BROKEN BONDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 292, 7 September 1910, Page 7

BROKEN BONDS.

(Copyright.)

A THRILLING ROMANCE OF LOVE AND INTRIGUE, • •♦ By MAURICE SCOTT, Author of "The Mark of the Broad Arrow," "Tracked by Fate," Etc., Etc. PART 5. ".Are you speaking the truth ?" dej.a -dc-d Alec, advancing- nearer Vane, who shrugged his shoulders as if in impatience. ■'Otherwise what object could I po' sibly have in making such a statement," he replied. " But—but—great Heaven, can there have been an accident or foul p'ay!" cried Strathc'arron. '•Ton't you think in such a case the in'ormation would have already been given to the public ?" answered Vane, coolly. "I have Avatched the papers closely without gathering as much." "By—do you mean to convey to me that you have callously remained here, making no inquiries?" "I have neither the wish nor the Intention to convey to you information respecting my wife, Mr. Strathcarron. I reply to your demand to see her by stating the fact of her absence." "But where is she?" "You a re at, perfect liberty to endeavour to find out, should it so please you," was the impudent ply"l wonder if you have driven her away from you by treating her cruelly, brutally ?" cried Alec, hotly. "If I thought you had" "Spare me your heroics, Mr. Strathcarron," broke in Vane, aggressively. "Both you and your sister would appear to be somewhat lacking in respect for duly-consti-tuted authority" There was a hasty movement, and then the square shoulders of John Arb'uthnot formed a barrier between the two men, who looked fiercely at each other. "I will find my sister If I h a ve to do so over your dead body !" breathed Alec, with difficulty restraining his desire to hurl himself on Vane. "My poor little girl has been threatened and coerced into marrying you, a iid scant wonder she seized the first chance of escape from a man she must have loathed." "You arc flattering," sneered Vane. "I a m truthful," retorted Alec. "Anna could never have loved you. That were impossible." "Anna married me. none the less," was the self-confident reply, "and notwithstanding her misguided ideas on the subject, will, when I choose to exert my authority, be called upon to take up her duties as my wife." "She shall not, unless she so wishes, by Heaven !" ejaculated Alec. "I will find the poor lassie and protect her." "I also intend to ' find,' as you aptly put it, Mrs. Felix Vane, and then, Mr. Strathcarron, I think jou may discover the fact that a brother's authority must give precedence to that of husband." The hot blood rushed into Alec's face, and only for the steel-like muscles of the onlooker, Vane might nava fared badly. Hut a minute later Jack Arbuthnot had fairly dragged the fiery Scotchman from the room and down on his arm as they walked back to Jack's hotel. "Keep your temper, lad," ho said. "It would afford me intense satistion to stand by and watch you while you pummelled Vane into a jelly ; but if you were sent lo prison for an assault, what might not hapten to your sister in the meantime ?" "What might not be happening t 0 her now !" groaned Alec. Jack, what do you'make of this story ?" "I am disposed to believe it, and to think it possible he may have taken up his quarters at an obscure hotel while he sets a detective on the heels of his runaway wife. No. I doubt the possibility of foul play. It must have ""come to light by now. As to the cause impelling vour sister to take such a step we can only conjecture. Would she have returned to Scotland, do you ih'nk ?" "She had not done *so when I saw mv wife." "Not necessarily to Abbotsvale. Has she friends who would screen her from observation should she seek refuge ?" "Anna would never stoop to explain or aski refuge. You don't know her, Jack." "I fervently wish I had that pleasure," was "the reply. "Here in London I may have passed her at any time within the last few days. But remember, Alec, the situation is difficult. She is Vane's wife." "Were she fifty times such she fh.ill not live with him against her will," declared Alec, "Well, in furtherance of that end keep vour hands off Vane," advised Arbuthnot. "If you were clapped into gaol for a month or so it would afford him the opportunity of carrying off your sister to the ends, of the earth, leaving you none the wiser. Whereas keeping Vane in sight, we can at least ensure'fair play." "We ! God bless you, Jack !" "That's all right, old fellow," answered Arbuthnot, reassuringly, %o Alec's broken exclamation as the men gripped hands. "We'll see this thing through, ' shoulder to shoulder,' you know. But you must promise to be a ' passive resistor,' and leave any necessary pummelling to me. Are you ready to renew your former invitation to Abbotsvale? Thanks. Then I propose we go down together to-night." "Delighted !" returned Alec. "But —but Vane. Ought we not" "I propose- to leave my man to keep an eye on his movements, and wire any development. From all you have told me of your sister, Strathcarron, I cannot imagine her wandering aimlessly about London. I think her impulse would be to get back to Scotland, if not to Abbotsvale. She was unaware oi your arrival, you say ?" "The cablegram did not reach Abbotsvale until after" Alec stopped, his voice betraying his fear his wife's treachery. They travelled to Edinburgh

night, a nd only delaying in the city sufficiently long for Alec to see his lawyers, pushed on the same day to rei th, and th; n:e to Blairgowrie, from the hotel at which place a carriage was cngag- d to convey them to Abbotsva'c. It was dark when they arrived, and Mrs. Strathcarron, forewarned by telegram, looked at her '.est. ir the dim light furnished by I iie only available luminant in the great hare drawing-room —a lamp of obsolete pattern, supplemented by wax candles burning in front of the fine old brass sconces forming the chief wall decorations throughout the house. She welcomed Mr. Arbuthnot cordially. Thankful as she had been tc rid herself of Anna, the presence of a third person, anel that person a man in Alec's present mood was a distinct advantage. But dinner over, the guest read an expression of fear in her eyes as Alec, with a visible effort to keep calm, told her how Anna had already left her husband, and had, if Vane could be believed, gone none knew whither. '"But—but," she faltered, feeling Arbuthnot's eyes reading her very soul, "where could she go ? She knows no one in London, and—she bad no money—or very little —though I offered" Her eyes fell before those of her husband, now sternly, almost contemptuously, riveted upon her ; and Arbuthnot felt that this woman's conscience was already accusing her ol treachery, though her evident, amazement at learning its results proved .'he knew nothing of the missing girl. A few only of the rooms in Abbotsvale were still habitable, the rest having fallen into elisuse for lack of money to repair the ravages of time and neglect. The two men lingered on in the quaint old dininghall alter Mrs. Strathcarron had retired, discussing probabilities and formulating plans for the pursuit ol inquiry. They had, as it, seemed, exhausted the subject, and each remained silent, lying back in deep, cavernous chairs, smoking lazily, a-* if enjoying the relaxation of both mind am! body, or else gathering strength and resource for further operations. Arbuthnot's chair lay in shadow, and as his thoughts drifted bacKi to the events of the preseding day his eyes unconsciously wandered to the massive oak panelling running down ?ach side of the walls, until presently, in imagination, he saw a portion of the woodwork slide back without sound, while a figure—the slight figure of a girl—appeared in the aperture. It was imagination, of course ; this ghostly old house was just tbc place to suggest wraiths. The most prosaic mind would find no difficulty in peopling it with thought-forms conjured up by Yet the figure had not vanished. The girl was still there : she wore a tam-o'-shanter, and on her face were traces equally of great beauty and of great suffering. His heart beat rapidly, though not with fear, for now the strange visitant advanced into the room. She diel not appear to see Arbuthnot ; her eyes —beautiful eyes, though hollow and heavily shadowed—were fixed on Alec with a longing, appealing expression. Then, as Jack held himself in firm grip, there sounded through the room a faint cry : "Alec ! Oh, Alec !" "'' Av.d now. as he realised that Alec held his sister clasped within his arms, the voice of Mrs. Strathcarron became audible from the outsielc.