CHAPTER VI.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 207, 18 June 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER VI.

THE PUKSUEKS. Adown the glen rode armed men. Campbell. When gazing in breathless awe and admiration upon this scene the sound of horses' hoofs struck upon her ear. She turned in the direction of the sound, half expecting to sco Sallusb Rowley come riding back. She did not see him, but she saw four strange men gallop up to the house and dismount. (iiooms, that were always in attendance to Mait on visitors, came up and took their horses. The men walked up the terrace steps. They stood upon the terrace for a moment looking about them, and then the oldest man, who seemed to be the leador, came up to Patricia, bowed and said : " I bog your pardon, Mi&s, but we wish to see the master of the house." Patricia, htiicken with terror, and connecting this strange visit with the still stranger conduct of Sallust Rowley, answered : "I do not think that you can see Mr Fit/gerald. His health is in a very critical condition. He is confined to his chamber with an attack of gout, and is forbidden by the doctor to see any stranger or to have any excitement. Will not Ido as well V " Scarcely, Miss. Is there no other man about the house, besides the master, then, that we can see ?" inquired the stranger. " There is no one here" except the master and the men-servants. lam afraid you will have to confide your business to me," said Patricia, gathering courage. 11 Well, Miss, it is not a pleasant thing to pay to a young lady ; but time presses. In fact, we have a warrant here for the arrest of one Sallust Rowley," said the stranger. " A warrant ! For the arrest of Sallust Rowley ! Good Heaven !" exclaimed Patlicia, in amazement and horror ; for to her appiehenbion a warrant and an arrest was the very consummation of mortal misery and disgrace. "Do not be alarmed, Miss. We do not intend to hurt him. Where shall we find the young man ?"' inquired the officer. "I do not know. He is not here. Ido not know where he is ; but for Heaven's sake, tell me— what has he done ?" " It is not necessary to go into that, my dear young lady. Tell us -where wo can find the young man, so that we can make , the arrefet auietly without causing an unseemly disturbance in a gentleman's house. Come -where is Mr Sallust Rowley ?" " I do not know— indeed I do not know. He is not here," said Patricia, in a panic. "Come, come, Miss. We know that he crossed Haddon's Ferry at midnight last night, and rode here, reaching tho house at dawn this morning. We know this for a fact, so that if you do not give him up quietly we shall be obliged to search the premises," said the officer, kindly but resolutely. " Oh, for the love of Mercy, do not think of searching the house ! It would kill my uncle, in his present critical state. And you would not like to cause the death of an old man, would you ?" exclaimed Patricia, , wiinging her hands in great trouble. "Of course not ; but it is you, my dear young lady, who are endangering your uncle's safety, by refusing to give up the man we want and compelling us to make a disturbance by searching the house. Show us the young man, and we will take him quietly and go about our business." " But Ido not know where he ia. I only know thafc he is not here," persisted Patricia, in great distress. " Oh, tut, tufc, tut, tut !" exclaimed the sheriffs officer, incredulously. "But, indeed, I speak the truth. Do ymi pappose for a moment that I am capable *v£ telling a falsehood, even to shelter him ?" "sanded Patricia, herface flushing crimson dd f i , u ■» implication. * Tv, Miss; but what are we to think ?" d j will ten yOUy 0U a \{ i know "Listen, a « s j. j£ oW i ey fad arrive here about it. pa* '-joming. He stayed about veryeailytnJ 1 ' j. seeme d during that half an hour, b^. , f( Vj agfce to be off again, time to be in grea , he wenfc off i ea ving> At the end of that tamo fresh Qne< his tired horse here and ta. fe j d fe Ithfnf I Ml* to *> made'good hi. ««|», W^^Tta! your disturbing an invalid geu.-.-searching the Wse. If you still doubt me, ancf think that my story needs confixation, you can go down ta the stables, and question the coachman and groom. The men exchanged a few words apart with each other, and then the elder said: " Wo will, at any rate, go to the stable, and hear what the people there have to say, before we proceed to search the house. If they p«t us on tke right track, -^ need not return here agc,m to molest you, Miss." And with these words the officer mounted and rode off to the stable, followed by his companions. , "Well," said Patricia, looking after them, " I would have been worse than a traitor to have given them any information, if it had not been to save uncle from dangerous exciteinent,and if I had not known that Sallust had got beyond their pursuit by this timo. But ah ! what has that wretched boy been up to ? And is it this business that Gerald Fitzgerald is mixed up with ? I forgot to ask them. Or, rather, it nev«r once entered my distracted head to ask them. I eha.ll xiofc ssty a. single word to uncle about this visit, and I must caution the servants not to do so. Oh, dear me, how glad I am the girls are all sleeping late this morning after their restless night. I hope they won't wake up until noon. lam sure, if they don't, I will not have them called. And this is the weddingday. And we have to think of the weddingguests who will soon be assembling. What on earth can we tell them? Then uncle feels so sure that Gerald will be here in time, while I know that he will not be. Or, even if, by a sort of miracle, he should come, his first groomsman will not be in attendance. What a complication ! If only something would happen tha^everybody could under-

stand to pufc off the wedding— something like an earthquake, or a conflagration, or a case of small-pox, or anything under the sun that we could explain j anything but this mystery Avith its flavour? of guilt. Oh, dear, life is a great bore," sighed Patricia, as she turned into the house again. Aunt Hetty, the old housekeeper, met her, saying : " Do brealcfas' is all ready and sp'ilin', Miss Pat ; but none ob de young ladies is down yet. What is to be done ? " Nothing. Let them rest. They were up nearly all night, Het. They were frightened by the storm, and would not go to bod. Has uncle had his breakfast ?" " La, yes, honey, long ago ; all do breakfas' he ebber takes — his cup o' chocolate and bit o'dry toas'." "Well, then, you may just bring mo a cup of coffee here, and put the breakfast back until the young ladies rise," said Patricia, throwing herself into an easy-chair by the front window of the drawing-room. "Berry well, honey; jes' as you say," answered the old woman, retreating. "Stay, Het. Has any message come from Miss Maxima Rowley to-day? Any news of General Slaughter's condition ?" " No, honey, not since last night, when word come as he was much wuss, an' Miss Maxima couldn't leave him." " Yes, I know ; that will do, Het. You need not wait." " Yes, honey ; I bring your cup o' coffee immediate," said the woman, finally retreating. She soon reappeared with a slight broakfast arranged on a waiter, which she placed upon a stand near the young lady. Pat, who thought she could take nothin but a cup of coffee, managed to dispose also of a couple of rolls, a fried perch and an egg. Then Hefc removed the waiter, and Patricia began to walk uneasily up any down the floor, until she was startled bd the sound of horses' hoofs gallojring past. She ran to the window and looked out, and saw the sheriff's officers riding away. " Let them go. They will never catch my Sally now ! But oh ! what has the unlucky chap been up to, to have the shei-iff's officers in pursuit of him ?" she groaned, wringing her hands as she resumed her uneasy walk up and down the length of the room. The sound of the sheriff's horses' feet had scarcely died away in the distance before another horse was heard galloping towards the house. " Good gracious ! what is coming now ? One would think this house was the headquarters of a cavalry regiment, or of the flying artillery !" she exclaimed, hurrying once more to the front window. It was a negro horseman on this occasion, who rode directly up to the front of the house, threw himself from his horse, and ran up the steps and knocked at the door. Without waiting for the slow motions of a servant, Pat rushed to the door and tore it j open. " What is the matter noxo ? What news have you brought?" she inquired of the agitated messenger. " Berry bad news, Miss. I'se sorry to say old Mars-e Gen'ral is gone, Miss ; passed 'way a little arter midnight dis mornin', Mi&s." "Oh, thank Heaven !" fervently ejaculated Patricia. " Miss !" exclaimed the messenger, looking aghast. "Oh! I didn't mean that— of courso I didn't ! Of course, lam very sorry for the poor old gentleman," amended Patricia, gravely. " She's "fused in her mine 'long o' de grief. I oughtn't to a-broke it to her so suddint,"' said the messenger, musingly. i " But it will put off the wedding, won't it ?" exclaimed Patricia. "In course it 7nu-4, Miss; which was the berry reason why Miss Maxima sent me off in sich hot haste to tell you ; 'case, she says, it wouldn't be decent to have no marrying nor {jiving in marriage going on j wid bich a, near relation ob de family lyin' dead in his house. So she sent me off quick to stop it. " " Did Miss Maxima write ?" ] " No, Miss ; she hadn't no time to write. She sent me off soon 's ebber de breaf was out 'n de ole marster's body,so you and dera here would have a chance to send round the news and stop de weddin'ers from comin' to de house ob mournin*. I couldn't see Marse Fitzgerald, 'liver ob my message ?" " No, you could not. He is not well, and t he must not be disturbed. I will take him J the message by and by. Go now and got ■ some breakfast in the kitchen. You must be hungry after your long ride." " Pat's so, Miss Pat. You nebber spoke a truer word in all your life, Pie poor ole nigger's front waistcoat is gone clear to his backbone along ob emptiness," said the messenger, as he led his horse away to the stable before going himself to the kitchen. Once more Patricia sought the chamber of her invalid uncle. She found him as she had left him, sitting in his easy-chair at the front window, with his afflicted leg in its rest. " Well, my dear, have you heard anything from Maxima this morning ?" inquired the old gentleman. *• Yes, uncle," replied Patricia, availing herself of this favourable opening for her grave news. " Well, my love, what does she say ? Is the general any, better ? Will she be here in time for the wedding ?" " The wedding will have to be put off, I fear, dear uncle. " What J Is he so ill as all that ?' "He is. gone, uncle. A messenger has j^sb coing from Hill Top Hal to bring the news," '« What ! Gone, is he ? Poor old fellow I Wei' f - his W SwWw J Yes, old as he is— thirty years older than I (Wi, my dear— it is sudden. Death always seems sudden, I do suppose. As you say, the wedding must be put off. Where is Geraldine? * ' She has not yet left her room. She Io c*a great deal of rest last night - * --" toft, take some this said Patricia. ft> rr "Then, my dear, in the absence of Gerald and Geraldine, I must ask you to take some orders in this crisis. Send off as many men aa our stables can mount, with messages to all our invited guests, informing them of the death of General Slaughter, and the consequent postponement of the wedding. Send them in different directions, and give each man a list of the people he is to call on. Can you do this.my dear child ?" " Certainly I can, my dear uncle. I wil set about it immediately ! " eagerly exclaimed Patricia, as she hurried from the , room. '* Oh, my good gracious me, what a fortunate thing. Ah, how wicked of me to say that. Bub I can't help feeling so much relieved to think that now we have a good excuse that everyone can understand for putting off the wedding that couldn't come on," she said to herself, as she hurried down stairs, entered the breakfast-room, and rang the bell for the housekeeper. " Young ladies ready for breakfas* yet?" inquired Aunt Het, a 9 she came in. "No; but nevter mind them now. Have you seen Saturn from Hill Top ?" "Yes, honey, I done seen Satan. t Any sponsors in babfcisin to name a Christian baby arter de debbil, and call him Satan. I don't beliebe in no such doin's, 'deed I don't," grumbled Het.

" Well, but you have seen him and he&ri his news." " Yes, honey, Ole Marse Gen 'al Slaughter gone. Well, honey, nothin' but what mighb a been 'spected dese twenty years or more. Why, honey, dat ole man is 'siderable ober ninety year ob age t 'Deed, dear knows, ef it had been me lef so long, I done been afteared as de good Lord had forgot to call me, an' I might keep on libbin' till I dried up an' blowcd away. But he's gone at last. Ah ! but he was a saint on dis yeth ! We dem hab spericnced a great loss in him, rest his soul ! sighed Het, wiping her tearless eyes, for Het was one of those people who consider it a sacred duty to praise and weep for the departed ixnder all circumstances. " And now you know, Het, that the wedding which was to have been celebrated tonight must be put off, "said the more matter-of-facb Patricia. " Yes. AH is waiity an' woxation ob de sperrits ! Little do us feel like makin' merry wid music an" dancin', wid sich a good 010 man lyin' stark dead in his house an' gone to glory," said Het, with no more inconsistency than is to be found in the talk of better educated people. " I want you to send the head groom to mo for 01 dei?, Het We shall have to despatch messengers in every direction bo stop the wedding guests from coming," said^the more practical Patricia. "Yes, honey, in course. Igo send him right straight up to you," sighed Het, hurrying away from the room. Patricia walked about the lloor while waiting for the messenger to do her errand. Patricia never could sit still while she was disturbed in mind. Presently the door opened, and the venerable old white-headed o-ioom entered the room, bowing lespectfully. " Domitian, wo have had grave news this morning. General Slaughter lias departed this life," paid the young lady. The old sei vant bowed solemnly. ' ' The wedding must be defen ed in honour of this event. Your master desires that you have every horse in the stable saddled, and a man mounted on each, to despatch with the ncus to om fiiends to prevent their coining litre this, evening. As the men mount let them lido v]) to the house one by one, to take further orders from me. Hasten now, Domitian, and do your errand." The old man bowed oven more solemnly than before, and left the room. Patricia passed into her uncle's study, seated heif-elf at his desk, and wrote out a list of names for each messenger's loute. When .she had completed her task she gathered up the slips of paper, and went out upon the front terrace to give them to her messengers. She found about a dozen mounted men awaiting her oiders. At a signal from her they rode up one by one, recehed each a list of names, which she was careful to read over to thorn, havingto trust laMier to their memory than to, their knowledge of letters. Ha I*!ng1 *! ng despatched all her couriers, she returned to the house. Hhe vas met in the hall by all the young bridesmaid^, who had come down in a body, and now gathered aroand her and greeted her with girlish delight. " Oh, i&n't it a glorious morning after the storm !" exclaimed Horatia Ron ley, the pretty little, icd-headed sister of Sallust. " A perfectly lovely day for a wedding IV chimed in May Faire, the golden-haired orphan schoolmate of Geraldine Fitzgerald. " Blessed is the bride that the sun shines on," quoted dark-eyed Anna Conde", the special friend of Horatia. " Yes, yes : it is a glorious morning after the storm, and a lovely day for a wedding, and blessed is the bride that the sun shines on. You are all right. Only there will be no wedding, and no bride !" exclaimed Patricia. The news fell like a thunder-bolt in the midst of a clear sky. " No wedding and no bride ?" exclaimed Horatia. " What on earth has happened?" cried May Faire. " Has the gout flown to Mr Fitzgerald's stomach at last ?" anxiously inquired Anna Conde. "Is General Slaughter much worse?" asked Horatia. "General Slaughter died last night, a little after midnight. A messenger from' Miss Rowley brought the news this morning. Couriers have just been despatched mt all directions to carry the news to our many distant friends, and have- them the useless trouble of coining to a wedding that is not going 1 co be celebrated." " Oh, dear mo, what a very shocking thing !" exclaimed Anna. "n !]«■'.' 3 terrible disappointment I'" cried Horatia. "What does Geraldine say about it?" inquired May. '"Horrible!" chimed in Horatia and Anna. "'Poor, dear Geraldine ' don't know fb yet. She has not left her room, and I dp not mean that she shall bo disturbed until she does. And now, girls, we have nothing to do but to eat our breakfast with whafc appetite we may. It has been waiting long enough, until I don't know which is the most spoiled— the breakfast or the cook's temper," said Patrioia, as she led the ' way down the hall. But even when they were gathered! around the table, where a tempting mon?» ing meal had been laid, the young people could not eat or drink for chattoring. "And to think that Colonel Fitzgerald and his groomsmen will arrive here to-day ignorant of all that has happened ! Oh, won't it be a heavy blow to a bridegroom ?" cried May Faire. In the midst of their chattering tl>~ IjuC. quietly swung open and Ger^ 1 ' , ~ 0 -Sif r gerald entered the room. " L - lCline T ff t tntirely in white f- . • «f c , wl » cl °l hed was not as- ' -f head to foot. There ino- of. colour about her momoo uress. Her face was deadly pale, and in°contrast to the raven blackness of her hair it seemed as white as her dress. She bowed in silence to her young friends, advanced quietly and took her place at the table. Her presence fell like a danaper upon the flow of girlish talk. "You have heard what has happened, Geraldine," said Patricia. "Yes ; I have heard what has happened. Desiree told me when she came to dress me. Give me some strong coffee, Patricia," said Geraldine, with stolid calmness. " The young girl handed the cup of coffee in silence. She knew well that it was not the death of General Slaughter, nor yet the postponement of her wedding, that had stricken all the colour from Geraldine'sface; but the mysterious absence and still more mysterious silence of her destined bridegrooiu, tkafc had fallen like a deafch-blow on the beautiful and blooming bride-elect. As soon as the uncomfortable breakfast was over carriages were ordered, and the young bride-maids took a reluctant leave and departed, Patricia was left alone in the morning sitting-room with her cousin. " Tell me now frankly, Geraldine, would you prefer that I, too, should go, or that 1 should stay here with you ?" "You must go, Patricia, and I shall go with you. I will not pass another night or day under the roof of Colonel Fitzgerald, said the young lady, resolutely. # "Geraldine! Oh, dpn't talk m tha fe

way, my dear ! Wait and see. Gerald may come this very day and answer for himself !" exclaimed Patricia, in alarm, but still trying to hope against hope. "Or he may not come. I will not wait his lordly pleasure," grimly replied the young lady. He may still write and explain, dear Geraldiue. Wait until the boy comes from the post-office, to bee whether there is a letter for you," pleaded Patricia. " I tell you I will not wait the arrogant pleasure of Colonel Fitzgerald !" exclaimed Geraldine, haughtily. " I have ordered tho carriage, and m c shall leave this place within an hour-" "Thank Heaven, here comes Bob from the post-ollice !M! M exclaimed Patricia, starting up and Hying out to seize the mail-bag. She flew back again into the parlour, opening the bag as hhc came, with tingeis that trembled so much they could scarcely porform their task. Geraldine looked on with haughty glance, and " lips that scarce their scorn forbore." 4 ' Thci c 1 I told you so. A letter from Colonel Fitzgerald for >ou. It is the only one in the bag, too. Take ifc and repent your ha&te !'* exclaimed Patricia, throwing a thin, white em elope into the lap of her cousin. Geraldine commanded herself as only a proud woman could have done, tiho did not snatch tho letter ; she took it up slowly, opened it delibeiatcly, and 1 cad— first to herself and then aloud — to Patricia. The letter ws without date or signature. It contained but t.wo lines : " Gtnitdinc, ti-iN me in this day ns / •>hould trust you all (/«?/•> '" "I vwll not trut.l him, since he docs not coniide in me !"' indignantly exclaimed Geraldine, throwing the note trom her, • I have trusted him too long and too fatally. I sutfered my soli to be brought here to his hou^o, a-> a bond maid to her master. And my humility has been re-paid vith treachery and contempt. I shall leave this hou^e to-day. I shall go with you, Patricia, to the home of your worthy uncle, my other good guardian. I thank Heaven I have that other guardian for a refuge in this time of trouble. Royal Greenleaf does not make the boa>t of his lace that never 4 Has falsehood or disetraco Been soon to soil Fit/gerald's plume, Or mantle in his face !' But I think I may quite as safely trust his hononr. I will stay at Greenwood until Christmas, when I shall come of age. Then I will take up my abode at one of my own manors. But ne\er again will I enter tho house of the traitor Gerald Fit/gerald." (To he Continued. )