The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8270, 25 October 1906, Page 2

The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Bv OWEN MASTERS. A >' •' Clyda's Love Dream," " Nina's .Repentance," "Her Soldier Lover," (i The Mystery of Woodcroft,," "For Love of Marjorie," etc.

["The Ironmaster's Dauoiiteii" was commenced 011 October 17th.]

CHAPTER V.—Continued. 'Will you lunch with us, fair—only the four of us, and afterward I will lei you into the conspiracy?' Dick leaned forward, and whispered in bis ear. 'There will be a wedding soon! 1 am'"marrying money—tons of it, but, for the present, the affair must he kept secre;.' His lips were smiling, but his eyes were Bulleu and gloomy, while Mr Uelamere'e fnoe became irradiated. He almost danced for joy. Ele gripped Dick's hand and shook it furiously. 'I mist call at the vicarage and tell MrsDelaraere where I am going,' he said. '1 will follow you on my bike, Tressidy.' 'All right; plenty of time. We *lon't lunab till two o'clock.' Mr Delamere rallied hif ha\ hurried away, his enoulders heaving with laughter. Once he half paused, and struck il's J o *' pairo wi'h k' B right hand, theri P O6 ? hsa draggling parishion^' 3 . < without speaklag to, or glancing t..,' of them. 1 'You lnre tickled his fancy,' remarked Charlie. 'Not h?.lf a bad fellow is the vicar. He's a lot too clever to become popular in a village like this.' 'Too original—too free of speech, too natural to please the smug and spiritual portion of bis flock," Diok commented. . 'I wonder he stays here.' 'A fat living, my boy! J Dick went to his father's room Jbafore lunch, and sat bssido | Mr Tressidy's mind had now serenely tranquil, occasional of eyes to 10 diseased br * ,u • .is Hetaned with interest a . Intelligent to <ho racical of •'Soma of his son's adventures abroad, and spoke eloquently of his own travels in China and Africa. '1 have spent my lifs fortune in the Interest of • science, Dick, bu*"- the investment is a good one. I have nroved that diamonds are enclosed in meteors— gloriuus gifts from the skies! Thesa meteors are prodnctd by electrical disturbance?, the heart o? which melts iron like wax. Then the sudden cooling as thsy tdunce into'space induces a pressure almost beyond computation. Under this Titanic grip, the carbou dissolves into seperate transparent forma—veritable diamonds. Dick,' he gripped his son's hand, '1 have disoovered the material—the heart, the piessure, and in my laboratory I have instated the electrical plant, the furnaces, the carbon, the coolingtanks -everything for the production of perfect diamonds. Oh, for the use of these limbs—tomorrow to-morrow!' He sobbed, then whispered, 'Hush! Not a word. They may be listening.' Exhausted, he closed his eyes, and vtm3 soon asleep. Diok told Charlie of the diamond craze and Cbailio looked glum. 'I knrw that ho has been experimenting for mouths, and the confounded thing has brought him to this. He spent hie days and nights in the laboratory, and, when »be other shock came, ho hadn t strength to withstand it. But he must bo humoured.' Then Charlie added, 'The vicar's In the Tnext room. Enys is entertaining bira.' They heard his strident voice and loud laughter. 'Bad taste to show his merriment in the circumstances,' Charlie frowned. 'lt gets on one's nerves.' 'Oh, he is pleased. I have told him 1 am going to be married.' 'How can you taik such rubbish?' pettishly. 'I am marrying a fortune,' went on Dick, with a scowl. '£ cabled to the lady yestardny for a hundred thousand pounds on account, and a letter goes by the next mail, asking her to nomehere- to Bircbdene. I believe that you are one ,; of the lunacy commissioners, ' Charlie. Now have a lock at me,. Mr Expert, and see if 1 am an eligible! Yes, poor old dad shall havo his diamonds. I'll buy a bucketful, and swear i have made them from his recipe!' Charlie stared —half inoredible, half believing. 'JBy-Jove, Dick!' 'What is there so startling about it? You told me yesterday that you were meditating marriage, and I was not a bit surprised. I tell you to-day that I am going fcn turn Benedict, and you gape, and glare like an idiot!' 'But nobody ever heard of you being in love.' 'Must a fellow yell it from the housetops? Besides, 1 am not in lova; 1 do not beliova in such torumyrot. Tha giil is the adopted daughter of Mr Chester Stark, and the luatah is all that can bo desired. Wo shall makw a very fine couple in the ladies' fashion paper.-, when thoy describe theiuneral— the welding, 1 mean.' Chailio was regardicg him gravely now. '1 do not like this business, Dick; yon are joking? Aie you really selling yourself for dollars? I can not Ifltiliore it of you. You were alwayo «o independent—so chivalrous.' 'Do not talk of chivalry, with the sheriff's men in the kitchen!' 'By Jove!' Charlie exclaimed again. 'Bo candid with mo old chap. You aio not foolinfe?' 'Fooling! I am as sober as a judge.' 'I suppose she is young?' hazarded Charlie doubtfully. 'Twenty-five.' 'Good-looking?' 'As beautiful as a prei.' • 'And she cares for you I'll be bound?' 'Sbo does,' Dick confessed remorsefully. 'She devours me with her eyes. She is a Southerner, dark, passionate, high-souled, and

a perfect angel, with a big dash of his satauio majesty thrown in. her pets are panthers, and ahe is altogether so bizarre that 1 shall have to keen her in a cage, I fear. Now you have the catalogue complete, exaect the amount of her dot —er—five million dollars!' But Charlie was far from being acrused. His honest face expressed ainaz? end disgust. 'I hope you are not'deceiving this lady,' he said. 'And, pray, what business is it of yours if I am? I must have the money.' *1 have no wish to quarrel with yon, Dick, but if this is your real telf, you are a cold-blooded villian.' 'I am all that, and a lot more,' growled Dick. 'But I must request you to spare your virtuous censure. I Dave told you the truth, and 1 am going to tell the vioar just enough to prepare the parish for u suruiise.' Charlie stared him straight in the eyes, and his face was drawn with pain. Could this be the open-hearied, chivalrous Dick Tressidy of his I college days? ! '1 would rather blank boots on the s - **est corner than descend to your Jeve , *h& said, WfPb contemptuous bitterness. , & , "Xrj it, and sat/ WffftJ .DlolrCHAPTER Vilf-. DIOIC TKGSSIUY'tf OATH. . . SSSS3W Net 6bo bf i3iew Tressidy's acquaintances hadeVer give him credit Idr any depih of charaiiter. He was good-natured, lazy, and his college only remembered him"ks a fins allround athlete. He left fiollflge, Bad dawdled through four or five years In the belief that he was taking some active part in the affairs of Tressidy's Ironworks. He certainly did attend at the works occasionally, from ten o'clook until two, smoke cigars, and loaf about. And during thesa years his father was abroad a full six mouths out of every i wclvc. (To ba Continued.)