Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

A Daughter of Mystery

OUR SERIAL.

BY F. L. DACRE, Author of "Was He the Man?" "A Phantom of the Past," Sir John's; Heiress," "A Loveless Marriage," "The Doctor's Secret," etc 1

CHAPTER XXlX—Continued

"I might build a little place- to our own fancy," Ronald said. ''AubreySmith has been good enough to share his submarino invention with mo, and there will be money to spare.' "I should hate to have anything in connection with that odious little fellow." Lady Eva shivered. Ronald was alwut to speak again, but thought better of it. "You are going to Warden Hall?" Lady Eva asked. "Yes, this afternoon." "You will tell your mother," she said, flushing. "Yes, of course ; I know it will greatly please her." "I'll write a long letter to her, I wish I were going home; lam sick of London. One good thing, I shall be able to twine papa round my little fin= ger now. But for the new trouble Charlie has made." "Where's the dog?" Ronald asked absently.

completed, and our invention is accepted. You will find all the papers in the safe you gave me the use of." "I'm beastly sorry " Ronald began, but Aubrey-Smith interposed.

"Shut up! No more of your blessed jollying. Hev&'s the fiver you lent me. Good-by." "Your mind is quite made up?" "Positively." "Where shall I write you? Your father's address?"

i'Do'you mean Dick? Oh, he's in disgrace, and chained up in the yard.. I shut him in the morning room yesterday, and he ate his way through the panel of the door. Papa says it will cost two guineas to put right. Then he jumped through a plate glass window after a cat. Ycv. must shake hands with him before you go." Ronald yawned, and looked at his watch. .

"Are you so tired?" Eva asked, her eyes tear-dimmed, and with quivering lips. "I am awfully sorry, but you must think me an unsympathetic brute. I haven't become used to the order of things yet, Eva. I wouldn't believe that this were you if I could not see you. I have only got to shut my eyes and my old playmate appears."

"And wherein lies the difference ?" she asked; biting her lips.

"It is rather hard to define. For one thing, you did not expect me to make love to you."

"Is it so very.hard for you to try?"

"I confess that it is. I haven't learned my lesson yet. You must give me time, and don't be disappointed if I fall short of your expectations. I'll go on in the old way until the spirit moves me. It isn't that I care for you any the less, but the swift change in your methods has disturbed my balance." v

"No, no! I'll attend to that. Goodby!" Ho was moving toward the door and Ronald held out his hand—sorrowfully, remorsefully. "No, thanks, I couldn't, old chap." He walked out of the office, then made half a turn, and said: "I suppose that was the love story you promised to tell me? Splendid joke, by Jove!" CHAPTER XXX. THE MOBBERLYS GO FOR A HOLIDAY. Mr Arthur .Lawrence, one unancery Lane lawyer, was more than ordinarily interested in Miss Tyndall's movements. i "So the young lady has no further [ use for us, Mr Mobberly," he said, 1 pleasantly. "We shall miss her, but | on the whole I arri much pleased. This office is no place for her —she's miles above the work we gave her to do. Also, her personal, appearance is quite unsuited to the environment. The way the young cubs in the building ogled her raised my dander. The British nation seems to be breeding a miserable lot of young cads nowadays. You'll keep a fatherly eye upon Miss Tyndall, Mr Mobberly?" "Yes, sir. My wife and I are both ; very fond of her. She's all right. A | nice Little income, and writing a book iin conjunction with our curate. She [ tells me he will pay her several hun- | dred pounds for her share in the work. "Impossible!" , "No—Mr Stanley—that's the curate —has confirmed it."

"You are honest, at least, Ronald," ihe said, feeling sick at heart. He winoed, and laughed mirthlessly-Honest?-He?

"You astonish me. I thought those writer fellows only got a ha'penny or a penny a line. I am afraid Mr Curate" he winked, " has something besides bookwriting in view. About the holiday, make it three weeks if you like. lam glad our late typewriter is going with you."

He passed an arm around her waist, and she clung to him with trembling fingers. He touched her hair with tender lips. '

"Had I done as much as this in the old days," he said, gently, "you would have given me a box on the ear. The mere "mention of the word 'darling' aroused you to wrath and scorn." "oh> I hate the old days,' she said passionately. "Never speak to me of them again."

Exactly five days later : AubreySmith sauntered into Heseltine's private office, stained with the dust of a long journey. His manner was constrained, although he strove to hide it, and care was written in the lines '' of his face. "Morning, Heseltine! Busy?" "No. Where have you sprung from?" "Cornwall. Have you seen to-day's Morning Post ?" VNo." "Here's a paragraph which you may be able to contradict, or explain away. His voice quavered, and he pointed to a pencil-marked item with a trembling finger. It was an announcement of the arranged marriage between Mr Ronald Heseltine, and Lady Eva Loringtori. Ronald read it through with tightening lips. He was afraid to look at Aubrey-Smith until some seconds had passed. "Well!" he growled defiantly, "is there anything the with it?" "Funny, after what you said to me the other, day—that's all! I hoped there was some mistake."

The week before the holidays was a busy one for the Mobberlys. Mr Mobberly had to make a flying visit to I Brighton to find suitable apartments; | and long discussioas were hold regard- ! ing the danger of leaving the house entirely shut up, and Mr Mobberly's ingenuity' was taxed considerably in his efforts to foil possible . burglars. Unfortunately they were not on good terms with the next-door neighbour, i owing to some differences on the subject of cats. The neighbour owned [ three feline monsters, which were inI ordinately attached to Mr Mobberly's [ blessed garden, and the neighbour was ' a maiden lady of uncertain age. The cats sunned themselves in Mobberly's most cherished blooms; they stalked I their prey and fought and frolicked amid showers of flying petals; their rule meant ruin, devastation. Firmly, but gently, Mr "Mobberly complained to the neighbour. What nonsense! Her darling pussies were never out at night; the naughty cats came from goodness knows where. v "Very well, Miss Brown. I intend taking action —drastic action; but as the cats are not yours it doesn't mat<ter to you. I shall hide a dozen big steel traps among the flowers, and the traps shall be baited with poisoned meat. I'd shoot, hang and drown the brutes as well if I could, but the double death will have to do."

"The little man's confident, jaunty air had dropped from him, and he was visibly disturbed. "No mistake at all. Lady Eva and I have been engaged since wo were children, and are to be married next spring,"

And thus began a childish and bitter feud between people who were in reality kindhearted. Miss Brown had cheerfully looked after the Mobberly's house on a former occasion, watered the garden, and forwarded messages and parcels; but now she would have seen it burgled under her very eyes without moving a hand. To the Mobberly's she was a fancied source of danger. She might dream of reprisals.

"Indeed!" gasped Aubrey-Smith. <Tity you jollied me like you did." •' "Weren't you jollying me?" Ronald asked, ashamed of the evasion. "Perhaps I was," the little man grinned • hysterically. "Had you on toast, old chap. By the way, I am clearing out again for a while, I don't . ire I shall go. Our partner-

"Oh, I'll come up every week-end," Mr Mobberly said, "and we'll put the place under the protection of the police, and cart our few portable valuables to the bank. I'll screw up every blessed door and window, and put a patent double lock on the front door. We can't screw that on the inside. Who would think that a smug-looking neighbourhood like Streatham would be infested with thieves."

'"■ e* < with the submarine, you ten- id that's finished. Thanks n ' cor your financial and other t. When the Government

mes along you can save my share iui- me. The negotiations are all

In the rreantime Elneth was having a long, business interview with Hugh Stanley. He had mapped out her; work in skeleton form, and when she gathered that his book was to be a straightforward exposure of Russian officialdom, she was eager to set about her task. (To be Continued.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19110615.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10263, 15 June 1911, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,496

A Daughter of Mystery Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10263, 15 June 1911, Page 2

A Daughter of Mystery Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10263, 15 June 1911, Page 2

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert