For Her Sister's Sake, OR, THE LAVENDEN SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8370, 1 March 1907, Page 2

For Her Sister's Sake, OR, THE LAVENDEN SECRET.

tlior of -"A Double Mask," "A Daughter of . * 'Mel d_A paTt,\^ i The*&Mdwk?Dwwp£f>£<*e&& wiVK~?Z2*ZIOAii&.

~t 'i .i 'V? r Vj? ; A Vi' i ' ' "■y ■£'"" J" ' -•'.* " ■:•: : 1 , .. ,•:• ~J ; •,' * ' '.• jj ei . Sister's'Salee " was commenced on December~2otfr. ]

CHAPTER -XLll.—Continued.-

"Winifred Lavenden's gaze fastened swiftly upon the Her' eyed shone With a vague, breathless" in-' quirjr. " " ;i ,'.l;", v' , 'fin 'stiatement," pursued the. governor, "Crimple confessed that ; he, and he alone, was l-esponsible-for ths crime a remarkable' combination, ,c£-.;. ci-rcumsfances; you have beeo. found cuilty... That is. .to, say," strange . as- it may appear, even, to you, you'dicl hoc fire the shot that killed J a mas Garth. That sho; was _ fired by-Peter Crimple.'- • /i Winnie swayed like a reed. : •'l—l'm afraid, ' ,i 'sh.e" faltered, "J •—I don't understand."' The superintendent [put in cheer-. fully: ' isn't easy to understand,' Miss Lavenden," he said."The facir is, we have : all .been, .misled ,by, a. conjunction.of, events;. At, 3 the moment when you-fainted in your struggle with tlarth, .Crimple"Tang for admission. Garth seems to ha\ e concealed you in some - way, 'and ad- ■ mitted Crimple, leaving the ,revolver. taken frdtn you on the table. In thel course of a "quarrel about ;tfre child Crimple caught ~up , the revolver,: and shot the other man dead.'Winnie passed her hand over her eyes! '"\ v "Mr Crimple,'' she murmured; "Boysi'e!. Then'l—l didn't——!' . "No, miss," said the superintendent heartily. : There was a patfse, and then a little cry'broke suddenly from Winifred Lavenden, and she forgot everything; in the world but Edward. Agnev?.,. ■was; standing but a pace or two" front her—the man who . had loved and suffered for iher, the man 'tvho -hadbeen "loyal to her in her darkest hour, of shame and agonyi She held outf her arms to him, and •he - sprang to her. - . ...' : ;.v" ' V .«'i

The .governor coughe4 slightly, ..an?! .in an instant, he hiraaelf, with .the. superintendent' 'aM'the wardresses, 1 ' had glided outof-the'cel!. Ti ; And ; in"'-:the. 'shadow ; of -the 1 law?s most dreadful doom^Winifreds iLavenden, lay. upon.hei; lover's breast,.®nd her lips met his. . '■ '» ; * . * i ♦ *' The world has a short 'memory,. ! even'for those who/have had to stand awhile-in the fierce glare of publicity which, beats upon; all; associated t ,with; a trial. .One sensatipn succeeds.another, the vyeeks slip into., motitft s?" the nibriths round into and-'time rebuilds 'the Shrink of' private' life—that shrine in Which abides, . tih'e gentle. trinity of ; tenderness contentment, and quist.o So it has -been - with the- chief actors in the'-tragie drama df the"; liavenden? casd:' -T!he t/ -^t6Bm : --Hiiat' :< over..Edward i>Agnew J : ?andfhiff»Mife left-them-grateful for those: ordinary things which , those who have. not suffered are all too prone to despise —fo£ simple health and liberty, for. love,,and peace ;of mind. Edward. Agnew is still ia successful lawyer, though he has given up his;: .Old. Bailey ; the., memory, terrible 'lie had spent during '"thef Laveiiden trial has led to.his. repeated;, refusals of notable criminal briefs." Winifred Agnew and he live in a little circle of attached -friends, foiL friendship. is.- still- to v-be foundlinj, society,' ' i'Mrs; Agnewaad/her sister/ the Viscountess Lavenden, ,are >yelcome guests in great and exHusive honies/- where" personal charm aM* high-' al6he ; 'gaih' f ¥dmitt- v ance; j £The>gay. world of c ! Londoh andthe Continent has > to whisper, and "stare, ': t )3xe' buried 1 its de'4d.,. J ' Sotietyv 'however, sees but little of themi' -" They move- in'- a A S"phere r of ; their own —beaiitifuhbeloved, lovingj Among their close intimates are Charles Ipgraito aridhis -wife*, caicfe known' as Sister May. 11 * As fof juliai she is wrapped up in a dark-eyed little lad, the future Viscount * Lavenden,_ who , ,1s , .no, longer spdkeii " of as. bears the name >of Davids Jijlia, does not,- wince when, she hears, it. now; she cannot forget that David Garth sought to give his life , for Winnie's—that it was he who, by a strange fate, did indeed save her.' Time, too, has vindicated the memory -.of. David Garthi from < the* 1 suspicion cast upon it by the mysteri* ous fate of the nurse, Sister Eva. In a siealed box left by David Garth witfi/ a French banker', during.,his residence in that country was founda record of the convict's, escape from Portland, and the adventures which, phadfolldwed it.- QWhilef in hiding on the coast he had seen th£ nurse fall from cliffs,v.tos>vthebeach,; and, .-creeping l .to the,,spot ' after jdagk,,sad. 4i?TOyered.',fie!|;' l iyuig : dead among the rocks. f The idea of his subsequent disguise flashed upon him, and .he. carried the lifeless form of'the nurse ~to a pave,fearing ,it should be discovered, and the missing cloak and £ bonnet lead vtp which might prove dangerous to him.

Not until : after his arrival in France did it occur to him that he might be suspected of the murder of the. nurse .whose death, .had ? j so, fortunately for t ftm.'; Then ' I$M wrote and > placed in! safetya ■'{ state-, ment of the whole cfrcumstahcesi" Whether Sister Eva in a fit of depression . due to her recent illness had sought her own death or whether she had slipped while out walking* David Garth could not suggest. There opaef hi§ out, ph'tTie whote, they wer# f MnS ! ¥aP fa9ts. ,o|, therfCpnyi'ct'g life, ap had cdirie to the !of, tp'; had produced a general conviction that he was s one of those who. fare morefsinned against than sinning. - Over the ■' of ; Divid Garth - and .P«fcer ,Crimpl,^ }-the, greem And Tiida is dove-gray gown and white-stringed boimj>t f A> «essf| abroad when the fitful London sunshine '■i-nii . cc^n**!

■gilds the park, . carrying a tiny bundle all lace • dt'nd cambric. : It .19 Winifred AgnewV-first-born. ' )r THE "END.