Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 109, 12 May 1904, Page 4

Literature.

Hbi». A SOCIETY SECRET. fSSm < (Continued.) BBSy a few minutes they were bowlS&, Injg] t over the smooth asphalted g; "stfeeta. Near Gladys' house the l.fJMbisom drew up, and Gordon waited p until she returned with the papers. on again till they reached Sel- | grove Gardens, and the hansom drew before Geoffrey Barton's house. Geoffrey Barton was in his library , seemed a trifle disconcerted at i the inclusion of Gordon de Chirer i ri into the business in hand. His lifted , implied a question, which Gladys promptly answered. J- "I had better explain," she said, , "that, but for Mr de Chirer, I i should not have returned to you at jv. all. I went to him this afternoon for 4 the purpose of seeking his advice on j"-' this matter, and, acting upon that [ advice I bave accompanied him here." 'J " How much or how little does Mr { de Chirer know of this business, ([' Miss Harcourt?" v Gladys was about to reply when , Gordon saved her tihe necessity. " Miss Harcourt 'has informed me," v he explained, " that she is in posses--A sion of a secret for. which you have > offered her the sum of fifty thousand I: pounds. I have also elicited from Sf, her the additional information that ; this secret is connected with the family of the late Lord Harrow. BeI :i yond this she has told me nothing. nor have I sought to compel her conjgl -fldence in any way." f A shade of relief passed over GeofJ lrey Barton's face. ,' "And your object in accompanying Ej Hiss Harcourt ?' ! be said, suavely. I "That will appear presently." re- " , Bp<7nded' Gordon. "First of all 1 fo wist to ask you one question. Is \ the fifty thousand pounds you are s?' . to pay for this secret to y" come out of the estate of the pres- / ent Lord Harrow ?" , " That is, or appears to be, rather immaterial. But since .you ask I will admit that Lord Harrow has notified me of his willingness to pay f j that amount out of the estate." t* ■ " Thank you. 1 Will you be so good $ < then as to draw up a document exjjri' plaaning the particulars of this transit ■* action and append your signature to L'" the same ? I suppose Lord Harrow ffi; is wise enough to keep his name out of the allaiT ?" Geoffrey Barton coloured, [v' '■' 'Well, yes," he admitted lamely. f. , "Lord Harrow does nut wish to ap[l " pear in he matter. I am prepared I fy to draw a cheque for the amount on fe my own bankers, and he will pay me ft later. But I scarcely see the necessir ty putting the transaction down I f in black and white. You see, it's not a regular—business proposal, and It would not look altogether— er—er Kjfe '. bilsfnesa-like " p " Or honourable," suggested Gor- «!' don, "Nevertheless, I insist upon j, * H. I will draw up a receipt for i. Was Harcourt and shall affix my own f name as a- witness to the transaction. -You will please to make out ■- iheveheque. But, in doing so, allow r me to reque&t you to leave out the ;t name of the person to whom the |jt money is to he paid." « Geoffrey Barton was becoming more qpd more embarrassed. He was no J- more able to divine the drift of these ) . preparations that Gladys herself. He f , had never met this Gordon de Chirer before, but he felt himself irresistibly 4 compelled to carry out Ms directions Su*. to the very letter. For a few men i*' ments nothing more was heard save & the scratching of pens as they moved % rapidly over the paper. Then the k- two men looked up. Gordon had just El-- finished a blank receipt to which he R. had'affixed his name as witness. The tk, name was covered with a sheet of Mi . blotting-paper when Geoffrey Barton Be"" lifted his 'head. Up to this time Glass" dys had uttered 'no protest. But she gy could no longer restrain her uneasif,'; ness. p.f. .i " Oh, Gordon," she exclaimed, '' "think what you are doing. It is L? * wrong—worse than wrong—it is wic■f ked !" p ■ But Gordon only smiled. »'• - '"'Give Mr Barton the papers," lie |v "" said. But Gladys shook her head and & drew away from the table, fe' "Trust me." Ill" " The words fell on her ear, and she looked helplessly into the face of her ££. lover. It was a strong face—a noble face—and she obeyed. Geoffrey %' Barton pnatchcd greedily at the , uapers and Gordon lifted the blotL. ' ting-paper from the blank receipt. £ " Sign it," he said, as he pushed it towards'her. > Gladys took the pen from his hand Mid prepared to write. All at once >-■■■. a smothered exclamation burst from her lips. Her eyes dilated and fixed themselves on the paper before her. ,■ Observing her agitation, the eyes of fi. Geoffrey Barton followed her and rested on the name that Gordon de Chisj - rer had inscribed thereon. For it !?, wa?, not Gordon de Chirer, but Goi- ' don Harrow ! For some time no ji; one spoke. Then Gladys took up ■J the receipt and tore it into fragments. "I will never sign away your inheritance she cried. " Oh, why did you force me to give up those puF - pers—the sole remaining proofs of your identity ?" <'■ Gordon laid a soothing hand on her ' ' shoulder. Then turning to the petrified Geoffrey Barton, he commanded ■. Hun to fill in his own name on the ; ' cheque. When this was done he - wrote a second receipt, handed it acrosgS the table, and put'the cheque i t in his pocket. /. " Now, Mr Barton," he said, when ' he had finished, "I will make you an explanation. Thirty years ago my j father, Lord Harrow, married my - mother, and took her for a long tt,\" honiyinoon trip on the Continent. fi, there circumstances made it P convenient that they should retire & for a time to a little sequestered | hamlet in the vicinity of Lombard?, E Wher».- they dropped their identity. In due time I was born into the world, and not long after my father and mother returned to society once ' more, leaving me in the care of an ' excellent nurse. * "My father insisted that my birth » v .should'be' kept secret. There was no . stint of money, and I received an ' education quite in keeping with my j,. real station in life. But I was f brought up in complete ignorance in regard to my parentage, and it was not until I was eighteen years of age ts* ■ that my father wrote to me. He told me then of the miserable cir- <■; , cumstances attending my birth, togather with a great deal more, into which I need not now enter. "He admitted that I was his actual heir, though the world had no ■ idea of my existence. Finally he left me to do as I thought fit. My mother had prayed for my return and recognition, notwithstanding all that such a step would involve. And he left the issue to me. The week that followed was the bitterest I bave ever spent. And in the end I ran away." » He paused and then went on. " I determined never to return. I hard never known a mother's love, yet I felt for that mother, all unknown as she was to me, and I vow- '» ed never to let my own selfish inv clinations tempt me into forgetting that she was my mother. So I txuv'*7 elled up and down the Continent unj; der my present name, and finally es- „ tablished myself here as an artist. : f Now you know my story. j '»" Hare is the letter my father sent ti.'/' me. Take it, and with it, the only * remaining proof that I, and not mv brother Archibald, am Lord Harrow. Let him keep the title and all that appertains thereunto, in quietness of mind. I shall not trouble him. His cheque for £50,000 I shall take He owes me something for my willingness to sacrifice so much. Yet it

is not for Mm Riat I do it, but for the fair, sweet! name of my dead mother—the mother I never knew.'' ■ He rose as he finished speaking. Gladys rose too, and drew near him. 1 here were tears in her deep grey ] eyep as they met his. Unmindful of S the presence of Geoffrey Barton. Gor- r don drew her towards him. Are you content ?" he asked, ten- ] derly. , "More than content, I am happy." Presently she lifted her head. "Why did you choqse the name of de Chirer ?" she askt-d. ; "It is only Frencft for Harrow," he replied. "I wonder you did not ' see through it before." " r "Shall you keep it ?" "Yes—if you will share it. Will ' you ?" "Oh, you know I will." ] i