A GIRL TO LOVE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9105, 3 June 1908, Page 2

A GIRL TO LOVE.

By BERTHA 1. CLAY.

Author of " Thrown on the World," " Her Mother's Sin," Beyond Pardon," Lost Lady of Haddon," " Dora Thorne, " An Ideal Love," etc.

CHAPTER aXXV—Continued. j "I want to get out of the country," he went on appealingly, "before anything worse happens to me. I can make a now start in Canada or the States. I'm no fool at my business, as you know. Will you help me?" "Ah, I knew that it was money," Trenwith said quietly and slowly. "How much do you want?" Irleand moistened his hot lips with his tongue. "There are eleven of ua to pay for, sir, and the household furniture won't fetch much —about a tenth of ita original cost." "How much money do you want, repeated Trenwith. There was silence for the space of a minute; then Ireland blurted out: Two hundred pounds, sir." "You astonish me by the smallness o£ your demands. It was a thousand ■ pounds a week since And what do I get in exchange for the two hundred? 1 shall certainly ,not part with a fraction of money for nothing. I have proof that you were with Owen on that fatal night, and 1 am convinced that you can shed some light on the mystery." v Again there was silence. Ireland s terror-stricken face was piteous to behold. He tottered to a rustic seat under the trees. "Excuse me, Mr Trenwith, I have been starving for days and am unable to stand/' "Drinking for days," the financier interpolated contemptuously. There was a gleam of savage determination in his flaming eyesr He was reading Ireland's very soul. 2 "You know, sir, that I have never uenied seeing Mr Pelham and Mr Owen, and I'll swear that they went oft' together." "Too thin, Ireland, too thin. Whither did they go? Up or'down? You are hiding something terrible, and, by Heaven, you shan't leave this place until 1 know the truth! If you won't speak, then John Walters must answer wnat questions the police think fit to put to him?" "Oh, sir; Mr Trenwith, be merciful, aa you are strong. Is this your sporting chance? Is this your kind ■ nass to a man who is cornered? I ha/e told you the absolute truth I saw them go away together." "Which way?" "Down!" Jasper Trenwith threw up one arm, as a man does when he lias received a sharp blow. His face became pallid, and his voice shook. "Which of the pits?" he asked hollowly. "Number two." "But the polictf have found nothing./ Are you lying to me?" "No—l swear it!" Ireland answered. as well make a clean breast of it, but I have been afraid, lest I should be implicated. Mr Pelham came to the colliery at midnieht, and both Owen and I thought that it was you prowling about. Pelham was wearing your ulster." He pantad hard. "And Owen struck you from behind—l mean Pelham—with a heavy pickhandle. He was killed on the spot." "Great Heavens!" groaned Trenwith. "Owen was undoubtedly mad, Ireland proceeded. "And he would, have killed me if I hadn't obeyed him implicitly. He decided to bury Mr Pelham in the mine, and made me turn engineer. I sent the cage down, but Owen refused to come up again j He preferred to be buried with Pel-, ham, rather than to die on the scuff- 1 old. That's tha,truth, Mr 'henwith, or may I never ipeak again.". The financier was horrified. ''lf I could only believe you—and yet, Ido believe you. If I had proof --proof—proof—l would give youl twica two hundred pounds, V. ."Da pu know Mr Qwe»'s writing, Si?]" aiked I'reland hoarsely. "Four hundred pounds means solvation! LOOk!—the cage came up empty, and I this was placed to the inside I" J He thrust Owen's last rtiessage j into " Jasper hands, and j tllCn waited, shaking in every limb. Twice did the financier's keen eyea | examine every lino—every word!| then he motioned to John Ireland to follow him. "You shall have the money," he Said quietly. "And if you take njy advice, you will leave England, for England's good, and your own, too, at the very earliest opportunity. A half-hour later Ireland quitted the house, and sprinted up the drive, while Jasper Trenwith talked gravely to Nathalie Loighton. "Not a word of this must be breathed to Miss Craig," he was sayiig. "Ami, old as I am, I would forfeit ten years of my life gather than face her when 1 must! His auto came thundering up to the door. "I am going now, Nathalie, and there j 3 before me an awful time. Iho poor fellows shall be brought to the surface to-day, ar.d to-morrow—dear Heaven! I dare not anticipate I" Ho kissed her cheek tenderly, sprung into the machine and was gone.

CHAPTER XXXVI. PEACE. Jasper Trenwith was driven direct to the Dudley chief of police, to whom he handed Harry Owen's remarkable letter. The officer perused it, and smiled. "n mere blind to gain time, said he. "Where's this man Ireland? He must be shadowed." "Send some one to the colliery at onej to wat*:h this case for the police," Jasper T-enwitb said impatiently. "t have wired the engineer to git up steam with alt possible speed." "Well/ th 3 chief wjnt on indiffer-

ently, "I suppose we are bound to act upon this," he flecked at the letter contemptuously with a big forefinger, and shrugged his shoulders. I'll send a couple of men to watch the affair." Jasper Trenwith returned to his automnble, and sped away to the colliery. The engineer and Barrows, the confidential clerk, were just firing the lurnaces, when the financier dashed upon the scene like a wild man. "Five hours of daylight, yet,' he said. "I have received information that both Mr Pelham and Mr Owen are in the west workings of number two. Steam! steam! Burn anything that will shorten the time of waiting. Three days! There is still a chance, unless the Here —let me help. Look after your machinery, engineer !" He tossed off his coat, and fed the furnaces with oil and tow; then resinous wood was flung on top of the tow, and shining, picked coal on top of the wood, and then more oil by the gallon. A great column of black smoke belched from the huge chimney, and screaked across the blue of the summer sky. The furnaces roared with 1 a noise like thunder, until the raging fires were at white heat. And still Trenwith and the cleric slaved at wood-chopping, and picking choice pieces of coal. To be continued.