LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7812, 3 May 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

k Transplanted hose. I . (Continued). •• Miss Burton, I lovo you. Will' you ije my wife l" , . , I It was a year since the death ot I Mrs Erekine. The air was full of tho tender sweetness of Maytimie—the season when, according to Tennyson, a yowpg man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."- • Corolla looked up into the face ot the handsome young tridower. Her face flushed hotly, then became very • p»l».: She.shrank away from him. In her surprise and agitation she bad almost spoken the word 9, '• J am a wife already." v Hove I startled you t Perhaps 1 H6ave"been abrupt," he said, apologetically, not understanding the pained scared look in her eyes. *t Your sweet face has grown vtry dear to me," he went on in a low ■ tone, " and my motherless child loves yon. Will you not make us both happy ? " -- " I—l " she commenced in confusion. ■■' Please forgive me, Mr Erskino. You must not speak of love to me." He looked at her searchingly. &he

had never Seemed to him to be a 1 happy person. There was very often - a shadowy unrest in the sweet violet ayea, a. pathetic expression about tho delicate moufh, whilo the roses in her cheeks had faded away. " M you will Jove me a little, ever 80 little, I would try to make you so happy," be persisted, not sufficiently warned by her words. "We would go to Italy, and your rosea wauid come back. lam afraid you are low-spirited, too. You have kept too cloae with Lulu." He moved towards her. She lifted .her bead with, an appealing gesture. A low cry broke from her, then she left the room abruptly, leaving hini standing there the picture of astonishment. | She went to her*room. How- her heart ached ! Not because this man had touched it. Oh, no. His words had broken down the barriers of sclfrepressjon. They had opened the flood-gates; and the love for her husband, which she had resovlcd she would crush out altogether, overflowed its imposed boundary. She , felt a mad, unquenchable longing to see his face once more. - la what a false position had she placed herself! Palming herself of as a girl, she was, of course, open' to offers of marriage; while she was . a wife,- with neither the right nor .'" the inclination to listen to words of

'" Co get* away from there before Mr Brskinc could renew nis ple a diii B -, wae her. first thought; her r.ctt *as to go over quietly to America, quietly,- secretly, and, with-nt ma-Ting '." herseH known, see her. husband ■ If I could see bis face, and not be •eon ! " she said. A tiny hope, which she scarcely dared whisper to herself, had sprung up in' Connection with this powerful 'reaction. Might there not be some -flaw in the chaih. of circumstantial -''evidence she had woven? It was so "easy to be mistaken. Might he not fee yet mourning for her loss? This hope was once admitted, the uncer--taiaty was maddening. She had saved -quite a big sum from her liberal . salary. There was nothing to pre- ' .Tent her going. She lay there until nearly morning, revolving her plant, .then fell into a light slumber. The next day she sought Mr Erskioe, and told him, in tremulous tones, with averted face, that she must leave at onoc. "*■ You are not going away on my . account?" he asked, seizing her Bands gently, but firmly, to detain fcer r

" No—ok, no ! I cannot tell you ~ ttoo;reason I -am going, I am very •-;, unhappy. H you are my friend, please do not question me." He saw that tie must desist. v Will iou tell me, at least, where you are going? 'I ■*X would rather not," she said, and, seeing her distress, he would not urpe her. She spent the rest of the day in packing her trunk, and disposing of the things she- did not want to take ffritb her. Lulu was disconsolate, and, hung round her tearfully. With tears In her own eyes, Corolla Kissed her, and tried to comfort her. Corolla journeyed to Liverpool. The speed of the iron hossc seemed a. snail's pace to her imapticnt fancy. 9he was fortunate in the time of her. - -arriraj there. A steamer was to sail that evening for America. Safely aboard, in the snug- stateroon sfce had been fortunate enough to secure, although so late in taking her passage, her thoughts flew back; to the ilMated Peerless. But ajl nervous, fear was swallowed up, in the one overmasting anxiety that filled her mi»d. When she made that resolve upon her sick bed, she did ■ aot folly understand upon what an unquiet and momentuous path she ■had involuntarily entered. ■ -- The ship made a fiulck, delightful , passage, antt one fair morning in June it glided up New York Har- . hour. Corolla's heart throbbed violently as she stood on dock with others and looked onec more Upon the great city. Before twenty-four hours she would know the worst. Any certainty would be better than this consuming.suspense. • Tne train steamed out through the early twilight into the suburbs, and BtoppJO at the little wayside station of Heath. Corolla alighted, and walked slowly along the platform. The memory ot the day when she left -there, a little less than two years •ago. •Came (rack to her vividly. She was very /quietly dressed, a ntl a thick veil concealed her features. The same stAUon-master was there, who, as she passed on the platform, eyed her narrowlyv * She hurried along out of th» glare of the station lights, and walked in the direction of her former tone.

The shadows of the 'June twilight were fast deepening. The trees in the avenue loomed up darkly against the sky. A dewy sweetness seemed to enfold everything. The evening star glimmered in the west. The drowsy hum of happy insects sounded in her " ear*. She was surrounded Ijy the finest harmonics of nature. She alone. .was out of tune. She reached the borders of the , grounds, which w<?re surrounded by a low stone wall, on the inside of -. wbioh was a closcV-clipped thorn ." "-■ hedge. The gate stood open. she stole through it like a guilty thing, , ana ventured up, the walE. -. '-A'step sounded ahead of her orf -*„-**« grajvel. She shrank behind some :.. tea-growing shrub until it passed ; 4- then pressed on towards the hottse,' jgy-wuteh showed tall and imposing in' ■C ■ the twilight. She was trembling in ~. •verj* limb. Her own heart had made '■- a- Coward of her.- * She drew nearer and n»arer. The - founthin murmured nnfcically, as in, . Uie oM happy days-. The outline of I*e. marble Graces in the garden faintI J- Too air was fuU of . ;We fragrance of roses and: otEor oasis; ■ MWwJhwrers of June. The sweetness

I A leaves of the horse-chestnuts. They seemed to whisper : , "' You have coma on a fruitless quest. Another reigns queen of his keart."

! A light glimmered through the half-closed blinds of one of the baywindows of the drawing-room. Summoning all her courage, she tottered up U> it. The couchanl lions 0 n eacl,. side of the broad steps in front 01 ;the house seemed to leer at her thflsngh the semi-gloom. She pushci . aside the clustering roses and sweet ibrier, wounding her dulicate hands J unconsciously, and lookid in, for tin.curtains were undrawn. I The room seemed unchanged. The same, tall, costly lamp sided upon .the table its light shining through ;the white globe, soft and subdued. ;A handsome palming of Mount Wil laid, with a blue, transparent mis , clinging round i«s sides, hung oppos- , ite the window, as when sho .eft. The easy-chairs stood here mid tlKuv carelessly, as of yore.

I She pushed noaror, to get a view of the uofa in, the Tomer. Uiloeu Lysle was stretched at full length [upon It. He w,..s passing his huiius slowly ami thoughtfully through his hair, in the fashion she remembere.. so well. Mo one else was in the •room. Was he really •true to her': I Still living alone and heart-whole for her sake? The faiut hope that liua brought her there grew stronger. She- hmlf turned away, thinking she would go to the front door, mid i iu b the bell. Her movement was arrested. A door was thrown open, and a girl entered with a beautiful chilli in her arms—of live or six months seemingly, lie crowed with delight, and stretched out -his chubby hancb towards Gilbert, who sat upright ai ,once, and took him into his arms. I Corolla could not distinguish an.\ words; but she saw him kiss ami fondle the chjld, and toss him aloft jin his arms His child ! The thought (.was agony. His, a nd not hers ! The ! girl went out, leaving the child in .The care of Gilbert Lysle. j A few moments later, a lady, with sweeping skirts, came .through the open door. Corolla strained her |eycs. It was Miss Carew, beautiful stately as ever. Corolla felt u [cqld perspiration on her forehead, and the objects in the room seemed to dance before her eyes. | Miss Carew or " Sirs Lysle " now, Corolla told herself, walked to the sofa, and held out her haads toward. 1 , the child, who made attempts to reach the diamond at her bosom, crowing all the time in baby fashion.

| The desolate wanderer at the window saw it all. She had conic over the seas iu vain. Her husband had forgotten her. He had crowned un'other in her placp queen o; his life.

| She was the mother of his child. ; She remembered vaguely that she had intended to take the eleven o'clock train bacii to New York again, ii her worst fears should be confirmed. She turned to leave the place, uudei cover of the darkness.

I "No husband's kisis for me," she told herself hopelessly. But her trembling limbs refused to support her weight. Her will power forsook her. The starry heavens above her seemed fading into blanknesa A deep groan escaped from her lips ; she reeled, and fell down among the dewy rosesj crushing some of them into shapelossncss.

| The sound was heard, inside through the open windows.

I •'' What was that ? " Gilbert asked hastily. He gave the child into the arms of his companion, and stepped through a side door that opened into the garden.

I " Nero V Nero !. " 'he shouted, for the dog had bounded out, and now with short, disturbed barks, was sniffing round Corolla's insensible form. He procured a lantern and went hastily out. Nero stopped barking, and began to whine pitcously. Corolla's hat was pushed forward, concealing her faiqc as she lay. lie lifted her in his arms, and carried her into the house.

| " A woman in a fainting-fit, I .think," he said concisely, in answer ,tq the startled inquiries of a lady ,with a pleasant, matronly face, who met him in the doorway. | He carried her across the room to the sofa he had just left, and laid her down. Miss Carew stood speechless. The girl, with the child in her arms, looked on in open-eyed won'der.

I '■' Poor creature ! " said the matronly lady, stepping forward, and | emoving the hat and veil from the still, white face. | Gilbert Lyslc looked, then started forward, and scanned the face closely*

I *• Good Heavens !—what a striking (likeness !" came from his lips. Shaking, ho lifted one delicate hand that liy limp and cold, and drew off the gold band that encircled one of the fingers. He scanned the inside for a (moment by the lamplight, then turned again to the sofa. " Corolla ! It |is my wife, come back from the, dead i Corolla, darling, open your eyes ; si>cak to me, your husband ! " "" The others drew near. The elder lady applied restoratives, only half understanding Mr Lysle's strange actions. He seemed' unconscious of their presence.

Miss Carew scanned the quiet face closely for a few moments, then left the room abruptly. " The prize has slipped from my grasp again, just a-s I was on the ve of securing it," she hissed, in impotent anger. " What power has raised her from the dead, and sent her back here, with her hated dollface and yellow hair, to mar my plans a second time ? " Under the influence of the restoratives. Corolla's white eyelids fluttered. She drew a long, deep, shuddering sigh, and her blue eyes unclosed wearily. Gilbert's faca was very near hers.

" I—l could not help coming back, 1 was dying for one more sight of your face," she whispered. " I did not mean to faint. ] will go away again, and let you be happy with her."

He thought her mind was wandering-

" " Go away, my darling ? " he said soothingly, while he stroked her cheek fondly. "Go away, when my heart has ached for you so long •" Never again, while these arms navu power to enfold you ! "

"But the child?" she whispered. '"Jfiss Carew is your wife now, isn't she ? " ■■'Her mind is still wandering," he thought. The others had left him alone with her. " You—not Hiss Carew—arc my wife," he told her. " But the child I saw m your arms ? " she persisted, with a cicar, toady look now in her eyes. " Sly brother's child. he and I*> wife are here on a visit Miss Carew is spending a day or two with us." " And there is nothing to separate you and me." (The End.)