CHAPTER LII.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 102, 16 May 1885, Page 4

CHAPTER LII.

11 NOW ? " "Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light!" IAGO. Thk following morning broke frosty and sunshiny. Quite early Mrs Vernell'a bell summoned her maid. She raised her finger warningly as that discreet attendant entered her dress-ing-room. " Hush ! Make no noise, the colonel is sleeping. Ho must not be disturbed, as he was very wakeful all night. The bad news concerning his business affairs which he received Ia3t evening seemed to affect him terribly." She was not in tho habit of conversing on personal subjects with her maid, but be assured for all she did she had always the strongest of reasons, and her confidence of this morning was no exception to that rule. Evidently her rest had not refreshed her, as her husband had predicted. In the bright, early sunshine, which noither screened, or condoned, she looked positively ghastly, By tho time hor toilet was comploted, though, there was a soft glow of colour in her choeks, she donned the brown cloth travelling dress broken out all over in little eruptions of buttons, the dress in which she had been married, tied a thick veil over her bonnot, put on a deep coachman's cape of otter, gloved her be-ringed hands, and took up her muff and portemonnaie. "I'm going down town, Jlilaria, No, I don't want the carriage. I shall go down in tho streot-cars. If i care to I can take a hack home. I have a little shopping to olo. Should yon see Miss Dorothy, say I shall be back to breakfast at half-past ten. And romomber, the colonel is not to be disturbed." It was nearer eleven than half -past ten, however, when she returned. The colonel was pacing the dining-room, showing in every line of his anxious face tho haggardness of a sleepless night. He was inclined to be a trifle irritable. Ho was not accustomed to bo kept waiting for his matutinal cup of coffee. " Good - morning '" shortly. u You'vo got back, my dear—" Penitentially she struck hor hand on hor oreast. " Mea mlfta /" she cried. And then -with a bewitching smile as sho wen* up to him and kiseed him, " Did I really keop you waiting '(" f.To relented. Who wouldn't '! " No time worth mentioning. I've only been down a few minutos." And just then Miss Dorothy fluttered in and stood on tiptoo to e;ivo a cordial peck at \ her sister-in-law's very blooming check. " The idea of your clearing off without as much as a cup of tea ! It was very imprudent Indeed it was. She deserves a good scolding. James, that she does !" But apparently .James did not hear. He was sitting in his usual place at the head of the table, his chair tilted back a little, his hands in his pockets, his gloomy eyes fixed on the chandelier. "If you don't scold me any more," doclared the bride, vivaciously, " I'll tell you I what took me out so early." She had flung aside her muff, thrown off her cape, and was now unbuttoning her gloves. "I promise. ' " Woll. I was just thinking last night how pretty my room was, but how badly it wanted one thing— plant?," " Plants !" cried Mia? I orothy, in horror. 11 Gracious, child, no ' It is very unhoalthy hitving plants in one's sleeping apartment." "Oh, I dont mean for there. I meant for the sitting-room off." "Oh!" " Yes. So I wrapped up first thing this morning and started down town to see what I could get." "Isn't it a bad time to get flowers?" queried Miss Dorothy, gontly. "It is so hard to keep them through the winter." "Yes, I know," airily, " but when these die, you know, I can got others. Besides, I didn't really get many Jfoin >\v. I got mostly climbing plants for the bay-window. Such a magnificent ivy as 1 chanced on, too exuberant for hor years. " It's that high ! %> And she extended her arms very wide, indeed, to show how high. "Isn't it about time for breakfast?" grumly reminded tho colonel. " Of courpo it is !" assented his wife, with a remorseful little laugh. " I'm afraid I'm introducing bad habits in your orderly household, Miss "Vernoll. Where shall I sit ?" Miss Dorothy indicated the scat opposite the colonol, and took one herself at the side. " No steak, thanks. No rolls either. Just a cup of coffee, Dorothy— Letitia !" Looking up, he started a little to see hor bold, handsome face behind the silver breakfast equipage, instead of the boaming countonance of his sister, who had sat there and poured out his coffee every morning for the last ten years. The day wore on. Through all its sparkling irostiness and coaxing sunshine Colonel Vernell remained resolutely withindoors. He wandered from room to room like an uneasy ghost. About four o'clock his lawyer called. For a good hour ho was closeted with him. He came out from the interview looking paler and more dismal than ever. The tidings he had heard were not at all enlivoning. And the worst of it was, one could do nothing. Action was denied one. Wait ! That was Mr Grimes's advice. Indeed, there/was no more to give. But if he spent a very listless, aimless day, his wife spent a very alert, bright, and busy one, She ordered the carriage after breakfast, drove down to Elison & Flershiem's, made arrangements with them as to the disposal of the furniture in her flat on Michigan Avenue, returned, lunched, and thon set about arranging her plants which had been sent home. She was quite enthusiastic over her self imposed task. She changed her dress for a soft stuff wrapper, got Roberts to bring up to her room the big tool -cheat, and declining assistance, began with her own hands to twine her monster ivy, as she called it, around the casement of the bay-window. The colonel would saunter in, regard her a few minutes, and wander off again. Miss Dorothy met him in the corridor as day drew to a close. She started. "Why, Jame3i aro you ill? You look awfuil M

He smiled, a wretched, flickering wraith of a smile. "I do feel fagged out, Dorothy, If all Grimes predicts coines true, do you know what the result will be ? " She looked up inquiringly. He answered her appealing glance in one word. "Beggary !" he said. (To be Continued. )