LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7750, 28 February 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

UOXIKG DAY ROMANCE. Bgiamcn. ol the J who. i».rwte K££U „,! a charming hou.i. "> ■§2*faTat her hiuUaoJs loss »u» by the tact that did not mean U,o pecuHCkniiebt have been. l£L Ch«*mere had .eft no rtene lurrvis lo m«;vttUal' ; E£tt With her neighbours. H« K md her to numbers ol gSyXeiw- one oiber many she become that Ejjo popuku had *""■ tia i to onV felt jealous o.MhoF ,B » * V « wh~o tho sandwich one d^^there had ix»n the inevitable in Lady Chacewoe exigence, STthrn ridest Kirte had been plain S»S K 'ho woukl have £» thTdvspair ol any less ambiti*ns mad determined mother. *sotTady Chacemere had struggled makta* tto most pi SLww'« skill »* brid « ,; ' fc ™ S •Eeoch and Theodos.a.. £££ss on the links unt.l ..« ha pEoceeded in marrjinK th e m off .1 eligible men. He Jrkaite agreed that the cap....-~J o "SsehaYbands was a feattter In he |«t*T But her worries did not end «« S*Se departure of Theortosia on faei ttonOTmoon. The future of b.:r daugh *Sr KosaUnd—who was still in lh t schoolroom when her father succumb |«i <o an attack o( apoplexy-pre Started another problem. i- Lady Chacemere was i-levsed t IflKt, when she made her i»<tpi.eai lance in Society at one »f Mrs Com IS-Vane's Mridgo teas, that twelv iaNQtha' seclusion had in no wisedi Evunisnid her prestige. Kvaryune wr loaned her ettusHVly, and Itcfraliiu Hsfco accompanied her mother, c.aJ i $» *>ve*grey velvet frock with Sfltomaey tort, was the sensation » gntUs afternoons for the younge; jfjfeugbter was a> classic beauty vit g|«n. ideal complexion, niisehievoi l&ue eye* which belied the itaiue. Ei'jliMßesa of hVr features, and the ca iistaga of a young Empress. ft Jiaturfllj. every o\*er unappropr K-wted men on Lady Chacemere's vi Kiting Bit, when he had recover* ilrau bis amazement, fell in love wit ; and boure she had be< ft'f 1 out " six months she had letTua p«s many advantageous offers. H S*.«iOiaher bore these successive di with fortitude, Ln P:When, two days before Christma W, Bosaliod confided to her mother h ificjtctkm of a future Peer (wko supremacy g 1 " fork-pies had laid the foundatio Kef his famiiy's fortunes) the wide K^scolded her daughter, shed a U U fsars, and locked herself into h Kv.koudcf r to review the situation. fcjS User cogitations over a cup of CI Safest tea concludod with a resolve l&SBBd (or t!»ptain Chard. Kp: That young man displayed his us&,«al alacrity in seizing any pretext Eg for a visit to the C'haonwxes, and down to The Turrets early ffc sKxt morning from his fiat in West- (, minster. He found the mistress of ■the house wrestling with her cor- - respondence In the library. ■ *" My .dear Stanley ! How good of -JW« to rush down in such weather!" „ she murmured, as she waved her vi- %_ sitor into the red leather armchair & by the wood fire. " llut I wish to ff see you most particularly. It—it is g. about Kosalind." S. ■ " She has refused someone else ? " «; asked Chard, patiently. Lady Chace- I fe. mere was wont to unburden herself S - to him on such occasion. ! fc- " She hast, foolish girl ! Keally, I W ■ever met anyone so absolutely dege termined not to see on which side B ( her bread is buttered." K "A pretty girl «?th whom the fe * pice' is a secondary consideration |L is certainly almost as rare as the |P great auk's egg in these days," IP Chard agreed. F ther admitted, with a sigh. " I had |rf<- hoped for a brilliant future for her; jp but I have conw to the conclusion W ' that perhaps, X have been wrong to p : . .wish her to make a great match. §t*. Money does not always produce hapEp pjneas. I should never forgive myself E H the dear girl married someone who m: .was not kind and sympathetic." W t Lady Chacemere's eyes wore a wist|j ful expression as they met Chard's. !| The Commander of the H.SLS. KurVphitus, himself a particularly direct and candid'person, wad as clay m E, Sue hands of a cjever woman. Under s the influence of the widow's pathetic % glance he told himself that ho had t_ hitherto misjudged her, and that at W heart she was a sincere and unself fisk woman.

f'. " Nobody could be nasty to RosaRnd." he averred. :*' " Which means you Cbuld not," in- I k terpreted Lady Chacemere. ■' But ; . surely you must have noticed that the disagreeable men have the nicest wives ? The arrangement, no doubt, has its points ; but when it is a y > question of sacrificing one's ewe lamb! "—she paused and smiled sadly. And Rosalind is so young and » inexperienced f lam afraid, dreadfully afraid, that she is going to do 1 something rash.'' " Chaix) had no words ready with i*which to comr.jo£ this ominous am- ?- ,v ■: nouncement. 11* merely , looked ink. quiringly at Lady Chacemere's serious face. iv I want your help ba<sy, Ston- £ ley," she continued, earnestly. Hoaap Hod is so wilful. I fear I have rathp" er spoilt her—that my advice goes S for nothing-. Hut she thinks a great ft deal your opinion. She 19 a dif- ?*■ ferenJ girl in your presence. And as a relative and oik of our trustees, ;*- to say nothing of your fifteen years' r seniority, your words carry great .weight." "• " What do you w«nl me to do ? " bo askod, uneasily. The role ofmcnL tor to his cousin was not one that '' appeaJtd to him. Neither was the V reminder of his age particularly palatable. "I asK you to warn her against ' young Praed," the matron said solemnly. ; v " Uocd Heavens ! I beg your parf. don. But Tonuny Praed ! Why, he is the best of good fellows—a regular !>■ Admirabie Crichton and a modern £ Croesus rolled into one, don't you know. I should have thought)—l can not understand—beades, Kosulind is hardly even civil to him." •' Hosalind is ndt the type of girl to wear her heart on her slwvf, said Lady Chacemere, with dignity. " Trust a mother's intuition), StanIcy. As to her coJldness, he is here every day on some pretext or other, ft' strumming on the piano—he calls it playing her accompaniments—and t-o forth. I believe he is with "her in the drawing-room now." "An echo of Egypt," sung and played with equal energy, could certainly be heard as she spoke. ■" And I cannot turn him out ol tho house. I have felt so helpless ' since I have"lost the dear General." Lady Chacemere turned her head ' aside, and Chard fancied her lips trembled. "If she were to marry Jam, —I " Then she forok'e down completely, and -jhibbed her eyes with a faintly-perfumed handkerr cblefc ' ' I'i Tbe sailor was impressed. He had 5- always imagined Lady Chacemere to be a thoroughly practical and unS emotional person. But upon whai grounds ? 1 mean, he cannot have done any- ! , thing* very objectionable," he ven- " tured to point out. " Dear Stanley, I can give you no -explanations. It must suffice that 1 . hare my own reasons for asking f , your assistance in this matter " La- ? dy Chacemere touched his orm perK „ suasivelj—" I ran trust you to put §£ it—ep—tactful.'y ; and it would be better not to mention any name. Ah tliank you very, very much ! " The ip widow, with a gentle pressure, with- ? drew her hand as q, maid tapped at £ r . the door. (To be continued.)