THE PRIDE OF THE MORAYS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 210, 22 November 1909, Page 3

THE PRIDE OF THE MORAYS.

'AIX lU'; H : r:rtuvkd

TV, MAI'HKT. SI'OTT, Authvr of '"i h' Mark of the Brood Arrow, etc. etc.

PAHT 3

Overjo<*«?r<d by a stronger will, Alison yielded. in live minutes the n »-rihnn :5 v was effected, and Alison *«o« l ait iml in a smart going-away whilst llarbara wore Alison's ;«nt t n l skirt. Then llarbara. sitting it a desk, wrote rapidly : "I his woman is. in the sight of .•«>•). >u"ir wife—not I. I take it you n.ir there should tie no public scantnf. therefore I leave it to you to mr-stt'sa and carry* out a plan where- >> «>ur unccßtummatcd union can be i - tJ« annulled, for before Heaven I .w - iiv jp« shall never call me wife. r\, justice to the woman whom you i a v.. s© heinously wronged, and free »y mmc from the contamination of vpur own.

"Barbara Moray,"

Sh>? folded the sheet within an envelope.

■Kb n Sir Talbot recoginass you iivr him this." she cried ; "and write w ni' «t I hardly know. 1 cannot vturn to Kdinburgh."

Th- priile uf the Morays f How to »v.-r« p«»bftcity—disgrace ! "Sir Mtilrolm begs you will come." ipof.e Carter's voire. "There is bare- > time to catch the boat-train, my a»ly."

'I am quite ready. Good-bye, Mrs. ?tr nniforlh. 1 am glad—yes. very ,'laiMo have seen you. HA. Kast r'ourtm nth-street. New York. Thank »ou : I think 1 fhall ivmemlier. Carer. the door for Mrs. Stanniforth." The two women grasped hand* : li|» wrre itilrnl. but eye* *aid a g»<*l I nl. TH- maid heard h'r young mis- : rr;» »((>•. ard >on Ih • graceful •t-'fi- rn f il-lirowii il-so-ml lb.- stain* ;i \«'ile<l. lo'be eml»rae>«l in the

-.lrt'i-.v r.lt.d «itb i«g-lij Sir Mal:m M«»rny and Urn. CJoix— Kichie. i -.i u t 'r.»E «i triumphantly into the tin «a - ' l»y ihc now flu>h>d Sir Tal- . ll»?.{«-r. nho proudly seated bimIt .-r.f h r *ide. And th«-n. #s theearfiwtv tl. ovp off a«nid a shower of slip- >•«"!» Trill rif. nr,«l th«* tearful father. ;n I (h> Hf-Mlbli'-c nun! returnrd ««th ih* to ihi' brilllantlyi»n;H»«d (Imiring-ronmi. Carter clwwl th ■ la'l door m the whnbby. badly- *'\ ouns; person." who diswp- {» s»"-«tl inin ihe fog. leaving no trace of th' nature o< her business, nor »hy *h- had Intruded upon Lady HpsC»r on h:T wedding cay. "Ye*, she's gone as you say. Mrs. Carter." remarked Johnson, the footman. philosophically : "but that |.,nt argufy by any manner o" means that we've heard the last ov hpr. Stark my words I"

CHAPTEIt HI

BAKUAKA ESCAPES INTO THE

DA UK N" ESS

'lit'! fog had grown thicker with th - approaching darkness as Ilarbara. d.-e:<.«<-d in Alison Stannlforth's »habb>. t ins-'worn coat and skirt, walked lurv4ir»i in Ihtr direction taken by the tnrrmt;.? in which she herself was presumably silting—walked forward «;t« on ciously. neither heeding nor cnr.ng nhilber she went. Sh • hae acted wholly upon impulse in übat she had done, taking no time £t»- lbought, nor moment for con>idcrntion. Only one motive had Influents d h-r- to escape from th - man to v h >n» 'n -r lips had bound her Irrevocably that morning, and to force him to do justice to the girl whom h>* had r•> rni'-lly deceived. Uke a the rhuHf.li' to snd in her own place AH.m n Stonniforth. had entered her mm I. to b-.* instantly seized and act-

Ml r; r ,-n. ill ih• possible ronsitiUvßrfS to ni:(iT or both «hc hail not n-flf-clwl m fh - MiiullcJit di"gnr. though Kiinul,.ri I. ts!y with the resolve to almoin rh> man whom »hi< hail sworn to honour, and obey" came the rl.'.-irt> to avert q .scandal —to save the pri»li* o ( the Mora vs.

n<l iiow-ni>w the had lu'en now thot i>hp realize! how. hit rug put her hand to the plough. %h- could not withdraw it. thr awful truth dawned upon her that the story could not ho long hidden were she to go to her father's home.

Ard what other course lay open to h-r ? Her Impetuous proceeding. whU-h had sent her from h.»r a«mt without consider at ion of wny.« and mran-«. would. she f«-ar» v. n fi«Mtnic her return thither in order to procure the moB»"V necessary to take h<<r to Kdinburgh. Ilut to face th-•M-rvant* drwwed in the American girl"* shabby garment* were to proclaim the fact that she had not accompanied ber husbanc on the wedJing tour and to arouse gossip in the hall that might be relied on to spread throughout the length nml breadth of Ik'lgravian flunkeydom. »u«h • possibility could not be «n----trrtaiwd for a moment.

s*l Ml. to return to Buckingham CSat«* .n the guise of the "young fHTson" ev.n if closely veiled she succeeded ir: c!*.«l>ng Johnson's recognition. woidt| u% no in*-nnw ensure h«*r access to h*r iii Kit .lorifl. Given a hint of th«* '•*- fX'-rtvncrtl footman's vk'tw ronwrning th- ra'ure of the "young p»f««>n"H" hotn-sts. Mrs. Oorc-Kichie would positively declined to »w h-r. \or «■" it at all likely *h.> w,»*dd jf-rmit smh a proceediEg*on «he pari i.f Hlr Malcolm Moray. Mr* t!or«~ lt>i hie'a view* on such affair* w«-re »trnioous and pronuuncrd. and s*h<? lnr»vftably pitied tic man as having fallen a victim to the wiles of a signing woman. It was occasionally to her that th- women of it r n nsi inferior to own wer.* o<t«>n fno simply trusting, too ijfnornnt of it, - world* ways, rather than virions

o:' i --Htchf-'s opinion, in d\»>s ; uruv.rsrtl pditrftf on. rvithcr m-n r.,r «,»m.n of whaN-v-r Has* bad the for ignomn^.

\o if fi* •*» for A'inf .Tan -' un'.- *, in j'.rr prm p.»r*«»na. and t,, ih-it w•.•»-•: ' * iro'i-...- an • -IK landr» which would bring shame and humiliation or, them a 1!. tfRESH K**? - Cheap in r a;- jjr.-ip.TV-, ''an h'- ha-j all the year rour.'i i-v u■:r. it SHAULA N D M' > A ISUANiJ EGG I'KL^EUVATI V E. At nil stores. See thr.t the fufi r.rvcnc in en tho lub-ei.

A n'l t» n as ft the fog permratns h-r brain, distorting, paralyzing h -r idcftM ?—another proposition, ever more terrible floshrd across her mine. W hnf if h-r aunt forced her tc return to the husband whom she had d-sertcd ? Hr was ht-r husband—as far as Church and State could bin*i them together. What if Mrs. GoreRichie he-Id her niccc prisoner, nn:t wired to Sir Talbot to come back and resume possession of his runaway bride ? Could any prospect present itself with a greater aspect of horror to the girl, who now hastened her steps as the fear took possession of her. lending on impetus to her thoughts, quickening her pace as she hurried on. on. into thn ever-increns-rnrkn -ss. caring not whither .«-h• w> nt. anxious only to put distance between h rself ani th* man on whom the could only h.-no-forth look witb a sensation of Ir.a' h'lls ? For Aunt Jen »t b -hi n man's past was buried on his marriage, that its events in no way ccn <-rr.« <1 th • woman who liecame his wife. Sh* would probably discr* dit the story of the mock marriage to Alison Ste.nniiorth nnl insist on llarbara fulfdlin? the contract upon whiih yhe had entered -a fate now dreaded more than death by the woman who was legally Sir Talbot Hester's wife. Xot ev«n to preserve in" act th<? pride of the Morays could ttarl arn face such a contiagsney. All th> o'd fighting Scotch blood surgd niad'y through her veins. She felt fiercely "vv» ngeful wh n she remembered Alisrn Stonniforth's wrongs, en! again vmv« d that the man at who~Joor In;, the undoing of an irn»eent. misting girl should n-ver touch h r }wc lips again.

Sh- ha'l walk«d on rapidly. feverishly. almost unconsciously with regard to th- direction. At first thr fellow fitful light from th* str.-et lamps pierced through the gloom and ihowril her occasional patches of iron railings. St. Park ! So much th»* better. Pedestrians wore few. and 'inlikrly to inrrease on, such a night, if she could find a seat tthi-rr j-h----rotild think uninterruptedly. deride what to ih> ! Yet wore it not suici:lal to fit out of doors in this atmosphere ? For now that her excitement was cooling down she to realize how irvsulUdentfy clad had been Alison Stanniforth. How even her own hardy, moiintain-trained muscle? •ihivered in this raw. biting, penetrating fog. which chilled her limbs and sent a shaft of ice into h*r lungs with every breath she crew. And then it seemed to increase by leaps and bounds : the lamp* grew feebler. At length, barely visible, she could not longer see ths» railings nor make out th» trees. Presently she found her feet treadirg on the flagstones, ant? knew ihe must hove left the park, though now th» impenetrable gloom afforded no landmark, no possible inkling a* to locality.

The oppression of this appalling gloom was to her unaccustomed senses unbearable. Her eyes were smarting now, h>*r breath stifled and labouring for existence. She felt that exposed much longer to such misery, -he must die in the streets. Had she not in h**r rashness essayed something l»ey,>nd be? feeble strength 7 Were not the very elements leagued against her? Were it not better to appeal thc first I>a-Hser-by to ank to be tak»n to th; house"of Mrs. GoreRichie in lluckinghniu Gate, to op* nly avow what *h • had dor.e. and take the consequences—even * sho'ild thc consequences In* an < nforced return tc th.» husband of whom th? now thought with lonth:n*j? Xo : better any misery, any suffering thnt could be endured rather than thc degradation of his touch, his revolting kisses. Had not poor Alison Stanniforth suffered hardship, privation. in the attempt to warn another woman off the pitfall into which >h.* herself had fallen ? A voyage In the steerage at, any time—but in winter and so unprotected in the way o! clothing ! Poor creature ! Would Sir Talbot be brutal to lvr wh n h* discovered ? Surely he dared not ; he ol all m«u was most scrupulously careful of the conventions.

ll*t thoughts began to lose ci n tinuity. She seemed falling into a dazed*condition almost amounting tc stupor. The fog pressed hmvily on h'-r ryes, and there were moments wh-n she gapped f ° r breath. Then >oinelhing aroused her. What was it"? The distant sound of voices, of men shouting, swearing horribly, now and ili-n blasphemously. The rumble of wheels fell on her car, and soon her feet si ipfH*d over a kerbstone, showing her the hac reached the end of the street. Anil, oh. joy I far out in to what might bo a broad, open space a gr.-nt .-hull of flame ."hot up—a lienronlight in the darkness near which she could so© black shadows constantly passing and repassing. Shi* must make for that light. Unless hook relieved from their present oppression her eyeballs would surely burst.

A moment's hesitation, nnd th.-n the commit ted herself to the roadway. unable to sec even a yard ahead Hut jh • crept forward ner\*ously, almost hysterically, towards wh-re the "hadows still passed in nnd out of the "flare" of a brilliant light. Then voices arose on all l sid.*s of h-r. reiiionstrating. urging. cursing her that *h* was in danger of h*r life. (Jr.-at black forms, weird and uncanny, arow, as it were, out of the earth. Sh»* heard th.* snort in; of horses, the strainfng of harness, the violent grinding of brakes, ami «*vi n more violent adjurations of th- un fortur.ate ' bus drivers, who pulled their frightened onimnls almost back upon their haunches in the effort to avoid injuring the now |»nie-strick«*n girl, who looked wildly. va*n"y round for a haven of refuge, anil made one more da«-h in tho direction of the flare.

More oaths, more shouts of warning. more huge sliadow.s looming in the fog like giaat* thn-a»« n'ng hv destruction. nnfl ihensh- was violent- |»- hurled Io th-- ground. con-cioi.« for on in*lant of an agonizing pain in her head, on 1 then —oblivion f

CHAPTER IV

SELIXAS "THIRD."-

In a largo fiont upper room in Lisle-street, Soho, over which narrow thoroughfare the first fo« of thit aware a to cast an adj- d

glnom o:i account of its situation— Ijiiri<*tl as ii. was behind the big compris'nr Iyicester-squar a > n "ng mail anl woman were en pay d by tb'j dim light of two gasjots in what at first sight appeared a curious occupation.

Th,* man—about twmty-five, or thereabouts, of medium height, sparely built, his clean-shaven, somev. hit angular features telling of trr.in-.Vtlantie origin, dressed in a loose blouse with the sleeves tucked high at ove his elbows—was seriously throwing balls and sticks into the air, and go:ng steadily through the darivd performances usually given under the head of "jugglery," in which art he was evidently an adept. Th.? woman who assisted him secinrd a year or so younger. She was *hort and dark, with small, b!aek. piercing eyes marring an o'h-rwis. pretty face and also seemingly quite accustomed to the feats in which sh<. no*.r participated.

The room, comfortably furnbh"d, had l>"fn partially cleared in or<i. r to fa:ilitatc the man's rapid mov<nun's; and then, having exhausted the various implements strewn 011 a large tabic which had been push ;] to one side, he dragged out a broad, flat board, covered with dark purple velvet which he proceeded to affix to a staple in the wall.

"Not this morning, llcrmie," pleaded his wife. "The room's full o' fog, and I'm real nervous." "Guess if it ain't fog, you'll never be lost for rn excuse, Selina," replied the juggler, good-humouredly. "Seems as though I'll have to find a substitute to work thj trick after all.

"I don't want ye to do that, Ilermie," sh2 replied earnestly. "It 'ad have to be a woman, 1 s'poso?" "Yes, I guess 'twould have to be a woman Selina, lo go down with the public. Xot that in nine cases out o' ten women aren't every bit as plucky as mm, and occasionally even more so; but to see a woman calmly stand up and face .--harp knives being thrown all around her ought to lie a b'B sensation. And yet I'm afraid you'll never brace up to it, my girl." While he h.id rapidly rhalkod th- outline of a female figure rn Hi* velvet-covered hoard, and ivas now -siaiid'ng at th* other sida of the room, hurling a number of srli*im rig. murderous-looking blades a> lh- board, directing them so that ih-ir points w<-nt within a hair's bit-ad:h of th- chalk outline, his blue eyes kindling with delighted excitement as h • saw the accuracy of his aim.

"J«ook at that, Selina!" hj? cried. "And the room is foggy, as you my." Shs shuddered as one after another the sharp knives stuck themselves in the board, their handles quivering with the force of the impact.

"It's real clever—it's wonderful, Hcrmie," she cried. "But 'tis dangerous. An' if anything—anything happen-.d—you'd feel as bad " "Selina, my dear!" said her husband, throwing down the knives and tossing his fair hair away from his forehead. "It's only that I've confidence in my own nerve, or I would not take the risk; but unless you can pump up nerve also, I must give up the idea. If I feci you're frightened I can't do it—l can't, indeed!" "Would you be sorry to give it up, Hcrmie?''

"I should, Selina. I'm bounu tc work up a new sensation. If you'd consent to my engaging some other person " "No," she interrupted, "for th n the folks .would scandalize. "It ain't so. much that I'm jealous, Hermie, but you've seen married folks' happiness broken up by a third party, an'! so have I. Be patient with me; let me try and get used to the notion." The juggler crossed to where she stood, anc putting his arm around her, kissed her affectionately. "Selina, dear," he said, "you can't for one moment imagine it possible that the mere fact of my engaging a girl to work thc 'knives act ' would mar our happiness?"

"It's better to call out before you're hurt," replied Sclina, evasively. "Most wires think such an occurrence impossible, and yet I guess it ain't so infrequent, after all." "Hut consider the sort of woman 1 should look, for—one devoid of nerves emotionless, callous." "Just the sort calculated to cause trouble," said Selina, drily. ' I've always heard that *co!d-blooded folks find great sport in hurling other folks' feelings. No, Hermie; let well alone. We're happy nov.-; con't bring any one between us. It's like tempting I'iovidcncc " A knock at the door, together wrh a loud voice calling, "Profess*,r Hermann! Professor!" bro'«<; in upon the discussion, r.nd th- juggler rapidly slipping his bare arms into the sleeves of a velvet jacket. opened the door. Outside stood an elderly man, his tall. pnr'ly !it::;re habited

in a very dilapidated dre-s:ng-gow n, a smoking can on his grey h ad, anc Jown-at-b«>ls slippers on his feet, in company with a youth in poitei s uniform. "This—er—person," said he of the dressing-gown, in a deep, sonorous \oice, "this person, professor, has Irvn despatched to the stage door of the Kinpire, with a message —a writtin iiH-s.sage. if I mistake not—for Mr. Hermann Stanniforth. And although against the rules of all wellconducted establishments, th<; doorkeeper, on learning the nature of this person's employment, and deducing iherefrom that his errand mif.;h: b- ■ ill* of life and death, ventured 0:1 gi\ing your private address, in tho c« iivjct ion "

' Thank you, Mr. Bertram." inier|»o«itl the juggler, rutting short his fellow-lodger's seemingly <nri!<ss tilad". "I am Hermann Star.niforth," he continued the porter. "You have a communieat ion for me?" "Ycssir," replied th" youth, putting a n^tr " ''■■'■Q ttie jU4;;..-]er's hand. "From St. Timmiß's 'Ospital. sir." The young man's fao- a-ssunv-d a surprised, th-':rk gravo, a'T""'" as his eyes ran o'■'••:" 'be l-n-s on th-' paper befnr" him. "I will <-,,::,■■ r,v.--r wkhir. ar. h'.'ir"' he said l :'. :" ! y ■<< '':,'■ !i;«-Mr-r. who »ourh.-d hj:~ ran and disapi'-ar-d To 1,- C,-,r:-;mi.-d.