LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 779, 23 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A WANDERING FORTUNE. 1 There waa a houseful of guests, afwmg'whom were.several io '"* ' lacks, ' tnl tkcre was a constant , round of visits. There were several good families in the district, fnch ■*- •having its numerous visiters, a" d the exchange of courtesies and invi- i tations was continual. Ov.ing to Lady Braxton's influtnce Chris was well treated everywhere »nd l.v all cx'i cept a snobbish person here and L- there, so that she was spared tne / common experience of Jjeing con- •' stanUy reminded that she was • 01* , Iv a companion." Life was bright, »** and Chris was happy, except on in- i : - frequent'-occasions, when tne nautit[>i ingf memory of three jcars ago came K - hack with special vividness. ! ' Chris was seated in a window, bet hind a loose curtain, reading Tens' < nyson. ono lovely morning abouV a SC* their arrival at Gordon--5 Park. She was deep in " The Prmt*- cess." when her attention was disA tracted by the abrupt entrance into • % tin room of Miss Bertha Ross, 6 whose none-toc-musfcsal voice niadei ~~ itself hear* and felt—as another i guest unkindly expressed , «9 she was well inside. *'• " I'say, have you heard ? There s s- a party coming over to-day from L ' the Manor, and I understand that §£. Captain Hamilton is one of the guests. You remember him, Bella, £ don't you ? Oh, ever so banflsonic ! t~ He has been away, for a long time—- -* shouEd say it was close on three *, veara. to India, so they tell me.

_t years, in India, so mey ieit uic,. '' fighting the border tribes. What a; nuisance those tribes always are, whether in India or elsewhere. Well" she rattled dn .vo*uJ>ly, "Captain, $z : Hamilton is there, and he has ex- * " pressed his determination to run over here. He knows Sir Ifichanl Goreston it seems. Sow,. laUios, unmarried ladies, I refer to—here is a V- chance for -you. Xoung, handsome, 1 rich, noble, and a bachelor ! " J Some of the ladies laughed ; the » - otters did not look approvingly at Kiss Ross' conduct. There was a 1 general chatter among; the various ' groups, to one of which Miss Koss -• ■ attached herself, and Captain Hamilton was forgotten to ali save one. Chris felt her cheeks burn at the re- ;<> marks of Miss Ross, and Tennyson ; had no. more attraction. Captain Hamilton was coming '. Chris turned hot and coll alternately,..' The incidents of three years ago ' - came back to her with affrighting : vividness, and she placed hor hand over her heart as Hto steady itq tumultuous beating. She sank tack '". • en the conch and closed her eye* Captain Hamilton had told her that, he loved her ; she had accepted, bis love and bad said that th; loy- (■' cd him. And then—ah me !— her happiness had turned her brain, it \J mum have done so ! She had been t so excited and so glad, but her old * t independence had gained the upper band and she had resented his na--I,'j tural, lover-like objection tuber ao 'j cepting so much attention from oths era. Yet he was right to an extent, * she admitted it now ; where he erred ' was in attaching so much importance ,' . to the acti of a high-spirited girl. To punish him, she had flirted vios fcntly wttfe another man ; she had &owb reckless and had carried the ffctitton to toe extent of giving him, every waltz on her card on the fa teftrt evening, almost ignoring; hen lover. She had. retired with Arthur Maeey lo -an alcove after the last •"•nee but ono of the evening, and, ~i ' t v" e Ca P tttin Hamilton had found them, just as Chris was pinning a Bower into Macey's coat. Hamilton, in his mad rage, had not noticed the expression of fear ««« regret on Chris - face as she iisw»ed to the mad outpourings of «Us man whom she had so thougbt2K!" "t 9 *™ oal i' ths scene, and, ZL W °!Li 00 ™' he hsd fmed" «a his heel left thc Q^ had not seen him since. her . rev « rie ' Ghris waa arousedbyan increase of the clamour wn.cn she was screened bv the in,,,.- ' SmftL ?**, Bat «* Z g then Sfl^. pl *' orwar «« over her book

Someone had entered ti, oook. „*" tein 8 introduced ■■ \ c "Ptain Hamilton " i that idT S ° mC ° f thc ,„ w7r*Jf£ ****** introduction" mbq walked over, hoping to c .,,,.|, task of introduction noon wc«»t Chris did At f was to be passed * at shc Hamiltonr sat h™ e ' but wh «" talk, the k ? and b cgin to Wco^,lX r a s P r°°n t^ , ' < i' £? honour „f an i .V •Tr^enrb^re C °c7r anio "' <3-es to prcveot»h» . sm,t h(r cation Er%Zf™ .h° e ~ _ then rose quietlv o„,i ' " aief CaptoinHamihon hart ..- 1 Z£^ tbc

that than. _i " " l rucK him I Ha fall Wht ° form '""*-• t'» I started. ° r;e " w "»dow, he I ' j8»/ " COm<! "- ai » i" U>C art ' ; ! - noon or not : shr. c ,n/-;<„,.,. 11 t '' the was miserable will, die double '' ;■ «per.ence of th ; ,t n io rning. and ,l u ,'' .<, wondered horn- she could avoid. Jiiu, ! • in fuiure. t i "Me will triumph ove" ii v e pt/i\.-- ' ] , !y ! " she cried. ■• It nil! be l„v r.»-' c ■' venge for three years a ?o, and lam '; . now, altogether K-neal-h Win in at standing r j - •s?\' ,eart to,<l ,ier "'a» .-I," Was! , wronging the man. but another par- 1 - oxysm of pen,-ersily had laker, pos- c. pi session of her, and shc refused in ! b *i Usten. L w In the morning a change cu»ne. ! «; Chris hail gained her usual <xiuanim-jg' and waa prepared to nwet Itaiii-|Ti with PWieot self-possession, but ti

that was not all. A letter was taken to her, the envelope of which bore the die of 'tine solicitor who had Conducted hor grandfather's business, ami that looter contained tho most startling news. She had to read it three liinos before she could properly grasp the contents. - (< Pier grandfather's property had l».xu leik to Mr Ucoffry tloyd ; this gentleman hid been away, but now that he was back again, he had decline! to accept benefit from an ecfc of injustice ; ho had enough money, of his own, and he did not want C th.\t which hy right belonged to Miss ■< Wynne. With sublime ignorance of '■! legal formalities, he had instructed » the solicitor to tear up the will and c so undo the wrong ; and on being h informal that this could not be 1 di-n.', he had ordered the solicitor t 0 b prepare the necessary documents for « signature in order that he might • make the property over to Mis?; Wynne ! rhen she was an heiress, again ? An heiress in spite of herself, it seemed ! Who was this Mr Boyd and howwas she to thank Mm ? But ought ' she to accept the gift ? ' The news of this romantic turn of affairs created ■quite a sensation at Goreston I'ar'-i. and the two or three ' I persons who had snubbed her now| declared that she was indeed a charming girl. Chris had. become attached j to Lady llraxton, and decided to stay with her for a time. The Gorsctons made hir very welcome, end the future seined icery bright once more for Chris. That was what outsiders thought, hut the brightness was marred for Chris by a oloud that would not vanish. If Ch'ris had had to attend to for- i malities. she would have been busy, but toe solicitor attended to all and came down to Corseton Park when it was; necessary to consult her or to get her signature. She had such confidence in the elderly gentleman,

who was so extremely delighted at her good luck, that she did not trouble to read the documents and, contented herself with adding her bold.'flowing signature to such par pers as were presented to her. Only one thing puzzled and vexed her ; Mr Boyd did not wish her to write and thank him. He seemed to be a gruff sort of man to do things in so off-handish a style. So Chris had to transmit her expressions of gratitude through the lawyer. ft was a fortnight later when she saw Captain Hamilton again ; he came unexpectedly to her side while she was walking in a secluded part of the grounds of Gorseton. '•' Pardon my intrusion on your privacy, Miss Wynne ! " he said politely. "I could not resist the temptation of renewing our acquaintance, of making an apology, and of conveying my congratulations ! I was not aware fcha't you were at Gorseton Park till—till after you had vanished through the w-indow. And 1 am glad to learn that an act of injustice has been rectified.'' •' Thank you ! " she said frigidly. "It is very good of you. 1 hope you are quite well ? " She could have Ijitten her tongue the next moment for this cold speech. Hamilton pakd slightly under his bronze, but he answered with perfect equanimity : "1 am quite well, thank you, Miss Wynne. Art. you walking about the grounds? May I come too, ami onjoy the pleasure of a chat ? " " I am sorry, but lam going in now." Why would this perverse spirit gain the upper hand and make her say things which she immediately regretted ? •• I expot you \vW, find more agreeable company. Captain Hamilton ! " And with a cold bow she left him.

'■ In the house she found the solicitor awaiting her ; there was a document ,' to sign and some instructions to laj obtained. • "I think thai will l a . the - last thing to 'be done to complete the , fansfer of the estate, the stocks, and the money from Captain llamilton to you, Hiss Wynne." observed the solicitor absently, as ho suurched ■ among his papers for one thing that he missvJ. "What has become of it 0 now?" he continued, puckering his t brows. " Oh, here it—" 1 . " Who did you say was trans/erf "!£ r.v.' S . P ro l*-' rt >' to «"« ? " interrus pted Chris in a strange voice 'Can- - tain Hamilton ? " . "Eh ? Kr, bless my soul ' " g ilS r,. - ed the elderly gentleman in his'vexai tion "Oh.dear. he- will be cross • He has been most pailicular that ! you should not know ! However did - I come to be so foolish as to be--0 tray the secret ? " - "Please explain this to me, Mr 1 tower ! " said Chris pereinptorilv. s, \ou ought not to have kept me in ; ignorance of it. How was it I did not see his name on the documents ? r Why has he been called Boyd ? '" . Gower explained. Hamilton's name . was originally Boyd, but ho had in- - a fortune frwi his mothei-s 1 Wrothsr. who had stipulated that he , should take his name of Hamilton, so the nephew was now Captain Geoffry lioyd Hamilton. Chris remembered now that the first name was the same, which had not occurred to her previously. Hamilton had made • the property over to her. Chris had not troubled to read the documents e and, where it had been necessary for both to sign, Hamilton had" seen she - should sign first. Old Lexworth had i not heard that this young man had B changed his name, so he had called i him Boyd in his will. Chris was consumed with remorse ■ r\ how good he Jrad been, and how jbad- • ly she had treated him. She left the t solicitor abruptly and hurried out in ! search of Geoffry. She saw him and hastened after him ; and it was not , till she had caught him up and stood lacing him, her cheeks aglow her and making an irresistible picture, that she realised exactly what she had done. She was - throwing herself at this man ! . "Well?" he inquired, fixing his keen eyes upon her. " Have jou decided that I cannot find better company ? I cannot, 'that's a fact ' ". " Oh, why did you do it ? " she burst out. " I don't know how to thank you—l—oh, I believe I shall ha to you, there ! " " And as for me," he said deliberately, restraining himself only bv a great effort, " I am certain that I shall lovo you more every day. Oh, 1

■• Chris ! " It sounded like a wail'. 1 " Have these three years tortured "> you as they have mo ? " « She tried to withstand his piercing gaze, but her eyes drooped ; in a mo- > ment he had sprung forward and was s) clasping- her convulsively in his arms. 'I " I'll- never let you go again !" he Jl said with tierce earnestness. "And a 1 won'l let you get away from my grasp till you name the wedding >; day. No ! 1 don't care who j» conii> mg. I'll hold you till von name 9 it." e " Next year, then," si, c cried, trvs ing to escape, so that her blushes . might not be seen. , " Xe.xt fiddlesticks," he cried. " 1 t siy the end of next mouth ; that's 0 time enough for you to..'gs<t ixhdy , and I won't wait another minute I " , And she had to consent.