Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 209, 7 September 1904, Page 4

Literature.

o ~ THE HAND OF FATE. Continued, All this time Leslie had heard nothing of theGraingers, but ho took for 'granted that Mamie was married and it was with a sinking heart, when he got back to London, that he ventured to inquire, casually, what had become of her.

"What! The daughter of old Grainger, the financier ! Why, bless me, he bust up altogether nearly four years ago, antt the day his failure was announced he committed suicide ! Why, it must have happened .while you were on your way out to Australia, I should think'." "Good Heavens !" said Mannering, in astonishment. "And what became of his wife and daughter ?"

"I've-no idea." replied the other man- "I only know they were left absolutely penniless, as he had not taken the usual precaution of settling something substantial onj his Wife."

Leslie could at first hardly believe it. Then' all tihia 'time, when he had not dared to inquire after Mamie Grainger because he believed her to be in a position so far out of his reach, she may have been in actual

destitution ! He set to work at onoe" to make

inquiries among those of his friends Who had known the , .aingers, but none of them could tell him anything, except what he knew already —that they were left without a far(fching, and .had vanished from the social horiaon, altogether. Leslie was furious to think that now that he had got plenty of money, and was in a position to be of some substantial use to the girl he adored, his hands should be tied by the fact that he had no clue to her whereabouts.

He employed various agencies to help him in. the search, but they were quite useless, and in the meantime he seemed to be growing gloomier and more morose every day as a result of his bitter disappointment at failing to find any trace of her. Dickie .Fprbe,s used .to come and see him,, and try to arouse him to take a little more interest in life, but ' Leslie seemed completely knocked over by the news of Mamie's disappear-

ance. He told Dickie Forbes all about it.

But that volatile individual decided that, under the circumstances, the kindest course was . not t 0 display <oo much sympathy. "Look, here, Leslie," he said, after he had heard the whole story, "It'B not a bit of good your starting to look for a needle in a haystack loke/thia. Y o u take my, advice > put the girl out of your head, and try if you can't And another one as nice." Leslie'shook his head feebly. "My

dear, Dickie, there never could be-an-other 'girl in the world like Mamie." "No," admitted Dickie, patiently, '■' perhaps not. But still, if you would go about tt'blt 'more ajifi see people,

you,wiouidihaye.a better chance of, making'' sure. Now, for instance, there is a ripping musical comedy on just now, called ' The Baronet's Bride,' to which there are some per-

fectly- charming girls ; and, by the pay, one of ,them; has\lhe mpst lovely little hands you over saw—just like (the hands' you used to rave aKout !" Lesti* smiled-wearily. "No-, Dickie, not pjuits like that.'/ . "How can you tell if you have never seen them ?" retorted Dickie, cheerfully. "L o ok here, old man ; come andihave dinner with me at ithe club,* and» we'll go and see 'The Baronet's Bride,' afterwards, and I'll bet you a fiver you'll admit that owl of the bridesmaids has got the prettiest little hands you ever saw, bar nana ! Is. it a bet?" And Leslie consented, merely be-

Cause he felt that it would be churlish tq refuse Dickie's invitation, .which was so genuinely given with the Intention. 0 f cheering him up. And so that evening Leslie Mannering .found himself, in what the Yankees describe as a "boiled shirt and claw-hammer coat," seated in the Stalls as the curtain went up on the famous musical comedy.

When the six bridesmaids came on, Dickie touched his' friend on the arm and said, '-'There, do you see the Smallest and daintiest of them all, with the tiny hands and the exquis-itely-lilting gloves ? That's the girl riheant. But wait till you see her in the next act, when they don't .wear any gloves ; and then tell me if I have not won my bet.'' But Leslie was far too excited to

think about his bet with his friend. He was eagerly searching the programme for the bridesmaids/' names.

■ "Yes," he said to himself, 'that must be her—Miss Mamie Cassilis." And he put down his programme to examine the dainty little bridesmaid on the stage once more. In spite of the make-up there was 00. possibility of any doubt upon the "aujbject, for Miss Mamie Cassilis was undoubtedly the girl he had known :M Miss Mamie Grainger. "Dickie, old man," he said cheer-

fully, "you've won your bet about tlhose hands ! Those are the very

does I used to rave about !" And Mr Bichard Forbes realised that he had unconsciously been the means of bringing about what all the detective agencies had failed to effect for his friend. After the performance he left Leslie, who naturally wanted to go to the stage-door to find out news of the girl, whom he had not seen but

oft thinking about for four years/ He was quite sure that Mamie bad not recognised him in the theatre, and he was, therefore, quite pranarwiito hb snu|bbed when he went up to speak to her a s she came out of the stage-door* Miss Casailis was quite accustomed to parrying t/he attacks of the average stage-door Johnnie ; But when she heard Herself addressed as Miss Grainger, ahe turned a rid recognised LesJie Mannering instantly. "Misa Grainger," he Said, quietly, *'l liavp tried no hard to find you. Won't you let me drive you h o me, and *hpn you can tell me all I want to know oti the way," Before she quite realised what was taking place, he had put her into a hansom, and she had given an address in Bayswater. And in the course, of. that drive he learnt all the troubles and trials that she had gone through after her father's death.

Her mother's health had qnite broken, down,, and it was a long

time before she had been able to earn something to upport them by going on the stage. Even now, it seemed, they were having a hard struggle, f o r they had got into debt, and the £3 a week which she earned at U:< tlie a tre was only just enough to support them in comfort, without leaving a very large surplus for paying up arrears. He left her at the door,, having obtain*! permission to call next day, when, as she assured him, her mother would be delighted to see him. Mannering went home that night with a light heart, lor he had found the girl whom he adored, and he was delighted to feel that he had it in his power to alleviate the position of herself add her invalid mother. The next day when lie called he was a good deal moved at the gratitude displayed by Mrs Grainger at his having sought them out ; for she assured him that all their friends had deserted them the moment they heard of their iinaiicial downfall. In a short time, however, Mrs Grainger was obliged .to retire to lie down, and Leslie was left alone with Mamie.

She was greatly interested in hearing how it was that he had found her, and blushed very prettily when he explained that it had all come about owing to her beautiful hands. "And now, Miss Grainger," he said, seriously, "I have something that I want to say to you. When I went away, tour years ago, I was very much in love with you ;■ and all the time I have been away I have had a feeling that I was working for you. I have been to my bankers this morning and have opened an aocount in your name, and I want to make you a present of this oheque book. At the same time I want you to understand that this does not ;ommit you to anything' whatever, and that I am perfectly ready if you like, to clear out and not inflict myself upon you any more."

"Do you mean," she asked, holding the choque-ibo 0 k helplessly in her dainty fingers, "that you aiegiving me a lot of money 1" "Mot exactly," he said brightly, "because, you see, it has been yours all the time." "And you don't want anything in return?" she asked, softly. "I don't say that I don't want anything in return," he said, "but I do wish you to understand that I neither ask for nor expect anything whatever."

Mamie came up to him and held out her hand.

"It's awfully good of you, Mr MannerJng," she said, softly ; " and if that's what you want in return, there it is."

Leslie looked bewildered'. "I—l d o n't quite understand what you mean," he stammered'. "I merely mean," she said, quietly "that if what you want is the hand that you make such a !uss about, why.it'B yours !" And then she added, archly, "You seem to overlook the fact that it is leap year, Mr Mannering." But Leslie understood 'her at last, as he took both hands in his and kissed her, and heard from her own lips how she, too, had loved him in the days before he went away to Australia. And Dickie Forbes, who was Leslie's'best man at the wedding, took no'small credit to himself for having been instrumental in the discovery of the bride, thanks to tho guiding finger of the Hand of Fate.