A Tardy Wooing.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8113, 6 April 1906, Page 2

A Tardy Wooing.

CHAPTER ll.—Continued. She aet her strong, white teeth on her lip, and, if wishes could have slain Christopher Kennett, his life would have been a brief one; aud ynt .it was only a quiet, Heavy-looking middle-aged man—an artisan in au :ill-flttiu2, unbecoming Sunday suit •who, with bis hat in bis hand, oatne forward to meet her aa she marched haughtily and defiantly into the priTate sitting room of the Davtisous. Yet, in spite of his olutnsy limbs •and almost sleepy air, there was a catlike vigilance in hi? ey«s, aud Cyrilla shivered as she euoountered them. "If you dou't grow handsomer, S'rilla, every time I see you" "Say Miss Dartison—say Miss Dartison," Sir Jasper fussily admonished. "It scunds more respectful, especially if the waiters should hear you." "You can't want so inuoh ceramony from suoh au old friend as me. If," retorted Kennett—"if anyone should take the liberty of remarking on my free-and-easy behaviour, tell 'em at ouce that if it wasn't for old Chris you wouldn't be where you aie." "I never forget my obligations, my good fellow!" he was assured. "Never!" "Tell 'em, 1 ' Kennett persisted, "that you couldn't have bought the land that was the stepping-stone to your prosperity, if I hadn't lent you the hundreds my father left me. It's true, isn't it. S'rilla? You ought to know, for it was you that wheedled me into doing it." Crimson with mortification, she stood looking at him with angry scorn expressed in every feature, "Are you not tired of reminding us ot this loan? It has been repaid with interest." "As far as the mouey goeß—yea; but there were promises attaohed to it that haveo't been fulfilled " he answered. "Aud never will be" she told him passionately. "But they'll have to be," wa3 the reply, rendered more siguifloant ty the production of a pocbetbook containing half a dozen letters which he flourished in front of her. "I was under age when those letters were written" said Mies Dartison longing to snatoh them from him, but aware that he guarded them too carefully. "Papa has refpeatedly offered to bay them from ■you; why nro you so wrong-headed ■as to refuse his offers?" "Perhaps it's because I know that, as Sir Jasper climbs nearer to the top of the tree, my claims on bia daughter become more valuable," the man rosponded; "or perhaps—but " and he straightened himself and came closer to the disdainful girl,"but its no use fencing w»th the truth. I don't, and 1 won't, give up your letters, because there's something here"—he struck bis side sharply—"that won't let ~ me. Ilavent I always been a slave to your beauty? Do yon chink I spend the mo'tey your father forces upon me when he wanta to get rid of me? No, no; I put it all by for the 'Woman that has promised to bo my wife, and who'll have to keep that promise sooner or later. D'ye hear me, my scornful madam? iSooner or later." The young lady oast an appealing glance at Sir Jasper, who came valiantly to her assistance. "Youre a fool and an ass, and an intrusive idiot, he raved. "Things are ohanged now, and you must abide by them. Haven't you any reasoning powers? Can't you see for yourself that marriage between you and my only daughter is out of the question—quite out of the question!" "And yet she is the same S'rilla that was glad to wheedle out of me new ribbons when her father couldn't afford to buy them for hor; and I'm the same Christopher Kennett that's loved her ever since she was a saucy child, playing him all sort 9of tricks, and then winning forgiveness with a kiss." Cyrilla stamped her foot; in her irritation. It was too humiliating to be thus reminded of the past. "Papa! why don't you make Kennet see that he is wasting his time in coming here I did many foolish things 'ln my youth, which I choose to forget now that I am older and wiser, and very differently circumstanced." "Yea, yes" assented Sir Jasper "those little occurrences are best forgotten. There's an impassable gulf, my good fellow, between the thoughtless child you used to know and Miss Dartison. Why don't yoa marry some one else, and settle down quietly to your work? We shall always be most happy to put any little jobs iq your way—only don't call on us any more," for the stormy looks of Oyrilla warned him to be brief. "Here's a cheque for your travelling expenses. We shall aways be pleased to hear of your welfare. Good-bye, and—good-bye." Kennott examined the oheque—it was for tweuty pounds—carefully folding aud securing it iu his pocketbook; but, when Cyrilla. would have glided from the t room, he stood beforo the door and 1 prevented it. "It's no use deceiving you. If 1 go, it will be to come back again End again. As long as you're not married to another man, there's iiopes for me." "Then banish those nopes at once and forever!" she exclaimed, imperiously. "I am bore to meet my intended husband. In a few weeks I shall be his wife; and I will put it out of your power to injure me in his esteem by telling Lim how oruel- ■ ly, how disgracefully, you have taken advantage of a promise made for my father's sake, when I was too young to understand the con dequences." As she spoke, Christopher Kennott's heavy features assumed a livid hue, and Sir Jasper watched him uneasily. If he should come excilod, and storm and rave,

By Charles W. Hathaway. thor of "Marjories Sweetheart"A Long Martyrdom" A Hash Voir, f t " Joseph Dane's Diplomacy," etc., etc.

what a disturbance he would create! lu bis anxiety to prevent this, he put his urm through the man's and urged him from the room. "Now do go away; there's a good fellow! Don't make any more bother; it's no yse. Wba*- Cyriila says she means; and—and I'll walk with you to the railroad station, and we'll have a parting glass together for old acquaintance salie. We shall always be good friends—at a distance." 6 "I'll go," said Kennett, brushing his hat with bis sleeve, and eyeing the youug lady furtively, "and I'll wait. She isn't married yet; she threw mo over; who knows whether ber swell lover mayn't turn the tables upon her? Yes. I'll wait: there's no hurry. I've been patient all these years, and I can wait a little longer." "Ho must have been drinking 1" Oyrilla ejaculated, when left alone. "He nev«r was quite as horrid before. As soon as we are married, Harold shall take me abroad. I could not live in England if haunted with a dread tbat in ray happieat hours the shadow of the past might fall upon me in the detested shape of Christopher Ken^ett!" His escort to the station having been curtly refused. Sir Jasper soon rejoined hh daughter. He came to her, holding in tho air a telegraphic message, on which she pounoed with a scream of delight. "It ia from Paris! From Harold! Now I shall know what keeps him from me!" But when she had torn open the envelope, her pleasure was damped l\v the discovery that it was not Mr Outram who had sent the tele gram to her. It was Madame Lavalle, and was playfully worded, "Do you forget that I am dying to know if the day is fixed, that I may make my own arrangements accordingly. Ask Mr O. not to forget the commission with which I entrusted him at parting" "Then he has bidden adieu to the Lavalles! He has left Paris! Yet he is not here! Ob, papa, my mind begins to misgive mo; what can it mean?"