For Love and Glory.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8169, 27 June 1906, Page 2

For Love and Glory.

•CHAPTER XVl.—Continued. "Well, you will bo conisderably older before you get it," be remarked, rising. "Perhaps 1 can wait, senor. Everything comes to bim who waits. Yon yourself would be glad to oarry the papoi'B to the heautiful senorita, but you also must wait, senor." Armand had a burning desire to leap upon the fellow and engage him there and then, but his better sense triumphed. How was he to know whether he oould depend upon Kojioii Bingo to back him np, since there had been no mention of muaoular business in the boad betwe c n them; and the Spaniard waa treacherous enough to driv« a poignard into his side wnile he engaged the other. On the whole, such action •would smack strongly of the swashbuckler element, which waa what he particularly wished to avoid, Better have patience. The man spoke tru'.y when he eaid everything comes to bim who waits. Sooner or later be might find a obance to redeem the papers Tessie valued, and at a much lower piice that the exorbitant store set upon them by the fellow in possession. gLittle could he imagine the sin-, gularly dramatic conditions that -would mark the hour when tiiat packet was destined to fall into bia hands. "I wish you good-day, gentlemen," was what he said, as he nodded to the confederates. Godaigo had the manners to return the salute, but tha Spaniard only muttered strong words, for his hatred waa like the fire that once busrt from old Fugi yami, .hissing hot. A though defeated in bia move, .Armand waa not yet ready to confess to discouragement. There are other cardp, plenty of them, in the pack. He turned to his "Fides Achattes" and beokoned. "Cbotato olde," he said in Japanese, which being literally transHated means "come here a moment," and when Bingo reaohed bis -side, the two palked quickly down the street, their heads olose together. When Armand took a last glanoe tackwbard, ere turning a corner, he saw the two still seated on the bench and apparently in no hurry to vaoate. And yet, he was in nu measure surprised ah hour later, when he returned with several policemen and authority to arrest Senor Juan and his ally, to discover that they had taken time by the forelock and vanished from the tavern, nor could anyone give a bint as to wiere it that vast wilderness of Jap hoofica they oould be found.

CHAPTER XVII. , THE SLUMBERER AWAKES. Fainly Mies Teasie would have to contrive to mourn the absence of her precious papers. Anna ad was secretly provoked at the wretched success attending hisi effort. Not that he oared to any extent about the papers themselves, but It would have pleased his fancy to have been the agent injeffecting their restoration to the natural owner. He had promised to be a brother to her, you see, and was more or less of the opinion that this was the sort of duty relationship of that nature involved. And then, of course, it was nutural in him to wish that he might place her under obligations The more he could do this the further the iron would ener her soul, and bitter regrets arise as to the manner in whioh she had treated him. Armand was only human. He never claimed any of the attributes that belong to the gods, or such remarkable philosophers aa the famouß JRusisan writer, Count Leon Toltsci At any rate, his lack of success did not debar him from another interview with Miss Tessie. He fancied that this was a solemn duty, which he undertook solely as such; but perhaps there was a little of eager anticipation in looking forward to it. Even though the moth have singed its wings, the bright candlelight has an attraction still. When he found himself in her presence, the evening was oome again, for the ladies had been 'sight-seeing much of the day. Me noticed that while she looked at him with eagerness, there was alao something of confusion about her face. "I have come to report," he said, as soon as he opportunity arose to speak with her apart. "Yotf did not suoceed?" sLe inqired, anxiously, for his manner did not hint at good luck. "Sorry to say h oomplete failure." "They could not be found, 1 pre--Bume."« "Oh I that, was easy enough. I •had run them to earth In short •order, but the trouble lay in (making the bargain. The ratjsally -Jap seemed to think he had a gold mine in bis possesißon." She sighed. ~ : ? 1 "Well, 1 would have been only ?too pleaed to get them baok at tanything like a reasonable price, •but, of course, I oouJd not go to •extremes." "He wanted a cool thousand yen." "Mercy. He is a natural pirate, 1 fear." ; "Then I went to the authorities -and got the necesasry order of arrest, but, of oourae, they had changed their quarters meanwhile.

By St. George Rathborne. Author of "Dr. Jack t » " The Witch front India," " Captain Tom," "Mynheer Joe," ft Dr. Jack's Wife," etc., etc.

I fear we must give it up," seid Armand, moodily. She watobed him out of the tail of her eye, and there might have been detected a sparkle of merriment there when she discovered how much to heart be seemed to take bis failure. "It doesn't matter—forget it, please," she observed. "It does matter to me a great deal, because I have a stubborn streak in my composition, as you no doubt know, and hate to give up anything that I'vo really set my mind on." "Yes,' she said, eagerly. He looked at her gravely, aa though suspecting that he might be perilously near betraying himself. "And I know you care mere than you allow any one to see. Perhaps sooner or later I mayj have the chance to convince tbjs Godaigo Tokauori .that it i« to bis interest to hand over the ill-gotten property." . "You are kind, Arifljand." lie would not allow himself to recognize the tenderness in her tone. "Oh, not at all. i promised to do oil I could' yoa know. ..Jft's in the contract. Of course Ij.oan't argee to get those papers but/jtahaveu't given up hope yet," he said solemnly. / \_ "If you Bhoud succeed promise me two thngs?" she aabj§d. "Certainly," freely replied tlje other and yet wondering the while whether he might not have been rash in making bo ready a re SpOdfSP. "First, that you will deliver them personally into my hands." 1 That meant another coming tO' gether, even if it compelled a voyHge half round the earth; and yet he complied without a demur. ' "1 promise that." "Then, also, assure me that if this packet of papers does fall into your hands, sooner or later, you will not yourself unfasten them nor allow any one else to do so?" He hesitated. It waa rather odd, this request. Why should she even .think he might wish to probe into her vate affairs, and what was there about the packet she did not wish nim to see? Then he suddenly remembered that she had said the papers were valuable only to herself. That implied they were not deeds or stook or anything negotiable. Perhaps private papers referring to something in the past. 'Armand grew cold. He knew so lovely a girl must surely have had suitors galore before he chanced to make her acquaintance, and out <»f the lot their might have been at least one who had aroused the spark of lore in her heart. Were these papers sacred mementoes of that affair in the past? This, at least, would account for her eagernesß in gaining his consent not to open or examine the packet. Well, so be it. A brother had no business to complain at anything. So he shut his teeth together and even forced a stoical smile upon his face as he said: "1 agree to what you ask. Depend upon it, if the packet comes into my hands no one shall unfasten it but yourself." "Thank you again, Armand. Won't you stay and have supper with us? I Relieve we re go'ng to have something unusually good, for the colonel has- been marketing, and he's a bachelor 'chef.' you know, with the chafing dish." The temptataon was great. Armand had before now partaken of appetizing titbits prepared under the skilful supervision of the man who knew how to cook. Still, the greatest temptation lay in another quarter, and he had to summon all his resolution in order to combat it successfully. A victory meant that he was still master of himself, and could fight battles against overwhelming odde. "You must excuse me. Another engagement prevents. I have given my word to meet a certain party an hour from now—no, half of that, and I generally like to keep my promises." He thought he bad, done it handsomely enough, but perhaps she could read between the lines and see what a tremendous struggle it oost him. If so, then his victory was not so sweeping. At this time McGregor and the "infant" made their pretence known. They wished to have a little turn at Armand, and considered that Tesise had monopolized his society as long as was proper. Of oourse, under the gay sallies of Evangeline, and the quaint humour of Gordie, his nature took on something of its natural mood, for the blues could not long abide when such a rollioking happy-go-luciky possessor of animal spirits abounded. Indeed, Armand was qute forgetting the point of honour regarding his engagement Jfc was with the Courier Bingo, by the way), and when 001. Morrison announced supper ready the young man was aghast to And how be had lingered. There was Tessie smiling mockingly at him, too, as though to ask where his vaunted punctually had j flown. 1 1 *—"s