A Daughter of Mystery

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10243, 20 May 1911, Page 2

A Daughter of Mystery

OUR SERIAL.

BY F. L. DACRE, Author of "Was H© the ManP" "A Phantom of the Past," Sir John's j Heiress," "A Loveless Marriage," "The Doctor's Secret," etc.

CHAPTEiI XII— Continued. "Oh, my dear, my dear," Mrs Morosov wrung her hands. "Tell me what is iho ma iter. Are you going to marry tho Englishman. VVhat will Paul say 10 this y You liaro told him, Elnetn ?" "No," Elneth answered, as she emliacol tho liltlo girls. 'No," Elnelh answered, as she embraced tho littb fijirl. » '•;3r.t you niuat toll him, my child. 110 will Co so angry. Ho is your guardian avd will not pormit this. What !m;.; como into you? Please, for..my "Ho will know soon enough. Good]>yo, Mrs Moroior. You may tell him .li I am going to the vicara&o; but ri : be mo I Cot r. iiu- in any way, 1 wi 1 tc'.i tha police that ho and the Jew m o dangerous anarchists, and that tho Rookery :s a bomb factory. Once more, and for the last time, good-bye.' j Mrs Moi osov made no answer. Her face was buried in her hands, and she was sobbing hysterically. Elneth picked up her bag and hastened downstairs. Her breathing was painful, so fiercely was her heart palpitating. If Roff saw her She sped through tho hall and out at the front, door. There was no sign of tho Jew. and she hoped that he was still in Paul Morosov's den. How heavy ! the bag was getting already, and she had to carry it a long, long way. She j set it down at tho wicket and slid j bit ok tho bolts. Oh ,it was all so easy { un v! P~rha'>s she would be able to get to tho vicarage before her llight was discovered. She laughed hysterically—defiantly, as she hastened up tho uneven road. Well, if Roff followed her, he must look out for himself. She was young and strong,_ and desperate —and ho was only a little, old Jew man. Tho same determined spirit which had boyed her through the horrors of the SchluesseMrg thrilled in her pulses-again. Then it-was for the love of others, now it wa-'fer herself; '

ijiy poor darling." "L . hall only want it until morning. You arc very kind. I am sorry to bo a troublo to you." j "It isn't that," s.iid the ricar, very gently.' "I am really glad that the end is in sight." j He earned Elneth's bag upstairs, ' and placed it on the . landing. His j brow was lined with displeasing rej flections, his rr'onth twitched, and he I returned to tho parlour with slow and I measured steps. ' Fire —ten minutes, he paced, and {then hi- wife entered the room. I "What a time you're been, Edith," he said testily. His glances went beyond her, and, lie frowned. "Shall I ring for tea?" "It's coming, dear. Miss Tyndall would rather be excused. The poor girl is trembling all over, and wants time to recover her normal self-con-trol.. I've taken a cup of tea up to her." Basil dropped into his armchair, and when the maid had deposited*the teapot 011 tho table, he looked at his wife, and there was a half-appealing light in his troubled eyos. "I don't half like this," Be said, "it is a trouble for everybody." Mrs Cooper poured out tho tea, only half understanding. "We must do our best for her," sha answered. "Of course —of course. But we have others to consider. There's Heseltine and Lady Eva Lorrington. Since 1 have seen her I know that Ronald'« -life is all a miserable mistake." "Oh, Basil!" "My dear Edith, you must acknowledge that I am right. If you had seen Lady Eva " "I don't want to see her," she half sobbed. "Suppose some other girl had come between us!"

"Suppose nothing of the kind,, because it was an utter impossibility. I was never engaged to any other girl. Ronald is, and lias been for years and years. Bh<? is well-born, rich, and loves him —worships him. She is very (young, too, and—magnificent." J "But, Basil, Ronaia does not care ' for her in that way, and the affair bej tween him and Miss Tyndall is most Iromantic." "Romantic, yesi I grant you it is romantic nonsense! The two were thrown together in peculiar circumstances, and pity was called love." He left his chair, and walked to and fro. "Now, Edith, I want you to use your oommon-sense. The matter is going to end with a broken heart or two however we look at it. I was never so worried in my life before. Ronald Heseltine is engaged to Lady Eva Lorrington, and she regards .herself as his future wife. The match is desirable in every way—particularly now, that he is a comparatively poor man. On the other hand his whole future will be blasted if he marries Miss Tyndall. The alliance must be disgraceful. I am sorry for her—very sorry. My heart bleeds for the poor creature; but we must not be blinded by mere sentiment. Her father, whatever he may have been, was the friend and associate, of the people at the Rookery,- anii they are nothing better than criminals and murderers." He sat down again, and stared fixedly at his wife. "Miss Tyndall's father was a captain in the British army," pleaded Mrs, Cooper, tearfully. "So she may have been told. Pish! Captains are everywhere as plentiful as beggars in Spain. Ronald Heseltine is my dearest friend, and I shall speak very plainly to Miss Tyndall in the morning. She is no foolindeed, she strikes me as being a very shrewd and courageous young woman. I believe, too, that she is the soul of honi our. She knows nothing of Ronald's engagement to Lady Eva, and some day Mr Ronald wilt get a bit of ray mind." "But, Basil, I have always heard you say that you helped the under dog. Miss Tyndall is friendless, and not the kind of girl to be thrown on the world," U 1 wisa she weren't quite so goodlooking. Don't—don't raise objections. lam already miserable enough. My duty is plain enough, Edith, and I shall not shrink from it. Miss Tyndall is highly cultured : she is strong and healthy, she is self-reliant, and, with our help " He stopped, his eyas fiied upon the door. It had lieen left a few inche.s ajar, and was being pushed open. Then •Elneth aprjeared, white-faced, anguished. and trembling. She looked from the vicar to his wife, and back again. Mrs Cooper jumped up, and would have enfolded the girl in lief arms, but Elneth made a gesture of dissent. "Please—please don't," she quaved. "I have heard everv word that you said about me, and I am very glad. It *'ill save further trouble.'' "You listened?" Basil said hoarse ly. (To be continued.)

CHAPTER XIII. I 1 THE MISCHIEF OF THE GOOD, j Red-faced, perspiring, out triumphant, rested in the vicarage lane Very liot and uncomfortable she felt, with both shoulders aching abominably, and fingers stiff with cramp. The bag at her feet, she leaned against a wooden fence to cool, and to recover her breath. While she was debating within herself how to approach the Coopers, she heard her name called, in a tone of surprise. "Miss Tyndall!" It was the vicar. Ho was staring at her in questioning amazement, then he raised his hat quickly, and took one of her hot hands. "Don't ask any questions, now, Mr Cooper,*' Elneth said chokingly. "I I have a great many important things! i to tell you, and I want you and Mm : Cooper to befriend me." J "Why, oertainly, my dear ] lady. Let me ta:ke your bag, and you oarry these cakes. Surely you haven't brought this from tha Rookery ? It's •as much as I can manage." "Oh,, yes, I have. lam very strong for a girl. Besides, it is a matter of life and death." Axrived at the vicarage, Basil drop'ped his burden in the hall. "Go into the parlour and rest your- ' self, Miss Tyndall. I'll take your bag upstairs, and find Mrs Cooper." "la that you, Basil?" called his wife from the landing. "Did you get the Bath buns quite fresh? The bakers have an artful way of mixing them with stale ones, but I suppose they have to get rid of their back stock* somehow." "Come down quickly, Edith. Miss i Tyndall is here." There was a little scream from above and Mrs Cooper: came flying downstairs. "You dear, delightful girl," she began ; then, noting Elneth's flushed face, she threw up both hands and stopped. "Miss Tyndall," Basil explained, " has left the Rookery rather hastily, I should imagine." He glanced at Elneth for oonfirmotion. "I've run away, and if I am followied I will go to the police station,'' the girl said angrily. "My love and sympathy have turned to horror and disgust. I have discovered that Mr Morosov, and ' the Jew belong to a society of anarchists, and are making bombs at the Rookery." She paused, panting and breathless. Mrs Cooper was regarding her husband in silent dismay. ' j "I am not™surprised," said the vicar. "Not one little bit." Ee began to pace the carpet, with his hands folded behind his back. "But the exposure will be disgraoeful for you and for Ronald. After what you have said, it is my duty to make a charge against these scoundrels. These foreign fanatics always plead justification." "You muet not interfere," Elneth said. Her faoe was agonised. "Leb them get away." ] "And in the meantime murder may bo done." "But they are about to fly. Let them go." "Well, for your sake and Ronald Heselfcine's." The vicar was greatly agitated. "You had better take off your things. Miss Tyndall, and after te;i wo can face tho'matter calmly." . "I have a spare bedroom ready," whispered Mrs Cooper. "Come along,