THE STUDENT'S SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8456, 5 June 1907, Page 2

THE STUDENT'S SECRET.

CHAPTER Xl.—Continued. The story wasjrepeated. Pie read on. The affair was vividly portrayed. The lonely interview in the anteroom; the flight; the capture, concluding with a description of the young girl's confinement in the Tombs pending the action of the coroner's jury. Max for the moment forgot his own troubles. "It is impossible!" he said, aloud —"impossible l " He prepared to visit Sybil immediately, in the Tombs. As he left the hotel, a gentlemanly stranger, who was lounging in the office, left also. When Max got into a street car, the man accompanied him. When he left it the stranger followed. "You seem to be interested in my movements, sir," said Max angrily turning upon him, at last. The man bowed gravely. "I am not mistaken then. You are following me?" "I propose not to lose sight of you sir, since you are curious to know," was the quiet reply. ■ "To what am I indebted for the Honour of your attentions?" J The detective —for such it was — pulled a paper from his pocket and, walking beside Charteris, indicated a paragraph. Max, in spite of himself, turned pale. The paper contained the story whose publication he feared. The detective turned the sheet and pointed to a later item. It described the finding of the body of a young woman in the woods near Guttenberg, which might pabve that ot the missing Rosalie. Max knew too well that the detective would laugh in his sleeve if he were told that the man he was shadowing had not read the morning paper and knew nothing of the suspicion attaching to him. He remained silent, therefore, till they reached the Tombs. Then, as his escort accompanied him up J the broad, stone stairs, he said: , "I shall visit the morgue as soon j as I have seen Miss Grey—the young J lady who has been arrested on suspicion of " "I know," interrupted the detective, grimly. Then he added, with sober irony: "You seem to have got into bad company, my young friend." Max found Dr. Doremus already with Sybil in her cell. Never had the young girl looked more proudly beautiful. If warders, gaolers, and justices could trust appearances, they would surely have opened wide their doors and bade this young p'atrician to go free. They would probably have spread their cloaks over the cold stone floors worn by the halting steps of guilty feet, for her to pass on uncontaminated. But, alas! they had learned too well that appearances often deceive! The pale, handsome, haggard face of Max Charteris expressed his emotion without words. Sybil and he grasped each other's hand in silence. What sad freaks fate had played with each since that first, and last, meeting. The interview was brief. Then, accompanied by the detective whose Bocietyjjhe now accepted with a good grace as the least of two evils, Max proceeded to the morgue. The body of the woman whom it was thought might be identified as nfchat of Rosalie Jastrum lay upon the marble slab. j jHer long dark hair hung Jheavily about her face. ; The features were distorted, but the hands, which were clasped upon the breast bore a resemblance to Rosalie's hands, which were large but beautifully formed. Her size also compared with that of the missing girl. Charteris gazed upon the dead despondent and His head sank upon his breast as he crossed his arms gloomily. The stings of conscience the fear of penalty, caused him keen agony. It seemed impossible that he had ' ever been the ' heedless, selfish pleasure-loving, young man who had carelessly flirted with the pretty factory girl; had amused himself with a Quixotic intrigue and been carried away by a romantic illusion. The detective touched his arm. "Well, Mr Charteris?" Max started. "This is not Rosalie Jastrum," he declared. "What are your reasons for thinking so?" "It is an older woman. And this poor creature has been dead much longer than Miss Jastrum has been —missing. The extreme cold has delayed decomposition." "Both these points are difficult to settle. And"—he added in a lower tone—-"will not help your case much." They were turning away, when, suddenly, Max paused, as if riveted. A look of deep perplexity, a flush and a gleam of intelligence came over his hitherto hopeless face." "Stop!" he said, below his breath. The officer followed the direction of his eyes. At the extreme end of the hall stood a man whose gaze was fixed upon the visitors with a sort of fiendish exultation. He wore the dress of a mechanic of the betterclass. His countenance indicated a sober, steady and most determined character. As Max Charteris gazed, the light poured in upon his mental gloom. "You see that man," he said to the detective, linking his arm in his and drawing him away. "Yes." "Well he is the cause of Rosalie Jastrum's disappearance." The detective darted a wary glance at his companion. "Who is this man?" he enquired, suspiciously. ' "His name is Malcolm Drake. He was Rosalie's lover before I became interested in her. He warned me to

By MRS W. H. PALMER.

let her alone. He has decoyed her by forging my name. His object is to get possession of the girl and, at the same time, to revenge himself on t ne. "The theory is ingenious," mused the officer, "and his presence here was certainly with some motive. We will have Mr Malcolm Drake watched.'' "Let me ask a favour," said Charters; "let us watch him together." "That might be imprudent." said the officer; "however,* we will not lose sight of him now." Max, , with his uninvited companion, followed Drake, at a safe distance on his way to the box factory. There they picked up a significant item of information. The superintendent of the fancy-box department had been absent from his work, most of the time, for the past three days. Late in the afterfioon Charteris again visited the gaol. Dr. Doremus has provided for able counsel, and made all possible arrangements for Sybil's comfort, under the painful circumstances. "Miss Grey," said Max, "I am ready to devote my life to establishing your innocence. You will allow me to accompany you to the courtroom—to prove my right to act as your friend." Sybil's proud, pale lies trembled slightly. A soft mist came over her eyes. She put out her hand. She thought of what might have been—of what could never be. "Yes," she said, "I will accept your offer. I cannot refuse that of which I stand in such bitter need." In his hotel parlor that evening, Max Charteris knew that he was as closely watched as a prisoner. It was an agreeable interruption when about ten o'clock the detective who had esportea him during the morning tapped at the door. "We have some news, Mr Charteris," he said, throwing a searching glance about the room; "news which you may like to hear." ' Max silently wheeled a chair forward for his visitor. "In the first placs, the lady you employed as governess for Rosalie Jastrum was named, not Dyke—but Drake. She is a sister of the superintendent in the box factory." "Ah!" "Yes. And this afternoon, about twilight, she visited a house in Brooklyn " "Where Rosalie was found?" "Not quite so fast. About eight in the evening Malcolm Drake likewise called at this house ,l l was sure of it." "Subsequently the servant girl went out on an errand. I was on hand, and accosted her, pretending to be an acquaintance she did not recall. " 'And so this is your place, now, Mary?' I asked. 'And have you a nice mistress?' " "Do not keep me in suspense. Have you found Rosalie Jastrum?" asked Max, impatiently. "Mary's description of her mistress accords with that of Miss Jastrum in many particulars," said the detective. "But you are not sure?" "We shall be within twenty-four hours." "You will find Rosalie Jastrum within the house to which»you have traced Drake and his sister," said Max in a tone of conviction.

"Well, I hope so," was the response; "in that case your troubles will be over."

Max lapsed into gloomy despondency. No; in that case his most serious troubles would have just begun. CHAPTER XII. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE." The rourt-room in which Sybil Grey was brought to trial was crowded day after day with spectators of the startling scene. A girl of eighteen, of proud and dazzling beauty, whose every movement and expression evinced refinement, a girl cradled in luxury, upon whom the winds of heaven had not been suffered to blow too roughly, stood accused of murder —on trial for her life. Sybil was shrouded in deep mourn ing; a veil of thick crape hung to her feet. Her face was calmly hopeless. Her counsel, on learning the circumstances of Jastrum's persecutions, and really bewildered by Sybil's statements of the event, had at first advised her to plead guilty of manslaughter in self-defence. But she refused. She pleaded not guilty. Then, in due course, the testimony was formally set forth against her, and the motive clearly established. (To be continued.)