CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 223, 8 October 1887, Page 8

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

AN EXCITING INTERVIEW. lUrs GoitnoN hastened off to Harrisburg with all possible expedition ; and, as she bade Ruby good-b\u, something of remorse seemed to stir her heart, for sho looked wistfully in her face and said : "!\ub>, .-oaieliow I cannot bear to go away and leave you. I wish you would come with me." "I do not think it would bo best. Besides, ihore would not bo time now, unless you rluiuld wait over another train, and — I Ihink I would rather go to Redville." "W-, 1 imagine you will be better off theio th-in atnwhme el&c," Mrs Gordon aiiM 1 , u<-d, thoughtfully. Thou >he threw her arms about her youny filter and kissed her with almost passionate tenderness. ThL-, t-vuklon news which she had ro■ceimi, and which seemed likely to result in the d*\ith of her own f-wourito sifter, had had a 'Oileiilng influence upon the proud woman, and .-ho began to feel a good deal of compunction foy the part she had taken against the fair girl whom she ought to have protected. Ruby acci'ptcd it as a good omen, and accompanied her to the door to give Thomas the nut,' that she had written to send to Mr Rugbies when who should drive up the avenue but that gentleman himself. Ruin w i=. never more glad to see a friend than sho u:u- to see him. Mrs (ioulon's hudden Hitting was explained, the last farewell said, and then she drew h' 'ii in. o the parlour with a sense of security and e'omfoit such as she had nob felt beioie in a long time. - But -he toald not get a moment alone with him, foy Edmund Carpenter followed them and peisistently remained in the room thioughout his call — thus Sho had no oppoitunii} to tell him of her discovery. She \\<^ aluiOat tempted once to bia-\e everything and reveal it in his presence, but biiL dieaded a scene, while thexe was a possibility that the young- man might not know a? much as she feared he did. She told aim that she had concluded to go to Red\:!le to stay with him for the present, md Mr Rugbies appeared much pleased »'. IJI her decision, only he said he hud iht :..'!, .I to go home that afternoon since he hnd a^eeitaincd that he could do Walter no 'joud until the time of his tml. _ " [ c\n be ready to go with you this afternoon,' Ruby said, eagerly. "I am not af aid of the :ain." "Bui I can wait until fair weather rather than i.ake you out in such a storm/ leplicd Mr Rugbies, considerately. "Plea-,0 do' not. I would lather go today," Raby interposed, nervously, and then Hushed, at. -he l called her own eagerness to get aw.".;, . Edim.nd Carpenter frowned, and set his teeth haid. He knew that she was anxious to be gone fiom hi 3 pre&enco which was hateful to her. Mr Rubles understood also, and ansv\ ered ■ " Ye- v w oil ; then we will take the four o'clock train, and I will send a carriage for you in ea«.on for it." '•Th.nk-; I will be ready," Ruby an=\vero I But as he arose to take his leave, «h' j b^an to get excited. Oh, ir -ho could oaly get one word alone with him, to tell him her secret, and ask him wli.it -h.? ought to do about it. But it: wa<! iinpo--sible, for the master of Forestvale foliov ed them to the door, and remained t l icio until the last woid was said. T sut atijr her fiiend had gone, and it was too late, -ho blamed herself for not having spoken win 1 .) she had the opportunity. She t' * r.eJ as the door closed after him, to go i!» ijt.iii'o to pack her trunk, but Edmund Carpenter came forward, laid his hand uj m l.cr shoulder with .something of an air f ' •mtaoiity, and said : " Mi - (ioi lon, I would like a few minute?' com cioation with you." Herlnaifc bounded into her throat, and s l ie mi^'it have loit her self - possession cntuUy, but that his familiar touch angered her po. She ci.vw back from him and lifted her head pioudly. '' Io it ?r.\ thii:g "cy °peci r il? I have all ray packing to do, you know," she said coldly. "It ih of so much imporance that J must insiif ; but 1 hope not to detain you many minute. Come into the parlour, if you please, a- what I wish to ?ay to you i-3 of a piivatc nature."' Ru'jy know now that there was to be war, and sh ■ longed for the protection of Mr Ruggle-. But s'-.e braced herself for the inters i3w, j-a^-ing on before him into the Ijarlour, where ho immediately locked the door. She turned upon him with flashing eyes at this act. " I consider this a very unncco- *ary proceeding, Mr Carpenter," she said haughtily. ''Ldoiw', begging your pardon for disagreeing with you," he replied, with a smile ot triumph. " But, to come to the point at once, Ruby — " ►She in i'!e an impatient gesture. (< J <'!>;e:t to being addressed so familiarly."' s'>o said, authoritatively. Edmund Carpenter laughed outright ab this, yi'e looked so pretty and *p» ited in her anger that he rather enjoyed arousing it. "Very well, Mi*s Gordon, if that suits you better," he replied. " Bu^t, as 1 said before, to come ab once to the point, I belies c you have something in your possession that belongs to me." " To what do you refer ?" she demanded, meeting his eye- .steadily, and not changing colour iji the least, although her heart way heahiv.% v. ith a rapidity that almost suffocated her. Her self-possession foafiled him somewhat, and he studied her face earnestly for, a moment "You know to what I ' refer," he anbweicd, speaking confidently. "A paper or doemnoufc that you found last night when you broke my desk/ " What paper ? What document ?" i ►She was determined to make him confess before f-he would acknowledge anything. " What is the use of pretending to be so j innocent?" he returned impatiently. "1 knew J>at you were Avatching me last night. [ know 1 betrayed myself, and now T want you to Lfive me "that paper. I know J you have ifc, because I have spent hours searching for it, and it could only have got aw.vy from fiat place in the de.sk by human agency. A fdhnv of exultation took possession of Ruby. : t ho had searched hours for what he wnr.'orl and had not found it, it was evident <hit .«ho had found a pretty secure hiding place tor ifc, and he would not be i likely v> lh\d it, even if &he was obliged to go away and Jeavo it still there until pli3 could get advice, or send some official to

take charge of it. Bub she was bound to hoar from his own lips the extent of his knowledge and guilt, and» with a Uttle shrug of tier shoulders and an uplifting of her eyebrows, she eaid, with tantalising persistency. "If you would please bd a Uttle more explicit, Mr Carpenter. What was the document to which you refer ? " •' My father's will, Miss Gordon, since I you are determined to make me say so, "ho I answered, with blazing eye;*, but with palo lips. " It is useless for you and me to play at cross purposes," ho went on, affcor aj moment ; ''for lam confident that you have found it, and that you are resolved to make the fact public. But that is something that I shall not allow, after all this time, if I can help it, and I insist upon your "ivincf it up to me."' "You have known over since Mr Ralph Carpenter's doath that his will was concealed in that dealt ?" demanded Kuby, without appearing to need what he had said last. "Yes." " Perhaps you even pufc it there yoursolf, Mr Carpenter?" "It was not all my doing,'' he confessed, his glance wavering before her clear, steady look. "It was partly by accident. It slipped down with a crash while I was examining some of my father's papers> and I simply allowed it to remain theroi" " That was very honourable !" Ruby said, with a curl of her red lips. " There never ought to have boon a will made,*' the man retorted, smllcnly, "and when fate slipped it down that hole, I could not get at ib without breaking the desk to pieces." " Would you havo given it to the public if tho accident had not occurred?" Ruby questioned, sternly. A lurid llush shot over her companion's face, and ho shifted his uosition uneasily. "No, you would not," she went on, in the same tone. "You would havo found some ofchor hiding-place for it ; or, perhaps, you might even have destroyed it, in order to have kept one, whom your father loved, out of the portion which you feared he had bequeathed to him. Yes " Ruby continued, in a clear, ringing tone, " T did find Mr Ralph Carpenter's will last night, and my h"i",t impulse was to give it directly to you ; but, remembering how much I had heard said about it — that some believed a great wrong had been done — which belief I confess to having shared myself, since knowing of your implacable hatred towards Mr Richardson — I resolved that I would try you first, I reasoned that it might possibly havo been an accident which might have occurred durinsr your father's Jife, and | of which you would thus be entirely ignorant. I felt sure that I could toll whether this was so by your manner when you should learn how I had broken your desk. If you betrajed no anxiety or knowledge, if you did not look for anything, I should have been convinced of your innocence, and would havo given you the document at once. But when you betrayed that you knew, I felt that such a course would be unwise, and I resolved to retain it until I could be j sure that justice would be done. lam afraid [ have made a great mistake, however. I think I ought to have told Mr Ruggles when he was here in spite of your presence. " " Where is that document, Miss Gordon ?" Edmund Carpenter demanded, with an evident effort- at self-control, while his face was absolutely devoid of colour. " Will you promise to have it probated at once if I v. ill tell yon ?" Ruby asked. '• No, I will not. It shall never bee the light of day, if I can prevent it !" he cried, in towering passion. "Do you mean that you intend to destroy ie?" " It is no matter what I mean ; but of one thing you may be very sure — that I will no\er &hare my inheritance with Walter Richaidaon," the young man affirmed, in a dogged tone. " It is a gieat crime to destroy a will," said Ruby. " It is a great crime to steal a will, Miss Gordon," he repeated, imitating her manner and tone. "You had better give it to me." " Even if I did, 1 could tell that 1 had found it ; 1 should do &o." "You would have to prove your statemerit, and, since you could not possibly have been so dishonourable as to read it " " No, indeed," she interrupted, flushing ; "I do not know one word that it contains." "Then yon could not prove how the property is to be divided," he sneered, but with a triumphant air. " Mr Carpenter, you arc arguing against yourself," Ruby replied, with dignity. "I shall not give you the will." " Oh, yes>, you will, Miss Gordon." • "Indeed!" " I shall compel you to do so," her companion retorted, in a tone and with a look that made her heart quail for an instant. [ She thought a moment, then she said : | "Mr Carpenter, I wi?h to do what is right about this matter, and I suppo&o it would faeem rather strange to have it found |in my possession. I will give it up to you in the presence of a third party." Her companion suppressed an oath. He saw that he had made a great mistake in allowing his anger to get the better of him ; but he never could bear t6 be opposod in anything. He might have temporised with her — promised anything that she asked ; and when he had once got the will in his possession, he would not have hesitated to burn it before her eyes, and then let her prove, if she could, that such a document had existed. It would have been a doubtful question to settle, while no one would have been tho wiser as to its contents. After a few moments, however, he said : " Very well, I accept your condition. I will call Thomas, who has just returned from tho station, and he shall be the third 'party." "1 should prefer that you would call Mrs Coxon," Ruby said, and remembering for the first time that sho had not seen tho housekeeper that morning. " Mrs Coxon is not at home to-day," Mr Carpenter answered. He had been afraid that .Ruby would make a confidante of her, so he had posted her off at an. early hour to superintend the cleaning of his bachelor apartments in tho city, and she would not be back until evening ; meantime, he was determined to secure and destroy the will — after that sho might tell whom she pleased. " I am sorry," Ruby said, greatly disappointed, for she knew that Thomas was completely under his master's thumb, and would doubtless swear to suit him, " for, in that case, I shall feel obliged to wait until I can see Mr Itugglcs again." Edmund Carpenter was in despair. He saw that Ruby was resolute ; he had not believed that she possessed a tithe of such determination. "I shall not permit you to remove your trunk to-day," he said, angrily, imagining that she might have the document concealed in it. " Very well," sho returned, quietly ; " I presume you will allow me to take a few necessary articles in a travelling bag ?" " Yes ; but I must sec you pack them,"

The young girl's lipa c mledwithsoQrn nofc unmixed with amusement. "Thank you," she returned. "I will pack them in tne presencobf one of the servants, and yourself, if you desire." "Ruby Gordon," he cried, "I believe that document is concealed about your person !" His - eyes glowed fiercely, and he took a step or two toward her, as if to searcli her for it. With the ability of a squirrel she flew to the bell-rope and rang a sounding peal that woke the echoes through the house. Then she turned upon him her face blazing with indignation. , C"-J' " Do not dare to come a step nearer !" rt she cried dauntlessly. * c You forget that the door is locked, Miss Gordon, and no one can come to your aid," he said, with an evil smile. " You will unlock it at once, or" I will cry for help, and arouse every servant in the house, and proclaim the truth before them," she retorted defiantly. He knew she would do as she said, and, as a stop sounded in the hall, he walked to the door, with a crest-fallen air, and unlocked it, for ho did not wish a scene, and, besides, another plan was taking form in his mind. The next moment a maid appeared. " Mary," snid Ruby, turning with one of her winning smiles to the girl, " I am going away this afternoon. Will you come upstairs and help me do some packing ? ' " Indeed 1 will, miss, " was the ready repiy- " Bid I understand that you wish to superintend the work, Mr Carpenter?" Ruby asked, with sarcastic politeness. " No ; pack and take away whatever you like," he answered, turning abruptly upon i his heel, and leaving the room ; tor ho had become convinced that the will was concealed about her person, and he must adopt some other measure to secure it. Ruby uttered a sigh of lelief, and sped nimbly upstairs to her work, but feeling afraid she would bo obliged to go away after all without her treasure, for she should I not dare attempt to get it while the man I was in tho house.