PAOLINA. OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10146, 24 January 1911, Page 2

PAOLINA. OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

(OUR SERIAL..

By MARUOSA WEIR, AMthor of •■tvaayne'g Temptation," "A Chase Boun •■ toe WorliV etc.

CHAPTER X.—Continued. "What do you mean?" "To accept 'Mrs Steelier's longstanding invitation to visit her in Sonoma. Grandin won't know where I am, and even if he should find it out, I shan't feel a whit afraid of him when once I atn Safe in Steelier Castle, with its stout old master and his four stalwart sons, with no end of ferocious mastiffs to protect me." The young man, who was the same person that Grandin had passed on the stoop, wanted to. !know when she was going. She ,shoukt< set out as soon as, Jennie, her. maid, got u'ell. Said Jennie had been taken ill two days before, and Was attended by the queerest looking specimen of humanity in the shape of a doctor that she, Paolina, had ever seen. He was all head and no body, like a bison; but Jennie had insisted on having him, and he was ; certainly very atentive to his patient, calling on her twice a day. Even Mrs Cranch had conceived a dislike of the oddlooking doctor. It is hardly necessary to stats that this individual was no other than Dr Goethe Gruberlet. XI. MR HECTOR NORTH'S ADVENTURES. When Mr Hector JNorth took Ms leave of Paolina it was beginning to grow dark. Either he must, have opened the door very softly, or else the person whom he. saw, as he stepped out of it, apparently trying \ to peep in at the front, parlour window, must have been.;too much absorbed in what he was about to hear him.

As ; the young man started toward him'j the spy sprang, up with a sudden Exclamation, leaped down into the front yard, and -scrambled over the fence into the street with surprising agility. Hector North gave instant chase, following close upon the heels of the fugitive, who led him a chase of several blocks, finally disappearing ?n a .narrow street, occupied by the lowest class of Chinese dens. This circumstance, in connection with what Paolina had said, made.an junpleasant impression upon the young man's mind. .'

one who felt that he had a right to the whole of it, and was acustomed to have people turn out for him if they didn't want to be run over. Hector felt his old antagonism to the man revive in force, and he resolved that he would not give the millionaire an inch more of the pavement than the strict law of street etiquette demanded. - So he turned to the right just half as far a.s- was necessary to avoid a collision, leaving Grandin to concede the other moiety. But as the latter kept straight on, turning neither to the right nor the left, the two men encountered with considerable, force. Grandin, who had "\\di anticipated the event, was turned half round by ( the shock, notwithstanding his superior bulk and strength., Hector, on the other hand, had adroitly prepared himself for the tilt as soon as he saw that, it was inevitable, by presenting the edge of his left shoulder to, meet the square front of Grandin s right. The consequence was that, instead of being sent spinning off the sidewalk into the carriage way, he-continued calmly on his way as if nothing had occurred. "Are you drunk, you unmannerly boor?" called Grandin after him, in fierce wrath. 'I think I kept, my legs pretty well for a. drunken man," retorted Hector, facing round. "As to manners, I have never been taught that :the sidewalk was meant for the exclusive convenience of any one individual. I gave you your fair share of it", and I will see you in Jericho before I'll give you any more." "I'll teach you a lesson, you young jackanapes," cried Grandin, choking with" fury, "that you will not forget in a. hurry." . '

After all, he said to himself, that man may really be concerting some scheme to get her into his power 'by stratagem or force, and he resolved to keep as close a watch upon the house as possible. [Returning to the house he paced back and forth in front of it, but on the opposite side of the street, for more than an hour. Then he took up a" position in a dark doorway, from which he could see any person 'entering or leaving Mrs Cranch's Jlouse, hoping that the spy might i-.return.. ,'■■'

But another hour passed, and no •one came. ■■• ■

Tired and chilled with Ms long vigil, he was just about turning, on his way home, when he Heard the front door, of, the house open, and saw ifc-ho strange figure of Doctor Gubcrlet issue from it. . If Hector Norta had been asked to explain or account for. the impulse that urged him to follow the doctor, he would have been utterly at, a loss,to do so. But, however it originated, tile young ,man ;felt' it and yielded to it. ; ; ';; . i ; •' The doctor, having closed the' door behind him wjth. the appearance;' as it seemed to;Hectoiyof more caution than -was necessary, descended to..the street. There he paused, and cast a searching glance, round him in every direction, xiiis done he re-entered the' little front yard and disappeared down the area steps. In about five minutes he emerged from the area, and, gathering his cloak about him, took bias, way southward.

As he spoke he advanced upon his antagonist, with whom, in; all probability it wbulcl have gone hard but for the sudden appearance of a policeman, attracted to the spot by the sound of voices in angry altercation. 'This.interruption," said Gra'ndih, shaking his winched fist >at Hector,' "shall not save you from chastisement. It only postpones it. I think I have met you before, and that I shall know you again. Meantime you have cause to be extremely grateful for the timely appearance of this guardian of the peace." . ."Come now," said Hector to himself, as he walked away, " tins promises to be a night of adventures. A spy on. the verandah, a suspected burglar, disguised as a doctor, prowling round the house and diving into the area, a row with Miles Grandin, which I suspect might have terminated disagreeably but for the intervention- of yonder myrmidon of the law. This is a fair beginning, and 1 wonder what is to come next?" Thus soliloquising, the yomig man crossed to the opposite' side of the street, and placing himself in the shadow of a projecting building, turned to observe Grandin. ; That individual stopped in front of the apothecary's shop, arid looked in at the window as,if.his.attention had been engaged by me snakes. He continued thus for nearly five minutes; then iie turned and cast keen glances up and down the street. Having satisfied i„mself by a, rapid survey that there was no We in sight, he took thr-e quick J strides from the druggist's window;to the door which Guberlet had entered fifteen minutes before, and disappeared through the> same. "■'■ • ■'• >•-;• "Upon my word, said Hector to himself, as he isused. from his place of observation, 'this begins to look /like a conspiracy, with Miles Grandin at-the bottom of it. The threads seem to be drawing together, and I fancy that I have hole! of ' a clue."

Hector followed him at a safe distance, and at last saw him enter a house, the first story of which was occupied as a drug store. The doctor entered a little side door near the entrance of the apothecary's, and Hector inferred that he had lodgings on one of .the upper ..floors Above the shop; . ,' .". ' , -As he resunied his walk, and passed the druggist's, he' observed in the window two cages made of wire network,- each ..of which contained several venpmous shakes.

Having hastily noted these distinguishing features of the shop, which would enable him to identify it again Hector crossed the street. He had not gone more than a quarter of a block before he saw a mam approaching in the opposite direction whom he thought he recognised. He was a tall, powerfully built man, who kept the middle of the sidewalk, as

Tlie next morning Hector presented himself ,at the private office of the county clerk, with whom he was quite a favourite, and asked for leave of absence to go out of town for a few His request was promptly granted. Then this yartful young man thanked his principal and withdrew. But instead of packing his carpet bag and making preparations to go into the cotuiiry, he hastened to Stockton ■" Street, and commenced perambulating■the Mock*' in which Mrs residence was" located; At last he suddenly paused! in. his promenade, with an air of pleasant Satisfaction, as his eye rested upon a bit of paper wafered beside a front door which was directly' opposite Mrs Cranoh's. The bit of paper bore the following words: 'Furnished rooms to let, suitable for single gentleman. Inquire within." • ,'.:■..'•. To be Continued.