CHAPTER XLVII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 257, 21 April 1888, Page 4

CHAPTER XLVII.

\ k\Kl,l, (H DOOM Om evening, toward** nine o clock, Piod Fo-tei called at. (he Noithein Counties Hotel, Jermyn , asked to see Mrs Fair-etwee, and wns show n upstauv to hoc sitting mom. Appaionlly .-he had pi-t finished dmnei ; de.-sert was still on the table : mid she had gone to the lireplaee, beioie which she \n,v- -4-andinu, with an e\emng paper m her hand. She w as-;,mai 11\ dte-.sod. her yellow hair tosplendent ; and she woie .1 -trmt; of brilliants round her neck. ' I'm i»l.id \mi\o e<»me,' -h< said, thiow ing -l-^itlo the pipei wl'\e pi en (a to tell joii, And to ha\e a |ock dining with you, who im'i neithei eat 1101 dunk, nni -peaU <> woid unle— )nu got it out of him with a , eoiU.-cre '■v, ist\ t inueh tun \nd I\e [ plmt,\ to t,tlk about., too. Thoie, helu \oinv l!) to siime ume -the eigai - aic on the ! top ot the piano She.seemed a little bih excited • Then that wa-Joe Cauth 1 pa->< d 111 the hall ''" lie .-aid. • Ye- ll.' - iii to Km it -*• to--. ' I thought it looked like hi- Ikmih . but. he wenl b\ ijuiekU , w ithout ,1 \\ 01 d Well, what- the new- In* a-k"d, pouisug out Miim rli.uupnuuf with no \ei \ -loads, j hand i • Win, |iist tin -aiue old no>\-, niitln-i moie 1101 !o--,' -In said . but tli ie wa- a .-uulvMil tinuuph about tlic thin, )),u<\ lip-, and 111 lMe -teel} bluoe\o'K\ en tiling is Moms.' boiuh ul . and it 1 haxent im>' hold ot Cluuhr Himk'm! tintune, it- piell\ queoi Oh. i don t -as 1 \<m ha\en t done \oui -!■ ue w< 11 cnoti<_r!i ; but when <u\ ft lend ('h.ulie <_;oe- -ma-h ho it ha\<" a pi ot t \ 14mm urn-- nlm dul the rink loi lnni \nd \s n U a -lift ot lurk it w.i-.' the moment Joe Canth 1 onto-- 1 dto 1110 th.it I'd bettoi not back M.i-iri ot Ko\, i 1 what thes weio up 10 'Win, .In. ." I --aid 'n- a moial. it thatlun-e is H'M' u tan. and sou know it 1- ilo Jwo-.iHut ,ii)M\ii that ' \ 011 10 l:i>id'; in ilo-. tiio 1 ,ii 0 1- that i'.omt'd- littl* I t_> n.ie ' -a> - 1 Hut no. the nnininiilied little eivatuie W( iu!dn I -a) oik tlunn 01 atn>thei it \ou onl) knew me ftonble 1 had to eoik-eiew the tiuth out ot him. and indeed it wa-onU m.d- and wink- he would ui\e And how oloarU thes ha\e managed it' Who would iinaumo that Charlie IVinaid, opeuh baokin^ Ala>ter ot l'o\ to win tho Lmoolnshiio Handicap and the on, too- wa- la\ mu a<, rain-t the hoi-e b\ i.oimni--ion, quiet 1) and uenth. but raking evcnthinn the public Nit inclined to oilei And we ,ne jn that public, Ma-tei Fieddie, -he con tinned, w lth a laiiLfh "\Ne <u e,iinon<,'-t the pool innocent uull- We au putting out little bit- on, and e\ei>onc know- t fit t,n oui ite w ill win ; and woie lejoicin^at tl>» ))• o-j,oc to t the 5; ■Men -o\oiei^ru- beit\j^ handed o\ei, when behold ' -oiiutlunf: uoewiony with M.i-iei ot llov, oi .U>e Canth dots ,1 liLtle bit of lofdi.^, 'md In'- do>Mi at the foot ot the poll. 01 out ot it altooot,ln ' The .loekcs (bib make a to--; and their- 1-a talk m bin in w -p.ipn- •. l>ut nothing (.in be |/i<ned • .tnd in the mem time Cbailie Mernaid h.i- -cnopcrl 111 ihe guineas, and put him-elt on hi- k^;- a^am Yci\ tri>c>\l : that's all irjht She lan^- the bell foi -oine tea ' J tolr! \ou all tlii> va\ thiou^h that Vwi naid w>- a fool, -he eoutiiiiiod, talking l.ipidU and r\> itedl\ ' Hi>- run ot '_ rood luck turned his head- h*' thought ho ( nuldn L do w lotiii : then, nln 11 tiuu<^-did 00 a bttlo bit bar! with him, lie 10-t hlhcid the otln 1 w,.^, and Ivoi'ii plunumj,' 1 to reeo\-i him-cH, South \tiiean dia niond mni'-' ho 011 think I -hould ha\e }<- 1 htm touch South A fncai) di tmond mini-, if 1 Irid liad -mythin^Lo do with luall.in-' I uouldn t h;i\e helped all In- ill luck. 1 coiildn t lia\e helped Tt inoncll.i uointr d-tid lame—j mil went twebo liun died guinea- then: but I could ha\etold him to keep to thmir- lie knew -oinot.hin^' about All the bettei toi me now. lie 1 - ju-t walking blmdfolde.i into tin. ti.ip 1 have set 101 him ; <uid when if snap- on hianklt h' j 11 think the lilm\ un-and th< e.'ith ha\t < omo to tm oncl 100 to 14-lhat'-iifl\ odd- to lay n^iun-t. the la\onnte. Kmcii ' She took up the p.ipei. ' ' \,','i-ter ot ]\o\ conTinues to -jiow in public appreciation: and Mi Heniaid 1- conhdoub in hi- abiht\ to win Hut U» - a deal safti to bet on hi- 10-ni£. if you can tiu-t. \oui jockey to lope him. Pooi Joe l- you wouldn't belic\e tin trouble I\e h.'ifl with him. Ilehasalwa\s been on the -rpuiie, he maintained ' Vcn, well,' «a>- I. 'why should I ha\c an\ bothei about persuading 1 \ou to tide this race hone-t''' 'It will be selling the says he. pulling a melancholy face. ' Hane; the '" saj^ 1. 'That- my tip—straight Sei\e- him right toi tning to -windle the British public. Wtuit can he do to you ' Nothing ou 1 ide (ho lioi^e to win ; and win it. must, and shall what ( m lie complain of \N ould ho like to haxeyou round on him ' And can't, you ha\o your excuse road\ ' Tell him you meant to pull the hoi-e -but that it cot the mastery ot you at the finish — anything you like- do you think he would date to -a\ a word v Xot he.' (ioodnes^ me, the trouble I had to got a jock to promise to ride fair, who had been up till now as innocent as fi babe —according to his own account. But L did it. I've »ofc Joe Cantly as safe as the bank. And it isn't only the tour thousand to nothing the horse wins — though that is a tidy little sum in itself. lAc crot him, I tell you —he won't play hanky-panky with me. ' She had been becoming more and more vehement, and her eyes were .spaikling. ' I can sec his face. Charlie Bernard is the wor.st lobei 1 ever saw. I hope the barmaid will be with him —that would be the best of all—and of course he'll be pretending that he is cock-sure Master of Roy will come romping in—perhap.s he'll be backing him for a little bib—just to show ofl —and make people certain that everything is fair and straight. Then ho'll watch them come sweeping along—quite indifferently, you know-oh, yes, quite indifferently—-until I the crowd takefb up the cry—' Master of Roy ! Master of Roy !'—my heavens, I can see his face this moment In her vehemence &he snapped in two the paper-cutter she was holding in her hands ; she flung the fragments in the Hrc. And then she turned angrily towards her companion. 'Why don't you speak? Good heavens, man, yon are as bad as the jock ! Haven't you got anything bo say ?' Thus admonished, Fred Foster put aside his cigar for the moment,: he did not seem 1 in an alert mood,

' H. will bo a facer for Charlie Bornard,' ho said. ' A iaoor V sho repeated scornfully. \lt will be an otcrnnl smash — that's more liko it. And you think ho will be ablo to woigh in on settling day ? 1 think not. 1 think t.hoio will bo a few littlo arrangements and some trilling arrears. I'll tell you what 1 should like to see someday — Charlie Be) - n.'ird presenting himself with his joekoy at the scales, and having slipped before his nose a nice little telegram from Messrs Weathoi by to tho Clerk of the Courso, saying that until the previous forfeits are paid .Mr Boruaul had hotter loturn to his own humble domieilo. That's what they call a il( iioin iih »/ : and home he goes, horse, and joeU, and all, and beats tho barmaid out of spile. Well, i can't talk about it any moic jiust now- -it kiiullos mo up a bit too much. Talk about something okc. Whcie\s your wife?' ' I told you,' he said, rather sulkily. ' She is staying with my father in Buckinghamshiio." 'Docs he believe you're <i dcail and bui K'd 00l pM' ''' ' No, ol I'oiihc not. What had lie to do w iih it ' it was. i pietty dangeiou- prank to play, u\\ ti loud " 1 was dr-peiaic,' he mumbled. 'And it ser\ed 1113 tuin anyway. It's wondeitul how ameu.ible people become when you cm show them .i hit. of the leady m youi hand f mi<_jht have had more, too, but fi»i tho litlh' chap d) ing — another stioke o! l).i I luel.-thon she threw the whole tiling up, and tliat «amc w,i- played out. Bnl it -ei\td mo .it. Iho tune ' Well.' shr -aid. in a mm Limj; u a^ , 'theio-< nothinj; I like -o nnu.li Inwas display -ot mil in al aileetion. It s&o .iwiully innocent and nico. 1 loinombci when 1 met you at Soarboumgh, I couldn t help l,ui'_dHii<4 when you told mo you weie a papa \la-lt i Fteddio Fostci •( papa ' And I wondeieu how you would -uppott the (haiatlei. But 1 suppose \ou ro.dly \\<ie -in i \ when tho bo) died — w hen you lound \mi eouldn t -new au\ more money out ni \ inn Kit in" > -in law ' x i on nu\ a- well leave m\ domestic >o1, it uni- alone — the;, \c not nothing to do w ith you. '()!;, \ou noodn I bo ltl-tempeied .ibout it, -he said, w ith an etleetation of gaiety. ' Come, let's hoai what >ouie to do w hen tho gioat haul come- oil. Settle vis all lomid, <u> down ami pacity the old man, linn (uruei ;ui<l yum mangold lleally 1 don I think you could do beltxi. You'll ne\ ' l do much at the great uamo U< ( (lightened. Hole when >ou could e,et on M.istei of Ro> at. 100 to S, )ou wcie still hoMtatin<_j aliout e\eiy miserable n\er ' 'Well, theirs no mom hu^itatinjr now," -ani he laliioi blankls " Va oi \ fai tlunu r 1 i ould hog oi iuiiii/W is launched in thi>w mi : ami I nm-f -a> .Johnin Ku-'-ell -rood h\ nu> bk< a man. Doane, too — well, it'- wondeitul how thc> bobe\e m you when ■you c.in put \nui hand in your pocket and show thorn a tow -oveieigns • Wh.it an 1 you goimj to do, then, when it eomo- o(l "'' -ho lopoated. "Is it ti) bo the Mine old jiau.e ''' • The In -t tiling » s this,' -aid ho. l l\e had a piett> bad<h-ii tune oi it toi the last \ v.iv or eit;hti en mouths- ;i tat in a drnin pipo-oitot o\i-tenec Well, wiiou I iind m>-(lf on ray lei;- a'iaiu. 1 think I shall lie entitled to a little amu-rmonl ' \nd theie'- onl\ the one j>l<u c m Kuiope fot tint, niul 'he, piomptly, 'and that, MontoCailo i)id>oti e\or find a ([uai tbi ot an houi h.m{rhoa\\ onjoui hand- theio ' luc ci did In the daj-tuno walk- and dine- in th.it delicious an — oi boating-- or piffeon-*hootin^ toi you ; mu-ie in the afternoon : pionienade cuneei ts in tho e\eniii'_; ; watchmjr thr ta!)le-, and puttinjr on <i Uno(i.iuc nio(L now anrt ap,aiu ju-t foi fun. The hotels aic not dear : jim moot the mo-t liiUio-lim: pMiplc- uell, ) call it pi-t a Ik.i\(m'\ |»!ace it \on ha\o stion^tii ot nock enough to keep back horn uamblinjr And 1 think a moicilul pioMdcme Joi ha\in^ -uk wi d on m\ head pietty st taij^ht • .\ic \ on e(,ii)f_r "' She l.iuuhi d Ii o-, in oih> ot two capacities it o\tiythin^ ( omes oil all n^ht well, it wont be (jiiHt a toituno toi me. foi my Ijol ot loui lhoiisand to nothmn with .100 Cantl} will h.no to come out of it ; lmtit will ho a ta J ,> -am and I shall t>oat my .self to a bit of a -pice Then take it the othei wa>. S\i|>posimj that my faithful |oek .should afrci all p'a> tho intruc, or ,stippo.-inL r that Mattel of Uo\ .should come luinbei m^.ilonrj the latohno Mile at (lie tail end ot the lot ■' ' Oh, what is the use ot }oui talking like that ''" ho s,ud to.-til\. Sin, looketl at him with a kind of compassionate SCO! .1. ' ou h.i\en 1 the ner\e ot a mou-o - unle-- when you've halt stupilied witii chloiotoim, oi whatever itis\ou'ir killing Noui^ell with Well, 1 like to lace ihinjjs. I i on.sidoi m\-elf laf her a woman of bu.sjno--, don't \ ou know And you may be sutc that 1 have made my little disposition- ; -o that if by some hoiiiblc inihchanee the woist comes vo the worst, i shan't be quite dcad-bioke. Next Wcdnesd;iN will find mo at tho Lord Warden Hotel at Do\oi — 1 shall ha\e a (eleyram in theaitomoon — if it. i* satisfactoi} --well, 1 , \acato tho premises: tliat/s all. Slio glanced at hiai a^ain. 'What will you do?' 'Jn that ease ' L can't think of it !' he said, with hazard eyes. 'J wish these next few days wcic over, it'. 1 - maddening work, waiting on and on ; and you can't drive the houis a bit fastci. It's at nip-ht that it's most horuble -J don't believe 1 ever sleep moie than half an hour at a time ; and every time I wake it's with a start, and a tancy that '■omcoiie is in tho room bim<jin[i some hirrhttul news.' ' And yet you txo on taking that beastly stuil '" .-ho said. ' If J didn't, I shouldn't got any sloop at all,' he answered eloomilj. 'But this won't last.' ' No, it won't,' &he said, significantly. ' 1 mean that alter ne\t Wednesday there will bo no need ol it. I .shall pull lound after that - get aw ay somew here —take moi c exercise, and that, kind of thino. It; is meioly anxiety that has been a little too much foi my nenes — theio will be no anxiety at jMonte Carlo, if L should lollow you theio— except oxer a live- franc piece, n« you .suggest ' [ wouldn't .advise your goin^ much to tho tables, even as an onlookei,' she observed. ' Did 1 lisk a single napoleon when I was over thcie that last time ?' he demanded. 'No, probably not; but thoro wore leasons why you should .save up every fai thing. So you are thinking of coming over to Monte Carlo too? That is, of course, it we pull this thing oil' successfully. But if not f 'It's no use talking about that,' he said, peevish h, . 1 Haven't you the courage to face the possibility ?' she said as a sort ot taunt. ' Yon haye — because you are perfectly certain that Master of Roy is going to win. You can tace twenty do/cv possibilities when you don't believe in them. But what is tho use of talking about them ?' ' They may be hocuseing the horse at this very minute,' she said. 1 Why, they are taking precautions about him as if he were first favourite for the Derby — It's quite notorious. Part of

Chavlio Bornard's game, of course : the public avo suro of a Avinnor this time, and they arc to be led on. A hundred to fourteen — it s swinging odds to have to pay up.' ' Yos, but suppose the backers are bit, after all ?' she insisted, ' What will you do then, my poor Freddie ? What refuge wiH yon (iy lo from tho wrath to come ?' ' It'H my last chancoin England,' he said, gloomily. 'If it doesn't go right, then I'm oil, for good. L suppose .Jack Kussoll would pay my passage to Australia.' ' Australia ?' she repeated. ' What good would you do there V Ln Australia they want people who cm work.' Then suddenly she altered her tone. l ('omo, come, I won't torment you any more, i only wanted to see how far down into your boots you could get, for you can gut turther than any human creature I know. Wa'vo up, man ! What's the matter with you .' Or what's the matter with the champagne that you won't touch ib V Has it gone Hat v Never mind, let's see if we can't lind something more to your mind." She went to tho cellaiet in the .sideboard, and got out soino brandy, and bi ought { o\or the oigais. ' There,' she said, ' help yourself. And I will make my humble apologies lor frightening you. Oi course it's all right? Did a ! jockey o\ei net such a chance before? — I IXI,OOO ior lidinu honest! Of course you'll i Master of Koy come romping in — or [ lathei, you'll hoar— for I don't puppo&o you I aie going down to Lincoln, arc you ? And don't imagine that 1 mean to cros?> the channel it it come-, of] all right— not at oner, I mean. Oh, no ' I'm coming back to London I want lo hoar how things arc going with Ma-^Lei Chaihe. I should like to taku a run down to Doneastcr, and go diiviuii about, on tho chance ot seeing the bat maid. Not that 1 caie a pin-point— a baimaid ' - lie's welcome ; and so is she —to all the diamond^ she'll ever get out of the South Ahican mine-. Don't they want eiu-hei-i toi i.hat woi k ? She might go out theie and u^e her ieet — -aMng <>{ labour. And it Chaiiie Bernard can't guess who landed him, he's a bigger tool than 1 take him to be -and that something consider able. • I wi-h nc\t Wednesday wa-> come and gone,' Fied footers-aid. She letjaided him with lathei a contemptuous glance. 'Uettci go home and sleep till then,' wa-> her cvi t m\\ ice. ' 1 wi-h I could,' he said. And rlicn lie i o-c to f^o. 'Dontxou come to six- mo again until thoiaoo fia» In en inn," .said she. 'It it goe-< all light, 1 will huriy back to town at onee — you will Imd me heic. i\nd until then mind you keep a quiet tongue in your head >die pieced another cigar on him, and he lett- makinu way foi hi^ obscuie lodgings in Fetter Lane. How the^e iutenening dayo passed he himself piobably knew but little. The few companions whom ho ea-aially met had got an inkling that he stood to 10-^e or win c\ei\ thing on the isMie of the Lincolnsluio Handicap • and those of them who had any inteiest in him huped that, if he was backing the la\ourite, he had taken care to hedtre ;i little, for Charlie Bernard's phenomenal mn of luck had of late deserted him in a lennukaMc manuci. And they accejiti'd tor what they weie worth Fosters .losui.inces that it w ib only |)ei distent sleep-le-one^s that hud dineri him to chloral, ehloiodyue, moiphia, or whatcvci wa> the lcniedy lie sought : it w a-, but a temporal y aid <i^ soon n> he could getaw.iy, he would be all light again, ln the meantime he was a pitiable-looking object — pallid, neiveless, anprehen^i\c,beniuscd,and hollow-cheeked. He was * keeping himself up,' he said, until he could !>ct aw a> . The Wedne>-da t N came In the morning ] >?i pei - Mattel <>f Hoy w.i^ '-till cjuoted a> Kn-^t fauna it c, and the prophets weie almost unanimous lnappuniner the public fancy. Mi^ Fan »ci % ice wa 1 - certainly con h'dent ; ten in tho simple gaiet\ ot her heai t -and without rhyme or rea-on — -he sent him a telegram fiom Dover : ' Keep up voui jiockei, old man.' He drank Mime bund's, and smuked haul ,o make tlic houi» uo bj . Long bef'oic t h<> hour appointed toi tne race, he w out out. md down into thoShaud, wheie he kept aimlc^ly and fexen^ldy walking to and tio, ga/ing b'ankl) into shop-window-, or reading plaj bills at the theatre-doou-. But a& the time drew near the^e wandeiingo weie more ami moic imi cumsciibcd; until he haidly went moie than a stone's thiow e;\?\ or west ot the window ot a eeitain news agency. A small ciowdh.ul already collected there, on the ! pavement, hanging loosely about, and evi- | dently waiting for the news. lie kept away from these people as well as he could : though hi^ eyes would incessantly go back to the window, with far more dread than hope, so terribly anxious was he. Then a laige white sheet, u as put up. and a mmmurwent thiough the crowd. He walked quickly foiward. What was the sound that chilled him to the heart ?—'Stagdyke !' said one: and ' Stagdyke '' they seemed all to lie repeating. Another step forward, and the gieat splashed Ictteis in ink were only too teriibly legible — staring him in the face This wib what bin burning and throbbing eye^ beheld :—: —

LI.WOIiN HaNMCAI*. tftagdyke 1 Hobell'ion 2 Master of Koy . ... .... 3 The small crowd melted away almost immediately ; he w;h standing on the pavement, hew ildcied, incapable of movement, not even peiceiviug that he was in the way of the passciv-by It seemed as if he hardly knew m hat had befallen him. Then, in a stunned and blinded way, he managed to cross the thojoughfare, and entered a pub-lic-houso, where he .said he would like to sit down tor a moment. They brought- him a chair at onco : and he had just taken hold of the hack ot if. when a giddiness came over him, and he sank helplessly to the floor. Jt. was but for a second. The potman helped him to his feot again, and brushed the sawdust from his coat; and Foster seemed to try to pull himself together. He did not sit down. He ordered a bottle of brandy, for which he paid ; and then asked them to got him a four-wheeled cab. He gave the cabman his address in Fetter Lane : and in a few minutes was left at the door of his lodgings.