For Love and Glory.
OH AFTER X.—Continued. MesuwhUe Armand had urged liia boatmen to dn great stunts in using tbeir oars. Tho tide was against them, but toeing native burn to this harbour, the fellows kuew every twist and ourre, and could take advantage of many such thiugs that would escape a stranger. McGregor was taking in whispers to tivangeline and squeezing her cold hand, but Tessie sat alone and -silent, since Aroiand paid not the least attention to her, crouching in the stern as ho was, with pistols in hand ready to give an account of Lib stewardship should tho pursuers manage to overhaul them. Theie was eomu little delay in launching a boat for discipline was evidently lax on board the yacht and even when Godaigo and his men shoved off they were compelled to start on a blind trail since the darkness bad utterly swallowed op the quarry. Armand's boatmen had made something of a circuit to take advantage of the tide and dropped their blades into the water without noise so that it was not so very singular after all that the yacht's boat never came within hailing distance. Once our friends board ancry voices far over the face of the wat r and could have imagined their enemies must have pounced down upon some ; "sampan" quite innocent of evil much to the chagrin of all parties. Then their boat ran up on tho pebbly beach and the voyage was over—their missiou had been successfully performed. CHAPTER XI. ARMAND DECLINES THE ROLE. Armaud was the first to jump ashore after the boatmen bad pulled the craft np on the shingle. He assisted Therese from the "sampan" while McGregor looked after the interests -of the "infant" only too willing to be lifted in his strong arms and sot on terra flrma. Evangeline was already fully recovered from her fright and just bubbling over with enthusiasm for her wonderful knight who had by his might and valour put the enemy to shame. What Teseie thought would be ingShe watched Armand eagerly while he took charge of the whole business and settled with the boatmen. When he came ap he was quite grave and to her keen disappointment showed no signs of interest >n her welfare other than a stranger might. And Tesaio wept tears of bitter Tegrefc in her heart. "I cave arranged with these two honest boatmen to keep us company as H sort of guard. You see, we have beached at rather a secluded spot, and it's quite a far wry to the regular lauding where they took your uncle, the colonel. I'm sorry I have no conveyance; do you think you can stand the walk?" he said. Tessie thouht she could, if he didn't mind giving her a little assistance should she tire. "Poor guardy, 1 wonder what tbey have done with him?" she added, anxiously. 'l* imagine put him in a 'rikisha and sent him to the hotel. Of course he'll lose bis valuables on the way, but that couldn't be helped." "That is where you are wrong, sir.declared the remarkable prodigy, with a gurgle, "for when 1 found they were determined to send guardy ashore alone, I suspected he would be robbed, aud managed to get his gold watch and fob, his pooketbook, and even the big diamond pin he ■wore. They're all safe." "What an adept you are," cried McGregor, aghast. "Yes," admitted tho precocious one, demurely. "I'm practising for the time 1 may have to go through the pockets of my husband, if I ever have such an encumberance, for pin money." "Evangeline, 1 urn shocked; where do you pick up such vulgar ideas," admonished Thereto. But Gordie chuckled as though he considered it a bright remark. He was prejudiced, poor fellow, and could see only pearls in everything that dropped from those saucy lips. They started off. The course led them along the water frontk and as a muni thing this region is not most delectable about a Jiipsmesese city, where fisbinrr is one of the main pursuits of the inhabitants. On numerous occasions they met with groups of rough men, and several times Armand let bis hand creep towards the pocket where he Kept the little instrument of physical force. Forfcnnately no trouble arose. Whether two guards said certain things that kept the others from interfering, or the men dreaded to lackie a giant about twice their own height, it mattered not, since all they cared about ■was to be l»t alone. Tiesse bad shrunk closer to Armand, but he did not put a protecting arm about her as the McGregor had in the case of the "infant." Time was when he would have done so only too gladly, but that was before she bad opened her eyes to the utter uselessness of such a life as his, and thrown him aside with as little compunction as she might n worn-out glove. "Take my arm—jou are tired," he said. Her heart grew cold; why, he said that as courteously as though apaaking to a duohess—that was the
By St. George Rathborne. Author of " Dr. Jack," "The Witch from India," « Captain Tom," Joe," " Dr. Jack's Wife," etc., etc
tronblo; one would never believe they had been lovers -nly twentysix hours before, and bad many times spoken of the future as though It had no pleasures for one apart from the other. Why. he must have beon radically cured, ' and no longer cared for her. , The dismay this fancy aroused was mitigated to a degree when she came to remember that it was for ber he had this night risked everything, overridden his old nature and set a new mark for his future guidance—the role of hero. ~ , , Perhaps be did not quite hato her. Angry he had a right to be after the horrible way she treated him, but that might wear uff. Her old fascination could not have entirely lost its power. She would continue to hope* on. So her clutch on his arm grew more familiar. Jf Armand's heart beat faster than its wont he certainly had great command over himself, lor neither by word not action did he betray any emotion. That sting had entered deeper than the skin, and would require much time to dull the point. Armand remained very quiet. Indeed, for one usually 10 sociable he was quite "bearish," Tees'e thought. She cudgeled her poor brains whereby the wanderer might be brought back to the fold; but her wits seemed srtangely lacking in this emergency, for she utterly failed to conjure up any idea that promised success. When they finally reached the landiug, to learn that the colonel had been taken to the hotel on the Bund iu a 'rikisha, Tessie gave out. Perhaps disappointment and tho burning regrets from which she suffered had much to do with it but she sat down and declared she could not walk another step. Armand was equal to the occasion. ".Remain here and in five minutes I'll have a couple of coolies with 'rikishas," he said. He was as good as his word. All the way to the hotel crowded as they were in the little vehicle Tessie could only get" him to speak in a general way of how they oame to discover that those on the yacht plotted to harm herself and Evangeline, and the manner in which they had gone forth to the rescue. "Yoo're still angry with me, Armand," she said, pouting. He protested against such a thing. "Impossible--absurd!" he declared. ; '• "Hut you have not forgiven me." "Yes, 1 have most fully. And do you know, I'm even glad of it, and feel as though 1 am under obigations to you for what you said. It was true every word of it. had been a fool and living in a fool's paradise when I was rudely brought to my senses. It was absurd to f;bink that two such people as you and I, differing so radically, could ever get on together," he said, comolacently. "Was it?" she faltered, weakly. "And no doubt when a little time has gone by both of us will smile to think what silly things, we said aud planned." "Yes—of course—they were," she sfii.'J, with a cold hand laid - on her heart. Evidently he had not suffered—why, be was almost gay over it; and it certainy does cut to the quiok to have one formerly, yes, and still, beloved, point the finger of irony and scorn at what must ever be holy emotions of the heart, sacred memories to be ever cherished while life lasts. Her punishment had come quipk and hard. "Are you cold?" he asked, noting the piteous quaver in ber voice, and, manlike, of course, mistaking the re?l cause. Cold—she was like ice, but it did not come from tne damp night air that swept in from the old harbour of Yokohama, but rather geuerated within. She noticed that he scrupulously avoided mentioning her uame whenever lie could, but she did not know that it was because he feared lest he might be led intuitively to prefix it with some word suggesting devotion, and suoh a slip of the tongue must prove very emoarrassing to him as well as disagreeable to ber. "A little, but we are nearly there; it does not matter," while her teeth werje chattering, she bravely continued: "Mow can I thank you, .Mr Radcliffe, for what you have done to night? When I- tbiuk of what my miserable situation might have been at this moment but for your action and that of Mr MoGregor, lam appalled. That' man meant to hold me for a ransom. He knew 1 carried papers with me that I valued highly. That was the secret of the plot." "But how about Senor Juan?" he asked, coldly. It will be remembered that he looked upou the handsome Spaniard as another of those many victims of Miss Caprice, among whom he was numbered as the latest; and that in the bitterness of his heart he had even felt a moiety of sympathy for the fellow. (To be Continued).
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Bibliographic details
Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8161, 19 June 1906, Page 2
Word Count
1,688For Love and Glory. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8161, 19 June 1906, Page 2
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