “Oh!” Christina exclaimed with horror. “At first, I couldn’t get into the placo at all. Then a servant came to the gate, and sho seemed in a terrible state. No wonder! She took me into the house, and in one of the rooms I found tho lady of whom you have boon speaking in tho grip of a mad woman, and fighting for her life. My God! I was only just in time. It seems the woman had been ill, and had had paroxysms of what they thought was delirium. As a matter of fact it .was acute mania ; and, as I say, I was only just in time.” . “What have you , done with Christina broke off with a shudder, but Fergusson saw that her face was white. “With the unfortunate mad woman? I havo secured her for the time, and I moan to drive her over to-night to tho nearest asylum. But I must take the servant with me, and that is.why I * - ant you. Your beautiful lady cannot be. loft alone.”

“I thought Jt must have been a man who was ill,” Christina said; “she certainly spoke of ‘him’ and ‘ho.’” “I saw no man, only the mad woman and a servant.”

“And wliy is there all this mystery?” Christina said, with bewilderment in her voice; “what makes so much secrecy necessary?” “Ah ! that I do mot know,” the doctor answered gravely. “I can t understand it myself, but it is quite obvious that for BOino reason the lady of the house is most anxious to keep her whereabouts hidden from the world. And—when one looks at her, one feels it is impossible' to do anything but respect her wishes, and help her keep her secret—whatever it may be,’ he added under his breath. ... “My beautiful lady has bewitched him, too,” Christina reflected shrewdly;'and, for tho rest of the way, spent her tiipe in silently speculating upon what lav before her. Tho green door stood ajar now, and a lighted lantern stood just insido it. By its rather uncertain light, Fergusson lod her across the garden and into tho hall, where a wood fire was. burning brightly. They did not, however, linger bore, hut, crossing it, ascended a wide staircase to the floor above, on which wore several rooms. The door of ono of these stood wide open, a stream of light from it flooded the' landing, and tho doctor, tapping gently on tho door, entered tho - room, Christina following him half - fearfully, dreading what slid might sec. But no dreadful sight-.mot her gaze. She saw only _ a simply-f urn ished bedroom, and in tho bod. propped up by pillows, and with her face turned anxiously towards the door, lay the beautiful woman, whoso imago had haunted the girl ever since tho afternoon. She looked, if possible, even whiter than when she had accosted Christina in tho lane, and her eyes seemed darker and more heavily pencilled with shadows; but she greeted her visitors with a smile, and held out her hand in greeting. “How good of- you_ to come,’/ she said, grasping . the, girl’s hand in a nervous,, clinging clasp; “how very good of you. - I think I should really have been quite safe'just for a few hours, but tho doctor would not let me stay here ” . “Alone?” Fergusson exclaimed, when her sentence remained unfinished; “certainly not. Now, see here, Miss . ” he" paused and looked at Christina. “It sounds very absurd to say so hut I don’t know your name,” ho added- '

“7’'wire,”, she answered. “Well, Mias Monro, all I want you to do is to sit with this lady,’sce_ that she takes some food through tho night, and. don’t allow her to worry about anything.” . > • A faint lausrh broke from the woman in the bod. ' “What an easy order to give, and what a hard one to carry out,” she: said ; “but—l will promise—to try and keep my mind at res-C— as far as possible,” she added under her‘.breath ;' “and yon arc taking poor Marion ’Wir'-e she will be safe and well cared for?”

“I am taking her where she will do no one any harm,” Frrgnsson answered grimly, “and I will bring your servant bad: as scon as I can. She is a treasure, that servant of yours.” “I think she is worth her weight in gold,” was the quiet answer; “she is more than servant;'she is a friend—a faithful, loyal friend.”' “You arc fortunate, to have found such an one,” Fergusson smiled, “and now I must go and get that poor son! away; and bliss Moore will keep you company, and take cr.rc.of you, until I bring your servant back.” He was gone as ho spoke tho Ja?t words, closing the door softly behind him, and carving with him .some of the sense of health-giving strength and vitality, with which his very presence ■e-mod to fill the room. Unusual os was tho position in which he found herself, Christina had suf’.■i< r,t perception to see that the nerves f the woman she had come to tend, arc already stretched to breaking -hit, and that a normal manner, and ntler-of-fact way of taking tho situ'ion for granted, would do more than nything else !:> relievo tho tension. She took off her hat and clonk, heivfore, with quiet deliberation, nnnlled the dressing gown she had ronght with her, and was proceeding ■o hang it over a chair before tho fire vhen her patient said suddenly; “Watch them go; tell me when thoy ’■ave gone. Toll me when yon and I ire alone.” Christina moved from the fire to the bedside. “Yon want me to see them off from the gate?” she asked,' and the other nodded. “Yes, Lock and bolt the gate after them. When the doctor comes back, wo shall hear him. But tho door must he locked behind them now.” Her voice rose in feverish excitement, her, hands moved restlessly on the sheet, her eves were bright with eagerness, and Christina could have sworn that fear looked out of them, too. “Of course I will go and do as von wish,’-’ she said very gently, her hand stroking tho restlessly moving hands; “you will lie very quietly hero whilst I am gone ?” “Yes, oh yes!” the accents wore impatient. “Only go—do down now. They must he ready to start.” ] ■

Slipping on her cloak again, Chris-tina-.ran.downstairs, pausing half-way

as sho heard a sound of voices and footsteps coming from the corridor that intersected the hall, and was just out of her sight. “Carefully—lift her foct a little—take care round this corner—so/’ she heard the sentence jerked out m the doctor’s voice, and from her post of observation, presently saw him emerge slowly into the hall, walking backwards, and holding an inanimate woman’s head and shoulders in his arms. Holding her feet, bearingdialf the burden of nor unconscious form, was a tall woman of the servant class, upon whoso face tho rays of the hall lamps fell fully, and Christina could see all tho shrewd kindliness of the plain features. “Gently—wait a moment to rest. There—that’s right—now then. Ah ! the lantern,” ho exclaimed; “we must have tho lantern across tliat dark garden.”

“I will bring tho lantern,” Christina called out rather tremulously, hut running down the stairs without delay. “1 was sent to lock the gate after you; I can light you across tho garden.” She picked up tho lantern from tho hall table upon which Fergusson had placed it; and, with one shuddering glance at the flushed, heavily-breath-ing woman, who was being carried from tho house, she put herself at the head of tile strange little procession, •lighting- their footsteps as well as she was able. It was no easy task to lift tho unfortunate creature, first through tho greon door, and thou into the car, but Fergusson being an athletic man, with muscles in excellent order, and the tall servant being strong and well-built, their joint efforts succeeded in laying their burden along the emshions. Christina stood at the door for a moment,' watching the car' turn up tho lano, but when its brilliant lights were engulfed by the darkness, she turned back with * a shiver into the garden, looking and bolting the door with trembling fingers, and running up the daik path as though all tho powers of evil were at her heels. The front door of the bouse she secured as firmly as tho other, and, more than half-ashamed of the nameless terror that shook her, she sat down for a moment on an oak chest by the fire. “You silly coward,” she said to her self; “you know you and a sick woman are alone in the house, and what are you afraid of?” But for all her attempt at courage, as she flow ■up tho stairs again, she repeatedly looked over her shoulder, with a nervous dread of she knew not what. “Have they gone—safely gone? And is the door looked?” Tho words greeted her cars directly she entered the bed room upstairs, and the dark eyes of tho woman in tho bed looked at tier with agonised questioning and dread. “Yes;, they have driven away, and everything is locked up, and now I want to make yon comfortable, and poke up the fire, and we shall be quite cosy in this nice warm room,” Christina spoke cheerfully, all traces of her own nervous fears had vanished; she was intent on calming the trouble 1 woman whose feverish excitement was still only too apparent. 1 “Nice and cosy?” tho woman laughed . drearily. “I can’t rest quietly until X know—he- Can I trust you?” She pulled herself holt upright in the bed, and looked fixedly at Christina; “will you bo silent about everything you see, everything you hear?” “Why, of course. But, you will try and go to sleep now, won’t you?” Christina said soothingly, with a startled certainty that her beautiful charge -must be delirious. (To bo continued.)