"THE WEB."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8554, 12 October 1907, Page 2

"THE WEB."

CHAPTER VII.--Continued,

All the passengers had taken their scats. The doors were closed, ihe inspector had shouted his final warn-ing-of "Stand away there!" The guard had just blown his whistle, when a young man in a light check suit and a white bowler hat, followed by three perspiring porters carrying respectively a kit bag, a dressing case, and a portmanteau, dashed straight at the train. As Stiangwavs* carriage was the nearest he ilung the door open, standing aside for the stranger to get in. The train had already gathered motion, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that two of the porters managed to hurl their burdens into the corridor, the third porter gave it up as hopeless, and was left mopping his brow on the platform. "That was a pretty close thing, sir," said the young man, looking at Strangways, and speaking with a refined American accent. "From the Hotel Russell and into this train in five minutes is pretty sharp work. Guess I made that chauffeur and those porters hustle." Strangways agreed it was a very clos: thing; proceeded to move hi& own bags and papsrs, which were scattered over both seats, and to make room for the stranger. "Don't you trouble, sir, to move any ot your things. I'm just going to take a stroll around. Got to find somebody on this train I've come a lon i way to look for. Can you tell me the way to the third class carriages?" ! Strangways directed him as well as he could, and the American stroll-1 ed off down the corridor, leaving the other wondering who on earth it was he wanted to call upon in this extraordinary way. He was not left long in doubt. He had lain back in his seat his mind again lost in contemplation of Lady Violet, when he heard the American's voice again in the corridor, speaking pleadingly to somebody. "I just had to do it. I couldn't sit there worrying around with the molasses with you not near me. I felt like shooting myself, or mixing myself up in the canning machinery, and getting myself killed and buried <as chicken galantine. I tell you I got so below myself I had just to crawl upon the steamer and blow in here on you as quick as I could." Strangways heard a low musical laugh, and a girl, di-essed. very simply in the American way, passed him, followed by the young man with his hat off. Strangways rose, thirking she was going to take a seat in his compartment. But the American tjld him not to move. " We'll ju3t go along to tho refreshment car," he said to the girl, "and chat over things," he added vaguely. Somehow, as Strangways looked at his companion her face strangely reminded him of somebody. He felt lie must have seen or met her before somewhere. But when she disappeared he told himself that as he had known 110 American girls in his life he must b3 making a mistake, and he allowed his mind again to return to Lady Violet. But he was restle.ss and agitated, and the mere ac'* of having to sit still became unbearable. He longed to go down the corridor into the next carriage to try and get a glimpse of the woman who had chained his soul. For some time he resisted the temptation, but at last he fell. Rising to his feet he i'elt his way along the passage between the passage and the corridor, walking clumsily, for the train had gathered spaed. His enterprise was rewarded. Lady Violet was sitting in tho forner seat facing her companion. As he passed her he saw her look at him with something like a start, bend forward, and utter some words to her companion who quite barefacedly put her head out of the door and gazed after his retreating figure. Strangways felt the blood mount to his cheeks, for he felt quite certain tha Lady Violet had pointed him out as the millionaire's son who was supposed to have murdered his father. He felt he dare not return to run the gauntlet of those eyes again, to be pointed at as a celebrity on a par with the wax figures in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's. He made his way to the refreshment bar and ordered some tQ-\, feeling not only angry with himself, but angry at the girl with whom he had fallen in love. At the table opposite to which he had taken his seat was the young American and his companion. They were holding a very animated conversation, parts of which now and again caught Strangways' ears. j "I always told you Ricardo j Conrad fellow was no shakes." "Remember, Mr Beeton, he's a friend of my uncle's." "Well, your uncle should choose better friends, or if he can't do that, he should avoid introducing them to you." "Don't let us quarrel about Mr Conrad," she pleadingly. Aj cloud passt.-! over the man's face, and he drummed on the table in front of him with his fingers. "You know I don't like this business. I don't see that any good can come of it, or what purpose it wPI serve, anyway." The girl's eyes flashed. "If you'd seen my mother working year after year with little money and with little hope, if you'd seen her gradually slave herself to death, if you'd seen her face as I saw it when she gave up the struggle " Suddenly putting her handkerchief to her face she burst into tears. The young man bent forward and took her hand. "Don't think me harsh or unkind, for you mustn't forget that you've promised to make me the happiest '

By PAUL URQUHART.

[Published By Special Arrangement.] [All Eights Eeserykd.]

man in the world. But I don't like to think of you, so good and kind and sweet, harbouring such angry and passionate thoughts against anybody. That wa3 ail." And then, with something of a choke in his throat, "And you know I'd go through hell to do any service I could for you." Just then the door of the saloon opened, and Strangways, who had only caught incoherent fragments of this conversation, saw with a mixture of delight and trepidation Lady Violet and her companion and an elderly lady, whom he had not noticed before, but whom he now recognised as Lady Violet's mother, the Duchess of Knaresborough, enter the saloon. Fortunately none of the party noticed Strangways, for no sooner had they entered than Lady Violet, with evident pleasure and surprise, went up to the young American holding out her hand. "Why, Mr Beeton, how do you do," she'said. "Whatever are you doing this side of the Atlantic?" Mr Theodore T. Beeton, the molasses king, sprang to his feet. "I am very glad to meet you again, Lady Violet. Aaid how do you do, your Grace," he added, turning ! to the Duchess. "Let me introduce you to my friend, Miss"—he paused, as he turned round and looked at his companion, and Strangways who was watching the scene over the I top of the newspaper which he had picked up, saw them exchange a message with their eyes—"Miss Kentoul, of New York." The ladies bowed, and in their turn introduced their companion to the American party as Miss Esther Elder. But Strangways noticed, or thought he noticed, that the Duchess looked with somewhat cold suspicion at Miss Rentoul, who on her part did not show any particular interest or warmth toward the Duchess and her daughter. As there were not enough seats for the whole party they moved further down the saloon, and Strangways was left by himself. Shortly afterwards the train arrived at Leeds, and Lady Violet and her mother and her friend returned to their carriage, the young American remaining behind with Miss Rentoul. Soon after they had left Leeds Strangways hurried down the corridor to get his luggage together. Through Bingley and Keighley the train rushed, winding among the grey moorlands dotted with their little factory villages, and seamed with innumerable valleys in which nestled hidden other hives of industry. Through Kildwick station the train roared. They were already slowing speed, when he suddenly felt the brakes violently applied. So sudden was the decrease of speed that he flung back in his seat just as he was lifing a parcel from the rack. Scarcely had he recovered himself when there was a sickening crash; he was hurled on to the opposite seat; he felt the carriage reel under him, shake and quiver like a live thing., and then, as if with a violent twist, turn itself on its side.

CHAPTER VIII

■ The one porter at Connonley Station was leaning against a milk can, waiting for the local train, and meditating in a mild, dreamy way on what great culinary idea Mrs Porter might be inspired with tjiat night in the preparations for his supper. He had watched the North express come down the line from Kildwick, but so used was he to the. noisy of railway traffic that the roar and rush with which the great express approached him did no 1 , disturb his meditations. He noticed, or said ho noticed in his subsequent evidence that there seemed to be something wrong on the engine, but what it was the acutest cross-ex-amination failed to elicit. A slight rain had fallen, and the lines were wet and greasy. The brakes had been applied as the engine came level with the centre of the station platform. As the engine and the first few coaches cleared the platform, the porter subsequently declared that the wheels were locked and the train was skidding along the metals. Suddenly, to his horror, he saw the engine leap the lines and topple down a slight embankment. The next moment all was chaos. The first three coaches followed the engine; the last coaches, carried on by their momentum, crushed into the intermediate coaches, reducing them to a mass of tangled wood an J iron. In thirty seconds the disaster was complete. (To be continued-) A Tenant Dispossessed. A tenant which i 3 quichly disoosse3 sed by Dr. Hheldon's New Discovery is;»cough or cold. Cures when all else laiis. Price la <!d and Obtainable from H. E. Eton's, Chemist.