Time, The Avenger

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 396, 16 September 1911, Page 2

Time, The Avenger

(All Rights Reserved.)

THE UNRAVELLING OF A STRANGE WILL MYSTERY.

By HEDLEY RICHARDS, Author of "The Haighs of Hillcrest," "From Mill to Mansion,," "Diana's Inheritance," Etc., Etc.

SEVEN Tll IN ST ALMENT. " You refuse to let Mona become my wife ! " exclaimed Gar. "I do ; and I wish you to understand that my decision is final." Gar's spirit rose, and there was anger in his voice, as he said : " Will you tell me your objection?"

" No. That I have a very decided objection must be enough for you."

" But it isn't. I have led an honourable, upright life. I think my record ,is as good as that of most young men." said Gar ; and in his heart he knew he might have said "better." " I don't dispute it. All the same, you shall not have my daughter."

"Is it my lack of birth—my grandfather rose from the masses —or am I not rich enough ? " "It is neither. And now I think we have talked quite long enough about it. My decision is final." "Do you know that Mona cares for me—that you are going to spoil her happiness ? " exclaimed Gar, passionately.

" She is very young, and will learn bo care for some other man. For your own sake and hers I advise you to join the troops in South Africa," replied Mr. Dalrymple, as he rose. " I shall not leave here, and I shall not give up the hope of winning Mona," said Gar, as he rose. " Of course, you will understand it is better not to come here —except by special invitation, I mean," added Mr. Dalrymple, hurriedly. "As I have known you from boyhood I should not care to miss jou when we have other friends ; but there must be no informal dropping in to afternoon tea," and as he finished speaking he rang the bell. Without a word Gar followed the footman from the room, and as the door closed after him Mr. Dalrymple sank back in his chair looking so wretched that if the young fellow could have seen him he would have known that it had cost him something to say "No." " Poor Mona ! I would have given anything to have saved her from this. If I had foreseen it I would have kept her out of the way ; but it seemed so unlikely that a boy and girl acquaintance would end like this, and I had forgotten she was grown up. I had looked upon her as little more than a child. Thank God, it isn't Hugh Hudspith ! That is about the only consolation I have." As Gar Hatton left the library he met Mona. who had entered the house from the garden. She looked very pretty in her blue muslin dress and large shady hat, and when she saw her lover the colour in her face became more vivid.

" Gar," she said, almost timidly, as he took her hand.

" Let us go into the garden," he said ; and passing along the wide, long hall, they went through a glass door at the further end, while the footman stood watching, conscious that something was wrong.

" Blest if they ain't lovers, and the master's not falling in with it ! I dare swear he meant Mr. Hatton to go out at the front door ; but I'm not going to spoil sport, not I. And Miss Mona's too good to have any father going interfering and spoiling her happiness, and I should have thought Mr. Dalrymple was too much of a gentleman to try such a game ; but one never knows ; " and with this reflexion he turned away and went to the servants' hall.

" Mona, I have seen your father," said Gar as they walked along a path fragrant with the scent of flowers.

" What does he say ? " she asked, in an anxious tone, noticing the shade on her lover's face. "He refuses to consent to an engagement, and he won't give me any reason for it. He admits that it is not anything in my character, my position, or birth, yet he absolutely says you shall never be my wife," said Gar in an angry tone. " I don't understand it ; my father is alwaj s so just ; and I wonder why he is doing this ? " said Mona, who not only loved her father but had absolute faith in him. " At any rate isn't showing jus tice now, and I don't intend to give you up, Mona. You will be true tc me, my darling ? " he said, clasping her hand firmly. " Yes ; I won't promise to marry you without my father's consent, but I will not marry any other man," she said in a firm tone.

" Your mother will be oil our side, and time works wonders ; but it will be hard work waiting, and, Mona, I shall not tell either my grandfather or aunt that your father has refused to consent to our engagement. 1 shall not have them know that 1 have spoken, or my grandfather would never forgive him, and by the time we had persuaded your father to let it be as we wished, my side would be opposing it, and as I am allowed to visit on special occasions they won't suspect anything. By the way you must persuade your mother to give a good many dinner parties and that kind of thing, that I may have a chance of seeing you." " Oh, Gar, it is hard ! " said Mona looking at him with tearful eyes. " Hard ? Darling, I will have you for my very own," he said, taking both her hands in his as they paused at the iron gate that led from the garden into the park. You will comf with me to the other gate ? " he ask- ■ 4 pleadingly.

" Yes. Wait a minute ; " an; Mona gathered a moss rose, whic! she placed in his button-hole, blush ing as she did so.

"My darling I shall keep it as long as I live. Do you know. Mona, I am sorely tempted to kiss you ? But I will wait until I can clain:

you as my own." As he spoke he opened the gate and they came on to a smooth gravel path which wound towards another gate, another three-quarters of a mile distant. In front of the house there was a long stretch of park studded with trees, but they were not sufficiently thick to obstruct the view from the house.

The principal entrance was at one side, and a short drive led. from it to the lodge gates, but most of the windows overlooked the park and the open country beyond. A plain red brick mansion of three storeys was Houststeads, large, but without any pretensions to architecture, though it had been thoroughly renovated short ly after Lady Dairymple's marriage. The lovers walked on in silence, which Gar presently broke by saying: " Mona. I am determined to find out the reason your father will not consent to our marriage." A troubled look came into her iace. " I don't see that it will do any good ; in fact, it might annoy my father if he thought you were trying to discover what he did not choose to tell you. Gar, let us wait and !iope. If we are true to each other in time it will come right," said Mona. " I don't think I've patience to wait long. I must know why your lather is so opposed to the marriage, then I can see my way. I wonder if he wants you to marry Ovingham, and be a countess ? " said Gar. "My father loves me too well to think of sacrificing my happiness foi the sake of a coronet," she said in a pained voice. " Forgive me, Mona ; I am unjust, but I feel like a bear." Very soon—too soon for them —they reached the gate which led into the lane, and he took her hands in his. " Good-bye, sweetheart, and remember, you belong to me." " Good-bye , Gar. I shall never have any other sweetheart," and with these w r ords she turned hastily away to hide the tears that were in her lovely grey eyes. He stood watching until she reached the gate which led into the garden, then he turned along the lane in the direction of the Knowle, his grandfather's house, which was about a mile and a half from Housesteads. From the time he had been a boy, and Mona a little toddling child he had been a frequent visitor there, and when he went away to school he had not forgotten Mona. At college the thought of her purity and sweetness had safeguarded him as nothing else would have done, and when he came home he would have spoken, but she was very young ; moreover, he wished to be sure that she regarded him with favour. He had felt sure of Mr. Dairymple's approval, but he hael been mistaken. Not only had he been told that Mona was not for him, but he had been told that he was no longer to consider himself a welcome guest, and he thought that Adam and Eve were not in a worse plight when they were turned out of the Garden of Eden, Nay, they were more fortunate—the garden was left behind, but they went forth together. Meanwhile Mona hael entered the house and gone to the morning room where she found her mother busy sewing, her face looking unusually grave. She raised her head as Mona entered, and saw at once that something was wrong, but she did not ask any questions. For a minute or two the girl stood in the window. She had taken off her hat, and was swinging it by the broad brim. Then she looked at her mother, saying : " Father has told Gar that he will not consent to our engagement." Lady Dalrymple laid down her sewing and looked at her daughter, saying : " I know, Mona, and I am very r-orry. I can only counsel you both to be patient and see what time will do." " Mother, what is the reason ? " asked Mona, kneeling by her mother's chair.

" Child, I am as much puzzled as you are ; but I believe your father has some good reason for it."

At that moment the sound of a church bell tolling could be distinctly heard, and a silence fell on both as the passing- bell told its mournful tale. Then, when the last mournful sound died away, Lady Dalrvmnle said : " I am afraid Mrs. Hudspith is dead. It was for a woman, and the age was forty-seven." " But, mother, there are lots of women of that age," said Mona. " But the bell only tolls for people of note." Wittonbury was an ancient town, and the quaint custom of tolling the passing bell was still kept up when any prominent person died. It was preceded by a dirge, then the beil rang out sharp and clear. For a man there was one stroke for each year, with a pause between each stroke ; for a woman, two for every year she had lived, and the pause followed by tw T o sharp strokes. Lady Dalrympie had counted ninety-four, and she knew that the half of it was the age of her old friend. CHAPTER VII. LOUISE MAKES AN ACQUAINTANCE. The shop in Market-street had been open a fortnight, and it was acknowledged far and wide that madame made the loveliest toques and hats, while her bonnet,- were not to be surpassed. Her stock of dainty tiu.« and all the little trifles in which the feminine heart delights was beyond comparison, so the Wittonbury people said, and money began to flow in apace,

Mail-line':; tnrtc. had boon shown in the arrangement, of her shop which was more like a drawing room than a business place. The window wn:ained dainty trifles, a sailor hat, a toque, and a charming little bonnet. Screening the windows were the loveliest Japanese curtains. Then there were two or three dainty rabies, on which elegant, trifles were displayed, and a flower-stand or two, containing exquisite ferns. The door leadins into the show-room had been removed, and a rick plush curtain covered the opening. In this room tnadaine's choicest creations were displayed, and to add to the comfort of her customers several chairs luxuriously cushioned were placed nere and there. On the walls were two large mirrors, besides the one, nver the mantelpiece and on the low, broad window ledge were pots of (lowering plants. Above all was the perfume of flowers, which were arranged in vases that stood on brackets in every conceivable nook. Madame's house was as dainty as ler shop, so Miss Pen man, who was .nadame's only acquaintance. told her friends. Even the young maidservant seemed to be neater and ileaner than any other maid in the. ;own ; but then the washing went 3Ut and everything seemed to be ione in such an orderly manner that Miss Penman declared she began to think Frenchwomen were better Housewives than English. And there were plenty of the better tradespeople, ivho would have been glad to count madame among their friends : but she never appeared to perceive their desire, and after business would go for i walk with Louise, or by herself. It was a sunny morning early in July, and madame was just arranging the folds of the curtain, which she had drawn back and looped, thus giving a glimpse of the show room, ind its contents, while Louise, who had, like her mother, a genius for nillinery—when she. was not. too idle —sat in an easy chair, with a pretty Damboo table by her side, 011 which were spread various odds and ends, leisurely making a toque. " Well, I never ! I don't call this a shop," exclaimed a very decided voico ; and turning, madame saw a tall, rather dignified-looking woman standing in the doorway. " But it is a shop." said madame, pleasantly as the owner of the voice came forward, and she saw a largefeatured, determined-looking woman, but whose expression was pleasant. "And >ou are the Frenchwoman, madams ? " she continued.

" I am, and quite at your serrice," was the pleasant reply.

" I want a bonnet—not one of ■ your faldrals, but a proper, rcspcctable bonnet, like this," she said, ! touching a bier, old-fashioned black j lace bonnet which she wore. "I understand. I haven't, a. shape that will do, but I can make one. Shall it be lace, or " At that moment there was the sound of a carriage stopping: at the door, and the stranger turned round saying : " It's Lady Dalrymple's carriage. I'll go while you serve these fine folk." | " No, no," said madamr ; and Louise who seemed to have taken a fancy to the old lady, exclaimed : " Sit down here." and she half ! pushed her into the easy chair in ! which she had been sitting, while j madame went forward, as Lady Dal- ! rymplc, followed by Mona. entered j the shop. ! Her ladyship was dressed in pale | grey and she wore a lovely blue ' toque. Every detail of her dress was perfect, and the keen eyes of the Frenchwoman noted it, as she did the ' sweet gracious face and the rich 1 brown hair —a woman whose beauty was almost as great in middle life as youth. Perhaps she felt a pang of : envy as her face grew pale and her lips tightened. Then her gaze wan- j 3ered to the beautiful girl, whose j face had a touch of sadness, and she ! wondered what caused it ; but her I ladyship's voice recalled madame to 1 business. ! " Have you any good sailor hats?" she was asking. ! " Yes, my lady, will you come 1 this way ? " and she held the plush i curtain a little more to one side for ; them to enter the show room, I " Please be seated ; " and as ran- j dame spoke she went into the shop, j returning with a box containing a ; number of sailor hats. But Lady | Dalrymple and Moua were looking at i the toques. " Madame, you have exquisite | taste : I never saw' anything like this ! out of London," said her ladyship. ! " Or Paris, my lady." ! " Ah. yes, you are French. But. I : fear you will not get the price you ought to in Wittonbury." j " I am satisfied, my lady, and my ; health makes it necessary for me to j live away from London. Cumber- j land, the doctor said ; therefore I ; came." Her ladyship smiled graciously. " I shall do nay best to insure your success, madame. I shall advise my friends to come and look' at 1 your pretty things. I think 1 will take this toque," she said, lifting one from the stand, I " If I might advise your ladyship I ; should say do not. take it,. 1 have j another that you may like cqunliy | much and it has not been on view," J said madame, as she pushed aside a i plush curtain and revealed several .' shelves on which boxes were ranged, j " Now, this was made yesterday, j and you are the first to see it. my j lady." | Lady Dalrymple and Mona both uttered exclamations of pleasure j when they saw it, and her lad} ship j at once decided to have it ; then ; Mona. chose a sailor hat and her ; ladyship was taking out her purse tc ! pay, when madame brought, a lovely I hat asking if Miss Dalrymple, wanted | 01:. e j