THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3107, 4 February 1909, Page 2

THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET.

CHAPTER XXXlll.—Continued. I Into Rose's white cheeks a dark-i-p.d had flushed suddenly. Ker lips were quivering. "What do you mean, Edith? What are you talking about?" she stammered. "You have been seen and recognised, Rose, in spite of all your care, and so has your companion. How dis- , graceful to meet Randal Ileathcote in that manner. You won't have a thread of reputation left." Lady Disbro had set out to anger Rose to the utmost, and she had succeeded. She was in such a fury for the moment that she could not speak. Hut she found her tongue presently—and in her rage forget that it was important to keep her secret; a little ! longer. _ | "There is no disgrace in my meet- | ing him at any time and anywhere I like. He is my husband." "Oh!" Edith looked amazed, as indeed < she was, in spite of her previous suspicions. " Yts," said Rose, tossing her head, '"we were married by special ; license more than a week ago. Perhaps you would like to see the certificate." "Yes, I would," answered Edith. *'l can't believe it." 'Wei!, you'll have to believe it. There it is," and Rose produced the document and gave it to Lady Disbro. "Other people can get married as •well as you." Edith examined the paper carefully before she returned it. '"lt is true," she said gravely and with a new sternness. "Why were you married secretly? Why do you conceal the marriage now, and go out nights to meet him, in this private manner?" Rose tossed her head again. "That is our business. You'll know too, perhaps, in time." Lady Disbro said no more, but went back to Dorcas, to whom she communicated this astounding piece of news. The next day she went to see James Rial.

CHAPTER XXXIII. A DUPE MAKES ADMISSIONS, j She found that gentleman at his lodgings, up that very stairway she had followed him the day she went, to see Lawyer Bezel. He looked, if possible, more confounded and ar"azed at the sight of her than he had on that eventful day. It struck Edith, too, that with his confusion was mingled a sort of shame and shrinking. He could not look her squarely in the face, and he asked her very abruptly if any one at her own house knew where she was. "Dorcas does, but she won't tell, if it is for my interest that she should not, if that is what you mean " Lady Disbro answered him sternly. "Oh!" said Rial', turning paler than before. "Can it be that measures are on foot to arrest me to-day?" pondered Lady Disoro anxiously, and her heart throbbed fast. All the horror ;«nd ignominy of such a thing flashed before her, For a moment the most utter and overwhelming terror seemed to strangle lier. Then she was herself again, prepared to battle bravely yet with her wicked cousin. "Why do yju ask me so singular a question?" she asked, more sternly than before, and then as Rial did not speak, she said: "I can guess. But that is not what 1 came here to talk about, I am ready for my fate, whatever it is. James Rial, is it possible you are simpleton enough to believe that Miss Altman really means to marry you when all is done?" Such a start as Rial gave; Edith saw that she had hit the nail on the head-

"How did you find that out," he stammered.

"No matter. It you have any such nonsence in your head, you are bad|y deluded. How came you ever to imagine she would marry you." Rial was silent. His small, sharp eyes glittered anxiously, but he did not speak. "Weil, never mind, if you don't choose to tell. But she has deceived you. I don't think she ever meant to keep her promise. At any rate, she ia now Mr Heathcote's wife. She has been married to him a week. It was s secret marriage, and I have seen the y certificate."

Lady Disbro spoke in some agitation. Mow or never Rial would betray to her the truth concerning that dark conspiracy which she believed was plotting against her. Rial's face was livid with passion. The veins in hi 3 narrow, liigh forehead looked as if they would burst. "Pardon me, my lady," he said, at last, "but have you any objection to telling me where you saw the certificate?"

"Rose showed it to me. 1 knew she was meeting my cousin in a very secret and questionable manner, and I spoke to her about it. told me she was married to him." "If she has played me false," Rial muttered, seeming for the moment to have forgotten Lady Disbro's presence, "I'll be revenged upon her and him! He knows what 1 was up to. And they've both been, using me—yes, 1 see it now—-and laughing at me together all the while. And she to pretend to me to believe that he was dead. I see, I see. But Ive tone more card to play, as I'll show them both. My lady " He turned to her suddenly.

"Will you believe me that I don't mean to be impertinent if 1 ask you a Question?"

"I don't believe you would ask an i;r:0. j rlinent question, James, though ic 'nu'ht sound &o."

"Ther, my lady, if you please, who killed Captain Tyrrell." , ,

By HELEN COEWIN PIERCE, Ai.tlior oE "At His Own Game," "Carrie Emerson Wilde," "Badly Matched," "The Cheated Bride," Etc.

"You thought you knew," Lady Disbro answered calmly. "I cannot vou who did. But I did not. Can you look me in the face and believe that 1 did?" Rial hu.ig his head before that lofty and stainless countenance. "God forgive me, my lady, ' did think it, and I've let them use me. But I'll make it up to you. Where do you think your husband is?" Something in his solemn and portentous look struck Lady Disbro to the heart. An awful panic seized her. Dorcas had always said there waa a mystery anout ihat letter from Frank. "D<> you know where he is 9" she excitedly demanded. "Has Randal Heathcote trapped and murdered him, too?" At that moment steps were heard ascending the stairs. Rial grew whiter that trie wall.

"Oh, my lady, my lady," whispered he, in so deadly a fright that Edith guessed what he ieared it was. "Are they after me?" she asked, in the same awful whisper. "I'm afraid so." "I won't be taken, then—not now —not till I'm ready, I've got other work to do first, and I mean to do it!"

She glided to a dnor opposite that at which the newcomers were by this time knocking, and drew her little pistol as she went. "I will shoot sooner than be taken," she whispered as she passed Rial.

Of course, that was mere bravado on her ladyship's part. She had too much good sense not to know that she would only make matters worse for her by anything of that sort. But the threat had its effect on Rial. A radical change had come over that gentleman's sentiments. With the conviction of his master's treachery to him about Rose Altman, and his knowledge of Rose's falsehood also, had come a firm belief of Lady Disbro's innocence, as well as a desire to be revenged on both Rose and his master.

He shut the door Lady Disbro had just entered and locked it. 'ih=n he opened the other, and spoke to the officers who had been, indeed, there, in such a manner that they went away after a few moments, without a suspicion that Lady Disbro was near. '

Rial said her ladyship had just gone. When he unlocked and opened the door for hsr, Edith's first words were: "What of my husband?" "He's hid away in one of the rooms down at Heathcote. We surprised him tn my master's own room the day ' after the lightning struck the Lady's Tower." "He was looking for proof of my guilt," thought Edith, with a groan. "He had just written you a letter which you afterwards received from Amiens," Rial went on. "He did write it, then?" said Lady Disbro. "Yes, he wrote it. Mr Heathcote took it from him and read it, and said he should have it sent to you. ' (To be continued).