A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9175, 26 August 1908, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

By FLORENCE WARDEN. Author of " The Lady in Black," "An Infamous Fraud," "For Love of Jack," "k Terrible Family," " The House on the Marsh," etc. etc.

CHAPTER XV.—Continued,

She did not add that Linley was strongly opposed to the idea af Waller's engagement to Miss Collingham, and that it was a vague suspicion founded upon the opposition which made her so anxious for the engagement to become a definite thing. Not unnaturally, Waller, ignorant of \W real reason, found for himself what seemed for him a probable one, "If I'tri becoming ton of a nuisance here—if, without exactly wanting to get rid of ma, yon osgin to feel that it Is time I took myself off—why, then, of course, it's easy enough to settle something. I haven't yet given up my and—"Ye?, that was it. That's what I meant, of course," said Netelka, under her breath. She was at work again upon one of the cotton garments, and her fingers were moving quickly but clumsily, the hook catching in tha thread at every other stitch, with lamentable results. Her head was bent down, so that Waller could not see her face; but there was answer enough in her attitude, in her hurried movements, in her broken voice, to one part of his question. "Don't you want me to go, then?" He said it below his breath, bending to try to catch sight of her face. She did not answer at once. She tried to seem so much occupied with her work that she had no spare attention to give to him; and, indeed, he could see for himself that she had got herjeotton into a terrible tangle. As he stood in the same attitude beside her, Netelka saw, without raising her head, that the door which she had left ajar, was pushed gently open. She looked up then and saw Linley retreating without noise.

She sprang up at once. "Linley! Linley!" she called out, and Waller made way for her as she ran to the door, seized her husband by the arm, and brought him back into the room. His face was pervaded with a tranquil joy, and in his hand he held a Dresden group, not particularly pretty, but unmistakably antique.

"Why were you trying to runaway again?" asked Netelka abruptly, as soon as she caught him "To avoid the very rush at me you are making now," replied he promptly, as he gently tried to shake her off. "One of your impul-sivo movements might do irreparable dimage. You are so terribly robust, Netta! Just look at the fingers and the leaves—even the tree is quite perfect, a most uncommon thing in a piece as old as this. Look at the mark." And he turned it upside down for the admiratiun of the company, who gazed politely, but with calmness. Waller, however, saw that, however calm she might manage to be on the subject of the china, Netelka was on the verge of an outburst of emotion of a more serious kind. He glanced at her for his orders, and she gave him a look which lie understood to be a signal to go. "I must make haste and get that cotton, Mrs Hilliard," said he, "or I shall keep dinner waiting." He went out, and Linley, who tried to escape, but could not, was left alone with his wife, who was in one of those terribly emotional humours of hers which he found so trying to his nerves.

CHAPTER XVI. AN ANSWER TO TEE QUESTION. Linley looked quite frightened. "Well, good-by, dear; I must go and lock this up before I dresa for dinner," said he, as he tried to follow Waller out of the room. But, encumbered Dy his treasure, he could not move fast enough to escape from his wife, who laid a determined hand on his arm, which i'o: ctri him to stop, lest in the struggle to get away his group should be broken. "Wait one moment, Linley," said she, in a choking voice, "I want to speak to you—l want to speak to you." "Well, well, what is it? I do hope you're not going to make a scene," said Linley pettishly. " Won't it do some other time, when I haven't got my china to look after?" "No," said Netelka, "I must speak now. I haven't always the courage, but some*hin<r you did just now has nerved me," and her eyes flashed. "Why did you try to slip out of the room just now?" Her husband turned upon her with a i irritable frown: "Well, you seemed to by carrying en a very interesting conversation with Waller. I thought. I might be in the way." Netelka withdrew her hand quickly from his arm, raising it at the same time with so much passion in her facj that Linley flinched, as if he thought !-he was gonu" to strike him. She saw his movement and, her mood changing suddenly, she bur.=t into team and turned away sobbing. Again Linley thought he saw an 0 pJk unity of getting away, and he move"! hurriedly to the door. Again sh« intercepted him. "f hnven't yet said wh.-it I wanted to jay. Linley," she wailed plaintively, iii a broken voice, "and I must s:iy it. What is this you arc doing? Don't you care for mo at all any longer? How uti I different from what 1 w;i3 when you used to oe kind to me, and fond of me? What could I have done to plea**' you more than I have done? Oh, Linley. tell me ! I am sj miserable I foil as it my heart were breaking I" Lml'v Assumed an expression of deeplv injured innocence. "Whv, what does all this mean? What on earth have you to complain

about? Haven't you everything in the world you can wish for?'-' "No, I haven't. I would give up everything I have to be happy with you again. But you won't let me. Linley, don't you know the dangers you put me in? Can't you see that this Gerard " She stopped, rot liking to go on. Linley would understand, "What's the matter with him? He's the dearest young fellow in the world, and I'm sure you have nothing to complain of in his conduct to you, Yw'V, talking in a. Silly way, Netta; I should iiever insult you by doubting your discretion, or the influence for goud you have most certainly exercised on this young felow." , Netelka shivered with disgust. As he made this somewhat canting speech, she felt that she hated her husband. She was thrown back upon herself, and did not know how next to attack him. Before she had recovered herself, the man servant entered the room with a note on a salver. Netelka, to whom the note was addressed, opened it, and read the following words: "Mrs Collingham regrets that she cannot fulfil her engagement to dine with Mrs Hilliard this evening, as, after the disturbance outside 'The Firs' last night, Mrs Collingham feels that it is not a house to which she wculd care to go with her daughter." Netelka, who had taken care to remain near the door, handed the note to her husband. Her hand bhook as she did so. He snatched it angrily, ran his eyes over the lines, then crumpled the paper, and going to the fireplace inserted the crushed sheet carefully between the bars and watched it burn. He was not at all put out, however. "Silly, old canary!" murmured he softly. "Why doesn't she go to bed at proper hours, as all sensible women do, and then she wouldn't be disturbed!" "What was the cause of thi3 disturbance '" asked Netelka hor.rsely. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Moseley btoueht a friend down, a young fellow who took too much champagne and kicked up an awful row as he went out. I was afraid he would wake you." And Linley looked at her out of the corners of his eyes with a peculiar expression, watchful, curious, and distrustful. "However, thank Heaven, you have some brains in your head, and are not scared so easily as our vivacious friend next door." There was dead silence for a minute. Linley.seeing that she was bent upon detaining him yet a little longer, made the best of it, sitting down and hugging his china group. His wife was looking at him steadily. "I did hear a noise," she said, at last, in a whisper. "But—but it sounded Ijke half a dozen voices at least, and I heard some one say that —he- had —been —cheated!" "Oh, stuff!" said Linley gently. "Really, Netta, if you're not worse fthan old Mother Collingham, you're just as bad! Now, my dear, I don't want to quarrel with you, but I can't stand this sort of thing. Pray, did you hear any more?" "N-n-n-no," replied Netelka, trembling. Linley got up, and this time she let him go to the door without further molestation. She thought he seemed relieved by her answer. He gave her a frostly little kiss, and spoke more cheerfully. (To be continued.)