THE HEELS OF THE DAWN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 47, 20 March 1909, Page 4

THE HEELS OF THE DAWN.

The room was in that artistic semidarkness which adapts itself to the wellappointed dinner-table. The meal wa, I here, too, cooling under silver dishes half hidden amongst a mass of green -asparagus fern and flaming red tulips. Hue ol the crimson blossoms had fallen out of place, and Mark Ci'undeii stepped across and replaced it mechanically. - "1 might have guessed you would do that," Ins wife said bitterly. "It is so typical of you. Ever you have been wasting your life and mind upon trilles." ■ "1 have done my best fur you and the child," Crundeii murmured.

■ "Oh, yen, 1 know," Kale retorted. "Four years ago we were fairly well oil'. This house belonged to us. It was a joy and a pleasure to furnish it as we have done. ■ And now how do we stand'! The house has been sold, every stick and stone here is in the hands of the moneylenders; indcedi, I was hard put to it to get the (lowers for the dinner-table to-night. And this, all because you've forgotten, wife anil child in pursuit of a theory. Vou are just as bad as the man who gambles away everything at ilonte Carlo. But you .need not look at me like that—our friends are not coming here to-night. 1 put them oil' by telegram, and now I'll go, Vou can take oil your dress coat and go back to your hooks again. And as for me, well, 1 have friends who will be glad enough to ■have me for the present. And that is all arranged. 1 have ordered a cab to be at the door in half-an-hour for Nest and myself. AVe shan't trouble you any more. If you cared' for me as you should .... if you had ever cared for me as you «houhl "

"Vou are quite wrong," Cruuden said <[uietly. "Vou will not believe me when 1 say that- 1 have never ceased to care for you, although perhaps—but tell me 'why you have made, up your mind to leave me in this drastic fashion. What have 1 done to-day that is worse than yesterday or the day before'!" For answer, Kate Crundeii look from her pocket a small square of yellow cardboard. She tossed it half hitterly, half contemptuously amongst the flowers on the table, Criimlcii lifted it from the table and his sensitive face Hushed. "Where did vou get this from?" he asked. "Oh, I found it," his wife said. "It dropped out of your pocket when I was clearing up your dressing-room this ■morning. It relates to a pearl cross, .pawned bv you for .Cl.itl. . . . And d am taking the child with me. Of ■course. I know that, legally speaking—"

A moment later .Mark Cruuden was alone. He stood there in the perfectlyappointed dining-room, trying to realise what, he had lost. And now suddenly he had funic, to his senses. He was utterly and entirely ruined: he would have to leave that luxurious Hat and start life entirely afresh. in the course of the last four years there was only one sensible thing ho could recollect having done. He hail insured his life for an.OIMI, and by -ome extraordinary stroke of luck he had managed to keep up the premiums. Two days before he had lwolleett-d that the next premium vrtis due land that lie. had not as many pence as he. required pounds to keep the policy alive. He had taken the cross ami For one whole day he bad sat in his study thinking the .matter out. Cradtially ami iby slow degrees he began to,

►en his wav. Hi' 1 was a, failure; he \M spoilt his ( >w,n. life and lie. had dragged his wife's down, to his ow-.i level. And then lie began to we his way. It would bo quite a simple tiling to cheat the insurance company. There were ways of doing that to a scientilie man like himself. I'or instance, ithere was his frie:id Ifeshford, wlio had the Hat immediately below.

Bus'lrford was u 'bactoriologi.sl-in bis, Inliora'torv tin-re were scores of culls—on those little gelatine tablets death in

a thousand hideous forms lurked. Really the thing was ridiculously easy. Hash

ford was nwav for 'tin- day si'iul Cnmilen hud the run of his Hat. It might .mean anything 'from a. long lingering illness to a sudden, death, anil then Kate would he free.

Crunden did not care to question the morality of his action over the pearl cross. That was past and done with.

at any rate. All he had to do now was to go down to Ba.sthford's Hat and choose his own method of settling his gre.it ne'eount. He had Bashford's spare latchkey in his pocket. He knew that the latter would not he back until midnight, and he. wjifc nu.itc aware of the, fact that Ba-shford's deaf old housekeeper would be in bed by this time. Really, there was nothing in the way. He was in the laboratory at length: lie switched on the electric light. Everything was exacitly as he hail expected to find it. In an air-tight glass case rows of tubes .were half-filled with opaqu,o masses of gelatine. Orimden studied them all studiously and coldly. He opened a glass ease presently and took out one of three tiny tubes which were labelled with the mystic formula represented in plain English by "Asiatic Cholera." He, slipped this' into bis pocket and made lii- wav hack in.to his own stiulv.

He stood there just a moment with the tube in his hand, trembling violently from head to foot. He wiped away the perspiration which uti-enmcd down his face: he wondered vaguely why be could be cnrioiw enough to listen to what f. i-.-wslioy was shouting in the street bo-

He drop-ied Hie broken pieces o'l the phial into the hoar) of Hie fire. He sat down ealiulv to read anil smoke. He could hear the servants clearing away | the unused dinner tilings now. A parlourmaid came info llie library preseiilly and asked if anything further was wanted before she went lo heel. She bad llm-e or four letters on a I ray. anil Criintlen asked her meeh inieally when tliev came. "Bv Hie nine o'clock post, sir." the -ill explained. "I heard von go out. sir. iu-t now. and 1 thought that you hail taken them in yourself." Crumleii stretched oul his hand for (lie letters. He recoileded thai he ha-1 seen them h the box. He opened them cawlesslv. uitli a smile. Really, letters did nol much matter t« him now. Two of lllelll were pcreiiilitorv roiim-sK for iiavmcirt of -account-., a I bird was an invitation to dinner, anil the last Idler bore the imprint of a firm of solicitors who transacted all the business on bebulf of Crnnilcn'- uncle, .lames Broadwood. Crumb n casl bis ~v e over it i-areb-s.ly enough: then he leapt In hi« fee! mid held -the letter to the liglll. "Dear Sir.—

1 "With miieli regret, we have In inform von of the death of your mule. Mr. .rained Uroadwood. which Umk plate at Xiee on Monday la.st week. One of our rci.rcscnlativcs was with him at (he time, bavin" been summoned fur the imrpwe, of ■makiii!; our bile client's will. Mr. Ilmadwood died in a .painfully Melden maimer -before this could be done, tuul. a.s Ik- himself hud destroyed his la-t will, we have to inform von llial Ihe whole of I lie property revert- I" you. A* von arc aware. I his amounts to soineiliin" over CHHI.IMM. and we await vour inslrurlions in Hie mailer. Would you Icindly give us a call' Yours i faithfully, "Uarlopp and Kvaas."

■n,c intense silence of tin-, flat ran-; in Crunde'n's cans as if the whole place were full of ghosllv machinery. H seemed to h'nn presently that lie could bear (lie sound of n latchkey in (he front door, -and t'hii.l he could 'hear his. wife's voice, ami the eager tones of the child as if speaking through tear-. It was no effort of his imagination: the whole tiring was real enough. Cr'undcn groaned. ''She las come hack again. What, what is going to happen now ?"

'At that moment Crmiden came nearer to common-sense and absolute- sanity than he had been for year*. It was wonderful how plainly he saw things now. Ilis outlook was none the less lucid because it was too late to repair the mischief.

lie would have to bear the lliing as best he could, lie knew perfectly well Unit he had. seen the lust of his wife.

She might have come back to the Hat for some pressing reason or another, but not to see him. lie clenched his teeth tightly together, and made up 'his mind that no agony should force itself from his lips. Why, he asked himself, hud Kale come, back again? He was very soon, to learn that, lie could- hear everything that was going on in the dining-room.' j "And now you must go to bed," Kate was saying, "it is quite time all little children were fast asleep." Ciiniiden could hear the child laugh. "But 1 am Hot sleepy," she protested. "You said you weren't coining back again here yet. And why didn't we stay with Aunt May"! And what was she crying about'; J saw her." "Did von, dearie'!" Kate asked', absently. ""Well, you see, she is in great trouble. She is just as fond of her little girl as I am of you. And just before we got there: the doctor came to see jjorothy and he was very much afraid that ,'iio is going to have a horrible tiling that thev call scarlet fever. That's whv we couldn't stay there, and that's why Auntie ilay made me conic, back here for the present. And you sec I haven't got aav money to go anywhere else. Vou must try not to be disappointed." "Oh, I am not," the child said cheerfully. "I am sorry for Dorothy, lint nut a ibil sorrv for myself. And so long as 1 have yo'u and Daddy, the rest doesn't matter a bit."

-Vou iinisiln'l worry Daddy." Kate went on.. "Vou see, he's very busy just now and there are many tilings—now vou go to bed." ' -Not without seeing Daddy," the child said lii y. Crundeii crossed the lloor swiftly and locked the door, lie was beginning to realise mow that there was a torture and « mental pain which was equal at least to the rack and stress of the body, lie quivered as lie heard the child lap "rally at flic door, lie called out ill a mullicd voice (hat lie would come to Nest's bednio.ni presently. , lie heard the small feet palter away disconsolately, then, be bent forward once again as the pain gripped hun once more Tihis time the spasm was longer and more acute. When it had passed away he had barely strength to raise himself from his chair. lie would not let things go on like this- Kate .must really know. It -would lie better ill the long run that.she should know. He dragged himself across to the, writing-table and commenced to scrawl a few words hurriedly on a sheet ' of note-paper. The letVr was mot addressed to his wife, but to Bashtord. It was ellaotic enough—only a few words harelv legible, but it seemed to Criiuilen that if would serve his purpose. It would he sufficient at any rate to tell Bash'fni'd what had happened, and why this hideous thing had been done. There was also a .hint to the effect that the writer had received a letter from his solicitors intimating that there would lie more than sufficient for Kate and "the <<hi>ld. Oruiidcti managed to tcTihhle Hie address of this Arm, then the pains were upon him again, and for the next five minutes his in'ml seemed almost to have him. Once more the trouble passed: once more he was able to see clearly. He did not know that the letter was crushed tigh'tly in his left baud, and lie was quite 'under the impression that it was still Iving on Urn table. He managed to unlock the door. It occurred to him at that moment that a locked door

mb'h't be regarded with some suspicion. He"was absolutely out of control now. lie had no longer any grip upon himself He lay there clu'Wliing at the ear„el- he realised presently that Kate ■was Lending over him and trying to lift him from the lloor. "What inn. 1 do?" she whispered. ■•What is the trouble'!" "I don't know." Crundeii said faintly"Bnshford. send for llashiord, Co and fetch him." "And leave you here like this! Oh, I cannot!" . Kate llew from the room, closing the door behind her. ami the next moment she was hammering at the door of Bashford's Hat. , "My 'husband," she gasped. "He is asking for you. I am sure he is dying. Will vou come at once?" Bashiford looked grim and hard as he bent over the prostrate body of his friend. His quick keen glance took in the creased edge of tihe paper which Crundeii was convulsively clenching in his left, hand.

'•Hot 'Water," lie said, curtly. "Hot Water at once. Try and keep cool—everything depends upon your courage now! Yes, I know exactly what has happened. Cruuden has been a little ton enthusiastic in hiis scientific re-

search.*. Now, please." Kate hurried ell'. Directly she had left the room ISasliford stooped down and forced Crundcn's frozen, fingers open, lie ran a ipiick eve over tlhe scrawled words; he raced to bis JIM and hurried across, to the glass case where the specimen tubes were placed. It needed only a gin lie to see which one of them was n*siiig: then ISashTord was in •full ipiissession of the facts, «s if Crunilcn had tnld liim evcrvthing. "f shall be just in time." he murmured. "H is pcrhsii|*i a fortunate thing that that particular phial should have conlained a cultus a little less virulent than, tbe others. And now for the remedy. T didn't expect such a speedy opportunity of trying my now cure. Still " ltislifor.l was back in Crumlea's lint a moment later with a tiny bottle, of some dark-colored fluid anil a hypodermic scringe. He bared the arm of (he patient, he saw the slight shiver that ran, through Ounilen's body as Hie needle pricked him. then gradually tbe rigid limbs bc-,-iu to rcllix, and the patient breathed f reel v. When Kate came ill' a. few ininu'tes Inter with the hot water, she could sc* bT the expression of Rash ford's face that he was satisfied. She •wondered pd'hap* why it was that he, paid no at.tcntion to tile hot wtale.r. "There is no occasion for that now," he said. "AH we have to do is to get Crundon to bed and keep him warm. I will come in again the first thing in the morning, but I am /quite sure Hint lie, will go on all right now." "You are very good." Kate murmured. •(Hi. how glad f tun that I was at home. And T am oii'lv here quite, by accident. And he, might'have lain here and died and T should have lieen none the wiser! Kill, won't vou tell me what it i«? Won't -vou tell me what my husband

has been suffering from?" 'T will tell yon & great deal presently." llashford sliid. with a certain grim

I'linpHisis. "Onlv vou nuist help 1110 I" -et him to bed first. Yon needn't be in the leasl afraid. Tfe will sleep quile soundlv till morning now. and if you want me. 1 shall be close at hand. Now lei 11s get him to bed." It was an hour later before Dashford left and in that time he hhd had a deal to -av Csiiallv he was a man of a few wmiU enough, but now he was eloquent. Kate Cniiiilen listened, with close attcii'lion and when at length the door 1,|„1 closed behind llashford she sat down in a chair in front of the fire seein." stran"cr pictures in the glowing coals "than ever she had seen before. I'or i,l is not. all easy thing for a woman t„;„l lin it ailer all these years that she niiitht have been wrong.

fniiidcn opened lii-* (•>'!'* and s ''"' , ' ; ■fcelilv iiJinut' Mm. Hi- wis ivniiilerii); where tUi' lillht CiUiio. fnun: In' lay then wnilijisf f»r the m-xt pnin to jrnp livn 11,. could nut quite understand how 1» oii-ni.. to fiiwl himself in bed like lliianil w.hv tin- sun "'lis shin'm- so brifrht lv \ i-cinl liri'iit'h. of air hlew over li" face: it seemed to I''"" I'" 1 1- IIP , '°" l ' 1 smell violets somewhere. Ho felt some what weak loo: lie lil.ul 11 difficulty in riiisiii"-his. head. Then lie saw thai lit' was in lii-i ott-11 ronin. Tin. plan. v>a- more trim anil Inly tlni-.i ho lud i-vi-r si'i'ii: it before. There was no litl'.-r of ilisoji r'.l.-il upon ||„. iluur a- usual. I'rolAbly lie lia.l iuana"cd to ilraf! lii.inself to liis room ,in<l to .ret into lie.l. ami for Mime.exlraonliiiiirv reason lie had slept, till m»ni-

' lie hear,, to w ler what had han ' p.,,,,,1 th , previous nifihl. He cnuh ' „„t a ,.l ,-i.l ~[ a hiuinl.iiifr idea that hi- ' wife li'n.l found him there; In uhl dil I feel tin- touch! of her arm about lib ii(«-k. And here she was. beiidino nvei him wilh n .|iiiveriii!i -mile 0-1 her face anil a.s'kiim liijn. wilh deep anxiety n . her voice, how hv Yell. W'li.v. she bail not spoken to him lih : (,lu,( for Hw.i wliole yciirs. She looked just the same as she hail done in the iilappv davfi Vhich he had lliouirlit he had put heliind him for ever. He could IY.-l h'.-r hands u.id'er his head lift'inir his pillow; 1 uld feel the caress 01 her cool (infers oh' his liair. And. above all. there nil- the tender "tol'ioils smile wlii',-1, he never on-ht to have lost, and w,liich wa- liis at one time for the askin.'. And the wonder of it nil was that here if h)i- hack ajfiib. -and he had done uhsolulelv nothiii"; t.o deserve it. '•Kale. he iiiiirmiireil ilrea.inily. -Kile.'' She hent over him suddenly and ki.-cl him. liis arm- were not -.. wealt ~.,«•: Ihev were not too weak Jo hold lier to hiui for a inonieut. Then hi s.ni

[sudden way he knew that alio understood, and* that the wliole story was | her* as if die hail told her. Here wtis 'something far better, then, than ail those illusive phantom searches into the unattainahle. . He could see now how | little it profited hiin to risk his own I happiness in pursuit of the impossible. I It Was some little iwne before he spoke. "Who told you, deal"!" he asked. Kate sat there smiling and happy now. "it was Mr. Biialliord liiv»l," she said. "It was only last night it all happened. 1 have come bad; because "

"les, 1 know all that," Crundea interrupted. "1 heard you telling Nest when you returned'. And 1 was afraid to see the child because 1 fell that 1 was dying then. Perhaps 1 shall make you under-, stand in time that 1 "

"Oil! 1 understand now," Kate .went on. "1 suppose you came to your senses. 1 .suppose you realised your folly when it was almost too late. 1 don't know if we should reUllv have found out if it hadn't been lor that letter which Air. Bashtord found in. your hand. It is wonderful to see how he puts things together, but he didn't understand why you hail done this thing, for lie knew 'untiling about Hie pearl crtiss, for example. And .now let me see if 1 can guess whv yon look the cross. Vou took it so that you iljuld pay the premium on your insurance and leave little Nest ami myself in comfort. Then after vou had dome tlnis thing, after you had gone dtiwu to Mr. llashford's lahoratorv ami possessed yourself of the awful .stuff, vou received' a letter from the solicitors. I know all about that because one of the linn .has been enquiring tor you this morning. And thank Heaven you are all right 'again now; you will be voursclf again in a week or two. It was a noble thing to dti." •■.Most people would think not," Ci'imdcn said. "As u matter of fact, it was a. cowardly thing to do. Still, if }'»" will try Au forgive me for what 1 leave done-'--"

Kate ,miled through her tears "Forgive vour' she cried. "Why, you never "asked for it. Jf you had only uttered one word of regret, 1 should have kiJ.iwn then what J. know now, that in spite of all 1 have never ceased to care for you. And, besides, how could I feel auvithiing but affection for a man who loves Nest too'!" Fred 11. White, in "i1.A.1'."