HELD IN BONDAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10518, 5 January 1912, Page 2

HELD IN BONDAGE.

OUR SERIAL,

BY L. F. DACRE. ~ Author of "Sinhad'a Valley," A Phantom of the Fast," "The Shadow of Shame," "Sir John's Heiress," "A Daughter of Mystery," etc.

CHAPTER XVlll—Continued,

The K.C. took the folded paper from j •under his arm, where he had tucked it ] out of the way, and pointed to a bluemarked paragraph. In an irstant Alt j <»liicd his eyos upon it, and he read : , »I\ THE COURT OF HIGH JUSTICE. "Probate Divorce, and A.hmra.lty Division. "(DIVORCE.) "To Margaret Aston, nee Thornton (whose present address is unknown) : Take notice that a citation has been issued in this division, citing you to appear and answer the petition oi George Aston, of Castle Clayford, in the County of Warwickshire, praying for a dissolution of marriage. In default of vour so appearing you will not 1)0 allowed to address the court, and the court will proced to hear the said petition, prove and pronounce sentence in respect thereof. "And take further notice, that, for the purposo of aforesaid you are, witlhin one month after the date of this publication, to attend in person, or by your legal representative, at the Divorce Registry, Somerset House, iStrand, L/ondon, and there enter an | appearance in a hook provided for the purpose. . "John D. Downsdale, Registrar.

"We've siiuck the time wb<'n the busses are all full," Alf said. "Loolat that ir oh o- the corner. Fifty after two vacant seaf**" '1 prefer com tort when t doesn't do • :h<T-, a"\- haim " she answ.u'jd pillion I'l.i'.ally "Besides wo U-\<r& to c<m,?idu! the potable damage to our l:tst •!•-.• lies, and I l.flieve that he cab tlr.it has followed 'if- from tho wr of tl:e Crescent has leen engaged by you " She glanced at him slylv and his face flashed ''Dashed if you don't bowl me o'>r • vciv t.'-e : is n.\ regul it- 'i,,"i-i from Brixton and Itr him to wa.t on the off chance, you see!" ' < .-.it of dead certainty, vh? Whit fo'i « you M'en think we women j re Well, hurry In in up " A run of tv.orty minu!< s and the cab •.•lined into a row of snvill villas. oil the OLiphani -cdil. fhoy were .'!£.-- gressively new, and presented a line of unbroken red brick, punctured with doors and windows. Groups of noisy children 'were playing at the popular games of the day. Whipping a woodentop seemed to have the preference, and boys and girls were furiously belabouring their respective tops and whooping like wild Indians. The cab stopped and Edith and Alf stepped out. Alf looked bewildered. "What number?"

"Edwards and Edwards, Chancery Lane,, London, Petitioner's -Attorneys." . Maxwell handed back the paper and wiped his perspiring forehead. "So Aston means business?" he said huskily. "Undoubtedly!" "I should like to shoot him!" Maxwell isaid hotly. "Tut, tut!" Then the K.C. looked j kindly at the youth. "It's a bad thing for you, my boy, very bad, and yon never know when itmiay be brought up against you. Well, good-bye. Look me up ibefore you leave London." "Yes sir. Thank you." The K.C. passed on, and Alf passed into the street. He glanced longingly over the way where a saloon flaunted its gaudy lamp. A brandy and soda would pull him together as nothing else would —just one. He made a step forward and then swore an oath. "No, no. I gave my word to Edith Janson, and if I broke it I could never face her again." He ran after a slowly moving taxicab, and the driver drew it to the curbstone. "Take me to the Brixton," said Alf, in a choky voice. He jumped in. and the taxi whirled him to his lodgings.

CHAPTER XIX. Maxwell tapped at the door of Edith Jianson's flat at five minutes to six. He was looking bright as a new pin now. An afternoon nap, a. cold bath, & shave and a complete change of clothing had -irked wonders. Edith opened the door to him. She was just putting the finishing touches to her attire, and her hat and gloves lay on the seat of a chair. She gave-him one swift, halfanxious glance, then laughingly complimented him upon his punctuality. "Surely you did not think that I would backslide after my promise?" he asked reproachfully. "You looked iat me pretty hard." "I hoped you wouldn't, but I know how ha I'd it must bo just at first. lam so pleased. I am wearing my very best dress in honour of this occasion, because I expected tlhat you would be advertising some new creation of your tailor. Tam a tailor-made, too. How do I look?" "Grand! What a duchess you would make!',' "A duchess! My ambitions don't lio that way—l mean I don't want to look like women of that kind.- To my mind duchesses are very disappointing out of pictures. I have seen plenty of titled ladies at the great stores when I was making my sketches, and they can not hold a candle to some of the shop girls, as far as good looks go." Alf diffidently extracted a small bunch of flowers_fr.oan the mazes of some white tissue paper, that he had carried from Covent Garden, and held them toward Edith.-

"'. "I've brought you a nosegay, or buttonhole, or what ever you like to call it."

For Just the fraction of a second she hesitated, then she took the flowers, ■and pressed them to her nostrils. "How good of you, Alf. What a nic:e fellow you are! I'll put them In water ; I won't wear them now as I dw'i want to appear too festive while the Thorntons are under a cloud."

' "I didn't think of that," he said quickly, and removed a red rosebud from tlio lapel of his coat. "Here, put this with the others. Is ; there anything particular in the Daily Telegraph? I haven't, opened a newspaper to-day. I see yon have brie over there."

"No time to read papers now." Edith made a quick, playful movement to intercept him; then she became serious, iir.-l there was a moment of cmbar M-.sod silence. "What transparent deception is yours, Alf Max 1 .veil," she said. "'You know that tßiere it a horrible item in the Daily Telegraph, and you were hopng that I had nrt notbsd < + /; but I have, so don't let talk about h ciease." "T c' ! du't tell a fib, thojgii; T have not opened a paper to-day. The thing was pointed out to me by my counsel. How hot eivl stuffy your rooms are'r" Id ir:i? a relief to got tut into the open air, for the weathe l ' had become -jf ptcssively v.arm. For days the &un lial only appeared at rare intervals, and iho hw-hanging clouds wer charged with eketrieity.

"I quite forget, 'but wo can tell the house by the clean curtains. It'.s somewhere in the middle of the terrace." One of the doors suddenly opened, and a tall, white-haired man appeared. One slender hand was waved-encour-agingly, while his-face beamed. ' 'Mr llhornton 1" Alf ran forward and the two men sihook hands cordially before Edith, could come up with them. "Come in—oome in," Mr Thornton said genially. I've been watching at the window for you." He led the way into the front sitting room, and Alf very promptly recognised the furniture and pictures. The very same things that had occupied the rooms at the vicarage, where he had had his last talk with Margaret. Mr Thornton indicated the easiest' chair for I Edith, told Alf to sit down just where ] he lilted, and then flushed rather consciously. Ha was a fine-looking old mian. very tall, and with the slender • figure of a, youth. His hair was snowwhite and brushed we'll back from the temples. The nose was straight, the "eyes blue, the mouth nervously sensitive, and there was just a suspicion of whisker on each cheek.

"My wife,'! he began hesitatingly, "has just gone "out to get something for supper.. Now-that the weather is get in g warm we can't keep a lot of perishable stuff. No larder worth mentioning. Still, it is vorv hajidy to have so many shops near. Won't you take. off your hat, Miss Janson ? That's better." He sat down and caressed his long fingers. "Well, and what's the best news ? I had a letter from my sister this morning* l - Aunt Ellen as we, have long called her, and she-is most enthusiastic about iher garden.''■ - "It's really lovely," said Edith,"aad .1 had-quite .an.. excitiag time down there last week. Some:of the chickens had escaped from their.runs, and .were scratching up the flower beds. It took hours to drive them back to the paddock, as they dodged among the fruit trees, and. turned up ag.aiu in all sorts of unexpected places." . "How very amusing," smiled Mr Thornton abstractedly. "And did .my sister join intho chase? When wo were at the vicarage wo had the utmost difficulty to get her to take, ordinary exercise." "Oh, she works like a Trojan now. She seems to be thoroughly interested in 'her -new life." "Yes!" Mr Thornton got up and fidgeted among some papers on his table. "T will run down to Woodlea at the first opportunity—most certainly I will —but a great many-things have happened in the lai4 few weeks, and terrible as some of them are, I feel th.it God -will at last lead us into light. This is not much of a place 'and the children torture me. On both sides of us people havo pianos." "Tt's an awful corner-down for you, sir," Alf blundered. "When I was a, boy I used to think such .a lot of you"." Edith diplomatically intervened. "I know that you .are in 'agony of suspense about Margaret, Mr Thornton, and I have very good news. You are aware that she is in very good hands, and is earning a. large salary.. But she is worth it. An exceptionally clever girl." "A perfect jewel," Mr Thornton said proudly. "She was worth two curates to me, hut tho living was so absurdly poor —one hundred and seventy pounds « year —and the rest charity." It was this that galled my high-spir-ited daughter. And she was always so dangerously impetuous. On one occasion the bishop wrote to Jiackinan, the .butcher, reproving him for opening his shop for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning. Jackman really did this to benefit the poor. He practically gave iaway his Unsold meat- on a. Sunday morning to the very poor only. Well, the bishop got to'hear of it, and wrote a very strong letter to the man. Jackman sent it rto my daughter, and

■unknown to me she answered it. She

had the effrontery—l can use no milder term —to write to the (bishop and tell him that as long as he employed servants and carriages on a Sunday, she should applaud Jackman in keeping open 'his shop on tlho Lord's Day! You say that you have gootf news. Miss Janson?" (To be Continued.)