LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1705, 7 August 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

ALBA MATER. Chapter 11. {Concluded.) ‘Poor fellow 1’ she said; ‘I think I can guess. I have heard so much of you and yours, and when I saw how things were drifting, indeed I felt badly. I know I’m nothing but a flirt, and all that, bat upon my soul I like you: You won’t bolt, will you ? If yon don’t, come over to me, and I’ll make you forget, if such a thing can be done, and you shall go away unharmed.’ ‘Yes; but I’ve just escaped from Soylla !’ * And think there may be danger of dropping into Charybdis. Thank you ; but I shall not be offended. Just at this particular moment you have doubts of the whole feminine sex, and I don’t blame yon. We are rather- a worthless set. Take your revenge if you choose; anything but sitting down to brood, and so lose the benefit of the magnificent start you have made. Take me as a friend, just now; indeed, you might have a worse one.’ Her words were not so much, hut it was her pretty, pleading, sympathetic tone, and a suspicion of moisture that lurked in her eyes, that made Qny Hamilton stronger and braver to hear the blow that had well nigh felled him, fla had borne it bravely enough when Hurd Decker and his late fiance were standing by, he had shown no sign, because perhaps the stroke was hard enough to benumb; but out ->f their presence he had felt as though he could go mad and die. Under such circumstances, what womanly sympathy could ho wasted ? Even Alba Mayne, fast and flirty as he believed her to be, was sweet just then ; and with bowed head, and silence, he walked by her side, listening to her silvery voice, and thanking her inwardly, though all the time vowing that in all his life no woman should again hold him in her thrall. Chapter 111. The remainder of Gny Hamilton’s visit to the Stanhopes—and ho cut it short—was not remarkably pleasant; hut for Alba Mayne it would have been unbearable. That something had happened every one guessed; what exactly no one could say. Hurd Decker and Miss Atley kept their own counsel for the present, and though sometimes together, they gave no sign that might lead the looker-on to suspect they were betrothed. It is more than likely that some suspected Alba Mayne had been weaving a web around Guy, and that, tangled in its coils, he was breaking away from Gertrude Atley.^ To one who had known all the miserable story, the action of all parties would have

been perfect as a drama, and solemn as a tragedy. Alba bad her stroke, too, and hid It well. Curled upon a lounge, sleeping in the shadows, after a hard day’s drive, her light breathing made no sound, and sho wakened suddenly at hearing voices by the far window that looked out on the lawn, whence the moon was flinging a flood of radiance through the broad, high panes. She looked up. Hurd Decker and Gertrude Atley were standing there. ‘ His heart is not altogether broken. I see no reason why we should keep it to ourselves that you are my promised wife. ’ ‘ Don’t be impatient. Have no fears, but wait a little. I must have respect for myself, if not mercy for him. He is hit harder than you think for.’ ‘ And consoles himself by making love to maiden. She has fairly slung herself at him, with her wanton ways. It’s no wonder some men cannot resist her, and ho is no more of a saint than the rest of us. Confess now ; you are jealous?’ ‘Jealous—of her?’

The words were few, but the tone made them mean a great deal. Listeners never hear any good of themselves, and Alba was verifying the truth of the proverb. It had gone too far for her to reveal herself, and she waited to have them pass away She noted Gertrude’s downward, hesitating glance, and with a woman’s instinct knew that Gertrude did not intend the chance interview should bo prolonged. They went without discovering her, and Alba, sicking back again into her cushions, covered her face with her hands.

From that time, though in public the same, she kept guard over herself. She, the frank and free girl before Guy Hamilton felt herself a convicted sinner.

When, at the last moment, he was alone with her, and, advancing, clasped her hands in his, looking at her with kindly eyes, and saying something of past indebtedness and future hope, she turned away with a laugh, the hollowness of which he did not detect.

‘There, don’t overwhelm me. I dare not go near Drake since he got his new cart. I hope you are not going to be as ungrateful. Good-by, and God bo with you. I suppose, I’ll never see you again, I’m going south this winter. One piece of advice here. Don’t make up with Miss Atley. She’s as handsome as a picture, but she’s spiteful as a cat.’

She looked up plquantly at him as she gave this parting salutation, her eyes sparkling, her fall, red lips pursed into the prettiest kind of a mone to emphasise her council, and then left him, A picture of her as he saw her thus haunted his brain for many a day after—perhaps she intended that it should.

It was several years before they met again. In due time Gertrude Atley married Hurd Dicker. He was the ca’ch in the market, whilst Gny Hamilton was still poor, though rising.

Gertrude may have had her regrets, and I doubt not that Decker knew he had bought her. He was scarcely the man to care for that—she was worth the price.

On the Mississippi, several years later, Gay Hamilton caught sight, among the throng on board, of two faces once familiar— Hnrd Decker and his wife.

He would not have gone out of his way to avoid them, bnt he did not care to claim their notice. They did not come near him; he could not even say they saw him. The meeting, nevertheless, had its effect. He spent the early part of the evening, cool though it was, on deok ; he felt no inclination to close his eyes. It was not that he cared for Gertrude. He told himself that all that early, boyish love was extinguished. It seemed rather a premonition of coming evil, with her face blending in, the only recognisable feature in the foamless picture. Steadily the Bainbow pursued her way, he alone of all on hoard tingling with that inward premonishment of jeopardy. Then suddenly amidships there fired up a light. * Fire I fire 1’ rang the shouts from bow to stern, and amidst bursting flames and wild shouts, and hurrying footsteps, the boat headed for the land and ran her bow on to the shore.

Then ensued a panic and a heart rending scene, such as Guy Hamilton had never seen before, and hoped never to see again. The fire had broken out in the kitchen, and when first discovered had progressed so far that all hopes of extinguishing it were vain. A seething sea of fire enveloped the central part of the boat. When she grounded, those on the forward part of the boat scurried, like frightened sheep, safely to the shore. For those aft there was only a choice between the water and the flames.

Keeping cool, yet rushing towards the stern, Gny Hamilton came upon Gertrude Decker, hastily olad, and standing like a statue.

‘ Good heavens I’ he exclaimed. * Why are you alone ? Where is your husband ?’ ‘ Gone back after his papers. They are very valuable.’ She spoke with a sneer. Her tone said the price of her beauty had been spent and wasted, and her hope of the future nil. Hamilton thought of the Homan soldier at Herculaneum. He possibly did not love his master, yet he, too, stood obedient to his orders under the coming cataract of fire.

There was no time to waste. ‘ Come,’he said. ‘ I think I can pilot you to the shore.’

‘ No; I must wait. Ho said so, and lam his obedient servant.’

Looking up, he saw Hurd Decker hastening toward the spot, a huge satchel in his hand. Then he cast a glance round. His heart was large, and if any one needed special help he would give it. A face came to him in the midst of the throng. There was a shimmer of golden hair. Bine eyes looked into his, coolly at first, then starting with surprise. Alba Mayne stood before him. With both his hands he clasped hers, just as he had done at their last meeting, only more warmly. For a second her face was all aglow, and her palms closed closely in his. He drew her toward him, threw his arms around her, raised her from her feet, and bore her toward the guard. ‘You come like an angel in a dream, to satisfy a great yearning. I shall save yon for myself. I have lost you too long.’ No woman could have mistaken his meaning. Alba did not, and yet she writhed away from his arms, and answered with her old, mocking tones—- ‘ You great goose! I can swim like a duck! Look! Save her !’

She clutched his arm and pointed to Gertrude. At that moment Hurd Decker, satchel in hand, had plunged into the river, leaving his wife to stand alone on the burning craft. ‘ The villain ? He- is tired of her; he is no coward. It is murder he means. Yet my place is with you.’ ‘ Guy Hamilton, I can care for myself. Save her, or you are a worse caitiff than her husband!’

She was in earnest, and he knew it. He leaned forward, and by like impulse she did the same. Their Ups met, and then he was gone. Gertrude, with folded arms and a white look on her face, peered into the waters, and gave no glance behind at the coming fire. She saw Hurd Docker, full of manhood and power, floating lightly over the sullen waters, then suddenly she saw a pause, a struggle, a blow, even two arms clutching him about the neck, and a vacant spot. He was under forever. Guy Hamilton, coming up from behind, saw nothing of this. He held a life preserver, and lashed it to her.

•Come!’ he said, excitedly, and she hesitated no longer, but mechanically took the plunge. The month was November; they were near Island 74. The water was icy cold, and the current ran hard. Yet Alba, watching and waiting, without any apparent fear for herself, saw them pushing away, and felt no doubts as to their safety. Yet danger came surging from the darkness, A floating log, unseen before, crashed against Guy, who, at the stroke, loosened his hold of Gertrude, who drifted away from him, struggling in a vain, aimless way. Then came Alba for salvation. It was no idle boast that she oould take care of her-

self. Light as a coik she breasted the waves, seized Guy, who floated with a broken arm and a benumb* 1 brain. Towards the shore she drew her burden, and ready arms came down to aid her; When twenty lives went out into the great hereafter, Gny lay yet alive, upon the shore, with Alba bending over him and Gertrude shivering at her side. With some aid, to be Bure, Alba had saved them both,

Retribution comes sometimes with a slow footfall, but its pace is very steady and sure. The hardest flicks of its lash fell upon Gertrude just then, in the first moments of her widowhood.

She had all her old-time beauty, with a subtile, superadded charm; she had a wealth almost fabulous, and a future divorced from a man she feared and hated, but —she had not Guy. Upon Hamilton’s breast there fell great waves of golden hair, a round, full arm was about his neck, os Alba Mayue pillowed his poor, bruised head in her lap, and listened with a hungry ear to catch the sound of his faint breathing, and held her own to know that he was still alive.

‘She loves him,’ said Gertrude, bitterly, * and will win him,’

Then she turned away. Tender hands and strong arms came quickly enough, and Guy Hamilton was not left long to suffer unaided ; yet it was a long time before the color all came back to his cheeks, arid the strength to his frame. They agreed very well together—those two women who lingered by his bedside, though it is hard to say they did not hate each other heartily. Gertrude spoke first.

‘ Which of us is to go away, Alba Mayne —you who saved him, or I whom he saved ? ’ ‘Not I.’

‘He was mine once, and I gave him up ; now I would give up all the world to have him back. Would you ?’ Alba smiled. ‘ Ask him and see. ’ Almost at that moment Guy called—‘Alba!’

She glided toward him with a step as light as thistledown floating. * Have you told Gertrude ?’ ‘No, Gay. What is there to tell2’ ‘All.’

As ho speaks Gertrude comes out of the shadow, and looks down on him with longing eyes, eyes that are full of the hunger in her heart.

‘ I carried her in my soul all these many months. The other night she sent me from her to save yon; but before I went she was my betrothed. You wronged me once, Gertrude, but that is all forgotten. I hope your life may be a happy one when you, too, forget. I think you have been too sorely punished.’ ‘Thank you, Guy, for your confidence, She is more worthy than I. Good by.’ She lent her regal form until her lips just brushed his forehead ; then she turned, and with a white face went out. In life or death Guy never saw her again ‘ Alba, dear, is it all true ?' he said, as the light footsteps departing were heard no more.

•All what, Guy?’ * That you are mine.' ‘ And how do I know yon want me 2’ Guy looked up at the face, smiling through the crimson blush, and doubted nothing. ‘ For better or worse, for time and eternity, I want you.’ ‘And I am yours,’

So Guy Hamilton found his destiny, and in the long future insured his happiness and peace.