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Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 346, 25 December 1902, Page 2

for the PHHRTo? shyness, half cf leada many a woman to shrink away from the first hist of advance to which her hearf responds. Hcwe7er, even if a little aggrieved and cSended, he had no mind to -cut off his nose to spite bia face' by losing hie chance of No. 7 1 but he had no mors time than to inscribe his initials on her programme, and to observe that there were other dances to spare, which she might have given him had she chosen, when he perceived Harold Frayne approaching to ■ claim his dance. Frayne liked dancing, and Miss Hamilton's step went well with his; but to Urn this dance was no glimpse of Paradise, joata good waltz with a nice girl who waltzed well. He had, indeed, sought the dance with her chiefly as a means of fulfilling his promise to Agnes Thorold ; and if he were at all dizzy .at the close it was merely in his head. The dance over, he proposed a torn in the garden, bat Clarice demurred, she thought it wonld be too cool; he then suggested that it would be pleasant in the conservatory, reflecting that the conservatory would aff rd as good an opportunity as the garden for a tete-a-tete. "Wfcen Lc had succeeded in getting Clarice into a secluded corner—under the very palm-tree in the -.hade of which Sir Henry and his betrothed had lingered but now—he lost no time in introducing tho sub-% ject, with a not very succee?f al attempt at a casual air. 'I was talking to Mrs. Thorold the I and I—[ menthe pleasure of iemed very much i- ed, her eyes ger yet cautious I lived here ?* I mentioned it. Ed at it abruptly osee you.' looked startled w scarcely aetonlike to see her!' thoughtfully, aiit would not be at go to her. and •you will not res b ) little we can. her now.* thwart any wish, unkind, bur, Mr. eive how painful know that her ve of her seeing y avoided mencause there are he very thought oi me, trie mention or my name, must recall to her memory— any renewal of which, naturally, their great object U lo *hield her.'

' I understand/ he said. ' I know they rcean for the beat. I know their only anxiety u for h<r good. But in the cver■fratneu condition of her nerves, it may not be so £j.re what realty is beet for her. Now that she knows yoa ore here, if eh» wishes to eee yoa, it ia aife to deci'« t-at it is beatnottothwartherdesire? She has so few wishes, she cares for so little now'.' ' I know, it teems hard—hafd!' said. CaWc-?, with (hatred in her fve and voke. ' Bat, Mr. Frayne, indeed—indeed J am not as bard aa I may eeem to yoa I 1 would willingly—only too gladly—go to Agnte,, but, ssk yonrtt-if. how ii it poipiHla that I can her without the conB«i.r. against the will of her nearest, relfttivis, who stand almost in the posicion. of parents and guardiias to her ?' • x*Jpn _jjj.n*e th*-r ?' He iooked distu btilpbiied and disappointed. True, Clarice'd con;eit would only land hitn in a psl r ion of deeper difficulty, but her re-fas-Infant disappointing agnas; meant l his acknowledgment to her th*t the one' thitg she had a-k«<i him to d j for her bewaa < t v« rkbd to do! ' I do not decisively refuse.* she said.. hastily, yet hesitatingly. ■ I mast; think it ovur lam afraid it its impossible tor me to to manage it—yet I cannot bear to refuse any wish of bera without con-*idt-ricif whether it wou : .d be posaib>,. and right, for me to consent. You must see how i am pUced, between two impossibilities that of my «.*:ing. an uninvited, unwLshed-for visitor, to The Fir?,, and that f f a. king her to come to me." *lt could be manaaed.' ho suggeste*',, s mewtiit diffidently, euulenly ir g that tee arrangemri t he proposed w*h tcaicely respectful to Clarice. *I ra K ht **ko Mr* Thorold not for a drive, and ». —might—happen to meet' Ho yurc" v d the rxprewUfc cf doubt and tit- ik pi .1 ation uu Lor .'a.!. * I bey jour j;»fd >n/ he ad led hastily; I am presuming too fax/ 'No, no V shoassured him. 'I tee it w jour acx etj on her bohaif. Behere me, 1 -tn pithisa w.th it Hut Mr. Frayne,.

consent. Without his conas I do, his desire in tho matter, I cannot B9ek secret appointments even with her. If 3ir Henry is -aware of her wish, I do not think he would refuse her.'

' She will never, ask him,' Frayne sa ; d, moodily. 'You do not understand tho weak condition her nerves are in.' 'The more for that, should we nob hesitate at exposing her to the risk ot agitation?' she rejoined. 'Suppose it should upset her very much, we should be sorry, should feel we had done wrong. I will think it over seriously, Mr. Frayne, but at present I own I do not see how anything could be managed without Sir Henry's consent.' Frayne in his heart knew very well that she was right; but he tried, ostrichlike, to hide hiß eyes from recognising it. Blinded and confnsed by his desire to gratify Agnes'a fancy, to do the one thing thing she had asked him. at any cost, ho still could not but recognise, even if he would not acknowledge, the delicacy and difficulty of the position; he knew that in his endeavour te bring about a secret meeting between Clarice and Agnes he was disloyal to the confidences of h : B friend and host Clarice's reluctance perhaps hurt and annoyed him the m»re because he felt that bis scruples were right and reasonable. It was with relief that she perceived her next partner approaching in search of her, and Frayne nims9lf was not sorry when their interview was interrupted, although he had - failed to achieve the end with which he -bad sought it. | Mear while their tete-a-tete had not passed unnoticed. Emily Dunpier had observed their mutual absorption in their supposed-to-be-secluded corner, and anything that Emily observed would be sure to be very soon, brought, to the notice of others too.

'Gerard,' said Nettie presently, as she came in from the garden, * some of these Chinese lanterns down behind the refreshment tent are flickering and -flVinc a good deal more than they I wish you would just run down and have a look at them, and put any out that h?ve caught.' Gerard, who always fetched and carried for Nettie, and ran her errands with rao*e than the docility of a brother, went en this mission, end found that he had not been sent too soon. One or two of the string of brilliant-huod paper lanterns, which were Bwinging in the breeze, lad already flamed up and threatened to catch the frirged drapery o' the tent behind which they were festooned.

Aa Gerard Etepped hastily across the graas, and caught and tore down the nearest one, another man hurried forward from the opposite direction with a helping hand. The two together soon pulled do*n the blazing lanterns, but. as they trampled them out another caught ' They'll all catch j better pull down the whole lot/ suggested the stranger. * I think the end ones are all right, if we can tie up this c:>id a little ligoter,' said Gerard. ' Toere ! That'll do, if you will ju3t lend a hand with that one. Thank you for your help.' 'That's all right,' rejoined the other, with a free and easy tone, th* tone of an *qaal, as he fixed the lantern straight Uiislow, absorbed in bis task, had hardly glanced at the stranger who had coma to his assietanc?, untd now. Now he locked, and wondered who he waa. He was not in evening dress; he wore an overcoat. Nit a guesfc then, and certainly not one of the waiters A gentleman ; soinathing in his accent and manner left small doubt of that. If not a gu93t, who could he be, in the gardens at t hour ? * I think it's all safe now/ Gerard observed. There was no danger anyhow; but thanks all th 9 same for your helping hand.' * Not at all; it was no trouble/ said the stranger, and with a slight bow and an air of closing tbo incident, he turned as if to pass on his way. * Won't you eomi and have a glass of champagne/ sugi?v<;ted G rard hospitably. Invited guest or not. the man was certainly a gentleman, and had been helpful. The Strang r, however, declined the kind invitation with thanks, bat without wasting many words; and just then the distant sound of tb'< music striking up reminded Onslow that it was hia dance with Emily Dampier, and he returned to the house accordingly, turn in* a halfpnzzled glance backwards, however, and observing the celerity with which the unknown helper about wh~ se appearance he feit carious and half-uneasy, disappeared into the shadows of the shrubbery. It was only a square dance he was privileged to eijoy with Miss Dampier, a Lincers. ' Sir Henry does not like me to to waltz with anyone else/ she had murmured, with deprecating softness, 'aui I r<el it my duty to obey his wishes.; After tbo d.icce Onslow escorted his f»ir partner for a turn in the garden ; and she availed hertelt cf the opportunity of