SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9679, 31 December 1909, Page 2

SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

V BY F. L. DACRE, » 1 ~ I L Author of "A Loveless Marriage," "A Change of Heart," b T -'Trenholine's Trust," "A Case for the Court," 3 / Etc, etc. /

CHAPTER XlX.—continued. Harrington rose i'rom hi.", seat and paced the floor, wiping his brow now and again. I "Hilda," he pleaded at last, "you I are right—the Indian is my master! He holds rr.y liberty—my very life — in the hollow of his hand! It is a terrible thing for me to have to tell you this, but no confession of mine can cause me to sink lower in your estimation; and 1 must confess in order to aave myself—perhaps to save Victor Linton." She turned uron him like a tigress. "What has Mr Linton to do with such as you and your friend?"He writhed under the stinor of her words. "I will tell you everything now," he a;)sv\orod in'an undertone. "And 1 am glad that the light is too far gone for you to see the shame in my face-tor even I am not sufficiently hardened to have lost all sense of shame! You have heard of my trai- | torous ccnduct toward my dead brother when we were both young men? It was inexcusable, but I did not think so then. A woman came between us, and men do not stop to think of brotherly love at such tirr.es. He never forgave me—in fact, he hunted me like a wild beast! Kiches and honor fell upon him. while my portion waß poverty and infan.y. Still, the fact of my relationship to enejso high and trusted obtained me the entree to the best society of Calcutta and Simla, and especially of Bombay—no one there knew of the actual quarrel between my brother and me, and John was much admired and feired. Besides, I held a commission in the British army." He paused abruptly and listened at the door. "I thought I heard someone," he hoarsely explained. "A guilty conscience makes a man so and so auspicious." He moistened his lips with his tongue, and continued rapidly: "Let me repeat—l was a favourite everywhere because I was what is commonly known as 'good company." I was proficient at all sports, and was in request for theatricals and so forth, and I was the great Sir [ John's brothtr! Among my acquaintances was Prince Ali JNaran—con- | found him!—the only son and heir j of an impoverisntd rujah. He was l a | very young man trien, but was hand- ' some a.id fascinating. It was his boas', that no woman could withstand | him; and of a truth his power was always remarkable, though such a thing creite3 no woi-der in the East." Hklda shuddered. "Well, 1 contracted a number of gambling debts, aid—looking back now I can see it-Prince Ali Narain was evir my evil genius. Most of the things l have done were suggested by him; and when his will was brought to play upon mine, I was like a man whose mind was under the influence oi a narcotic. I obeyed him with a full knowledge of my folly, and at the same time with the desire to spring at his throat and kill him !" His eyes gleamed savagely in the half light. "I became deeply involved. I had been tricked and cheated by the prince through some of his infernal jugglery, and, with ruin staring me in the face, he suggested a means of salvation which filled me with horror. But he persisted, and the idea grew upon me until I regarded it almost calmly. Hilda, I was to become a traitor to my country -to commit a crime the penalty of which was death! Did I finally attempt the task? Yes, and a month later was enjoying the proceeds with the prince." A low (ry of horror burst from Hilda's pule lips. 'But no harm resulted," the captain went on almost triumphantly. "It was immediately discovered the plans had been tampered with, and a score of innocent men were suspected. Until this day the real traitors have remained undetected, though there have been times when I have trembled for my safety, aa the machinery of the law, once started, never rests until some one is punished, rightfully or wrongfully. "A few years later I left India. You were a little child, then, and I sent you to Llanberis, confident that my brother would recognise you. 1 was too poor to do anything for you myself " "Don't refer to that, please!" Hilda interrupted in accents of pain. He sorrowfully bowed his head. "I came back to Europe, and Heaven alone knows how I have lived! ' I think that my name has become infamous in certain quarters of every continental city. One thing in my wife's favour—she has clung to me through it all with dog-like devotion! I wrote a score of pathetic letters to your Uncle John, but he never responded. * Then I began to hate him; and I thought that poverty was my worst enemy, until one day Prince Ali Narain encountered me at Homburg. "That was two years since, but I shall never forget the thrill of horror that quivered through my being!

The whole of the wretched past rose up hef'oie me, and a mist of blood seemed to blind my eyes. That is always a sure sign that I am in a dangerous mood "lie smiled at me in his terrible way, and said that he had searched Europe for me. He linked his arm withii. mine, and went back to my lodgings with me. Then he laughed at me for being a fool to live in poverty; the woild was full of money, it unly wanted getting at. His father, the rajah, was dead, and with him had died every prospect of the life of an idle gentleman for his son Prince Ali; the British had robbed him of every acre of land—every rupee. But the world was wide, he said. "Thus he talked; but there were diamonds on bis fingers, and his pockets were well lined with gold. He lent me money, and jested about our'little affair with the Government papers.' Every word stabbed i me like a knife. I wsnted to forget that I had been a traitor—l, who had i worn the army uniform -and that I there was a price set upon my head. "A few weeks passed, and the prince came to the end ot his reI sources. I confess that he had shared his money with me liberally, though he had done so with an object. Then be tnlcl me that we must put our heads together or starve. Gambling? Oh, no—it is hardly safe where we were! There were other tricksters looking for fools—more wolves looking for lambs to fleece. 'Dog rob dog' was not his game, and, in the event of a row, a man of his color stood a poor chance. Then he unfolded his plan. I must use my brother's name on paper—l must forge Sir John Carrington's signature. My brother and I wrote very much alike, and I could easily do that little trick of Sir John's which the bankers always looked for—a peculiar scroll, pointed by a silly sort of dot. Have you notitced it, Hilda?" The girl started violently. How could he pause to ask her such a question? She waved her hand for him to proceed, her lips remaining sealed.

"I refused at first, positively and indignantly, then feebly, for Prince Ali Narain sighed and shrugged his shoulders, reminding me of the sum of money I was worth to him. The Government would pay web for what he could tell them concerning me; and it would take a long time to prove his complicity, if it could be done at all. I must sign the note for five hundred pounds, and he would see that it was paid; Sir John should never hear of it. Money we must have! "I signed a note at three m nths, and the rajah got it discounted He gave me a portion of the proceeds. Three months was ample time in which to repay the money St I hoped, but in less t« an one month we were both penniless again. I will not prolong this hat-iul part of my story. Other notes were signed, but only one was ever met by your Uncle John, and he knew who wad the for ger. "I have dwelt upon this, Hilda, to vindicate myself t> unm* extent in your eyes—to show you that I should never have usfd m y brmh-r's name but for the rajah's power over me; I am not so utteily lost to all sense •of honor and decency. "Wnen the notes were proclaimed to he forgeries, the police were put upon our track, and we parted. I was glad of this, and prayed that we might never n eet again. I hid myself in Loiuloi, obtaining a livelihood by frequ. rting certain earning houses. I wi s reduced to this b cause I could do notuing elst, ana was afraid to stir out by day lest some one should rciognise me. "Then came tha new 3 of my brother's sudden death, and the report that I was his hur I saw it in several papers, and I was delirious with delmnt. It whs my salvation. I should go "o longer in fear of my creditors. The howling wolves would become meek and patient lambs. I was a wealthy, man, and worthy of respect! Oh, yes—l should pay all my debts with interest! "I came—and 1 made no excuses for my conduct toward you, Hilda; I was not my sane self. But a fearful Nemesis was at my very heels, and the disappointment would have killed many me", especial'y as it was accompuiiied by the discovery that you both hated aid <espised me—that you were a woman with a strong will, and not a child to .be influenced by me. "Again I had visions of my creJitors when the truth became known, and iheir agents have been here already. However, they feel sure of their money, arguing that my daughter will not stand quietly by and see me taken to prison. "But to crown my misfortunes, Ali Narain was also drawn hither by the false news, and he holds above me the oil threat, Hilda—the old threat!" He bowed his face over his hands, and the girl'turned to him impulsively. The bent figure appealed to her piteoush. TO BE CONTINUED.