HELD IN BONDAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10519, 6 January 1912, Page 2

HELD IN BONDAGE.

OUR SERIAL.

BY L. F. DACRE. Author of "Sin bad's Valley," A Phantom of the Past," "The Shadow of Shame," "Sir John'ft Heiress," "A Daughter of Mystery," etc.

CHAPTER XlX—Continued

"Yes." Edith raked 'her imagination, and remembered Dunks the detective. "1 have good grounds to knowthat George As ton's action will recoil upon himself. Margaret has no fear of him now, iand is merry as a cricket. I believe that she intends paying you « sunpriso visit." (Mr Thornton flushed with pleasure. "My poor child wias misled —I was misled. I don't regret it, mind you'. I mean my marriage. My young wife is one of the best and most devoted of women. I met her in Switzerland purely by,-accident—and I have known her since she was a child at the village school. There is no doubt that her father put wrong ideas into her 'head, but that as done with. She was companion to an irascible old lady—whom she lhad to drag about in a bath chair. Her employer weighed quite two hundred pounds, and used to abuse her shamefully. I could not stand by and endure it; and 83 I only succeeded in getting my wife out of a situation and. stranded —-well, I thought the best I could do was to marry her. I should never have gone to this extreme, in all probability —at least, not so hastily —'had I not received a letter from George Aston to say that he was Margaret's accepted husband." "Lies, lies!" exclaimed Edith. "He was determined to have Margaret at any cost. The passion of a moment. 1 never could trust tlhese dark, Italian looking Englishmen."

"He's no Englishman," growled Alf. v "I will admit to you ttihat I was completely under* this..thumb. I was indebted to the tradesmen, and he helped me. No man can give the world ais best work w-hen struggling under the yoke of poverty and debt. You do not belong to yourself; you sell yourself almost body iand soul to your creditors. I began life with exalted ambitions and splendid hopes, but was star/cd into the merest puppet. I have not known the pleasure of living for years* 1 till now. I am earning a decent income at last, and after ia while Shall leave this place. I ilhall get into congenial surroundings. I thought my daughter was leaving me, and married hastily for the reasons given. Margaret- wili not jtidge me so hiarshly when she knows the truth."

His voice quavered and he made a helpless movement.

"And now, as though George Aston hasn't wrought evil enough,' Tie' is suing me for the money tlhat he almost forced upon me. He threatens to make a bankrupt of me—the vulture! The lust of gold Winds him to all else —unless it be his wicked desire to covjet human souls. But my faith in the | good and great God is illimitable." l "I hope you forgive me for what I did, sir," Alf said.

"All that you did was a credit to your heart if not to your better judgment. Who <am I that you should ask forgiveness of? I have been a fool all my life. I .am not tihe man to sit in judgment upon others. Hus(h! my wife is here."

- He left- the room to open the front door, and there was a rapid exchange of whispers in the front hallway. Mr Thornton took the packages from his wife and carried tlhem into the back regions, wfhile ran upstairs to take off her outdoor things. "This beats me," Alf whispered o Edith. "It doesn't seem a bit real. Here is the vioar I used to think was the greatest man living, because he stood up in a pulpit and sauced a crowd, who daren't say boo. And he is just a poor sort of human being like we are! Now comes Polly Green — girl I Ouivq kissed a hundred times —"

"HusHi! Now behave yourself, Alf." Mr Thornton preceded his wife. Ho was as bashful as a boy in front of Maxwell.

"Mary," said he, "a young friend from Castle Olavfoixl young .vlaxwell."

Edith jumped up immediately and greeted Mrs Thornton. "Now I will pass you on to Mr Maxwell. He was telling me. what good friends you and he were years since. Isn't it nice for old friends to meet- in strange places ? We never seem to appreciate each other half enough w'hen we meet each day in the same old surroundings." Mrs Thornton shook hands with Alf. She reddened sligjlutly, but met his eyes frankly, "I haven't seen you since we were quite elrildren and used to play at kus-in-the-ring!" "I remember. You used to box my ears and scratch like anything. Was it not jolly? Wo have done a lot of things since then, haven't we?"

Tlhis naive admission made everybody laugh; the ice was broken, and they entered with cheerfulness, with glowing ardour, upon the task of reckoning with the darkening future.

CHAPTER XX

A PALTRY TIN GOD

[ It was June now, and summer v.as upon the land. Blue skies and emerald fields; singing.birds and blossoming flower's, and the roar of tllie sea on the crags had changed to a dreary ■monotone. Margaret spent many of •the sunny hours in her nest in the cliffs with her book, her sewing, or her shadowy dreams. Life in its original groove at Cliff House • was pleasant enough. She was responsible for the •housekeeping accounts; sihe typed Patrick Ward's 1 otters, kept till© study in order, read and played for Mrs Ward's pleasure, and there was Dolly—always Dolly. Two weeks had gone by since Aston liad been there, and in tlhat time she

Banks, fully satisfied with his sera tiny, went on:

had had several lettex-s from Edith. She frowned a little over the description of her father's new (home; then, she vexed with herself for being jealous of his young wife. "Oh, it's alright," Edith wrote, ".ami the very best tiling tifrat could have happened to him, although lie was rushed into ifc by tlha-t sdhemer, Aston. In his simple-mindedness your father (had made tlhiat man (his confidant. Aston was madly infatuated with you then, and resolved to have you by lliook or by crook, just as if you were a picture., or a piece of furniture that ho j fancied <at the moment. And you know ! how ho played upon your feelings!" "I am sure you will like your fa-til-er's new wife when you really know her. The -antagonism between young girls w!hen tHieir paths of life are not exactly alike is a. mere airy notiliing in tho ligjht of common sense. Boys and girls ,are snobbisQi, intoleranit at a certain age. Ellen told me tSiiat you bad promised to spend your first holiday at her delightful cottage, and w& ;nust contrive to geft your father and Ids wife there at the same time. What a heavenly reunion!" There was a great deal more in. the same strain, and itlhe letter did Margaret heaps of good. Edith's letters always did.

At lunch. itiliat day it struck her that Patrick Ward looked more thoughtful and preoccupied than usual. He met 'lier gaze with a frank smile. "Yes?" he said, interrupting her thoughts, "I ibiavo got a bit of perplexing .business on hand, Miss Thornton, and I'll tell you what it is." "Oh., lam not curious," she -.aid, with a hot flush.- This -was .not the first time that he had accurately read what was passing in her mind. ' "If you take me up like this I shall be afraid to look at you ait any time." ! "That would bo a calamity for .me, 1 ' he laughed. He pushed away his plate and began puffing tobacco smoke from his ever-present pipe. "We have had quite a long period of calm, and the calm is so calm that it is ominous. Aston is still bluffing, but he believes | that my armoury is empty. My la.w | yers h'avo had legal notification, and j Aston is seeking to put a stop to my j building. Tomorrow I have to appear : at the London law courts, to show the cause why a temporary injunction should not be granted the enemy.' 5 "Oh dear!" Margaret gasped. "He js,,trying to make a bankrupt of my father; he is——" She stopped dead, and set her teeth i hard.

"He must be a very busy man with one thing and anotlher; but we shall beat him —you and I and your father. Tomorrow I will; give him lliis first dressing-down.'' "Are you sure? Oh, I hope so!" She was trembling violently. The flush had left her cheek, and she was now as white as paper.. "Perhaps I should not have told you till after the victory," he said easily, "but I wanted you to know I leave for London his evening. I will wire you tlhe result immediately after ithe judge gives his decision." : "I shan't sleep .a wink to-riight." She gave a conscious little laugh, the colour returning to her cheeks. "That is better—muoli better. Some day I would like to tell you something that would make you look radiant, Miss Thornton, and perhaps I will! We have had little but- frights, and tremors and sadness. About not sleeping a wink, I positively forbid you to lio awake all night." "Don't make fun of me, please. Did you ever read of a doughty champion who was going to make battle with a terrible ogre ? Well, I feel like that i'or you, for the chances seem to favour the ogre." He was about to make a jesting speech when the housekeeper entered the room with li card.

"A gentleman, sir, and he says ilha.t lie will not keep you more than a few minutes." , Patrick Ward looked at tffie iramta on the card curiously..

"Mr Harry Dainks. -Never heard of this fellow." He got tip and walked to the door. "Don't go yet a while, Miss Tihomton. I will soon get of rid of this fellow." The detective drew hack into tihe sluadow as Patrick Ward approached lii.m. He had never seen tihe great inventor before and purposely caused (him to walk into the full light down from the glass dome in t'he main hall. "I hope I a.m not disturbing you, Mr Ward, but I must have a few words with you now, as I am going to Dover to catch the mail to Calais.' r "Indeed!"

There was a slightly impatient inflection in, Patrick Ward's tone, although he scented something stirring.

"I am a detective, sir, unofficially attached to Scotland Yard, and my game is your partner, George Aston. I know tliat you and he are fighting in t3ie coiirts, and unless I am misled, his career is nearly UP!" "Oh! Come into my study, Mr i Dailies!" "No, sir. Just a few questions, and I must ibe off; J haven't the.,time to spare. My credentials are open to your inspection if- " "Go ahead—go alhead." "Hoav long have you known George Aston?" "Nearly nine years." (To bo Continued.)