SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9694, 19 January 1910, Page 2

SIR JOHN'S HEIRESS.

BY F. L. DACRE, Author ot "A'Lo"slews Marriage," "A Change of Heart," lrudt," "A Case for the Court,"

£ Etc, etc. I

cr > o* •**"**- CHAPTER XXXl.—Continuad. 'Hilda's money—Hilda's money!'; he kept thinking. And Reuben Grow- | cott a mere visionary—a clever man, j but a failure! Yes, the money was all spent by this time—Hilda s • n.oney. And, it' >hings went as Molson had so corfidently and maliciously predicted, his indebtedness would be doubled. On Teaching home he went to hid room. But it seemed stifling. Hilda was in London, and he must find her , a few worc's and all would be set right—except as to the horrid money. He understood Captain Carrington's innuendoes now ; and lie understood Reuben Growcott's hitherto enigmatical speech. j Out into the square he went again ,1 and made for the nearest telegraph I office. Harry Mayhew would help him. A message was despatched to Mayhew, and an hour later Mayhew j himself dashed up to Euston Square in a hansom. | His eyes flashed and his hands were , clinched as ne listened to Victor's | story. ! ' Why didn't you kick the villain?' J he growled. 'But no matter! Miss Carrington was a girl of sound sense, j and she will think again. And how j she must care for you, old chap, to do what she has done! We'll find her; we'll go to all the hotels, and we j will advertise and employ detectives, and —find her!" And all the while Hilda was within a hundred yards of Euston Square! CHAPTER XXXIII. A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS. The weeks went by, and to Victor Linton years of misery and anxiety seemed to be crowded into them. Ten « days after Miss Carrington and her companion left the BeaconsfielJ Hotei a detective, who had succeeded in tracing her so far, called at the hotel, only to be informed, however, that Hilda and her companion had left early one morning with an elderly gentleman, and that nothing further was Known about them; and at this point the detective lost ail clue. Once Victor had met Mr Molson in the streets of London, and had seized hold of him so roughly that the lawyer had threatened to give him into custody for assault, For a whole month Linton had not been at Nant Glaslyn Valley, but he eagerly read every bit of news contained in Reuben Growcott's daily budget, his one thought being the fate of Hilda's money. The machinery of the mine was in full working order, and of tons of earth had been brought to the surface. Captain Carrington was working with the colliers. The elder Mr Linton returned home a broken man; nevertheless, he still had dream 3 of redeeming the past. 'No coa? yet—no ccal yet!' he would say. 'What a terrible thing is this gambling fever! And it is nothing else but gambling. Suppose the i money doesn't hold out, Victor? I lost tnirty thousand altogether—my own and other people's money! But, then, I had the cost of sinking the shafts. If there is any prospect of 1 coal—any certainty—you can borrow what money you want—you and Growcott.' 'N-t a penny!' Victor resolutely answered. 'As it is, we shall be upward of twenty thousand younds to the bad, father. I am getting tired of Growcott's rosy letters; he never) dreams of failure. And Molson said that he was a mere vis.onary.' The very next morning, however, Victor received from his partner this | letter: — ! "My Dsar Linton: I am simply j buhbline over with joy, and sorely I need you at the worka to restrain me from going mad. We have struck the seam, and fifty tons of coal are .at the pit's mouth—coal,of the very best quality 1 A million tons more ; are below, just for the getting ! The find is only just in the nick of time, however, for I paid only half Wdges last week, and haven't a feather left to fly with. Under my agreement with Miss Carrington, who is your partner in reality, I am to have fifty per cent, of her net profits. My fortune is made, though my enemies have laughed at me and called me a fool! 'Yours hysterically, 'REUBEN GROWCOTT. 'P.S. —Isn't it about time we dispensed with the services of 'Dodgson?' He is a bit restive, and wants to see you, he will want money, I'm sure. All the needful we require will be furnish.d now by the bank at Llanberis. I intended asking you about mortgaging the machinery, but now the need ia past.' 'Hilda's money is safe!' was Victor 'b first thought He handed the letter to his father, and John Linton seemed to grow younger while rie read it. 'There will be enough here for all, and I shall face the world again, my boy ! You will let me go to Nant Glaslyn with you? I am only in my prime, as years count in a man's life, and there will be plenty for me to do.' Harry Mayhew was sent for, and

The news was imparted to him. 'By Jove!' he exclaimed, 'this will be a knock-down blow for Molson!' John and his son went to Nant Glas-lyn Valley by the first available train. At Llanberis almost the first person to meet them was the rector, vviio ran forward impulsively and seized Victor's hands. 'Let me congratulate you, Linton!' lie said heartily. 'Your success is the talk of the place—the papers are full of it V 'Hilda's money is safe,' thought Victor, 'and also my father's honour.' j 'You are looking very ill!' conI tinued Mr Jarvis in an undertone, j 'But all will come right in the end. You have no news?' j 'None.' ! 'Miss Carrington was always a strong-willed, passionate girl, but she is thoroughly good at heart. Sue I knows how to take care of herself, | too, so that I am surd no harm will befall her. Besides, Mrs Maxwell is I a capable woman. As to the affair I at Woodcroft Castle, it as almost forI gotten. Ah, this is your father! j Why, Linton, I did not recognise you ! I Five and twenty ysars since we met I last!' I 'You have altered very little, Jar- | vis,' John Linton answered. 'lf 1 had known, when we talked of the coal fields twenty-five yeai's ago,Jhow long I should have to wait to see my i hopes realised ' He sighed. The stem, hard-headed man of the worid had become as meek as a child. Victor anl his father were driven to Nant Glaslyn Valley, and Rueben Growcott, his face blackened with grime, came out of the office to meet j them as they drove up. 'What do you think of the works now?' he said joyously. 'A complete metamorphosis, eh'' Vandalism • —eh? See over there! Half a hundred men and boys screening the coal —our coal! Merchants have already been to see it, and orders are booked for thousands of tons. Do you hear the machinery? So much for your visionary—your man in the clouds! So mucu for the pluck and devotion of a women bless her! The engineer was as enthusiastic as a schoolboy. ' Ana I mufet not lorget I the energy and enterprise of the j originator of it all!' He took off his cap to John Linton. They went into the office and talked of 'Bill Dodgson.' 'He is worried about you and his daughter,' Reuben Growcott said, turning to Victor. 'The fellow is rot without heart. The work is beginning to tell upon him, though, and he is talking of getting away. B He wants a hundred pounds, or so, and we can find him that now. I don't now what j his scheme is, but thero is no doubt that he knows his book, as the sportsmen say. I have kept him informed upon all necessary points—and he goes regularly to the alehouse at Llanberis with his mates. Obeying your instructions, I went to Woodcroft and saw Mrs Carrington. She is a most remarkable woman! And she has the utmost faith in him still." 'Dodgson' was sent for, and at sight of Victor he almost broke down. 'I wonder you can bear to touch my hand!' he said remorsefully. 'You are Hilda's father! WelJ, I J have moved "heaven and earthwithout avail. And she is suffering, too; but she will come back to me some day.' There was a brief pause. Growcott and John Linton had left them alone. 'I hear that you are tired ot this, Carrington." Victor said presently. 'lt must be hard for you.' 'lt might have been worse—penal servitude! I have enjoyed the work, really. But I think it is time that I moved both for my own sake, and for my wife's. My plans are formed, and I have confidence in myself. If you can let me have some money 'A hundred pounds to-morrow.' 'Thank you! And 1 shall want you to bear all my messages to my wife. Anything addresed to her through the mail would be opened by the police beiore delivery. Letters sent to your London address will be safe enough.' 'I will assist you right through, Carrington.' 'Then lam satisfied.' The tears trickled down Carrington's grimy face. 'What a splendid fellow you are!' 'Growcott will give you the money to-morrow. And I will see your wife at W< odcroft this evening. What shall-1 say to her? 'Tell her that I am safe, and shall send for her in a month or two. She will be quite satisfied; she knows that I am not friendless while a heart like yours beats. Hilda will come back again —poor girl!—and you and she will be as happy a* you deserve to be. Oh, I would give ten years of my life only to see her once , more, and have her forgiveness for the awi'ul trouble that has followed : in my train! Shake hands, Linton, and believe me when I say that I cried for joy when the first lumps (of coal fell before the pick! I brought them down, and I siiouid have died happy if they had crushed me to death! Shake hands!' TO BE CONTINUED