The Unknown Bridegroom OR, THE MYSTERIOUS WEDDING RING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 328, 14 January 1911, Page 7

The Unknown Bridegroom OR, THE MYSTERIOUS WEDDING RING.

(.111 liigliis Jlescrved.)

My the Author of "Stella," "Two Ke.\s," Kic., I"t.c.

IWKT 21. "Il'm 1 I :-••• you ore Mill up to iho mi mo i|uiNotie scheme for whi oil \o:i wore always noted." Sir Wallet r.-.'o:n '«l. oontl'nuit "When is this nurso of whom joii were tolling 1110 ?" ho queried ;i moment later, the linos about his mouth hardening cruelly. "In London, umlor treatment. She is improving, and T ontorlaiii strong hope thai hor memory will in lime bo fully ros to red." Attain Sir Walter lost a " bis c '°~ our 110 realised that ho M ood upon the bi'in'c of a precipice, for if this nuts* should recover her long-dor-mant faculties Master .Jamie could not fail to lie identified at once and have his inheritance restored to him. "Hut where is she ? Who is treatin.-' hor ?" he asked. a n.er a brie! siienco during which his thoughts had been working with lightning-like rapidity. "That is a matter which docs not c-.ncern /o'i, although you seem to be strangely curijous about it," Carrol coldly responded. "Do yon intend to remain abroad long ?"■ lie asked, with sudden interest. "Well, that depends," Sir Walter replied, in a careless tone, but with am emphasis which liis companion L-ould not understand. "I may, and I may not. Why?" "Hecause I wish to see you again. I must insist that you restore to mc certain important documents belonging to me, and which you have i" your possession," Carrol responded, with some sternness. There you go again!" T,eight on impatient ly retorted. I thought that question was settled the last time we met."

"Settled !" repeated Carrol, with curling lips anfl hitter intonation. "You simply evaded it. the same as vou are doing' now. f know you stole those papers, and nothing you may say will ever change my opinion. Ido nor care so much for those pertaining to business matters. tor it is too late now to rectify those wrongs ; but with them were other documents of a personal nature which I wished to preserve because of their associations, and which cannot lie of the slightest use or value to you."' I .eight on smiled a peculiar smile, and then shrugged his shoulders disdainfully.

"J do not know why urn persist in that hallucination." he retorted.

"I have no papers belonging to.\ou. and 1 beg"—with an arrogant look and inkn— "that you will never annoy me by referring (o this subject again." "Well, there will come a <h»y 01 reckoning f°>' you—at- least. with your conscience, if not with me, Mr. Carrol grnveiy returned, adding impressively, "And 1 cannot conceive of such rank ingratitude as you have displayed being manifested by any human being." "1 think we have discussed that subject sufficiently," said Sir Waller, witii a sneer, "so 1 will say au revoir, hoping that vou will be in n less rc criminating frame of mind when we meet again. My the jyay.' he added, as he dart.d a stealths glance at .Jamie, "where are you stopping while you are taking \otti j much-needed rest ? "We nre living nt- 'teed Cottage, in the village over there, ' coldly returned Carrol. Th"ii he picked up his book and began to b>ok for his place, thus signifying t hat he would be glad to lie left alone. His companion, taking ill" kint. turned abruptly and walked away. He paused a moment as he was'about to pass .Jamie. "Are \ on making a collection of staii'sh ?" lie questioned, while he studied the child's features atlen- . lively. "I'd like to, sir," sn'ul the boy, with a note of regret in his tone, ! "I have been hunting for llvm ever since we came here, but this is the first one I have found. He is a beauty, though," he concluded, complacently. "1 can tell you where you can find a lot of them," said l.eighton. "Where?" queried .laniie, with boyish eagerness. "IVi \ 011 see those rocks down \ 011t l el -—that group with one rising like a cone out of the midst of them'. 1 " ••Yes." said the boy, shading his in es to get a better view of the 1 >I " )l ! "Well. then, if you will go there ' with ;. on' basket, sums morirng. 1 am Mire you will find all that you will care for," returned the baro- ; net. with a cruel look in his eyes. ; "Thank you, sir ; 1 will go the : first thing to-morrow morning." j ,1 amie responded, with animation ; and the man went his way, a treacherous smile on his lips, q cunning plot maturing in his brainAir. Carrol threw himself back upon the rug as he disappeared, and tried to resume his reading'. Hut his book appeared to have lost all attraction for him, for it soon dropped from his hand, a nd he fell into troubled musing, an anxious expression in his eyes, a look of keen ppii} about his "NVfWait i\ e mouth. "The fellow has not a particle of honour in his nature," he muttered : sellish and depraved to the core. It is hard to believe that such ingratitude ran exist in any human heart." His thoughts were evidently of too unpleasant a lmlme in br borne. | and lie shortly an. : s ;; gathered up his I rug. and calling damie, the twji ; returned to Weed Cottage. .Tamiu ; informing him on the way that If : should go to the rucks the gentlej man had told him about to hunt starfish early the liexL morning. Mr. Carrol did not pay much attention to what she had said. He j was too deeply- immersed in his own 1 troiilii'Mt reflections, and pnly replied 1 to hiui at random. And even if l|e had clearly understood what lie- Im,v j was talking about, it is (iouhiful il 1 le: would iia\e made' an object inn 1 to his proposed excursion, or sUs- { pei'ted that any evil would result from it. I The sun was just rising—a hugt?

I all of lire —from behind the oceantin- following morning, when the lithe little figure of Jamie might, have been seen trudging along the h towards that group of rock. 1 when' "one arose like, a cone from llv midst, of them." his fish basket slunu' aero: s his shoulders. P>ut up'ui coming near them he found that t Ivy were mui-li further from i lie "hore t hati he had anticipated, for tin- tide, was jjj and it was impossible in ri a-h them without .swimming to them. "Incie Carrol." however, had forbidden all swimming or bathing unless lie was along to watch his charge, and •lamie, being an obedient little fellow, sat down upon the beach, although with rather a rueful face, to wait for i.he tide to go out. It wa« more than three hours to breakfast-time, and he fondly hoped, if he was patient., lie would yet be able to carry home a basketful of bis coveted treasures. lie had not been sitting there many minutes when the sound ol steps upon the beach made him turn to see who was approaching, and he was surprised to see coming towards him the gentleman who had told him where to look for the starfish . "Aha, my little man." exclaimed Sir Walter, in art assumed henial tone, and smiling affably into the upturned face, "so you are alter your starfish this morning ! Hut why did yon como so early?" "1 didn't think about the tide being in, sir," .Jamie explained, but lbishing over the confession. "That is rather awkward. isn't it?" said his companion, in a bantering tone, "for it will be fully two hours before it goes out, so that you can got to the rocks." Then he led the boy on to talk of himself. a nd adroitly drew from him. little by little, tlie whole story of his life, as far as ho knew it. and of his rescue from an untimely end by his beloved benefactor, and the man's face grew fiendishly hard and cruel as he listened. Finally he inquired, as if with sudden thought : "Are vim fond of horses, my boy?" "Yes. sir ; 1 live them almost (n't tor than any thing." said .Jamie, naively and out husiast ical Iv. "Well. then. I have some very fine ones thai I'd like to .-how you while the tide is going out." Sir Walter observed, persuasively. "1 live not far from hero just a pleasant walk from this —up yonder on the hill." "Is that your place, sir?" questioned .lamie. looking astonished.

"Cncle Carrol told me that it belongs i<) a baronet. who has gone abroad. I suppose ho did not. know you'd got bark until ho saw you \ est erdav . I'ut it's a lovely place, isn't it I've been all round it, but I've oi'ton wished I could got inside. the grounds."' • Well, tlv n. come on no"', and I will show you all you want to nee. ]>y the time you get tired of looking at things there the tide will be out and you can then get your fish," said the man. in aeordial tone. ''Thank jwi. sir. You an; very good !" cried .laiHie. springing to his fret with alacrity, and only too eager to accept the tempting invitation.

His companion turned back upon the path over which he had recently come. a sinister light gleaming in his eyes, although he beguiled his victim along the way with alluring descriptions of the place to which thov "ere going. 10 17. cii.vi'TF.i; xxvr. About seven .o'clock Mr. Carrol arose, and. missing •Jamie, went out upon the beach in search of him. lie was not surprised a t his absence, for it was the rule, rather than the exception, for the boy to awake and go abroad at the "peep o'day." I'sually. however, he could be found in the \icinity of Kerd Collage, and l hey gen 'rally took their morning "dip" together ; but to-day, as he failed to put- in an appearance, Mr. Carrol look his bath alone, then returned to the house, and had finished his toilet just as the break-fast-bell rang. Still .Jamie was absent, and he inquired of various members of the family if they hud seen him : but no one had observed him about. thu morning, and his fishing tackle was undisturbed in the shed adjoining the house, although his basket was missing. ■- Hut e\eii this unusual absence at meal-time occasioned no one any i n asiness. Mr. Carrol laughingly observed that "the sea wa.s both meat and drink to the boy," ami he would not think of breakfast while revelling in the delicious sea air. But v. Ik n nine o'clock came, and the lad was still away. Mr. Carroll b'g;n to In; a trifle disturbed. He went out again upon the beach and proceeded to the spot where they had spent several hours the da;> before ; but there was no evidence to show that the lad had been there, and after st: oiling about, for a while it ■ retuiii 'd home, hoping to lind him t here b 'fore him. Hut he vva- disappointed in this, for t lie child had not been seen. IVgimiing to feel somewhat impatiint now, as u-pil as anxious—for Jamie had been forbidden to v\ aider alone out of sight of the cottage — the gentleman walked over to the village and mtfde inquiries there at the various places they had been in the habit of frequenting. His search was fruitless, however, and now. thoroughly alarmed, he hired a conveyance, and drove miles along the beach and over the country. seeking the boy in every direction.

The wholi' afternoon was spoil I in i lie same \v;iy, and with I lie same result ; and when nijilit came. on find precluded the possibility (if further ,e;ireli. .Mr. Carrol was in despair. ,-n'l t horouuhlv worn oul with his hard day's work. Nevertheless, he did not sleep a wink i hrouu'houi 1 lie night. and w as oppressed wit!) the fear thai, the sea. which .1 a in i' ■ had so loved, hud cruelly devoured him. and lie had thus lost his lit t le friend for ever. The next morning" broke grey and lov.oriii.e-, but the man was up as soon as it. w;ts light. and having remembered that his old enemy luid directed the box to a certain group of rocks to file! starfish, lie secured the services of a mail and a boat and made directly for the faput. (if course. i he fide was in, bui ' ill') I'nui'd owl to the cocks, thin-k----ill'.;' 'hai possibly, if .Jamie |, a d been there. they might lind some trace of him. The:-' nip do a circuit- yf the reef,

niii! as 1 ]'ii■ v pulled i■ f>'!i: i Mi l ' v.-osl side ;i groan of agony burst irom Mr. Carrol as In' espied tin 1 h;ii <>f his protege wedged ]k • i n Iv. o df Iho rocl.s. while little further on they found liis basket . Tht'.v succeeded in securing them, and then went, ashore to wait for the tide to recede : for both men lelt sure now that sonic accident —a lall, perhaps—had happened to him. rendering- him unconscious and helpless. and thus he had fallen a prey to the hungry waves. Hut, they found nothing more alter the tide went out. and though the remainder of tin; da, 1 "' was spent in dragging the shore out as mr as practicable, they met. with nothing to throw any light upon the fate of the lad. It was thought, that the repeated incoming and out goingtide hail doubtless carried him far out to sea and beyond their reach for ever. Nevertheless, the search was kept up for several days longer, but with no satisfactory result : then Mr. Carrol. feeling that he had done all that was possible, returned to London and sadly renewed his duties, but feeling almost as if he had been bereft of *" a well-beiovcd son. It happened that the very day oi his ret tun was the date set tor the Seaver party to go to Worthing Powers to pay Sir Walter Leigh ton their promised visit, and he lound a note from Mr. Seaver awaiting him. and telling him that he had called, and was sorry to find him away : but. that he and his laniily would be in London again some three or four weeks later, when they would hope to see him. He mentioned that they were going into the country "to pay a visit," hut did not say where or upon whom. Mr. Carrol was greatly disappointed to have missed them, but comforted himself with the thought- that the three or four weeks would soon slip by, and then he would once more have the delight of meeting the fair girl whom he had learned to love with the one love of his life, and who. he fondly believed, responded to his affection. I'pon their arrival at- Worthing Towers the Seavers found Sir Walter at the station awaiting them with a smart carriage drawn by a fine pair of greys in silver-mounted harness, and coachman and footman in livery. He himself rode a splendid cob, from which he dismounted the moment the train stopped, when, giving his horse into the care of his groom, he sprang forward with warm words of welcome for his friends. After seeing them comfortably seated in the carriage, he remounted, and, riding beside Florence, pointed out to her lovely bits of scenery on the way, and related legends and scraps of his history connected with the places they passed. Their route was mostly up hill, and their progress was therefore not very rapid, hut. the day was perfect, th" country charming, and being in t!;• best of spirits the pace matteiv; little to any one. They had almost reached the top of the hill, and would soon turn into Sir Walter's magnificent estate, when the sound of a carriage approaching from the opposite direction attracted her attention.

Mrs. Heaver and Monica occupied the back seat-, the latter silting upon the left of the former. 31 r. Seaver and Florence were on the front seat. Florence facing Mrs. Reaver ; thus Sir Walter, «riding upon that side, could look straight into the face of the beautiful girl he loved while he talked to her.

Nearer and nearer approached the other carriage, until it came opposite out' party, when a startled cry from Monica, as she spasmodically clutched the arm of .Mrs. Seaver, and a shrill of exclamation, followed by an angry oath, from the occupants of the other vehicle, caused every one to turn towards the stran-

gers. A violent, shocl| caused a hot flush to mount, to Sir Walter's brow, as he instantly recognised Inez K'ngand saw sitting' beside lier a coarse, burly man, whom he rightly conjectured to be her father. The eyes of both were fastened with a baneful look upon the face of Monica, who sat, pale as snow and rigid as a statue, gazing at them with a frightened stare. Involuntarily Sir Walter lifted his hat. but In's salutation was not returned, i'ur those two had eyes for 110 other than the victim who had escaped llieir power. Then the carriages passed, and at the signal from the baronet the driver whipped lip his horses, and the party went lolling rapidly on towards the Towers, in spite of the fact that Mr. Kingauthoritatively called alter them to stop ! '•Xo. no, father, tb<-\V will not stop,'' Inez hastily observed, a.s she laid ;1 restraining hand upon his arm, for lie was reaching out to open the door of their own carraig". "do on." she added, imperiously, to the driver, who had assumed that the order was given to him, and was in tile, act of checking his steeds. "There !" she continued, her brilliant face dark with wrath. "What do you think now ? Was she nut .Monica. "By lleavcn, yes ! And that .scared look upon her face betrayed her beyond a doubt," returned Mr. King. "Who w;is that woman beside her "Mrri. Scaver a»d hoi< husband sat opposite Monica. That was Sir Walter Leighton on the cob," Inez, explained. iiut there was a fourth one in the carriage. Who was she V' demanded her father. "I did not notiee, £ was so intent upon identifying Moni&a. Possibly she was a maid," the girl returned. She had not had time to take in ewry face as the carriages passed ; and. In'sides, Florence wore a veil which somewhat concealed her features. "Hid yon observe, Wr Waller ?" lne£ inquired, a moment, later, with burning eyes and cheeks. "Xot especially. Fiko yuii. I was 100 intent on the girl to think of any one else. So he's the chap who has been fooling around jnu nil these months observed Mr. King', Willi a frown. Inez, nodded. She was too euraged to speak. "Where on car Hi could he have run across .Monica her father rti* suined, after a moment. (To be Continued),;