A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3002, 26 September 1908, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

By FLORENCE WARDEN, Author Ol" The Lady in Blaok," "An Infamous Fraud," "For Lovo of Jack," "A Terrible Family," "The House on the Marsh,"

CHAPTEK XXXlV.—Continued. Netelka had availed herself of the diversion caused by Harrington Moseley's entrance to make her way to the open window. Arthur Sainsbury's remark recalled the attention of Lord St. Peters to her movements. i With a coarse, ironical laugh, he suid: "I dare say Mrs Hilliard wouldn't mind our smoking down here, for that , matter. One doesn't expect the proprietress of a gaming-houseto bo so jolly particular as all that." The speech came like a thunderclap t3 everybody. Curiously enough, although . Netelka stopped, petrified with surprise, though Waller was dumb with indignation, it was upon Linley and his confederate, the Jew, that the words produced the strongest impression. The Jew turned purple, while Linley became livid and trembled. They did not seem surprised; they seemed thunderstruck, appalled; and their eyes stole in the direction of the lady while they simultaneously pushed at Lord St. Peters and tried to elbow him out of the room. But he stood his ground, conscious that he was being scurvily treated. "No, I won't be showed out of the room," he loudly protested; "at least I'll aay my say first. I'm sure I don't want to say anything offensive to Mrs Hilliard. This is an awfully jolly house, and of course one expects to have to pay for one's enjoyment. But it's really rather, funny that we should all have to keep up the farce of pretending she doesn't know what goes on upstairs, when everybody knows it's her money runs the show and when I've had to pay her at the rate of sixty per cent, for the little sums she's obliged me with." Netelka was listening without a movement. Her eyes shone in her paleface with a 1 burning light aa she looked steadily at her husband. Then her face changed and quivered all over, for as soon as the words were out of Lord St. Peters' mou'.h, Waller sprang at himt and struck him in th 3 face. "That's u lie!" Q "It's not a lie!" £ Lord St. Peters, enraged at the blow, which he failed either tj parry or to return, shook hid fiat, and with the other han.l fumaled ix his . pocketbook, "I'll—l'll show you whether I'm a *■ liar or not," stammered he, trembling with anger. "Look —look htrti! I'll show you her receipt, the onl/ one I've been able to get yet; I've gut it, I've got it! Hands off!" lu went on in a rougher tone, as Linley and Harrington Moseley tried their best to silence him. "I suppose the lady won't deny her own handwriting?" And he turned to Nelellcu, who h3d drawn nearer to the disputants. ' "I shall not, certainly—if it is my own writing," she answered very calmly J Waller laughed contemptuously. "You have been sold," said r.e shortly, in Lord St. Peters' ear. j "Have 1? Well, we'll see/'] Drawing from his pDcketbook a ax J) J paper, he unfolded it, and keeping a tight hold upon it, offered it tor the lady 'a inspection. '' Is that your sig • nature, madam, or is it not?" Netelka glanced at the written words, and than at her husband's masklike face. "It is very like it," she said briefly. , --. i Loid St. Peters took this for a triumph. "Like yours! Of course it is!" chuckled he. "And now, if I've quite satisfied this gentleman," and he turned wit.i an ironical bow to Waller, "I thnk I'll go upstairs and ha/e ;hat cigar." HebiajLced out of the room with a lother bow, this time to Netelka; and Harrington Moseley and Linley followed him without delay. Arthur Saiiißbury just stayed behind to shake Netelka by the hand, and tel) her it was a beastly shame; and he shoul> - n't ha\e thought Linley would dia?geu ner into such things. And then he went after the others, leaving ler stan ling oy the piano, with ,a cunoua rued smile upon her face. "Whj—why didn't you tell him it I was a .orrery? That you had no money of your own? Why did you let that ass go away thinking that you—you " Waller had hissed out the3e words hoarsely, leaning upon the piano, with his great blue eyes fixed on htr face. Sne shrugged her shoulde s almost lis.lessly: "What was the''use? He would not have believed me! And why should I exasperate Linley still further, when he can rnab>o me suffer for every word, every movement of mine he does not like?" Waller staited up, looking like » man suddenly awakened out of a deep sleep. "Ycu must not, you shall not bear it any longer," said he f in a low, dreamy voice. "Kou have borne too much —I did not know how much. It is not ycui* duty to stay with a fiend; it could not be required of you by Gtd 'or man. Come, Netelka, come away to-night—now! To stay under the same roof with him is degradation!" He was by her side, not touching her, but hovei i % about her with the tenderness of a lover in his eyes. Netelka smiled and looked at him with a strange expression, half of pain, h If of a melancholy happiness: "It i degradation; you are right. If it had not been, lalauld not have forgotten my duty run, my duty; we will not juggit- with words—for one moment to night. Gerard, you must go, you must go now—at once. If you stay till the morning, I shall not have strength to—to—say goodby—as Ido how. Good-night, Gerard and good-by." She held out her hand, and Gerard, not; seeing it for tears which ,- / were filling his eye 3, let her take his

fingers and hold them for one moment in hers. Then he heard her voice low in his ear: "You must go to-night—remem-ber." His hand fell; he dashed away the moisture from his eyes. But she was feonf.

CHAPTEK XXX 7. COMPLICATIONS. It was about a week after Netelka's return to "The Firs" when Hugh Thorndyke, who was still staying at his hotel in town, was surprised to receive a message, brought by one of the servants to the effect that Mr Waller was waiting below to see him. Hugh jumped up from the sofa on which he was stretched, threw down his book, and went out to meet his friend. But the eight of the young fellow's haggard face gave him a shock. "Hello!" he exclaimed, as he beckoned Waller into his sittingroom, "I'm very glad to see you about again, old man; but you look, if anything, worse than when last I saw you at "The Firs." You got my letter?" Waller nodded. "It was sent on to me. I'm not living at "The Firs" now." "I'm heartily glad to hear it." "You need not be. Mrs H. told me to clear out on the very night her husband brought her back, and I've been thinking of nothing but Mrs H. ever since. I can't get her out of my htad, I can't get her out of my mind. If Igo up the river, I see her in every boat that passes; if Igo to the theatre, I see Netelka in every scene. My head aches with holdine always the same , image; I feel so hopeless that sometimes I am inclined to, terminate my existence." He was marching up and down the room, ruffling up h;3 fair hair with his right hand, and looking "rather mad," as he expressed it about the eyes. "Time you did clear out-, I think!" commented Hugh dryly. Gerard planted himself opposite his frienr 1 . "Oh, you think fo, do you? We]], you'nj wrong. Mind, I think of ail the infernal scoundrels I've ever met Hilliard ia the vilest; but I don't think he'd have had the pluck to try to poison me when his attempt to get rid of me in another way had failed, and my presence really was some sort of safeguard for Netelka." "Her presence, though, was not much of a safeguard for you," said Hu?h. in the same tone as before. "What do you mean by that? Don't I tell you that it was she who sent me away?" "Quite <,f her; I applaud her for it, though there's no need to go into ecstasies of admiration over a mere act of common sense." "Well, that will do. Or if you want to praach any more, let me remind you that listening is dry work." "W! i.hey a-:d soda?" asked Hugh, ;i"3-in;j the to the sideboard. "Anything. I've got something to show you." Hugh watched Waller's hand as the latter produced an envelope from his pocket. Then, staying the hand before he could give him the envelope, Hugh said, with a smile: "You needn't show it to me—l've got one, too." (To be continued.)