Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-09-11
THE ~
LITTLE WAIP.
A Story Of Absorbing Interest.
ey BERNARD HERBERT.
CHAPTER VIII.
vuLrURE AND DOVE.

opeechless With apprehension and
dread, poor little Oracle was only able
to shake her head.
Had visitant from the grave sud
denly appeared before her she could
not been more terrified. She had con.
cluded, and with reason, that if the
face of the drowning man she had seen
from the deck of the doomed Oregon
were in truth the face of Max Boyden.
and no hallucination of her excited
brain, her arch-enemy must be at the
bottom OF the sea. She had studied
every face on board the steamer
"Fulda, every face that came within
the range of her vision.
Alas, poor child, her sense of security
was fallacious. The viciously hand
some face of Boyden was among the
rescued aboard the "Fulda," though
she saw it not. He had been picked IN
with the rabble of the cast-a-ways, and
no one had asked questions as to his
presence there. And why should a
question be asked? There were no
passenger-lists in all that hubbub to
consult
Yet Max Boyden had stood on the
deck of the mysterious schooner |!
Whether he had been saved the com
mission of or committed a crime on
that fatal morning is o matter of which,
for the present, must rest in the hands
of God and justice.
When she did not answer him, only
stood staring at him in baleful fas-
clnatlon, he continued suavely:
If Mr.. Arnim is not in, perhaps
may have the pleasure of seeing his
good mother?"
At that, little Oracle p1ucked M
sufficient courage to say:
Il cannot see what it matters to you
whether Mrs. Arnim is in or out. She
is not in, however"
Boyden's dark eyes burned with a
mystic, lurid fire for an instant as he
gazed fixedly at the girl.
Dear mel" he exclaimed, chow
changed you arel Not at all the we'll.
behaved, gentle, little girl who waited
SO faithfully upon my poor uncle in
England. L scarcely recognize youl
You've grown woman since we last
met, and beautiful one, tool"
Gracie's fower-like face flushed
crimson at the insult and her small
white hands clenched into hard knots.
Leave the housed" she commanded
4 beg pardon ?" he asked, mock.
ingly.
Leave the house, Mr.. Boyden," she
repeated boldly, cor will go into the
street and call the police!"
You'll have to pass me in order to
do that, my dear girl; and even if I
suffered you to be so foolish, pray
what complaint have you to enter
against me? I am a patron of your
friend, Mr.. Arnim. I have written
him note, which he does not appear
to have received, changing our place of
meeting for this evening from my no.
tel to his house. I expect him every
moment. do not think he will be in
clined to turn me out of doors when he
comes, do you?"
"He would if I told him all know
about you" was the plucky retort.
Indeed? And what could you tell
him ?"
That you were the instigator Of Mr..
Clifford's murder!"
Max Boyden smiled blandly.
Il fear you are meddling with edge
TOOLS" he said, "the use of which YOU
do not understand If you go too far,
you may cut your own fingers. In
other words, when you see fit to accuse
a man of instigating murder, you
must be well armed with the proofs to
back your statements. Have you any?"
She was silent, and the flush died
out of her face, leaving it asnen gray.
You have done nobly in shielding
your unfortunate father from the gall
lows" he continued, land / would not
advise you to do anything now to ieop-
ardize his safety"
Once again a strange light famed in
her eyes.
II might speak here if choose
she said, "since he is safe in England!"
who is safe in England ?"
my father,
On the contrary, Nicholas Garland
arrived in New York by the Alaska
only yesterday"
ut is false!"
Il ask your pardon; have seen him
and can take you to his place of refuge
within thirty minutes.
Here was poser indeed. Her father
in America, and within half an hour OF
her own hiding-placel
Oh, fate was hard upon herl The
curse had followed her in very truth
For minute or two the poor child
stood there spellbound with horror,
staring straight before her, with the
full light of the gas falling all about
her; and Boyden watched her as a
ravening beast watches its prey, vet
pauses in admiration ere it seeks to de-
YOUR it.
Oracle was first to break the oppres-
sive silence.
"Well," she said, and her low tense |
tone betrayed the desperate frame of |
her mind, Il may as well give up: it is |
40 use struggling; am doomed. What
10 you want of me ?"
"Of you?"
Yes, of me. You do not want vour
,ortrait painted; you care no more for
he man who has befriended me than
on do for the wind that blows. You
re after me. So say what you have to
nd let me know the worst"
I'VE cannot stand here talking" he
lid; "come into this room"
He led the way into the studio and