RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8390, 2 April 1907, Page 2

RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

By Julia Edwards, author of "The Little If idoir," "Sadia, the Rosebud," "Prettied of All," "Stella Sterling," "Laura Hrai/ton,'' etc.

A ItOMANOE OF THE SAN FRA.NCISCO DISASTER.

CH AFTER "XXIV. - Continued. "You ought. to lie with your friends,'' said the boy in '•lu-v, "but I can fintl a place for you in a tent, whore there are pomu tithe'' women. Come thi,« wny." He then led them in among the •army tents, halted at one, stepped back, and waved them in. "You will be safe here," said he .kindly, "for the park is patrolled on all four sides. If any one should seek to molest you, you only have to cry out, and assistance will come." They thanked the guard and crept into the terit. There were others there, farther back in the gloom. A woman's voice called: "Anna, is it you? My daughter, my little daughter!" "We are two homeless girls, madam," answered Beryl. A wail of disappointment came from the woman. "I was asleep and dreaming, •dreaming that my lost child had been restored to me," cried the woman "We were separated, and I wonder if we shall ever meet again in this life." The-moaning voice subsided into a sort of dumb despair. In few moments the soldier returned and passed something into the tent. "Here are two blankets," said he; "I got them for you out of a couple of our blanket-rolls."

Again they thanked him for his thoughtfulness, and made themselves as comfortable as they could on the hard ground. Beryl soon fell into sound slumber; but Tonita, worried because she knew Trenwyek had followed them so successfully from the Preston mansion, could not sleep. The flickering light of the great •conflagration beat upon the outer walls of the tent; and in this light, reflected on the canvas, she saw a figure —a man's shadow. Her heart leaped into her throat and almost choked her. The shadow moved stealthily along the tent wall, pausing again and again. Several times the frightened girl was on the point of crying out, but each time she smothered her fears, not wishing to disturb Beryl. Could that shadow be cast by the form of Trenwyek? Had he succeeded in following them, even there? If so, how had he got through the cordon drawn about the encampment by the soldiers? Presently the shadow left the tent wall and hovered round the end of the structure. Silently as a gliding serpent it approached the opening. Then, just as a wild scream was' on Tonita's lips, a vigilant guard shouted:

"Come out of there! Come out, I say, or I'll fire!" A muttered imprecation struck on the girl's ears. The form started to run, and the sodden report of a rifle echoed out. No cry followed the shot—merely the hurry of running feet, dying away into silence. No orie in the camp seemed to have been aroused; certainly no one in the tent took notice of the shot, other than Tonita. The other occupants slept peacefully on, and Beryl slumbered dreamlessly in her friend's arms. Tonita was reassured. Certainly the wretched, homeless people were vigilantly "guarded by those brave soldier. boys. •; As the Mexicana's fears gradually passed away, sleep came to her own tired eyes. "Oh, lightly, lightly tread! A holy thing is sleep, On the worn spirit shed And eyes that wake to weep."

CHAPTER XXV. THE TOTTERING WALL. Beryl started out of her refreshing slumber into the light of morning. She sat up, bewildered and confused, grappling with the mystery of her presence in the tent, wondering at the babel of sound that reached her from without, trying to piece together the links in that dread chain of events. , At last a wave of recollection rolled over her. She' remembered the visit to the stately home on Nob Hill, the pursuit by Trenwyck,? the kindness of the soldier, and the refuge to which he had led her and Tonita. Beryl turned to speak to her friend, but found the tent empty, save for herself. Tossed, disordered blankets covered the ground, but Beryl was the only one in that rude shelter. A pang of fear shot through her heart. "Tonita! Tonita!" . she called, struggling to her feet and out into the open. Wretched people were all around her, many of them but half-clad, and some wearing the poorest of garments. The heaps of luggage, with which she was already so familiar, were to be seen in every conceivable place. Sewing machines, dressers, chairs, trunks, formed the nucleus of each poor heap of belongings, and among these the old and young, the delicate woman and the strong man, wijre sitting and eating the rations distributed by the government. The morning light was darkened by the smoke pall. The sun could only be seen at intervals when it broke, like a ghostly, blood-red ball, through the awesome haze. Already the fire had touched that part of the citylightly, however, for the demon had been fought with dynamite and with some success. Yet the buildings that hadjbeen spared were soon "to be lapped up by a tidal wave of flame , which there was r.o resisting. ! Across from the small park, and j half a block below, was the great tottering front wail of an apartmenthouse. Back of the|wa]l was only a mass of smouldering ruins, and the

wall itself swayed back and forthwith a wavy motion threatening to fall at -any moment. It might drop into the street, or inward upon its own foundations. The ever-present soldiers patrolled each end of the block to warn people away. Beryl gazed with awe at the great, fluttering mass of masonry, then turned to observe another spectacle of a different sort. A huge armvwaggon was drawn up at one side of the square. On the seat with the driver sat an officer with a drawn revolver; on the ground, beside the .waggon, stretched a file of men and women with baskets and pitchers, receiving water and food from men in the rear of the waggon. A cry of joy escaped Beryl's lips when she, recognised Tonita in the line, waiting to receive her own portion of fare. The Mexicana, gazing toward her friend, waved one hand encouragingly. In a little while Tonita had received her store of water and food, and came hastily to her friend. "See, darling!" she cried, display ing a cracked pitcher, half-full of water and a tin dish containing bread and canned meat, "a woman loaned me the pitcher and the basin, and the good soldiers have supplied us with our breakfast. We shall do very well indeed, querida. A sound night's rest and a morning meal will make us feel like different persons." "You are always thoughtful, Tonita," said Beryl gratefully. "It must have tired you to stand so long inline. Why did you not wake me?" "I felt that you should have all the rest you could get, dearest," answered the unselfish Meixcana, setting the food and water on the trampled grass. "Come; sit before me, and I will comb that bonnie golden hair of yours with one of my side combs, and we will do what little we may to make ourselves presentable." Something of the Mexicana's enforced gaiety was imparted to her friend, and soon they were eating their rude fare with a hearty relish. "Do you know what I have heard this morning, dear," queried Tonita, sadness creeping into her voice. "Stanford Uiversity has been wrecked and ruined; and Manuel, my faithful caballero! I do not know whether he escaped or not." "My dearest Tonita," murmured Beryl, sympathetically. "And you can be so brave even with that fear- ! ful uncertainty before you." "'Tis better to keep up a good heart, darling," returned the girl, I albeit her lips quivered as she spoke the'cheerful words. Then, as they finished their meal and drew away, she sang softly—"Oh, sing the song we loved, love, When all life seemed one song; For life is none too long, love "

The words died away on her soft lips, and she turned her face that Beryl might not see her gathering tears. Silently, sympathetically, Beryl clasped her friend's hand. Their hearts went out to each other, in that sad, lonely moment, as never before. "Let us not give way," said Tonita, bravely, drying her eyes. "Our own trials and misfortunes seem insignificent when compared with the woe that has fallen upon so many. All Santa Clara Valley, I heard, has suffered from the earthquake. Not so much as San Francisco, for here the fire is adding its horrors; but, where there is so much sorrow, why should we not be like so many others, and bear up with a good spirit? The saints will protect and defend us, and, if it is ,their will, we shall meet our loved 'ones again." While they sat talking, they were brought to their feet by a shout from one of the soldiers on guard before' the swaying wall of the burned apartment-house. As the two girls could see, being in the rank of refugees nearest to that side of the park, an automobile had rushed out into the street, heading into the danger that threatened from the swaying masonry. There were two persons in the automobile—a man on the front seat and a woman omthe seat behind. Trunks and satchels were piled about them. "Why!" cried Beryl, quick (.orecognise the two figures in the automobile, "one of them is—is "One of them," spoke up Tonita, cuttingly, "is the cruel woman we met last evening. She has been obliged to flee, like the rest of us. What good is her money to her now? They wil not get far in that vehicle, for the soldiers will take it away from them. Ah, I love to see the pride of such people humbled!" (To be Continued).