FOR HIS DEAR SAKE

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146001, 6 December 1917, Page 5

FOR HIS DEAR SAKE

ATTRACTIVE STORY OF STRONG DOMESTIC INTEREST.

By RUTH TEMPLETON, Author of “Tho Price of Her Silence,” “The Tie That Binds,” “Love Eorbidden,” etc., etc.

CHAPTER XX. For three days after the trial that had ended so disastrously for Owen Travers, Lynette, prostrated by the shock, was kept lo her room. All her physical strength- seemed to have deserted her, as sho lay, weak and helpless, stunned by the awful blow sho had sustained. Max Seaton, guessing how sho would he effected after the weeks of terrible strain through which she had passed, called each day in the hope of seeing her, but she begged Mrs. Hedderwick to make, some excuse. On the third day he sent up a huge bunch of choice exotie (lowers, with a note in which ho hinted at the uselessness of her avoidance of him. delay. Then You are my promised wife, Lynetto (tho letter ended), and I hold you to that promise, i must see you to-morrow, for I mean to make arrangements for onr marriage without delay. Then I shall take you away from this place, that can only hold the saddest of associations for I you, and try my best to teach you to forgot. ForgetA shrill hysterical laugh broke, from Lynctie’s pale lips. Nothing and no ono could teach her lo forgot. Ugh! She shuddered as she, road the note through a. second time. In a little while, from now Max Seaton was determined to make her his wife 1 The realisation of this seemed to rouse her from the state of lethargy into which sho had fallen. Her brain suddenly cleared, and now strength vas given her. With trembling bands, sho dressed herself, and this done, made her way to tho drawing-room. To her relief, Seaton had gone, leaving her free to go, without delay, to Colonel Hedderwick, who greeted her with a tender little smile of welcome. Lynettc's eyes burned bright with tho light of tho new resolve that had come to her. “I want yon to help me,” were her first words. "To help me to see Mr. Travers if you possibly can. You have influence in Bcverton. Will you do this for me, Colonel Hedderwick?” She spoke jerkily, not at all in her usual tones, and the old soldier notcd_ the unnatural brightness of her lovely eyes. Ho took both her hands in his, and draw her gently forward. “Certainly, dear, I will do what’s in my power, if you think you can bear to soc poor Travers.” “I must—l must,” was the swift response, "and, if possible, to-day.” "I’ve no doubt it can bo managed,” the colonel answered kindly. "Anyway, run and got yourself ready, and we’ll drive over to Boverton at once.”

As a magistrate of tho county, Colonel Hodderwick had little trouble in getting Lynettc’s request to see Owen granted, and so it came about that sho found herself being conducted, in tho charge of a kindly warder, to the condemned man’s cell.

As the door opened. Owen looked up, .a look of indescribable joy flasiihig into bis eyes. All along he bad felt that Lynctte would come, and now that she was here, the bitterness of their last mooting was forgotten. He only knew that ho was looking into her dear eyes once more.

He started to lus feet, and put out both his hands. For the moment, he forgot where he was—the shame and degradation of his position. Ho was thinking only of Lynctte. “Oh, my dear!’’ Her hands mot lus, her eyes were raised, shining through a. mist of glistening tears, and in a flash, the veil was torn away. I.ynotto still loved him. In this, his hour of bitter humiliation, she could not withhold the truth.

His arms closed round her, and he drew her to him, his face transformed. “Was it to let me know that you still cared that you came, Lynctte?” he whispered. She shook her head where it rested against the rough serge of his coat. “No, I never meant that you should know.” “But you could not hide it, dearest, and I can face the little time that lies before me more serenely, knowing that you care.” She looked up at him steadily. “I came to plead with you—Owen.” She saw the start ho gave. “Yes, I must call you that now, because I moan to tell yon that I know your secret—that you are not Mark Travers, but his half-brother Owen. Dr. Seaton told rac—ho ” She felt his arms suddenly relax about her, and hoard his quick intake of breath. “Soaton told you. Lynette? Ah! then it was as I thought. This scoundrel, this arch-fiend terrorised yon into promising to marry him under tho threat of exposing my secret to tho world. Rut, you dear, bravo little soul, rather than let him do his worst, you were :willing to carry your sacrifice through. iOh, Lynctte, Lynctte, 1 would rather be dead a thousand times than you should do that.”

| She smiled up at him a trifle sadly. | “Don’t let’s talk about me,” she returned hastily. “I shall be all right. I want to use these precious moments in getting your promise that you will do what lies in your power to save yourself, oven now, at the eleventh hour.” A spasm of pain passed over 'her face ns she spoke. “It is not yet : too late. Owen. Had you spoken at tho trial, had you acknowledged that you were not Mark, but Owen Travers, it might all have ended so differently. Dear, promise me you will do this,” her arms crept up about his nock, and her face was full of earnest pleading as she raised it to his. “Promise mo that you will lay the whole story before the authorities, so that they shall know you had no motive in sending Pauline Silver to her death, that you are not a murderer. Tell them where you were jat tho time of the tragedy—oh! for my 'sake, Owen, do what you can to save (yourself.” He looked down steadily into the beautiful imploring eyes. “There is one thing a man values more than his life, Lyncttc—his honour. Were I to do as you say. to bring forward tho one witness I eonld to prove where I wa.s at the time of Pauline Silver’s death. I could never account myself an honourable man again. Why, I cannot explain to you, hut I state a solemn fact. Besides, you forget, even if T were able to clear mvpolf of this awful charge for which I have been condemned to die a felon's death, Mas

Seatcn would bo in a position to have me arrested for having caused my brother’s death. You know the story—you say that he has told it to you—then, like mo, you must realise the utter hopelessness of my plight.” (Continued daily.)