The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8304, 6 December 1906, Page 2

The Ironmaster's Daughter.

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

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

CHAPTER XXVl.— Continued. "Oh, you dreadful liar!" Pauline gasped, and half drew the letter from her pocket. Her eyes dilated—her nostrils quivered—her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. Frank sighed and looked away. He'shrugged his shoulders, too, in the French manner. He had lived in Paris one week that summer. "I'm prepared for this, quite, or I might resent it. One takes from a woman what a man would ha,ve to answer for with his life!" He looked at her scornful, smiling face darkly. "I repeat it—l swear it; moreover the woman is in his ofiice —his confidential typewriter. Very confidential!" he sneered. "I twitted him, and he admitted it. I wouldn't tell you this if things were not at an end between you." While talking he had puffed furiously at his cigar. All the time the tip had flamed and glowed, and now he paused to light a fresh one. And Pauline was watching him, and sniiling, and both the look and the smile were curious to see. "Frank Stark," she said, her manner calm, her eyes glittering, "for once in your life you have given mo real pleasure —I am overjoyed." Then she laughed wildly—hysterically. "She's mad!" he thought, alarmed. "Hush, Pauline! My father—remember !" "Oh, how considerate you are, Frank! I'm sure I admire your filial love, your kind and humane disposition, your charity, and your unsullied truthfulness!" '•What's come over you, Pauline?" he asked uneasily. He firmly believed that her mind was giving way under the strain. He jumped to his feet, but she waved him back. "I am happy, Frank Stark, deliriously hnippy! Now I know that the creature who penned this letter is an unprincipled, scheming perjurer ! He traffics in human liveshuman souls, for the sake of gain." ■ She waved it aloft. "Do you recognize it, Frank Stark ? " He reeled to - his chair, an oath escaping him. "God ! So he gave you that too!" His face was livid, his hands shook. "No, he did not/" she retorted fiercely. "He was ill Avith fever and I stole it. I took his keys, and sneaked like a thief in the night to steal this—the evidence that proves you to be the meanest thing that crawls." - "It's truth," he whispered hoarse-' ly. '-It was dragged from me." "We will read it," she continued, balm of mem, but with a glare of dreadful hatred in her flaming eyes. "No ! no ! I won't listen," He rose. "Do what you will. I see your scheme; you would ruin me and my father. But I don't care—he has made me a partner, and he can't retract." "Stay where you are, Frank Stark, or I will shoot you dead! i have armed myself for this littl e meeting, and I will be obeyed Listen to this! So I have had several offers of marriage from Americans? And these same lovers have backed out because I'm a nigger? Listen again " "Pauline, I will not listen. You may fire at me if "'you like. I am going." Hestcod up boldly, resolutely. "I sha'n't squeal; that's not my nature; and as for my father, you can tell him just what you like. It would be a good thing for me financially if he dropped oft' the hooks before he has time to alter his will. Before I wrote that letter I was admitted an equal partner in the ironworks. He can't revoke that. Good night. We shall never meet again, I hope. You're a nigger though, all the same, and a cussed bad one, too !" She hurled the revolver at his head, but he didn't flinch. A tiny stream of blood ran down his face. "Thank you," he said, ironically. He 'quitted the room, and she heard the slamming of doors. Then Chester Stark appeared, his face full of questioning wonder. "What on earth is the matter, Pauline?" he asked. CHAPTER XXX, THE STORM BEADY TO [BREAK. Bill Hebden had played many parts in his life. , Soldier, prizefighter, policeman, and country bailiff, with indifferent success. As country policeman and bailiff he was too soft-hearted. He forgot his duty and was dismissed from both services in disgrace. He aided the whining criminal, and the distressed, and ridiculed the law. As a prizefighter, those m " the know " asserted that he could have won the championship, and a fortune, but his blows lacked steam because he didn't like to hurt the other man ! And beer had something to do with it too. ' Now Bill had turned over a new leaf, and a young woman was the cause of it. ' Bill was in love, and the name of lihe girl was Polly Morris, her occupation that of a typewriter at Tressidy's new works. Polly Morris, was mi smart girl,

the daughter of a small storekeeper, and believed Bill to be one of the noblest of men, and Bill was doing his level best to merit her h igh opinion. Bill was devoted to the Tressidys, and to Dick Tressidy in particular, because they had found him employment when no one else would. He was in disgrace, almost starving, a drunken loafer, people said. He had been everything, and could do nothing. The Tressidys gave him a chance. He knew something about horses, and the stables at the works were left to his care. He responded nobly, and was soon one of the most trusted servants. But if Bill Hebden had a fault at all. it was the fault of overzeal. He wanted to do too much for his master, and sometimes interfered where he wasn't required. The speeches of Mr Lucas Isaacs maddenedhim, and he was fined 40s and costs for tweaking Mr Isaacs' classical nose. He tore the posters from the fences if they referred to Isaacs, and corralled thousands of handbills from inofensive people who were paid to distribute them. [to be continued.]