ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9041, 17 March 1908, Page 2

ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

By OWEN MASTERS.

thor o" " Nina's Repentance," " Clyda's Love Dream," " Her Soldier Lover," " For Love of Marjorie," " The Mystery of Woodcroft," etc.

CHAPTER XI. ALLAN BEGINS TO INVESTIGATE. Allan's visit to the Priory that evening, if disappointing, was not altogether fruitless. Miriam was not at home, hue, Mr Eastwood's secretary was talkative.

it's brown—or red gold—l don't know which." He gazed at her reminiscently, and a faint flush crept into her cheeks. "Personalities, Mr Berrington." "Privileged," he answered. "Wc were almost inseparable once upon a time." He passed a hand wearily over his brow. "I have a headache, and am very weary." "Oh, this dreadful trouble. All the world is mad! Mr Berrington, 1 feel that I must go mad, too." "Perhaps I can help you, but I came here for help."

"I am mystified sir, and my mystification deepens with every passing hour," Simrnonds said. "It was I who sent fur your fatner, and with my own eyes I saw Mr Eastwood save his life at the risk of his own. Never was there such devotion between two men." He shook his head angrily. "I •will tell you this, sir, because Tom Parker is saying nasty things, and hinting at a quarrel. As though my master would hurt a hair of anybody's head' And there's that mischiefmaking curate as busy as you like. He was here this afternoon, and suggested having the lake dragged." Allan's face was dismayed and impatient. "Irresponsible meddler!"

"Came here—to me? I don't comprehend." "My father," he said reproachfully. "We have heard nothing of him yet—Miss Linley and I."

"Oh!" She held her head in both hands. "I did hear that he had gone away, but that is i,othing to my trouble, Mr Berrington. My father has married some strange woman—by special license in London, and now he is on his way to America. 1 endeavoured to see him yesterday, but when I got to the hotel he was gone. Don't you think that my trouble is much greater than yours? lam only a girl, and you are a man." "But it is feared that my father has met with foul play. If he lives, I haven't a worry on the face of the earth. You are sure that yours is living and well—if a bit erratic?" He saw the tears gathering slowly in her eyes, and the sob which gasped from her pale lips brought him to his feet.

"That's what I think. This morning my master put the finishingstroke to thia picturesque muddle bytelegraphing that he wa« off to New York on the Campania to-morrow! Then away flies Miss Eastwood to London. A nice upset for me! Just when I was thinking of a holiday. It's my belief that Mr Berrington is going with him. Without betraying confidences, sir, I know that they have long had the notion of inspecting some of the Pittsburg steelworks. Allan shook his head. "My father has said nothing to me of such a project." "But he may be wanting to talk to you in London, while you are here," persisted Simmonds. . was silent for awhile, then hi said: "I shrank from putting the matter into the hands of the police, but I shall have to do it. Will you walk with me as far as the lake, Mr Simmonds?" "Certainly, sir. Right through the library window and across the lawn. It will be as Hght as day at midnight, and so it was the other night." The secretary talked incessantly. Half a dozen keepers had already tramped over the grass in every direction, and a gang of men had begun

"I wish I could comfort you, Miss Eastwood, instead of adding to your burden, but you .are better off than I am; you know the worst, and I am still wrestling with my problem. Your father will come home again, and I suppose you must face a doubtful rnocher-in-law. ... I wanted to see your father badly; I wanted to hear all about that last interview, and how my father took it." She looked up at him, a light breaking in upon her clouded senses. "Mr Berrington objected to the marriage—he told me that it could never be—that he would stop it. I believe they quarrelled over it; they were both angry, the servants say." Allan breathed hard, and his eyes dilated. A terrible thought had flashed across his mind. He turned to the window to hide his face. "1 have instructed the police to find my father, Miss Eastwood, and they may come here —they will certainly come here, because he was last seen at the Priory. You won't be dismayed will you? The police have a way of appearing to be brutal. To overawe and intimidate is one of their privileges." There was a short silence. Allan's mind was in a whirl of doubt and dread. "I will come again this afternoon I almost called you Miram. 1 have only to close my eyes and fancy that we were childrm sti]l." "I wish that we were." "I had perfect faith in the fairies then, and knew that the giod ones would repair all the evils in life. We have seen them in the woods, haven't we?" "We believed so," he smiled faintly. "I shall expect you—say, about five. And perhaps, Miss Linley will come, too? We have never met yet." Allan Berrington rode home 'n a very unenviable frame of mind. Mr Eastwood and his father had quarrelled over a woman, and when men quarrel about women they become savages. And since the quarrel Mr Eastwood had betaken himself abroad. Within two hundred yards of the Red House he overtook a man —and that man was Mr Forrest, the curate. Mr Forrest held up a detaining hand, and, reining in his horse, Allan spoke roughly: "No more meddling, sir, I trust?" "If this is meddling—yes." Mr Forrest held up a stout blackthorn stick. "1 spent tht; night searching for something, and I found this in the plantation at the Priory. Don't you see that there are blood-stains upon it?" (To be continued.)

work in the chapel that day, too. A quarter of a century ago the miners had followed a seam of coal right under the chapel, and one of the cells

had utterly disappeared. Allan could not resist a slight shud<33r when he walked the banks of the lake. But for the squeaking of rats, the silence was eery. There was not a ripple on the water, and the odor was the reverse of pleasant. "At no point, sir, has the long grass around the edge been disturbed," the B3cretary remarked. "No," Allan confessed, with a feeling of intense thankfulness. "But I am fairly puzzled by Mr Eastwood's action in going to America, just when he is wanted to help ciear up the mystery." "I'll stake my existence that he doesn't believe that there's anything in it." "Still, I wished to see him—and I will see him, if I have to cross the Atlantic to do so." A great sorrow was gradually eating its way into his heart. He knew now ihat some dreadful fate had overtaken his father." He went away from the ' Priory heavily depressed, but with the promise to call again on the morrow. "News," he said to Kate Linley, and with darkening brow, "but of the most disquieting kind. Mr Eastwood is going to the United States, at once, and Miss Eastwood had gone to London. There is just the chance that she will prevail upon her father to postpone the voyage until something definite is known about my poor father." He dashed a tear from his eye. "I am usually pretty goodjat problems,but the terrible possibilities > now staring me in the face are more than I can endure. Kate, I believe that I am a wretched coward." There was just a chance that his father had suffered a sudden loss of memory, or been seized with mental illness. Such occurrences were common enough without in the least impairing the physical powers. It was late when he went to his .bedroom, and day was breaking before he closed his eyes in the effort to snatch a few hours' sleep. Soon after six o'clock he galloped to Castle Stanford for the letters, -and opened them at the post-office. A little sympathy, a little business, but no news! Mounting his horse, he rode to Birmingham, and put the matter in the hands of the police. Within an hour a description of Mr . John Berrington was being flashed to every important section of England. Although Allan had scarcely eaten • a mouthful for twenty-four hours, he went direct to the Priory from Birmingham, and was gratified to learn that Miss Eastwood was anxious to see him. In any other circumstances he would hava been curious about this meeting with his little playmate of twenty years since. Was it twenty or more? To him it was .the span of a long, long life. Miriam hurried out to the porch, •where be was waiting, her beautiful • eyes sad and misty, her faca very I pale indeed. Just one momentary gleam of interest and recognition, ..and she held out her hand in welcome. Later she said: "I should have known you any-

•where, Mr Berrington. You are • bigger, darker, older —that's all. The .features are almost the same." "Girls have long memories." "Some have." "Your hair was yellow twenty •years since, Miss Eastwood—now