CHAPTER XXXIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 221, 24 September 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXIII.

\ TWRRIHLK INVOCATION. Ah ! ruder words -will soon rush in To spread tlio bre-ich that words begin, And oyos forget the gentlo ray Tliov wore in courtship's binihnp; day, And \ oioos lose the tone that shea A tenderness round all they snicl, Till last dcoliniaß, ono by one, The s-v> octne-scs of love tiro kouc; Anil hearts so lately mingled acorn Like broken clouds, or like the stream That .smiling laff ihe mountain's brow At. though its w at ims ne\r could so\ cr, Yet. e'er it, vouch tho plain bolow, Hi oaks into iloods that pavl l\ r ever. Thomas Moohk. For t\ momeni Gerald Fit/gorald stood ga/in« "more in locxow than in anger upon the engagement ring that Geraldine had Hung at his feet, " 1 \s 11 not a second time take up your ring, Ueuililine," he said, at length. "I will not- again take you at your hasty word. When you come to yourself you will be generous enough to acknowledge the wrong you ha\e done, and you will replace tho ring upon your finger. As for me, I will endea\our to forgot all that has pasted this afternoon."' ITU word?, instead of appeasing, seemed to mfuiiate her. " You think that * when I como to myself.'a-, you call it, I shall bo the tirst to acknowledge the ' wrong ' 1 have done, and to replace \he ling upon my iingev. You count, upon a lepetition of my late folly, when J cune to you, like an idiot, and, for s>euin'4 my own dignity, sued to you for a reconciliation. Q-h-h-h\ it you only knew how i f/- sp?\e my wli now for that pitiable weakness. And yo>< expect me to repeat it. H'zui- me, Colonel Fitzgerald!" and as she -p ike, her eyes contracted and gleamed, and hci taee To her very lips giew li\id with intense rigc— "hear me! If ever I take uo that uno and replace it on my iiiuei, ma\ it eat into my flesh like a canker and" poison my blood to death. It o\evlMie to you for a reconciliation, may j/nir sj'sni ?ve ///'•( a - 1 'C />om your )»•€<.< nee Xow, -o ! and ne\er let" mo jom face aoain it yo-i can help it '" I lei aid Fit/gerald bowed very low, turned and lett the iv-om, leaving the jealous young fuiy to come to her senses at her lei-vie. In the meantime. Mis* Sue Greenleaf and Gc-tiude liaddon weie holding a conference in th • sistei-' pailoiu-. As soon a» Colone Fu/ge aid had placed in Miss (4ieenleaf's ha-nUhe book he had brought for her, and lett tho room, *he turned to Gertrude, and ob^eiMng lur the thsttime her disturbed CO'int-^iano -, she said : '• You aie pale and trembling, my little Tine '. V\ hat i- the matter with you?'' "Oh, Mi*- (ireeuleat, I mibt go awny iiom ihis place immediately," answered the girl, ina^it.'ital tone-. "You <4O awa> .' And why, pray?"' inquued the lady, in smpii.^e. "Oh, Mi^s'Sue, because— because Mi^.s Pitzgeral'l <loe» nor, like my being here," uns?w°cred Gertrude in the same pertuibed inannoi. "Mis- FLt7gerald does not like your being lieie*' Wiiat an idea. Don't lake such ia'ine> into your head, my child." •• Oh, M\— Sue, it h no fancj. Ido not tnke I'apvie-, indeed I do not:" But when you sc it me to the diawing-ioom to get the hook, j\w '^ I entered the door I heard Mi- rit/j.v.'ialdtelling tho colonel that he mu 1 ha.*, me sont away from this house; that 1 >\.i — I do not lemember the cvact woid- ; but the meaning of them was, that h^ not a ht comi>anion for her'-elt, and th t tK'eloie she required that I should be di- :n-^d from the hou^e," said (4ertu de, . s her pale cheeks became suftn.sed at ihe i cnembrance of the insult. ••(^■alvline Fit/vrt-nilil said that!" exclaimed Mi-s (Jrteulc.if, Hushing with gencio'i- i ldi'^nation. '•livl^l, madam, "he did; and there fenx, you -cc, [ must go." "Sh ' - •>] I that ? You heard her ? What iVA yo" -. \ ?" "I". Xvithing, madam. I grew so weak that T loaned against the dooi-post." ' And (.ieiald Fit/gerald, what did he ■uy ''" "Something sluu-j). I do not know wb it. I think m\ -en^c- weie about to lea\e ni. then, foi he -^w me, and =]>rang acio-,, tho room and -i>okc to me. and led me in heie Then [ ei'ew better." « [ vjo—l see hoy. it i». deraldine will nrn liei o,\n hajv^ine^ and thntofeveiy one with whom she is connected," said M^iss <Jicenh-af moditati\ ely. "Xo\*. ;>ou see L my dear Miss Sue, that I in" t '_■ > away. I do lo\e to be here, and 1 love •, on— eveiy one. But 1 must not sta> , to be 'i cause of contention between C jloncl FiCGferalcl and hi-, hi ideolect : and, moreover, / will not," added G'eitiuu^, with gentle firmness. "Yo • aio quite light, in'y dear child. It would iiOv indeed be consistent with the delicacy «'M(I dignity of any joung girl to remain heie under the circumstances. I ' fianl: l';u\idence that in a tew days more Gerald and (Jeraldine will be manied and gone. Then, my little Tiue, we shall have i bar. 1 -, if T>r/(loodwin will let you come. That is \ery doubtful, however. After the good doctor comes to know you, my ' littk Ti tie. he w ill not easily part with you," .said JJbi Creonleaf, aHectionately. At O.at moment vio aid Fil/gorald hastily entered the ladies' pre uMice— hat gloves, and wh'p in hi- hand. " I have come to bid you good -day, Miss droenleuf,'" he siid, in tone- that he vainly starve :o keep steady. "Bui-- 1 thought- you vroro going to stay to dinner,"' said Mis-; Sue, in surprise mirl [jci pie vity. "In cJI .sincerity, I as-ure you that 1 ,im \ov :-or»y to h <.ye to go, Miss Greenleaf,"' he said, taking her hand and bowing ovei it. " Tlie-i at least come and dine with us to-morrow," .suggc-icd Mi«s >Sue. " T fear that Will be impossible, my dear lady."' " Thon any day you ]>lease. Come without notice. Wo . '-hall always, be ready to veceisu you, and glad to welcome you." "Thanks, dear YiU% (Jrcenloaf. I shall take tho lir?.; opportunity to avail myself of jo'tu liiivl permission. Good(iay, madam ; good-lay, Mis-, Ha.ldon."_ And with a bow Colonel Fitzgerald withdiew from the room. Mi«s (h-eenleaf and Certrudo looked at each other, but did not. .speak until they were aroused by the -ound of his horse's hoofb galloping f'lom uhe hou»e. Then Miss Sue said : "A- suie a=s you live, Gertrude, that beautitul fury, (Jeialdine, has flown ab him again !" "Oh, ML,s Grernloaf !" murmured the girl. " I am sure alie has quarrelled with him and broken with him airain. I know it by Lia looks. He adoie* her, Gertrude ; bufa oh, she tries Jiim I You arc right, my ear girl, in one thing— entirely right.

You shall go to your venerable guardian, and stay with him until this marriage between Gerald and Geraldine take 3 place — if it ever takes place — and then you shall return hore and bo our child. Let me see. It.is now four o'clock. I will send Hannibal off to Wildavillo with a note to Dr. Goodwin, asking him to como hero and see us. I will not tell him in my note what he is wanted for, lest it might bo lost and fall into other hands. Have courage, my child ; all will bo well with you," said Miss Sue, as she rang the bell. When a num-sorvanb answered the summons, she ordered him to go to tho stables and direct Hannibal to saddle a horse and come around to the house, and bo ready to carry a note to Dr. Goodwin. And when tho man withdrew to deliver his message, she turned to her writing-desk and wrote a few lines, which she sealed up ( and took out. fco her courior. When Miss Greenlenf returned to the J sisters' parlour dinner was announced. She took Gertrude's hand, drew it within her arm in a protecting manner, and led her to the dining-room. The family were already assembled there. The party around the table consisted of Mrs Doy and Miss Patricia Fitzgerald, Mr Royal and Miss Sue Greenleaf, cousin Ben Bowers and Gcitrude. There were two vacant places— those of Gerald and Geraldine Fitzgerald. " Where are tho.-e two moon calves, Sue? Spooning somewhere, I do suppose, and torgetting that there is any such a thing as a dinner in the world," said Mr Royal Greenleaf, referring to Colonel and Miss Fitzgerald. " Gerald has been called away on business, and lias left his compliments and regrets," answered Miss Sue. " Uinph ! umph ! umph ! to be taken as before, 1 suppose. And where is tho 'dark-eyed, queenly Geraldine,' n« that military spoon calls her ?" pursued Royal. " Gemldino is indisposed after her long lidc. and has, gono to lie down." " Umph ! umph ! umph ! to be taken as before again. Our beautiful Geraldine's indispositions generally consist in severe cramps in her tomper. Ah, well, it is honestly come by ! the family temper, eh, Pat r " Tho family demon, 1 call it, uncle," answered Patricia, decidedly. After dinner Mks Sue Oreonleaf beckoned her brother to follow her into the sisters' pat lour, and when she found herself there alone with him she con tided to him the story I old her by Geitinde.and tho necessity that grew out of it of i-ending the orphan oirl away until after tho marriage and departure of Miss Fit/gerald. " Well, hue, the young lady— for she /•>■ a young lady, every inch of her — is your protegee, not mine. You mu^t do with her a? you please ; but as for me, well as I like Gerald Fit/gerald and his >oung \i\cn of a swcetheai t,' I would see them both in the bottomlu-s pit betorc 1 would let her go on their account," said Royal, in a generous til of indignation. " Ix, i^ "not on their account, dear Roy. It is on Get crude's own. I will t>ofc have her here exposed to the scornful taunt* of any iealous woman." "Meaning 'the dark-eyed, queenly," I s'po«c .' ' " Yes — Geraldine." '•Then why not send Geraldino off? Sii«cc '-he is the one in fault, it seems to me she is the one to be bowed out, especially since he i-> rich and powerful ; while the other poor little one, besides being blameless, is poor and dependent, Send Geialdine away— send Geialdino away." "Oh, Roy, that would never, never do ! Besides ' ieiti ude is not so poor and dependent a* she seems. Old Mr Haddon left her the fouy estate." " Moonshine ! It has been discovered that oW Haddon left a daugliter by his lawful wife Lilian Vale, who, if she can be found, i-> the legal heiress of the feuy in right of her father ; and not only of tho feiry in right of her lather, but of about one-half of Wilde country, in right cf her mother. This poor Gertrude would be a beggar. Not that I would think the less of "her on that account, but rather tho moie," said Royal. " Stay ! Hood Heaven ! What is that you say about Gabriel Haddon leaving a daughter by his lawful \vif«, Lilian Vale ?" a&ked Mi*s Sue, aghast. "I said that it has been discovered that lie left such a daughter, although the poor, wronged man never knew that he had a daufhtei until within a few days before his death." " But, good heavens ! if that is so, if Lily Yale left a daughter, that daughter is the legal l.ohe^ of Forest Lodge, Stone Alone, W~ildwood, Rock Hall, and, in short, of every manor now held by Geraldine Fitzgerald, for you know Geraldine's father only inherited all that property on the supposed failure of Alvan Vale's heirs." "I know it; and a pretty mo^s there would be if the girl— woman, rather, for, if livinir, she must now be between thirty and foity~years of age— a pretty kettle of fish there'd be if she were to be found. But that is so improbable as to bo well nigh impossible ; it is *o long since all trace of her ha=- l-teon lost. However, old Dr. Goodwin's parishioners arc going to send him abroad this autumn for his> health, and he means to take the opportunity of instituting a search in London for the missing heiress." " For a needle in a haystack! What clue has he to guide him ?" " Oh, he has the address of the doctor who attended Lilian Vale — or, rather, Lilian Haddon — in her confinement, and also of the nurse who took charge of the child. But as these addresses are over thiity years old, and the people to whom they ref cued were even then past middle age, it seems scarcely possible that they I can be living now . All this was told me in the strictest confidence by Dr. Goodwin, but for goodness' sake don't breathe il to a human being. I ought never to have told you, but it slipped out somehow, and I am very soiry it did. I am not fit to keep a secret, and I do wish Dr. Goodwin had only thought of thnt when he confided one to me. °I never had a secret of my dwn in my life, and I oughtn't to be trusted with other people's," said Mr Greenleaf with a mortified "Bo tranquil, Roy I ea« keep a secret. 1 .shall never hint this one to anybody," said Svic* "Vo ; for Heaven's sake don't, Sue. Just Uunk of the effect it would hare upon' the dark-eyed, queenly' to hear it oven hinted that there could be a possibility of a missing heiress being recovered to iiurn her out of her kingdom of half a dozen manors !" said Royal, ?n dismay. "1 will never breathe it, Roy. But we have wandered from a subject which is, after all, of more immediate interest to mo —Gertrude. I have sent for Dr. Goodwin to come hero to-morrow and &co us. \\ lion ho comes I intend to ask him to take Gertradc homo with him." " Look hero, Sue ! Sho is your protegee, not mine. But I'll tell you what. I— Yes, rather than you should do that, I would send Geraldine away and fight Gerald, as in that case I should have to do, for he would be fcure to call mo out." " What nonsonse you talk, Roy ! We cannot possibly be so rude to our own cousin and your ward. Besides, every consideration of womanly dignity and delicacy urges Geitrude to withdraw herself from the houso at this juncture. Dr. Goodwin must take her away to-morrow. After Ger-

i ' ' ' '' aldine 13 married and gone, I shall bring her back." 1 „ " You will do well to bring her back if she goes ; or, see ,heve, Sue— l may as well* tell you n6w *as any other time — I intend to ask Gertrude Haddon to be my wife, and if she should consent I will make her the mistress of Greenwood. What do you say to that ?" " Gertrude is very young yet, Roy. She is little more -than fifteen years old. You should wait at hast three years longer, and it would bo still wi3er to wait five years before thinking of marriage for Gertrude Haddon," sxid Miss Sue, discreetly. " But, bless my soul alive, Sue, I haven't time to wait. lam forty-five years old now. I shall be fifty in iive years. You see I haven't time to wait." "Then you should marry some older lady. There is Miss Maxima Rowley now. — " "Oh! the fiond fly away with Miss Maxima Rowley ! Do you think 1 am going to marry an old maid like that?" angrily exclaimed Royal. "Miss Maxima is just your own age— forty-live. Besides Miss Maxima — •" " Drot Miss Maxima '." exclaimed Royal, flinging himself out of the room, in a passion. '"New that is the way with men! It never occurs to them that it is quite as repugnant to a young woman to marry an old man as it i* to a young' man to marry an old woman. Hero is Roy, throwing himself in a rage at the bare idea of marrying a woman of his own age, yet presuming tothink seriously of proposing marriage to a young girl of one-third his years !" muted Miss Sue. The entrance of her young protdgcSe put an end to her meditation. " Miss Sue, I h;v\ 0 finished packing my box," said Gertrude, smiling, as she seated herself near the elder lady. " Havo you, my dear ? that is well. Dr. Goodwin will bo here, early in the morning no doubt, and wo will not keep him waiting," answered Miss Sue. No more was said on the subject then. Miss Sue produced the second volume of Ronan y s Well, and a.->ked Gertrude to read aloud, while she— Miss Sue— worked at her embroidery. And bo, with the short interlude of the tea table, they passed the evening. Early the next, morning, according to Mibs Sue's prediction, Dr. Goodwin arrived and asked to see Miss Greenleaf, who had sent for him. Mis 5 Sue received him alone in the sisters' parlour, and without entering into any disagreeable explanations that might have compromised Geraldiue in the pastor's good opinion, she merely informed him that for ceitain urgent reasons she would request him to receive Gertrude Haddon as a guest at the rectory until after the wedding should be over. "For although the marriage will be comparatively a private one, yet according to custom, all the numerous family connections of the FifczgeiviMs and Greeuleafs will assemble here tor days before the wedding, and will crowd every room in the house," said Mi-s Sue, with a little good-natured diplomacy. " Yes, my good lady ; oE course I quite understand that, and 1 will gladly take tho dear child home wi'h me until after the wedding, and keep her as long after that, also, as you will permit her to stay," said the unsuspecting minister. ' c When can she be ready ?" he asked, rising. " She is ready now," said Miss Sue. "Have her called, then, my dear lady. I will take hor with me," said the pastor. Miss Sue went oui herself, and soon returned with Gertrude, who welcomed her reverend guardian with respectful affection. She had already taken leave of every member of the family except Miss Sue Greenleaf. She now leased that good friend, who embraced her with fervent affection, and then delivered her over to Dr. Goodwin, saying : "Immediately after the wedding I shall come for my darling, sir. "' " 1 shall be in no hurry to part with her, Miss Greenleaf," said Dr Goodwin^ as he led Gertrude out and placed her in his j carriage. In the next moment he entered and drove off.