RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8373, 7 March 1907, Page 2

RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

A KO.MANCE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER.

CHAPTER V.—Continued,

"Certainly; I will leave, but you must stay to watch and give Jackman whatever assistance he needs."

"Where will you go?" . "To San Jose. My motor car, the will come down from San Francisco this afternoon. I had intended," he added, with a scowl, "to take my bride north in the car, but " He suddenly broke off his sinister face lighted up with a sudden idea. "I have it!"J he exclaimed, striking his hands together exultantly. "You have a plan?" queried Trenwyck furtively.

"A happy thought, TrenWyck! Come, let us find Jackman," They started off together, plotters of evil who would hegjtate at nothing to gain their ends, And thus were the young lovers, one "of them returning as from the grave, encompassed about by malignant foes, seeking to strike a dastardly blow at their newly-found happiness.

CHAPTER VI.

LOVE'S GOLDEN HOUR,

"Our love came as the early dew Comes into drooping flowers; Dropping its first sweet freshness on Our life's dull, lonely hours; As each pale blossom lifts its head, Revived with blessings nightly shed By summer breeze and dew — Oh! thus our spirits rose beneath Love's gentle dews and living breath, To drink of life anew!"

"Ah,, dearest, the long, long months that have passed since I looked into your bonnie eyes, pressed my lips to yours; and folded you close in my arms! It seems like an eternity. And for a whole year not 1 one answer to my many letters that I! sent, not one word from my 1 little Princess Beryl! The suspense was i almost more than I could bear; at times I feared that I should go mad." Neil's dark-brown eyes were almost aflame with love ; his handsome i head, with its dark curling hair, was bowed over the spun-gold tresses, and he clasped to his breast with convulsive eagerness the yielding form of his sweetheart. Beryl was all a-tremble from sheer happiness as she turned her swimming eyes to his. "My heart's idol," she murmured. *' * The past seems like an ev i I dream; but again I awake, and you are with me! You must never leave me again darling, never! I could not bear to be parted from you again!" "You shall not be!" he fondly answered. "I have tasted to the full the bitterness of separation, and I would rather die than go through it again." "I wrote you often, dear," Beryl went on, nestling her head on his shoulder, "and how I waited and waited for some reply—but none came." "My letters were intercepted," said Neil darkly. "Irma Lee told me of that when I saw her in San Francisco. As for your letters, they must have gone to the wrong address while I was lying in the hospital at Dawson City." "You were ill, and I could not be at your side!" she whispered brokenly. "Hush, my love!" he gently admonished. "So were you ill, and at the mercy of that villain Berdyne, while I was powerless to come to your aid. I should have been wild had I known . Let us think of the future, sweetheart. To-mbrrow you are to be mine—l arranged every-r thing before I left San Francisco. I have a good friend in the city—a minister —and we will leave San Jose this afternoon and go directly to his house." "Yesterday all was so dark," murmured Beryl, "and to-day everything is so bright and beautiful it seems as though it could not be true." At that moment they heard the opening of a door, and the ranchman, a grizzled, weather-worn man of fifty, stepped out on the verandah. "I beg your pardon," said he abashed, as the lovers faced him hand in hand. "I thought I heard someone call me a spell ago.'.' He turned as though he would leave, but Beryl called to him. , "Please stay, Mr Jackman! This isMr Preston, who has come to —to ft : "To take my little girl away from your hospitable home, Mr Jackman," finished Neil, stepping forward anc taking the rancher's hand. Mr Jackman seemed puzzled, anc not at all at his ease. "Glad to meet you, I'm sure," he returned. "The little one has beer crying her eyes out on your account, Mr Preston. She thought you hac your life, up there in Alasks somewhere." all a mistake, Mr Jack' man; a mistake, however, in whicl this villain, Nicholas Berdyne, was intimately concerned." "Berdyne!" repeated Jackman, with a nervous glance around him. "He is a cur!" declared Neil " warmly. "He came here under fals< pretences, and had laid his plans tc wreck my little Beryl's happiness He is not such a man, I assure you as you would choose to have about your place." "I—l must look into this," fal tered Mr Jackman. "Won'tyou com* in, Mr Preston? My wife has gon< to a sick neighbour's for the day ! but I will tell the Chinaman to d< everything he can for you. Be sides,"' he added, with a fain smile, "I think Beryl can be trustei to look after your comfort." "I cannot remain very long thi morning," Neil replied, "but shal , return this afternoon, and take Bery

By JisSaa Edwards, Author of "The Little Widow," "Sadia, the Rosebud" '•Pre'tiest of All," "Stella Sterling"Laura Draytonetc.

away with me." "We shall be sorry to have her go," said Mr Jackman. "I wish to thank you for your goodness to her. You have proved a true friend and I hope I may have an opportunity to show that I am grateful." Mr Jackman excused himself, and Beryl and Neil wandered off along the woodland path that led toward Tonita's. When they reached the boulder they seated themselves side by side, and talked lovingly of the past, and of the future that was dawning with so much promise. Neil, who had long believed that Beryl's father had left valuable property in the golden Northland, had undertaken the journey to the Yukon to investigate his affairs. He had learned much, pointing to a guilty meddling of Berdyne and his agents in Mr Grayson's affairs. "I am „ very sure, dear," said Neil, "that Berdyne has papers in his possession which will prove that he is holding for his own use a fortune that should go to you. But we will not discuss this matter until I can learn more. After tomorrow," he added passionately, placing his arm about her, and pressing his lips to .hers, "I shall have the legal right to protect you, and to fight your battle. Then," he added determinedly, "let Berdyne look to himself. He is a master rogue, and I shall not spare him. "You learned a great deal from Irma Lee, did you not, sweetheart?" asked Beryl. "She is a jealous woman, dearest, and kept nothing back in her talk with me. She told me how you had been befriended by Mr Jackman, and had left Denver to come to Sunset Ranch. And she likewise told me how Berdyne had intercepted my letters; how he was scheming to win you for his own; how he had hired the scoundrel Gorsline, to go to you with the story that I was dead, and i much more that was all in the nature of a terrible revelation. Hidden by an angle of the house, I overheard the most of what took place between you and Berdyne. I could not have had more convincing proof of your loyalty, my heart's own!" "I had come to regard him as a noble and disinterested friend, Neil," said Beryl, with a shudder. 'lt was only when Irma Lee opened, my eyes that I was able to look into his soul and see the blackness there." "The rascal will have me to deal with hereafter," aid Neil; "and he will find, I think, that 1 am more than a match for him." The minutes flew by on golden wings, and an hour —one of the happiest hours of Beryl's life—had soon slipped away. Then Neil arose and lifted his sweetheart to his side. "I am just as I came from the North, darling," said he, surveying his rough clothing with a rueful laugh, "but a trunk is following me from San Francisco, and should be in San Jose this afternoon. I have quite a; little to do, and so I must ride back to the town, leaving you for a few hours in the hands of your good friend, Mr Jackman. You will be ready when I come for you!" "Ready and waiting!" she answered, with a rare smile. "Oh, do not be long, my darling, for I shall count the minutes until you are back again." With their arms about each other they retraced the woodland path. When they drew near the ranch they heard sounds of angry voices, and through the foliage of bush and tree they could see Berdyne, seated alone in his carriage, in front. Mr Jackman was standing by the carriage block. "Begone with you," cried Mr Jackman, "and never let me see your face on my ranch again!" "You will be sorry for this, my man!" cried Berdyne, with well-as-sumed anger. "You cannot come here and insult one of the members of my household. I am glad that I found you out before it was too late." With a muttered exclamation, Berdyne cut his horse with the whip, and was whirled away. "And so, my darling," said Neil, gazing after the departing carriage with angry eyes, "let us hope that yonder scoundrel goes out of your life for ever. • For what remains, he will account to me." 1 A few minutes later, Neil Preston 1 himself was galloping downward into the beautiful valley, his heart bound- > ing with rapture, and on his lips a verse of the little song which Beryl ' had caught from Tonita: [ "Then'sing the song we loved, love, When all life seemed one song; For life is none too long, love, { Ah, love is none too long." | (To be continued.)