FIGHTING HER WAY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9709, 3 February 1910, Page 2

FIGHTING HER WAY.

CHAPTER IX.—Continued. From Doctor Alcot's office Rolsnd returned to his rooms determined to resume his inquiries on tha next morning, as it was now too late in the night to prosecute them any further. i His first step on the succeeding day was to visit the flower store, which he found securely barred up, with a placard on the door: — 'Apply to Serjeant Digby, station house,—the precinct.' To this person application w;is made, and all that Roland learned from the policeman was that he had been paid to be responsible for Miss Castlebar's premises, and was perfectly ignorant of her whereabouts or her condition. Having exacted a promise from the officer to confer with him the moment he should receive any tidings of the lady, Roland went away dispirited. He did not feel justified in making any stir in his search after her, lest a motive detrimental to Miss Castlebar's interests or reputation should be assigned. Yet to abandon the matter this was equally against his wishes. Doctor Alcot, her physician, had, it seemed, forsaken her, and his mind became filled with anxieties lest she might be a prey to the worst misfortunes. He determined to place trie affair of ascertaining the truth about her in the hands of a secret detective, through whom he learned in a few days that Miss Castlebar was convalescent in the hospital, and in no danger whatever of tbe disease she had been erroneously supposed to be afflicted with. Roland immediately wrote her a letter, asking permission to see her if possible—if not, he begged to be assured of her safety, and allowed to serve her in any way. He stated that as Doctor Alcot had used every means to secure her premises, he had not thought best to interfere with the arrangements that he had found already effected on his return to the city four days after her note was deposited in his office. To this Chritine replied that she would soon be in her old place again, quite recovered, she hoped, and that then she would notify him of her return and be glad to thank him in person for the interest he had shown. 'Doctor B , of the hospital, had sent her back to the city in charge of his assistant, who placed her in a cab, and returned to his. post. Obtaining the keys to her store from the person whom Doctor Alcot had informed her was responsible for it, she had come alone to find tbe desolation we have already beheld with the eyes of our sympathy. What should she do—where turn for the redress of her misfortune? Alas, she was a poor girl, quite ignorant of affairs, and still so shaken by her illness that the cool presence of mind formerly so advantageous to her seemed to have utterly vanished. She felt too dazed and helpless to cope with the situation. Stepping into the store next door, which was owned by a kind German, who often befriended her in small ways, Christine begged of him to send Franz a telegram recalling him to her; and meantime to let his errand boy come over and make her a fire. 'Yees, my deare, with all mein heart i vil. You dosh looksh like yon leetle ghost. Seet heare an' varm yourself by meein stofe wile I goesh meinself and makesh your leetle vire. Hans, you mindsh de store.' In a short time tbe poor girl was seated before her own tiny hearth and cozy fire, with a cup of tea freshly made by good Karl Bergen, steaming on a little table near her. Franz was rot long in arriving in his dear mistress' presence, and he almost devoured Christine's hands in his joy at seeing her; but loud and wild were the little fellow's lamentations over the wreck in the flower store. Christine managed to divert him from this sad scene by asking him to air the shop, and tidy up things, to the best of his ability, with what there was left of all her pretty goods. The day was far spent, and she determined to make no further effort till to-morrow, when she proposed to send for one of her old friends and consult about what she should do 'Let me stay here to-night, Miss Castlebar. You're that sick and weak you ain't fit to'be left alone. Mother's all right without me, for Mrs Jcncs is next door to her, and looks afttr her. Do let me stay; 1 can skep on a rug in the store, and be handy if you need anything.' 'Very well, dear. You shall if you wish; but first run home and let mother know, so that she'll not be worried. I'll sit up for you till you get back.' Scarcely had Franz had lime to go and return, when the bell to the store peeled sharply. Feeling certain that her devoted little errand boy had run himself breathless to be back so quickly, Christine folded her loose crimson wraper closer about her, tossed a white wool shawl round her shuloders, and went to let Franz in. The gas in the shop burned low,

I ' I 25 .BT R3SS ASHLEIGH. 5 ? Author of "Eleanor's Luck,' "The Widow's Wager." ? "Pu e Gold," 5 Et c, etc.

making a pleasant half light, in which the pale girl, in her nch-hued negligee, made a lovelier picture than the one which introduced her to us first.

She opened the door wide, and on its threshold stood Roland Marlow, with an eager glow in hi* eyes, that shone like darn: Brugundian wine in a strong light. A glad word trembled on his handsome mouth, and he put out both hands to her. Christine conscious of her chamber robe and dressing slippers, dainty though they were, and of her unbound hair, flushed scarlet in the presence of this royal-looking young man, with whom her acquaintance had commenced m a manner not calculated to relieve the embarrassment of the present situation, to which the latei.ess of the hour lent aggravation. While they stood ajjman passed the door. ! CHAPTER X. MISS CASTLEBAR'S SECRET *OE.

Christine Castlebar's innats modesty or delicacy was incapable of the mistake that some women might have made under the circumstances. Whatever mortification" she felt, she preserved her dignified calm of manner as she laid one of her hands in Roland Marlow's, hand, without asking him to enter, siad gently: 'You see, I was not prepared for a visitor, Mr Marlow. I must beg you to add tu your kindness by calling tomorrow.'

'You should not have left me to find out your return by my own devices,' he said reproachfully, and keeping her hand a moment in his clasp. She drew it away as she replied:

'I would have kept my promise to you very soon. To-day I was not equal to anything more than getting back here; but I will be glad to see you to-morrow at your convenience. T needed to consult some friend about my business, affairs, and since you are so good as to come, I will gladly ask your counsel.' 'I shall be nere at ten to-morrow, or any other hour that suits you.' 'Ten will suit me, thank you.' 'Good-night, Miss Castlebar. lam more glad than I can say to see you back, and with so fair a promise of entire recovery. But you need to be" very careful —you stem so far from strong. Good night!' Again he took her hand. His eyes seemed loth to leave her face; but now they lingered, not with the glad eagerness of their first looks, but with a sad and pained regret she could not understand. Over his manner, too, a change had come. Its bright cordiality had become clouded with a restraint. It was as if he kept a guard over himself. She fancied that he looked worn and older sinco that night she pinned the rose on his ccat. She closed the door on his retreating steps with a strange fluttering sense of mingled surprise and pleasure. How bad he found out her return so quickly? And why should he have sought her so immediately? Perhaps the secret knowledge of how his glorious young face —beautiful with the symmetry and strength of a young god's—had swayed with her fancy, aud flushed it as no other man's face ever had, made her uneasy and excited at this unexpected visit from him. She sighed regretfully when Franz disturbed the reverie into which she had fallen by sounding the street bell. Already Christine had prepared a comfortable little pallet of rugs and shawls, and a coverlet from her own couch for the boy, who came in with a smile, and a little basket uf grapes he had bought on his way back to the store.

'Ah, you naughty, extravagant little spendthrift!' she said gratefully, as she took the gift he handed her and patted his ruddy cheek with her soft little hand. 'Don't scold, me Miss Castlebar; the money that brought 'em didn't come from my wages. I made it extra, just to sive you a treat when you got home.' 'Thank you, dear Franz, and now go to sleep, for I will want you up early to-morrow.' man who passed Christine's door while young Marlow stood there talking with her \ as Doctor Howard. He had kept a v.atch at a distance over the girl, and knew of her return to the city before any one else. 1 It Christine was in doubt, about what she ought to do concerning the late outrages she had suffered at the hands of careless or ignorant officials, Doctor Howard was not. He knew petfecrly that he girl would be thoroughly justified in claiming redress under the law against himself in especial, and the board of health in general. He knew, too, that if such a remedy did not suggest itself to her mind there would be plenty of friends to supply her deficiency in shrewdness. TO BE,CONTINUED