The evening world. Newspaper, September 21, 1916, Page 15

MIRABEL By LOUIS TRACY A Story of Romance and Mystery, the Cen- tral Figure a Girl Who Has Fled to o Storm-Swept Island Where She Lives Alone. ‘ David surrendered howt to the influences of the hows, could gram ihe banjo esiitully, wae eeidow at @ lowe to bin ocumpaniment once sieved her present exaltation Morly he aang the ww troubade Buddenty CHAPTER IX, (Oveunwat UT why? In Heave name, why" “My father urged that he wae growing old, and that ) 1 could not rematn alone world, 1 replied that I de. Hawley beyond any man Bad over seen Then * ft was hard, but you have inht to know then, my . whom I loved, and atill love dearly, became very angry, and ded my obedience, and when |} refused, for the spirit of rem was hot and sore within me, © down and grieved #o bit that | promised to do anything omfort him, joking back now at the events dismal weeks, T cannot un- tand why my father plotted and ned With Hawley, He must have #o.4 Hawley went away early ptember, and we travelled south the 2d of October, You will hardiy dit it, David, but 1 was married the 6th, and was only «iven a hours’ notice, The ceremony place before a registrar, ur sake of appearances: Mr. Hawley 1 were to go to Paria for the ymoon, . . . Then we werg live with dad at Baling, an iste was to co on just ax befor believe I cried, and, at the inet foment, when the carriaxe w door to take us to Charing Cros: patched up Carlo in my - =m nd used to Ko without hi Mr. Haw- left mo alone while wo drove to station, but his white tor fied me when we were alone in our erved compartment. 1 wore a ve day to stop other women frou Ing that 1 had been crying... all the me | war scheming, ing; my wits made agonised os this way and that. At Dover ald dear it no longer, . . . f 2 up Carlo in my arms, and told y that be must stay and look our hand-bagxage while 1 ran d/and secured sheltered seats on steatuer. Ho little enessed that ir ples was so familiar to om 8 one of the main sirects of my r world: so, while he was hing. the i, 1 was at the 2 Si@fion, and seated in « train London, Then, when my bd grew calmer, 1 was afraid of tb had done. It was useless to phome, for | felt 1 could not under- @ fresh outburst on my father's i had plenty of money, After ing all expenses, 1 still have fifty nda in the house and some gold my purse, so 1 bought a few things London and took the night 7m Euston to Edinburxh.” “The marve! is that you were not lowed sooner,” said David, ready antly to rescue her from the am- asament of a recital from which sens tive nature had shrunk with thing. Ar Ah, but I displayed a woman's she said, “I knew that Mira- rio, travelling together In first- s curriage, would be re- mbered by every guard and ticket lamiher on duty that night. So 1 poked Carlo from King’s Cross, to called for at Edinburgh by a Miss !th, and Mirabel took a thint-claas ot "and made herself useful to # lors wife with two little children, 0 was going to live in Leith, Carlo 1 journeyed separately to Oban, D, and there I took the precaution ‘sending & smal! boy for him to the gtation. At Oban I was lucky, I mot © of my lobster catchers, and he jled the pair of us tn his boat to estinish, where I slept one night in lacdonald’s cottage, His wife wunt- me to remain, but { dared not, as knew that the equinoctial gales ero due, and, once on Lunga, | be- leved .anyself safe for a month at 4 be st. Sho. cried again a Iittle, and that brought relief, and she was silent rough a# David led her up the steep th (rom the Corran and guided her wer the rough gay as she tad ouee Peuiied him, CHAPTER X. tinner, after a wateh- nee or two, Macdon ucknowledged himself The oth Hi the exact m nt When he vowed Pi, unutterable Gaelic that no man Mould understand @ woman, for Mira el chatted with her wonted free- oni. “Man, but it's glad 1 am tae see Miss Pafeorabel in the humor,” said the tal man, Ho, poor fellow, could no more for~ the morrow than ® wouan could it remember the dress she was rried But Mirabel rallied ely, 5 *Can you be the same Dona L d the history of Madame ed. * ‘Ish, but she wis rand Woman!’ you sald when you ‘d that she had never been more y than op the night before her ution, Even at the foot of thu jotine she Jjested, and saved an py man the horror of seeing beautiful head cut off by usking executioner to take bim first.” beute t in, who grumbled the idently regarded with s could § when the flocks dowa from) the Bille in autumn, eke stopped David,” she enid. * aad she was gone Donald tapped Dig pipe on the stone fence, sure sign about to deliver a weighty utterance. ' when (hie Hawley pute bis ugly pois ashore “L had @ gort of idea that Hawley was vather good looking,” ald Lind. way Aibling,” growled M. was really awaiting Instructions an to his own attitude next day. Armed with inatructions from Mirabel, be would have met the boat that brought Locksley and Hawley from Treah- Miah, and the latter would certainly be deported to the mainiand forth. with, If necessary. Though Lindsay was sufficient of a Beot to operecrsts t mans stiff.) necked loyalty, It ocourred to him in- | antly that if the girl had chosen to jonald, who hoop nt he dared not interfere, | Nor waa he willing even to listen to such gossip as Macdonald might t to retail, Well, Donald," be said, “I shail Hawley for myself in the mo: ing. Now I must be shifting my few traps, 1 moon be out of your way, 4s 1 suppose Miss Mirabel intended that you should extinguish the tampa. “Whaur'll ye be gavin, Sir David?" asked the other in a stage whiaper, To the cutter,” Man, there's nae ca’ for that. ‘Uno be here afore 7 o'clock.” “L prefer it, thank you.” Lindsay went to his room and bundled soe othes and linen over an arm. All was still in the house. Mirabei must ha’ heard him moving about in the room, and be was tempted to sive her a farewell hall before pass- ing down the ai impulse, There w, anner of bidding him “good- At was as though she had said: “This is the end, David. Think of me as parting from you with music on my lips. emember me, but do not griev So he spoke a few words to Donald, patted the sleepy dog, was scrutinized by the jackdaw, through the barest slit of an eyelid, and went forth into the night, His mind turned to the coming day, Hy this time he had garnered such a store of information as to Mirabel's past Life that he could be certain of its main features. Her father’s love of seclusion arose from less worthy mo- Uves than the desire of a scholar to avoid the vulgar crowd. Locksley ob. viously discriminated. His special doubtless tmagined he was lying asleep in the cabin, and for that rea- son had come stealthily, lest he might be aroused, for he had often told her of his faculty, acquired on the veldt, of waking from sound sleep when there Was any unusual movement of man or beast in the vicinity of the camp, But why had she come? Was she merely restless and seeking solace In the night air for her disturbed thoughts; or bad she been drawn there by some lodestone of the spirit, belleving that David, like herself, was bugbeara were Ainericans and pho- uttering wordless plaint to the toxraphers; {t neede.! no profound moon and stare? Qnalysia to determine that he dreaded It was well that Lindsay's life of some discovery which might be adventure had trained eye and ear to brought about by the agency of an act independently, for While his eyes American or a photograph. were devouring Mirabel’a figure, polwed up there in the mounlight like some embodied dream born of ro- Mance and the night, his ears cvught again the sound which attracted his attention before she appeare: a now he knew for certain that he wi listening to the chug-chug of a small engine. A glance to the eastward channel showed him the red and green lights Yot he was willing, ¢ his daughter should ‘mar: American, who had in passing the closely guarded portals of his home. Why? Did tho man share with him some disgraceful secret, and use the kr © a8 @ means of forcing the mast Suppose that unpleasant explanation proved true, did it not put an Inipassable precipice at bi of a vessel, a steam-launch In all David's, foot? probability, because the masthead No; that door was locked Irrevoca- jight nearly formed equilateral bly. If the key were to be had for triangle with the sidelights, At once the taking, he would have passed It by, if for no other reason than the rare and beautiful affection which ex- lated between father and daugbter. No cloud had dimmed their sky untl Hawley appeared, and the very sa- cvedness of the bond temporarily brok- en forbade any attempt to wring the truth out of the tnterloper. On reaching the Corran, he threw the bundle of garments inside the cabin, Miled his pipe, and sat croas- legged on the poop, Sleep he could not-—yet, The weather was phenomenally mild. He pulled an ollskin over his shoul- ders, not because of the slightest sense of chilliness, but to ward off a heavy dew, He lost count of time alt- ting there. Twice he refilled his p: and was thinking of turning in when his shikari's instinct warned him of sounds other than the soft piash of he shook himself free from the trans- port of passion and rebellion which had bewitched him, He sprang opright. “Mirabel!" he cried, low and eager, awaiting her rv id of his discovery Hot see the steamer from whe stood, and it Was possible, too, that the faint blasts of the exhaust wero audible only to one who, like himself, happened to be almost at sea level. She started, uttered @ little wail of dismay, and vanished, With a lover'e inturion he knew why she ran, and, even While bo sped after her across she shingle and up the path, he found 4 grim humor in the conceit: that Miravel was flying from bim only be- cause she was afraid of herscif, Whereas his sule motive now was to warn her of pursuere whom she did ly and with cruel the receding Ude. His first thought pn er thoroug' was that they came from the aea, Suse: : . but the swish of feet through the . When he reached the crest of the cliff she was already balf way to the ridge where he had fixed the tripod. He bad gved reason to respect ner prowesa ax @ runner, but she was after a iong day of stratn, and coarse grass of the nelihboriug pla- tovu brought his searching wyes to that quarter, hot move a muscle, for ab- iness becomes second nature he gained on her rapidly. As soon ae a1 unter and the nomad, F } curring any risk-that is, of being some one was peeping over the edge Ovorneard on the approaching Vewnel, of the cliff, A bent figure appeared, < mproee cf And gradually atraightoned, Lt was Sef om such a pigit founda woul Mirabel, bareheaded, but otherwise ‘avel distances that might seem, ins credible during the day—be called to her. “Mirabel! Mirabe Still sho ran, so be pressed on at the Utinost speed attainable on this rugged ground Miraicl!’ be panted again Heaven's sake, stop!” Then she seemed to understand that her emdurance was unequal to the strain, for she turned and faced him, Sob, David!” she sobbed, with broken utterance and laboring bres, “why have you followed me? . . . dressed as When he had last seen her, with the addition of a short cloak thrown looswiy over the white blouse behind the Castle Rock, so its slant- ing beams fell directly on the girl's slender figure, and gave her an ethe- real look Which was almost disqulet- ing. She did not attempt to approach © path why nearor than that por. on of the cliff whence ale could obtain a distinct view of the yacht “Bor stood there motionless David ye 1", weak, my love, you must be if, and, although bie heart iT dl ae . Lat we teture to thrummed with @ sudden wild ela- Argos Davidi .. . 1 ought not to tion, he did not fail to grasp the @&- have come, . . .” sential fact that in his present posi- tion, with a black ollskin humped anyhow across his back, his outline was merged in the barricade of stones he bad built on tha cutter’ ar board side. In a word, Mirabel could but not distinguish him, and She swayed, and looked ready to fall, but David took her in his arms, she raised her tear-stained, frightened, yet adoring, face to his and he kissed her squarely on the lips. “Sweetheart,” shea said, “you shall ever have cause to fear me I was EVERVECOrN AS ON iN A SWELL A 4 rreR retin THIN plash of the boat etriking the water, and the rattle of oara and stamping of feet as men climbed overboard, tne steamer lay in such a pated of biack~ ness cast by the great bulk of Crua- chan that they could not distinguish figures until the boat drew away from the vessel's hull, It was ing south, There were four men in {t—one rowing, one perched in tho bows and two huddied up astern. The boat appeared from behind a broken wall of cliff, and was deftly turned on {ts keel by the oarsman in order to back up alongside the cause- wal One of the men seated aft stood up and leaped ashore, He slipped on a cclony of mussels, and fell heavily. TI two watchers, threescore yards iniand and fully a hundred feet higher, distinctly heard the thump of his body on the rock. ‘The people remaining in the boat were sympathetic, aic the man in the forward part sprang to help the len one, but he picked bimsalf up and sald angrily: “I was eure it wae @ fool's trick to land here, Locksley, How the deuce can you, with your bat ey wight, hope to climb the cliff?” ‘Your superior eyes did not to keep you upright on a flat Mr, Hawley,” said another volo don't purpose climbing any cliff, If you bear a little to the right you will find a strip of beach leading to the Derlin.” The second speaker rose, atealying himself by graspin t rower's shoulder, Gaining the he turned to the boatman. “You need not wait, Graham,” he sald, "The Hawk will drop down a Iittle on the tude, and one of us will hat! you in half an hour with orders." David, sitting up there tn (he dark ness, was giad that he jad heard the volees of the two men without Tt anked to © hie have failed. Tut fact remainnd that he preferred to estimate them in that tho outset, ! spoke with the quiet, nta witch fail naturally m of a scholar and a sitting on the cutter’s deck, and suw your dear little head the instant !t Tose @ove the line of the cliff, I watched you—how long? I cannot tell, nor can you, perhaps—but [ would not have stirred hand or foot till you went again, had I not heard and seen @ vessel coming to Lunga. It in barely half a mile away, just clear of the Red Reef. Come, my dear one, show that you have not lost trust in me! We must watch these people and learn their business, For the time we must be scouts, not lovera.” He kissed her once more, and abe ve him a thrill of exquisite delight y¥ putting her arms around hie neck and whispering: “David, you are my own true love. No matter what befalls in the future, believe that, for I ahall hide my love from none, and shall prociain it with my latest breath!" CHAPTER X1. FTER that passionate avowal Mirabel withdrew herself shyly from David's brace. With @ wrench, they both became sane again. “A steam launch coming here at this hour!” she said, “Her occupants are taking @ dreadful risk, Even Donald himself would think twice be- fore crossing the reefs by night. Are you sure you are not mistaken, Davidt" “I may mind was shore d, for my have blunde not dwelling on steam launches,” he admitted, “If the vea- sel exists, she is quite near by this time. Will you come with me to the east aide, or would you prefer to re- main here while L reconnoitre?” “A hundred yards count for little in @ day's march, dear, Follow me up this gully, We shall cross the saddle in a couple of minutes. “*Ware the skyline, aweetheart, The ight is behind us.” “There Is a kink in the path, By dodging bebind the rocks we canuot be seen,” but singularly forcible and ing Tt reminded David of the hey climbed in silence, and David strenuous, and wholly un- dat the girl's quick perception musical speech he had heard tn a of ‘the firat princip of seoutcratt, Broadway bar into which he had gone . 2 a + abe ONC Gay to see the proprietor, & The track was new to him, but she fumoun ex-pugilist, That auch a of ing an unconscious quarry, Once, the very crest of Cruachan's northerly slope, they 4 few yards, bent almost ibie, Then they plunged into deep dow, and at that inatant they aw & small steamer tag under the clit, within « cable's length of the great boulder named Storm of storms. moved with the silent confidence suttor for Mirabel’s hand should win & ved Indian ata! the favor of the elderly xotentist who delighted in hearing his daughter read Virgil was now a thing more than ever monstrous and stupefying At that moment Mirabel interrupted them thoughts with a whispered dear, what ia to be done? will arrive at the house in a few A buat was being lowered, and the ™"" tee and Donald ifcea not know wqueaKing of pwieys would drown Where T am f= sou ment them In aay slight noise they made in the {te morning, David, but not to-night, descent, Oh, my dear, [cannot face them to- is t night!"* OE bythe T “Tiere ty Macdon boat, Shall le fear of oll) if wo tako roa. ' row you to the mainiand?” sonable care eee ™ plot mast SOF what avail ia that? It means further pursuit, even scandal, and the wretched jibes of strangers, No, T muat dree my welrd on Lunga, But to-morrow, not now. If I faced them now, T would acream and say things 1 might regret forever.” He pressed her closely, as though assure her. ‘What le your plan, dear? know Lunga well, ae the will probably make for the Carrick Madde the long landing-rock near the Dor- lin, you remember, Shall we hurry eo them lan let us make sure of their di- said the cautious David. They waited, but Mirabel's guces was right. Though they heard the boat to Have By Maurice K etten F@NITURE 15 Too cece the exter man fe “Verheys tet bie way thr ad oe hew ven betior ite et Ine Of recognition fot so dlatinet, of the eneok, followed shaking of the wuter “A etre thing!” sald Lookeley “1 haw never batons known @ hey to a 08 “Knock, man! 1 Mirabel been aroonee by the up. sto say nothin of the door,” breathed in David's ear, “Macdonald learned @ bit Heoutas,” ohortled vielent while David, door, thinking eather hin, wile —ponaihl warn you by reason of the racket. I rather fancy you will find that Mac in very sound asleep.” David had read the situation ac- curately, A good deni of banging on the door Ad more noise by dog and © needed lefore an upper jow volvo ae releod wand a cried the irate Hawley. deuce do you expect would be here but those whom you humbugged"———~ ir atopped suddenly, it was prol that he had recalled hie ender Has to Lockaly, who how said quietly: “Le Misa Mirabel here, Donald?” “ym thinkin’ Mise Meerabel will hae gone out,” he said, “Gone out!" echoed two voices, and Leoksl: erner tone than he had used hith % “Coase thie fooling, Dena . re @ heoes.” "al lant see her?” “Oh—!" the Locksley, and Donald but obey, Now David, in his campaign against the Boers, had picked up a few “schiim” dodges in the art of dis- | concerting an epponent; chiet among th though applied many mist befor ‘Wet or Delare: attained fame, As Led Ct rll a detachment from {the suid detachment firmly believed ithin thy sphere of 01 tions. a ine you know thie "veaoel, Hawk?" he whispered, you one? right to know? “David, | have been searching my ” hartered years very soul all day, and I realise that g¢oV?, hee Steclale fee the I can never be that man's wife in houne from n, but her name was other but name, If my father ts in als power, I must be told the why and the wherefore, I am not Karl of Montroa>,” said Mirabel. ‘The men will all be strangers to too?” suppose so, That man, Graham. 8. “You don't want to be rushed o! T am worthy of a confidence that my ¢ the mainland and London to-mor- father may share with a man like row, sweetheart?” Hawley. That Is all, David—not “David, how can you ask?” much Nght, vague guidance, The ‘Come with me to the edge of the path ts dark and dim, but the call of cliff. Macdonald will surely badger duty ts clear, If my fathe needs the inquirers for another five min- erifice, I will endure utes.” him, and then, when “What do you mean to do?" irrevocably, and my "Send that launch back to the p! id of detp she came from.” 1 shall not hesitate to end = “Rut how ‘o time for explanations. Hurry, waters, my agony in the only possible way David placed a finger on her lips, there's a dear! Please pilot me again, and drew her soft cheek to his own, x mauet are pig baled Por aa) than “You muat neither say nor even &t any other thme in my ire think such foolish things, dear,” he | After a brief acramble they reached murmured. “I agree that it in best to the summit of the small promontory tackle an intolerable situation here overlooking the rick Fadha, rather than postpone it uselessly, “Ship ahoy! outed David, mak- Now I, too, have been agitating my 10: braina, and I want you to take my | “Ahoy there!” came the answering advice, No matter when you come face to face with your father, you a that the Hawk?” must urge your just clajma, It is y hard for me to discuss this matter, ‘ou are to put Mr. Lockaley's and Mr. Hawiey's wage ashore In the pluinly, You have already Dorlin, and then return to Mull, The our father's wish nd a gentlemen will send ordera by Mac- taken place which may donald of Calgary when they want be Linding in law, Bul, Where will Macdonald find and it, there were stipu- " way on your “At Tobermorey. u feared that did yo say? nx would not be oo. then, on remaining ey. Avoid a definite 80 you must bear with me, dear, if f speak The baggaxe, Will ye be meanin’ the Ut portmantion?” “Yes, of course.” “An’ what'll be yer naine, mister?” but stick to your guns on Yavid Lindway.” Chat point. Meanwhile 1 shall have lp David Lindsay of the Fires tr Ww wequaintance of both Four ny cutter? and the Un paaker wat a Hawley, and unless Tam \ateu el | . xrievously in error [shail be volce clearly expressed Ale amase veal with the latter in uc! ” hat you will be legally fre iin in @ few months,” 1 Locksley josh! but that’s gr-reat, Sir Daytd, Yer tan jumped until the forefoot of the trawler that struck yer boat, an’ reported you and bis mate deid.” “Poor Farrow was killed, but T am r footsteps could b then they appeare distinetly all right. Get someone to’ telegraph Theciral shaves in the gloom, hurry. the news to the Hoyal Yacht Club, ground In front of the house Bone riers eth Macdonald wit! bring orders,” "One worsted, Si young leddy a! recht? “Absolutely, She ent!” Goodby, Hawk!" cried Mirabe} tering Into the spirit of wiv thing jouthy, miss Better not bide dong on Lunga, We're like tae hae anither bit blaw anny day Anxlous moimouts passed while the newoomer's belongings were tumbled inte the boat. ‘To make sure there would be ne bitch, David ran down But there were other wert ears on lunga that ni«ht. No sooner had David. the two men emerged from the Dor \ than Carlo began to bark loudly, shout hero at this e sound drew an excited from Hawley ‘She's here!" oath that might be pard expression of & doubt fi "That's the dow, He could not wet here without her," “Yes.” sald the other tn a votce that was ‘ther curlously une tional or thoroughly under restraint he Hawley did not seem to find the te the Dorlin— indeed, he nearly fell into remark comforting. it-and received two leather portinan ‘Anyhow, you'll be able now to '@ux. He gave the sailor who came yourself that L was not ro. ##hore a sovereign "to pay for the he su: roughly “Bhe telegram,” and, by the time he had from Dover aa nptotely Pelolued Mirabel on the cliff, the eo had fa na pitephafe, Hawk was taking # wide detour to Neve you pected ma of &¥uld the Hod Heet, poking up the to annoy you.” Meanwhile there w ight in “That waa har necessary, ft Argos, and Macdonald was annoyed already Jenving any knowledy Li “Hello, Carlo! Good deg! Don't whereabouts, nd quite stolidly re you know me?” fusing to give any explanation of his “Rut Carlo either did not know own visit tu the island that morning, Hawley, or, knowing him, harbored other than hia desire to gratify the a thorough-going dislike for him and “young leddy's’ wish to replenish her kept up f din that threatened devel- stores a# soon as the weather per- opmenta if the man entered the house mitted. in the dark. “T have a sort of notlor that she has “Sorry, Locksley; I ought to have gone in this fellow's boat," sald waited to help you," he sald, thouch Hawley, giving the Impassive fisher- with {l-concealed impatience, when man @ furious glance NEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVET THE TREASURE VAULT By ARTHUR B. RERVE Another “Craig Kennedy” sory, This time Kennedy, by scientific methods, brings to book @ cloner eriminal whose ability to master “burglar proof” vaults creates a baffling mystery. BEGINS IN NEXT MONDAYS EVENING WORLD -'that any possible enemy wae not t ie thet o, Ionaldy” demended 1 tun Hul abe may have tried to Go and oe” bonald ewung out and there wae evidently some talk ae to the Hawk, be Ue steamer oul Th he gasped ly dawned on ty steaming awa ‘ fernal place sloud, when n that (he veasel waa to the my ,e eo tired!” sighed the girl. “I nuppome every woman bas nerves, David, and mine have revealed their him to come for me when hey are asleep?” he said cheerily am in ud, dear, ao you must just do y are bid) To-night you sleep » board the Firefly, while I mount dat the foot of the path, By the h the Corran Donald wiil be halfway back, and a very pusated man, too, got knowing what has be. com In the Boon Mirabel wae tucked u bunk he meant to have cccupled him- but, before allowt her eyes, he knocked the head off a hottle of wine and made her drink « Mttle. Then he hauled out a couple of ollak is, spread one on t in the exact pi dropped exhausted after the yacht struck, covered himself with the other, and was sound asleep in five weve, fe awoke with tho dawn, 1 in at Mirabel, ascertained inne aha was sleeping peacefully, and atrode off to the house, # Macdonald was already astir, but the only of bewilderment that hardy cateran vouchaafed was to scratch his head ~ David walked softly up to the joor, “Yo were no in the cutter last necht? muttered Donald, when he had obeyed Linds*y's whispered tn- atructions, and brought the portable coffee pot and the Corran. everything that took place. Keep the pair of them here another hour, at But we are aware least. If necessary, aay that Mise Mirabel will come here then if t! are content to wait. couple of Gladston Dorlin, Fetch them, and say exactly which Is true—you suppose th left there by the men who wero L haadaa! our visitors ashore. Goodby, jac. night. You behaved splendidly last ag the dog quiet till I le will noon eve his mis- CHAPTER Xl. NCE the cutter had been hauled much closer under the cliff bordering the Cor-. ~ ran than the spot where whe lodged ehe could only be aeen from one small hump of Cru- achan, Thence, by look! closely. the Firefly's hull appeared through the Httle gap cut by the path. In the clear Hght of the hour after daybreak David eaw Mirabel etand- ‘ng In the yacht’e well, for she, too, was accustomed to rise with the eun, and was no laggani thie fine mern- ing, She waved a hand to him, and forthwith disappeared into the cabie. He went to the well, filled the ket- tle, and replenished the trough. By the time he had reached the Corran. Mirabel was awaiting him. Happily, these two were not af- fllcted with nerves, Though Mirabel was on the threshok of @ wretched day, she ate an excellent meal, and David cracked bis third egg amiably. “It 19 odd," he said, “how the keen air of early morning brings out the aroma of coffee, If people were wise, they would always breakfast out of doors when the weather permitted. “My fixed belief t@ that you should make a firm stand on the question of remaining constantly with Bir, Lecks- ley, It was easy to see last night that there was no love lost between him and Hawley. Your father wii hardly turn against you so com- pletely as to deny you the shelter his reof. If he does, if Hawle: influence is so strong that it pr dominates, you muat let me take you to my sister, and the subsequent wrangle can safely be lef: to the lawyers.” “The law cannot help me, David, and it may destroy my father. | know nothing of his early lite, Tain sure that the wicked man who haw caused 90 much suffering bus @ hold over lim that renders ap ap peal co the jaw impossible. “Mirabel, dear, you, Mike myse! are oreking in the dark for an ex panation Of @n outrageous thing The * have paased when a gir could be forced into such @ union for the rest of her life, Compulsion of tal sort is not sanctioned by public opinion, and 1 doubt very much if © upheld by the law. At any following my advice, you which 1g all-important." “LC gives me the chance of dealing with Hawley, 1 think the fellow ts a inere adventurer, He is not an American at all, 1 fancy, or, at best, vhe of & quite inferior variety.” “LL seems to me, David, that you ean deal with the tangle so much more effectually than I that you ouga to come with me, and give me your support—for the fret interview, at to be asked!" he “And now that the sun is erted. peeping over the hills, let me see if a camera will do you any sort of Justice,” (To Be Continued) 9 ‘ oaey |