ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9042, 18 March 1908, Page 2

ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

By OWEN MASTERS.

CHAPTER XII. A MADMAN'S MERRIMENT.

Still another sweltering day in London. In the early morning a gray heat-haze hunp; ominously over the teeming city; then the sun broke through and glared pitilessly down upon the toiling millions. Eastwood and the countess breakfasted in a private room, and neither had much to say. Presently Stella looked up and smiled into his feverish, restless eyes. "Charlie, you won't be gone for very long?" "A month, perhaps," he answered gloomily. "And "'e are looking and feeling as though we knew the parting would be for years." "What do you mean'?' he asked fearfully. "Only that we are quite as silly as a love-sick boy and girl, my darling." He heaved a deep sigh. "Ycu gave me an awful turn, Stella. For the moment your words sounded prophetic. But lam run down abominably, and this flying trip across the Atlantic isn't exactly exhilarating. I have been up half the night, too, writing letters to my daughter, my secretary, and the general manager of the colliery. When the head of a business concern like mine absents himself for a month — gets out of touch with everything, as it were—a very great deal has to be considered, of which finances are not the least important. 1 have taken the ; precaution to give them an address on ' ( Broadway—the Manhattan Hotel. I shall cable to-day for apartments to be reserved for me." Stella was_silentfor a minute, then her luminous"eyes were turned upon him, and one soft hand caressed him. "Finances — finances; money money!" she murmured. "The greatest blessing and the greatest evil with which the human race has to contend. Virtue and goodness eount as nothing against money. The world never asks questions regarding the wickedness of a man; it says, "•flow much money has he?' What else matters if he be rich?" Eastwood listened and nodded approvingly. "That is sc, Stella. By Jove, I believe you would s*:ick to me, if I 'became a beggar!" She looked up, a subtle innocence in her black eyes. "Surely there would be no virtue in that, Charlie, since I am your wife!" "Ah, my Stella, if all women were like you!" He smiled at her fondly. ""And since you are my wife I must provide you with money," he went on lightly. "I have signed a dozen blank cheques, drawn upon my London account, and you can fill them in from time to time for just as much money as you need until I come back. It will be safer than having a lump sum altogether. But remember one thing —don't leave the cheques lying about, or somebody might drain the bank." "On , I am a ousinesslike woman, Charlie, and I shall not want very much money." "You can draw up to ten thousand pounds, Stella, if you want to," he said, with an attempt at gaiety. "I

would willingly truot you with every 4*i* fraction of my belongings, and iny life thrown in, too!" "Don't say horrid things, Charlie!" she shivered. The clocks boomed the hour of ten, and Eastwood sighed. "I must be off now, Stella —passage to book, and a call at my London office. I want to hurry things along, because we must have the afternoon and early evening to ourselves." ""Why not the whole evening?" ""Because I must go to Liverpool to-night. The Campania sails early on Wednesday morning." "What a pity, Charlie!" Her lips quivered. "Never mind, .darling. Oh, how good of you to do so much forme! But I will repay you with •a life's devotion. It was a fateful day when you and I met, Charlie. Your life then was a merry one, and did not seem to have a care. Now you are bothered every minute of each hour. If you begin counting the cost, Charlie, I shall be terrified. You are giving all for nothing!" Eastwood clasped her in his arms, and she raised her tear-stained face to his. "If I am satisfied with the bargain Stella, that's my affair. The road is a bit rough, now, but there's something beyond." "Yes, there's something beyond," she repeated. "A life of love." Five rhinites later he was ready to go. He held up his left hand—the lingers outspread. With his righthe ticked off his work for the morning: '■' Scotland Yard first; book passage next, find, finally, a call at the Lon■don office, possibly a telegram or two to send. One o'clock, lunch, Stella, and then lam at your service absolutely until five. I want to catch that live-fifty-iive from Euston, and perhaps you will see me off?" She turned her face from him. "It is a long time until you go, a very long time! Luncheon atone; don't be Charlie." He hurried away, and within ten minutes of his departure the woman left the hotel, too She was hack again very soon after twelve, and Eastwood came in at a quarter to one. liis face was glowing from his exertions. His moed was changed, too; he wa.s almost gay. It often happens that a man upon the eve of something disagreeable becomes very merry, or apparently so. "Everything is in order," he said cheerfully. "And, by Jove! isn't it warm to-day ! Mr Wilson, who is in charge of my London office, wanted to meet me at Euston. He thinks we

hor of "Nina's Repentance," " Clyda's Love Dream," " Her Soldier

L^yer," " For Love of Marjorie," " The Mystery of Woodcroft," etc.

might open up business in the United States for bituminous cual. Berrington isn't likely to buy from us when the present contract runs out." Stella's eyes darkened and dilated. "But surely Mr Wilson won't meet you at Euston, Charlie?" "If he does I shall ignore him. These Scotchmen are always looking for the business end of things!" Eastwood went to his own apartments, and bathed his hands and face. He intended travelling in the knockabout clothes he was wearing, and his trunk was already packed. It would not be wise to take useless luggage across the Atlantic. If he was short of anything, he could buy on the other side.

"I was rathep unkind to Miriam," he thought, while brushing his clothes. "Poor gill! She has always been an affectionate and dutiful daughtfir. I don't know whether I'm hysterically happy or utterly miserable. I haven't managed things at all well. This madcaD voyage doesn't appeal to my reason; I'm satisfied with Stella's bare word, and the police would have gone ahead quietly; but there —I've promised, and I'll do it." He joined' Stella in the diningroom. The meal began, and Stella talked. She appeared strangely ill at ease. "It is horrible —this parting, Charlie." "The journey gives me ~o pleasure," he said eagerly. "But you must go, you must, for my sake!" "Then there's an end of it." Hope sank within him. "But I would much rather take you home to the Priory." The meal progressed, and was nearly finished when Stella spoke again:

"I have prepared a surprise for you, Charlie, and want you to obey me without a question." "Easily done," he answered indulgently. "I await your commands." "I am going to dress. Meet me in the vestibule promptly at two o'cloc.k. No questions, remember." She rose and quitted the room, and her laughter lived with him to the end of his life.

He picked up his hat, a broadbrimmed Panama, and walked slowly down-stairs, whither he was followed by Stella, who had dressed in an incredibly short spai:e of time. Her lips were parted in a smile, her gleamed, her eyes were luminous. "No questions!" she warned him again. "Not a word?" he laughed. "Hello, is this our carriage? Have the windows thrown o])en; we shall be stifled." "Get in," Stella said, "and I will sit beside you." Then she nodded to the driver, and the vehicle moved slowly in the direction of Fleet Street. "1 don't appreciate the surprise very much at present," said Eastwood, but Stella stopped his grumbling with a kiss. "I shall do that every time you complain, Charlie," she threatened. "Then I shall complain all the time." The carriage turned into New Bridge Street, and the driver whipped up his horses into a sharp trot. "That's right—faster," laughed Eastwood. "Only give me more air!" "Try my smelling-salts, Charlie, and I will kiss you afterwards," ! Stella said.

He bent forward, and she thrust a small vial under his nostrils. He gasped, and his eyes glared horror and amaze; then he shivered, slid to his knees and collapsed.

™ Half-way along the Whitechapel Koad the carriage turned into a foulsmelling yard behind a villianouslooking beer-house, and the driver dropped from his seat. "Keep the blinds down, Stella," he whispered, "and don't move until I've locked and barred the big gates." (To be continued.)

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