HELD IN BONDAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10499, 11 December 1911, Page 2

HELD IN BONDAGE.

OUR SERIAL.

BY L. F. DAORE. Author of "Siiibad's Valley," A Phantom of the Past," "The Shadow of Shame," "Six John's Hedmess," "A Daughter of Mystery," etc.

CHAPTER V—Continue:!.

"Why, Meg—Meg!" She ran forward and put her arms around her friend! "\Vhatevcr does this mean. I thought it was a business caller. I get them at all .'hours in my work. And who is this young man?" Something flashed into her mind, and she laughed 'aloud. "An elopement?" "Nonsense,' ' said Margaret, and Maxwell groaned: "I wish it were, Miss Janson." "So you know me; oh, I remember you now. You were the freckled boy that took me out on the river one afternoon at Castle Clayforel. How you have grown, Mr Maxwell. Now tlhen, what's the trouble?" "Meg will tell you all about it later on. I'll go to my temporary restingplace and come .back about noon, if tlhat will suit you and Miss Thornton. We've been travelling all night, and I feel rotten. .You look after her, won't you?" Edith nodded. '<He.r.e,,Mr Maxwell, have a cup of hot coffee before you go. Mrs Kemp, the caretaker is .tidying up my room, and lighting a fire, and we shall be able to receive you in a presentable way wlfen.you come back. I •am simply ( burning with curiosity," sls) said, as j she gave Alf his steaming cup of cof-1 fee. .] "Thank you." He jerked his head i and made a gloomy grimace. "I'm going now, Meg," ne said. Margaret smiled- pathetically. "I am so tired," she whimpered. "Edith, I am bringing trouble to you, but you won't hate me, will-yon?" "I'm going to put.you to bed,, my girl, and we'll sea about: the. trouble when you have had a goqd sleep. Drink your coffeo and we'll go upstairs. I've got the top flat, all my own—two bedrooms, a large sittingroom and a kitchen,. It's bully. I rent all of it, to keep other people off the floor, as I have to be quiet while at work." ..

Without a word Alf Maxwell .again shouldered the trunks, and , carried them up to? Edith's flat.. Then he, beckoned the girl into the sittingvoom. "This is a queer affair aaJ I iuus*; give you some idea of how c'he land lies, for Miss Thornton's sake. Perhaps sho won't talk for a while. We)!, Miiss Jacson, £he has run away from '■, her husband." ' "tier what?' '"Husband, I sa:id. Her father has married a dreadful young wo.-nah ov j mme sort in Switzerland; ami Meg, j in a moment of mad walked ~'~ to church and married •"".»" ,;* , wretch, with a lot »> ' an e d £' ,y 'minirhnm S— " * money, at Bir 3 S >ial license, and on the ' UU .. She realized in five minutes afterward what she had done, and bolted." .. "With you?". "Of course!" "But you've done a fine thing for ypurself, Mr Maxwell. You have run -away with a married woman,' and Fve an idea that the penalty is pretty severe. What-a scandal there will be!" "I know the nisks, .Miss .Tanson. ;T'm a lawyer." "A veiy foolhardy, if chivalrous ' one. But it is extremely bad for both i of you. I hope you are not in love with Meg." ' "She wants the marriage annulled, i Why, this fellow as a perfect brute— i a blasphemous, foul-mouthed, raving J lunatic when he's -upset. He can't • find Meg here, but he may turn up at my chambers. Let him!" I "&$ he desires the marriage annul!- I ed :tb<£e won't be much dilP.culty' now;' I

Maawvei! looked up quickly, then he gasped,.. "Lord! I have never looked at it like that." His fyfiv had whitened. "He won't find her Wre, so shp is safe for the present. Take caro of her. Mis Janson." ■' ' ■ - "You,are a good fellow." sdith patted his arm gently, and before leaving foe gripped her hand hard, .•■'-,::'■. ■:{■"; ■ "■-- .. ! -Margaret'was lying' h&c'i ill T\(R[ chair on.'the border land of feleep. i She opened .';h&v. Gy&s >low),y wheii. Edith went back; . . V 'Mr Maxwell lias told you?." | , u \ f M\ it's all right." *■ " I heard yon whispering together. Now I shall take things easy for 'a Dit» I'm past thinking." Edith helped her tip the four ftighta of stairs to the top of tile, house, and put her to bed. It w'tVS seven o'clock when <she snuggled down into the warmth, dud .she dept like a top until noon. Alf Maxwell was waiting in the sitting room. He had smartened himself up, but his face was'white and drawn.' and his yes were restless and wild. Edith was at her work at a square 1 table under the window. The tano: was littered with paper', sketching materials and a'typewriter., ,j. ~,.„.! ''You must not come here agai'V' ! sho told Maxwell. "In the event of trouble it would all look so black. A superb bit of folly from beginning to end.' ' _ ' "Yes; Tve been thinking it all over. I could have found some sort of a home for Meg if she had married me instead of that felow Aston. And in a couple, of years I shall be independent of my father. I've got a thousand pounds a year coming under *ny grandfather's will." ''Perhaps Meg didn't know liiat yus wanted to marry her:" '■ "Bhe has known it ever "inco we wore kids."

"I've had a refreshing sleep, and 1 •a in iiof- surprised to find you here, \](. because I heard your voice." - "We've been 'settling j-our affair*,, for the, pressing moment—Miss Jansou a-.d I. Nobody wiil oven dream that, you are in BJioomsbury Crescent; and while Mr Aston is hunting for y-m —if he troubles about you at all —J will be moving on the legal side of things," foe stammered, and a guilty flush mounted to his cheeks. 'But I must keep away from here. Some sp t r of George,Aston's might follow m<\" Margaret blanched at the mere mention of her husband's name.

"It appears that Miss Janaoii can find you plenty of. work, Meg. It n ntr difficult to work a typjvrntor—lLo bundle of keys and wires on the table —ali'.l she is paying out Heaps of moil-' ey for the work you can do at home." "Two pounds a week," Edith said) and she got up from her chair and eii s twined" lief &i'm mmti. Margaret's we shall b'emVjipy together for. a long.. loiig,tim&i fifty dea.r old chum. I have been dreadfully lonely here at times." ''What did I tell you?" laughed Alf. "Well, it's a first-class arrangement all round." He looked'from one to the other and fidgeted with his feet. He was feeling in the w.iy, and lis heart sank to zero. "I suppose there is nothing else I can do ? " He glanced oppealingly at Margaret. "Don't you think you ought to write to your people and explain tilings Your father and aunt Tell them that you are well and safe and happy, and I will, mail the letter in the south of London.; It wi!j L-eep them from wo'-vyi'ig needlessly." ; "Do you think anybody will care?" she asked weakly.. "It is quite the decent thing 'o do, Meg. Am I wrong, Miss Janson.;"' "I don't know. We'll think .b..«t ifc-r-Meg and I. There are so many nasty little problems." "Then I'll call to-moiT>w '* lie In ','; 1 eagerly, but Edib cut him short. (To bo Continued.)

"Well, it's of no use talking about it now.' • "No," he answered drearily. '1 wonder how she's off for money. Have yon any idea what she will do?" "Stay with mo for the present," Edith said quickly. 'I can her plenty of work. I see that you aro curious, Mr Maxwell. The sketches over there 'are for certain fashion papers. I have a good connection in that way. I make the drawings from five models employed at the great drapery stores, and the descriptive text has to be typewritten. But my favourite work is interviewing celebrities for the fashionable weeklies. The pay is very good for that sort of tliing. I photograph, them when they .seem pleased with the idea. There's" my camera. I also photogarpii their pets, their favourite room*, or anything else they suggest." "And flatter them all along the hine?"

"Well, it's an advertisement for them and for my paper. I sometimes meet very queer people. I get messages from my editors at all hours, rushing me off to look up So-and-So, 'who has just arrived in England after years of absence. That is why your call so early this morning did uot surprise me." "And do you think that Meg c;io help you at that sort of thing?" "She can do lots of the work that. II .have to give out. The typewriting. !for instance." "I wonder you don't marry. Miss Janson," Maxwell said with his, ev*r> on the clock. '•/".Why?.";.. ' ■~"- I "Because you are such a fin* .young | woman.' Clever, and all that." "A barren sort of compliment, MiMaxwell, laughed Edith. ' 'Dot 't .yen think there's been enough marrying in our own immediate circle of friends for a long time ? Besides I ha«e never yet seen the man for whom I would give up my freedom and glorious in- ' ri.fpei;denee t "- '■'' . c ■ | JJT-U \ "1. ' < • i- * '" *v isn't satisfying—it isn't natural. You'll change y©ur mind," he answered positively. "I know how I feel in my'lonely rooms. It's past twelve. Do you 'think Meg is still sleeping?" Even as he spoke the door >.pened, and Margaret came in. Beyond being pale and rather'heavy-eyed, there was not much the matter. She smiled at Alf as he hurried to meet her. '