A FATAL DOSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 260, 7 November 1906, Page 11

A FATAL DOSE.

By FRED M. WHITE, Author of "The Comer House," "Craven Fortune/ etc.

synopsis of rnEviora chapters. ~, nnnrss trnin- licrprlt mil m lie Au Vtrirui.au ••£ ureal w.-allii. tt«S,junder mr nil" -r Hieanw jini! I ,iis - f,., i,.. r H-:iv i;ito 1)10 best Jilng,Tv :*PsMSi-M-i"" !>.■< l>?"' arcmwd lte ti SOCieiJ■ i Bdiupki'l-I.oVs ckiuglltl'l , *«?&» /k E ciPU; ■'-~;, c.ld a.lmiriT. ar.d hi iho nine 2" Znr open* mriiiu-neu .■m-iiuumiuci-i. : " e . hi early uiarriagr tiupoi-utlvo f.iv has sol li.T lionrt on L'miip lier '« a wealthy and rtMii:,' ymni; man ll*',' . t.s' I. us hoi-" f.nsi.lcJ Willi *f»fStW' ' IIJV, " M, r " " M,!J " ,,r ,M ift W M;n-ns, Manly, who lire Is I"--,,, ; . hri!|i:inr w.mu'i n.nld iio iiiudi t«. 1,1:1 ' |,U TfH'i'-:M mill.Hi..vs. Mils t<. tell i"' l ti,o sui.pcr is iMiiMTiii.ic.l hy rt rather ,;rr V irivcll.'r rin.l MliiiiK-iiT iisimoil Monk-r-.llrtii.llW 1111 :irt.T 1111. BUOBIrt vf "' ~,. ~-,- Mr- M:ii sli r li.iviliv; *""' ""j-'iiicii v'i'.rili "! iliii.iii.iuls rrnni Ills sU '"'" ~Li, ,L i i ihri-i'.oii* i n>! lU'li-s* ilif mnnuut Sid' «liil. :. \vi-K lin wui h-an ( i nor a> fit .M...ikw.-ll ■■ur.'l.'ssl.v ilroji.s n t.-io- j »'»"■ ,„; Ihl . ,!..,-,• showina that .innpor f, ™ ~ ru i,,,,i whom Kleannr sh knew rarlli-r. li:ir* nrm-m-rl t« ttn> ' -»pv Slic ilfii-rnii:!-.* tn utilise hiiii In; "Snnio to -...-.ii-f 11.-ir.ly. ami her hutler ] ;. fC e,..ls in limlius linu and taUlng him to tg Bat.

CHAPTER VI.

THE COMPACT. ,V woman crossed the room and I nailed down tlic- blindd. Then she returned to the supper table, having fir&t j ■satisfied herself that the door was | dosed. Cleave witched Iht in a hazy kind'of way, as if he still doubled the. pidence of his He had Loon mcfleaHy without food for the whole of the day, he was utterly worn out and ; fsliauitcxl. Moreover, the fume* of the generous winn were still clouding his j brain. He li.ul to pini-h himself to bo j jure that the whole thin™ was not v | figment of imagination. He would not lipve been surprised if the glorious J dark visibn in the tunlicr dress had taken nings aqd flown. Uul there she sat on the other eide of the litrie round table, brf aark liquid eyes smiling into hip. ••You must not talk yet," she said. "Let mc do all the talking. When you have sufficiently recovered your mental balance we skull be able to discuss the plait of campaign." "But what docs ii all mean Cleave asked. '-Whence, all this splendour? When 1 iast saw you yon were in a, tobacconist's shop " in the Tottenham Court-road. -Mind yon, Nell. 1 always aid you would »ot on, always prophesied'that you would do something for yourself in the world, and you have progressed a little further than 1 okfatal. A pood marriage, I suppose—" The woman Luighed in a lishthoartosl fashion. Mie was looking after C.'loavc's creature lie was trying to Mt now as it be were aeeustonied to this kind of thing. He bought against his ivohu-h appetite. "There i≤ no husband." Kleanor Marsh aid. "In fact, there never has been. I still retain .my own mime, sudden flanges ot that kind would have been MtfewxeLMHUotiiTitfs. Deliold in mc, my tan Sum&Mi , ?. l-'lfiiiior Marsh, 'the widow -ei'-a itecpasod* Virginian gentle-

ji.an oi good family and fairly good DH'ailS. That i- the role th.it 1 have played more or less successfully for tli , .; past fro years. It is astonishing vvhal a little impudence, allied to n fair amoimt. of ability, pun do in tins soallied society oi yours. Heboid mc now, fresh from the reception of a due-li-

rssj while 1 have even been under Llio same roof ;<-> Koyalty. But all this is by tlie wa._\. Jasper. Everything Unit

glitjtcrs is not gold, and you must take ill'you sec about you at its face value. 1 make a certain amount of .money ky ray pen. but Hot nearly enough to keep mc in circumstances like these. I have been unlucky lately, too, and my available war-chest at present contains li-- ,- -than a thoiiiiuid pound-. Still, 1 have c great scheme on hand, and in thai fibeme I shall reiuiire your assistance. '■' tht scheme i~ a ciirc-r-s there am live hundred pounds for yon. 1 do not flatter you by i.uppn.«ing that you an; 'W Scrupulous, being quite certain—" "'Hi. ilou't lot's worry about my wuples. ,, ( leave said impatiently, "i am a desperate man, ready for anyt: 'fflir- When your .-ervant" found mc. to-iiiirbt 1 wu~ starving. 1 am entirely 'i yrnir-tuniihr.- and wiH uo anything you please. What would J not do for «ye hundred pounds , ; lint, tell mc, how I'our man hud inn to-night?" that is simplicity itself. Quite ")' accident 1 learnt that you were Mining home: 1 ,■,]-,, found out what Wt you weir travelling by. My difltrtrt ' and faithful Itoberl 'would' liave iMj'ou at the docks only lip was unWanafe to jret \\L cab stopped *.» Wool,- and tliu.-, lose of you. "it Eobert is a veritable -leiith'uo'uud, * iias his own way of doing things; «phat matter, you arc here and you to fall in with my wishes." 3™ af " e :l wond-.-rfiil owiiian," Cleave *; villi deep udmiration. - 'l always g that you were born for jrreat '"SS, but how did you maua-e about * s wardrobe of mine? Positively, I ffijt h bitting here in my own 'gar-

Pj.-j.ou are."' ihc woman laughed. "I »se you have been iuv.iv 100 lon» 'jL" avo v" oli, -"«l <>it your dress suit is $rf Uite a '" Vust if present lualiion. remcinbpr wlien you left En*f Suddenly, i-v.-rylliins" behind you ffttendoned. Yom wero very cxtnijgetttft clothes h, (1,,,,., days, uiy tnoiiJi .? per " :L " d >■"" k ' n brhind >' ou loito' * ll s,-nre "' ""■"• ,J '° make a = story shfiri, vJiri, I heard you voir °,T ing llonlP - ' w,,,,t ,l ""-"' t0 S Or dhad S tu W , ( |al] your boxes and S aWa y °" l he faint liopp Unit you C r,? mc 11;, . v flwrn and recover V Went y pounds did (lit: rest, and 'aw," Vrni an '- - x " IV is ' i "- ri ' ill, y utber n llnil "on that I i-iiu Mjv,: you*" repeatC(l llj - "■'"irk that his k, « woHdrrfui woman. He

do not como to the point. I want you to east hack jour niind some four or live years. In those days, you will remember, I was little more than a child living- in the village where you were bom. In fact, where we wen? both born. 1 little thought in those days that I should coma to be on such terms of intimate friendship with the most important man in the parish."' "Never mind that," Cleave said uneasily. "The old home lias passed into the possession of strangers, and I am never likely to see it again. I shall bo obliged if you will touch that topic, a3 lightly as possible."

"My dear Jasper, it- is absolutely necessary to mention the past. I want you to recall the time when you fondly imagined yourself cut out for the role of a country gentleman. You were going to marry and settle down, and all that kind of thing, when your father died. 1 daresay you would have, done so, only unfortunately you fell into bad company, and your weak disposition answered for the rest. You forgot the little girl to whom you had given your heart i'or the time being, and, no doubt, in time she forgot you. But she was only a child at the time, and youth sjrcdily recovers from that kind of thing, Xced I remind you of the fact I hat I am speaking of your old sweetheart. Lena Grey'/"

Cleave smiled lightly, as one who recollects tolerantly the days of early folly.

"1 have not thought of her for years," he .-aid. "She was but a child then, certainly not more- than seventeen, though I believe she had the bad taste to be very fond of mc. also had an exceedingly narrow escape. But that is all by the way. It is a most extraordinary thing. Xellic, that you should have mentioned Lena's name. 1 passed her to-night, nearly ran into her in fact. J did collide with her companion, whom I recognised as Philip J lardy. What a conceited prig he used to be? 1 never Used to see him without wanting to kick him. 1 hated that fellow."'

A peculiar smile passed over the listener's face, her cheeks flushed slightly, but Cleave noticed nothing of this.

"Philip Hardy is by way of being a preat man now." she said. "He is "one of the spoilt children of fortune. It is certain that lie lias lately inherited a huge fortune. To be perfectly candid with you, my dear Jasper, I am exceedingly fond of Philip Hardy. Up to a short ti.uc ago, I felt pretty certain that 1. was going to be asked to sham his distinguished career. Not that I care much for the career as long as 1 share the fortune. ]5y a piece of illluck Lena Grey stepped in. and I imder--titiul 'their engagement will be announced to-morrow. This brings mo to the point. You know my disposition. .Jasper, you know how 1 can smile and smile when my heart is ,full of fury. I could kill that tittle pink-and-white I doll: J could take her throat in my j hands and squeeze the life out of her without remorse or feeling. It matters I nothing that she has come between mc and my ambition unwittingly, she is there, and she. will have to be removed by fair means or foul. It maddens mc when I think of it. Here 1 had the bull at my feet. 1 was an the verge of a marriage with ;i rich man. who can hove, a title whenever he wants it. In two years L should have been one of the recognised queens of .society. XoLhhig could have stopped mc. Nothing couid have barred my progress. If that little white eat had only kept out of the

way for another two days, my ambition would have Ik-cii crowned. She must go. Jasper, she must be wiped out of existence. And you are the very man tn help mc to do it. Do you understand';"

The speaker had risen to her feet now. and was pacing up and down the room, a picture of beautiful subdued fury. Cleave could see her eyes flashing like points of Maine, lie saw how the slim bauds wore clenched together, there was a deep intent ness, too, in tin , tone of the woman's voice which told of her iron determination. She paused in her restless stride presently and laid a shaking hand on ('leave's shoulder. The strength and tenacity of the clutch fairly astonished, him.

"J don't want murder.*' she hissed; "that kind of thing is so cheap—and dangerous. J have a far better scheme 1 ban that. X you will only listen.to im>. the- part -to-u—httvo to <play i» no (liflienlt: (inc. yon only want audacity and ability to lie with a perfectly solemn countenance. Now. tell mc, in those salad days when you were going to play the part of the model squire with the little doll by .your .side, did no letters pa.ss between you?" ''1 have m> doubt they did," Cleave confessed. "Though I have not. the remotest idea where they are. Probably L have destroyed I hem." ''indeed, you didn't," the woman laughed. ''J found them in one of your boxes, and they gave mc a hint a.s to what I could do. Now sit down, and listen to my scheme, and don't forget that there urn live hundred pounds for you if you arc successful. , ' "Go on." Cleave said hoarsely. "For a sum like that I would not stop at murder."'

CHAPTER. VII.

PAXGS OF CONSCIENCE. If outward appearances r-outited for anything, Eleanor Marsh had every reason to be .satisfied with her present surroundings. Prom flic lonf; luxurious chair in wkieli she wa-s reclining, she could have looked, had it been daylight, over one of the fairest expanses of country in the south of England. Tin: view from Court Royal extended away south from Reigate almost to the Channel. Indeed, out of all tho many estates owned by the Duke of D&ventry. Court Royal was easily the favourite with his beautiful Duchess.

A distinpfuislied house-party liad guth prr'd in the historical mansion, oaten.* ibly to enjoy a series of week-end f<w tivilies, which embraced a niglit fetu i:i the jrardens. but really the exclusive |

liging tool in the man by her side. Bur. at the sunie time,.there was a frown on Cleave"s face and a shrinking look in his eyes, as it he dreaded the task which lay before him. The brilliant dinner party had been over for some little time, and now there was a lull before the arrival of the numerous guests who were«bidden to attend the subsequent reception. As I : the saffron light of evening faded to a j j dim, mystic purple, points of flame I I peeped out here and there in the j I ground-, till presently the gardens and I lawns were one blaze of electric light. From a distant somewhere came the sound of a bund softly playing. I "Well. I suppose you arc satisfied ! now?'" Eleanor Marsh said, as she turned to her companion. "Rather a different lot yours now compared with a I month ago." Cleave shrugged his shoulders with assumed indifference. Certainly he looked very different to the tattered outcast who had been about Courti ville Square so comparatively recently. i Even an astute observer would have j failed to detect any difference between I Cleave and (be ordinary well-groomed Society man. His I one , -was anything but grateful as bo. replied. "Oh. 1 hat's right enough," In- said. "JSut v.'uai dues it load to? It's true I that I have t<> 1 hank you for a good I deal, but .1 am very little the better off: of course, 1 have a wardrobe and a roof over my head: but frankly, my dear Nell, living on borrowed livers of yours is no I altujret her to my taste. Besides my posit I*• it here is a little bit invidious. It is all very well till Hardy land Lena lirey arrived this afternoon,but ever since then I have been dodging about keeping out of the way." ""And why should you keep out of their way." Kleanor asked scornfully. "What is there to bo afraid of?" "You don't know Hardy as well as you profess to." replied Cleave. "And you quite forget the fact that 1 knew him year.- ;i'_r<>. II.» is acquainted wiih my past. PXeepl possibly the little C-pi--1 sode between myself and Lena drey. i Your would-be lover is a pretty hard man, like most strictly virtuous people, and ii' he recognised mo here thi J evening, 1 should have In beat an ignominims retreat. If 1 refuse to do m. lit , would most assuredly give the Dutlicss an account, of some <.t my purple patches, and then you would line to work this little tiling on your own :>.■ count. Besides, you have not yet (old mc what yon want mc to do." Eleanor Alar-h paused for a nionioni before she replied; from her seat on the I wide verandah she could command a view of a noble corridor, terminating with flights of marble steps and fil'te'd with palms and flowers on either side, lit was very much like looking from the, I darkness of a theatre on to a brilliantly lighted Ptngo, and fhere on the slHgo was a little tableau Lhat caused KU'jinor to clench her teeth and clutch the arm of her companion. "Look there,' , she whimpered. "Look (there on that hnlf-lnndincr. Now t'-li ■ j mc. my friend, what do you see':" i There was no reason for (/leave to 1 explain, for the picture lay plain enough , before both of them. Two iigurp= stood [there in earnest conversation. Hardy. j tall and vigorous, looking a siK-ep.*.-.fnl ■ j hero to the life, with Lena (.rev by his j side, her face upturned lovingly to hi-. i <To be continued daily.)