The Queen of The Isle

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1088, 8 September 1904, Page 4

The Queen of The Isle

OR SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE BY MAY AGNES FLEMING Author of "TlieflcirtsiofGlonGowcr," "Tho Unseen Bridegroom," etc

CHAriBR XXII "With blood on his hands, with horror, insanity, and wildest woe in his oyes; with the dreadful mark of Cain branded indelibly on his brow, tho wretched man fled—hating himself, his crime, earth nud heayen—only longing to fly away, whore none would behold him, clinching at his broast as if to tear hcuco his insufl'erablo agony and remorse. On ho wont-flying over rocks and chasms and uprooted trcoa—hearing nothing save that unearthly cry of" Murder I" seeing nothing but the cold, still face and lifeless form of his murdered wife,

dismissed him, and sauntered about tho town until the busincßß of tbo day would bopi i. Gradually tho streets began to fill; men on their way to their daily labour now and then pausing to gaze in wonder at tho tall muflledfigure pacingtho streots Ho noticed this scrutiny at last, and slackened his rapid strides muttering inwardly : " This will novor do, I must bo cairn, or I may bo suspected. Nothing but coolness can savo mo now."

Turning down tho collar of his cloak, and pushing up his hat, he turned in tho direotion of Westport House. The door had just beon opened, and a yawning waiter half asloop passed him staring with lack-lnstro oyes as though ho had seen a ghost. To be continued,)

Pauling, tottering, exhausted, ho le[l heavily, at last, on the ground—shuddering, gasping, collapsed.- Tho crash of tho thunder, tho wild discord of tho raging olotnents wcro sercnest music, compared with the tumult, the torror, and tho nnspoakablo horror filling his soul. " What have I done ? What have 1 done ?" was tha ory that still rived its way up through his'tortured heart, And the wind and the waves, in their terrific uproaJ, seemed answering tho ory with "Murdorl murdor I"

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Midnight approached, and tho storm began to abate, the rain ceased to full, nnd the mighty wators began suddonly retrofiting from the shore. Another hour waned, The clouds rolled away, the lightning had censed, the wind abated its fury, aud tho troubled, heaving waves wore slowly calming down. And suddenly from behind a cloud broke forth tbo moon—brightly, gloriously, grandly, shedding her soft, silvory radiance oversea and hnd. For the first timo tho murderor ventured to look up, Morning ,vns near at hand and must not find him nt tho scone ot tho tragody, •' What is to be dono next ?" was tho thought that arose through all the distraoting rush of the grief, horror and remorse. •'Sho will be missed; I will be taken for the murderer, and-" A shuddering spasm closerl the sentence. '

Ho rose to his feet; and as if horrified by somo uncontrollable impulse took tho road leading to the boach. Ho reached tho spot whore ho had dropped the body; but the lifeless form was gone—swept away by tho boiling waters. A footstep behind met his oar, and in terror he turned, but seeing only the halfwitted boy who brought him over, ho retrained himself and stood still. Even through the dull mist of his clouded brain, tho ghastly froo beforo him struck terror to tho boy's soul. And well it might, for with that white deathlike face; those ashen lips; glazing eyes, and shuddering form, ho looked like a corpse, galvanised for a moment into a hideous semblanco of life, The words he had been about to say died away on tho hoy's lips;' and ho stared at him in stupid bowilderment. " Well ?" came at length from Ootirtney's lips, in a voico so hollow that is seemed to issue from on empty coffin.

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•'What's tho matter?" said the boy. 11 Frightened by ihe storm." " What do you want ?" came again from the livid lips. " Wily, you said you wanted to get hack afore morning, and I reckon wo can start now. Tho Bea runs pretty high yet, but I guess there ain't no dnnger." Like a man in a dream, Courtuey passed his hand across his brow, as though to clear away a cloud. "Can I reaoh N— boforo morning breaks ?" ho asked. " I reckon so," was tho answer.

" Do you think there iB any danger ?" " Don't think there is," said tho boy; " but what makes you speak so hoarse and look so scared, as il you'd seed a ghost? P'r'aps you did, too; they say there's ono np in that old house there," "Let us go," said Courtney, unheeding his words, and starting in tho direction of tho boat,

The boy shnflled nfier him to where tho boat now lay high and dry on tha strand, requiring tho united effortß of both to launch her into the water,

"Precious hard timo I had of all night in the storm," said tho lad; '"got joakod right through; and, by golly, if thero wasn't somo thunder, I novcr wants to bo out such a night again." The boat was pitching and tossing wildly on tho waves; bui Courtney, lost to all sense of danger, sat striving to answer the question: " What is to be done noxt ?" His wife would assuredly bo missod. It Boomed probable that nono but Captain Campbell know of hor intended visit to the isle, save tho boy who had brought hor over,

The mist was passing away from his mind, and overy faculty, sharpened by tho fear of being discovered ns a murderer, was at work. Of the stupid lad who had brought him to tho island ho felt no fear, Ho would endeavour to hide nil Iraoesof guilt, and be the most zealous in tho search after the lost one. Perhaps, too, suspicion might fasten on Captain Campbell, and then how auiplv wouH '''• bo revenged I Then camo another thought—how wns he to account for his absence during the night? It seemed scarcely probablo that his wifo had told any of tho inmatoßof tbo parsonngo of their angry parting and his brutal blow, arid they could easily bemado to believo that sudden business had colled him away. Doubtless, thoy would think it strange he had not told them before going; but, as he had already acquired a char* acter for eccentricity, from his gloomy reeervo, it would readily bo sot down to that. Ho has business at Westport—ho would go there—remain for somo hours, and roturn to N—before.

His plans, thus rapidly arranged, ho said briefly: " I have ohanged my mind. I will iiot Roto Newport. Tako tno to Wealport." Eegardinp him for a moment, tho boy, without a word, turned tho boat in tho direction indicated.

Tho rising win was reddening tho orient before they reached Weatport. And Edgar Courtney, having paid tho boy.