RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL,

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 5 April 1907, Page 2

RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL,

By Julia Edwards, Author of "The little Wdoir," "Sadia, the livscbud," "Freiticut of All," "Stella Sterling," "Laura Jiraytonetc.

A HOMANuE OF THE PAN FRiYNCISCO DISASTER

CHAPTER *XXVll.—Continued. "Getup!" ordered Predion curtly, the man and riai.it: to his fjet. t 1 As fin lawyer nrcse, Preston c e/es al ghted on two cards which lay o i the stones and had fallen from TrjnwycK's pocket. Trie lawyer recovered t lem hastily—his very haste arousing Neil's suspicions. Catching the man's hand, Neil wrenched one of the cards away. On the souare piece of pasteboard was theXfolbwing: — "Beryl: If you see this, come at once to 145 J Street, Oakland. You will find me there, lonely and heartbroken. „ NEIL " Nell was furious. His hand clen- , ched as though lie would deal the scoundrelly lawyer a blow, and the other cringed before him and abjectly cried out for mercy. "You contemptible cur!" shouted Neil. "'I could kill you for this piece <fvf trparhprv ! ,f "Be careful, sir!" said the lawyer, pitifully frightened. "Don't forget that I saved your life in that Sutter Street house!" "'You did that through cowardice! You shirked consequences that Gorsline was willing to face. What have you been doing with these cards?" "Posting them in the different refugee camps." "Did—did my mother " The words froze on his lips. "Your mother had nothing to do with it, and does not know anything about it." ' "For whom are you acting? Whose base plqn is this? Tell, me," Neil commanded, bis voice tense and fraught with terrible meaning, "and be sure you speak the truth." "Berdyne," replied Trenwyck. "That monster! That inhuman scoundrel! He is in Oakland?" "Yes." "And he would lure my darling there! Ob, the infamous wretch!'' Neil was shaking with fury. His voice choked with the wrath that filled him; and then, as if by magic, he grew calm as a terrible purpose formed in his brain. "Come with me," he said, seizing Trenwyck by the arm; "you and*l will go to this place in .Oakland together. All I ask under heaven is to be brought face to face with Berdyne!" Togethrr they joined the drifting crowd of refugees bound for the Market Street ferry, Neil all on fire with a desire for vengeance, the lawyer ghastly pale with fear and apprehension. Alas! if Neil had only known that trap was laid for him as well as for Beryl. CHAPTER XXVIII. A DEMON'S CUNNING. There was bad blood between Trenwyck and Gorsline because of what happened in the Sutter Street house. It will be recalled that the lawyer had interfered when Gorsline was about to use his knife with murderous resolve. When Neil sprang from Gorsline to unlock the library door and look for Beryl, Trenwyck caught „pp the knife, which was lying-on the Aoor, feeling quite sure that he would need it to insure his own protection. After securing the knife, he started for the street, to make his escape , from a place where peril was growing more deadly with every passing moment. Gorsline followed him savage as a tiger. The ruffian had remained behind to look for his knife, not having t>een the lawyer when he He remained long enough in the room where the struggle had taken place to hear Neil's agonized call for Beryl; not only that, but Gorsline stole a look through the library door, and saw that the chair in which he had secured the girl was vacant, and that the twisted sheets were lying on the floor. Trenwyck, flourishing the knife, warned the ruffian to keep off; then turned and rushed into the street, with Gorsline in hot pursuit. For a brief period they stood wrangling in a place of comparative safety, and from' there they witnessed Neil's flight alone, with the dynamite blast roaring at his heels. From this it will be seen that Trenwyck, in his later talk with Neil on the following day, had given totigue to more than one falsehood. He had declared—for what purpose of his own it would be useless to question—that he bad supposed that Neil had met his fate in the Sutter Street house, only finding out his error when he had £alked with Neil's mother; when, as a matter of fact, he and Gorsline knew very well Neil had effected his escape. And Gorsline knew tfyat Beryl had also managed to get away. The lawyer, plausible and full of guile as ever, insisted that he had interfered to save Neil solely to prevent Gorsline doing something in anger which he would regret in a •Calmer moment. The latter was far from being satisfied, although he accepted the explanation sullenly and agreed to a truce. Hi 3 knife was returned, and the precious pair made their way into Portsmouth Square. While they stood at the edge of the square, debating the present situation and seeking to lay out their future course, an express-svagon halted at the curb in front of them, and Berdyno leaped down from his seat beside the driver. Instantly the expressman was besieged by a score of fugitives who wanted his aid. He was not long in making a bargain, and in driving away. The arrival of Berdyne was as sudden as it was unexpected. Had he put in an appearance half an hour earlier, that affair in the Sutter

Street house might have turned out entirely different. "Well, by the eternal!" grunted Gorsline. "Whare have you been all this time?" Bei'dyne drew close, his keen biack eyes searching the faces of his two confederaets. "I've been looking for the girl," said he, in an angry undertone. "If one or both of you had been with us in the Red Flier, she would not have got away. A live wire struck against the post of the steeringwheel; the electricity ran up into my hand and arm, and I was paralyzed for a few moments. "That," he added, his eyes glittering with baffled rage, "was the girl's opportunity, and she took advantage of it. Have either of you seen her, or Preston?" Among the goods and chattels scattered about the square were several piles of office furniture brought from near-by buildings. Among these were desks, chairs, a type-writer-stand and a typewriter. Berdyne got his eye on one of the chairs, pulled it out, and sat down in it. Gorsline sat on a corner of one of the desks, and, while he recounted the Sutter Street experiences, Trenwyck reclined on the grass and kept wary eyes on him. "it was a slick game we played," added Gorsline, when he had told all; "and if Trenwyck jhadn't stuck in his oar I'd be a three-hundred-dolkr 'spark' to the good. As it is," he scowled, "Ive not only lost that, but some of my other plunder along with it." "Trenwyck did exactly right," salid Berdyne coolly. "You had no warrant for a murderous assault on Preston." "I owe him one,"gritted the tough, with a look of malignant hate, "and I'll be even with him if I ever git the chance." t-* v *. "Don't be foolish," said Berdyne sharply. "If the time ever comes when I find it necessary to sweep Preston out of my path, I'll remember you, and make the for you. Have you any idea how the girl managed to give you the slip?" "No, unless she twisted herself clear of the ropes. 1 1 thought I tied her safe enough." "It looks mysterious to me," muttered Berdyne; "but, on the whole, I'm glad of it. She [and Preston are still wide apart, and if I cannot manage to come between them, my brain has lost its cunning. I have been travelling from one point to another all day, looking for the girl ; but it's hopeless to try and find anybody in such a qonfused mob of a place as San Fracisco is just now. I hired that expressman for twenty-five dollars an hour, and had started to make a tour of all the squares and parks, looking for the girl. As a result, I find you two, and a pretty story you have to tell me." Not far from the place where Berdyne sat was a wooden cross over an oblong mound, with smaller crosses over similarmotinds to left and right., This was the spot where the bodies from the morgue had been interred. But what claimed Berdyne's attention particularly were written notices pinned to the larger cross with, information as to where certain, people who had come to the square might be found. This information, of course, was for the benefit of friends and relatives. As he gazed at the scraps of paper fluttering from the upright, an idea entered Berdyne's crafty brain. "Gorsline," said he, turning abruptly on his confederate, "do you know of any safe retreat in 'Frisco, or Oakland, where a little business of a shady nature can be safely transacted? We ought to have the place to ourselves, if possible." Gorsline caught the significant gleam in Berdyne's eyes, and fully understood it. He gave an ugly leer. "Places of that kind in' Frisco havd gone up in smoke," said he, "or else thej're so close to the fireline that there ain't no dependin' on 'em. They got shook up a little over in Oakland, I hear, but they ain't got no fire to deal with. I know of a place over there —Marm Kinney's. It's a hang-out for crooks; but I reckon Marm Kinney hasn't many boarders jest about now, owin' to the rich pickin's to be had this side o' the bay—perviding a cove wants to risk a bullet." "Where is this Munn Kinney's place?" Gorsline gave the address. Berdyne took a note-book, and pencil from his pocket, and wrote for a few moments on his knee. "Can you use a typewriter, Trenwyck?" he asked, when he had finished writirlg. "After a fashion," answered the wondering lawyer. "Then square around to that machine," said Berdyne, "and make fifteen or twenty copies of this on as many slips of paper." (To be Continued).