TRACKED BY FATE, 0R THE FANSHAWES OF HAVILLANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 257, 7 May 1910, Page 4

TRACKED BY FATE, 0R THE FANSHAWES OF HAVILLANDS.

(All Rights Reserved.)

BY MAURICE SCOTT, Author o! "The Pride of the Moray 9," "The Mark of the Broad Arrow," "Broken Bonds," etc. etc.

TWENTY-FOURTH INSTALMENT. They all understood now and the two women were sobbing. " Then what followed ?" asked Trevedyn, whose stern, white face produced an almost awe-striking expression on even the irrepressible Jimmj Burris. " Nothin much, sir. They jaw'd some more, an' then she went away wiv 'im in a 'ansom. She wos a-cry-in', an' I 'eerd 'im sy 'e'd buy 'er a aoo coat on the wy 'ome." " Give him the half-sovereign. P/ait ! Did you follow the cab, do you know the number, or where it went ?" " No, I didn't, and I don't," replied Jimmy, ruefully—visions of having been in a position to demand a whole " thick-'un " had he been more industrious dancing tantalizing before him. "It druv up the street, an' turned along the avenoo, an' that wus the end on ut." " Very well ; you can go." " Thank ye, sir." And Jimmy, with the half-sovereign between his teeth, after bestowing a familiar nod on Ju and Maggie, turned cart-wheels down the stairs in sheer intoxication of spirits over his good fortune. " You see how he lied 1" cried Maggie again. "I knew it ! I knew it ! And he forced her to go away with him by his nasty, mean threat of puttin' Ju in prison." " An' I'd rather ha' gone !" declared Ju. " Gone to gaol an' faced the worst rather than that she should ha' had that held over her, the poor innocent. I was a fool to pawn the coat, on'y I didn't see where food and shelter was comin' from if I hadn't." " That can and must be remedied at once," said Ernest. "If I give you the money can you get it back now —soon ?" "In less than half an hour sir," replied Ju ; " but " "Do so, please. And remember, Dorothy is to be my wife, so her affairs are mine. And this coat busibess is very distinctly a matter in which she is concerned. I must put it out of Mr. Fanshawe's power to repeat the threat, which at present he has the power to put into execution. I want to take the coat to him again, and tax him with his treachery." " Hurry up, Ju," cried Maggie. " I wanted to say," replied Ju, hesitating over the bank-notes held out by Trevedyn, " that three months' rent of ours was paid out o' that ten pound ; and some of it's her* now, so that Dorothy didn't benefit " " I think we need not pursue that argument now," interposed Ernest, gently forcing the notes into Ju's reluctant hand. "There is serious work to do, and no time to lose." " There is that, Ju," cried Maggie. " Do hurry up !" " And try to think that Dorothy's friends must be my friends too, and that between friends there is no such thing as obligation," said Ernest. Ju did " hurry up," and a second time that day Dr. Trevedyn presented himself at the house of Mr. Fanshawe at Rutland Gate, on this occasion armed with the portentous Redfern coat, but now released from durance vile- " Not at home, sir." " At what hour do you expect him to return ?" " I can't say, sir. Our orders, are ' Not at home.' " Convinced nothing he could say would gain him admission, Ernest turned back, disappointedly, momentarily at a loss how to act, unless to seek the assistance of a private detective in tracing poor Dorothy from the moment of her departure from Brick-street in the company of Mr; Fanshawe, as described by Jimmy Burris. First, might it not be worth while ho run down into Devonshire that night * and investigate Havillands ? Some powerful intuition seemed to tell him that only within its walls would the mystery enveloping Dorothy be cleared away ; only amid such isolation could Fanshawe hope to bend the girl to his will. And knowing Ernest to be on her tracfc, it was unlikely she would be detained at Rutland Gate. Yes, he would go down by that night's train, and firmlj fixed in that resolution, took a hansom back to Brick-street to acquaint the partners with his determination, first leaving the coat at Rutland Gate with a note addressed to Mr. Fanshawe to the effect that should any charge concerning it be preferred against the woman Andrews Dr. Trevedyn would furnish a true statement of the facts to the magistrate before whom she might be brought. "So you need fear nothing," he said to Ju. " I doubt if ever he would have appeared in open court, though he might have had you arrested had you appeared suspicious." " Thank you, sir," replied Ju ; " though I almost wish you hadn't done it. For now he knows we've heard how he got 'her away, and there's no tellin' what he won't be up to." "And, on the other hand," suggested Trevedyn, "my message will conVey to him the fact that it is in my power to refute his denial of having seen Dorothy since she left Havillands. But, still, lam uneasy, and unless I find some trace of her tomorrow, I shall set the detectives to work, though there are reasons why I should prefer to find her unaided."-

He was thinking of poor, sensitive Dorothy's sufferings should the slur, whether true or false, cast on the name of her beloved mother be dragged into the light of day. " Anyway, you may depend on hearing from me to-morrow," he concluded, "either that I have found out where she is, or else that I am returning to London to-morrow night." " An* you can depend I'm goin' to keep an eye on Rutland Gate," she said. " If he's took her to the country, you'll find her, sir, an' if she's shut up in his house —well, Ju an' me's got to tnd that out, ain't we, Ju ?" " Yes, if he don't have us locked up for causin' an obstruction," replied the more practical Miss Andrews. Rutland Gate ain't in our district, an' he could do it easy." " In that case let me know at once," said Ernest, rapidly writing both town and country addresses. " Heaven speed your efforts." And as the train steamed out of Paddington bearing Ernest Trevedyn in search of his heart's desire, the partners once more braved the law's representatives by taking up a position sufficiently near Mr. Fanshawe's house at Rutland Gate to enable them; to see any one entering or leaving it. But although Ju had brought her : guitar they- made no attempt to draw attention to themselves by singing or playing. The house presented its natural appearance, the upper rooms appeared all lighted, and once Maggie excitedly declared she saw Dorothy's face at a window, though only for a brief second of time. Towards ten o'clock, as they still patiently waited on, Mr. Fanshawe drove up in a hansom, and keeping well out of sight, they crept sufficiently near to see him in animated discussion with a powdered footman in the hall, evidently issuing sharp orders to which they paid great deference. " He's up to somethin' Ju," whispered Maggie. " Somethin's goin' to happen, you'll see." The something whizzed round a corner at that moment, and they had barely time to get out of ihe roadway when the Panhard with its great shining lamp sending a broad stream of light in front, while leaving the body of the vehicle in darkness was slowed up and halted at the main entrance to it's owner's house. " Ju," whispered Maggie, " suppose he's takin' her away in it—now to-night ?" " If he's takin' her down to his country house the doctor'll be there as soon as the motor," replied Ju. " Ah, but s'pose he ain't takin' her there. How do we know where he's takin' her ? For she'd go with him willin' now, for fear he'd send you to gaol, Ju." " What can we do ? " said Ju, with a white, worried face. " If it's as you say, Mag, an' I don't deny it's possible if we went close to the door near enough to speak to her, that flunkey'd give us in charge before we could get a word out. You bet that's what all that palaver was about between 'em just now. He thinks we might be on the watch, an' the doctor too." "Then there's only one thing to do," declared Maggie boldly. " Ju, I've got to get into that car an' hide under the back seat. An' then, wherever he takes Dorothy, he's got to take me too. That's my pitch tonight, Ju !" And Ju looked at her partner, aghast at the daring proposition. CHAPTER XXIV. AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY. " Thatf's my pitch to-night," Ju," repeated Maggie. " Easier said than done," responded Ju, shaking her head. And so indeed it appeared. For the chaffeur had left the car, and was conversing amiably with the footman upon the front steps leading up to the hall ; and no one could reasonably hope to enter the Panhard without attracting their notice. " I can see that as well as you," said Maggie, answering Ju's thought. "You'll have to strike up an' sing a bit ; that'll draw the flunkey out to order you off, an' you bet t'other chap's eyes'll foller him long enough to give me time to jump up an' in on the dark side." "It's risky," said Ju. "S'pose Dorothy don't go in the car to-night ?" " I've got to chance that- Even if she don't I'll maybe find out what old Fanshawe's game is. Don't you worrit about me, Ju. I'm like a cat —bound to come down safe on- my pins. Now's yer time, Ju. Strike up 'Down on the .Farm,' an' it's long odds I'm snug inside afore you're through the first- verse." " God bless you, Mag !" said the undemonstrative Ju, under a stress of deeper' emotion than she was accustomed to display. " That's all right, Ju," responded the embarrassed Maggie, unused to such an (ebullition of feeling. " will, never fear. He di'a when He let me strike the doctor. Now, then, Ju !" The plan succeeded admirably. At the first chords from the guitar the footman, having received very stringent orders from his master that night, showed such undignified haste in rushing out into the roadway, whence the sounds proceeded, -that the chaffeur rendered curious by his demeanour, followed, with a view of learning the cause of the excitement. This afforded Maggie the opportunity she desired, and Ju, ceasing to sing 'at the footir..\s - " Clear out of this, or I'll 'ave .ye locked up !" saw the agile form of her partner climb the side of the great motor-car and disappear into the dark interior, as she moved away, and the two men returned to the steps. Then, ncrfe daring to approach nearer, she stood opposite, outside the park railings, and after a short period of waiting, saw Mr Fanshawe in s. long white overcoat and motoring-cap hand a female fig-

ure into the car and take his seat beside her, occupying the driver's seat. - Was it Dorothy ? Ju was not sufficiently near to distinguish features hidden behind a thick veil ; but her heart beat almost to the point of suffocation as she realized that whoever the woman might be, she was alone, at the mercy of Mr. Fanshawe who now sent the Panhard at a tremendous speed along the road, leaving the chaffeur on the steps conversing with the footman. No, not alone ! Maggie was there, in the back of the car—good, brave Maggie, who had risen so nobly to the occasion, and who, if need be, would give her life in the defence of the girl whom she had promised in the presence of the dead, to protect. Unless — Merciful God ! That man was capable of killing both to judge from his face ! But surely some good angel would watch over and guard two helpless women. The impulse upon which Maggie had acted could not possibly have proceeded from an evil influence. In any case, except to pray for their safety with a full heart, Ju felt she was powerless, as she sorrowfully returned to Brick-street, once more alone. Assuredly their charity towards the widow and the orphan seemed to bave brought unforeseen events into their previously simple lives ; and whether the result proved beneficial ar disastrous, time only could show. " Anyhow we'd on'y did as we'd hope to be done by," sighed Ju, looking disconsolately round the now nore than ever desolate fourth-floor back. ♦ * • * Meanwhile, Maggie who had tucked Qerself into as limited a space as allowed by the length of her limbs under the back seat of the Panhard, found herself considerably bumped, and shaken almost into a jelly, as the car whizzed along at a tremendous rate, its hooter sounding at intervals —a hideous and fearful noise in unaccustomed ears, borne on the silence of the night. She had heard a man's voice, but had no actual knowledge as to the identity of the occupants of the front seat, though she realized after a time that she was alone in the back of the vehicle. And devoutly thankful she was when quite assured on that point. To remain in a recumbent position meant to run the risk of being violently sick, which would lead to discovery and instant ejection, if not imprisonment. Very cautiously, however, she crawled from beneath the seat, and presently succeeded in establishing herself in a sitting position upon the floor of the car—a feat difficult of accomplishment owing to the pace kept up by the driver and the inequality of the roads over which the Panhard fairly rocked as it tore along. For a minute or two Maggie could only hold on with both hands, while she made a hard fight to conquer the sensation of giddiness engendered by the rapid motion. Her brain was in a whirl ; trees, houses, stars, even the sky itself appeared revolving round and round in one vast kaleidoscope of which the rocking motorcar formed the central pivot. But soon the change, of posture proved beneficial in effect and she managed to steady herself, to slowly regain control over her power of thought, which had at one moment appeared greatly in peril of being shaken from its balance. Her eyes, however, burned and throbbed so violently that she could distinguish nothing with any degree of certainty, and remembering some advice received from Dr. Trevedyn on the subject of tired eyes, she shut hers for some minutes, her - almost dazed condition rendering it of little moment if Mr. Fansnawe should take it into his head to turn round and possibly see her even- through the darkness. " Just for five minutes," Dr. Trevedyn had said. She only meant to close her eyes for five minuyes. And then the unexpected happened ; for, worn out with the fatigue of her journey up from Exeter of the previous night, in addition to feeling a severe reaction after the mental agitation of the previous day, culminating in the excitement of her present adventure, Maggie's faculties rebelled against the strain placed upon them, and Dame Nature vigorously assisting in proclaiming her needs, they one by one deserted their posts and before the expiration of the five minutes the younger of the partners was soundly asleep. And now the Panhard became a veritable cradle, to judge by the composure with which Maggie slumbered through the silent night, undisturbed by the rush and rattle of the car, from which the trees and hedges appeared to shrink in terror, as it whirled past like some strange monster hurrying from a world of turmoil and strife, in which the natural forces were being diverted from their ! a#ful currents to aid men in a daring attempt to penetrate mysteries far beyond the ken of poor humanity. (To be Continued.)