For Love and Glory.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8154, 5 June 1906, Page 2

For Love and Glory.

By St. George Rathborne. Author of " /)/•. Jack," "The Witch from India," " Caiiiuiii Tom," "Mynheer Joe," " Dr. Jack's Wife," etc., etc.

CHAPTER il.

LOVERS ONCE, HUT STRANGERS NOW

Even RadclifLVa ntno was not proof agaiust sucb a tcni> of bitter reproach, spoken by the lips "be loved, and he winced under the stinging lash, evo.i as might a \ictim of the horrible Turkish "bastinado" when the whip cuts tha solos of bare feet. 3he saw' his usually florid face go white and his teeth grind together, with a look iu his eye as of a lion aroused. Then he seemed to remember himself, and eveu had the assurance to smile, though hia voice was inclined to tie cynical and bitter, as he answered, quietly: "Thank you; now 1 know the truth, and where 1 hilmig. 1 will make sure nevr;r to offend again." He picked up h«r cushion from the bottom of the bout, and then proceeded to bring the "sampan" around so that the wind would again fill her dingy sail. She watched Dim uneasily. Perhaps, deep down iu her heart, she learet.ted the scornful shaft that had been sent homo with such

cutting eroDbasia; bur not by any outward sign was tbis contrition ma'Je manifest, for the twentieth century girl is a queer composition, especially when pampered and spoiled by an indulgent pat.a or guardian. Having bronght the head of the "sampau" in. a lino with tbe landing place, Arinand once again addressed tho girl, asking her to change her seat for cue more ootufortable. Hib voice was singularly free from emotion; indeed, she could not remember ever having seen him more cool and unconcerned, and this when he had been accuse 3 of being what a gentleman considers tbe greatest reproach on rartb. In that moment Therese Morrison had a Heeling glimpse of something that lay bidden behind this man's habitual society front—something, the existence of which he had not himself as yet suspected; but to her it was too intangible to be oaught, and besides, her auger over Fido's wretched fate was slill smouldering.

Strange that she did not seem to understand how narrow an escape tbe man had had; it might have been frjra the hungry jaws of the shark closfd upon, had he impetuously obeyed her oi'der to leap overboard after the dog. ,AJterwar<is this must dawn upon her with crushing force, and when, alas, too late, she would realize her injustice. Just now she was not in a relehfciug mood. The "sampan" sped merrily over the waves, aud constantly drew nearer the shore, under the inflence of the piping breeze. At lea'f; Armand was something of a sailor—he had lounged upon a yaoht or launch, after the fashion of his kind; in truth, the man only needed to be aroused to prove the true metal that was in him, and Miss Tessie had unconsciously topped over his castles of good-natured selfsatisfaction when she applied the scorpion lash of that word. "Well?" observed the lady, when the silence had become unendurable. "I beg pardon," he said, quiokly; "can I do anything for you?" "I suppose you will never forgive me that expression," she ventured, fishing to see. how he was about to take it. • "Well, that depends; are you sorry you said it? Do you Jmply you didn't mean it?" tt was unfortunate that a silky Japanese dog narked at them from a junk close by; ail her anger flaehed into flame again; she knew it was primarily her fault that Pido had been lost, and yet, strange to say, instead of upbraiding herself for stupidity, she still heaped coals of fire on his defenceless head. Who can understand a woman, of whom the poet wrote so long ago: "Oh, woman, ill our hO'TS,of ease, Uncertain, coy and hard to please, , And variable as the shade. By tbe licht quivering aspen made—■ When pain and anguish wring the brow, A ministering angel thou." So, when she hoard Fido's double bark, the sound hardened her heart. "'I would eay the same thing again; it was cowardly to Jet my pooi little pet drown, and i shall never forget it, never!" she cried. "I am sorry. Of coarse, under such conditions, while you harbour suoh feelings against me, it would be folly for us to keep our engagement. The woman whom I call my wife must never believe in her heart that I am a coward, even if i fail to reach the ambitious line of hero. Until you change your mind with respect to my character, don't yon think we had better resume our old relations of friends?" "As you olease; we will consider tbe engagement indefinitely broken, fori am.not apt to change my mind," she said, bravely enough, even defiantly, as if to conceal any vestige of regret. "1 suppose we can remain friends just the same, whenever we chance to meet," he continued, in the same calm tone that somehow made the ghl have a sudden suspicion that perhaps, after all, Armand might notjgfeel so very wretched over regaining his freedom and this gave ber the keenest pain of all. "Oh! yes, if you care enough after what has happened, and if your hatred will allow you to speak to me," she said, petulantly. "Don't say that, Tessie—Miss Therese. Though we may be only friends, still, possibly, you can feel towards me the same as you do toward other gentlemen who may be also lacking in the valiant Don 1 Quixotic spirit you so admire. Let ua consider it settled, and part in

at least apparent good-nature. I am only sorry you didn't know me better before we grew fond of eacb other," bitterly. "\ou say, part—are you, then, thinking of going away, of leaving Yokohama?" she asked. "Very shortly, to Manila. I shall retire from my appointment with the American Minister to Japan—it is only a partnnctory office, anyhow, with society perquisites " "i hope—that is—your resolution is very—a —sudden. 1 suppose I am to blame.", "Well, I was aiming to go later on, haviug promised some of the officers to drop iu on them and see our now possessions under military rule. This only hastens my visit a littly. Besides, lam anxious to relieve you of any embarrassment that might oome from being often thrown into the society of a coward and a gentleman." She made no answer. She could make none, save to retract what she said in the heat of anger; and stubborn pride would not allow that even though she felt her heart lacerated by remorse. So they camo to land, where stood a group of chattering Japanese sailors from the battleship Fugi, the cruiser Akashi and the torpedo boat catcher Mushashi, all in the harhour near by.

Armiind assisted her with his usual giillantry, but Tessie realized that something was lacking;' he held ber hand scrupulously, but without the usual tender warmth; well, she had herself invited the catastrophe, and should never let him see that the sudden breaking off of diplomatic relations between them gave her so much as a pang. Together they sauntered away from the landing place. The silence becomiog too dreadful, he made some casual remark thufc brought out an answer, and then, both exerting themselves, the conversation became quite brisk, so that by the time they reached the 'riokshaw stand, they appeared to be tolerably friendly. At the hotel Armand bade her good-evening, since the first gray shadows were beginning to fall athwart the streets of this quaint cosmoplitan coast city, and then sauntered away. , She louked after him a bit wistfully, and had he turned just then all might have been changed; a sign would perhaps have brought him eagerly to" her side, to hear

murmured appeal of forgiveness; but the iron was rankling in Armand's soul; he had been shocked as never . jbefore in his life, and he did riot once look I)uck. A man with a 'grievance is a stubborn animal, and he believe! he hadbeen horribly abused by the girl who was to have been Mrs Radoliffe at some future day. Well, it was over. "He doesn't care. I really believe he's glad to be free. We were never suited to one another. I've feared it many times, and now I know it. The man I marry, if I ever do, which is doubtful now, must be a fearless, dashing tellow, ready to take his life in his hand at the call of duty and face danger like a hero —a man whose name will be synonymous with bravery, but never a timid soul, or a coward!'' She breathed the last word half fearfully, while sitting at the open window of her room, and looking eagerly down the; street in.; the direction the man had gone who was never to be to her again more than a friend. "Perhaps I should not have said it, but 1 usually speak ray mind, and the shook may awaken him,to a sense of the aimless, good-for-nothing sort of existence he is passing. Besides, 1 have good reason to doubt his valour. It ic best so. In a little time we will get over the pain, and both of us will be glad it happened. 'But I wish—• I could teli him I was sorry 1 said it, without making him think I regretted the broken engagement." She sighed as memory carried her back over the past two weeks—of many little pleasure trips around the environs of Yokohama made in the company of Armand—how attentive he had always been, anticipating her slightest wish—the peonies and lilies, hibiscus and azalias of famous ancient Kanazawahud appeared more i beautiful when seen through the eyes of love—in the romantio tea garden near the plum orchards of Kamada he had told her of his love, and she had believed this spot had must always remain hallowed in her memory; while now it brought a wronoh of bitter pain—down the shaded coast of Tomioka tbey and their "jinrikishas" had gone in search of the bizarre and the interesting ;aloag the famous Tokuido road to the temples and lotos ponds and old-world relics of Kamakura, with the- vast, benignant Buddha of bronze called the Daibutsu; to delightful little Enoshima. the "Island of Oragonß," with YokosuKu, the chief arsenal and dockyard of the empire—all these and much more that lay within easy reach of the {mattering "jinriokisha" stand in the shadow of the hotel. They were memories but now thair glory departed, and she could never call them to mind again with the same haDpiness she once experienced. But Tessie was a girl of pronounced character, a* may be understood from her edoration of all that pertained to the age of chivalry; and she was determined that no one should know how she suffered or grieved over her fallen idol. So when the door flow open presently she greeted with her oust omary smile the radiant vision that burst upon her like a young oyolone. (To be Continued). '—=