Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 205, 2 September 1904, Page 4

Literature.

LOVE UNREQUITED. Continued. " Come in, come in, Lou," I said VDo try, to comfort Jes"'jeasie bad been also startled at Xjou'a entrance, so that I easily es•npad (from my dilemma and resumed a jn'o're accustomed portion, leaning as carelessly .against the mantelpiece a 8 it I were guite in the habit of embracing young ladles on .whom X made ain afternoon call. I Jessie now found her tongue and' poured out to Lousia a recital of beit woes. Now, said I to myself, tibia thing is becoming dangerous ; I must defend myself * ao I exclaimed : " But don't misunderstand Jessie, Lou. She, does, not mean that there la really any romance between us, jpt Bathing would induce me to go so " against Mr. Bailey's wishes. He ifeuliiftep* too good, a ,friend to me." , .Loij Nesbitt was verjr <juick-witted. Silo suspected at onuse how ithe land lay, and .exclaimed : " Oh,'' dry your -even-ready tears, , ; V KJessie i; i Mr." 'Tremaine isn't worth them. There are as good fish in the -riliea ' >as were ever caught, you know. You go home, now, Mr. Tremanie, and leave her to me." Winyh f Imost gladly did. But I hairf not; been a£ home very long be- ' ■%ore ,: 'Ofemie' 'oame; : and, pouring out her woes to jny unsympathetic sister, declared that she could never go and bo in danger of sepanaitibtf istauher. beloved Stephen, and bo ,90. So 1 was called into the dretWiigi-i'oom, and there X had to ~, , .)tel!,! Jessie, in ithe presence of my : . ~mofber and si&ter,, that she bad ' maie a' mistake—haii misinterpreted my attentions. Oh, dear, I.tihinik you are very " cruel," she said between her sobs. " I did think you were to be believed j- and-I left a note for papa saying titait I had gone to you and that I would never return to Mm till he <£ ;bad consented to our marriage." t Here was a pretty kettle of fish ! Mother persuaded Jessie to stay 'all- night, with my sister, promising that she and father would go at once and explain matters to Mr. Bailey, But Mr. Bailey was as unreason.fcvyfcible his daughter ;, he declared ''himself convinced that I had made _ love to Jessie, and said that now she i" !,i had left her home she might stay

■v i vrbere' she was, that she was disgrao fad in the eyes of the neighbourhood. ' And as for Stephen, Mrs. Tre--1 mains, I tell you the simple thruth when I say that I feel far worse to find Olit that heia not trustworthy, sav »than to learn ; ho* foolisfe my daughten is/ Stephen gave me a solemn • promise that ihe would not say any more to Jessie, and before sunset ho bad persuaded her to marry him in spite of my displeasure. Of course g, you ipderstand that Stephen need not come to the bank any move," was the gist'of what be said. So X found myself .without a situation, but with a wbiild-lie wife on my baAds. I As Jessie had jo , other place to go y®t the moment, my father ad\ia- . ' ,'ed ' mfl to leave home toy the mid--1 'Bright train for London, and remain : .there ujxtil l got a Situation, or till Jessie recovered her senses. i Now, awkward as my position! Was, itta worat feature of it all, to 1 me, was that Hilda seemed to be-1 , Keve Jessie was right and I wrong. Believing this, how could she be ■ - . made to 'look favourably on me ag-| 'aim ? How could X convince her ithat all my l thoughts had b eeo> of her and my attentions to Jessie only those' oi a friend who was under the obli-| gations to her lather ?- These were' .the questions which occupied my, mind during my journey to london ;' what was I to do in the way of bus- j inesa had not begun to trouble me. <|n .reaching the city I went at' ?< onoo to a hotel, as my tether had desired mo to do, until I should find ct iboarding-house to my taste. While I .Wfiß. dining, .who should join m», with' a ' most coTdial greeting, but one of Mr Bailey's nephews, a rough-and-ready fellow, who was looked as the black sheep of the family. He cried : Hullo, Steve, what brings you here tf. Has my uncle decided to open a branch house here so -as to add to his already full coffers ? " Then, turning to a young man who had entered the dining-room with Mm, he ; , eddpd: " Lawrence, let me intro- ■ f", duo 6;. you to my friend Steve Tremaine, who can easily answer the questions you were just asking mo." I greeted Mr. Lawrence with some V" pleasure, . for I was glad to escape anMreting the inconvenient questions C ,David Bailey bad been asmng, So l asked, politely : Fray,, what information do you desire ? I will be very glad to help you U I can." Jlr<; i Lawrence hesitated,, so David told his tale* « Don*# .be bashful, man ! " I he cried.; Steve can keep a secret. All lie wants is to know if my cousin , JesSlo repUy carrying on a flirtation .With' soke fellow in her vicinity." Phewil And I had flattered myBelf , that I was escaping awkward questions, I stammered ; " Miss Jessie is very, popular, and,'—

■ v Oh, yes, I know that; but you » . tee the men there don't know that She w?is secretly married to me six , ' months ago, and naturally they may lbs more familiar .with her than I like.' s Now this Lawrence had not opens'-' his lips before I had Seen that he had been drinking a little too freely, but I 'had not supposed he Was too far ! gone to know what he was say- ' ''Why 'doyoo not go and claim her?"- r asked, not knowing what Jusf to sayi' <>A'K; .-'' Well, the truth is I was pretty tar gone one night, and I—for fun; you know—persuaded one of my Jpnir chums to write a letter telling her I -«>■- was ■ dead ■ and buried, and returning »v bar letters and presents; when I t 'Sobered 'off I didn't quite dare to I"'ft " own ilp to' 1 what I had'dome," said Lawrence, foolishly. * "I x3o bo® think you need have aas v any one there will get her from you ; I am quite sure there is ligijr no one; there who is your rival," Ij said,- cheerily. "I expect to go home v.: to-morrow.- Can I take her any mesfrpm you or any letter? Supjpose you;sand' her a little note?" #*? ' To tins Lawrence agreed, and wtoilU k

be was writing it I said to young Bailey : "Do you suppose Ms story is true?" "Oh, I'm sure of it. I way one of ■the witnesses to the marriage, which ■took place last summer while Jessie was vii Sting my mother at our country place in Norfolk. Oh, it's a bona fide marriage—but I don't want to be the one to break the news to. her father. He thinks a prince will be aibout a match for his daughter. You've no idea how ambitious he is for her." Hadn't I ? How little he knew ! My mother was astonished when I entered her sitting-room the next afternoon, but I managed to give her a hint to ask no questions, and then i I asked Jessie to come into the li- j brary with me for a few moments. I My sister looked disgusted, Jessie delighted ; lioth put the same construction on my sudden return ; but the tetter's face wore a different expression .when, handing her Lgwrencc's note, I said coolly : "Jessie, I met your husband and; your cousin David yestenday after-1 noon. Mr Lawrence succeeded in hoaxing you nicely." j When she had read the letter I said firmly s "Now, Jessie, you have aoted very foolishly, and have put me in a very awkward position, simply because we chanced to get those two rings what ! " I exc,aimed, seeing a look of scorn on her face, "was it Hot chance? How did you manage it?" '.'How silly you men are !" she exclaimed contemptuously. ''There was wry little chance about it. I was with lizzie Nesbitt when she bought the rings, aad I slyly bought another just like them. Then I petitioned to be allowed to ice the cake. AS the rings were put in after the cakies were baked there was a little hole which -showed me just where to make a mark on the icing, so that in passing it (as I had been promised I should) I could contrive to m a ke you take that special slice. Hilda got the real 1 ring ; mine was hidden ill my hand in case you took the right slice." 'Well, Jessie, if you do not want me to go <at once and tell your father that "

"Ob, StpptefQ, piease don't !"She said bursting into tears. ''He will be mone angry with me than ever, toil he forbade me a year ago to ever speak to Hugh Lawrence again." "I will agree to hold my tongue if you will promise to go at once oad tell Hilda the truth, the whole trutib, mind, about this affair, and about my slcanty attentions to you ; go now, and this evening I will call om her, and will judge by her manner to me whether you have done by me. eS you desire me to do by you. Also, you must start to-morrow to visit your aunt ; as for your husband I have nothing to say. But, as yau Oaß easily see, it will not do for you to remain longer here. It will compromise us both." I did not then learn what she said to Hilda, but evidently for onco she was truthful, for when I saw Hilda that evening, she had such a becoming blush on her pretty face, and such a -hesitating conscious manner, that I felt quite safe in putting my arm round her and asking her point blank, without much, if any, preface, if she would be my wife. Hilda ami I had been married several months before either of us saw Jessie again. Then she was really a widow and forgiven by her father, whose love proved stronger than Mis ambition, especially after the time when Ma bank was in trouble, and would have had to close its doors but for the tamely assistance of my wife, wiho placed her whole fortune at his disposal. Years have passed since then ; Mr Bailey has retired and I am in his place, and to-day I took into my employ one Bailey Lawrence, aged fourteen, with the stipulation that he was to be dismissed the very first) time he was known to be under the influence of strong drink, and his mother said to me, with tears in her eyes : •a Do save him if you can, Stephen, from his father's fate, as your firmness once saved me."