Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8197, 30 July 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER I.—Continued

*I suppose that is the Lady Dunwortby'wboin Michael cannot endure. She looks creepy, I must say. Wh'*t unpleasant eyes! I suppose she will be brtncht to call on me. Michael's mother has not had her say oat about to day. I am sure to bear more. I shall tell Mickie to-night that I know of an excellent muse for him, one who would never dream ofiletting hun wet his feet! 1 And then Selina laughed. bne was quite near her home now, and could see the gray smoke from the chimneys of the Gate House wreathing itselt gracefully in and about the trees thet were making such a gal lant effort to garb themselves in sprine clothing. •Koally, after all, I am not a bit sorry to get back,' she' said to her self as she pushed open a door in the'brio wall and wo.. the kitchen garders to t> ' ■•■"■ In the big, outer kitchen garden she shod some of ber wet garments, and, when her coat *as off and , her heavy skirt removed, she looked iast like n very handsome boy in her corduroy ridiug breeches and leggings, with her wind-tossed hair peeping from uuder her cap. 'i hope thu carriage went to fetch Miss Baißldine,' aho said to -one of the male's. When she got into the kitchen, she warmed herself luxuriously in front of the Btovo. 'This tiro is too heavenly, Anne,' she said, 'but someone Had better get me a skirt of some sort. If dear, old Mr Tartutt should see me like this be would have a At.' 'Will you be gettin' off.those wet ■ boot?, Miss fcielina. if you please? demanded .the. autocrat of the kitchen, bbarply. She was a very fat, old woman seated in a capacious chair, with a hßsin in her lap, in some myHterious compound was being slowly mixed. Though old and full of rheumatism, Anne refused to cede her sovereignty of the kitchen at Gate Hou«e. Sha ruled wjth a rod of iron. There were times, indeed, when she had hard words for her young mistress, and even dared to tell Sir George some home truths. •The boots are all right; it's only the tops that are wet,' said Selina. She took off her cap, and her pretty hair was all in confusion. If Anne had been amiable, Selina would have lingered in the kitchen, but Anne wanted her away, and Anne generally pot what Bbe wanted. Before ascending the flat, staircasp, Selinn dawdled in the nail and Dicked up a telegram and some letters, and then she though she would glance in at tte drawing room. Seated full in front of the fire in the low roofed drawiDg room, bo oozy, and %arm, and fragrant, was a middle agrd weman. Her skirt wan turned back, her feet planted cu the fender, and her bonnet strings untied. She was reading the morning paper, and looked most comfortable. 'Polly! Dear, old Polly !' Sel'na ran forward nnd gave her unexpected guest a hng. 'You dear thing!' she said; 'in the name of all that's wonderful, what brought you here?' The lady in the bonnet smiled. 'I came by a slow train, and changed twice,' she answered. 'I sent you a telegram this morning. I suppose that is my telegram you have in your hand now. I found myself with a disengaged week, so I thought I would put it in at the Gate House, and see how my Selina was getting on. 1 had the commonsense to wire to Martindale also, and so the brougham was at the station, and'l've had an excellent lunch.' She paused and looked the girl up and down, admiring the slender " limbs, the well poised head, the bright mass of hair that always de- j fled restriction. 'I fcelievo you have grown, child, she said, 'or else that get-up makes you taller. Is this your usual garb, Selina?' She laughed. •You take mo back years. 1 can remember you when you were a little slip of four or five,years, how you used to delight in dressing up\like George, and following him wherever ho chose to lead you. Seems as ifMfc were very much the same thing now. No,' added Miss -Lasoombe, '1 won't go upstairs, I am too comfortable here, and, if you know I am waiting you may hurry up! "Buck up" is the right expression isn't it?' she queried. Selina lausched and spread her hands an instant to the blaze. 'How nice to see you, Polly! Why don't you liv 6 here always? Have you evor tried to catch an otter?' she ancd the next moment. 'We've been at the game since I don't know what time this morning, and he isn't caught yet. George will be in an awful temper, if he haa to come away and leave that gentleman in the river. He has been doing an awful lot of mißchief.' 'l'm not afraid of George's temper," said Miss Lasoombe, calmly; then she looked round. 'I hear a carriage. Is that how you are going to receive visitors?' Selina uttered an exclamation. 'Good heavens I If it should be Mra Silchester! I was unlucky enough to be caught by her in the lane. She is ever so cross with me,' laughed Selina, 'because she thinks I lead Michael into mischief.' She was poering through the window carefully, and gave a sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness, it is only the carriage bringing Dorothy back.' 'And do you lead Michael Silches tor ii-to mischef, my bonnie lad?' inquired Mary Laecombe. Selina laughed and stretched her arms. 'No, but I should like to, was her confession. 'Now, Polly, 1 really most go and change my garments. Ob,' she paused again, 'there was a woman with Mrs Silchester who interested me a lot, tbw one she calls her cousin Maria: her

CHAPTER LI

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud/' "Brave Barbara," " A Splendid Heart," " Temptation of Mary Barr," "TJie Interloper," etc., etc.

'THIS IS AN INFAMOUS INSULT!'

name is lady Dunworthy, iant it?' Miss Lasoombe looked up. 'Maria Dunworthy! 1 used to know her well,' she said. 'J never knew she was a oonneotion of the Silcbesters.' Miss Lasoombe paused thoughtfully. 'An interesting woman, as you say, but more than that, a dangerous woman; one whose life has been made bitter and dark by hard circumstances; she had a story. Some day, perhaps, I will tell it to you, Selina; now you must fib and get off those wet boots; hurry! '1 will send Dorothy to you," oried Selina, as she obeyed. 'You will fall in Jove wtih her, Polly. She is the prettiest thing you've ever seen, lam quite sure of that.' 'Who is Dorothy?' inquired Mary Lasoombe But Selina had dasappeared, and one could hear the scamper of dogs on the landing, and then a succession of shrill barks of delight and welcome as she ran upstars, whistling and calling the animals in her bright, musical voice as she went.

Mary Lascombo laid down the newspaper and smiled at the fire as she sat alone. A few moments before, cozy and pretty us this old-worla room had seemed with its chintz covers and its bowls of flowers, its log fire and warm, violet-scented air, something had been lacking to make the charm complete. With Selina in the house everything took new life, as it were. Even the flowers seemed to give forth n>ore fragrance; at least that was the impression the young creatrue's joyous vitality always made upon the spirit and heart of this older woman. She was an unattached lady, with a fair amount of money and a love of wandering. Every now and then she drifted to anchor in some friend's house, and no place was more pleasant to her than this rambling, unpretentious, wholly delightful country corner where Selina had been born. A Durntsone oonneotion by marriage, MissLascomhe was godmother to the girl who had been mistress of this house ever since she had been twelve years old. It pleased Mary Lasoombe to imagine that she mothered Selina in a sense,but she never deluded herself into supposing that she was very necessary to the girl; no one was, except Geroge Durnstone. Nevertheless, she and Selina were very good iriends. Musing pleasantly on many old memories, brought to the surface of her mind by renewed acquaintance with this old room, MissLascombe gave a start whea the door opened and another girl came in. She was, a tall, slim girl in a gown of white serge, on which a dangling neoklace of green stones made a vivid bit of colour. A wounderfully pretty girl she was, with a delicately shaped face and marvelous dark eyes, framed in a nalo of the softest black hair. . 'Selina said I was to introduce myself; I am Dorothy Baraldine," said the girl. 'lsn't it a horrid day, so wet and so cold?' 'And I am monopolizing the fire. Miss Lasoombe pushed back her chair to make room for he newcomer. She took in all Miss Baraldines points as the girl knelt on the hearthrug and warmed her hands, and she found herself agreeing with Selina's eulogy. Rarely, if ever, had she seen so pretty a young creature as this one before her. 'You have been staying here long?' she queried, after they had exchanged some conventional sentences. 'I came for a week, and I have stayed nearly a mouth. I ought. to really go to-morrow or the next day, only I knew J shall not do it, because,' Dorothy laughed, 'well, because in is so nice here. I am always happy when I anv with Slenia,' she added, prehaps unconosious that in these words there was a oonfession. Missa Lasoombe studied her an instant, and then not up and rang the bell. (To be Continued.)