RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8398, 12 April 1907, Page 2

RIVEN ASUNDER. OR, BERYL GRAYSON'S ORDEAL.

A 110MANOE OP THE KHANCISCO iXSASTHu

CHAPTER XXXlV.—Continued,

"Well," he muttered, "this is, indeed, a surprise, my girl. Why I, thought you were in Denver?" She was expecting fierce words, brutal actions. His mood worried and perplexed her. "Could I remain idly in Denver when the man I love is seeking to woo and win another?" she flashed. "Do you think I have no heart, and that lean forget all that has passed between us, and yield you up calmly and without a pang? If yqu thought so, Nicholas Berdyne, you are woefully mistaken. You belong to me, and I shall have you—or no one!" "Let U3 go in here," said he, opening a door leading to a room in the front part of the house. "We can talk with more privacy, and this is a matter entirely beween ourselves." She shot a suspicious look at him, but his plausible manner took her off her guard. She passed into the room, and he followed her. "Who else is there in this house besides ourselves?" she demanded. "As yet," he lied, there is none but ourselves and the old hag who owns it. But she has sharp ears." "You pui up those notices in the parks and squares, didn't you?" she inquired. "Yes." "I imagined as much!" she cried,, with jealous fury. "You would cast me aside for this wax doll, this baby faced creature who hates and despises you ! But I " He indulged in a low laugh. "Do you think that for a moment, Irma? Is it possible that you imagine, for one fleeting instant, that I would be so base as to throw you over for this young girl? Bah! I thought you had more confidence in me than that." "But you intercepted letters that <:ame to her at Denver from her lover!" exclaimed Irma, in an exasperated voice. "I saw some of them .in the desk in your Denver office." He frowned darkly; but the frown disappeared as quickly as it had come. "But that is not all," she went on, "for you put yourself out of the way to be nice to the girl. For anything 1 know, yoii had her taken in at Sunset Ranch. And I have it on good authority that you hired Gorslhie to go to her with a lie about her lover's death. Why did you do all these things, Nicholas Berdyne? You have been heartless in your treatment of rae, too. What inference was Ito draw?" "As you put it, Slrma," said he blandly, "it does look as though I was proving treacherous to you. And yet, the explanation is simple when you have fully realized one point." "What is that?" "I had not thought to speak of this to any one, for it is a subject in which my fortune is concerned. But I see I must be frank with you. Every dollar I have, Irma, could, under certain circumstances, be taken from me by this young girl. I have realized it for months; so Ijjhave been more than kind to her, in order that I might safeguard my interests. "At the time of the earthquake and fire I had a trunkful of extremely important "papers in my room in a 'Frisco hotel. An attempt was made to get this trunk, which was in charge of my man Hargreaves, away from the hotel. The trunk, with many others, was abandoned in the street ,* a falling wall wrecked the trunk and scattered the papers. Preston—and a curse on my unlucky stars for bringing him v there! —found the trunk and secured a packet of papers. Hargreaves saw him turn the trick, and, reported \\ to me. Do you know what that means, Irma? It means that, unless I can get that packet of papers from Preston I am a ruined man; all my wealth will be swept away!" Irma Lee had listened with intense • wonder. Could it be, after all, that her jealousy had led her to do k ßerr dyne a wrong? His plausible manner deceived her—even her, who knew him so well! "How do you intend to secure" this valuable packet, Nick?" she asked, her voice softening. "How can that forged notice which you put up in the various refugee camps help you?" '\ "It will lure the girl here, perhaps," said he; "and perhaps Preston himself will see one of the notices and come to this place. Then, if he loves the girl, and if he knows she is in my hands, he may be willing to trade the papers for the girl; or, if not, and he has th'j papers with him, the packet can be taken by force. Do you understand ?" "Yes," she replied, "I do understand, Nick; and I see that I have done wrong, because I misunderstood your motives. You never intended to marry this Beryl?" "Never!" "Forgive me, then," she begged, approaching him with her face transformed by the wealth of love she bore the consummate scoundrel. "Let me retrieve the injury I have done you by helping you accomplish your purpose. v 0 u will find mejtrue and loyal "M*!» Pi'rfK'lt tu She was close tonhim by mat'time, and stretching out her arms for his embrace. This gave himjbis opportunity, the one for which he had been waiting. Like a hawk, he swooped uport the unsuspecting woman. His two arms shot out, his big, sinewy hands clasped about her white throat, and he bore her down to her knees. She gasped out a plea for mercy, but a fiendish glare was in JJJJJJJ "You would interfere* with me, would' you?" he hissed. "Well, it is for the last time! From now on you will not dog my steps, thwarting me at every turn, fjr I shalljsmother the last stark'of|lifeyoutofJyour body! I

By Julia Edwards, author of "The Little I! irtoic," "Sadio. r/i<-/.W/i»->." «f Ai, "Stella Sterling," "f.aur:i <'.'<:.

do We f'ovyl; s-h'.' is more to mo than y<»; ovf-vr couhi '».;. If 1 could not win her ;k- a m;;i(i. I shall possess her ay a widow :'" *" frightful treachery of Berdyne's aroused the tigress in irma. Shi-' .■■<tru<:irk j d with all the fury of her ou>. -■nj.ri-'i heart, tearing at the hands that W'j)<.' .slowly strangling her. To stirh good purpose did she resist that she was able i:o f've her throat for an iiiHtiint and to give vent to a w.'ld s::)vam for help. As the echoes rang out, they were taken up by a splintering crash as the front door fell in. A cry came from one of the rear rooms—it was Marm Kinney's voice: "The cops! They are all round the house!" With a horrible imprecation, Bcrdyne drew back his fist and struck the woman a blow, then bounded out of the room and up the stairs. "Beryl!" cried the voice of Neil Preston, a moment later, as he ran into the room where Irma Lee, on her knees, was moaning and holding both hands to her temples.

CHAPTER XXXV. A HOUSE OF MYSTERY. When reaching Oakland, Neil, by the advice of Trenwyck, secured some policemen -and brought them to the J Street house. The lawyer, thoroughly dismayed by his chance meeting with Neil, and thinking the reckless Berdyne would halt at nothing in dealing with the \oung man, had succumbed to the dictates of his fears. He was an arrant coward; and while he dreaded the enmity of Berdyne, he dreaded more the enmity of the powerful Prestons in case any harm should happen to Neil. The lawyer felt that Berdyne's case was hopeless. Trenwyck was to receive a large sum in case Berdyne could succeed in winning and marrying Beryl 5 ; but Neil had outmanoeuvred Berdyne, and Beryl was now his bride. What more had Berdyne to hope for, unless he accomplished it by means so foul the lawyer dared have no part in them? Trenwyck, of course, was in the dark as to the papers Neil had secured from the wrecked trunk. Neil, standing on Marm Kinney's door-step, just ready to knock, heard the scream given by Irma Lee. He thought it was Beryl, and in a second had broken down the door and flung himself into the hall. By this time Berdyne was up the stairs and out of sight. Neil dashed through' the nearest door, which, as we have already seen, led tothe room in which Irma Lee had suffered such inhuman treatment. "Miss Lee!" he cried. "What has happened" \ He lifted the pallid woman to her feet and saw the great bruise on her forehead. "Who has done this?" Neil cried. "Speak!" "Let it pass," answered Irma Lee, her eyes narrowing with deadly hate. She panted gaspingly, and dropped backward against the wall. "Is my darling in this house?" asked Neil. "I do not know," whispered Irma. "Berdyne is here—he has just fled up stairs. .Follow him!" With a fierce cry, Neil whirled about and dashed out of the room, and up the stairs. Irma, recovering herself with a fierce effort, started to follow. As she crossed the floor she saw a revolver lying on the bare boards; it was the weapon Berdyne had drawn in the hall, and had fallen from his pocket. The revolver was a small one. She gazed at it for an instant, then stooped, picked it up and thrust it into her bosom. A serpentlike smile wreathed about her thin, pale lips. "He struck me!" she whispered; "he struck! me! He would have killed me had not Neil Preston come!" She went on up the stairs. At the top of the landing she was met by Neil. "There is no one up here!" he cried distractedly. "You are sure Berdyne came this way?" "I know it," she answered. "Hs must be here." "But I am sure there is no one here. The house is surrounded by policemen, however, and escape from it is impossible. If Berdyne is hiding, we shall get him out!" Neil ran down the stairs again. A captain of police had accompnaied him, in charge of the detail. The captain was standing in the hall below, i (To be Continued).