CHAPTER XXVIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 218, 3 September 1887, Page 8

CHAPTER XXVIII.

waltkr's revelation. The next morning, however, Ruby roceived ;i reply to hoi note, telling her that her lover had been sent out of town by Mr Conant to superintend a contract which the latter could not attend to himself just then ; that he should bo away for a month, but would como to her immediately after his return ; meantime ho would write to her frequently, and urged her to do the same. Thi-> was something of a disappointment to Ruby, but .she resolved to bear the long separation cheerfully, and enjoy herself as much a& she could amid her beautiful surround ing s>. She found the change greatly beneficial to her health, and began to improve in flesh .and strength almost immediately. The month soon slipped by, school closed, and Ruby's work was finished for the year. A day or two after the examination* were over, Walter returned to the city, and that same e^ening, just at dusk, presented himself at tho doov of his old home, and inquired foi his betrothed. He had been greatly astonished and somewhat troubled upon learning that lluby was gone to spend the summer in Edmund Carpenter's house. It w.i-. e\ irtent fiom her letters that she <lid not l:now v to whom the place belonged, send he had not enlightened her, thinking it best to .say nothing until he could lnn'e a private talk with her. The servant could not find Ruby, consequently took the young man's caul to JMrk (.Toulon, v, ho went down immediately to him, v, ith the determination to prevent a meetjij/; between the two if possible. She gieeted him with cold formality, and told him that Ruby was* out. " I presume she will soon return, will she not V Walter asked, flushing beneath the woman s haughty look and manner. '•I am suie I cannot tell jou," Mis (.Joidon answeiexl, indifierenfly, though -he knew that Ruby wa» at that Very moment lying anleep in the hammock on the north poioh. Rei la^t -neck at. .school had been very weair-onie, and she had ju'-t ghen hei-elf up to ivsL since it^ close. Mr= tin.- lon devoutly hoped that nothing woald distuib her until Walter should become v.eaii d wi Mi waiting and take his depaituje. li<M- piti'jnco wa* severely hied, however, to" the _ i , oahg man was \ery loth to leave v/rhor.t r -e.'ing his bettotheci, and lemaincd fot iiioifi than an hour. Put nine o'ekk k came, and .still no Ruby. :irs Coulon bttiayed both annoyance and not\*>iiM\e^S until at la--t the young K'cn felt th iL common ciwhty demanded him to leiiove hes of his piosoncc. He, h' wever, ic-olved to make one move effort to accomplish his purpose and mquiia' for Mis Coxon, thinking that he CO :ld lc." c ft note with her for Ruby, and (bus at range foi" another call. '• Mi- Coxon is % cry busily engaged this evening," Mis (JoiJon slated, "and I shall li.ue tr a^k jou to e\cufcc me if T do not distui b her." Waltf bowed a silent acquiescence, and took hi- lerv o without further ado, while Mrs Coidon w as \ ivy much elated at \\u\ m^ so easiU* dihen him from the field. But the joung man was not s.O leadily dispos' -1 of as she imagined. Instead of lea\ing the place ho quietly slipped aiound to the .servants' door, rang the bell, v.nd inquiied for Mrs Coxon. She c i»ie to him at once, and wa= delighted lO him. She ch'.w him into her own little sittingroom, nade him .sit down, and immediately be^a'i U> ply him with numerous ques( ; on-. regard). i^ him-clf and his progress m his b'isine- . He a\-wered her as patiently as he could, but jiirtt \'> soon as she gavo him an opportunity ho confided to her his object in cemmg theie that evening. '•Mis Coxon," he =*aid, in conclusion ■•lam '•ure that you aic my fiiend, and thit I can tiust )ou fully " " Indj'jd you may trust mo, M"r the goud woman i-aid, heaicily ; but f-he hod been -^urpii-ed to learn that he had come there to see Miss (iordon and failed in his object. " Well, then, to come to the point at once, 1 belie\c there i» something wrong in th^e ladies being here this summei." " Something wrong ! How so ?" she cried. " I am satisfied that Miss Cordon v, ould never hn\e come here if hhc had not been deoei- i 'C r l or trapped into doing so." '• Deceived '" "How does it happen that Edmund ir? taking bojiidcrs this sunmv,r ?" '•I do uot know," ISU:-, Co.xon replied, lookiiiT grave, for the stoiy that she hvl been lonel} 7 and wanted to take boa^dds ior coni[/iny was all a hoax of Mis (iordon's, ond she had not liked the secrecy wh'eh he had enjoined upon her, particulaily pfter shy found that he was to boa constant visitor there ; " I only know that ho said ho wasn't going to live here himself, but wanted to have the house kept open and mule to pay him something." "That vv«s a queer idea for a man with nil his monc),' 1 taid Walter with a culling hp. '• I thought ?o ; but not so queer as that he did not want, the ladies to know ho wa-, the ov, ner. He gave the matter into the hands of an agent to advertise, and though he comes here a great deal, he has forbidden mo to lefogmse him as the master." " Thp-e is a plot at the bottom of it." " Whit plot' 1 I supposed it was only piide on Mr Edmund.-? part. I don't see how thu-e cm be any plot," returned Mrs Coxon. '•1 will tell you, my good friend," Walter «a?d, eonndentialiy ; "Edmund has been \ei y fond of Mi.ss Ruby Gordon for a long time ; twice he has proposed to her and been rejected. Mrs (lordon favouis his suit because he is rich, and she wants her Rotor (o marry well ; but now for my little secret, Mm Coxon— Ruby and I have been engaged over since her bi other's death." il Yoi< engaged to that lovely gill, Mr Walter ? ' ciijd Mrs Coxon, with a glowing face. " Yes ; but Miss (lordon did not wish it announced so soon after her bereavement : thei-efoHi we have told no one of the fact. I imagine that Edmund has feared something of the kind, for ho has threatened me, upon one or two occasions, if X interfered between him and his plans regarding Miss Ooulon. I came Ivii-e, as I told you to-night ; but Mrs Goulon told me that she was out, and seemed deteimined that I should not meet her. J then inquired for yon, bub was told that yon were engaged and could not t.ce me '' " Indeed, Mr Walter, I should never be so busy that I couldn't stop for a few words

with you," the housekeeper infcaffupfced, indignantly. "Of course, I know that was oiySj* an excuse to get me out of the way and to pieentv my seeing Ruby." Mrs Coxon here arose with a determined air. " Remain here for a few minutes, Mr Walter; Ptt find Miss Gordon, and you shall see her. My ! jusb to think of you being engaged to that sweet little body ! She's just liko a bit of sunshine in the house, though I can sco that she's often sad after her brother, and I know she doesn't liko Mr Edmund very well, for she always runs away when he comes if she can." "Do you suppose you can find her, Mrs Coxon?" Walter asked, his face lighting; " If I could see her just for a few minutes, it would be a great favour." " If she's in the house, I'll have her here in less than five minutes," returned the energetic housekeeper; and she left the loom immediately, determined that her favourito should be giatified, and highly indignant at the treatment that ho had teceived from Mrs Gordon, to say nothing of tho deception that had been practised upon her. She went diiecfcly to Ruby's room, and found her there, looking Hushed and sleepy, and preparing to retire. Mrs Gordon had waited until she thought Walter was well out of the way : then she went to the north verandah, awakened her sister, and, in a half-scolding, half-laugh-ing way, made her get up and go directly to her room. " You naughty midget I" she said, kissing her softly, "don't you know that you arc liable to get a shocking cold going to sleep out here while the dew is falling? Come, I shall have a doctor's bill to settle If you don't go in immediately ;*' and Ruby, all unsuspicious of any double dealing, and feeling very sleepy, ran upstaiis, intent only upon getting to bed as soon as posfoible. She looked around surprised and a tritle startled, hoAvo\er, as Mrs Coxon softly opened her door without knocking. "Miss Gordon," she whispered, fearing that Mis Gordon might hear her, "could you come down to my sitting-room for just a little while? I have a \ory particular reason for asking, or I wouldn't have disturbed you." Ruby looked still more surprised at this strange request and the mystery attending it, but she friiw that the woman was very much in earnest, and she replied, with chew ful readiness : l( Certainly, Mrs Coxon ; if there is anything that I can do for you of course 1 will como. Ju*,t wait a moment until I knot my hair up ; I was getting it ready for the night." She coiled it into a loose, graceful knot, pinned it with a silver arrow, and was ready to accompany the housekeeper below. Mis Coxon held the door open for her lo pas-s out, then closed it again without making the slighte.-t noise, and led the way do\\n a flight of back stairs in silence, Ruby thinking her action very strange and perplexing. But when the woman opened the door to her own room at the foot of the stahs, and .she saw who was within, she sprang forward with ix glad cry that made the housekeeper smile w ith an air of triumph as she went back to the kitchen to give orders for breakfast ; and then hhe left the loveid alone. " Walter, how came you hero ?" Ruby exclaimed, as bhe laid both her lands in his and looked up at him, a glad welcome in hei bine eyes. " I came to see you, dear," he answered smiling as he led her to a seat and drew another beside her. " But— bat— " Ruby began, flushing and looking .-.lightly disturbed. "But you cannot understand why you aio called to the housekeeper's room lo recei\e me instead of the drawing-room, v. Inch would bo the proper place?" he concluded for her. '* Ye-, that was my thought," .she admitted. '• Well, then, to be perfectly frank, it is because I was not allowed to see you in the drawing-room," Walter explained, flushing a vivid crimson. " What can you mean, Walter ?" Uc tiu-n told her all that had transpired, greatly to her amazement and indignation. He thought it be-^t that her eyes should be opened at once to the fact that her sister was a secret enemy to thorn both. '• I cannot undei stand it," she said, when he had concluded. " I havo been very weaiy since school closed, and have lain in the hammock most of the time. E^telle knew I was there. I went there directly after tea, and everything was so quiet I fell asleep. It is not iiftecn minutes since she arou.-ed me and sent mo upstairs to bed." "I surmised that you were not far off, and I was determined that I would not be th waited in any such way," Walter answered ; then added, gravely : " Ruby, it is evident that Mrs Gordon does not intend that you anil I shall meet very often if she can help it." " She cannot help it, Walter, she shall not help it. I havo been upon the point two or three times, of late, of telling her now — how matters stand. I think it will be better for her toknow," Ruby said, blushing. " She will be very much opposed, my darling." " T shall be sorry if she is ; but that cannot change an> tiling, Walter," was the decided reply. Walter gave the hand ho was holding a tender pressure at this assurance ; then remarked : " If it had not been for my old friend, Mis Coxon, I should have been obliged to go away without seeing you to-night." " It was shameful, and I shall settle the matter with Esfcelle the first thiug tomot row morning. But is Mrs Coxon an old friend, Walter"? Ah ! yes"— with a start and a puzzled expression—" 1 do remember now your saying something about hor a long time ago." '• 1 have known her ever since I was ten years old. Ruby, darling, Ido not wish to distress you, but I am very much afraid that there has been a plot laid to part us, and— to compromise you." "Why., i Walter, what can possibly have put such an idea into your head?" Ruby exclaimed. " Will you tell me just how you happened to come out to this place to spend the summer ?" he asked. She told him, relating how her sister had seen the advertisement, and what we already know of her account of the circumstances. ' ' Has if not appeared rather strange that you could secure such a residence all to yourselves, tho attendance of servants, and the use of horses and carriage, upon such exceedingly favourable terms?" Walter questioned. " Yes, I did think we were remarkably fortunate ; but I know that some people prefer to have their houses kept open. Eptelle said the arrangement was made chiefly to keep Mrs Coxon from being lonely, and make her content to remain here while tho family was absent. She said also that the owner preferred to have I us use his horses, as they needed the exercise." "Havo you any idea who the owner of this property in V Walter questioned, wondering to sco how completely she had been hoodwinked,

" Yea. Esfcelle said his no/me was— Ed* Brands, I believe," Rirlby foplied,- €Mnkin£ all this cross-queBfcioninj£#litbl#stjjten£ev •• Ruby, his name is— -SJJdmuhdi Ge»pan-