ALL OR NOTHING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 599, 3 September 1913, Page 6

ALL OR NOTHING.

(Copyright.)

By the Author of—"A Bitter Bondage," "Two Keys," "Stella." "The- Unknown Bridegroom," &c,

A THRILLING ROMANCE, _+— —-

t'Atct :;o. Then the two plotters looked at each other, and the banker smiled a significant smile. He glanced acre's; the rose garden, where Leonard, looking somewhat bored, loitered by Alice's side ; then he looked again at Mrs. Ainsleigh and nodded his head. "I begin to suspect," he said, with a smile. "Your son is very handsome, Mrs. Ainsleigh." "And your daughter is very charming," she retorted, at which the old gentleman laughed aloud. "My daughter evidently esteems Dr. Ainsleigh," continued the banker. "Dr. Ainsleigh evidently cares more about your daughter than any one else," said the mother, boldly ; and again the worthy banker laughed loudly. "We understand each other, I see," he replied. " I noticed this some time ago." All this was delightful ; a glowing future seemed to unfold itself before the widow's charmed eyes. She resolved, however, to know the whole truth. There must be no mistake in a matter so important. "But, my dear sir," she said, playing with her fan, "you know Leonard has no fortune. True, he is descended from one of the best old families in England ; he is a gentleman in every sense of the word; but he has no money." The. banker looked up in alarm. "My dear lady," he said, energetically, "do not raise objections, I pray you. Alice will have too much money ; there is no need for him to have any. If your son likes my daughter, want or money need not stand in his way." "I can answer for the liking," said his mother, "but he has been so diffident over his want of fortune."

"Then, my dear madam, let him be diffident no longer. Diffidence, I believe, is not a quality young ladies admire most in a lover —give him that hint." Then the banker walked away to entertain other of his guests leaving the widow overwhelmed by the sudden realisation of her hopes. "She has told him to say all that to me. Oh, what a fortune for Leonard !"

She was overjoyed ; a thousand plans and hopes and wishes rushed over her mind. Suddenly, like snow in the midst of sunshine, came the terrible doubts as to whether Leonard would marry the heiress or

Qot—whether that fair-haired girl had won him aad made him her own..

"He must be compelled to marry her ; it would be madness —it would be flying in the face of Providence — to let such a fortune slip out of one's hands. I must see him and talk to him." She rose from her seat and looked around for her son. Some of the ladies were-in the rose garden, others under the great cedar tree on the lawn. Leonard was -not amongst them. Presently she saw him with Miss Leyton ; they had been to the fernery. Mrs. Ainsleigh's heart sank as she saw the expression of Leonard's face. There was no shadow of ioubt about it ; he looked unmistakably bored. No kind, motherly .thought occurred to her that if he found one hour in her society wearisome and oppressive, what would a lifetime be ? Her only feeling was one of fear lest this glorious prize should escape them. "How stupid young men are !" she said to herself. " When Leonard was with that unfortunate girl at Beechgrove his face was positively alight with pleasure ; here he looks so dreadfully bored. I do not care much for the heiress myself ; she is one of your frank, disagreeable girls ; but two hundred thousand pounds ! One might bear a great deal for that." She went up to them, devoutly hoping Alice did not see the tired look on her son's face. Alice was cross ; Mrs. Ainsleigh saw it at once. '■' You have been to the fernery," she said, with a beaming smile. "I suppose, Leonard, you admire the ferns very much ?" "Dr. Ainsleigh seems too tired to admire anvthing," said Alice, sharply. "I have had a whole hour of crossquestioning in a hothouse on a warm evening," thought the young doctor. "Enough to tire a stronger man than I shall ever be." He merely looked at Alice and :;miled. The smile seemed to soften her., as the least attention from him always did. 11 I must go in, she said. " Von will take some fruit and ice, Mrs. Ainsleigh ? Perhaps the doctor will tail; more to you than he has done to me." With which parting shot Miss Leyton walked across the lawn, leaviny mother and son together. CHAPTER XLIX. "What a frank, open-hearted creature !" said Mrs. Ainsleigh, looking after the retreating figure of Miss Leyton. "What a disagreeable girl !" said the doctor at the same moment. He was thinking, as he generally was, of Mabel —of tesr sweet, bright face ; how she would have talked poetry with him in the beautiful spot ; how her eyes would haw lighted up. "My darling," he said, "you arc worth ail the world to me." His mother looked at him in grave

surprise. "Are you thinking aloud," she said, "or are you addressing me, Leonard ? No matter who your darling is, you must marry Miss Leyton." "I would just as soon drown myself," he replied., hastily. "Oh, my boy—my boy ! Do not grieve me—never mind your idle fancies for others. You must marry her ! Come with me ; I will tell you why."

Mother and son walked away under the linden trees together. Mrs. Ainsleigh was too deeply in earnest now for any small manoeuvres. She no longer played with her fan or toyed with the fiowers. She clasped her hands over Leonard's arm, and the face she raised to his was verypale. "All that you have ever hoped for lies now at. your baud, Leonard." she said, "You have wealth, such as we never dreamed of, offered to you. a beautiful home, high influence. What more could you want '?"

"A wife to love, mother," he replied, very quietly ; but his lips quivered, as though he felt the words.

"Now, Leonard, I appeal to you in the name of common sense," cried his mother. "Is love enough for you to live upon ?" "Life does not seem much without it."

'"Mine was a love match," interrupted his mother, "and I never had one happy hour. Youth blinds you. The fair face of that unfortunate girl dazzles you, but believe me, love alone would never make any man happy. There must be money, Leonard—there must, indeed ! Let me sketch the two paths that lie before you. If you do as I wish, you will make me happy for life. .You will restore to me my friends, my lost position, my place in the world. You will repay me for the long years I have waited until this event Happened. I shall have what my heart longs for, and I am your mother, Leonard. I have been a good mother to you." He looked down at the earnest, pleading face. . "Then you will be master of that noble fortune. You will give up your profession or you can keep it on. You will go to London, and what with my connections, who will welcome you eagerly as a rich man, and Lady Mack in's promised influence, pou may aspire to any position. The very highest society will be open to rou. You will have a magnificent Qouse ; you can give dinners, balls, ind soirees ; you can gather the greatest men and the fairest women in the land around you. You are iond of riding—think what hunters fou can have. Think what it will 3e to have money for every wish md whim—you, who have a difficulty at times in paying for a new :oat ! Oh, Leonard, do not be blind, my dear, to your own inter;sts. Imagine the yachting, the travelling—the thousand pleasures this money can purchase." "I know," he replied, gloomily, "and I know the weight attached to It."

"You are altogether wrong, cried ais mother, hastily. "Alice has not, [ grant, the beauty of that poor girl it Beechgrove, but she is a most elegant and interesting woman. You :an take her into society and be proud of her." ♦

"She is dreadfully disagreeable and jealous," sighed Leonard. "All that will disappear when she. is married. She is very fond of you —there can be no doubt about it—and is naturally jealous of Miss Morton. See how the pijl will be giOded, jven supposing it to be a piH. "Then," continued Mrs. Ainsieigh, ■ "you have the other path. Suppose jrou are content to find the world well lost for love, what then ? You marry Miss Morton, and you bfreak my heart. I should never suuvive such a disappointment. Your wory to the altar would be over my gnavc. Then picture your future. TTaere would be nothing but ruin before you. You see yourself that now ; the truth about Mrs. Morton has c ome out there will be no more tolera tiun [or them. Neither mother nor daughter will ever be received in society again. If you marry —pardon mp if I speak very plainly—you marry, a girl whose birth is illegitimate ; except nothing either for yourself, or your children. If she is excl.iuF.ed from society here, you, her husl jural. would be the same; there wuiiJM be no practice for you." "Hush !" he interrupted. "('You must not speak so, mother. You women are surely the coldest and most cruel part of the ereatioi t. You may say what you will of Mrs. Morton, I believe in her. If I may not marry Mabel. I swear ilia .1 in my presence no man or woman, living shall traduce her mother !" "Well, there is no need lor; ;inu'ei'," continued Airs. Ainsieigh. s( ; eing the crimson Hush on his face. . "it is only for your own sake I speak. 1 am proud of you and fond of yon." "I have never asked her i:o marry me, yet I am none the les ;s- a villain if Ido not marry her. '. i tiave won her sweet heart. Oh. mother, 1 wish that I were dead !"■■

He sat down oil the 'sjrasss under the linden trees with nesjnu'.- in hi* face. From Matt very despe ir Mr.*. SAinsleisrh .<rav,hered nor <•- ~-?- iie uat ' not determined to srivc; up Mabel, he would not look liic.: thai. She knelt down by his jvule au.'l kissed his face. After all, lie was her only son, and his pain pa ineti hex-. "It is hard. 7 ' she said, '"bint, oh, Leonard, 1 wish I 1 fad had some one to warn rae before I married' ioi love ! If this £irl you like hac only one single t ; »ip.g to recomn leru her ! Bat she ' />as not ; she luu neither money, p -rood •.connection, iiifluenc'j, not -even legitimate birth. f /he would, drag vol down to her-row n 'level, and then ".you would sink:-,, ii ito ibe depths to' gether." f '

If inc. littic bird perched »n a spreading hough of the linden trwCould have told her that the girl who was nothing ami had not trine, was indeed and in truth Lady Gertrude Noel, how different the result would have been ! " I know—T see. Leave me alone, mother. i wish 1. were dead !" He rose from his seat on th< thick, soft grass, and the worldly: scheming woman by his side nevei forgot the expression of his face, never while she lived. He walked ur. and down the green sward, the branches of the linden.' waving over bin --she by his side. She played, np.e.his htart with the skill only ■.-. eim ning woman ever attains. She al ternately persuaded, Haltered, .-m

gered. irritated, and soothed him. Neither of them heard 'he sound o footsteps in the Jong gra-s or kim that any stranger was near i:n-ii Alice laid her hand on Mrs. Ains leigh's arm. "What is this long debate about ?" she asked. "I have been watchinj.' you in wonder for the last half hour."

A sudden inspiration came to Mrs. Ainsleigh to dare art—to win or lose all.

"We have been speaking about you, Miss Leyton," she said, and Leonarc looked up in alarm. "Of me !" said the heiress, with a still brighter smile. "Could anything concerning me occupy Dr. Ainsleigh's attention for so long ?" Mrs. Ainsleigh took the girl's han<3 in her own.

"My dear Miss Leighton, she said, gently, "Leonard has a question to ask you, but he fears—he wants courage: Let me tell you. My son wishes to ask you if you will be hie svife." That was his last chance. If he bad chosen even then he might have boldly declared that his mother spoke falsely, for he loved Mabel Morton. The words rushed to hie ips, but he never uttered them. He et the falsehood pass, and the last remnants of honour and loyal manlood died within him.

The words had fallen so clear and Jistinct on the summer air Mrs. Aiinsleigh's heart almost stood still ifter she had uttered them. All was risked ; wealth or ruin depended on :he next minute. Alice looked shyly at him. "Is it so ?" she said. "Then, Dr. iinsleigh, ask me yourself, and I ,vill give you my answer." "I shall be de trop," said Mrs. Ainsleigh. "No need for me to )lead his cause now that the ice is jroken." She walked away,, rejoicing" in the victory she had won, little Ireaming that she had deprived her son of a possession that any man in England might have envied.

"Is this true?" said Alice, holding Hit her hand to the unhappy young nan. "Oh, Dr. Aiusleigh, I am ;ery hapby, very pleased. I always iked you." "You are very kind to me," he iaid—"kinder a thousand times than [ deserve."

Neither then not at any time did le say one word about loving her, ior did he ask her to marry him. Mice did not seem to notice any;hing amiss. "I did not think you cared for me, •eally," she said. "I thought you iked Mabel best."

•"So I do," rose to his lips. It ivas too lata now.

"I am not kinder than you deserve," repeated Alice. "You merit ill kindness from me, Dr. Ainsieigh; t will do my best to make yfcm lappy." "If we are to be married you must earn to call me Leonard," he said, vith a miserable smile. "It is a beautiful name," she replied, "and I shall be pleased to use t. Thank you, Leonard, for the :ompliment you have paid me." She clasped her hands over hie f,rm and looked tenderly in his face, svidently expecting he would kiss ier and say some sweet words to ner ; but he did not. There rose before his eyes that moment, rhe fnce of his "lady with the. amlit hair." and in his heart he almost cursed the mother who had led .urn into this cruel trap. '■', will do my best." said Alice again, humbly for her." and I will study your happiness in every w.i\ . He raised her hand to his 'up.-. Alice, devoutly believing thai a;, emotion was too great tor nun. suggested returning to the hou.e. CHAI'TKK 1.. Mrs. Telford was the first to see the repressed triumph on Alice"? face. That worthy lady started with surprise. "I believe she has managed it. alter all," she said. "It must have been hard work, too." One or two of the other lautes looked at each other with a .ogngicant smile. Aliee would no'.. i"'r haps, have been greatly i!,v.W!vd could she have read their thoughts. it was noticed thai whep ibe intcresting pair reached (he lawn. Alice blushed vividly ami Dr. J.insKagh went at once to the banker. No oneknew (hat Alice, to use a vulgar pro verb, anxious to strike the iron while if was hot. had said to turn : "There is papa. 1 believe he guesses what you have to say to him. Perhaps it had better be -aid at once." The banker led the way info his own little sanctum, where no icitniiine foot ever (rod —ike on:y spot oground al Woodlands thai was his, and his only. Leonard looked anything but a happy and successful lover. He was paie and a gitalin! : ad that, moment he loathed himself ana everything else in tbc worhi. Tht banker stood before him. smiling blandly, rubbing his hands, anxiously waiting : but as Leonard did not break the silence, he was obliged to speak hrst. "You wished to see me. lb'. Atay Jeigh, I believe ?" .( To be C cs» t i nueu )