CHAPTER XXXV.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 191, 12 February 1887, Page 7

CHAPTER XXXV.

A LITTLE STRATAGEM. '* Mamma, let us drive out to Buttea Chamont this afternoon," Margaret suddenly proposed, while they were at lunch. " I have never had a view of the city from that point in the winter, and we could get a fine one to-day, it is so pleasant and the air so clear." " Very well. lam ready for any exped - tion that will interest you," Mrs Hougbton responded, glad to accede to anything that would please her daughter, if by so doing she could keep that bright look on her face. " Can you go, too, Arthur ? Are you at liberty for all day ?" Margaret asked, turnpersuasively to him. " Certainly I can go. I should be do- ! lighted." " Then I am going to send a note to Floy Arnold and invite her to come with us," said Margaret. Floy Arnold was a young lady from New York, whose acquaintance the Houghtont had made m the early part of the winfer. She had come to Paris for a year to acquire the correct pronunciation of the language, and she had been a very kind and sympathising friend to Margie during her trouble. " That will make a party of four, and just a carriage full," Margaret to ntinued, adding, with pretty imperativeness : " And I lay my command upon you, Sir Arthur, to carry the invitation to her directly after lunch, and use your most persuasive powors , to induce her to accompany ue." i It was very artful, and she knew it, to i make him commit hirot-olf thus — to make I him carry the note to the young girl, and thus virtually pledge himt-elf to her to aci as escort to tho party, of which she had no intention of making one. " Your commands are always as a law unto me," Arthur gallantly responded. "Thanks; excuse me, then, and i will write it at once," Margaret said, rieitig hastily from the table, to stem the indignant tide which she felt was creeping up to her brow in a hot flush at his presump tion in saying fond things to her. How she longed for the time when e-he could unmaek hiua, and tell him that she knew what a miserable villain he was I " What hour ehall I tell Floy, mamma— i three?" i " Just as you like ; suit yourself, Margie, and the rest of us will be satisfied," said her mother. So Bhe wrote the note, and said "threeo'clock." Arthur was soon on his way to Mies Arnold with it, and commissioned also to stop at the etable and order Mrs Houghtou's barouche to be at her door promptly at a quarter to three A little before that time he presented, himeelf again in her parlour, to find, to his chagrin, Margaret lying upon a sofa, covered with an afgban, her head bound about with a wet napkin, and looking very flushed and feverish, while the room was full of the odour of aromatic vinegar. " What is the matter?" he questioned in alarm. " IN othing serious, Ihope," Mrs Houghton answered, " only Margie, I fear, has taken a sudden cold by going out this morning. She complained of a headache soon after you left, her face grew very much flushed, and she seemed nervous and feverish " "Then of course yon cannot go to Butles Cbamont," the young man said, in a disappointed tone. " Mamma thinks it will not do for mo to go," she replied, with a slight smile, but almost dazzling him by the brilliancy of the glance that she lifted to him. "No ; I think it will be best for her to remain quietly at home. There will be aomo other opportunity for a view from Buttes Chamont." •' Then I suppose I shall order the carriage back to the s ( able, when it comes," said Arthur, " and we will postpone our trip indefinitely." " That would perhaps be best, if we hid not invited Floy to go with us," Margaret interposed thoughtfully. "I wrote her that we should call promptly at three, and to be sure to be ready. She said she would go, did she not ?" " Yes : she seemed much pleased by tho prospect," Arthur admitted, reluctantly. " Margie, I cannot bear the idea of going and leaving you at home sick and alone," said her mother. <4 Never mind me, mamma," Margaret answered cheerfully. u Annette can do everything necessary for me, and it would be hardly fair or civil to disappoint Floy." " That is true ; but Arthur could drive around and explain matters to her. She would excuse us, I know," returned Mrs Houghton. " I would not do that. Really there is no need of giving up the drive on my account." Margaret urged. "It will look as if I waa of more account than anyone else, and 1 know Floy would feel it. She will of course be somewhat disappointed that I cannot go but Arthur will be company for her, you can act aa chaperon, and sometime we will make up another party and go again." Arthur would gladly have excused himeelf. Miss Arnold wcs very nice, but she was not Margaret, and the charm of the excursion for him was all gone now that she could not go. But it would be very un gallant to refuse to accompany the ladiee, particularly aa he had himself been the bearer of the invitation to Miss Arnold, and urged her acceptance of it, Therefore Mrs Houghton and Mr Aepinwall reluctantly departed in the carriage, but resolved that they would not be gone longer than politeness to their young guest required. The sound of the wheels had not entirely died away before Margaret sprang to her feet and flitted like a spirit upstairs, untying the bandage from her brow as she went. She hastily assumed the simple costume that she had worn the previous evening, taking the precaution this time to tie a thick veil over her face. She was about ready to descend again, when she paused at the head of the stairs, as if considering some project that had suddenly presented iteelf to her mind. At length she turned slowly back and entered her father's chamber. Opening a drawer in an escritoire, she took from it a black morocco case. Touching a spring, the lid flew back, revealing a nandsome, silver-mounted revolver. She examined it closely, and saw that the chambers were empty, e,ndl, turning her attention again to the drawer from which ehe had token tho weapon, she Bearched

until she found ft email box containing cartridges. 1 Both cf these articles she concealed beneath her wrap, then quickly left the room and the house. She hurried through the streets toward her destination, for she know that her mother would ehorten her drive on her account, and that she must be back before the party returned from Buttes Charoonfc. Reaching the Hue de Blanc, she walked boldly along the street, and on arriving at the alloy, turned unhesitatingly into it, as if it was her intention to pace through to the Kuo de Caetiglione. She turned and glanced behind her after a moment, but no one had appeared to notice her; and, watching her opportunity when no one was opposite the opening, ehe sprang up the steps of the building she wiphed to enter, paseed within, cloi-in&r and locking the dooi after her this time. It was broad daylight now ; the had been over the ground, and know the way well, and did not fear to be locked in now ; besides, it would keep out intruders. foho ran lightly upstairs and tapped gently on the door of the room where her lover was confined. " Louih, 1 have come," she said. " Margie '." camo the quick, eager response, and the next moment she was in his presence. "My darling !" he cried, "have you dared to venture here in the day time ?" Ah, if he only knew why she could never vonture to come there in the night again ! But tho would not tell him that yet. Sbo wont up to him and put both her hands out to him. " It was much pleasanter to come by daylight," she eaid, emillng. He took those two email hands and kissed them tenderly. 4< But I fear it is not pafe, dear, if wo hope to accomplish our purpose ; heia liable to come at any hour, and he has not been here yet to-day." « A silvery laugh of triumph broko from her lips. "He will not come for a couple of hourß at least," she said. Then she told him how she had managed to send him away to that ehe could come safely that afternoon. " I went out this morning and bought what you wanted," ehe went on. "Here is the taw and this is the file. Oh, Louis, I hopo you will make speedy work, for I am wild to have you free once more". " You must not be too impatient, Margie,'' he said fondly. •' I will complain of nothing now, if 1 can only restore that monoy to the company. You are a tieaaure, dear, to gee me these tools po promptly, and you may be sure 1 shall not delay in putting them to efficient service." " But those are not all, Louis, see !" and ehe placed in his hands her father's revolver and cartridge box. "Oh, Margie ! how dii you happen to be so thoughtful ? They are life and freedom for mo !" he exclaimed, as he critically examined the revolver. " Margie, I fear nothing now !" " Let us hope that you will not need to use the weapon. To save precious time begin work at once. How long will it take you ?" "I cannot say ; these iron bars are very strong, and I shall have to take out at least two before I shall have an aperture large enough to get through. Did you bring me the wax?" "Ah ! yes ; I nearly forgot that," and ehe produced it. " Thanks : that will do nicely. Now I think I shall take out theee two bars by the •safe. Aepinwall will be lees likely to notice them than any of the others. But I shall have to move it — the safe -a littlo in order to get at them, and so I believe I will wait until evening, for if he should come in and find anything out of place his suspicions would be aroused atonco." •• That is true, perhaps it would bo well to wait. But lam so impatient." "I am not going to let you stay much longer, my darling," Louis said. "I am in dread lest you should be found here. Sit down, hovr< ver, for fifteen minutes, and tell me something about these long weeks, pince I have been shut up away from you. Then I will send you away and you must wait patiently until I come to you." "Do you myan that I must not come again ?" Margaret asked, quickly, and with clouded face. " Yes ; I do not think this is a safe locality for you to be in ; besides, your frequent coming might attract attention and arouse suspicion that something was wrong here.' " Well, I will do as you say, and try to bo patient, "' Margaret said', gravely, then added eagerly : "But, Louia. how will you be able to get out of the building, even if you succeed in getting out of this wretched cage ?'" " How stupid of me not to have thought of that,' he replied, laughing. "I wish you could leavo your keys, but that would not do, for then you could not lock the doors after you. I think you will have to come once more, Margie, after ail. I am sorry, but I sea no other way.'' " I shall not mind " •' Well, then, wait a few days — say three ; then I trust I shall be able to meet you on the outside of this place. You can then let me have your keys, and I will take care of the locks while I am looking for my treasure " *• But, Louip, I do not believe you will find the money here j where could he hide it in this empty building?" Marparet asked. "There are plenty of places," he replied, "between the floors, in the cellar, or even in a door-casing." •' What makes you think that he has concealed it here." "I notice that almost alwayß after he leaves me, Aspinwall goeß prowling about, while his movements are very stealthy and cat-like ; and I am sure there is nothing to detain him here unless it is to look after his ill-gotten gains " " Well, I nope you will prove your theory correct." She remained a little longer with him, giving him pome account of herself and how she had toUowed the clue of the lost diamond. Then, afi his urgent entreaty, ehe reluctantly departed, and coon afterwards reached her own home. After returning her wrapper, she took up the paper, and thare, to her surprise, read an account of the arrest of Louis Murray, and the suspicious circumstances which seemed to connect him with Louis Dun bar's disappearance, and the robbery of his safe. *' But for what / have done, circumstantial evidence might convict an innocent man," ehe murmured to herself, ac, after reading the account, she threw the paper aside and fell to musing upon the joys in store for her.