THE STUDENT'S SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8454, 3 June 1907, Page 2

THE STUDENT'S SECRET.

CHAPTER IX.--Continucd. " •' have no longer any friends," she • ;.;■;, briefly. "I must learn to do ■r.hoiit thorn. I am young and •«.r,g, and i shall be able to find .. Ji'lc. I intend to start to-morrow ■:; -•■• arch of it. I wish to thank you •■<> permitting mo to romain here for ......:iC fiv.v (l:iys and, if you nve will- .!-■. I fhall be rlad to have these ' -V. small articles, which, in addition ... My wardrobe, are all I will ask of 'You're quite mistaken as to hav- >: no friends," ho said, approaching .;. r closely and feeding his leering •vs upcm her loveliness. "As to ;i>i-ig in quest of work, that is non- • n.se. You'll stay just where you ,uv, Sybil Grey, mistress of all this nuney, of this splendid home, of all Uu'se comforts—as my wife!" '' If you have any respect for youro[f or *or me," said Sybil, "do not mlrude that subject to-night. I shall •u'ver be your wife!" "Not so fast, my girl," said Luke • ■antrum, with a triumphant smile inlaying around his voluptuous lips. "You will certainly be my wife—■.'(»!iceably, if that can be arranged; '• rcibly, if necessary," he added, in a significant tone. The angry blood rushed to Sybil's I'vice. "If you have not the decency to '.■(■[' rain f-om such a loathsome proposal, I will not endure your pre■ii ice another moment. Leave me, ,ir!" "Softly, softly, my girl. There is ■: > time like the present. And I propose to have your consent to a speedy /..image, right here and now." "You propose!" cried Sybil, scornfully. "Do you, indeed! Well, in answer to your proposal, let me tell ■von no words can express howl deb?«t you or how I detest myself for tinting your bread and accepting the --.hotter of your roof, for these last , f o\v dayk But lam through with you forever. Your face is repulsive -keep off from me, monster! Or, rather, let me get away from your presence!" Earlier in the day she had brought her hat and sacque down to the library, with a half-defined intention v.'' going out, which she had not executed. She started for the garments now. A vague, unreasoning fright had -oized her.

"lam going from your house—at once, forever." she cried, nervously, us she started forward. "You never were more mistaken in your life," said Jastrum, with fierce self-suppression. "You will never leave this house/ again except as my wife I" and, keeping his eyes upon'her, he walked backward to the door, turned the key, and then withdrew it from the lock. "Who is master now?" he asked.

Sybil, trembling from head to foot, [■•• tared at hira. "Unlock that door! Let me leave this room!" she commanded. "Sybil Grey," said the man, "you ;;hall be my wife, even if my life pays the forfeit. You may as well consent." The girl's cheeks were flaming, her eyes shone, her bosom heaved. Suddenly she threw her arms above her head. "Help!" she shrieked. "Help! Help!" Her gaoler smiled. There was no chance that her voice would reach a friendly ear. , "This is enough," he said, gloating and eager. "You may thank your star?, that I am willing to marry you. It is time for you to realize that you are as utterly in my power as if we two were the only living beings in the universe. Oh, yes, my ju-etty Sybil, you are mine! the best part of my legacy! You are mir-. and no power on earth can thwart my wishes! Mine—if I will, this very night—this very hour!" She had retreated from his gradual advance, and stood in her terror supporting herself against the safe. Jastrum, as he uttered the last words, was close to hei*. He attempted to embrace her.

Suddenly, with the strength of despair, she sprang from his hold. Like a flash she thrust her hand within the open safe and clutched the revolver. "Stand back!" she ejaculated., aiming the revolver at his heart. "If you come a step nearer, I will ahoot you dead!" Frenzied with rage and passion, he lifted his arm, thinking he could strike the weapon from her hand before she would dare to fire. "You little devil!" he exclaimed, huskily, preparing to spring upon her.

As he advanced two pistol balls whizzed in quick succession through the room, followed by a dense smoke. There was a fall—a groan—then silence.

j"J The 3moke lifted, and there stood Sybil, pale and motionless as marble, the revolver aim?d in her unfalteringgrasp. On the floor at her feet lay Jastrum in a pool r.f blood. For a full minute the girl did not stir. Her bruin felt paralysed. At last who pressed her hand to her heart and listened, alarmed at the unusual silence. A moment more she laid the revolver on the floor, nicked up the key which had fallen from Jastrum's hand, and, avoiding the stream of blood which oozed slowly over the carpet, picked her way through the room, unlocked the door and passed out.

In the library she put on her hat and sacqne. The Kervanifl v.-i'iv all at dinner. She met no one in the hall.

Sho opened the street door, and, in a f:;w moments, stood on the sidewalk, i

The night was intensely cold, bright with stars. Sybil looked up and down the silent street, at the

By MRS W. H. PALMER.

lighted windows and the star-gemmed sky. Then, fast as terror could wing her feet, she flew over the cold pavements through the cold air, away—away—she knew not whither.

CHAPTER X. THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD. How long, and still, and cold the winter night was! As the stars gleamed down on earth, they seemed to be accusing eyes. But, after all, night was better than day, and darkness than light. The next morning beamed bright and beautiful. The east flamed with rubyrhearted fire. The zenith arched its deep, blue dome over the white, sparkling earth. Cased in iridescent ice, trees, fences, shrubs glittered like a crystal vision. The smoke curled upward from happy homes. Within doors —even within the humblest —was warmth, food, shelter. Sybil Grey walked on. She had walked without cessation all night. In the darkness no one had noticed her. She regretted the coming of the clay. As she proceeded along the country road, with the fine snow crunching under her feet, the people she met stared at her. Her air, even in her heavy mourning, was too distinguished to pass unobserved. Her face, so wild, so white, so stricken—above all, so beautiful—was never to be forgotten by those who saw it. And human eyes were far worse to meet than the old eyes of the silent stars. They seemed to ask: "Did you murder Luke Jastrum? Did you murder Luke Jastrum?" And a bough that broke, crackling, from the weight of the ice on it, answered : "Yes; she murdered Luke Jastrum! She murdered Luke Jastrum!" She was crossing a bridge. The stream which ran under it was not. frozen over. It rushed along, roaring and exulting as it divided the encroaching ice on either side. And what it said so noisily was: "Murderess! Murderess!"

Sybil hurried on. Her limbs were numb from cold and fatigue. She had eaten no food since noon on the preceding day. But she dared not stop. By and by she met the children going to school. i They, too, stared at her as they trudged along in their tippets and mittens. And one little group rushed to the porch of the schoolhouse, and called out: "Teacher, teacher, see the lady!" The teacher came to the door. JjShe was a very 'gentle-looking person. She looked at Sybil. Their eyes met. "Would you have any objection to my coming in to your schoolroom tor a few moments to get warm?" the fugitive inquired. The teacher flushed red with surprise. She was a very guarded person. Such a young lady as she saw must surely have some better place than a little country school house in which to warm herself, unless —unless there was something wrong about her. | The teacher could not incur the risk of warming a young lady who might have "something wrong about her." "I am—a—afraid"—she stammered—"it might interrupt the exercises to have you come in." Sybil bowed gently in submission, and passed on. Sho turned off the main road after this, ana at last, along toward noon, she came upon some woodcutters. Their shrap, bright axes lay on the ground among the chips, and the men had seated themselves in a sunny hollow where the snow had drifted aside, to eat their dinner. They had great wedges of pie and thick slices of bread and meat, and one of them was blowing a little fire of brushwood to heat some coffee. Sybil stood still among the trees and looked at them. The tears came into her eyes. "I shall starve!" she said to her self. "It is dreadful to starve!" (To be Continued.)