A Wasted Love

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1255, 20 February 1905, Page 4

A Wasted Love

V ' . CHAPTER 1 XXXV Seymour woke with a decidedly- bad ■ > headache, which was not lessened when [ ' he recalled the events of last night, He /* groaned, and buried bis faco in the hot , ' pillow. He had been, as Royce had put it, unmasked before all his neighbours! who jbad no doubt been very muoh edified, not to say amused, by the operation.* lears of hard work and systematic hypoc- ' riey had been ronaered null and of no effect by the half dozen words of the dranken vagabond who had forcod his way into tho Towers. " I've got to thank you andyour vaga* bond wife for that, Master Royce 1" he muttered, Then the consolation which comes to all good men in amotion came after awhile to bim, " Everybody will be too muoh engrossed in taljking ot Royce and and their expppno think of mo. Besides, I'm the Earl>bf Landon, 1 after all, and»good deal is forgiven to a * man in my position.", 'Seymour know! the world .pretty well. '"Thank Heaven," he added devoutly, "we've seen the last of floyco and his wifo,' Tbey. shall never * darkon the doors of ■' Monk Towers again if I can prevent them. Oh, my bead!'' He la|f as still as.ho could, for with the kind Of headache which plagued L'ord Seymour it is'very diffiouk to lie quite ' . still, and after a time he rang for his valet. fhe man came in. ,"I've got a bad headache,"he said; "it musthayo been the hoat-and the or—excitement last night. What would you i recommend ?" ■ The man affected to consider, though he knew well what he was expected to * answer, '' " { " >Vell, my lord, I should say that a small quantity ol brandy mixed with aodawater would be a good thing; though ; - I know, my lord, that you have a strong »'skf 'objection to alcohol." - 1 "I have," said Seymour. "I should only take it as a medicine; but if you 1 , ' recommend it — But it must be very ,>' weak, please." "Certainly, my lord," said the man. He reappeared presently with a mixture J that was anything bat weak, and * Seymour with a wry faoe, drank it down " I think I'll lie still for a littla while," he said, " Is-is there any, news ? Mr. > ' Boy(!e-is ho-er—indoors ?v % " Mr. Royoe has gone ouf, my lord,!' K replied the man, (i <-' x "And-er—Mrs., London?" ft; , " She's gone too*my lord." t *' „ Efoymonr aigherrff breath of relief, The man drow the bed-ourtain, then 1 hesitated, 1 " There are two policemen waiting to * see you, my lord," ho said. Seymour raised his head. , 'Two policemen ?", he repeated, < l "What on earth do they want to soe me for?" ■:.-.']■:... " Some magistrate business, ■ I believe my*lord," said the valet demuroly, ■/ Seymour dropped on the pillow again, i "Let them wait," he .»aid. . " Come up f in an hour." The man left him, and Seymour tried * ' to Bleep but his brain was too busy. The ' "week"brandy andßoda had raised bis * • spirits a little, and he was inclined to take a more choe-fnl view ot the situation. "Royce gone, I can bring matters wjh '{ Irene to conclusion," he mused, "There tf 1 ,is no reason why we shouldn't be married at once, That monoy of hers will more 1 " ' than pay those confounded debts of mine, and as the story books say, we shall be happy ever afterwards, I don't think she'll refuse. She didn't'bear that ruffian declare he'dieen me in Coventry street, and —and she didn't soe me in the card room, 1 ' Ohr yoB, its all right. I wi6h I had another ' * brandy and aoda; one's no use with a head 1 * > .■» like mine. ' % * * The hour passed in this kind of reflec- '' ' tU, and though still rather shaky and ' ' seedy-looking, he was feeling; pretty " • ' cheerful when his man came to dress , , bim; and after a cup of tea and toast he. 1 was able to assume the soft, sauve, sanctimonious manner and voice which so eminently become our modern politician and philanthropist, " Will you.see the constables now, my * Alord?" asked the vnlot. Seymour - nan Ibrgotten all about them,.' * " les,''certainly," ho said, "We must i not negleot pur duty jple we have * strength to discharge it, I will go into the library and see them there, please." He went down to/ne library and seated \ * '' himself in the armohair at the table, and asjunled the expression of face and manner wnioh befits a county magistrate in * jb tbe discharge of hi 3 duties. There was a ' < Sfitsle odour of brandy in the room, and as mt recalled the scene of his parting from Royce' his t faoe grew rather ugly and vicious; but it resumed its proper oxprea- » sion as the door opened, 'and a footman *, ushered in the two conßtabloß and Jake, Seymour half-started from his chair, jt and glared at them with a mixture of * , anger and fear. Jake was handcufiod, his > velvet coat hung in tags, a smear of blood added ti the ordinary prepossession of his countenance, and his eyes met Seymour's startled ones with a mixture of owning assurance and t! 11 noe, which inoreased Seymour's uneasiness. W "What is'this?' Why-why do you bring this fellow here ?" he stammered, ' The constables looked rather surprised < and crestfallen by this reception, "Begpardon my lord," said one, the sergeant," my mate found this man going along,the London read. 'He was sneaking along under the hedge in a suspicious way, and my man stopped him, and asked him who he was doing, As ho wouldn't,■ or couldn't give a satisfactory account of himsrlfmy man told him that ho should * i have to take him to tho station. Then he pounced upon my man, and would have done him a serious injury aud got clean away if my man hadn't got at his whistle, add I happoned to be near and " Seymour broke in. '[ Get to tke point, sergeant. Why did you bring him here 1 , The station was the, proper place." "Yes, my lord," assented tho sergeant respectfully, ''We took him there, and * searched lim—he being a suspioious oharaoter *aud we found these Upon him." 'He drew a packet from his pocket, open- ',! Ed it, and spread out tbe diamonds on tho a ' table in front ;■■'.!*! ''Seympnr startedjtjpj changed color. ' : i'?Mf-' ■' " Tjiy aro my'rrJother's— the countess' ;.■';''?% diamonds,||ho said, V y: The constable looked pleased 1 and selfsatisfied. .-■... >j '■::.; , mylord,"'hosnid, "that'swhat ■': ' Isiispeoted, and I charged him with , ; stealing them, but he had the audacity to ■■;• -y;.. say that they have teen given to bim." The sergeant smiled, "In the ordinary way '0. ,,: • I should have looked him up at onco and %'•■'■ entered the obargo; but the man stuck to &y:-. it hard and fast that they'd been given to ff-' : him—by Mrs Landon, he said, my lord, :;!! .begging jour pafdon, he put in apologotio ;v':, '•.'■' ■;■ 'ally. "Of course, we knew it was a lie, ;';". ..'•■■•■':but the inspector thought it would bo as j|: H ';' if we brought him up here for identi0y : and get you to sign tho warrant, !£4';■;';■;milord,"' ..,'■■■ rkjr ; -W:' SeyOjour, was very.palo by this tirao, ;l|;'■''•■..'.:: v . and he sat for a moment silently looking ||;XS;v,V:^bwn. ! at; the; diamond?, his white lids bwiye'sVl;,tbe situation carefully. Madge had given as a bribe to get who was to ?ay 'mm^' and Rovce would in llif Mili:ptoJ)ib]llty have croiiid the tea bsfor*

~BY CHARLES GARVICE '

the man's trial could come on; and with* ont direct and convincing,,ptoof no one would believe the man's usaeition. If he were found guilty of stealing tbo joweli he would get at least three or seven years' penal servitude, and so—providentially—the vagabond \. 10 Ud denounced him last night would bu put out of the way, for a time at any rate. , He stole a glance at Jake,then lowered bis oyea again, for thero was something in the man's face, and the way he was taking the affair, whiotvinavague, indesorible fashion, made Seymour uneaßy. He pondered for anothnr moment with a judicial look on his face. Yes, the man should go to penal servitude., ' ',' You were quito right, sorgeant," he said; "the prisoner's story is ridiculous, of course ■These diamonds were worn by Mrs, Landon last night, and—er—the fellow was here, as you may have heard " "We heard something of it my lord," assented the sergeant, discreetly, "Justfo," snid Seymour, "If I remember rightly, Mrs Landon went out to the terrace with bim)to|persuade him to go away quietly, and no doubt' he seized the opportunity and abused her goodness by snatching tbo diamonds from her,'' "Just.so, rny lordi" said the sergeant. " I suppose Mrs Landon will be good enough to identify him ?" , "Er—Mrs Landon has gone away on a visit," said Seymour:," but there need be no difficulty iu identifying the prisoner. J should not liko to trouble Mrs Landon to give evidence." , n Certainly not my lord," assented tho sorgeant .promptly. " One or two of tho servants who saw him-—" - Seymour rang the bell, To be continued.