PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10175, 27 February 1911, Page 2

PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

OUR SERIAL.

By MARIPOSA WEIR. Author of "Evadyne's Temptation," "A Chaso Round the World," etc

CHAPTER XXXVl.—Continued. _ i "Suppose, ma'am," said. Hannah, demurely, 'lie should be a man that cared as little about your fortune as you seem to do? Suppose he should prefer some other reward?" ■"ln my present state, .Hannah, threatened as I am with all sorts of I unknown dangers, surrounded by mysterious and unscrupulous enemies I feel as it" there is nothing which j it is in my power to bestow, that I ■ would withhold from my deliverer. But you have not told nie wlio is the third of those you saw seeking! entrance here." 'He is a stranger to ,me, ma'am, but I suppose you know him, for he lives in the lumsc across the street from yours. It was' he that was banging at the gate so fierce, and .that had words with the master. I couldn't hear the words, of course, .but-1 could see their faces and their gestures; and I know 'the talk nrust have been angry. The jouttg man looked''as if he would liu<re liked to have killed the master, and when he turned and would have rode off, he shook his hand at him in a threatening .'sort of way, and I fancied he was saying he would be coming back i again, when he would not be denied admittance. Oh, ma'am, I'm sure ; he'll come again, and I'm sure he'll j never rest until you're taken away* from here, for he looked ever so much in earnest." At this moment a loud rapping was heard l at the door of the dressing room. Hannah hastened to open , it, when she found herself - eonfrontred: with the sable page of, Sidney' Hiintingdonj who announced, *in a loud and important voice, this double message.-,, '~v; '■:"'; ■ •.;. * ':. '.'■ ■' ; '•'',•. -'■■ :■■ ' say he waitin', breakfas'. fo,' '•'•say. he like-de honour of Miss Huntingdon's comp'ny in de parlour at her earli'st cohveni'noe."

CHAPTER XXXyil: SIDNEY HUNTINGDON'S EXPLANATION.

1 "I must keep my engagement with Francois," said Hannah. ''l have a 'good reason for it." '.'.,'■•..'•.' "And! I," said Paolina, "will nerve myself for. this meeting with the master. I could not avoid it if I would, and I must not let nim see that I-fear ■him. '/ But tell me, HannshV what, does this man look like?'' Hannah proceeded to sketch him whom she had called "the master" as accurately as her descriptive powers enabled her to do. "There must be some strange mistake 'here," said Paolina, when the girl had concluded. ''Grey hair, a beard as white as ' snow, hazel eyes, a slender figure. This surely cannot be Miles Grandin. How old- "should •you judge him to be?" ; "It's bard to say, ma'am. His face looks so fresh and young, in spite of his wlnte beard,' I do not think he is fifty." "Now, Heaven be praised!" exclaimed Paolina, in -Strange- excitement. "I thought that all the., 'Frenchwoman, said) about > 'Milor Hunteengdon' was a, cunning lie put into her false mouth, by my enemies.' [But, after all, Ido believe she spoke j; the truth, and instead pfi being in the power of the villain Gr&ndm, I am at this moment under the protection of my Uncle Sidney. He may | have resorted to this extreme 1 step to !'save" me frbm the machinations of, my hateful suitor. But then that story of ;Punderson's! The insults and outrages ,to which! I have been, subjected I The abominable arts that have been practised against me! J know not what to think. But T need not remain long in doubt; I will .soon solve this bewildering mys>.ry." •■'.':' .':■'■''' Then -Paolina, following' the sable envoy, descended to the parlour, and the* artful Hannah hastened to her room to perform certain feminine rites, designed to exercise a captivating influence on the susceptible heart of Monsieur Francois. 'Hannibal swung open the door of a spacious room .on.ihe first floor of the house, and. stood" holding the 'Knob in bis handl as /Pao.lina passed in. Lifting' jie£ eye?, with her heart in her throat> she .'..beheld standing before a grate in which a wood fire was, burning, the same figure, that had confronted! Hector A and his companions at the gate ori.the preceding day. He stood facing the fire, and with; liis> back to the door," as ■ she entered, but turned as his ear caught the rustle of her dreps. . • • ''Oh, Uncle Sidney! Heaven be thanked that it is you!" , '• i "Lina, my darling "child!',,.. Come to my arms once more!" ■ > . Hid tone and gesture savoured a

little of the stage, but she did- not perceive it. She flew to him, and.embraced him as if he were her father. Her face, from which all traces ol: fear and anxiety had vanished, was radiant. He ga.zed at her with wondering and 'admiring eyes, that took in her face and figure in every detail. After the first greeting's were over, each felt that something in the nature of an explanation was the first thing in order. Sidney Huntingdon ,of course, was prepared for this when he invited the interview. Her exclamation on seeing Turn furnished" Mm a clue that helped to make his course plainer and easier' than he had dared to anticipate. It proved that her affection for him remained unimpaired—that, her confidence in him had received no shock from anything that Mrs Crunch had perhaps said to his prejudice..: "My dear child," he said, caressing her beautiful. head in quite a paternal fashion—she was seated; on an ottoman beside his • chair—"l perceive that Mrs Crunch has not succeeded in poisoning your mind against your Uncle Sidney. I might have known, with a nature like yours, all such attempts would be futile." "You might, indeed," answered Paolina, with animation. ' 'Are you not my dear father's brother? Did you not make yourself my playmate when I was a child? t Ah, uncle, I have, had so few playmates, and such a solitary, sad-coloured , childhood, that,l am not likely, to forget that.. Mrs Cranch, though the best friend (except Yny -mother that I ever had,, is full of prejudices, and- when they : hayo;.once taken root they cannot: be easily rembvedv'X.have always felt she never understood' you/ andi that all she has; urged against you only confirmed my conviction that she is incapable'of judging you impartially." - : ; "".' f "Whatever her prejudices may have guilty of an unjustifiable [assumption ,of authority when ' she refused to allow me to see hm-ried you out of town: to conceal you from me. That was little, short.' of ail, outrage to both of us." ' ~.-■ "When was this?" asked Paolina, with dilatir g'. eyes. ' 'I. never knew of your being in the country." "Of course, it was tzepp -from., 'you: It is. this that I complain of. . I came out here first two years ago to find you, and the "'Oman, baffled me. I had to go, Bast, as niy time was short, without accomplishing my object. I returned a few moments since, and. again she succeeded in concealing you from me." . "It wascruel and said Paolina. "I shall not find it easy to forgive her." ' "She.-openly deiied me, and dec-, lared liefr purpose to prevent our meeting. It was to accomplish the same end, and increase -the difficulties of my search, that she had long before induced you to take 'her name. ; Soon after my arrival the i last time T discovered that Grrandin i was a suitor for your hand. Chafed ! by your refusal, I saw that he medi- : tated some desperate measure. : ,1 "At length he gave me his cbnfidence, and asked my co-operation ina plan to , remove you from : Mrs Cranch's protection. You know, the headstrong and 'imperious character of the man. I found it vain. to at'tempt to dissuade" him from his, pur-'' pose. He had formed his plan, and was determined, to carry -it out, though risking fortune, character, and, if necessary, his life. Hbw t aud_ acious it was you by this time understand.'' -,' -" '' '".■''••'(' ,'. "You bewilder me," said Paqlina. ledge that this outrage was perpetrated'?" .■ ;, ■ , :;■;.;_ ];r ', "Listen; 1 was nere witnout any ! friends, influence, or resources. He, had unbounded wealth, with such powerful influence, and troops of friends as wealth can always command. How could I resist him? He had taken me into his confidence, and, had I made a single move to thwart his. plans, he would have had me thrown into prison on a false charge, sustained by untrue testimony, or caused me to be. assassinated by hired bravos. Then, with no one left to protect you, you would) have been at his mercy, I pretended to in his scheme, but upon-, terms as will enable me to be near you, to protect you, and to baffle him. if. he attempts to constrain you. Had I'broken with him he would have changed his programme, and you would "have been carried to some place where I could not, perhaps, have discovered you. As- it is, you are in my house; for I made it a condition that he should execute a deed of the place to me before you were brought here. '.'''-, <To Be Confined.) I