CHAPTER XLIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 254, 11 April 1888, Page 3

CHAPTER XLIV.

\ 111 \ 1 I,\ I lON 111 was so pic occu])U (I with m- own thuushl- on li.nni'i the huu-e that ho aliuo-1 i.tu a^am-l ,i man who (aine up tv tin lit lie 'Mtr |u-,t as In: \\a- ojx-nni^ ll " Hallo, u li.n 'tic \uu doing lie ic '. the i stiannei' -aid, in miil\ am! -(uiidiunkui ' tone*. IK did noi locoynise (he \one '" \ in, I like (In- ' L think tin- i- putt} cool ' What ;n c _>on coining aboul heie tui .' Lindsay -. inv| impulse was to sei/e the follow by the neck and kick him into the middle ot the load; and undouLlodlvtii.it/ wi\< what, would ha\o happi ned but that the man .sia<^<i< rod toiwaid a *>tcp, bnni;nijX hi^ tacc mine into the taint lighfc sent along ironi a lamp at the, eomei. I'hen a iln-.li ot houoi went, thiou^h LiniUaj '^ tmine, htnking' liim inotionle-!>. Ntupoljiny him, and leaunu him only with the mfetiuetixe (Icternimation fco bar the way a^ainsl this drunken wied'h- cnn.inee into Sabina -. home. 'LMiat was all he could think of; thcie \vn& no tune to i'cad|iiht other maU/Ci^ in hib own mind : how to ,vet fchis man awa) , quietly that was (he immediafe tiling. " 1 should think on had a longer story to tell than I have," Lind.-ay Mid, with an aflectation ot good humour, "t'onv, let u.s go o\er (/(; Uk 1 t'Jieclcoi.s <md ha\e a dt ink. "The CheckeiM '', Not J I'm a dead man.'' Then he added with a bit of a guttuial laugh : " l>ut it would be. worth a ti\or to walk in all the kudo, Wouldn't old Mother What's-her-namc shuck ' ; Wouldn't her libbons stand on end ?" The cuhc was growing de.speiate ; ior the women within mig-ht hear this talking" at the gate. And if drink would not entice him away, whnfc would ? Ot a hiiddcn Lindsay remembered what Janie had told him lib to the ordinary motive of Foster's \ kits hither. " What have you conic back for ? Money ?" " What's that to you '!" he said, with a feudden return to his sulky manner. " And what, are you doing 1 hove ? That's what I want to know." " Because, if it wsit, money, 1 would lend you a hundred or two — ii you knew a good horse to back." Foster hesitated. "Walk down to the station with me, and we will talk it o\cr,'' Lindsay put in, dexterously ; and then he passed out,

quietly shutting the gate, and the two men .set out along the dark road. " Money from you ?" Foster said, with a mock assumption ot dignity. " No. I can make moucj for my.soif . What do you take me for? What do J want with your money? But I won't bear any malice. You woie a kind of sweetheait ot my wilo\s before she married, woien'tyou ? Oh, well, that's all right. And sho'» all light. C.o-ar's wife— above suspicion-- that's all right. But I'll tell you what I'll do for you -I'll put you on to a real good thing been a moral ever since the weights were out. I wonder at you fellows who Lave money and get no hm'for it. What's youife in ? Consols 1 suppose. Ground-rents and rubbish of (hat kind buried in a gra\e. Well, you gi/emethe two hundred, three hundied, h\e hundred, what you like : and you'll jris,i i see .something on the 17th ot March next. It's Wednesday the 17th of Match that's yot to make a man ol me. F've been undei a cloud long enough. J'm going to emerge then — cmoigo is the woid — in splendour. Then she can make it up with Sir Anthony. It she doesn't, 1 don't care. I shall ha\e made him sei ye my turn -and he may kick up any shindy he likes— it won't hurt me Lindsay let him babble on in thi^ way almost unheeded : he was busy wish his o.vn lapid plans. For if only he <-ould cany Foster up (o London with him, there and then, ho could got Sabina to set out toilhwith for Buckinghamshire, where she would be safe fioin peisceution. That she knew that Ko-ter was alive he did not doubt ; cleat lv that Mas the .story she had (o tell Jaiuo. Oi course it wa» all a ni\-tety to him as jet; the one definite thing beioie him wa- to try to gnc her the chance oiieailnng some haven of shelter. \oi did U oceui to him that he wa- assuming a iemarkabl\ bold and unusual ic-pon--ibihl\ m thus mtei posing to keep separate hu-band and w lie. Foi one thing he had no time to ie ( lec(. it came naturally to him to think ol Sabma in it : -he was to be guaided w hatevei else happi ned. And for i uuot her llunir, he haidly considcied the I euatuie beside him to be a nvin at all - j ( ( i taiuly not one w ho-c w i-he-, projects or allai' - (ould bo ng.uded a- ot anj account wha'cu i, -o long, dt lta-t. as he coidd be kt pt out ot the wa\, . fie looked ,il hi- wa*eh, the clem -tai - light ju-t enabling Inm t> make out the t mil' " That - bad iuok. -lu-t mi-Mid it '" he -aid " Mi—ed ,\ hat hi-- companion -aid, \aguel\ 'Oh, weU. \ on see. a- tin- tian-action 7ii. * \ h( a i)ig tiimu, and a- 1 know ne\t to nollmm «>t lacing matteis, 1 thought jon might, ha\e inn up to town with me. and ; had a bil of dinntu ,-oinewheie. to talk it o\ci. Hut wait a moment - 1 ha\ c not he.ud fhe tiam pat- — peihap- it'- late — come alono, we uia\ catch it jet He did not wait tot the othei scon-cut; and Ko-tor - mind w.i-> too concent lalui on Th< % pio-peel ot getting thi^ inom.\ to pc-i-i ' i\e thai, he wa- bem<_> hiuried on to London in -pile (,t luin-elt. '• \ c-«, theie -ho come- 1 " Linci:-a\ cued - -h.iMiig |u-t caught Mght ot a led ilaie cominti iapidl\ tluouuh the d irkne-s. ' liun\ ui> ' — we -hall |u-t do it He had but a -ccond in which to get his ticket, then he noticed that as Fostei fjuu kl\ oio.ssed the platloiin he held his handkeiohief u> in- ta< c ; tin no\t moment the --'' two wen in a lailwaj eaiiiage. by them-tl\e-, ontl.en way to London i'eihap- thi- luuiietl m-h had -obeied Po'tei a In tie. ' i -a\ . n hat'- all tJn-. about"' he said, lathei anui il\ . ami a-> if he weie awukmu out oi .i -iiupoi " What - the i.-«eot going to London 1 ' J doi.'t come down heic to go n^lu liai k to London — like a tool I want ed t \ pluiiit ion^ oh, )e-, 1 vintflljou luk an tv) li.im ni.iih i- ckucil up mm It wa-. all \ei \ udl u hen i w a- o\er ar rsicv— <4ood c \cu-c no letter- — but that wot/l do now Look heie. w hiit l- ihe good ot Mi-innp aw .in liki tin- V" And then he .-ci nictl to uy to pull him-elf togetheu. "Oli \u- The monej. Thai n bu-i-i ic"- — It - bu-iiu.^- it \ uu mean bu-ines-? — '•()[ com-,, i ■want to talk it o\<n," Lnui a^ -aid. ' '! hai - butnaluiai. '■ f> n't \(ik t'\pei I me to blab ' Fei-ter -aid, wu'i i gk.un ot c'uniun<i m the bcda//liMi o\ c-. "1 know when l'\eh'd.vn exliadniik llwar>atu'i the lon<i j >uine\ - and the bea-lU colil- ant! fome ot the l)o\- wtii aliout la-t night. J'mt I don't blab \o lioi-i'- name will pa-- m\ lips not (hough 1 u.i- blind. A line thing jou wou'd nicdit' ot \\ , inching into the open miikct, and b.iwhii_ tin" anim d'- n.mu all o\ei the ]>kue. It on want the ihiug done on the quiet, then jon mu-ttui-tto me Tlieie 1 - moio in it than -win think — it '-a gloat game that's being placed -t,'"d m wuh u- — \on wont regret it - i-i-luii; join biead upon the watei.-. that'v h it n l- " The la-t .-eiiieme- had been mumbled: then lie tin lied hi;-, head to the comer, and ,dmo-! illicitly wa-ia-t a-leep And now Lmd-a> had time to think of ttahina, and ot him-elt, and of certain wi-t-ful hope- IliaL had been tlm- uidcly dispelled ilan\ thing- weie now clear enough to li'in < > -peciall\ the eolclue— "\\ lib hn li ->Ut l\.\<.l iwonod him on his tn -I \i-il to Wit-tead It wa- the sudden pen! ot her child th.in had startled her out ot that, icpelluit attitude; she wa- glad to ha\e hi- help in lv i time of -oie need : nor had -he -how n hei*>elf unuratefnl. Hut what could Sabina m^an by -ayinii tliaf. when he knew e\or^ thing, he would probably consider hoi a.- no longei lit to be hi* friend — that he would pa-- her b> a- a stiangci '' That w -i- -o \eiy likely ! En en suppofinu tli it -he had lent her-clf a party to tin- deLCption —well, doubtles- she had sntluMent iea=on-. How h,id he -uilered by it He had nothinu to forgive. If he had known that Fo-ter wa- alive, he would lta\e been e\eiy whit a- glad and cagci to beotc\cry ])o.— lble service to her. for her own hake, ft "\\a& not a? her lo\er that he had hi ought down tloweis for the little giav- . It was? not ;it< her lover that he was now carryina 1 otV this -cmi-di nnken creature to London, togne her time to escape into l^nckmgham-h u - o. As Ln him-elf -well, that did not much matter. He had grown accmslomed to fchink thai, htowas. rather a disappointing kind of thing, a useless kind ot thing. But the meetings of the Monks ot St. (iile.s, in the jNcw York hotel, were amusing. And someone there had told him that the co.i.-t ot New Granada olVeied some (-.hiking material for the landscape painter. LVrhaps ho could get one or two companions to make a small par y of exploration Anyhow, a trip across the Atlantic would be a break ; and the evenings in the .-moking-room were Ming, with the humours of the merry bagmen, in their playing ot poker, or getting up of rallies. When they got to Waterloo S.tation, Foster woke up — looked tla/od, and t>tupid, and helpless. Lindsay called a hansom. " Wait a minute— l nm&t have aB. & S," the former -aid. " Norv-euso, man — just before dinner — you'll blow your head oIt'!" "1 know what'll put mo straight," he said, as Lindsay followed him into the refreshment-room, to keep an eye on him. " Oh, you needn't imagine 1 drink. 1 don't. I couldn't afford it. I've got my living to earn — somohow. But my nerve

isn't what ifc used to bo. How could you j expect ifc ? A run of bad luck like mine ! would ruin anybody's nerve ; because, of course, you get anxious to make the most ol a chance when it comes in your way. Why, at the pigeon-shooting match at Monaco the other day. I should have been in third for the championship if I had only steadied myself with a good stiff brandy and soda before the last shot. A horrible miss — because I was in a ghastly funk, I suppose. Well, here's better luck !" Now the effect of this drink was speedily apparent, in an unexpected way. He ceased those wandeung confidences to one who was almost a stianger to him ; he became quite watchful and wide-awake : by the time they had reached the Gaiety Restaurant and secured a private room thete, and when ho had made a plentiful use of cold water in the lavatory, he aupearcd to have shaken off his stupefaction altogethu-. Jn the meantime Lindsay had withdrawn fora few moments to send off a couple ot telegrams — one to his houseKeeper's substitute at Notting-Hill, the other to Janic, begging hei to Fee that Sabina set out at once for Buckinghamshire, and 1o retain Mrs Reid at Witstead. " .So you have been on the Riviera?" he if lid to Foster, when he returned to the loom. And now he perceived that Foster was tegarding him in a scrutinising way — as if tor the first time he was realising how he came to be in a restaurant in London, with <i loimer rival as his host. •'Oh, yes," he said, with affected carelessness. " There was plenty going on tlit'i c. Steeplecha&ing at Nice — pigeonshooting — "' '• And the tables at .\lonto Carlo?" "No," Foster said coldly. " I am not such an ass. Of course, ii i had plenty of money, I should enjoy an occasional plunge; but the percentage against you is a kind of mechamcnl thing that there's no u^e fighting. The tiuth is, I went to Nice as a kind of business trip. Theie's someone there who is a partner of mme — at least she's in the same swim ; and 1 had to go and see her. And then he looked still more scrutiniringly at Lindsay. •• J say, my good fiicnd, how did you con.c to bo at Witstead tln-3 evening." % My irood friend, as you put it, that is a \( i\ odd question," Lindsay observed ; and In met the other's look with one that plainly sai.i " utter a woid of suspicion and I'll fell you.'" It was an odd position for two men whir v ere just about to tit down to dine with each other. " Still, if you wish to know, I happened to pay an afternoon call. My headquarters at) present are at Burford budge— l am painting there. I ha\e been a good deal at Witstead, during this time ot tumble — whine one might have expected to find you, I think. However, you may ha\ c had your leasons for remaining away ; but when I called on Jame and Mrs Foster thin afternoon, imagining that Mis Foster \\a>- a widow and not a wile — though I should have called in any case, and I hope, $><nted good fr ends with her— still, if there wa-> any mistake, you know where the blame lv s."' ' He s-poke very clearly; here, evidently w;is a man who did not mean to be bullied. Foster mumbled out something about the fol'y of taking a simple question seiiously ; and at this moment the waiter app ared, bunging m the scip. ■' Xmv to business," said Foster — who appaiently had become quite sober, though thcie was still a curious, half- bewildered look in his eyes. ' v I tell you I have a g^od thing — how much do you propose to put into it ?"' '■ That would depend on the inducement - and on the iea»onable safety of it," was ilu' \ei^ un.-poitmanlike answer. " 1 don't know w hat jou mean by leason.•iblo safety," Fo&tei said, peevishly. " Vs i m not talking about Bank of England .-Mi.tUo; we're talking about racing' If ihe t'nug was an absolute certainty, where would \ou get the odds? Do you mean business? or not '! — or have I come away up hoe on a wild-soose chase ?" " 1 hope not ; but I want to know a little mote o. early how the land lies,' 1 said Lindsi\ — who ically \uk considering what e\c use could be made for detaining him in tow n. "1 won't tell you the name of the hoi-e. " '" It would be no u^c to me if you did." " 1 will tell you the race if you like — the Lincolnt-hne Handicap, 17th March, there \oii aie ; and there you will be, landing a pile, it you stand in with us. But we want (lie money now, when we can get good puces ; and I will fahly tell you that the yamo N to be played on the principle ot no questions a^ked. That's honest now. That'- \our risk. And I won't piomise you that, u the hoise wins, you will be paid the odd* you would iind" quoted iv the m.uket at this present moment. What would content you now '! ' " I it-ally don't know," Lindsay said " foi T am quite in the daik in such matlet t. But that would make it all the more -unple — I mean it 1 went in at all, 1 should go into it at a pure gamble, and leave the w hole thing to you. If I attempted to hed^e, or anything of that kind, I should doubtless make a complete mess of it. No, 1 am inclined to o0o 0 in blindfold ; or rather, 1 :imi clined to let you go in for me." " To what tune ' •• 1 should want a little time about that. W here could I see you to-moirow ?*' '• 1 will call on you any hour you like. It will be two hunched, anyway." Lindsay hesitated. He knew quite wel that it was as likely as not he would never see a farthing of his money again — he had seen too often in his life the result of these " good things " and "morals." But it was neee^aiy that the inducement hung before liter's eyes to keep him in town for perbaps several days, should be sufficiently lai ge. Two hundred pound? ?- it seemed a pity to throw it away. Then he thought of Sabina, «ate in the shelter of the old man's house down in Buckinghamshire. And he had no kith or kin of his own. " Yes, I think I can guarantee two hunched." he said, (live me your address and I will telegraph to you to-morrow when to come and sec me, if you can make it convenient. I suppose you will be in town all day. " Foster pencilled hit, add t ess on an en* velope, and Lindsay put it in his pocket. Foi that next day, at all events, there was security. Thereafter, during the course of the little banquet, Fred Foster endeavoured to make himself very amiable, perhaps out of giatitudc for this promise of money. He ate next to nothing, and drank veiy little; but the little he did drink had an effect on him that Lindsay could not iv the least understand. He relapsed into his maundering garrulity : and then grew comatose ; and finally got up and said that as he had suffered terribly from sleeplessness of late, and now felt that he could drop oft at once, ho would go straight home and go to bed. Lindsay was not loth to see him depart; probably no t\\ o more ill-assorted comrades ever sat down at one table together. And then he also went home. (To be Continued.)

Young Man : "Dearest Alice, I love you I Will you bo mine ?'' Alice: "Bub where I shall wo go for our honeymoon ?" I