The Storyteller.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11508, 2 October 1915, Page 2

The Storyteller.

SELECTED FICTION.

i THE GREY CAR H'STLRY. ( ~V A. VH.SOX BARRETT > Author of " The Silver Pin," "A !: ' .sw- Soldier's Love," Etc, (Ali RIGH'tS P»i-.nvsiL>.) [ CHAPTER VII. For a moment Laurence stood -speechless and motionless- * . - ..- And the M lady, a utile surprised at his silence, looked at brat curiously. * : "t-.Then. mistaking; the cause ot his emo- - -'ticn, she smilKl a little pleased proui "smile- "Was I not right? she a-Ui';l. '* B l ie a ove - v crea ~ Laurence, recalled to earth, drew a 'en-; breath "\es," he said, simp.v ■"* And as he spoke the girl on the .. couch moved a little, and opened hei dark eyea. . ~ She had noticed him during the dinner at the restaurant, the youn? Txan was sure of that; and tor i* second he looked down into those love- . ]y eyes of hers, expecting to see some jjjirn of recognition arise m them. 'fiut only a very faint, puzzled look. 1 ' tinged their depths for the least space - - of time, and then faded quickly away; and the young girl, turning a quick " .. and startled glance upon Miss Linton Laurence's aunt —rose from ths ' ; * oouch and moved to the elder bay s

, • sick;., ~ , ~ "There there, my dear," she said. • quickly! "Don't be frightened; tins '-' k not a stranger. It is niy nephew. my \ery dear nephew, Mr .Laurence '*": Carton; Miss but that docs no: - matter. He is quite a good, n'ce '' vounn- man though he does not come , -'to set- me as often as ha might and s - yon are going to be friends, you two.^ Laiirenw smiled as the young girl's ' •' eyes, met 'lis, a little timidly '-till. ■*"Wi? are not quite strangers, by ""'• s'ght. at leist," he said. "I saw you the other nicht at the Imperial Res'"teurmt. You were dining wit'i some -' friends, and I was, I am afraid, witn • ■- rather a noisy party " . . The young woman looked at mm '"for a moment, her brow slightly knit - her eves thoughtful. Then she shook 'v her head slowly, turning to Miss Lin- !-; ton with a littlo puzzled, rather pitiVful. gesture. . . . " It is no use," she said, in a sweet " ,: low voice. "I do rot rcmemoer. I *—remember nothing." . :y *- . Mis-, Linton put out her arms qxuek""lv n r.d her gentlv back to too *:Vroucb, sat*down and drew her to her - bkh- "There, there, my near, sue J "fln?d! "Don't fret; it will all come ' back to you by-and-by Just i ow. ' all von have to remember istliat >ou -. are 'among frie-ds, *m" quite quite Wsafe and cared for. And soon cvc*a•'"thrv will come back to you, and you • will "tell us who your frienns are, and : - wlipi-o vcu livs. And, mosmwniio, you , musMiedown nr.d ret ogam, and not '■ 'trouble that pretty ncia or yours or cl-ud thosa lovely eyes with too much

C obvious J.Tnt. tiinia .'she m:7ht be to find prs?l" m s>.eh a .-st—-" T o' position, and m Laurence •> '! >-e erce, M-s Linton's protegee■ nad • at - in the warm-hearted old ladv wro had -• tak- such a fancv to her, for she lay back unon the se.r* witu the. -passi-.o . of a child, arc. w!t « nor -■• still held m Au^ Linton's, closed her eyes drowsily once more m s'eeo , , , . - ' And Laurence, filing that prerence was reeuirod no 10-er, sbprv'd - from the aunt's drewmg-rnom v.he : e Wafter a short interval, joined him fci

■ ten. , , t i ,i . "Well" she a c; !r-c!. <i~ v ,(i he'^ci , , him to c-cv-i and snear, "find vh**do 1 -'-'.yoii think of mv find, my tre-snre.? [ ' , «I think siho is the most wonderful . ''woman I have ever seen, to U> ( quite- .' frank," said Laurenc?, aoui- iar les* ' justice than usual to the eld lcay * . tome-mado scones. " But I also fear • she may prove rather an embarrassing f me . It ia an extraordinary tr.mg, ant she lias evidently completely lost ier memory. I havo beam of such jases often enough, but this is tiie nrst r ha TO ever met. The past will come tack to her, of. course. But just suppose* that it should not.'' Miss Linton looked up from her teaurn with a little toss of her head. 1 lon't care," she said. " Ewn t loo.; it me like that, sir! 11 you do. I shall say that I hope it wont, tone is the sweetest, prettiest creature 1 have ever met, and But, or course, fche'-e Kill be some bothering oid tatlier or guardian who will come rushing after -her to take her away to--Laurence, I am sure sho has been in.'Laurence started. "Why, who would ill-treat her?" he asked. Misw Linton shook her neiv.l. Who, indeed?" she said. "But lam si>re that someone has. And it was seme man, too, T feel certain-. Did you notice how timid she was, and show she turned to me for help? But what is th'ig about a dinner at thb Iniln a few words Laurence described re his first sight of' the young girl and her :' ; companions at the restaurant; and his mint looked thoughtfully into the fire " : ' ' for a moment"There! You see," she said, at - last, with a nod of her grey head. : '" "It was that disagreeable foneignlooking man. A brother, I suppose, . -_or a guardian; and he has been bully- "-. ing her. I know what men are"— - : '-(she didn't. She knew nothing about l "■- that inoffensive sex.)—" and he has r *-.'friehtened her out of her wits. 1 I j suppose we shall have to to hnd ;■- thane people, though. Still, before 1 '-• let her CO hack to them I sH-m make ■ ' quite sx.re that she is not going to be : <■' badlv treated again, poor young : ''•■' thing." ' Laurence smiled at the pace at > >'~. which the old Lady's thoughts ran on, ' '' "' but, at the same time the memory or 'the handsome, rather scowling man ' - -who had been one of the companion;, ' ot his aunt s protege* recurred to him. "p 0 L* 1 i d the md < m n uh "> mi-, t i"-*- nt nir '1 t'fioht "We nm I r n io ! p 'ice \t VI ev-it " no -ud it 1" lh-> 1 i e vrJ '1 i d\ Ind u in i s '~> it } IC - i \<u It r i bl th t j.j.y'c.T m h«i cwk crr l t "> ih t b*r ii i» i il- nt s < 1 lOi e- It, \ 1 n i bile- ck l • \o\ tl nlt +l It> oi hfc to Ifc i at hf i J j)i 1 n " ~ >r itn-i' utdi cai tpi - i 'i n ">i ois. okl c cots mm \io i "t a v> n vi f h the oV 1 <- iditi irV 1 Hi at tht. s s+ on "1 P c j-l nt'i u\ ->hn K roon " d <\o vielv d v B vill \ + 1 s \ \« In 11 B W 1! f mi / e \ B mu "■ g-j ° d if iv 1 7 nth ■ ob t I°i "l nf *•> °lv ii"-ht I "P t \ni! no n the i-n 1 " n 1 ■ mi l u 1 '° '' 1 1 vr B th it i 1 ip tl u I c m ui_ 1 B uu i 1i on the ki n ! hj» r B r-v 1 i j no \oui i r cf o \n ' K th t ] ii ir "1 in tJ 'h ulB cl n ur<- a i 1 bv civ t ithh icU ■ 3li I ut"ti io it! 'lr JK U H JLew I do," J i d B J' » F nt i ki c B prottg- -n ii -nl it t B not seou 1 I,bu ml i 't i - Bo' d} i- lost iad h r 1 B at <i 1 o oc <- ita ui\ i i B uiw a n-cd B Tie police, whom Lu e ce cou&uu-

oil, knew nothing about her, nor had they had any notification of the clirappea ranee or anyone answering to hor description. And the advertisement columns of the Press, and tho various other methods l>v which missing persons are traced, remained obstinately silent concerning her.

Aud she hers;dr. recovered new from til? cold and exposure- of that focgy n'ght, when she had come so strangely int) their existence, continued as innocent of Ivor own identitv and its oblivious of her past as when sb." bad fiivh been introduced to- Laurence by bis aunt.

"It's her identity she's lost" said Dr Luptou, who took a. considerableinterest" in her strange case. "As Peter Schlimmel lost bis shadow; and, begad, I sometimes wish I were her. ltd not her memory. That's all right. In some ways she remembers more than I ever knew. Italian? She can talk it like a native. And a physique and constitution like—like Venus when sho ros- from the sea. Did you ever see such eyes and such a figure! It will come back suddenly, if it comesi back at all—her memory. She must have had a shock, and something connected with that shock, or with her past iu some wav, will bring it all back one of theso days. .Meanwhile, she's well and healthy; she's a charming young lady, and her bram is picking up knowledge as a chicken picks UT) grain, and you're glad to have her. Mv'advice to vou is to take what the gods send you and don't look gift hcrses in the mouth."

Miss Linton smiled, the more especially with her own ideas on tho subject, and she followed his advice. And Laurence, who, to his aunt's secret joy, was now a daily visitor ,_ did nothing to dissuade the old lady from a course of action which Avas turning life into an earthly paradise for a young man Avho, up to that time, had never taken a serious interest in any Eve. •■ '• Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?" And Laurence kneAV uoav that be had loved this Eve from the first moment lie had looked into her eyes That love, the mystery which surrounded this beautiful girl, her helpless situation, her stranyo mix tar o_ of tumid voting beauty and innocent child, had increased rather than diminished ; and lie vow know, as he fat and talked to her, li.vta.ied to her low, sad. gentle voice, Mild looked into her dark, lovely ejes'in Avhlch lav enshrined so many mysteries-, that ho had given his heart, hopelessly and irretrievably, into' her*ko-ping, and that, for £ood or ill, it was hers to do with what .she chara. And her choice. As time went on, and she grew more fanii.iar Avith him in that so : :ir.ic> a irois hi his aunt, and he iioav existed, and' her eyes mat his with that half-wondering, half-shy look he Avas growing to knew so Avell, hope begin to dawn m his breast that" she, too. Avas coming to realise Avhat love meant, and to reciprocate his feelings. And one day that hope, faint at firsc, thou growing stronger, became a certainty. He had come to his aunt s one after-

noon at tea-time, his visual hour, and found her, to his .surprise, a.oue. tame upon her sen tod hv the lire, ne. rounded chin resting on lierjianu', Hp l ' dark cvom fixed thoughtfully <>" tl; " flumes'. ' She looked up as he entered the room, rather slowly, as all her gestures were .slow. and for a inomciitheir eyes met, wit hoar either or i-neiil saying a word. . And Laure.uee s'uv. with his near Seating rather quicklv, that n"> s=»» I oolictl at liini a nwy flush tin god lie' white cheek and mounted .sJoyily up >-0 the shelter of the dark waves of lnur. "You are alone?" he asked, taking a seat. She nodded, turning her lace away slightly towards the live again, mi tha the dancing shadows, there *'■' H 110 'amp yet in the room-lml the ilush on her cheek. ''"Yes, she t.aid. £ "What a bhatne !" said Laurence. > am surprised at my aunt. die she not take you to the bazaar: The young c ; rl looked at him quirk]v "'Oh. no. it 13 not a shame.' sJie said " She is nothing that is not good and kind. I told her I would rather stay here. l-I was thinking. Thev were 'cheerful thoughts, 7 hope?" 'asked Laurence. "It is of no use offering you a penny to hear them, I suppose?' She did not answer for a moment. Then she shook her head. ' c {° no * think you would care to know them.

she said, slowly. Then suddenly Laurence saw that tier dark eves had clouded, and that there Aver© tears in their depths. ■\nd in a ■second, almost without tlrnking what ho did, ho had crossed over to her, and dropping onto one knee had caught her hands. You are c-yhi<* M lie said, quickly. " Don t cry. ° What is the matterP Are you not haupy here?" She "tried to draw her hands away, but he held them tightly, and to force, him to release, them she would have been obliged to turn her head, and this she AA-ould not do. "Oh, I am very happy here, very, verv kanpy," she said. " You are so kincl to me, both of you. and"Who would not be. kind to your' said Laurence " But will you stay, or will you flv away some cruel day as mysteriously as you came into our Yve*, and kayo us broken-hearted.' " Would it leave you broken-heart-ed? Oh, I Avas Avondering just now Avhv you were so good to me, both of y C -j—you Avho don't even knew who I am or where I camo from, who do not even know my name." "Your name hj, Er:e," said Laurence, his heart beating fact. "Wo have called von Eva. What else should your name be? Jive was the first woman, and—oh ! Eve. you are the first and only woman for ine. What does it matter" Avhat other names you have, or Avhere vou come from, to make mo the happiest or most miserable man who ever lived? You are here uoav, the loveliest woman in the 'world, and you must stay, and not wonder or grow sad any more about the past. Wo are both voting, and it is the present and the i'uturb—the future, five, darling—that is all ours to think about if—if

•| r|!p ji rs |. u ,,Kii-Hl I saw you. Don't I,,,'ru your i;ii- away, or f _shal! IJnnk voii hate in.', and llicii " ■• Ami then 3on Mould ho very unhap- '•■ I should die. Hut v"U won't, l<ill „„>. Will Veil, V.w? Vnu will say, Hist--0 little, in ;i whisper, li you lil«\ that, ,-im<> dav von could like mc just a, little :,, vim-v little. Ah 1 now .von «™ crying again, and f ;i rn a hruie. 1 hw/o made'you unhappy.'"' Hut. the small hand pressed his soit;v. "No." came Eve's low voice. •' Yon have made me very happy. Laurence's heart bffU, high as ho turned the flushed fa-e rwmd to his juul looked into ihe lovely eyes that w ,,,-,l h-ve ave'ded his, hut could rio t ••' Mv darling!" ho cried. ''(Hi. is it reallv true, and do you care tor mo. after all ; J , The young girl huighori, her tears ~11 .vmie, a low. happy laugh. J 'iave loved vim all my life,"' she said; '■ i;!v rieu' lit'". Hiieli a short Lie, hut 1 hare loved yon all of it."' Love would not he love it it ccmsid'ortd ue.ysihilities ami risks, if it doubtcd ahrmt the past, and wondered hesitatinalv ahout' the future, and Laurence, conlident of Eve's beauty and--nirity. in the possession of a handsome income, and the hearty approval of his aim!, iVif. thai lady's house after her return from the. bazaar and her joyful reception of his news with, a heart full of high hopes and not a single care. Laurence, who had been walking homewards on air. deep in happy dreams, ami' oblivious of slaughtering motor- : buses and torturing tax:u, pulled up suddenly as he neared Victoria street, start'.ed by the grinding of a motor's brakes and the hoarse shouts of a driver who had only just missed by a hair's breadth killing him, as his car swung round the corner. As Laurence staggered back he caught a glinipso of an angry face_ staring" at his from the interior of tha car. Ho had seen it somewhere before. Where on earth could it have been? It came to him suddenly as he asked himself the question. The d'ark, scowling face was that of _ the man who, with the slim young girl, had been dining with Eve. at the Imperial Restaurant the first evening ho had seen her! CHAPTER IX, Laurence turned into his rooms a little thoughtfully. He, had recognised the dark, foreign-looking young man too lato in any case to run after him or attempt to attract his attention in any way. And now he was wondering wlieher he would have done so if ho had had the timeThat the mvi was related to Eve he did not believe, for she was as evidently English as he was obviously a foreigner; but at least he know her, had'dined with her at the restaurant, and would he able to enlighten him upon the mystery of her identity. And yet Laurence knew that in his nind ho was glad not to have had the opportunity of approaching hiißjglad that he had driven on, and that he had not the faintest idea where to come upon him again. He found Eve looking better than he had ever seen hjer when ho reached his aunt's house the next day. Her cheeks, pale up to now, bad gained quite a rosy colour, and in her eyes there was a healthy, happy look, new since their talk of yesterday.

"Is sho not looking well?" asked Miss Linton, eyeing the young girl affectionately. "It is not because you have arrived, sir, don't imagine it. It is thie air, and also a little excitement of shopping. We have been out, and we have been buying—frocks." Evo smiled. " I am afraid it is I who have been buying and you who have bean paying," sue said. " Tliat is quite as it should be," said Laurence, looking at his aunt. "She loves spending money on other people. I believe sho would even buy clothes for me rather than buy nothing. But did you enjoy your walk?"

Eve smiled. "Immensely," she said. -Miss Linton nodded. " "We should have enjoyed it still more," she said, " if you had been with us. You might have freed us from the attentions of somo horrible man who would persist in following us all the way home. I don't know really what the London streets are coming to." Laurence clenched his fists, as if the man were present at the moment. "I wish I had been there." he said. "What was ho Hire, the brute?" "A common, foreign-looking poison," said Miss Lin toy ; " neither old nor young, with a siuilking sort 'of look. 1 don't know why we allow so many of those creature to come into the country.'' She left the two together a little later, making seme excuse the obviousness of which the young couple bore her no malice for, and an hour of paradise ■ensued for Laurence, broken only at last by his aunt's return ami tJie arrival of tea. As he made his way down the steps .of the hou>o, Eve's last words and lust looks in his thoughts, a slouching figure on The other side, of the way, beneath one of the street lamps, made his aunt's account of the man who had followed them during their walk recur to him. And. crossing the road, he drew near to the man. intending to take a closer look at him. Ihu the individual, on his approach, turned up his collar hastily ami made off in the opposite direction: tind he was only able to obtain a brief glance at his appearance generally. "ft looks rather like the fellow she described.'' he thought, going after the man. "But he has Vdearod out pretty quick, in any case, and it is not worth while to run after him." CHAPTER X. Laurence had arranged wit.i his aunt and .Eve that he should go to lunch with them the next day and join them afterwards on a lurther shopping expedition. And. having a few business documents in connection with his accossoin to fortune to run over, he had decided to spend the morning in Iris rooms until the hour should come when, eager a* a boy, he should be able to make his way round to O.reeu Street. Though lie had looked up every five minutes at the clock over bis mantelpiece, the Mine when he could with decency set out had not nearly arrived, however, when his man entered, bearing, to his surprise, a note ior iiim in his aunt's haiuin riting. Something in the shakiness of the hand writing, am! perhaps the fact that the not<> had been brought by a district me.-senger—youthful Mercuries whom lie had never known his aunt to use before—made him glance at the envelope with rather a serious face, and open it rather slowly. A man uho loves tears everything; he is so utterly at the mercy of events over which ho has not the shghte-t control, and something about this missive made Laurence tremble. And when ho opened it he know that, he had been riirht to fear.

li Oil, my dear Laurence," it ran, " she has I do not. know what it means. There is nothing io explain it. It must have been something to do with that horrible man. Couk* fit once. 1a in broken-hearted. On, what will become of her, the poor darling! There is a note for yea. Perhaps it yall explain; but come— come at once.'' "Gone! lliui array! A note for him !" White as a shoot. Lauren™ crumpled the little, note into his pocket, dismissed lln? a .dorj-'lied hoy. crammed his hat upon i-is head. and. dartum; down the stairs, jumped into the lirst taxi ho ~:nv. lie found Mi»- Linton white, too, cud t<';i''-d:dn:d . her lace, cap ouite owr (Li'j !-n\ her rid ham!-, trombling uorv.'iU-iy. a.v.';.iil ia l; him m Ihe hah when ho read ltd Gieen Street. "Oh. Lmtroncc. clear, she has gone! She ha? run away from u : ." <«lie gasped, a.:-; she iooh c\l inio his anxious taco. " How has she been gone?''"

asked Laurence. "And how did she "Not an hour. lam sure, not an hour. Go? Sho must hava gone straight out—written the notes and gone straight out See, this is what sho left for me, in my room, on the dressing-table, while I had gone out only for a little while to buy some flowers." . Laurence took the little note she held out to him, and glanced at it swiftly. It was the first time he had ever seen her handwriting. ''How strange if it should bo the last! , he thought. . ~, .„ "My dearest, dearest friend, Eve had written. "What will you think of me I I must go now, at once, away from you, away from all your love and kindness, never to pee you again, never to thank you—but. oh, yes. I do that. I do that with all my'heart. What will you think ot me? Oh you must think of me no more, you must forget me. forget that you ever saw me, and were kind to me, ever loved and took pity _on a broken-hearted girl. I can write no more. Ido not know what lam doing or saying. Forgive me, oh, forgive me, and good-bye." Laurence looked up, his face paler than ever, as he finished reading this note which said so little and yet told so much. "What does it mean?" he gasped. Then quickly. "Where is the letter she left for me?" Trembling, the old lady went to the window, and taking a little note from a table handed it to him in silence. In silence Laurence opened it, his back to the light, his face hidden. "Laurence, oh, Laurence, good-

bye. It was not to be. It can never be. When you get this I shall be gone. It may, I think it will, break my heart, and yet I can do nothing, nothing can be done. Oh, I cannot write anything that would not make it harder, harder for me to go, harder for you to do what you must do—forget me, forget the unhappy girl you loved, or. I am sure you did, so much more than she ever hoped or deserved. And yet you may forget her, Laurence, for that poor girl you know and loved is dead. For the last time, —Your Eve." CHAPTER XI. Poor Miss Linton watched Laurence tremblingly as, with a white face, he read Eve's farewell note —watched him almost as if she feared that he would turn upon her and blame her for this sudden calamity which had fallen upon him. But he only looked up at her with haggard face and dark, anxious eyes. "We must try to find out what has happened," he said. "She must have 1 seen someone or heard something which startled her and recalled to her the shock which originally caused her to lose her memory so strangely. She would not have left us. she would not have written these letters for nothing. You left her all right, you say?" " Quite, poor darling. 1 was onry going out for so short a time. And she was her own sweet self when I say good-bye." " And you weren't gone more than an hotvr?" asked Laurence. "Where are the servants? Do they know any-

tiling? Have you questioned them? 1 ' "I have asked Thomas," said Mias Linton. "He knows nothing. Cook was out. Bella and Margaret were doing the rooms; and they did not even know that she had gone." " We must question them all again," said Laurence. " Someone must know something There must be some reason for this." Miss Lur&on rang the hell, and Thomas, the old man-servant, came in response. '' Your mistress has already asked you, I believe," said Laurence, looking keenly at the old man; "but did you see Miss Eve go out this morning? Or do you know if any of the other servants did?" Thomas rubbed his hands a little nervously. " Well, sir, I didn't, Mr," lie said. '■ But I have been ma-k----ing inquiries among the maids, and I think it must have been the gentleman who came for her that she went out with." " The gentleman who came for her!" both Laurence and Miss Linton repeated. And Laurence's aunt looked up at the old servant, for her quite severely.. '' This is the first I have heard of this, Thomas," she said. "Bid anyone come?" Thomas reddened. "A gentleman, ma'am, yes," he said. "It appears it was like this, ma'am. Just after you had gone out the bell went. I was out. as I have said, ma'am, and j Bella and Margaret being upstairs, did not hear it. And the door was answered, I am sorry, ma'am, by the kitchen maid." Laurence, looked at Miss Linton, his face >i!i!:er than before. "Ask for the girl to co:?: up." he said, quickly. She appeared in a lew moments —a rather heavy, stupid-looking girl, her face tear-stained now, evidently from an encounter with the harassed Thomas. '• Will you please tell us all about the gentleman who called this morning for Miss Eve?" said Miss Linton, severely. "And how you oame to answer the door and 1 let anyone in." "Please, mum, I didn't let him in; lie walked* past me. I heard the bell ring twice, and I thought it was- just the postman. It was his time, and he rings when he's got a parcel. And there was a gentleman standing there. 'I want to speak to the young lady,' he says. ' Just show nie to her. She wants me.' And he goes on into the hall, and, not knowing any wrong, I opened the morning room door for him, where Miss Eve was at the window." " Did yon hear Miss Eve go out afterwards?" asked Miss Linton, looking at the maid's smudged face and tear-stained eyes doubtfully. "JN'o, mum. I didn't hear her go out nor him. I waited a minute, localise I thought I heard Miss Eve call out to m«-, and then I went downstairs to my work." Laurence bit his lip. 'The girl had j thoueht she heard I'>e call. Had the sound been a cry of recognition, even fear?

''"What was he like, this man?" he asked quickly. •'•'Up. was a. foreigner, sir, ami tall and dark; but he was that quick. I didn't rightlv see Lini to remember ]iim."'

'' It was that man. whoever he was,"' said ?Ji.s.s Linton a?- soon as; the servants had lei't the room. Laurence looked up with his brow clouded. "'"Whatever litis happened, whatever all this; moans, we must lina her.'' he. said. " and quickly. It may be that she imagines that something connected with her past, and which has come back to her with a sudden shock, might change in some way our feeling towards her. It is absurd and wrong of lipi- to think so. of course; nothing could make me, change toward? her. But it is too late to talk of that. The. only tiling to think of now is how to find her and get her back." They went up to Eve's room together. L-aurenog's heart beat fast as he- looked round the. pretty, bright r>'nk-a,i;d-v, hite place, witli its lace and hkngnps. ami bright, autumn flowers placed 'there by t\u- hand.-, he had kissed so few hours before. Ho was aroused from his thoughts hy a little, cry from his aunt, who was bending over a, little china box on -the dressing-table. ''ol).. she has lei't her belt," said- ''her silver belt. .It must lmvo. broken again, and she has forgot!on it."

Laurence looked at the article she held up--a. si vor belt made of chased rn.-pd.ai] nns joined together by little links—and suddenly turned white. "Let me look at that." he, said quicklv. and, with trembling fingers, ho caught- the thing airnost loughly from his aunt's b.uios. His thoughts' were back again to the motor-car in the fog and darkness of St James's Park on the night of his dinner party. And again he heard the woman's low, broken-hearted sobs, saw the bent, erouched-up figure in the dim interior of the cat', felt himself try to raise the senseless form that had

Hidden ?y become inert and motion Jess, foil his fingers catch in the little •liver belt, and His eye turned to the centre of tlw belt where two of the medallions, joined together roughly with a little piece of ribbon, showed that the links had once been broken. His fare grow less tense and white. In the depths or his mind' vague, dark surmises were, rising, which lie did not wpnt to dwell upon, and which yet he could not dismis.-: from his thoughts. It was nothing in her letter, or sudden flight, it was nothing in the dis-. covery of the- belt and Eve's connection with that adventure of the mysterious motor-car which had made him for the first time remember and associate with it i:i his mind another and more terriblo adventure of that night, an adventure of which he had only heard of afterward* -the discovery of the murdered woman's body in the Park. CHAPTER XII. Laurence made his way back to Victoria, Street as best he could, his brain in a whirlHe had given his aunt a brief account of his adventure in the fog—sufficient to explain his emotion at the sight of the silver belt; but he carefully refrained from, mentioning anything about the other event of that night, or, rather, of the morning following. He knew she seldom read the newspapers, and, is. any case, would have avoided such a subject as the mysterious discovery of the murdered girl; but, while there was no chance of her connecting the two things together in any way, lie himself felt his doubts only increase as he pondered over them. His thoughts went to the man who had come to the house that morning, who had evidently taken Eve away, or been privy to her flight. "If it was he who committed that crime," he thought, remembering that individual's scowling face amd dark, false eyes, "what more natural than that he should try to search her out and try to get her away from friends to whom she might disclose everything. And, what more natural than at the eight of him the memory of the past should suddenly return to her? Oh, but could she not trust us, could she doubt our love? And she has gone!" He clenched his fists as he realised how helpless he was for the moment, knowing neither Eve'iS real name, nor the namie of this man who had stolen, her from him. " But 1 will find him." he thought. "I will find him if I have to hunt all England for him." Suddenly he remembered an old barrister friend to whose knowledge of the world and acquaintance with various phases of life he had owed many an amusing hour's chat and many, a useful tip or word of advice. "O'ld Eldon wiH he able to advise me where to turn first, at all events," he thought, " and the best-, way to set to work. I should think he might be at his chambers now. There is no time to lose, in any event." # Fortunately, he caught his friend, a clever-looking, bright-eyed, rather port-nosed oid gentleman, just in the way of making his way to the little Restaurant where he had his oaily lunch and added an extra tinge of rosiness to his most prominent feature. He quickly put him in possession of as much as he judged wise of the object of his visit and quest. Mr Eldon pondered for a moment, as he surveyed the pigeons it was his pleasure to feed every day with a roll fared from his lunch, and who pecked and preened about quite tamely at hiss "I know a good man for that kind of thing to whom I could introduce yon," he said, at last. "A man who used to he high up in Scotland Yard, and who would find a needle, not only in a\ stack of hav, but in the Strand mud on a wet day, which would be more difficult. But. lam just thinking, for your purpose to-day I fancy there is a better man still, whom I know., and have known for some years. He isi an old German named Rosen, a moneylender?.* and Healvien know* what besides, a. -real old scoundrel, a thorough cosmopolitan, and man who know;; something about, and generally to the disadvantage of, pretty nearly everv foreigner in London. And if he doesn't happen to know the man you want to find, he will almost certainly be able to put you on to somebody* \v.ho doe,s.'' , •, "Introduce me to Mr Rosen, then, said liflurenoe. "He certainly uounds as if ho might he most useful." '•He lives in Cork Street," said Mr Eldon. "here is the number. I have written it down. You are a sensible young man, or I should feci as if T were introducing a fly to a. spider. He has an attractive parlour for young men, though he hasn't been in England long. him abroad, Berlin/ Viehua, Monte Carlo, anywhere where; money is spent quickly and wanted badlv v . Don't trust him; but you won't <lo that, lam sure." And. noddi'Uig! good-hatrnquredly. the old barrister walked on. Laurence turned in the direction of Cork Street. He- *oon found the address which Mr Eldon had given him, and the name Rosen on a small brass plate oil one of the .doors in Cork Street assured him that he had struck his man.

Following the direction "Walt in,"' which re»cal!led Mr .Eldon's remark about the spicier and the fly, he mado his way down a, dark passage, and knocked s\t the door at the end. A rich voice with a strong foreign accent replied to his summons with a, hearty " Come in," and, opening tlie door, he found himself in the presence of Mr, or Herr, Ro>en. The latter, a greasy, rather shabbilydressed mam of over middle age, looked up from the desk at which lie was seated, and gave Laurence ;i quick and comprehensive glance as he stood in the doorway. His face brightened s\n he took in his visitor's smart clothes and general air of a good-looking young man about * town. And he motioned to Laurence to take a sieat near him And facing the Hindoo, ihrough whose dingy panes, however, a great deal of light did not ''You wnrul forae money, he said, in a rather oily voice. "les; well, who sent vou to mc' V Laurence smiled. " A Mr Eldrm reccnimondr-d me to come to you,'' lie said. "'' Brit "' "Eldon?''•'' interrupted Mr Rosen. '"' Him with the red nose. Aeh. yes, I know Mr Eldon. "Will he back your bill?" . • Laurerce smiled again. " ell. I darosav he would if 1 asked him." ho said. ' '' Thft llm truth is T don't wnnt anv money/' Mr ftosen stared in obvious surprise. " What? You don't want no money. A yorng men. nice, clean, handsome young mans, not v—u no money ! 'nv?n—not warn, no uey J the-a what do you wand?" ' : I want to find somebody,' 1 replied LnureiKS, amused. Mr Hosea sat up. as if there waa hope after aU. '' Oho, vou want to And somebod;r. Well. Papa Rosen knows everybody. Who was it you wanded to lii^i'r'' '"' I don't huow his name." replied! Laurence. k ' I. know bnrdly anything aboiu: him. having, indeed, only neen him twice, Hut i can uetrribc him tc", is a foreigner." L 'So are you. To me you are a. voreigner. Rut good and well. Or> on.''" " He is ta!' and dark and. I should imagine, about twenty-seven or twenty-

eight. Ho has a small, dark moustache, turned sharply up at the ends. Unrl has dark eyes, with what I should tfall rather a false and shifty expression in them. Ho has a big car, which looked to mo rather like ;i Daimler." " Anything more." " 1 saw hira dining at the Imperial Restaurant not long ago with two Indies.''

Mr Rosen looked up, a smile on his fat, bearded lace. "One leedle and fair, eh? Young and so baby, ch? Slim and pretty, eh?" Ijaurenoet nodded, hi* heart heating t little, faster. "Yes" he .said.. Mi* .Rosen rubbed his hands. "Oho. I know him. Papa Rosen knows him very, very, very well. A tnani. # A nice, kind young man. Wad you give to know him too?" "Jf vou tell me where 1 can find Kim ana what his name is, T will give you anything in reason," saa'd Laurence, readily. " But it must be ;-oon." "Mr Rosen-looked thoughtfullv at tho •tapers on Ins desk for a moment, twisting his ."greasy heard with a queer gesture from ur.d'erneath outwards, as if he meditated. eating it, and then lose slowly. " Good," he said. "Gout to-morrow morning. 1 tell- yon then, find I charge you-Xl charge you twenty jnounds. Dat'-s v.oi-th 'it, eh, to. know such a nice young man?" - Laurence nodded. "1 will give you twenty pounds if it is the right plan." he said. "If you tell me his name and where T can find him. But why to-morrow? lamin a hurry. Why not to-day P" .- . Mr Rosen looked at .him a. little queerly. " To-morrow." he paid,, " I will tell you cverysings. It is not bosfdble to-day. You don't want no moneys?" Laurence hesitated, " Very well. T will come hero at tin's- hour, to-mor-row," he said at last. 'But t tell you frankly, I.would give doubje the •urn for the information to-day." Mr Rosen looked at him quickly. "Now. wad >on'wand him for so quick?" he asked. " And you don'd want money." '' That is my business." said Laurence, .shortly. "There is my offer." Mr Rosea mused. " Fordy pounds to-day," he murmured. ''You pay when T tell yon, eh?" "■ T will pay cn*h." said Laurence. Mr Rosen 'twisted his beard once more. "Com at four o'clock —uo— five." he said, "aud I will tell you all you wand to know." (To bo continued.)