CHAPTER XII.
A YOUNG GIRL'S DISMAY.
Robbed of her precious jewels!
No wonder Rose Alstine was dismayed.
How had the robber gained entrance to her room?
An examination of the windows, in fact all openings to the house, provedthem intact, and yet the fact remained that the robbery had beencommitted.
Miss Alstine sent word to the chief of police, who came at once, lookedover the premises, and promised to use every effort to discover theburglar.
Rose never once thought of her lover in connection with such a crime.
It was Miss Williamson who first called her attention to her visitor.
"There's no telling what men will do, cousin Rose."
"What do you mean by that?" demanded the heiress quickly.
"I mean that it is easy enough accounting for the loss of your jewels."
"Well?"
"Your friend, Mr. Bordine borrowed them, doubtless to tide over afinancial difficulty."
"Janet!"
"Well, you can't trust these men."
"But you shall not insult August with such insinuations," cried Rose,reddening indignantly.
"Well, he was your only visitor. If a burglar had entered the house therewould be some signs by which you could determine how he gained your room.None exist, so I say that it was undoubtedly that lover of yours whoborrowed his lady's jewels."
And then Miss Williams gave vent to a tantalizing laugh, that only servedto roil the feelings of Rose more deeply than ever.
"You ugly girl!" exclaimed Rose, "I ought to turn you out of this housefor such vile aspersions. I won't, however, for I know you are only doingthis to tease me."
"After all it is true."
"You don't believe any such thing, Janet."
"Yes I do."
Rose left her cousin, hot with indignation. She went to her mother, aweak invalid, who had no consolation to offer. That was not in her line.The word peevish would pretty well describe the condition of Mrs.Alstine, who had a chronic ailment that prevented her enjoying thehospitality of friends.
Two days passed with no solution of the mystery.
And during the time August Bordine did not come to the Alstine house. Forthis there was good reason. He was not yet able to move about comfortablyon account of his hurt. He read of the burglary in the morning paper, andwondered if the police would prove any more successful in capturing theburglars than they had in elucidating the Ridgewood murder mystery.
After the passage of twenty-four hours the young engineer became not alittle anxious with regard to Silas Keene.
The detective had promised to report before now, his visit to the saloonand interview Perry Jounce, the tramp.
"Why did he not come?"
"I can't stand this much longer," murmured August, as he sat still underthe burden of pain, waiting for some news from Keene.
Rose Alstine was not a strong-minded female, yet she possessed a will ofher own, and once she set her mind on an object she was destined toobtain it or make a desperate effort at least.
A sudden resolve entered her mind to visit the home of August Bordine andconsult with him on the mysterious burglary.
No sooner thought of than the impetuous girl proceeded to carry it intoeffect. She took a street car to the suburbs, and then, with directionsfrom the driver, set out to find the house of Mr. Bordine, which she hadnever visited.
These were among dwellings in Grandon similar to the one occupied byAugust Bordine and his mother.
In a little time the girl came to a halt in front of a cottage.
"This must be the place," thought Rose, opening the gate.
She went to the front door and rung the bell. No answer was vouchsafed,and concluding that no one was at home, Rose turned to retrace her steps,when she espied a summer-house at a little distance, from which themurmur of voices proceeded.
The house was almost hidden by dense foliage.
"August and his mother are out yonder, it seems," thought Rose. "I willgo to them, and give August a glad surprise." Then, with a light heart,the maiden tripped down a grass-lined path toward the summer-house.
She was to encounter a scene she little expected. Soon she was in thevicinity of the cool bower where August and his mother had retired forfriendly chat.
"Don't speak that way, Andrew; it hurts me."
It was the voice of a woman, and involuntarily the steps of Rose Alstinehalted. Could that be her lover's mother thus addressing her son? Thegirl was too deeply excited to notice that the name uttered was not thatof her lover.
Moving on, Rose soon stood where she could gaze into the summer-house.Then she came to a halt. It was a picture that poor Rose neverforgot--that presented to her at that moment.
She saw two persons in the little leaf-embowered room--a man and youngwoman.
The latter stood with hand clasped about the neck of the young man, whowas handsome in the extreme. Was there a handsomer man in Grandon thanAugust Bordine?
Rose did not believe it, and there he stood with that woman's armsabout his neck, her pale face upturned to his, the light of a pleading,all-enduring love in her dark eyes.
It was a love scene in every sense of the word.
Rose shuddered and grew white, yet she dared not advance, dared notinterrupt the scene presented to her gaze. Eavesdropping was foreign toher nature, yet at that moment it was not in her power to recede, and soshe was held in her tracks--compelled to listen to words that rent herheart like death itself.
"My dear, you wrong me when you imagine that I care for any one but you.I did disapprove of your following me here, for you know that I mustdepend upon my wits for a living, and I think I might do better withoutthe incumbrance of a wife."
"Oh, that is the same old argument. You have put me off with it time andagain. I wish you would consent to do as other people do, and live anhonest life."
"But I cannot. I must ever appear as a single man, for it would not do tolet it be known that I have a wife. Zounds, Iris, I would be out ofbusiness in short order."
For some moments silence followed these words.
The rather pretty woman whom the gentleman had termed his wife stillclung to the neck of her liege lord, evidently too much wrought up tospeak again.
"Come now, Iris dear, let this scene end here and now. I have a littlebusiness of a most important nature on hand, and time is precious."
He tried to disengage her hands, but she clung to him with wonderfultenacity.
Neither saw the girl in the shadow of the vines outside, who regarded thetwain with blanched cheeks, clasped hands, and eyes dilating with a weirdand awful suffering.
"Time is precious," uttered the lips of the young wife. "Alas! that itshould be so precious that you must needs neglect me. I wish to ask you aquestion, Andrew."
"Well?"
"Did you have aught to do with this robbery at the Alstine mansion?"
"Sh! my dear, that would be telling."
"I know you were up there two nights since."
"Ah, you were dogging my steps."
"No, but--"
"I cannot permit this to go on, Iris," uttered the man, sternly. "You areruining my business, Iris. I do wish you would return to New York."
"I will go when you go."
"Not before?"
"Not before."
Then fell a silence. There was a worried, half-angry expression on thecountenance of the man, that did not escape the notice of the girl, who,in spite of her inclination, was a listener to all that was taking placewithin the walls of the summer-house.
"Release me now, I must go," uttered the man, in accents that were harshand stern.
Still the woman clung to his neck.
"Oh, my darling, my darling!" she wailed, half-sobbing in the strength ofher emotion. "You must not go from me again, Andrew. I am your wife, andyou have no right to flirt with other women!"
Seizing her han
ds, he tore them loose and flung her violently aside.
"This is enough of this foolishness," he declared, angrily. "I want youto remain here in seclusion and behave yourself. When I can settle downwith a fortune, then I will acknowledge you before the world, and we willcut a swell; but let me tell you that if you envoke any further troublesimply because I visit other ladies occasionally, you will hear from mein a way that you little expect."
"OH, MY DARLING--MY DARLING!" SHE WAILED, HALF SOBBING INTHE STRENGTH OF HER EMOTION.]
The woman sank to a seat and covered her face with her hands, while agroan escaped her lips.
One glance he cast at her, then he turned and strode from the place.Another instant and he stood facing Rose Alstine, whose pallid face andflowing eyes quite startled him. "Heavens! you here?" he ejaculated,settling back in a tremor of dismay.