The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8284, 12 November 1906, Page 2

The Ironmaster's Daughter.

(-"The Ironmaster's Daughter" was commenced on October 17th.]

CHAPTER XVI— Continued.

"Mr Benson," said his employer. "Yes, sir." "A minute, please." Mr Benson followed him back to the private office "We have a traitor here, and we must trap him or her. lam suspicious of the girls Girls are adepts at trickery of that kind " "Then it must be Miss Morns," said Benson. "She's one of the common sort —open to bribery.' "Or the other one—Miss Hilda Craven I hate to think of it, but can't shut my eyes to facts." "You might suspect me with just as much reason," Benson said valiantly . 'i know that Alts*. crris is keeping company with Ben Hebden, and they are saving up to get married. Girls are often tempted to be dishonest when they are getting a future home together." ( "You have satisfied me," his master said ambiguously. He often spoke in riddles now. Then he added to himself, "Miss Craven shall be watched, Ben Hebden is a rough, with the instincts of a gentleman. He would never sell me." The storm descended about midday. It came upon the brooding world like "an avalanche. The clouds were ink and copper; the rain fell, the lightning flashed, the thunder boomed without ceasing until after office hours.

"it was nearly six o'clock when Dick's brougham was driven up to the office door. The clouds appeared to be gathering again, and the thunder roared intermittently. "Drive sharp," Dick said to, the coachman, "we're not.through with this yet." . 1 The vehicle dashed away, and, while passing through a street of squalid houses, a huge : stone crashed against one of the windows. The glass was shivered into a thousand

pieces. The coachman pulled up, but , there was no one in sight who could have been guilty of the outrage. 'Three or four sullen looking men at the end of the street laughed hoarsely, and one called out t "A bit in advance, mister! You've thrown a thousand families on the streets with your new-fangled Yankee machinery. You'd best look •out for yourself.'' Dick jumped out of the brougham, but the men dispersed, scowling and threatening. "Drive on, Archer," . he said to the coachman. "The, storm is right ... over us again." A mile from Smethwick was a stretch of open.country, and the rain pelted down with a fury that reminded Dick of the tropics. The landscape was blurred and .gray, and the gutters were running miniature torrents. Here and there a workman was struggling homeward, dripping from head to foot. And then Dick saw something that set his serves tingling, It was a woman, her finery wet and clinging, her skirts bedraggled, and that wo - man was Hilda Craven, He touched the check-cord. "Stop, Archer. Pull to the left. , One of my typewriters. We must give her a lift." 4 CHAPTER XVII. THREE WEEKS. "Miss Craven"—Dick popped his head out of the carriage window—'come inside. You will be washed away in this deluge." The girl glanced at him, amazed and startled, but she comprehended and darted 1 towards the carriage. Dick threw.open the door, and Miss Craven stepped in. "You must be wet to the skin," said her employer. "I had no idea that you lived so far from the works, Miss Craven." "I started to see a friend after the first storm," she stammered. "It was perhaps foolish to risk it." "Very foolish. I thought that you were a young lady of more .sense." He was regarding ber critically,-- and a momentary flash of resentment shot into her violet eyes. "Never mind; I will take you to your friend's door, where I hope you will be able to get a change of clothing. Mind those bits of glass Miss Craven. Some fool flung a half brick and smashed the window. My* enemies are bent on making things rather warm for me." ; < • She met his gaze st.eadily, but he felt convinced that a faint pallor crept into her cheeks. "The office secrets have been sold," he went on remorselessly, "though, fortunately for me, most of the new ideas committed to paper are merely in abstract form. These treacherous receivers of stolen brains haven't the wit to transform the .ideas into the concrete. And ' those men, Miss Craven, are forgers and swindlers. Thoy have already robbed my father of his fortune, and almost his good name. Their methods are as ruthless as the methods of a tiger. They were traitors to the trust of a confiding man, who paid them well while sapping his very life." The girl's eyes dilated, and she trembled in every limb. He found it hard to believe her guilty of wrong. Every feature curved with tenderness. j

Bv OWEN MASTERS. Anther of " Clyda's Love Dream," *' Nina's . Repentance " Her Soldier Lover," "The Mystery of Woodcroft," " For Love ofMarjorie," etc.

"Oh, I am so wet and miser able Mr Tressidy," she said. "Have you much further to go?" he asked kindly. "No, the first house on the left. I wish now that I hadn't come." Her voice trembled and she shivered violently. "I am of opinion that you ought to return home at once, and get out of those wet clothes. Shall I take you back? The horse is fresh, and the coachman won't mind, as he is inveloped in oilskins. I can't afford to have you [ill just now. I have taken a great liking to you Miss Craven, not because you are a handsome, refined woman, but for the reason that I know that you are trustworthy. I want you to keep an eye upon the people who have access to my private papers." . Hilda Craven's flamed, and she burst into tears. , ' "Mr Tressidy, I can't be your spy. It is an insult!" «No—no; don't, misunderstand me.' But we, will talk, of these things later. Are you going back?" " No; please stop here. This is the house." The carriage came to a halt, and Dick assisted the girl tofalight. The touch of his hand thrilled her through and through, and her quiet " Thank you, sir," was a mere gasp. Dick saw her mount the steps of the house, and ring the bell. He. saw also that it bore the high-sound-ing name of " Balmoral," and he made a note of it. Then he lay back and laughed. :r,fTO BE CONTINUED.]