AFTER RELEASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10601, 6 April 1912, Page 2

AFTER RELEASE.

OUR SERIAL.

By VIOLET M. FLINN, Author of "The Master Passion, "What Shall It Profit?" "Verexu." "By Devious Paths," Etc.

CHAPTER XVl—Continued. ! "lit many ways she had reason to regrot her undoubted favour for him,/' Tresidder made '. oesturo of despair. "The whole ting is so hopelessly incomplete!' he exclaimed. "One feels that one is working in the ..lam, yet what can T do? The bni/doi. has been laid upon me, and I must fulfill it. Charles was married —of that 1 am convinced —and he left a child. Am I to desert the trust that was laid upon n;e and do no more? I cannot. It is out of no feeiing for you, but I must satisfy myself regarding that child, or I shall never know airy peace at all."

"I quite appreciate your feeling,"' Ludworth answered. He might not sympathise or comj.rohsnd the sentiment tJiat animated Tresidder.. He felt that his honour too, was,concerned in the matter. "1 want tho problem solved on my own; behalf. It isn't very pleasant to feel that one is an impostor —even an innocent one. No, let us thresh it out one way or another. The worst is," he continued, "I am nearly as much in tho dark as you are. My knowledge is just scrappy bits o'f servants' gossip, and little else." "Would Lady Flora be of any assistance. She is abroad I know, else I wou/i have; called on her long before this." Ludworth shook his head and decided ""t 1 t? <?nlighten Tresidder as 10 Fluff's return. "I don't think she would be a SCi'ilp of use. She simply will not talk of bygone days. Besides, to be frank, the was always regarded as a sort of 11011-! entity in her motl er's house. No ci e j evn' took-any iw l .:oe of her. Sha in i a good sort, but she is not strong- ] minded. She would not see anv+-y n g | t-Jiat did not happen fli)^' o tly in front |

of her. The. due 1 ; ess, my grandmother, j j {nows as muc h as anyone, but—if she has kept lier own. counsel .all;these years, sh£ will keep- it pa, the end. The lawyers would only know what slife would -choose to have them told. Besides, old Sir John died last year, and he was tho one who was most, in her confidence. Blagg is certainly no good. He was quite outside tho castlo pale at that time, a■broad, I "believe. So that —: —" He ] suddenly brought one hand down onto thfe other. "Von Markheim!" lie exclaimed. "He said he knew last time I was there." When Ludworth was stirred to any course of action he did no ( t allow the grass to grow under his feet. The motor had been summoned, and he and Tresidder were in it,, dodging the j traffic of Piccadilly and being held up ill Shaftesbury Avenue, before the elder man had quite realised what the hasty journey meant. "Von Markheim was music master to the uncles and aunts years ago, and my people kept up the acquaintance. I have known him all my life," Ludworth explained. He was keeping a close look-out lest by any chance Eldyth was returning home from one of her lessons. '"Did lie know Lady Alicia?' TresI idder asked, with the eager, repressed J manner that always marked his menI tioii of her.

"Oh,yes, very well!" Ludworth an-, swered," but his face clouded, and for some time silence reigned between the two. He glanced at the fine, grave face beside .him, the face of a gentleman and a fanatic, one to whom ideals had 1 become impossibilities, and in. whose J life visions were guiding lights. J "It would break his heart if he knew ■ that his idol had feej of clay," Lud- | worth mused, all his fellow feelings ■ touched. "No, I'll be hanged if "he shall hear it from me. It would serve no useful purpose, and it would deprive him of the main principles of his life.' He was so deep in his thoughts, and yet so alive to any possible vision of Eldyth's tall, graceful form.-and uplifted: head, tlie lie was blind to all else. He did notiuiow what, had happened when, as they Whirled round the comer of the square, Tresidder suddenly .dv.i idled his arm. "Lud'worth, there he is!" he exclaimed, "••v.intnn Neal." "Neal? Whertf - " He was on the alert instantly, but he could not at once locate the man who Tresidder had indicated. By the timo his eager gaze was fixed on the man, Neal's attention had been attracted to the occupants of the motor. His recognition of the occupants was instantaneous, and without a moment's hesitation lie turned and doubled back up ' the narrow street which he had evident! v just left. Iu an instant Lwlworth had sprung from tho car and was running after liim with no very clear idea in his head but stopping him at any cost. But the stern chase was in. vain. The few people in the street sympathised with the pursued, and impeded Ludworth. ■' Neal suddenly disappeared, probably into a house, but all the doors remained inhospitably shut, and there was nothing to bo done by Ludworth except to retrace his steps. He loked up at the name'of the street as lie rejoined the motor, and saw to his surprise, that it was Golden Street. "You missed him Ludworth?" Tresidder asked, and Ludworth nodded. "He bolted into a house or down an alley,' he said curtly.- An unpleasant idea was working in liis mind." "We might put a detective on his track," Tresidder said musingly, "but I fear it will not bo of much service. He will not stay in this neighbourhood if he does not want us to find him, and a man like that is sure to be an adept

at disguises." Ludwortli could not resist a gibe. "Arc you still confident that ho was sent to you as a divine messenger." Tresidder looked at him mildly. "1 am certain of it!' he answered simply. "The way lies clear before me. I must not neglect any means of progression toward my ulimato goal. ' 1 Von Markheim had"bnly just returnj cd from a rehearsal at Covent Garden. The room was untidier and moro muts-ic-ladon than ever, since a clean sweep had been made of the papers and books on the centre table that his luncheon might be spread. He welcomed the unexpected visitors with the utmost cordiality. He invited them to share tho bread and cheese and salad of which his meal was largely composed. "It is not often that I see you at this* hour, Junge,' he said, beaming at Ludworth. "But I ought to say 'Duke Ludworth,' mein herr," he continued, turning to Tresidder that Ludwortli might know he had grasped the fact that Ludworth was there in his rightful character. "Ach, I haf him I known since he uas a little, little baby. It is good lager, and my brother in Hamburg has lately sent me some excellent Westphalian ham. You wil] Jiaf Juncbeon with me, hem?" "We have come to ask you some questions about old times, Von Markheim,' Ludworth said, as additional luxuries were, added by the slipshod Servant, an<s they drew tlieii' chairs up to the table. "Mr Tresidder was an old friend of my father's, and he was with my uncle, Charles Marc-ham, when he was drowned. It is on Ins ; i I

account that we have come. Wo want, you to elucidate some obscure points.'' Von Markheim threw back his head and laugehd sonorously. But a* little caution came into his eyes, hidden ).y tho big specs. "You know that I'm a chatter'rg ol". woman, eh, Junge ? But one must bo careful when one talks of the ones that were good to one in the struggling days." Ludworth caught an inquiring glance, and made haste to reassure the old man. "There isn't much of' U chroniquo scandal euse " "Don't French- iu my presence!" Von Markheim growled, but there was a twinkle in his eye. - "That'is not already pulic property,"'Ludworth continued. "Mr Trisidder knows the main outlines of a story of a quarter of a century gao. He lias heard of Aunt Alicia's death." "Ach, so!' Von Markheim murmured.

"Uut the fact is that 'Stanlou. Neal is out of prison and is eviedntly not. inclined to let sleeping dogs lie, and—- ■ Wh- is Stanton Neal ? That is what Mr Tresiddcr wants to know. How came it that my uncle deputed a charge to him that one would have thought ho would have'given to a relative rather than to a man whom, by his own showing, he was inclined to distrust?' ' Von Markheim was leaning !u\s head oil his hand, staring down at the. tablecloth as if he saw pictures on the dingy surface. '/Stanton Neal?" he said. "Hear-, ens," what ages ago it seems!" It did not sceni at first as if ]n>; could add much to what they already N knew. He. drew a vivid picture of Neal as he> had first met h»'m. Ne l . l : was just'beginning to .make his name when ho became acquainted with' the •Marchams. He had attended Marmr.duke for some trifling accident, and when once ho had made his footii g ir'. the family he made great strides iri< wards being very popular. y (To he continued.) •: ;'