AFTER RELEASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10614, 22 April 1912, Page 2

AFTER RELEASE.

OUR SERIAL.

By VIOLET M. FLINN, Atttibor of "The Master Passion, "What Shall It Profit?" "Veren-." "By Devious Paths," Etc.

CHAPTER XXll—Continued

"Doiii't—don't!" she gasped. "Ho not let anyone come in—not Tom!" He picked her up and laid her on a couch. In all his life he had never seen such an exhibition, of abject fear. Whatever was the reason', there was no doubt that Flora was in mortal terror all her days. "You eaiw —nie!' she gasped. "Did you know whj—"

"Why you wcro there," Ludivortb said, as she did not finish the sentence. 'Xo, I don't; hut I. am not the only ono who has seen you. Von Markheim —von .remember .him —-told mo first, a-nd—.uicl there's no douJbt Tommy is on your track, too." A moan of anguish broke from her white lips. Sho wrung her hands helplrssly. "Oh, wliat shall-1 do? Whu.t .shall ] do? I wish I wcro dead." "That's tall nonsense.!" Lud worth answered. "Wo Marchams can't turn tail like that. We've, got to face tho .music, even if it is not of our own choice. Now, you look here, Fluff. I suppose it is this blessed Stanton Neal again. What hold lias he g->t over you?"

He had ailmdst cause to regret his precipitate remark, for Flora i-eemei! in even worse straits than before. She sobbed and cried, she wept and Availed; bat, Av'hilo sh© made no eit'orl

to deny that his surmise was correct, alio would not tell him AA-hat hold Neal liad an her. She was undouibt-xlly in Ids poAA'er, and fear Ava.s lest Sir TJi> <n - as would, find out. As Lud-vorth s:it beside her, vainly trying to soothe her, a suspicion greiw upon his mind 1o tako -upon a. certainty. H-j recalled Flora's foolish youth, her abortive efforts to win- admiration and gain for lieirselfsv husband. He-could remember now that he Jiacl, as a boy, laughed at her airs f.nd graces, her oagernos-s to fall in lovo wit'li any man. He had I often recalled her foolishness and her l.vain-e endeavours Avhen Sir Thonr.is ' had ibeen picturing her as wholly given up to the memory of his own hapless [ suit, devoted to one passion. He could quits understand that now she was , this Avife, she wished all bygone follies ;to ibe buried in oblivion, i'robably Stanton Neal, wJio had been a bone of contention betAveen mother and .daughter, had played false between the sister aiko; It would not have re. quired much on his rart in those days j to-lead Flora to think that he was in ! love with her. She had been . very foolish and iioav her'fears were exag 1 gera.tdng his hold upon her, and lie j was making a harvest out of her. But as to divulging his exact hold upon her, Flora ,wouM not hear of it,- : LudwortU questioned, entreated, and almost threatened in vain. Ho had said he would leave England if she ' would supply him with the necessary money, and she held firmly to that point, ,and refused to hear Ludworth Avhen ho.pointed out henv extremely unlikely such a 'proceeding would bo. ( "He'll look upon you as a certain ' income, Flora', and :he'U drain you of i oyery peainy, and then'tell- Tbomas iir i the end. Come: tell yoiia-' ihusbaincl all ! about it, and be happy again. We can : easily get rid of tho brute. It would bo only a fcAV days scandal_ ivhile the proceedings lasted,a nd after all,, it j cant' bo much worse than it was when j tho wretched business first began." ' I "I should die in prison!" Flora so'o- : bed. "And—-aiid if it all comes out,' he —I shall have to go to prison." I Ludworth staired at her, Avondering if trouble had crazed her miuL

) "You go to prison"? Flora, what <lo you mean? Tell me at once at hat you mean!" -

1 "That!" she -said with unexpected decision, "I-will never do!" I Ludworth. felt himself completely j nonplussed. There was evidently more. j behind Flora's tears than mere youth- [ ful fo-'fy. Pridm! He had never heard of anything so absurd, yet—mallealhle Flora? j Ho took one or two turns up and down the room in his perplexity. i- 'Listen to me, Flora,' he said at length. "You remember Mr Tresid.her?" She nodded wearily. "He has ' told me 'a good deal about the mis- ' enable story; he was my,unele's friend. He always believed Charles was made his'■brother's scapegoat, hut more than 'this, ho says Charles was marrerid before he left England. Have, you heard anything of such a suspicion? You were- not a child; you must have known all that was .going on.' His tone said that he was determined to have a ireply, -and the weaker ( will submitted to the stronger, though .there eamo a hunted, furtive look in- , to her wild, faded eyes. "I knew —there was a good 'deal of talk of thero being a girl. I—l don't know if—if he married her.' "There seems to be little doubt he did,' Imdworth answered dryly 'considering that I had a letter from Welldon saying that a man had turned up who claims to be diaries' lawful and only son." "What!' Flora cried. She sprang to an erect attitude, 'her ruddy hair wild and dishevelled about her small face. "Has he mado a claim after ail •these years?? But—" "Then you do know something of it!" Ludworth exclaimed. "And what do you know of Stanton Neat's wife and child?' Sh'-i stared at n'm helplessly. "I—l don't kr.ow!' A sudden wave of indignation swept over him. Ho felt a catepaw, a pawn with which others had made moves in. tin.'- game that had been hidden from lum,

; "What- does it all mean,?" he. txc'.ain.cd. "Am I <Lhe rightful T'uke of Ludworth, or lias this niivi. \\Jiow<n he may be, a of-*Lor claim than I. Charles' wife, if wife she was, was l«.io\ni to Noail. Tt was to his cue tint her husband ct rfided tier; but it is not of her that ii* c?ni give any in-fo'-'iraition vvh.An ho nu.kes tins prcposteroiki deira.nl. If is wife! \\ : \i: am I expected to luio vof her? f never knew, arid :jaitJ I-'ss. And now he 's in<> impertiii;:it le-iors hi w-iieli lie srv» ho can huiahleme to tell duis. Let him try .■-, ihii is all!" Ai cw lock had conn n,to his faco; a new determination' into his voice. "I've let things slide for the sake of peace, but I'll do it no longer. Why should everyone suffer for the sake of my grandmother's pride?'

I Flo'ra raised .herself on tho cushions. No words caono from her white moving lips. With a curious choking moan she fell back inert and unconscious. • I Half a dozen servants appeared as ihe rang the bell furiously, and a scene of much confusion ensued nntil they had taken Flora into the bedroom. Only then, when 'her maid was applying restoratives, did Ludworth realise | that Thomas had not put in an -appearance.

I 'ls Sir Thomas out?' he asked, and the woman looked up anxiously.

| "I had forgotten him. He has some one on business with him in tilio library," I "I will go and tell him that Flora is ill!" Ludworth said. For a moment he had forgotten his supicions concerning Mr Smith, but they to him as he opened the library door 'and saw Sir Thomas in close conver- ' sation with a man who_ looked unmisj takeahly like a dotective. Thomas looked up with a frown and ejaculation that Ibespoke 'his.own disturbance of spirit, but his face had ' cleared when he saw who the disturber was.

j "Jack, you are the very mm I wanted! I —we were coming round to see you. Look at that, .sir!" Ho flung a letter down in front of the young man. , "That's a pretty thing for a man to find among Ms wife's correspondence." ' His rough voice broke, he was evidently much discomposed. His ruddy color had faded, the- good-tempered, wellsatisfied expression had left his round face. All his content and pleasure had vanished.' He looked hard, sus- { picious and broken. He looked as one i who is wounded in a tender place, j "Is dt quite fair to my aunt to overtook her correspondence?" Ludworth asked, with a. title unconscious scorn. j Thomas brought his heavy fist with ' a. mighty-or-ash on the table;. He was l flo longer the pleasant, easy-going ' mS-n Ludworth had known;'- The venleer of tho past few years had dropped j o ff ( leaving only <the primitive man determined to keep and* look after his 'own. J "That's you mighty fine gentleman .idea, -Ludwonfch, but I don't hold 'with' it. .I'll take care of my own! | Your aunt is my' wife, and ■ I'll' look 'after her. I'm not going on as things lihavo been the last few weeks. I have been r a good "husband, and-we have 'never had a cross word, but there s no'onto living who would stand by and sCo "his wifo taken from him without saying a word. I wasn'it good enough for her—l never thought I was !—but now she is mine I will keep her, 'and so I tettyou!" /' "Bub, my dear fellow J^a*worth began, scarcely knowing what to say. He glanced at tho inquiry agent meaningly. . I 'This is Mr Smith. He has been doing some work for me," Thomas said doggedly. "He's been trying to get on tho "track of the fellow who Ins been making my wife's life a burden.to her for the past few weeks and months too. Who is this scoundrel, this beggar whom she visits at his beck and call ■and who she's robbing herself and 'me for? She has overdrawn her account at the bank-for bun! ■ John Bovitl!' .That's the name If J haa him out-in the bush I would kiH him withmv own hands, and think I had .1 'do-no 'the. world a service!'' . Ludworth- was silent. A wild, im--1 possible idea he would have once coiir jsidered it, had taken possession ot him. Surelv it was. impossible that 'Flora was Neal's wife? A man, ot •his type would never have married her, and vet-if ho had looked upon ■her'as ono of tho pawn in his game, who knew what hemight havo done! (To be continued.)