NOVEL.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 411, 31 March 1904, Page 2

NOVEL.

(Continued.) Yet ha did not ask her, the climax hung fire, Peihipp, ia deed, it might never have ooae off at all, had not an event taken place which hurried Mary Boss's destinies along with it in a totally unexpected manner. . The Matqnis of Darberly wrote to his heir presumptive, and informed him that he was about to be married to a kdy of twenty-five years of age; and with some polite regrets for spoiling his prospects. he advised kia young cousin to follow his example and to marry some lady himself whose dowry might compensate him for disappointment. This marriage meant death to s|U Herbert Biwle's hopes He was deeply in debt, and had only carried on his axistenoa for soma years past by means if large loans, raised upon his expectation?. Everything now threatened to tnmUe about bia ears, and absolute rain star:d him in the face. Mrs. Trelawney's modest jointure was of nosort.of use to him now. Mrs Trelawney's modest jointure was of no sort of use to him now. He heavad a big sigh when he thought of her, and two bilter burning tears gathered in his eyes, for as far as, euch a person was capable of loving anybody beside himself, Herbert B&wle undoubtedly loved Blanche "TreUwney. He wrote her a broken-hearted letter, called himsalt by every bad name under the. sun, and bade her forget him

Then he dressed himself carefully, pinned a white gardenia in his button' hole, and after an excellent and recherche dinner at White's Ciub, betook himself to the Alderworth's ball in Upper Groavenorstieet And at the Alderworth's ball he met Mary Boss, and laid himself and his broken fortunes at her feet.

'I am a pauper, Mary, and am over head and ears in debt,* he told her; 'and now my cousin D*rberly is going to be married, I haven't even any future prospects. I love you deeply, but I dare not aspire to your hand. I had better wish you good-bye for ever.' ' Why should you wish me good-bye f' answered Mary in all good faith, for this frank confession of his position pleased her infinitely—it seamed to her to be so honest, so straightforward. ' I am not going to part frcm you, Herbert—if you love me. What dote anything else matter tome?*.*

■ ' But I hava no money, Mary.' •I have eaough for us both,' she answered, smiling. ' But my debts V 'Father shall pay them all tff Oh, my dear, what on earth does such a miserable thing aa money signify between two people who love one another ? And I love you so much, Herbert!' eho added, shyly, slipping her hand into hia under cover of the darkness of the conservatory, where they were sitting out a polka together. Captain Biwle gripped the hand—it was a broad substantial hand, two uiz;a bigger than U-anche T;elawney'B, he thought—and he murmured a lover-like word below his bteath.

■ I can hardly teheve that it ia true—- * calif tiu:—that you love nut!' waispered Mary bade, edging hertelt a little closer to h-i lover's shoulder. 'I wu u j afraid there was someone else whom jou cared ftr. Are yon euro, Herbert, that it ia me, isd not that beautiful Mrs Trelawney, jrhom you love ?' ' Of c urea I am sure, you silly child!' he answered gaily. ' Blanche Trelawney and I are just good old friends—nothing more!' And Mary believed him firmly and entirely. Well, the engage meat was ratified and made public; the marriage was to take place some time in October, and all went ma*ily and happily with the br:d>eleet. Mr Bote had teen at fi'bt a little taken aback by the debts ana the absolute lack of funds * Lfcn bis wculd-be son m-Uw disclosed to him the state of his affairs, but Mary pleaded so hard, and was so d-sperately in earnest in her love, that eventually he cossentrd to the match and agreed to clear the ycusg man before he married his daughter. Tin good mm consoled himself, too, by tie reflection of a contiagescy cunningly suggested to him by Captain Biwle himself. After ail, the fcuquis of Daxberley might not improbably have no heirc, his u-arriage might prove a childltes one, and in that case nothing on earth could p«v*ut Herbert Bawle from . becoming in due time a maiqaia, and bis daughter from becoming a marcht-u.a .

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ABBANGEMENT MAM'S FIRST LOVE,

BT Mrs Lovett Cameron-

COPTBIGHT

This thought was balm in Oilead to the eon! of James Boss. And now, soon after all was satis f aetorily settled and arranged, and Mary ia the seventh heaven of her fool's Paradise, there came the first faint rumblings of the impending storm. Bid news from the North. Banks that atopped payment, businesses that suddenly failed, shipa that were wrecked on the high seas. All these things came one on the top oi the other, and they affected Mary not a scrap at the beginning of them; it was a nuisance, of course, in the middle of the Dartmouth B?gatta that Mr Boss should have had to leave his wife and daughters with their guests on the yacht, and hurry up to Glasgow on business.

But although Mrs Boss looked rather anxious and worried Mary did not care a little bit, save only in a dutiful filial rescuer, that she had to do without papa for the time. Had she not her lover with her? Herhandßome, delightful Herbert with whom she was more recklessly a*r: madly in love than ever! Ted and Hoien Welton were staying en the yacht, too, and a Foreign Office clerk who was paying eeriou3 attentions to Helen; also a cousin of her own, niece to Mrs Boss, a Miss McClod, to whom Ted was told tff The young people were aH very happy together, and did not trouble their heads at all about Mr Em's affairs on the banks of the Ciyde. But it was a time of commercial crashes and failures. There was a panic in the city, everything was breaking up in the financial world. There were strikes and rumours of strikes in the air, and rich men on the Stock Exchange were reduced m a day to beggary. One day Herbert E*wle, after a perusal of the morninjr papers, said to his betrothed : 'I hope your father's absence is not connected in any way with all these crashes in the C«y. He is in London now, again, I believe; has he been hit at all in these panicß P' 'Oh, no. I don't suppose. sV answered Mary carelessly. 'Whyshould hebeP'

• And yet I see that several large mercantile houses in Scotland, and notably at Glasgow and Greenock, have gone bankrupt altogether,' persisted Captain Bawle rather anxiously. Mrs Eoss, who was passing along the deck at the time when the lovers were sitting together under the awning, overheard the words, and paused to answer them. She was very pale, poor woman, for she knew. But she wub loyal to her absent lord, and he had told her to deny every ill rumour that she might hear. ■lt is our only chance,' James E <ss had written to her. 'lf we can tide over our next week we may pull through, but if McDonald and Turpin go they will pull us down with them, for we have just transacted an unusually large order for them, and if they are unable to pay next week it is aU up with us. But hope for the beet and dtny everything. It is most important to keep up our reputation.' Ho, faithful to her orders, M« E)bs emiled a wan smile as Bhe stopped by her future Bon-in-law's deck chair.

' Oh. ihat does not sffast Mr Kiss at al', Herbert. Hia house is on far too firm a basis to be touched by all these panics whicn aie carrying off the smaller firms who have not bo much capital to fall baci. upon. Of course, it makes MrE>ss extra busy, and he has to go backwards and forwards between London and Scotland three or four timts It is all very harassing and worrying for him, but he is ail right, I am thaukful to say.' Herbert Biwle believed her, and took heart of grace. They went for a 1 ovdy cruise that morning upon the dancing blue waters of the Channel, and the beautiful yacht swung gaily before the breeze, and the young peoplo sat in pairs about the deck, and the Foreign Office clerk proposed to Helen Wei on, with the experienced help cf the skipper, taught Jessie M'Ciotd how to steer the ship, whilst Herbert and Mary eat forward in the bows and whispered loving t hiugs to one another ia perfect happiness and security *

For really Captain Biwle was beginning lo be quite fond of Mary by this time; she was bo fUtteringly in love with him, so absolutely devoted to him, and so submissively anxious to fulfil his faintest wishes. Besides whbh, it was so pleasant to ba so well cartd for and so well fed, to I:ve is the lap of ricbes and luxury. He really did appreciate his surroundings ,xaeui-.•;), and was looking Jforward very

m«ch to the ample provision for tbe tutor* which his wealthy father-in-law proposed to make for himself and hia bride, aad the home in May fair/ tie hunting box is the ahirw, and the eomi f ortable allowance which was to go with Hum. It would all be very pleasant and insurious, and if Mary was to be the necessary encumbrance to these things, the was at any rate as little of a nuisacca snd as nice a girl as sach a rich heiress could be expected to be. 'She might have been much worse,' Captain Bawle told himself. ' When she is married to me and I have licked her into Bhape a little more, she will really be quite presentable; and lam sure I shall not be ashamed of her in any society.' So he was quite happy this morning, smoking his pipe by her Bide, whilst the schooner flew over the dancing waves, and aa he had not seen Blanche Trelawney for a long time now, he really quite thought that he had got over his infatuation for that lovely lady. Once in the session of their shelteredcorner, Mary nestled her head against her lover's shoulder and put np her hand caressingly to his face. • Do yon really love me, Herbert ?' she whispered. ' Why, yes. Mary. Of course.' 1 Oh!' with a little gasping sigh, 'it almost frighteas me such happiness sacnu too much—too great to last! Oh, Herbert, if anything were to part us, I think it would kill me 1'

' Silly child! What on earth can part us P Are you thinking of throwing me over, pray, Miss Bibs P' For all answer Mary pressed the longfingered aristocratic hand furtively and passionately to her lips, and at that moment the cry' Put about!' rang along the ship, and the yacht swung sharply round to the helm, and the sails flattered noisily as they met the wind, and the bowsprit veered round and poisted back towards the coast And if Mary Bras bad only known it, that signal of return was the signal for her also of the end of her good days. The next hour, which took them back to their moorings in Dartmouth Harbour, was her last happy hour for many a day. A 8 soon as ever the anchor had clanged heavily down over the side of the yacht the steward came on board with the 1 tters, and with the letters there came ■Br-4e*egram—from Mr Bjbb to his wife: 'Very bad news. ; Come up to town at once with That was all, yet to Mrs Rica, who had been dreading a catastrophe for days past, it was quite enough to tell her that the worst had come to pass la one short hoar everything was altered on board the jacht All was confusion and dismay, guests and hosts alike were hurriedly pac&ing up and preparing for departure. Then came leave-takings, which were cob strained and painful on both sides Somehow, the truth had 6ked

oat—that Mr Boss had bees hard hit, and that something like bankruptcy had befallen the great firm of Boss and Co.

For all Mrs Boss's reticence she had been unable to deny this much, and when people are in trouble the first thought of their friends and acquaintances is to get away from them as quickly as possible. Ted Weltcn w?s taking his sister home, the Foreiga OiSca clerk had telegraphed to some friends at Torquay to take him in, Jessie MtCleod waa to join her mother in North Wales, and Captain' Herbert Biwle announced that he should &o to his married eister's in Dorsetshire. Mary made one effort to retain her lover.

1 Don't leave us, Hubert,' she pleaded, earnestly. 'Come ap to London with mother and me. You would be such a help, such a. comfort to us all, and if bad times are coming to us, to have you with me would just make all the difference. Do come with us'

■ Well—no, I really think I had better not,' he had answered, with averted eyes 'I think as I'm down in this part*of the world I had better go to my sister Mibel's. Yon see she rather expects me Co pay her a visit once a year, and it's quite a short journey to get to her from here I think I'd better go there to-day, and you can write to me and tell me exactly how things are' Captain Btwle looked pale and worried, for Mr Bias's ruia would mean ruin to himself also. He felt very uneasy indeed.

'Ba sure you write to me directly, Mary; I shall be awfully anxious to hear,' te added, earnestly. Mary did not urge him to come to London any longer She was disappointed of course, but she saw the force of his argument If it was, as he said, neces sary for him to pay a visit to his sister Mabel, why then or course, it was quite reasonable that he should do so now that he was at bo get at-able a distance from where she lived, Toey all went on shore together and parted at the station. The London train started the first, and Mary and her mother wished good-bye to the rest from the carriage wiadow. M«j had no private parting words with her lover; somehow they had never been alone for two minutea since He had de clined their request to accompany them to town. She had tried to have a word,or two with him before she started, but the opportunity never cams. Afterwards—during theloßg- years of looking back on this last day—it seemed to her that perhaps there had been a purpose in it, and that it was he who had avoided the chances of a tete-a-tete. But it did not enter into her head to think so at the time. Yet it did hurt her a little that it was Ted Welton and not Herbert wbo brought some papers and magazines for her to the carriage, and laid a bunch of red roses on her lap, and it was Ted who was the first to grip her ha<ad and to whisper to her as the train began to move:

' Daar Miss Boss, I im bo vary Borry for jou—youare bo very brave and plucky! You must hope for the beat, and perhaps things will turn out better than yen fear «nd if there is any trouble or difficulty t»ll Mr Boss to wire to my governor, and I know he will help him all he can, and so wilil—you may be sure of that!' She could only murmur a word of thank bin reply. Ted Welton's eyes were auspiciously humid, but Mery did not notice them, eho was looking beyond his kind and sympathetic face to catch a (jbmpae of her handsome lover. Captain Bawle looked stern and miserable, almoßt sulky j ha just waved h's hand to her, bat he had no farewell em le to give her. (To be continued.

Kate: ' Nellie aajß shi wouldn't marry the beßt man going.' Minnie: • Probably not, after he once saw her.

With the moßt of those who marry, money is no object j neither is it an objection

Mrs Larrabee: <No. I never quarrel with my ha%band. I can't get any satisfaction cut cf it.*

Mrs Montrose: ' Why ? Won't he| let you have the last word P' Mre Lirrabee: 'Oh, it isn't that. He j ast sica there like a dummy and never eaja a word, One might as well try to argue with a post. It's awfnl'y wearing, I assure yon.'

'I think I'm not hard to get along with ' ' Faith, nayther am I, mum 1 Whin a mlstbress is doin' h'.r bast, 'tis mesilf that overlooks lots uv tbingß.' j

.'Madam/ said tha leader of the brigands, ' we 11 have to hold you until your husband ransoms you.' • Alas,' replied the woman, ' I wish I'd tr jated him a little better I'

1 1 was just telling my daughter,' said Mrs Noose as, * that it's really a shame for her to piny the piano on Sunday.' 'Why did you -mention Sunday particularly P' a ß ked Mrs Pepprey.

Biiuk : ' What kind of a cigar is that, old casu ?' Blank: 'Well, the name of the label »a3 -The Soldier Boy.' 'B)nk : ' a'm! I notice it belongs to the ranks/

Higgelfcy : ' Poor chap! He's walking ob his tippers.' Piggelty: 'Dear, dear! Can't even call his sole his own 2'