Part 66 (1/2)

April 26th--All has been arranged, and we start to-nity He seems afraid tofound out that I am the ”chaplain”, he has refrained from familiarity My self-love is wounded, but my patience relieved Query: Would not the majority of mankind rather be bored by people in authority than not noticed by them? James North declines to answer for his part I haveback on the pleasant hours I have spent, felt saddened It is not likely that I shall have abond who, having been allowed to sit by a cheerful fireside for a while, is turned out into the wet and windy streets, and finds them colder than ever What were the lines I wrote in her album?

”As so footsteps through the streets returning, Seeing through blinding rain a beacon shi+ne Fro,--

”Pauses an instant at the reddened pane To gaze on that sweet scene of love and duty, Then turns into the et night again, Lest his sad presence mar its homely beauty”

Yes, those were the lines With more of truth in them than she expected; and yet what business have I senti fool this North is!”

So, that's over! Now for Norfolk Island and ation

CHAPTER II THE LOST HEIR

The lost son of Sir Richard Devine had returned to England, and made claim to his name and fortune In other words, John Rex had successfully carried out the schehts of his old convict-cos, or pausing in a calculation concerning a race, John Rex often wondered at the strange ease hich he had carried out so ly difficult an imposture After he was landed in Sydney, by the vessel which Sarah Purfoy had sent to save hi than that froe of enforced companionshi+p with an unloved woned servants enabled Sarah Purfoy to instal the escaped convict in his rooe state of society which prevailed of necessity in New South Wales at that period, it was not unusual for assigned servants tothe free settlers, and when it was heard that Mrs Purfoy, theof a whaling captain, had married John Carr, her storekeeper, transported for embezzlement, and with two years of his sentence yet to run, no one expressed surprise Indeed, when the year after, John Carr blossomed into an ”expiree”, master of a fine wife and a fine fortune, there were many about him ould have h But John Rex had no notion of rehttime his search was unsuccessful Much as she loved the scoundrel, Sarah Purfoy did not scruple to tell hiarded him as her property He knew that if he e-bonds, the woman who had risked so much to save him would not hesitate to deliver him over to the authorities, and state how the opportune death of John Carr had enabled her to give naht once that the fact of her being his ould prevent her froainst him, and that he could thus defy her But she reminded him that a word to Blunt would be all sufficient

”I know you don't care for rim complacency; ”but your life is in allows”

In vain, in his secret eagerness to be rid of her, he raged and chafed

He was tied hand and foot She held his money, and her shreit had more than doubled it She was all-powerful, and he could but wait until her death or some lucky accident should rid him of her, and leave him free to follow out the scheht, in his solitary rides over the station of which he was the noland with a plausible story of shi+pwreck, and shall doubtless be received with open ar parted Richard Devine shall have his own again”

To be rid of her was not so easy Twice he tried to escape froht you, John,” his partner had laughed, ”and you don't get away from me Surely you can be content with these coly and repulsive, ao to England, Sarah”

She tapped her strong white fingers sharply on the table ”Go to England? No, no That is what you would like to do You would be master there You would take my money, and leave me to starve I know you, Jack We stop here, dear Here, where I can hand you over to the first trooper as an escaped convict if you are not kind to me”

”She-devil!”

”Oh, I don't mind your abuse Abuse me if you like, Jack Beat me if you will, but don't leave e woman!” he cried, in sudden petulant admiration

”To love such a villain? I don't know that I love you because you are a villain A better man would be wearisome to such as I am”

”I wish to Heaven I'd never left Port Arthur Better there than this dog's life”

”Go back, then You have only to say the word!” And so they would wrangle, she glorying in her power over thehimself with the hope that the day was not far distant which should bring him at once freedom and fortune

One day the chance carateful scoundrel stole five hundred pounds, and taking two horses reached Sydney, and obtained passage in a vessel bound for Rio

Having escaped thraldoreat stake of his life with the utmost caution He went to the Continent, and lived for weeks together in the tohere Richard Devinehi the acquaintance of old inhabitants, drawing into his own hands all loose ends of information which could help to knit the meshes of his net the closer

Such loose ends were not nunificant, to leave strong e accidents the deceit of an assumed identity is often penetrated Soht suddenly appear with keen questions as to trifles which could cut his flimsy web to shreds, as easily as the sword of Saladin divided the floating silk He could not afford to ignore the nificant circumstances With consummate skill, piece by piece he built up the story which was to deceive the poor est private fortunes in England

This was the tale he hit upon He had been saved fronorant of the death of Sir Richard, and pro feature of his character, he had determined not to return until fortune should have bestowed upon him wealth at least equal to the inheritance from which he had been ousted In Spanish America he had striven to accumulate that wealth in vain As vequero, traveller, speculator, sailor, he had toiled for fourteen years, and had failed Worn out and penitent, he had returned holish earth in which to lay his weary bones The tale was plausible enough, and in the telling of it he was arator of the captured Osprey, the man who had lived in Chile and ”cut out” cattle on the Carru, seamanshi+p, or Spanish customs Moreover, he had detere of human nature

The will under which Richard Devine inherited was dated in 1807, and had been low of paternity

By its terms Lady Devine was to receive a life interest of three thousand a year in her husband's property--which was placed in the hands of two trustees--until her eldest son died or attained the age of twenty-five years When either of these events should occur, the property was to be realized, Lady Devine receiving a sum of a hundred thousand pounds, which, invested in Consols for her benefit, would, according to Sir Richard's prudent calculation exactly co absolutely to the son, if living, to his children or next of kin if dead The trustees appointed were Lady Devine's father, Colonel Wotton Wade, and Mr Silas Quaid, of the firm of Purkiss and Quaid Thavies Inn, Sir Richard's solicitors