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HELD IN BONDAGE.

OUR SERIAL.

BY L. F. DACRE. Author of "Sinibtad's Valley," A Phantom of the Past," "The Shadow of Shame," "Sir John's Heircsa," "A Daughter of Mystwy," ©to.

CHAPTER, VJ^-Continued. Edith. Was almost overwhelmed. There. -wauld certainly be a night at *Jrie op&M for Margaret and herself after this. "I shall be so pleased, sir," she said frankly. "This means a, great deal for me with my paper."

day. ran to meet her when elie opened the door. "What luck, Edith? Oh, lam soiry!"

"Well, I think that's about all. Hero are my notes and you had better write your address on the back of your card. Bloomsbury Crescent, eh ? Oh, quite near. I will be thcro Ijetween eleven and twelve o'clock to-morrow morning." Ho escorted her to the door, and shook bands with hor m his natural, cordial way, saying: "Mind you make a nice little story about nie." Edith walked on air. She felt she must ho dreaming. No, it was all real .enough. ' Mr Ward's pleasant voice was still in her ears; her figers yet tingled from the warm clasp of his big hand. What a charming man!

"All the luck, and you say you aro sorry." "Then I am no reader of faces. You should be overjoyed dr you have succeeded where so many others have failed. Now, tell me all about it." "I am tired, Meg—not physically tired, but brain weary. I think it must bo the anxiety—the nervous tension." "Poor old Edith! How plucky you are! You make me feel ashamed of myself. Now take off your things and I will make you a cup of your favour-

ite reviver, tea." Margaret hurried off to the tidy Kitchen at the back of the flat. It was furnished with a gas cooker and all appliances necessary for small housekeeping.

Her thoughts were so busy witli-the skeleton of h©i - story that .she was quite unaware of being followed until someone touched her on the shoulder at the very moment when she was mounting the steps of her home. She started round to find herself confronted by a big, dark man, with strangely piercing eyes. She could not resist a thrill of fright, and the man saw it. He smiled. "Miss Edith Jan&on, I believe?" ~ ''Yes," she answered -faintly. "Don't be alarmed, young lady. 1 am not Mr George Aston!" lie laughed! "We are not in the least bit alike— at least, I flatter myself that we are not IV Edith was chilled to the marrow. Her lips moved, but no sound passed them. So poor Margaret Was tracked !

. Within teiii minutes Edith was lj'»ng back m an easy chair telling her friend of her adventures.

"My dear young lady," the /;man said kindly, "you Ihave nothing to fear. I have merely made it my business to warn you that Miss Thornton —or should I say Mrs Aston ? —is far from l>eing safe here."

"Has Mr Maxwell sent you here?" "There now, you give things No, I have HOYW spoken to Mr Maswell in my life, and I am positive that •he does not dream of my existence." "Then what- does it all mean ?' Her terror was returning.

r "It means, miss, tliat Mr As- ! ton to-day as in communication wiiljJ ' Scotland Yard, aaid if I am trace Mrs Aston so easily, others rnay | do so. I am a friend, not an enemy, ' and I have particular reasons why Mr i George Aston and his newly wedded wife be kept apart, at least for a j | month or two. Now you must to get her away from here. j s jno immediate hurry —I aQ / c f w hows*. §|y>. had vcry £rvv ! friends, Mtl its {"QU. are the chief of tho> , vhls will l;e the first pl&ce the enemy will make for. T\> ycu fctee?.'*

, "Oh v yes, yes." Her Vain \vns whirling. "And you are that you are our friend?"

"Set wour mind at rest, Miss Jai son!"

"Then what does it all mean? Who are you "

"Tj may mean a lot, and it may mea-i nothing," was the ati.biguous answer. "As for who I am. you may look at my card, but I shall not give it to you. There you are, Mis.-: Jancon Harry Danks, private detective. Good morning."

He raised his hat politely and walked awav.

CHAPTER VIII.

ANOTHER CHANCE

Edith went up the four !i:ght< of stairs very slowly. She wanted tune before facing. Margaret time in which to think a little, to summon at least a semblance of her cheerfulness. From dizzy heights of hope she had been plunged into actual i'ear. Tha vision of Margaret's sweet companion ship had been shattered in. a moment. It was for poor Margaret alone that she grieved.

By the time that she was standi ig by her own. door her heart was in revolt. Would it not- lw better, braver, to face the thing out? At any rate, the evil news should wait till the next

"Splendid!" cried. Margaret. "Can I help, you in tJhis, Margaret?"

"There's a night at the opera for us, dear, and riotous living without fend. Mr Patrick Ward made a fuss over me, and gave me exclusive business. So I have captured a nugget for my paper, and for myself, too. There are his own notes over there, and we must make a spicy story from them. Oh, it's simply great ! He is coming here to-morrow to look at the work, and be photographed." .

"Can. you ? ; I should think so. This is going to be a three-column article.' It will be the feature of the paper." Tlien Edith's heart sank, and she burst into tears. -

"I am completely overwrought, Meg. This comes of l>eing a woman. We are weak cratures, after all. I don't think I can do any more work to-day. Let's go out somewhere for the evening, and make an early start to-morrow."

"Can you afford it, Edith? I've only got a sovereign in the .whole world, and I'm afraid to change it."

I ''Afford it?" scoffed Edith. "With j forty - two pounds, nine and three pence in t!he bank! My dear girl, T feel like a millionaire. Then see-how I mf J?U§ines§ is prospering with Mr '"Patrick'Ward Property. Oh, he is a most not old, or very good-looking, but thd man you only see once, in a lifo£ijrac. I get tired of people who like thousands of others. You jnay mj' into twenty business, au<i see twenty different day as like as two peas >A& : rd looks n °k°dy feMks like nobody else. WtWisVache is in two colours." «: ' Sfce fe\iigiied. j ''"'Yfel l ! have fallen in love n ith hint I" ■ 'Arid that's a fact Meg. l'ow could J 1 -help it when he was no nice to raer j j Iftnrwill have the same opinion of hini | , lifter seeing him ! Do you know I a;n very curious about his wife? I sup- , pose sllg is just an animated doll. Intellectual men usually marry such absurd women."

After further discussion, in which Margaret took a minor part, it was resolved that the evening be given up to pleasure—a dinner at a good restaurant, the theatre —the 'Blue Bird' for choice;

"A cab both ways,' said Edith, "and there is not an atom of danger in it. It's very certain that you must have some fresh air, or you will be dead in a month." -

The prospect was exflula rating to both girls-, and Edith was in a reckless mood. "If I were in Meg's place, I would fight it out," she thought. "I'd defy Aston, and surely it would lje impossible for him to snap her and dart off with her within sound of a policeman." By no means did the pleasure end in anticipation as do most pleasures, night was clear and starlight, and the weather is always an important factor too; the little diinner was just as it should be, and were lucky enough to get two front seats in the dress circle of the theatre. Some unfortunates who had previously booked the seats were unable to attend, and had telephoned the management to sell them. The music, the signing, and the brilliance of all things intoxicated Margaret, for tins was her first, experience of tho kind. And then the girls were whirled homo in a taxicab, joyously tired, but ready for a restful night. (To bo Continued.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19111215.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10503, 15 December 1911, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,407

HELD IN BONDAGE. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10503, 15 December 1911, Page 2

HELD IN BONDAGE. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10503, 15 December 1911, Page 2

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