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"THE TEMPLE OF LIES."

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"THE TEMPLE OF LIES." By J. B. HARRIS-BURL AND, (taifaor of KGabriel Janthry," "The Broken Law," "The Guardian of His Honour," "The Splendid Felon," Ac., &c. BEGIN THE STORY TO-DAY Chapter I.—In a cottage cm a Cardiganshire mountain, Brarys Jforgka, a ccnsumpti-»e, is being visited by Dr. Jones. ctf TrethoL Emrys, who has only three years to lire, persuades him to pro- claim his death, 111 order that his mother might secure the £ 10,000 for which he waa insured.—Chapter II. finds fL, mother waiting for news froca her son. A solicitor calls wl' h the aews that Eiurys has been left £ 300.000 by a Mr Bichard Morgan. Directly after Gwladvs ■Morgac, the daughter, receives a message from Dr. Jones that Emxys had "died." Emrys, having pre- deceased his relative, the legacy reverts to Owen Hughe5, tii& hero.—Chapter ill. opens with an interview between Owen Hughes aca oLdrey Anwyl, the daughter ol one of ■too richest men in Wales, in which he oarfeses his love for her. Alidiey tells him that she loves Emrys. Morris Anwyl, Audrey's father, enters, and a discussion takes place on the tjuoeiion of capital led labour, In which Anwyl lcsea his temper, Owen having championed the men's cause.—In Chapter IV Dr. Jones receives a telegram from Gwladys Morgun, wiently asking him to oome tc Cardiff, when she attempts to bribe him.—Chapter V. tells how Emrys is ahoct to escape from the cottage when there comes a knoclt at the door It turns out to be a tramp, who robs Emrya Emrye seizes a whisky bottle and strikes the mam on the head, leaving him unconscious.— In Chapter VI. a solicitor calls ami informs Owen Hughes of his good icruin-e. He cecides to use it for t.h benefit of hi3 fellow-men.—Chapter VII.—EmTys ■rriTes at Cardiff Dock?, and satis on the Hypatia under A blow that would have knocked out a prize-fighter. I the assumed name of William Bees. He decides to see Audrey acce m;1e, and with that Intention goes up •own.—Chapter VITI.—Gwladys calls upon Audrey. In IIIn interval of silence there comee a sharp tap upon the window. Gwladys dTaws aside the curtain, =d, by the aJd of the electric light, eees something move back into the darkness. In the morn!ng Audrey goes inio tfce garden and, to her consternation, picks up a gold zcatch-box which she had given to JSnsrys.— Cr IX.—Dr David Jones reads in a newspaper of the total of the Hy-patia. The only sttrrivor is • Elan named Artbur IjpUins. The doctor then calls upon Lawyer Griffiths, who informs him that Mrs. JJjrgan intends to hnve her son's body ex binned. Dr. Jones returns home and poijons himself. He leaves a message for his sister Miry, in which he aska her to bide her time and then strike without mercy.—Chapter 3.—Three years pass, and Owen H^tgtoea it now a iarge employer of labour, with all his men as share- fccldera. He is busy in his office when his solicitor calls aiid imparts tie information thit his benefactor (Mr. Richard Morgan) had been secretly married in Irfmdon when he was 42 years of age, and that & acs bad been born. H9 instructs the solicitor to advertise 3r the papers for this heir.-Chapter XI.-Audrev visrts a dying woman. Her husband (James Roberts), ooining home drunk, attempts to kiss Audrey. She screams for hefp, pid Own Hughes rushes in from tl>e street to her rescue.—Chapter XII.-Standing at her bedroom. window, Gwiadys >Ionra": givee a cry of honor, for out in the street she fancies sloe has looked upon the lace of the lead-her brother Emrys. CHAPTER XI. (continuod). For a few moments neither of the two men jnov«d. Owen ilughea was half dazed by the terrible blow. He had not been prepared for anything of this sort, -as he might have been yr Tames Roberts had not been so completely Bt his mercy. Be had been qmick, but not quick enough with his guard, and bad paid the xioual penalty of under-estimating' the power of his adversary. As a consequence, j he was knocked out for a few seconds, &nd mi?ht ha.ve fallen if the wan of th? pcsgage bad not been there to support him. James Roberts, who migh?t have woa a.n instant victory, if he had followed up his temporary advantage, had turned to look at ArHroy Anwyl, a.nd he had a confiwcd idea j that be had struck her as well as Owen Hughes. The delusion only lasted for the j tenth part of a minwte, but when it had passed the men who leant against the waJl "bad partly recovered himself. "Yon git cut of my house," Boberts onaaq,ed, -,and take her with you. Rich and poor be aJike in this, that their houses be their own- I b ain t a-fra-id of yoc. for I' ext YOICW raoney. You git, amd take her with m t-I yctBT nrooey. You git. aoid ta.ke her with j He ad-vn-noed threateningly towaids Hughes, whom he now regarded as a coward, and clenched his great muscuLar riglit band. "If yoa don t go," he growled, "1 11 do for j yem, by Gawd, I will." Hughes &q?a<Ted his 3hcnWers, shifted bii jj ]t ro? a few ineh?m. and watched the brute's j face. The next moment Roberts a J blow that w<mld have half-killed a man if it had fonnd its mark. As it was, however, it phased harmlessly over Hugheals ehouider. Roberts staggered baok. clutolung at has breast with both his bands, fteU to his kneea, and then roiled over on the ground. Rcgbes bad jabbed him over the bouxt with a. blow tfcat wou-ld have knocked out a. prize-fighter. Paying no attention whatever to the fallen man, the young ooalowner strode papt him, pioked up Awirey in his atrme and. carrying ber into ttoe sitting room, laid her on a.8IIord ■nfo. Then be returned to the ball door, and biew a police wbastle. The street was empty, but at the aoirod of that shrill and well- ittwwn call, doors and windows began to open. and lim. Thomas from next door was first on tihe scene. "There is a woman ill wpefcaiTS," he said. --plea,se go to her at once, and tell ber that notbing is the matter. I and the poaee will deal with the rest." Iftrs. Thomas looked at the greM body whieh balf blocked up the halU grinned, and passed wp the stairs. She returned with the informa- tion that the door was locked, and tbat she fceud picked up a key in the passage. "Try tibait," Huighes said curtly, "and if it doesn't ftt. I'll bare the door broken down. Bpeak to Mrs. Roberta and tell her there is K»thin £ to fearr." A crowd bad gathered outside the door by now. and a burly policeman forced bobs way tfrjrtxjpo. the gaping men and women. It waa not the first time be had been summoned to that bouee, but iít was the first time he had foruid James Roberts so easy to deal with. iHogbee explained in a few brief sentences. I want a. doctor and a. taricab." be said in ooncAnsion. "Yofl must deal, with that brqlte yoocaeif. I'd send for the ambulance if I vwre you, acd get him away while be ll so cjniertJy Then he reeezered the arttins-room, okseed gbe door, and set to work to try and recover Audrey to her seoeee. He found some water in a jug, and some rank, but powerful brandy in the enpixxud. In two or three minutes she opened her agree, aghed, and plorsed them again. He gave her a few more drape of the spirit, and she oooghed till the team ran down her cheeks. "Everything is all right," be said with a Quiet smile. "Roberts has been safety dis- posed of. I am unhurt, and the woman npstaxra seems used to this sort of thing: Yau. are the oniy one of as that I'm aoxious aixmt." "I—I'm bettor," she aid fainKiy. "Are you once-Qutbe sore you are not ILU.-t?" Quite sore* Aadrey," be replied; "the fellow ceagtat me a nasty cUp over the head, hot I P my own back, and have oopme op wrrfttne. rve sent for a cab and » dooior, and as &oon aa yonre better MR Mbb yoa. bona." 0Ia. it JOB bad not «oaM)w«," sba mar- M-ared. "I think God must have sent you." I Roberts works on my mine," he answered gravely. I've a new acheme on hand, and I wanted to talk to each one of the workers individually about it. That does more good than addressing a meeting. But he'll work elsewhere for a little while." "You will not be hard on him, Owen," aihe pleaded. "Remember that the blow will fall on his wife, a.nd she is a dying woman, and ¡ she l-avæ her husband." "Loves that I>rute! he exclaimed. "The idea is ridiculous." Yes, she loves him, Owen, in spite of all tihe ha-3 suffered at his hands. Please be merciful to him—for my sake." "For your sake, Andrey?" he queried slowly. Then the hot colour rushed into his face. "Yes, of coarse," he added hastily. I will gladly do whatever you wish. Love is a. strange and wonderful thing, Audrey." It was the girl's turn to change colonr. Owen Hughes had referred to the love of Mrs. Roberts for her husband, and had bad no thoughts of his own affairs. But Audrey Anwyl put another meaning into the words. I will do what I can," he continued, but I sent for the police, and the matter is now in their hands. He will have to be punished, but I will kee<p him on the mine, if you wi?h it, and see that his wife does not want while j he is in prison." "I am sure you will do all you can, Owen. She has not a penny!" "Not a. penny?" he queried slowly, "and yet he hag been getting good wages, and it was only a month ago that he drew thirty pounds as his share of the year's profits on the I mine." "He has not a penny. He has lost it all betting and gambling." Owen Hughes was silemt. The news was a severe and cruel commentary on his scheme for the betterment of the working classes. Then he kwig-hed bitterly. This was the kind of man that should bs made an example of, that should be shown no mercy. His lips tightened and a. hard look came over his face. The girl read bis thoughts. "The woman," she whispered, "there is something holy and wonderful in her love." Owen Ruighet, looked down at her white face, then, seize-, by a sudden impalse, he caught hold of her bapd amd raised it reve- rently to his lips. "There is something wonderful and holy," he said, tenderly, "in every woman's love." An hour later Owen Hughes had seen Audrey safely to the door of her feather's home, and he was driving home a-lone in the e»b. As he It-ant baok in the*darkness, with folded arms and a cigarette between his lips, his thoughts were entirely of the woman he had juet left, and &.11 the other events of the evening were no more than a background to that slender form and that delicate face with its deep blue e~es and corn-coloured hair. For three years his work had occupied his life to the exclusion of everything else. Now suddenly he eoemed to have been caught up and flung back into the paet-that distant past, when his heart was so much younger, so much more capable of love. Ha had never forgotten Audrey Anwyl. but he had wilfully thrust all thought of her from his mind. He had told himself again and again that there was no room in lis heart for love. And now he had held her in his arms, and had touched her hand with his lipe. The I physical oontact had scorched him like 'flames. A man may see a woman every day, and if he is a strong man, may strangle hi? love with an iron hand. Lot him once touch her, however, and his strength is r broken. Ow«n Hughes knew that his work would ■ never be the same to him aagain, that hence- forward, to the da.1 of his death, it would |-«4taTe his heart with the woman he loved. CHAPTER XII. I Gwladys Morgan stood by the window of her bedroom and looked out across the town that lay white and black in the moonlight— the town that seemed to sleee, yet never slept. Her dark hair hung down upon her rfioulders like a oloud and framed a. face so doeah-ly white that it soareelx seemed like the face of a living woman. Her lipe were parted and her eyes seemed to be looking at something beyond the great city beyond the doefcs, where there was the glint of moon- light on many a. pool, and the masts and funnels of vessels seemed no more than clusters of chimney pots and clothes poles in the digtance--beyond even the sea, where there was a white pathway on the waters, and a siHtdba-nk ran out like the crooked finger of a man's hand. She was clad in a thin dressing gown, and the room was bitterly cold after the warm bed in which she had spent two hoars of a sleepless night. But Gwladys Morgan did not seem to feel the cold, though her feet were bare. a.nd a keen w4nd came under the wainscoting. She et-ocd there, motionless as a marble statue, with a frozen heart and a. brain of living flame. On the dressing table by hsr side, silver- backed brushes and trays and boxes amd trmkets gtittered like sfcars in the moon- light, and ia their midøt a diamond stair flamed bloe and white and ormige. The room was large and comfortable, and there were many handsome dresses in two maho- gany wardrobes. Gwiadvs Morgan and her mother were no longer poor. The cirl had no further need to work with her hands, to be the general servant of a poverty stricken household. For three years, thanks to the generosity of Owen Hughes, they bad lived in comparative luxury. Yet the money that be gave them had burnt into the heart of Gvrlady* Morgan, as though every sovereign of it had been made of white hcxt gold. Love, ae Audrey Anwyl bad said. is a holy and a wonderful thing, but the hatred that follows hot upon tke heels otf love is a devil unchained from hell. For more than three yeatre the dearest wish of Gwladys Morgan's heart bad been to take vengteanoe on the man wiboan onee she bad kwed. Day after day had she tried to think out some plan for blackening has name and raining has career. Ifigtrt after night she bad dreamed of the boor wbm abr. abnakL Jwakbto- but JxMfe* dost, when he wautri cry oak to-ber for mercy, and would And none. But still these were only dream*—tbe foolish dreams of a woman who bad no power to hurt a. rich, and snceesBftal man. And on this cold winter's night, as sbe stood at the window and looked out beyond the booses, beyond the docks, beyond even^ihe water of the sea, she knew how nseless it all ii", she knew that she was wearing out her strength in vain, beating with feeble hands against a wa,a of steel. The other woman, Audrey Anwyl, the daughter of Owen's most powerful enemy, could, perhaps, have struck the blow, but she. Gwiadys Morgan, was helpless as a. child. And the tofcrng1 of the money," she thought; rt is that wtoioh eat-s into my soul." She sterped aside into the shadow of the oartaine, as a man camie srrolling1 slowly nip the road, waiting for him to pass. But to her snlrprise he did not pas! He stopped opposite the house and staIred up at the window. His book was to the moon, and she oould not see his faee. She took no into- rest in him whatever, though it was late for anyone to be abroad. For five minutes he remained there, a tall, rather slender man, with a wide, fur oollair to his 008.t. Then he walked on again, and the light of a street lamp fell upon his features. Gwladys Morgan gave a ory of horror, and gripped the cua-tain with her hand. She had looked upon the fam of the dead. (TO BE CONTINUED TO-MORROW.)

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