CHAPTER VIII. (Continued.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 351, 16 March 1889, Page 6

CHAPTER VIII. (Continued.)

All of a sudden Dulci felt hy— so shy that she pulled Butterfly up, almost into a stand, and waited for him to approach he 1 * side, while tho tell-tale colour mounted to hor cheeks. •la that you, Duleie ?' he asked, his face lighting up and wreathing itself in smiles. ' I began to think you were going to prove faithless, and were not coming after all.' ' I could not help i v , Bob," she said, softly 1 1 thought mamma and Ethol would never make a start, and I had to wait until they took their departure.' • Had to wai f i ? May 1 inquire why ?' ' Because ' (abruptly) ' there was a row last night, and I could not ask leave. I should not have got it if I had.' A shade parsed over his countenance, and his voice trembled a little as he eaid, • Has it come to this, then. Duleie ?' ' Yes, Bob, I fear so. Was it very — wrong — of me— coming? 1 hesitatingly. ' Wrong ? No, of course not. What wrong can there possibly be in you and I spending a jolly afternoon together? Cheer up, little woman, and don't be quite so horribly conscientious.' So- saying, he gave his steed a gentle admonition with his heel, and started in the direction of the kennels. Old Blunderbuss niightbeasobc, honest, worthy animal, but certainly he was not much to look at. He had a gre^t plain, fiddle head, perched on a coarse, short neck, covered" by a rough unruly mane that refused to do anything but wtand straight upright ; his nose was Roman, his body stout and cobby, his shoulders heavy, his legs marked bv various blemishes, his hooka both curby and spavined, while his huge, flat feet toed the ground at each step, and resembled those of a dromedary. Nevertheless, Bob Mornington mounted on his back thi« summer afternoon, with Duleie riding alongside, looked the very picture of happiness and content. A whole afternoon seemed a long, long period, at their time of life, to spend in each other's company.