LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7706, 7 January 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

L A MATRIMONIAL PTJZIZLEi (Continued.) "So, bristling with indignation, I wrote to Sir John's lawyer, N«t very civilly, I fear, but very energetically, I am sure. I» ' the first place I said I would not accept one penny of Sir Bohn HattirooKe's fortune as a fres gift. In the next, I would not accept the whole of it if burdened with a single restricting I clause. And in conclusion, I net only refused ; to marry tie widow, but I absolutely declined holding any communication whatever with her. j " 'And say to niy grandmother,' I added, 'that the world is wide enough and there are men enough | in it for her to soefc whom she may devour elsewhere, and not amongst those whom the law of the la ml declares to be her own kith and kin. j Let liter cast her eyes among the I stranger* at her gate*}, and not upon her grandson . For my part, it is my firm conviction that Sir John Halbrooke married a nianiaq, ami left an army of maniacs behind him. Pray,, Vhea, my dear sir, bear in mind that *I positively refuse to marry mp grandmother ! ' " That ended the matter. I was troubled with ao more letters about it; not even from .Tom Somers, who, by-the-way, soon after resigned his commission, wenl over to the Civil Serviqe, and became consul to some little Italian town, I believe. "Two years afterwards I returned fc» finjgland on leave, and then Fate, In tl» person of General Ashland, led mo flown to Surry for a fortnight's shootingj. '•'• Ato, my djear fellow, it is only the old story over again. I went down to Surry, «ml met there—who ilo y#u suppose? Well, tho girt whoso face—seen onct, and for a moment only—had haunted me for years, •" She was Helen Ashland, a distant rotative of my hosty Yes, and I loved bee desparatelyr Not for her t»auty alone, but "for the pure goodness, kindliness, unselfishness of her heart, which was constantly and unthUfcJßgly reverting itself in a thouaaa* «rtless little ways. "So as you may guess, my two .week* at Ashland Park wore on to Io " r - and still I lingered, even until t*e dying leaves wero rsutling feebly m the mellow, air of a belated autumn. ''And one clear, starlit evening-, whem Helen and I were sauntering among the trim flower-beds that were cut in the soft, green turf of the terrace, I teH her the secret of my -' heart-its hope, its fear, its sweet unrest. "When I ceased), my companion looked up at me wonderingly, and, upon my honour, tears were glistening in her pretty eyes. *'* s What ! - she said ; -' are you sure 1 ? Do you love me—mo? Oh, Colonel Halbrooke, how could- you 7 Indeed, it cannot—cannot ba! ' "■ •' Because your Heart is given elsewhere, I suppose. Bub, Helen, 1 cannot 4et you go from me ! I love you ! Oh, ray darling, how shall I Kve all the long weary years.of my life without you ? ' "-•'-Hush ! * she cited sharply, 'Sir, do you know—do you know who I am?i "•' Indeed, yea ! The sweetest little g'ri in the wide world ! '- ''' N©j sir, I am not. Gracious Heaven ! Colonel Halbrooke, I am your grandmother, sir | ' "My grandmother! Taut ot sudden shocks after that, won't you ? I tried to speak but my voice failed me. I reached out my hands and touched her. Yes, she was there, real enough, and I was not dreaming. " - Tea me all 1 i I gasped. 'And standing there by the broad stone coping she told me all. How her parents bad died when she was "" r-i!f, "">"! *han m infant, and Sir JoW, her guardian, had watched over her with jealous care; always keeping her at school, however, until he brought her home to The Towers —a young lady, " She had heard of me. She knew all about her guardian's intentions a nd my persistent refusal to see her, And when Sir John lay dy- !"*> ««i appealed to her to marry him in order to secure property which wou%i otherwise pass to the next-oVkin, she consented. "-'Not for myself, Colonel Halbrooke. she continued, • for I inherited a fortune, but for you. The proPfrty has been sold according to infractions, and the money comfng !L C !?_ J iho sale ,s y° urs - S"r John .wished you to take it. He often said arnt your allowance was paltry compared with what should have been yours, and would have been, too, had youn father not left so many debts behind him.' * are prevtfiged to speak as youplease about my father,' I murmured ; ' were he living; he would call you mother 1 " 'Don't be itdiculous, sir ! *- cried - -_her ladyship T~ you are trywg to mortify mo,~you may as well understand that you cannot secceed. But what could you, or any otAer man like you, be expected to know of gratStude, and—and—justice? However, let it go. Tour innuendoes do Mot touch mo, sir ! i Mi My dean madam, I—• *'■ 1 Fray sillqw me to proceed 1 Of coarse you are wondering how I chanced to meet you here. It was • not fcy chance but by design. I knew mat you despised me, and I almost despised myself, Still, I meaait to do righl x and I regret nothing that I have Hone, I hare not know, anything <# your grandfather s foofish wishes about us until his will was read, and I hog you Xo believa that I have repeatedly .writUo to you, explaining my position, and entreating you to take your own and to bear no malice • but you never had the civility to answer, even one of my letters.'. ' '" Because I never received them,' I protested. **' Pardon me ; you received them alll They were sent to you through Captain Somers, whoso sisters are Mends of minQ.'- " Ah, Tom, my boy ! Tom, my boy I The veriest daredevil of a Sepoy aould not have given me a neater stab under the fifth rib than '„ /° U ' my Christian gentleman ! Well,', continued her ladyship, about to explain, I told <a& to Mrs Ashland, who is my cousin, and the general was sent to fetch you. So I have Kept my promise to Sir. John, and lam ' very gtad to he abje to explain my seaming hardihood.' •i There was a, moment of silence. Then I spoke boldly* "-Do I understand that the money is really mtne, Helen ? Butl, pray„ is that your right name?* ■' '- No, My right name is Gertrude, but to you I am Lady Kalbrooko! t. "*ifol To me you shall always Be Hejen t Is that money, roally mime, Helen ? '- «i« Yea { all yours".' "-* Viea t I want it ! •- " * Y<M Shall have itj sj 1 Sever fean! * « !■ I must have it 1...1'11 Wow my b/ains jxat if I don't get it ! '- ~,_ -'VfAre you sofrightfuljy in debt?' asked my companion, in a low, awed whisper,, her. big eyes. Ml of gsntlest eprrow, *■'•' In debt ? Thank' Heavchy no ! But I nave Xan itching palm,' Yes, I can receive nothing from you unless—'' «*,WeU?» '*' Unless you rfve me yourself also !« ■" you marry your grandmetSec ? * she between a sob " and-a iaugh< u ' I would t An'd my great giandjnotner, if, sho oamo to me Ike this,' *Thcn a smilo like the full June sunshine wreathed my darling's lips, and—and to, well, to me that prim old terrace became then simply Edjen—a garden of all delights. u Later I remembered tho three husbands, and asked Helen abomt , them, .u'Fl™ Tom Somers! » think tnat he would have romanced about the fat widow just to keep me from tho woman he had longed loved. -Twaa her rejection of his suis that sent him away from Bngland. But I eould forgive him. I could afford to bo generousy And, Lyndon, old friend Como down *o The Towers as soon as possible and see my grandmother! - Sf 6 lS m y now, Honestly r libcd my family far too well to think of marrying out ctf it!.' l