A Tardy Wooing.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8127, 28 April 1906, Page 2

A Tardy Wooing.

CHAPTER Xl.—Continued. Both were sleeping soundly at lost and she raised herself to her feet, marvelling why she felt ao dizzy and confused that she oould not stand without clinging to the beds;ead She did not,comprehend that she was thoroughly worn out, exhausted both in mind and rtody; accustomed to be fed sparely and to fast for long hours, her strength had been severely trie! by the events of the last few days, and had given out. There was a waahstand in one corner of the little chamber, and, with a dim idei of ridding herself of all her unpleasant sensations by bedewing her face with odd water, she tottered towprd it, but stopped half way gasping and shivering. The door had slowly opened, and she saw udou the threshold a whiteTobed figure, that of a girl, small and slight as herself, but with intensely black eyes, that seemed to gitter with a fierce ligh<\ as she fixed them on the astonished Wynnie. As soon as she saw that she was observed, the intruder raised her right hand. She held a pistol in it, and this ebb deliberately pointed at the shrinking girl' "Make but a sound, and you die I" she biSbed. "I have found you out I kuow your errand here, Down on your kuoes nud confess it, or " But Wynnie had already obeyed the mandate, and with clasped hands was sobbing au entreaty for mercy. "The children clung to me and would not let me go; and 1 was so frighteued. so friendless " She could say no more; sight and speech failed her, and she lay on the floor, not positively insensible, but utterly prostrato.

CHAPTER XII. THE WITNESS OP THE MYSTERIOUS MARRIAGE. By slow degrees Wynnie became aware that she was being treated with extreme kindnbsa. Her face was bathed with some delioioas perfume, a pillow placed under her head and a few spoonfuls of wine inserted between her lips. As soon as she could raise her eyes to the face bending 'over her, she became aware that it would have been a very beautifal one, but for a long, ugly soar across the white forehead and the stern expression of the rosy mouth.

That expression softened when Wynnie looked up and feebly whispering her thanks for the wine, tried to raise herself from the floor. "That's well," said the stranger. "Can you stand? Try. Can you walk? Yes, 1 am sure you can, with the help of my hand. Come, theu; the children will not wake: come!" Her fingers closed so firmly on the wiist of Wynnie that she could not'but go wherever this mysterious and imperative personage thought proper to lead her. She was guided up another flight of stairs to the upper story of the house, and into a prettily furnished sitting room, oommuuicating with a bedchamber. It Btruok Wynnie as odd, even then, that, as soon as she had been led into the room, hor companion dropped a heavy bar across the door and also pushed a couple of massive bolts into their sockets. Later on she discovered that in the wall, close by the said door, there was a sliding panul, which could only be opened from the inside, and when open, commanded the staircase, and could be used to pass any small article through. It was liko a prison, except that the captive had the power of releasing or imprisoning herself at will.

Just dow she was attentively regarding Wynnie, whom she had gently pushed down into a cozy armchair.

"You look as if you had been half starved. Is it hunger that has made you accept such an unwomanly office?" "I have uot eaten much lately," was the reply. "I have been too unhappy—too anxious!" "You are very poor. Yes; I obu see that. It was the money that tempted you. But don't you bate yourself!" and again the blank eyes gleamed with passion. "Don't you hate yourself for coming here to play the spy on me?" Wynnie's look of innocent bewilderment could not be mistaken for craft.

"It was tha lady downstairsMiss Ayden—who brought me here with the children. -She thought I belonged to them because they had taken a liking to me on the journey, and—and I was so thankful to have somewhere to no, if it was but for a few houis, that I let her think so. But I am very sorry," Wynnie added, humbly. "I will go away at once if you say 1 mast." "Who and what are you?" she was sharply asked. "I used to sell flowers, and take caro of Mrn Marby's baby; but 1 can't go back there." "Yon can't? Hat you must if that is your home," retorted the denizen of the chamber. "How do 1 know that you have not robbed your employers before leaving tbem?" "1 am no thief'!' said Wynnie, with a flash of spirit she rarely evinced. "I will not go baok. Could you live with oeople whom you have seen tako part in what was almost a murder?"

Her lips grew white at the reoolleotion, and her auditor smiled but it was not pleasantly. "If you stay here, you may see .similar deeds repeated. This"—and she touched the scar on her forehead —"was almost a murder. If you take those children oat, as I suppose you will he expected to do, and anyone should question you concerning me, tell him what J always ciarry about me," and ehe touched the pistol as it lay in the pocket of lier fanoifol little lace apron;

By Charles W. Hathaway. thov of " Marjorie's Sweetheart," "A Lony Martyrdom," "A Hash Vow,\ "Joseph Dane's Diplomacy," etc., etc.

"tell bim also that 1 have learned how to use it, and that 1 am not a woman now but a tigress!" Frighteued at the almost demoniac iook with which these words were uttered, Wynnie rose from ber chair and tearfully faltered an entreaty to be allowed to return to the children. "Ah, 1 had forgttea that you are not well. J. wish I could be sure you are here by mistake! But why should I doubt such a poor, pitiful, little creature as you? Sit down again, and you shall have some food." Turning a deaf ear to Wynnie's protest that she wanted nothing but to lie down this strange creature now moved rapidly about the room lighting a tiay, portable stove, bringing from the shelves of a closet bread and butter, a pretty, little tea equipage and sundry dainties in the shape of potted meat, preserves, et cetera. Setting these on a small table, which she rolled toward Wynnie, she pressed thoj girl to eat, poured out for her the "Host delicious coffee, and was for the nonce so gentle nnd genial a hostess that it seemed imnossible she could be the stern, vindictive fury of five mnutes ago. But even while Wynnie ate and drank at her command, her weary eyes began to close, and, seeing this, her entertainer led her back to the sleeping room of the new pupils. "I shall watch you," were the last words she heard her say. "If you attempt to steal away 1 shall know why you are afraid of me, and find wajsand means of punishing you; so beware!" But these threats did not impress Wynnie very deeply. As soon as she laid her head on the old sofa, she sank into happy forgetfulness, and sleDt a dreamless, refreshing sleep, till" awakened by the little boys, clamoring for their nurse and their bread and milk.

By the time they had been pacified, and suomittei to be dressed, Miss Ayden made her appearance, and bore them o? to have their breakfast, bidding Wynnie put the room in order and finish unpacking their clothes. While she did this to the best of her ability, her thoughts reverted to the extraordinary incidents of the previous day, and she found herself regarding wltn grave perplexity the ring Harold Outram had placed upon hor finger. Par more clearly than at the time they were spoken, she seemed to hear the words that pronounced them man and wife, and then ber head sank on her hands, for a thrill of rapture ran through her veins, i and tinted her cheeks with an exquisite carmine. A wife and his! Bound to him for ever by the golden circlet she wore —bound to him by the solemn decree that forbade any to put asunder those who wero just made one in the sight of their Creator. But Wynnie's transports were soou over. She knew but too well that Hnrold Outram had been in a kind of waking trance when he went through the ceremony; how, then, could it be binding upon him? (To be Continued).