CHAPTER XXVII. A CLEVER ARTIFICE

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 187, 15 January 1887, Page 3

CHAPTER XXVII. A CLEVER ARTIFICE

*«Come," he eaid gently, "I have something for you in the parlour," and drawing her hand within his arm, he led her from his apartment back to hor seat in the baywindow, little dreaming how that delicate /hand longed to smite him on the floor, and tear from him the mask of hypocrisy. Mrs Houghton glanced up at their approach and smiled, Baying to herself what a handsome couple they made— he so dark and distinguished in appearance ; she 80 fair and beautiful < A. small table had been wheeled up into the window before her, and upon it there wee an elegant epergne of fruit and flowers, while beeideittherelay some snowy napkins, three or four plates of^ delicate painted china and some silver knives. Arthur unfolded a napkin and spread it upon Margaret's lap, then filling a plate •with some of the finest fruit in the dish be passed it to her, at the same time dropping a superb Epray of fuchsias into her hands. He then waited upon Mrs Houghton, after which he drew up another chair and helped himself, remarking that he was sorry that Mr Hoaghton was not there to share ■with them. Margaret quietly took up a banana and began to peel it, gazing absently out of the window meanwhile. She made a pretence of tasting it, then dropped it upon her plate and assumed a listening attitude. *« Do I hear music ?" she asked. "Possibly," Arthur returned, looking at "hia watch, *' ye?," he added, " it) is time for the procession, hut I had no idea that it ■would be punctual." ; Margaret eet her plate upon the table, folded her napkin and laid it over the fruit ; then arose and stood in the window. Arthur looked disappointed ; he had taken great paina in purchasing and arranging his dish ot fruit. Nearer and nearer the music came, Tiaing and falling apon the clear air in molodiou?, inspiring strains •' They are coming, mamma," said MarIfaiet, from her post of o servation, and «yen Mrs Houghton put aside her fruit now and arose to look The vanguard of the procession was just coming into sight at the he'id of the avenue, & brilliant array of cavaliers, clad in uniforms of scarlet and gold, and riding upun tooraes as gayly caparisoned. It was a grand sight, and occupied nearly half an hour in passing a giveu point. Margaret wag very silent — scarcely epsakine during the time, and Mrs Houghton, seeing that ehe wns in an unusual mood, threw herself into the gap and extrted herself to be as social and entertaining as possible with her young fcost Lunch was served, as soon as the pro cession moved on, in a small room opposite the parlour. Mr Hougtton made his appearance just then, having been unable to reach them before on account of the crowd, and hia coming helped to make the little party more ■social and lively. Margaret looked so flushed and seemed so preoccupied that her father feared ehe was ill, and proposed an early return home. But this Margaret vetoed at once, and with an energy that made them both observe her ■more closely. 44 Oh, no, do not let us go yet," she said, nervously ; "it would not be polite tz Arthur to run away directly after lunch, while you know he has promised to take us to the top of the building to get a view of the city, by and bye ; besides, if we go now, •we shall be liable to get into a crowd, and that would be very disagreeable." " But, Margie dear, you know you have not re°ted at all to-day, and you usually lie down for an hour or so during the aftornoon," hor mother argued. Mr Houghton, watching his daughter, saw her eyee suddenly flash with a cunning, br lliant light. " Well, it will not matter for once," she said, carol QBsly. " Arthur, how many flights of stairs do ■we have to clitnb to reach the top of the building ?" questioned Mrs Houghton of her young host. "Three." The lady shot a rueful glance at her daughter. ** Margie, are you determined to do it ?" she asked. " Yes, mamma, if you please. "' "Then upon one condition I will consent. That you lie down and rest for an hour firßt." " Very well, mamma," Margaret murmured. Then turning suddenly to Arthur, she added, "if Arthui will kindly allow me to occupy his room, I will be obedient and do asyou desire." "Certainly," the young man cried, springing to his feet. " I will have the bed arranged in no time, and you shall rest aa long as you like." "No, no; do not do that. Just let me bare a pillow please, and I will lie down upon the lounge," she said, rising to obey her mother's wish. Arthur, eager to perform any service for her darted into his uncle's room, seized a pillow from his couch and flew to deposit it upon the lounge in hia room, and was back again m lees than a minute. " All is readand at your service," he said, smiling and bowing before her. " Mrs Houghton, will you see that she is comfortable, and tell me if there is anything more that 1 can do ?" The two ladies retired, but after a few moments Mrs Houghton reappeared alone, shutting the door leading into the room where she had loft her daughter to rest. To rest ? As soon as the door had closed after her mother Margaret sprang to her feet, clasped her hands convulsively together, raising them high above her head " How have I borne it ?" she cried, in a shuddering whisper. "I believe I should have gone crazy in another hour.' She" glided swiftly to the door and noiselessly turned the key in the lock. She then walked directly to Arthur Aspinwill'a writ-ing-desk and deliberately unlocked and opened it. "I must have an impression of those keys before Ido anything else," ehe murmured. She drew a chair up to the table, sat down before the desk, and took from a compartment a piece of sealing-wax, and from

another a tiny wax tupar, which she lighted. She heated one end of the wax until it melted, and dropped a small mass of it upon a piece of letter-paper ; then she took those keys, which she was sure she had seen twice before, and gently pressed one of them upon the, still warm /ax. It left a perfect impression, and she repeated the same operation with the other. "Now," she whispered, "I have something to work with ; but— what will be the pecret that 1 shall unlock ? — oh ! what ?" A shudder ran through her frame, and for a moment ehe seemed to grow dizzy and faint. With an effort ehe aroused herself, carefully wrapped the wax impressions in soroe soft paper that she had in her pocket, and concealed them in her purse. She extinguished the taper and pocketed that also, together with the burned match with which she had lighted the taper, that there might be nothing to betray the work of that hour. She then critically examine 1 the keys to see that no particle of wax adhered to them. She replaced them just where she had found them ; closed and locked the desk, arose from her chair and returned it to the very spot from which she had taken it. Her next move was to glide like a spirit acrospthe floor to Arthur's closet, which she entered, and unhesitatingly removing his keys from the trunk where they huug, tried them, one by one, in the lock of the other. The last one that she inserted in the lock fitted. She turned it, holding her breath as she did so. She lifted the lid, and a gasp of horror, mingled with a suppressed exclamation of satisfaction, told that she had found what she had expected and was looking for. Inside that trunk, at one end, there lay folded a heavy overcoat of coarse, rough cloth. At the other end, thrown in carelessly, and evidently hastily, there were a wig of white hair, a false beard, and a tall, oldfashioned, black silk hat. "I knew it ! I knew I should find them here !" Margaret breathed, with panting bosom, while her eyea were fastened in a horrined, fascinated gaze upon the disguise which she could not fail to rocognise. Without making the slightest noi?e, she let do%vn the lid of the trunk, relocked it, and replaced 'he bunch of keys in the other lock where she had found them. Then she went softly out of the closet, closing the door after her. " Step by 9tep I have traced thi3 mystery thus far ; step by step, and link by link, I will trace it to the end," she whispered, looking like some beautiful, avenging spirit. "I will ferret the whole truth out," she went on ; " and I will do it by myself \ Oh, Louis ! Louis ! what will that truth ptove to be ? Shall I ever have strength to accomplish it ? Yes, I will have strength — I must know the truth !" For a moment she stood in the centre of the room, her hands clasped upon her breast, trying to still the fierce beating of her heart. She had accomplished the purpose for which ehe had come there that day ; she had found, as she believed, some proof on which to ground the suspicions that had been growing during the laat few weeks. Becoming more compoped, she stole to the door of the room and quietly unlocked it ; then creeping feebly to the louuge, she sank, weary and almost exhausted, upon it, so thankful that she could rest now. She looked at the clock upon the mantel She had not been twenty minutes in accomplishing what she had done. u I will he here for half an hour ; then I shall be able to climb six flights of dtairs, if necessary," she eaid, as a faint smile of triumph flitted over her wan face. She closed her eyes, and in five minutes was fast asleep, her heart and mind relieved, but her body wearied out with the excitement of the day. When Margaret awoke she was much refreshed, and found that she had been asleep nearly an hour. After re-arranging her hair, she returned to Mr Forest's parlour. Her father and Arthur sprang forward to meet her. " Your appearance indicates thit your rest has done you good," said Mr Houghton, noticing at once how much brighter she looked. " Ye«, indeed," she replied, passing Arthur unnoticed, and slipping: her hand within her father's arm. "1 believe I did need rest and quiet ; and, I assure you, I have improved every moment or my time." To what purpose ehe had unproved it, not one of them dreamed.