A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3011, 7 October 1908, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

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

CHAPTER XL.—Continued. "Mrs Hilliard!" cried he, petrified with astonishment. Indeed her pale face frightened him, and, knowing what a shock she had sustained oti the previous day, his horror at seeing her was unspeakable. Netelka, afraid that her strength might give way or that her emotions might get the better of her if she paused in her task, bowed and passed quickly on to the platform. But Jem stayed behind and whispered to Gerard: "Follow her. She's going to Canterbury. Her detestable husband is there, and wants her to go with him. And she's going. Poor .darling ! f I don't think she can be quite in her right mind! I've promised not to stop her, but I may do this." Then, without waiting for any other answer than thnt she saw in Gerard's anxious eyes, she ran after her patient. "\ou won't let me go with you, then," she asked Netelka, "to take care of you, in case you might not feel so strong as vou fancy you do?" Netelka shook her head. - "I want you to go back now. I want you to go back with Gerard Waller, whom we passed just now. I want you to marry him. He's a good fellow and would take care of you as you deserve, my dear." Jem laughed and blushed. "There's somebody, else who answers to that description," said she, in a whisper. "Can't you guess who it is? 1 ' Of course it did not take Netelka very long to come to the conclusion that this person was Hugh Thorn dyke. She kissed the girl on both cheeks,' and heartily wished her happiness. Then her train came up, and Jem had no time even to ask her when she was coming back. Netelka soon bagan to feel painfully aware of the rashness of the step she had taken. She got out ac the Waterloo station, drove to Charing Cross, took her ticket to Canterbury, and just managed to stagger into the train when her strength gave way altogether, and she fill hack fainting on to tae seat. When she came to herself, the train was in motion, and she was leaning on the shoulder of a man. "Mr Waller!" sho cried even before she saw his face. And then she struggled up and stared at 'hi;n in stupefaction. "Why have you done this? Why did you come with in.'?" "Never mind why," answered Waller, in a tune which he made as matter-of-fact as he could, "hut thank your stars I'm here. You're not in a fit state to travel, and if it hadn't been for me you'd have stood a very good chance of falling flat on the floor and being trodden upon by an entering passenger at the next station." , Netelka was silent. She had a great deal to say to Waller at this, her last interview with him, f.s she supposed;for that Linley would want to take her away from England with him she did not doubt. But. though the ideas were in her mind, Weakness made it'difficult for her to express them. After a pause, which he was discreet enough not to try to break, she said, in a broken, husky voice: "Now, Mr Waller, I want to speak to you very seriously. You art? not to answer me; you are just to listen and to remember. Now, you have been a good boy, and have given up baccarat and—and all that baccarat stands for, like a sensible person. Now, it is just possible that I may not be able to see you again. I want you to promise—to continue being good—and sensible, just the same as if—people were always at your el • bow telling you to keep it up. Of course you are much too sensible—not to do it of your own accord. But still—l want you to—promise." JJJjWailer did not look up. He was holding one of her hands; and he said in a very hoarse whisper, with something in'his voice which sounded like a sob: "I promise—before God! —I promise." She let her hand remain in his a few moments, and then, drawing it gently away, she sat/ back in her corner. When they reached Canterbury, Waller perceived instantly th?t something unusual had happened in the town, and, catching a few words which roused his suspicions, he hurried Netelka into a cab which was waiting outside the statidn and mingled again among the crowd to find out further dstails concerning the cause of their excitement. It was easy enough to obtain the information he wanted; the story was poured into his ears by half a dozen mouths. A stranger had prrived in the city on the previous night, and a couple of London detectives had come down by the next train to arrest him for some crime which, the good people of Canterbury described variously as murder, forgery and swindling. At any rate, the police had got on th' 3 track of the man, and as: exciting chsse had resulted. He had turned to the right at the e top of the high street and run along the rising path that leads, above the cattle-market, toward the iron footbridge over Watling street. When he was ci ise to the bridge, however, he was suddenly confronted by a member of the local police force, who bad been on watch for him at this point. Turning his head and seeing that the London officers were close behind, the criminal, who was lame and consequently at a disadvat tage, took a desperate resolve. He climbed over the railing on the left, intending to let himself down gtntly into the stone-paved cattle maiket below. The detectives, howevr, ru«h'ner vtp at that moment, caused him to hurry his movements.

He loot his balance and fell backward on to the flagstones below. He was picked up dead. Waller went out to Netelka and asked her to wait while he made some inquiries, so that he might: not have to waste time driving about. Then he drove in another cab postehaste to the mortuary, obtained permission, to see the dead man, and in a few moments found himself, as he had expected, looking at the corpse of Linlev Dax. He hurried back to Netelka, who was, by,this time, feeling too ill, •herself to notice his ghastly pallor. But she was struck by a change in his tone when he spoke to her. It was colder ttian before. "Mrs Hilliard," said he, in alow voice, as he opened the cab door for her to get out, "Linley has —has got away from here. It is no use for you to wait. There is a train back to town in a few minutes. 1 must take you to Irewithen street and telegraph to Lady Kenslow at 'The Firs,' and her own house to tell her what has become of you." She was too ill to protest much, and Waller got her into the train without trouble. During the journey his attentions, though constant, were silent ones; and when Lady Kenslow received her niece at the door of her house, having received Waller's telegram it was without j another word to Netelka that he handed her over to her aunt. But he begged an interview with Lady Kenslow, and told her the tragic news. Her first feeling was one of undisguised relief; but then the ruling passion found vent once more. "There will be another scandal, and a worse one than ever!" she exclaimed plaintively. "What does that matter," burst out Waller fiercely, "compared to the knowledge that Netelka is free from that scoundrel at last—for ever? Lady Kenslow, I may speak now; your niece has saved me, helped me from a brute's life to a man's. Not a very lofty elevation, perhaps you will say; but it's something, isn't it? And in doing it she has made me love her—oh, I may say it now to you—in a way worthy of her! I may say that, for she has never heard a word of it from my lips — never. But now, now I may speak. I'll go away now, and I won't come near her, except to sneak up to the door to ask how she is, for—for three i months, six months, a year, anything you like. But some day you must ask her if I have a chance, and —and if I have, «you may expect ine by the next flash of lightning!" There was a scandal, of course; and Harrington Moseley found it prudent to retire to the Continent for a time. And "The Firs," was shut | up again, and the land advertised for ssle "for building purposes." In the j meantime Waller, by a happy inspiration, made a clean breast of it, and told his father of the debts he had incurred. Much to his surprise, old Mr Waller took the confession in good part, and heljjed his son out of the difficulties he had j made for himself, while grumbling at having to pay such large sums, to 1 a "vile Jew." I Jem married Hugh Thorn dyke six months later; and when she returned to England after a honeymoon abroad, took Willie and the youngest baby but one with her to her Yorkshire home. And six months later still, Gerard Waller got a little note from Lady Kenslow containing these words: "Dear'Mr Waller: You have a chance. Come by the next flash of lightning. "Yours very sincerely, "MARY KENSLOW." Gerard came. THE END.