For Honour's Sake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7984, 13 March 1906, Page 2

For Honour's Sake.

By Bertha M. Clay. Author of " Wife in Name Only," "Wedded and Farted," "Dora Thome," A Queen A mon<f Women," " A True Magdalene," etc., etc.,

CHAPTER XLllL—Continued. He had noticed an involuutary ,1 movement of her right baud toward "her pocket; he released bar at once. She fumbled in her pocket, tremb- , ling like a loaf, and brought out a , , small Docketboolc. "It's herol" sbe said iu a hoarse whisper. . She opened the book, and took out a slip of paper. Iu ber own handwriting was written: . "Cottage in Hazeldone Wood ten miles from D.sflnel, Yorkshire. , "Where did you get this address? asked Stewart, briefly. "Tollemaube went down aud found it • it is nn untenanted cottage—no one seems to know of the Placewrote up, and I took down the address." "Where is his letter? "I burned it." There was no reason to doubt this. Julia was too clevor to keep such a 16 "How fnv is th° plnc» from Merton Gran en?" "Nearly twenty miles. "Ia there no town or village nearer than Daffnel?" .flifln't "No, so Tollemacb,e said. 1 6 know the country; it's very wild. She snoke like a person on the rack—in a choked, gasping whisper I!Ll certainly Ste-.it q.l«tiOMd with the pitiless brevity of au in"""Very -ell," he said. "If, all, you are it. pay way deceiving me or by some means communicate with these villains, you know what to expect at my nanda; and if in your past, as 1 moi e than suspect, ! thero is any orimo for which you can be punished —ah! there is, then? —I will hunt you down, woman tho'iah you are, even ,to a felon s c e ]l!" * "Hut for this," she cried, frantically, grasping his arm, "you will •spare me? 1 bave told you the truth I"

Re rouahly flung ber on. "1 make no terms,' lie said, sternly, "with suob aa you!" And without auotber word he left the room, and in a minute was being whirled away again to Pall Mall. Bank in Pall Mull, Stewart told Mao-lan tfc'e result of his visit to The Ferns, and looked in the timetable for trains for Daffnel. The next train left King's Cross at twothirty, and it was a six bpurs' journey to Daffnel, wbiob would not, therefore, be reached before eightthirty. . After taking some food and wine he and Mac-lan started for King's Cross; the lattes, as well as his chief, carrying a six-chambered revolver, loaded in every ohamber. It was neatly a quarter to nine when the train clanked into the little station, and the two men sprang out. Mao-lau, as th© least striking in appearance, made inquiries for the best inn or hotel, nnd waa directed to a certain hostelry close by. There Stewart inquired for horses; but the host shook his head. No riding horse to be had in Daffael. There was a fly but the horse had been out to-day; couldn't do much more., "How much?" asked Stewart. "Seven or eight miles, at most," was the reply. . .• While the horse was bbing put in the fly, he asked carelessly if there was not a place called the Raven s 'lower not far off. "Good thirteen miles," was the answer; "but no one ever liveß there but an old caretaker; it belongs to " some London gentleman; it's over beyoid Hazeldene Wood." "Ah, whore is that? I was told to ask for it as a landmark." The landlord gave the direction, and amid a little knot of openmouthed gazers, the lumbering aountry fly was driven out of the inn yard. ' • There were stais in the sky, but no moon and after, as Stewart judged, they had driven about six miles, the driving * became doubly anxiouß work, for the poor horse was plainly distressed, and could scarcely struggle onward. At last both men descended from the box, aud led the horse on. Suddenly Captain Stewart pointed ahead. "The wood!" he said, his voice quivering; "do you see the dark line? It must be Hazeldene Woodt" "It's a wood sure enough." It was nearly eleven o'olook now, but they had only half a ■ mile more to go to reach the boundaries of the wood, which seemed ,to be of considerable extent; and at length they were close under the shadow of the trees. Stewart, every nerve at tension, every pulse throbbing, was still outwardly calm. "We'll leave the vehicle here," be said, "and go on foot into the wood; it may take us long to flue ' this puce. Unharness ttoe horse, anc . tether him." This was quickly done; both met examined pistols, and with the light swift, monutain step, the wood.

CHAPTER XLIV. " THE WORK OP A DETERMINED MAN. The two Scotchmen bad, in truth, entered close to the cart track which would load them to their goal, and goon their practiced sight, accustomed to recouuoitfli* all sorts of country, both by day and night, discerned the track. Suddenly Stewart gripped his companion's arm. "IaD!" he whiapered; "look, there is a cottage yonder!" With ewift, noiseless steps, they crossed tno track, and in a moment where before the cottage. The shatters were up at the window. Stewart carefully examined the door, but it looked too solid for even a strong man to break in at h rush, and one, if not both, of the men within would be instantly on the alert, and likely to be armed.

They were moving round to tbo back, to seek aome possible on trance that way, when Stewart stopped, listening. The two men looked at each other. Both heard distinctly the thud, thud, of a horse moving restlessly: then camo a snort. There could .be no manner of doubt now, if there had been any before that they had found the right place. And thero, in a broken down shed at the baok, was the carriage, aud tho horse tethered, but there was io window or door. "We must draw them out," said Stewart, quickly. "A long blade of grass from the wood, lan; worry the horse with it, and make him plunge and kick till one of them comes out. ll.o'll lehvo the door open. Anyhow, if we fell one, there'i only one to deal with, in case we get in. We must stop our man crying out." lan put the ruse to the test. 'lhe poor horse, who probably thought he was assailed by a score uf flies at once, kicked and snorted vigorously, and in a £hw minutes the sound of heavy bolts being withdrawn was heard, aud instantly Stewart and his companion drew back into the darkness. (To be Continued),