LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7807, 27 April 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

g THE GKEED OF GOLD, | .."What! Marry the daughter of a |- country rector ! And you ask me to £-~ gW« my consent ! Do you think n.e | S c *s profound a fool as yourself? " j fc- Andrew Conway found it difficult | : I*, to proceed. His anger seemed to de- ; Sib- prive him of the power to speak the ' %* words that foamed to his Upsf But fp?j. his hearer was in no way abashed. &-- Hoy Conway faced his uncle without fX flinching. , pig -" yes," he said calmly, "lam no f schoolboy now, and I believe 1 have ■undisputed rig'ht to chnonj whomsoever 1 will in a 'question which so I"? nearly affects my future happiness. 1 fV v anit!<irry to find you so ijpick to j %/~ > "oppose me in. my choice of a wife, i t&j But, in justice to myself, I must B abide by the decision to which I E? have come. Miss Laura Jleriivule, though hut the daughter of a country rector, is ejrjual to me in all oth- , £ s ' er respects than that of birth. Nay, ' « ; j.Bhe is in many respects far my .suifir perior. And as to fortune, what |jg_ have I to boast of? I have no yep- j W . erato income ojf my own, save a fe>v £&' [4»undreda a year bequeathed to mc ( gi-' hy ray tfcad father, and I ojve all Sv else to your indulgence." Pj£- Andrew Conway brought his hand '< h r -down upon the table with a nnjyhty r,~ " thud. ILs anger was terrible to witt ness and his voice could be heard EL outside the room in which the two %p~ men sat. fe _ '•'You / 0 0l !" he burnt out. "Have fc-J ■ not sense enough to see that it 11***89 this very fact which makes it MilFi> l»rativo thu't you should marry a te ' ' .woman of means ? The bulk of my Jy, money (foes to iuy son in India.. I!c j£ can choose for a wifu whomsoever he jp.' will. But youA-you will have a few 9*. gnKry 'hundreds adde:i to those you Jp- already have—nothing more. I have »- spent money on your education with £* m .lavishness that was due to this ';.- »n» hope. You arc.bom well, and Jt- poor. A wealthy marriage is the onJi ly possible course -for you to take. %. Flcaeu consider this as final, .sir, and a," let nre hear no more of this lector's p*4 daughter." «ri~ He wared his nephew aside, as Sf though the matter were concluded. gjfc Roy Conway passed out through the ft- French windows that lod from his m~e - nnclo's study to the smooth grassffc* grown lawn. f" If a likely to be a battle royal " be said 'below his breath. •■• But love w«l coretuer iu the tnd. i'oor little Laura ! I wonder what she would »ay could she. hear the old fcll6w. K? He's been awfully good to me ; Out, fcf_ nh, there's the rub ! Well, I must «&., *ry and win him over in time." R~ .Musing thus, he crossed the lawn H«: and passed out on to the high iaad. |g After such a scene, it was as well to seek the soothing society af Lau«sT-~ ra Merrivale.

Hp;.- Ralph Warner was Siting by the ■£\, (writing>-table in the study of his |pf tasteful but miniature vilia. With *n exclamation of surprise, he lyoke the seal of a thin packet which bore the lad ion postmark. True, he hud P.*?--. Pitta to his cousin, Egbert Conpl-. „•). a couple of months back, but j, lie had scarcely looked for a reply. '< , Opening the letter be read as folr T , ~ lows : , IHawarra, India. Dear Sir,—l have to announce the v ®ad and unexpected death of a young '-4 gentleman travelling through this neighbourhood. From letters found £ in has possession I gather that liis name is Air Egibcrt Conway, a cous- , «? of your own. liis father is, 1 |«- jjt lievo, still living, and residing in the d,Btr ' ct as yourself. I deeiiieJ ZJ? therefor '-'- to write to you J m ? lder that y° u mav have the oppoitunity of more gently rfPf'Jh 8 th ? news he beroav- - • C circu4ns tances of Mr : ' SfJ.l Conway's death arc most It* £7 ~l* you alc doubtless aware t l tie revelled m big game hunting, al „i * iLr", on a solitary exped " X Ms ( ki -'. accompanied r £s lill u n T a V VeSI tha! 1,0 lost * - we have^"x"etdel - » the «■■"*> was i eoo nsi b1 e , Sad allai '--Vo>.rs very s,nr,„, . ... ■ JI. J. Carew. V^' D#i ' • Uttood an exclama«on, not of. borrow, l )u v G f .surprise' f^L® 0rn ° U,ue sat there, Mlo-itJv - o f *4 • this wouldmean f £ face was not a () i ea , ;a!lt £ T ' r avarice, covetous***, -all were plainly to be seen there Presently ho began to speak „ i tow undertone that wusr full 'of d-.rk . . mysterious FJgiuliciince. 1 ' himsoirf' "••■Thr " fli ; Si '?'' etl softly to ZttZ, 100,1 «» helm? clear. nu: favourably. I. to „, am hh ° ® - an ® some day—well, we shall ■ Again ho nmscd, but pr'eseiillv resumed Wis monologue. Tlkt old man's heart is none of the 9trong(;st," lie whisperc-di. •' Jr I were to bi'Cjik this news to him suddenly "■ f', j , Once more he paused, and „ dillerent idea floshed through his brain. " Suppose—suppose— he should be— L murdered—and—and Roy should be accused o| the crime. Suppose—liov "- should be—hanged ! " He started, looking nervously about '*■ ' him. Then Re put on h,is hat anil T went out for a walk in the wood hard by/ T. * . * * * It was ni;ht. Park clouds were ' hurrying across the sky, blotting out the moon with their thick, jmpene- -» trnblc pall. The hour was 1-ite. ant! L Ralph Warner's Utile .villa flood dark ami silent by the side of the roa*tPresently the figure of rt girl en me stealing along amid the many shallows till she reached the gale of the villa. Entering silently, she approachod the window of (he «srk £v„ • •tody and tapped soflly on the |" pane. There was no response. r J"li c _ was a faw Inches open, and, ' after a few moment's hesitaiien. tli' r Rilr lifted it still higher and climbed r* ' 'P 4O . the room. Closing the window - she drew down the blind, nnd I;" "IriKitig a match', lit Ihe lamp which stood upon the table. The jievt insr_ stant her eyes fell on the le.Mer which Ralph Warner lia.d thai day Bt' received from India, and, picking it - she read it through. When she fcad fifflshotl, the expression on h> r fe- face_ wals a 'cufiotis mixture nf hnrf ror,' fear, hope, craft, drc.-ul. ami ani, tJCl Pation. Jt was a beuitifui face, bat the beauty w ns that of a woman in whose breast all u, O passions of life arq allowed to revel ■ checkedwauty that farina(.r-d. yo* rrj-rii >&■. ■ - J'.Afc" she said, sinking i mo ' ;'(•> ?P o, . r - "So one hindrance' j« ivmnv tvr his path ! He win ~1,.. ~ t" frame now-nav. if I know fcy the man, he will ! Weil, he iiius'n't g, forgot me ! " 50U9 of cru?l timiupU came fn-

to her dark, gipsy eyes—a smile that sh»w.e:l all the i><>ssil>iliUcs of htr, tierce, uncontrollable nature —that made one distiuc.l'.y remember thetigtr—ami shudder. '• lie's been trying to shake me off of late," she went on. "He doesn't know what such love as nuns can ha when ii turns to hate. You are u. masieii'ul man, Ilulph Warner, but you may carry it too far with me. I have played the weak woman long 'enough;- it will be wise not to rouse line in.-o the fiend 1, can be;. 1 wonder where he's gone. Perhaps " I She started to her feet. A molincnt, and slic had extinguished the [lamp, ai..d was once more hurrying through the darkness of the night. I'ivscnl'iy she came lo| the gates of Andrew (Jonway's groat housj. Passing tlie.se, she slipped through a | gap in the hedge, and. stealing j.'imoug the trees, came at last to .the lawn in front of ihe house. A 'light was burning in the study, i whence tho soui.d of angrv voices reached her cuts. Uus iiJlph Wur■nei,- with his undo V Was he breaking to him the news of his son's I death;' If so, why this angry uproar? Sl, e was just about to* creep [still closer to Hie house when tliu windows were thrown sudden;ly open, and Hoy Conway, tlushe-d and nnt.ued, buru out of the room | and hurried across the lawn to the road beyond. I rur a iew moments Julia Tempest stood where site was. She was just in die act of moving away when she saw a dark figure come between hei and the light of the study lamp. An instant -later she saw a (piick flash, and a sharp report rang out through the night. Then, almost More she could realise it, the figure of a man [dashed- past her In the darkness. He ■did not see her as he flew by. Hut she both saw and recognised hha For the man was none other than Kalph Warner.

I Ihe court was crowded to the ■dows. From far and near the peo.ple had come to hear the trial of a I case that was regarded as thfc m 0 st roinarkaine and sensational in their jgenerataon. For upwards of a y CU the prisoner had been in custody IKoiuand had followed remand, uli [the indictment of murder had to be abandoned and the charge of wounding with intent to kill substituted in 'Us place t

Amid the whispering of the many , spectators and the cries of-the court .iisuers, the judge took his seat .th* -prisoner was placed in the'dock, and the evidence began.. It was shown Uutt ona, Andrew Conway, had been hied at with a revolver more than twelve months before. Th e object oi the cr,im ß was ungues tionaMy one ol wnrdcr. \et, by a curious circumstance, the bullet, which had .lodged in the victims brain, had not affected his death, , Jut hud product a state of coma, indefinitely protract■still alive. .n ol ()na , in „ h » bu a t''ln d „" e rCC ° Veled but lay there in his bed, uttcrine no sound with his eyes hu lf late whttc a „d ghaslh- ° m^n e |it aW , duUrees l ' hat > fhO »W a ZZ I ,) . ei " ond a Jeur and a day B W C ,I l f h « s boon attempted'. bro-ffht against the assailant Weet „•' "'".been expected. B„t i, e still ° f -undin, i■ .. e luuni ' "finesses took th.ii- places i n tho , box ™«* | heir evidence. From the 4rv £,\ C cusccl Servants swore to the i» pea led barrels between Vudre vVon «ay and hi a nephew Ho and the ev.de D ttmw-ll l i„ lllu , svvU^Xchthe h y C against the prisoner. Angry thrums r™d dli b' n l, thoil " <lUa tpeaUJ by the servants, seemed to „t? f ' d . le,Tlble s iK"i"<--ance in tno •Sin of the subsequent tragedy And then the revolver was- produced in court and, shown to them one l,v one. .No one attempted to deny i{ It was the property of rtov Conway, ft had been sent to the inin smiths two day, before the tragedy lor some repairs, and had been returned late in the afternoon the da\ the night of the crih ; e. "oy Conway was out when it arrived and the butler had taken it j„ and laid it on the hall -table readv lor Hoy when he should return >.<> one seemed to tir.nk it worth «hile to state that Andrew Conwhdl/,t d th f l samo ' a'twnoon, tan t nl rt ' V ° lver lay on «» *itM Mole.. The weapon was Hov's A violent sc*ne had taken olar-e between the two men- a scene that teas, ° n ° ne •*"» «t cast ,n blows. A few moments latJi. the sound of a shot was heard, and, rushing ,n, they found their master prone upon the floor with a wound in his head. The fateful revolver was picked up outside the French windows, and, later, Koy Conway was dissovered pacing agi lately beneath the park trees. A piece of his tweed coat was tightly grasped in hand. But nom that day to this, po 0 r Andrew Conway -had spoken no word. It all came to an end at last. And amid the profoundest stillness in the crowded court, Hoy Conway received his sentenc. of fifteen years' penal servitude.

Once more Kaldh Warner was seated m his study, and again it was «S t. He was reading an account iL , cous " is l »al, and, as ho lin- ! ahed a s.gh of relief escaped hi;. |''ps. Hut it quickly changed to one 01 vexauon. All hit plans 3 seemed to have gone awry. What strange f ale had kept his uncle al.iv e V fel U„?' ed ' a " wouM have «o« weii. uut now There was a stealthy tap at the window,, and his face darkened at the sound. -Confound her,- he muttered. her on- ? " DOVer ta BWe t0 sh " k ° | He went to the window, (brew it open and agisted Julia Te.npe.st inito the room. There was a smile oa he face now, but the smile was a n ugly one. I. " You ,honour me," he said, pjacI'ng a cnair for her. ■■ Trulv you have one virtue which many would -do: well to emulate. Ypu are a nerlect ijarogon of canstancv.'J He sntcred as he spoke the words, and the girl flashed him a look that told him she understood. ! " Yes," - she s.iid ; " lam constant. "Sou can thank your stars for that. Italph Warner." i " Wnat do y o u mean"? " he demanded. . | Julia Tempest laughed mockingly. I " Ah, I've interested you ! " she saitl. ."'Well, I've only spoken the truth. Better for you to lind me constant than that I " I She .paused. He was watching her narrowly, almost apprehensively. j. "•' What?" he demanded. I '■ Than that know you so well—should go over to the' cneuiv. :Don't you think so, my loixl ? " I lie forcesl' a laugh and trkxl to appear at ease.

I -■ What could you do with the enem} ? " he said. ] " Ah, that is mv alTair," she replied. " Well, Half.lt Warner, 1 have cpmc ta you to-night lor the last time. Are you, or are you not, nilling to redeem your promise to mc o! marriage V " I He opem-d his eyes in affected astonishment. I ■■■ily dear girl," he said, '••you sunel.y must he joking ! You are a sufficiently woman of the world to be aware that such promises are never kept—under such circumstances." | His tone was insolent ill the extreme. In an instant, Ihe colour had .leapt to her cheeks, the dark, gipsy eyes flashed, and she was upon her feet, with clenched hands and hoav,mg ■bosom, facing him where he sat. \on cur ! " she hissod. " Yerv | well-let it he so- You have defiel me-cast m e off ! Now vOll S , UI V, (learn the fierceness, the fiend ishness of a woman's liate ! "

Without another won] slv< s-fianij fo ihe window and.was g.-rio." (To bo continued.)