THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3079, 28 December 1908, Page 2

THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET.

CHAPTER Vll.—Continued. "Youonly married hiir. for hi 3 money, and you always loved me. Everybody knows that. Do you think it would be so very difficult to make people believe you consented to the deed?*' Edith uttered a cry of horror. "You villain!" she exclaimed, with a look of detestation. "Could 1 ever have loved so falsa and blackhearted a creature?" "If you ever whisper a word of what has happened to-night," Heathcote went on, "if you do net repeat and swear to the story I shall give you to tell, I will swear that your husband came home unexpectedly, and surprised us in hare together; I'll give you a name blacker than the devil, and I'll hang you higher than you would like to see me swinging!" "I believe you would," gasped Edith, ready to faint again in her sudden terror and hatred of this man she had once loved to idolatry. "I don't believe there was ever a spark of honour or manhood in you." Heathcote stopped and picked up the blood-stained dagger from the floor. "I must take good care of this," he coolly said; "it has your name on the hilt. Devilish lucky thing for me!" He looked up, still sneering; but presently started, staring at something beyond her wita dropped jaw and staring eyes. Edith turned her head. Was it a a spirit of a living: creature that stood*there so white, so wan and ethereal-looking in its floating white garments, with its soft white floating hair, and wild, bright eyes. In a moment she knew her. It was Whisperii g Lois. Just as once before, on the night of their arrival at Heathcote House, she came gilding out of the darkness like a spectre. With a horrible thrill, Edith recollected it. An awful oath burst from Randal Heathcoto's lips.

"Haw came she here? Has she been here all the time? Curse it all! Can't you speak? Have you had her hid in the room all the time?" Lois shuddered visibly at the sound of his voice, and crept closer to Edith. "Poor Captain Tyrrell! poor old chap!" she whispered, with a fright ened look. "We've both got white hair, but I haven't got any hole in my side like him. Did you see the blood?" Heathcote had come near enough to hear these words, spoken in a whisper peculiar to simple Lois. "She musi; have followed you when you came'back from the park," said Edith. "She could not have been here when 1 came in, or she would have shown hersel;. She was probably wandering about in the moonlight, as her custom is, and saw you and followed you in through the secret passage. Shfc is as noiseless as a spirit." Heathcote stood staring, with scowling brows and gnawing his finger tips until-they were ready to bleed. " foil see," Edith eaR "God has not left me so wholly at your cruel mercy as you fancied. Her is one witness of the truth, whose innocent testimony you cannot destroy with a lie." ' / Heathcote gave her a terrible look. "There are surer ways than lying. Do you think I will let her destroy me when 1 would not permit you?" His face was so demoniacal, his eyes glowed so on Lois, that a new terror assailed Edith. She put Lois behind her. "You sha'n't kill her, too, Randal! Are you mad?" "No, but you are, If you think to hinder ma in anything l undertake to do!" CHAPTER VIII. PREPARATIONS FOR CONCEALMENT. With a sweep of his arm, he thrust her away and caught Lois up. "It's very lucky for her she can't scream!" he said savagely, while Edith rushed to the door and stood with her hand upon it. "Put her down, or I will scream !" she exclaimed in a resolute voice. "No one will hear you if you do. Besides, I am not going to hurt her. I only want to stop her mouth for both our sakea. Listen to me, Edith. Come tack here! I swear to you I don't mean what you fear." Edith moved towards him a few steps. "Don't you see," he resumed, "that if she is allowed to babble at all, it w\l\ be to your injury as much as mine? She is sura to couple our names together. She is sure to tell that I was here in your room." Edith wrung her hands ingly"Leave her to me," said Heathcote coaxii-.gly, "and, without hurting her, I swear to you, without hurting a hair of her head, I'll put her where she can't do you or me any harm." "Where?"

"I'll shut her up in a convenient little room for a few days—a pleasant comfortable room —only she won't have anyone to talk to. She'll forget all about it after a while, and then I'll send her to another part of the country." Edith hesitated.

Loi3 lay. white-faced and motionlesj with terror, in Heathcote's arms. Her large, bright eyes moved restlessly from him to Edith and back again, but her lips did not open. Edith avoided looking at her. "There is no other way," pursued Heathcote ; "her silly talk will destroy us both unless you consent."

"J consent," said Edith, in a low ul-fjrt'l voice. I ought to risk :.ny-i;.i.'y sconcr. But lam a j,it i'ui unvj.rd, aid I cir/t do It!"

By HELEN COEWIN PIEECE, Author of "At His Own Gauie," "Carrie Emerson "Wilde," "Badly Matched," "The Cheated Brieve," Etc.

[ A look of profound relief crossed s Heathcote's face. j "Wait here ten minntes for me, I r won't be longer," he said, and darted j away with Lois. When he came back Edith had sunk upon the floor where he had left Her, with her face buried in her hands. What her thoughts had been about it was not possible to doubt when she lifted her head and showed the horror and anguish expressed in her eyes. "What next?" was her gloomy greeting. He glanced at the French timepiece. "I told Fantine that you said she might go to a merrymaking thtre is in the village to-night. She was to be back by 2 o'clock. I told her you would not go to your roam yourself till that time." A groan burst from Edith. " Oh!" she said, "if you had not sent her off, all this would not have happened!" Heathcote clenched his teeth. "I wish I had been dead before I did it!" he muttei-ed. "It is time for her to come, if you said two o'clock." "Yes, and you must tell her Captain"—he almost strangled on the word, but he said it—"Captain Tyrrell has been here, but that he only stayed a few moments, and you are waiting up for him." Edith shuddered. "Why need I allude to him at all?" "Because some one must know he came. Though he must have been very sly for me not to have found it out. He may have been seen coming to your rooms. It is safest to say that he was here, at any rate. What sent him back at such an unusual hour, and without any warning to anybody? Did you expect him? Did you contrive this cursed meeting bitween us?" "I did not know he was here till he entered that door. He showed me this letter."

j Heathcote took it and glanced j ttirough it rapidly. "Rose. Altman wrote that," he said savagely. "The devil must have helped her to find out so much." "I told you' she would write to him." "She wanted to aggravate him into divorcing you and making her the heiress of his wealth. But he's past that now, curse her! And he's lett all his money to you, instead of her. "You're a rich woman, Edith." Edith made a gesture of disgust and horror. "Mind you be on your guard now about to-night's business. The body will be found in the park to-morrow, probably. All you've got to do is to say he came to your room and went out again after a few moments. Stick to that!" " Jhey are sure to suspect you, Randal." "I think not. I went to my chamber at ten, as I can prove by my valet, who saw me in bed, No one' but you and Lois know I have been out of it since." (To be continued).