LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7741, 17 February 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A THIEF IX°TIIE NIGHT. (Continued.) Th# i-ent dinner was one of those customs which are gradually djing out 'l" c farmers and tenantry gen«ailv oaid their rent once a year, after Michaelmas, and when the harvest was gamoK-d or sold. The ojklfotiiioned larmrrM put th.er money in the bank at the market -town, but they seldom had a cheque-too*. When they had a large bill <o P a >'> they went to tile bank, signed a form of withdrawal oil the spot, and received the money wherewith to injure debtor or his representative when nceessiry. When the rent was to be paid, th.so honest folk made a journey to "the murket town for the express purpose of drawing the £OO, or JtlOt), or iiljtl in notes or cash. iiuu-ad of using the new method of handing over a cheque to the landlord. They had very little faith in che.|uet); noUs and gold were what they recognised as value, and it was usually goI4. The tenants trooped into the hajl and tiled into the, room where Mr Hai-graves sat in a armchair ut » table, and received their money, while MaSge performed the task of entering the receipts in the cashhook. This was a new duty for her, and it waa undertakten at the express wish of her uncle and guardian. After the payment of rent, the tenants made their way into the diiyngroonv where their wives awaited tbem, and prepared to do ample justice to the good things which tihey knew awaited theui

Madge and her uncle remained behind in the apartment with the money. K was carefully placed in a strong cabinet which had been made | on purpose for such dur- , Ing her father's lifetime. It was , strong inasmuch as the doors were | of sheet iron incased in wood, and | the sides and other parts of the cab- , inet were similarly constructed-. The j style of the cabinet was that of Louis Quinze, mingled with Buhl. It was Ecarcely a pure design of any period, and for that very reaeon it .was an attractive article. I wonder how much money that cabinet-has had within its m ors since it was first placed here? " observed Mr Hargraves, as he locked the door,. " Now, my dear, make yourself pretty, and then come with me int* the dining-room to do the duties of hostess." •* Hake myself pretty ? - echoed Madge, in laughing inquiry. •• Ah, that's where I maide a mistake and betrayed that lam not a young man," laughed her uncle m reply. "• I ought to have said, make yourself even prettier, if you can. That's it." " Do you think that the money is safe there, uncle ? " asked the g'irl hesitatingly. '* Safe ! " cried the old man, opening his eyes widely* ■"' Why, no one but a timid girl would express the slightest doubt. You will learn, iry dear, that the people of rural d'ssricts are honest). They do not lock, bolt and bar their housee as town people do. At the sea-side do not the householders leave the doors open. although there may be thousands of town visitors in their borough ?

Kobody would attempt to rob us. And suppose tha,t someone did make the attempt ? This is an inner room, with very little chance of ber ing entered save through the door, and to reach the door the roblier would have lo pass through a large "portion of tble house. Then, without the key, that cabjnet wants some

opening-. No, you may rest easy. I wouldn't have thought of such a thing, and I declare you w.ill make me nervous. Come " Feeling rather ashamed of* herself, Madge ran to her room, performed a little act at embellishment here and there, and descended to the diningroom. Gerald was there and he seemed, to be in high spirits; this shocked Madge at first, but later on it stimulated her to fresh activity. The .tenants and their wives were a good natured, jolly class of peopje, and the evening was full of enjoyment for them. They trooped off merrily, with various presents for the children, who were not permitted to share the entertainment given to the elderai Madge Hargraves felt worn out when she retired to her own room ; her uncle had.given her a glass of wine lo assist in the process of inducing sleep, but instead of taking oS the effects of over-fatigue it realJy existed her. She partly undressed, slipping on a dressing jacket, but she felt that it was useleS) to go to bed lor a short time. She picked up a book and began to read, and the next thing that she remembered was awaking with a start to find that she had been doling in the chair. It was two hours at least since she had retfred. It seemed more impossible than be- . (ore to go to bed and rest; she felt nervous, excited, "aE3~ pawTtte room - uneasily. Suddenly the thought ol the cabinet came to her, and she re. .collected, too, that she had heard half of a remark passed by one of the farmers as he had left the Hall. Some rough-looking fellow had been seen, so she now understood, not far from the Hall, and the farmer had congratulated himself he had not met the fellow by himstf f or he (the

farmer) might have lost his rent money ! Suppose the man should bave got into the house ? The dog would bark, she decided ; and yet the man might be able to silence the animal. Madge could not rest ; ate must go downstairs to the apartment. She descended the stairs noiselessly, if her uncle heard tier, he would laugh immoderatlcy in Mis good-hum-ouiVid fashion. The dog The creature was silent, somewhere. Was her surmise correct? She reached the corridor and the door of *bo apartment*, and her heart almost stopped beating as the gently tried the handle of the door and found that it yieklcd. She pushed it cautiously open. There was a light in 1 lie room. Sha pushed the door t>pen farther. The light showed her the figure of a man, who was( trying to wrench o]H-n the doors of the cabinet with a crowbar. He was dressed roughlv, and the iarmer's remark darted across her mihil. Near him was a bag —a burglar with aiburglar's outfit " In her excitement Madge made a movement which caused the man to turn hastily. The light which iliummated tips' feature also feli' im hers, atid there came into the man's countenance an expression that was something more I ban the fean of an ordinary housebreaker caught red-hand-ed. Madge also folt that the face not strange to her. although she could scarcely recall it lor the moment, but in an instant the truth came despite her incredulity, and the nanfe of her cousin came from her pal&ied Hps in a low wail. ' ®« r ald ! My lover ! " she j^asjv-

She tottered into the room. Gerald Hargraves, for it was indeed he, rose and stood motionless before her; hiH garb was strange, his face even bail been made up to some extent. A thief, caught in the very act ! " Gerald, oh, Gerald !" wailed the girl, pressing her hand to her lie-art as though she woukl prevent it from breaking. Why did you do this ! If you wanted money, rfhy did you not asK me ? But to do this—this, is too dreadful." Gerald's face twitched with the intensity of the mental agony he was Buffering, but he did not speak. You want money," she said feverishly. You cannot get it like that* 1 have a depulicatc key ; I prill get it."She hurried from the room. Gerald remained motionless till he ii?aid her coining again, w-hen he aroused himself by a violent effort, pi.'kc:! up a hunch of keys that lay at the back of tho bag, and dropjied them into his pocket, I

Madge ran into the room, opened .the cabinet). and pointed to the gold that lay inside. "Take what you want—its mine ! " she commanded. Her voice was hotfow. " I will explain it all lo uncle."GcrajTd hesitated for a moment. "I may as well be hanged for a sheep •a a lamb," he remarked with a hoarse, mirthless laugh, and hettimsWed moat of the monev into the *»«•

*. ■He dared not look at her, ho picked > W>e-bacr, heavy with the weight of stfj* ill-gotten gold, and passed out tbs room. Madge stood like a ft'!? ,ms eeing eyes fixed on ■.Jim door through which he had pasfwl, and so she remained till Mr - Hargraves. pafc as death, hurried in. ; " Madge, my child, what is it mm " Madge, my chWd, what is this ? " lie cried. I could not sleep, and I 's*j 3€ t 'hat I heard a noise. I hurIT 9aW . a lifrht from tJle room Ss JoTidop—l—oh, Madge, what gagijt?- Krowbrefikcra ?

j -"It is nothing J** protested the ! girl, coming to herself. " 1 found | liiin—l mean, I wanted the money. 1 would h»ye done anything for Gerald. No, no, I don't know what I am talking aibout ! I wish-—" ' And She fell into >he o3d man's arms tti a swoon.

"It was twenty-four hours before Madge recovered consciousness, an J i'i, was iteaily a loitniyht before site could leave her bed. She had asked questions of the- nurses-, but they faoothod her and said she would know all in good time, Had Uie.v lightly understood, they would have told her sooner. She asked lor -her uncle, and they s.iid that he was ill ; she cried as she thought of the blow to the old man to learn that his son was—Oh, no, no ! She could not bear it !

When .she was son ted in a chair, '< they sa'id that someone wanted to see her, and the good old country doctor told her gently that it was Gerald and that he had news (or her. Shy braved hei'K*-. 1 ! to Meo him, and the doctor retired to u discreet ■distance, so that he might be out i of heai'ing and within rafi if he wer# wanted. | Gerald came forward and knelt by her side. " Don't shrink from me, ,Madge !" he intreated. "It was not I who was the culprit, but the story is a shameful one for me to jtell. Listen quietly while I tell rt." | It was his father who was io blame ; the oilman, as trustee, had spent certain moneys belonging to Madge, ami he was being dunned for 'another sum, hence the telegram. The only way out oi the dillicui'Ly, | and to avoid disgrace, was to steal some of the lVnt money and make certain marks that wouM indicate that a housebreaker had been at work. In thait case the money would have gone, into Mr Margrave's pocket and the guf.lt. would be fixed on ' i some person unknown. The old man 'could not do it himself, he contended ; it required a younger and more 'adtive man to buy the outlit, to ! 'make the marks on the door of the

I cabinet, and generally to do all that' 'was necessary to create an alibi and 'fix the guilt on the unknown. He I asked Gerald to help, and so acted upon the young man's affection that, in order to spare him the disgrace, I Gerald weakly consented to do it. He never intended to break oj>eri the cabinet ;he had the keysi ready. * I "Can you forgive me, Madge ? I was weak, but 1 did it for hisi sake v andi I felt that I cou!d afterwards \ : return the money to you secretly. I was weak, but my punishment has been great ! 1 have come to clear my character, for I can do so now, to" all. My father is dead '. The shock brought on a fit), from which lie recovered shortly before his death, 'and in that conscious interval he insisted on making a full confession of having hired someone to rob the cabinet."

" l>id he mention who it was ? " asked Madge suddenly. No, and nobody knows s'ave you 'and I now." " I am glad for l>oth our f-f-.kVs, she murmured. " I am so ,sorry ; bTi I forgive poor uncle. I.et him rest. It was noble of you." " I don't think so, ' lis returned mournfully- " I was weak. " You .s-acrificed yourself,"' yhc answered in her feeliJe voice. ■' I am glad that you forgive me," ihc sfciid |r|iiietly, a glad Tight r-hiniiijr [in his eyes. " I can go away happy now." " But I shall not be happy if you go away," she pleaded, I'holr eyes met. She held out tunhand, aivd he took it. And he was holding lit an hour later, when the doctor protested that ho really lmift interfere now, he couldn't allow it. 'any longer.

Help the little ones grow plump and strong. Give regular doses of Lane's Emulsion. Start now.