A Tardy Wooing.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8145, 21 May 1906, Page 2

A Tardy Wooing.

CHAPTER XVII.-Continued. "He a'l opted a strange rnolhod of showiug his good will when he paid that vi&it to poor Lady Dartison." "I have told you that ho is a mere blunderer," said Oyrilla, trying to smile. "It was a blunder indeed," was the stern rejoinder, "when he led her to believe that I was acting dishonourably by you." "Ah, Harold," aud the beauty laid her baud on his, taking care, however, to assuro herself that no one was lurking near th« window, "mamma knew you too well to credit that." ,But the grave look on Harold OutI'am's face was not banished by this assurance. "I am sorry to say that 1 have cause to feel sure that Dartison was deeply imoressed by what this man told her. She quitted my house because eho had been horrified by a report, that, whilw professedly intending to lead you to the altar, 1 was already the husband of another." , "is such an absurd story worth a second thought!" "It would not have been if it had not produced the direct con°e queuces. I have not the least doubt that it hastened Lady Dartison's death." "Oh, don't say that!' Oyrilla implored. "It is too horrible! Let us try to forget it." "Impossible while the wratoh who disseminated the slander is unpunished." Oyrilla began to tremble. If Harold's indignation led him to seek Chris Kennett, and the two men met and quarrelled, what would be the result to her? She dreaded such a "rencontre" unspeaknbly; yet how waa she to prevent it? "My dearest Harold. I quite agree with you; nothing can excuse such wickedness. If I were euro that Chris Kennett had been guilty of it, I should hate him; but we must be just, my beloved; it would not bo right to acouae him unless we had reason io suspect him; and he has always been on such excellent terms with papa that—that— —" She was getting confused, for Harold's looks were not encouraging. He, at all events, was troubled with no doubt of Chris Kennett's guilt. "I thought that I explained to you that I had ascertained that the fellow was with Lady Dartison that afternoon."

"SomGone was with her, but it might not have been he. It could UOfc been." §be added, mor<? <A?Oidediy, "for 1 feitteiiibef 110W that he had gone to visit some relatives of his in Ireland or Scotland." Harold was surprised add yet pleased at the earnestness with which she said this. ' "It is very good and generous of you, my love, to espouse the oause of thia man, to whom you are indulgent,- I suppose, because your father favours him. lau» sorry to be obliged to say that he does not deserve your good opinion. Jt was he who employed his interview with Lady Dartison in blaokening my character. He gave the name Of Kennett to the servant who ad-1 mit ted him; and, if this is not proof sufficient. Miss Moyle will contirm what I say. She met him iu the avenue as he was leaving the lowers." "I will tell papa," cried Oyrilla, hurriedly; "he shall give the silly fellow a good sooldinc, and make him explain where he heard the nonsense he was,simple enough to repeat to poor mamma." , But Mr Outram shook his head. "It would never do to distress Sir Jasper. Besides, the affair is mine; it ib I who am the aggrieved party —and it is I who must"bring Mr Obris Kenuett to book. If you will supply me with his address—" Bui this Oyrilla protested she conld not do—protested so vehemently that, against fiis will, Harold found himself disbelieving her. But as he attributed the falsehood to her fears loathe should do anything rash, he forgave her. "Never mind, love; some one about the will be able to tel 1 me where to find him; or I can ask Sir Jadper, without .giving him a hint of my reasons for so doing." "Ob, yes!" said the young lady, faintly; and she leaned baok, looking so white that Harold reproached himself for having stayed ao long. Very tenderly he bade her adieu, begging her to lie still and rest, which she promised to do. But as soon 8B the door closed behind him, she spran# up and began to pace the room with a distracted air. Her difficulties were hemming her in so closely that she knew not how to extricate herself. That detestable Cftris As the angry thought arose her evil genius appeared. Chris himself pushed baok the portiere veiling the entrance to Sir Jasper's study, and came towards her. "As I saw you received oompany to-day," he said, with a mocking bow, "I thought I ought to pay my 'devoirs' to you as well as your other lover. Aren't you much pleased to she me, beauty." She did not answer—nay she could not. Terror, <sud a sense of utter inability to avert a olimax had transfixed her. Harold was returning. He had stopped to speak to Linda in the bal!, and she could hear him retracing his Bteps to the apartment in which he had left his betrothed! Chris Kennett saw her agitation divined the cause, and exasperated her with one of his low laughs of Insolent triumph. Sometimes his love tfas stronger than his jealbus rage, and if she could have .appealed to him, then he might have been induced to leave her in peace; but not now, when he had just seen her hands ulasped in his rival's, her head lying on bis shoulder. If she would not keep her vows and be his, the angry man told himself flercoly, she should never be an-

By Charles W. Hathaway. Author of " Rlarjorie's Sweetheart ft A Long Martyrdom,"A Hash Vow,'- ** Joseph Dane's Diplomacyetc., etc.

other's; and he hailed the opportunity of sowingsuub discord betwixt the pair that Oyrilla would have but small chance of retaining the retpeot, let alone the affeotion, of such an upright man as Harold Outraai!

OH .VPTEtt XXVIII. "YOU SHOULD LET ME FIND A WIPE FOR Y0U1" Summoning all her energies, Oyrilla flew to the door, reaching it just as Harold's hand was extended from the outside to grasp the handle. Before he could speak she had slipped her hand through his and turned him away from the room she dared not let him enter. "I am glad you came bask," she stammered; "I am fainting for a breath of fresher air than one can get iu the house. Let me walk with you to the gate; it will do me good." Very tenderly he supported her falteriu'g Bteps as she paced beside him down the carriage drive, and explained that he ht»d returned to enquire at what hour on the morrow he might take her for a drive. He did not see' the frowning eyes that were watching him over her Bhoulaer; he did not know that rilla could scarcely breathe until he had once more said his adieus, and hbr fears of his encountering Chris Kennett were over.. She went back to the bouse gloomily resolved to free herself from such terrible risks. \ Yet how tfas it to be done? Harold Outram was as difficult to manage as an honourable, straightforward will often be, simply because he did not diverge from what he feels to be right, or else she would have been his wife ere this, and married with sufficient haste and seoreoy to baffle her persecutor. He, on the other hand, was equally unmanageable because he knew by experience that she would nut hesitate to'smile upon him and yet throw him over as soon as it suited her to do so. If Chris would but leave her in peace! Why was she so fair in his sight that he wouldaieither be bribed nor coaxed into relinquishing those claims upon her she would have fain forgotteu long ago. v And then a thought stole into her scheming brain over which she. waa still brooding when she re-entered the room where he awaited her. She had won the passionate love that was how her torment when she very youug and apparently artless; daußhter of the people with little eduo&tion, without dross or ornaments to heighten her charm. Now that she was eduoated and bad developed into a fashiouable belle Ohria Kennett bad often bluntly said that she was not half as charming as when he*flrst knew her. Seeing that it was not Mios Dartison, the heiress, he had admired, but Oyrilla, the unadorned beauty, surely it would not be very difficult to efface her own image if its place oould be filled by that of any pretty, innocent girl who could be induced to accept bis attentions. He was not old, he was not positively ugly, and for the sake of a home and such a trousseau as Oyrilla would bestow, might not someone be found who would consent JJto wed Chris Kennett? And why should not that someone be Miss Moyle? Amiable, friendless and passably pretty, where oould a more suitable bride be found for Chris Kennett? • •* Oyrilla knew that, such an affair would require delicate handling; but, if it should be sucoesssful, what a relief from the constant dread her persistent suitor contrived to inspire! The experiment was worth trying, or so thought the young lady, and the hopes of her own emancipation, that grew as the id«a took shape, enabled her to meet ner visitor more graciously toan he oould have anticipated. She even permitted him to take her hand, and ere it was withdrawn she had smiled at him almost as sweetly as of old, and thanked him for cheering papa with his visits. "You needn't," he told her. oome to see you, not your father.' He and me aren't the good friends we j used to be. Set by the ears by a woman's fickleness —eh, beauty?"

"Nothing I should do or say should make you indifferent: to an old acquaintauce, specially when he is in trouble. Paoa will always be felad to see you I know,'-' she went oil in the same conciliating strain. "He finds the days very long now that he is in such low spirits, - and I am quite unequal to the strain upon my nerves of amusing him. What we should have done without Misa Moyle, I tell. But you do not know our little friend, do you?" "1 know you well enough to be pretty certuin that you wouldn't be so civil to me if ydu hadn't something to gain by it," he returned rudely. "You forget what I have just gone through," Bhe sighed, "and sorrow softens one's • heart even towards one's enemies. I never thought you would have been mine, Chris I" He coughed doubtfully. "If we are at variance, Cyrilla, I think the fault is yours." (To be continued.)