A Daughter of Mystery

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10234, 10 May 1911, Page 2

A Daughter of Mystery

OUR SERIAL.

BY F. L. DAORE, Author of "Was He the Man?" "A Phantom of the Past," Sir John's Heiress," "A Loveless Marriage," "The Doctor's Secret," etc.

CHAPTER IV. —Continued. Ho wont- into the wood. How sweet the' smell of the pregnant mold. Life was reawakening all round. If one could have .shut .from view the black* c nod and 00/.y lie-Ids, the dilapidated housts that fringed the town, tlio smokestacks. tl,ie furnaces, and the •:>th?i" unlovely tilings, it would not have boon :■■:) bad, this .eerie retreat. He saw the roof and chimneys of the R-imk'-ry* -ard Mie high wall that surrounded the building. It looked like a house- of crime, the 'silen.ee, the r.olitnclo, the mystery, the evil of ii all. Ronald stood ■ behind some stunted firs, and watched the woman coming hir: way along the winding lumpy road. The springy step, the graceful undulations, told him that she was young; she was tall, and slender too. Then alll at once his heart seemed to become still. She had raised ajid : half turned her head. Her profile for an instant was as clear cut 'as a. cameo. He leaned against a tree, dazed and u::bolieviug. Tlx? face was that ef Elneth Tynda.ll, his fellow prisono" in .itlie Sshluessetiburg fortress; the upright ,nervous figure with its graceful lines—Elneth Tyndall! Then th ;> face and the figure, became a m.-re blur, and hj? clasped a hand •ver his eyes, i.nd waited until she came almost within touch, far she was following the cart track that skirted the wood -by only a few feet. He heard a. quick, light step, and uncovered his eyes. The pallor of his first emotion, was intense. Ho reeled rather than walked out of the wood, the cry of "Elneth—Elneth" on his lips. CHAPTER V. HEART TO HEART. She stood before him in the spring sunshine, Elneth Tyndall, of the SeMuesselburg fortress. The sportive breeze was playing with the loose strands of her s<#ft brown hair, the brown. eyes were shining shyly into his own, the tender lips quivering. And he had dreaded of her as one who was dead ! The cheeks were rounded now, and glowing with health . The supple figure was moulded in softly rounded lines, and isoon lie heard the .sweet voice that he remembered so "well. He waited for her to speak, almost overpowered by the beauty and fragrance. of her budding .womanhood.

'But lie doesn't know you, Ronald, and there are so many traitors. Even in the Soliluesselburg fortress some of the supposed-prisoners- were merely informers in the pay of the police. If Mr Mo2-osov saw you liere talking to me, lie would be terrified." A sudden fear blanched her face. 'Ronald, how did you find me?" 'Just fey accident, sweetneart, wheai I had become about hopeless. You Jiave nothing to be afraid of. I came to Castle Claydbn. for the first time in my life to hunt up an old college- chum—the v.icar. I told him of my adventures—and of my love story, and he thought of you at once. He has noticed you frequently, and the mysitery .surrounding till© Rookery liars inflamed tihe imagination of the people. Don't you think the wiser plan 'would be .to a*dt naturally?"

''Ron-aid, you don't* understand. The Morosov's condition is pitiable. Of the two- Mrs Morosov is the more courageous. He, starts to his feet at the slightest sound, trembling and ghastly. He says that he wouldn't care, only for the children, and I believe him there. He is convinced his enemies have discovered his hiding place, and are only waiting a favourable- moment to strike him down.

A grating, rasping noise caused RJonald ixj'sitart round.

Dizzily he enfolded her*, yielding form, to hie heart, and pressed kisses on, her hair, her face, acutely conscious of his half bewildermorit and stupendous happiness. "Elneth, my love, my love! Is this a reality, or am I dreaming?"

•"I am real enough, -Ronald." She spoke so .softly—so shyly. "Have you not found that out yet?" He laugjhed aloud.

"How beautiful you are, Elneth! Until the end of time I ishall see you as I see you now." His passion swept over her like a torrent, "I thought that you were lost to me forever, and I have lived an- eternity «f misery in ia few months! Now that I have found 1 you I have lived an eternity of joy in as majiy minutes! If you knew how I have /searched for you—how I have honed and despaired!"

'lnto the wood, quick," Elnetli whispered. "It's Roff opening the wicket gate to see if I am in sight." They were only just in time. An elderly man, long haired and bearded, slid out into the road. Shading his eyes with one hand, lie looked toward the town, shook his head, and j muttered. A queer looking creature was this man. He was small of stature, restless, alert and active as a wild eat. He sniffed the air like a hunted animal, and then glided back to the wicket. "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Elneth, 'I was afraid his nose would discover us." "There's enough of ifc. Who is he, and what is be ?" "Mr Morosov's devoted slave. He's a PoJish Jew, and his full name is Isaac RoffS'teim, but we coll him Roff for short. He was banished to Siberia by order of the Czar, but managed to escape. I feared that, he would see you before I had explained things, amd he 'is always aimed. Sometimes I am half afraid of him. Oh, what a shame! See how we are tramping down this little patch of primroses." "Bother the primroses!" Ronald said. 'Elneth, I am hardly responsible for what I do of say this morning. lam intoxicated with gladness. I have no patience with the Morosovs, and that villainous little monster you call Roff. I can only think of my own good fortune, and of you, my beautiful one!" "Yeu are selfish."

j ''Utterly and completely. Have I j not enckired enough of misery alj ready? I never mean to let yon go I out of my sight again!" i She felt his arms around her, his kisses on her face, and she did not resist.

Her eyes were tumid, her lips quavering.

"And I dared not make a sign. I knew .tlbat that you. were free; I sent letters to the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg—to the heads of the Government at home, and I hoped that I helped you a little bit." Her colour deepened. "I have been waiting until " She. made 1a little gesture toward the house, and lie read iher meaning.

"Paul Morosov and Iris family? You are still loyal to those misguided people?" "I should despise myself, if I were not. Paul Morosov was my father's best friend. He hais been a .second fath'er to me, and I love the two little children. Don't you .see how dreadful it is for them, shut utj in this gloomy place. They must not run and play and laugh as other children do. The parents are in constant dread of discovery, and we are planning now for a really safe asylum. When tliat was accomplished I intended letting yon know somehow Her face was aflame again. "Oh, hut you should have sent for me at once. See how I could have helped the Morosovs. The silence lias caused SO' much needless suffering." 'Ma* Morosov would not hear of it." e Tm afraid that ig a selfish point of view."

"Elnetli, am I to wait here ivinio you speak to Mr Morosov? Then you shall introduce me, and I shall soon prove to him that I am no Russian spy, hut the happiest-.Englishman under Heaven." "Wait here —oh, no —no Perhaps I shall not see Mr Morosov until late, perhaps not at all to-day. He locks himself into his room, and admits no one but Roff. I must be very careful—he is so mortally afraid —so suspicious." "Confound Ihe fellow!" Ronald frowned and bit his lip. "'I will write to you when the way is clear,*' Elneth said gently. She withdrew herself fror/> lus clasp. "Tomorrow." "To-morrow," he repeated blankly. "You ara cruel." "I must go. Roff will be out again, and the next time his nose will find us." y "Hang Roff! You are doing too much for these people. Can I see you again this afternoon —this evening—anywhere3 • I have no end of things to tell yoa." "No, I think not, I am sure not. \qu must wait until you get a sage from me; I will bring it myself to the 'icarage, some sime to-mor-row." "Then I shall never the hou-o until you come. But what am I to do in the meantime? Thirty hours. Heavens! It is longer than an age!" She laughed softly. (To be continued.)