Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8221, 27 August 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

" CHAPTER XII. —Continued. She went to bed quite happily after be left her. It uover dawned on her imagination to suppose that ehw bad Baid anything to hurt him, and she ws fast asleep hours before George Durnstone left bis study. That propbeth vision of the future which bad come to Mary Lascombe so incoutestibly when firss she had seen Dorothy Baraldine was shaping itself faintly and vaguely on the horizon oS George Durnstone'e life. Jliven Mary Lasooenbe would have felt sorry for him if she had seen him to-night. *****. They were strange daya to Selina. Days of wonder, days of marvellous satisfaction, dreamy days in which everything seemed intangible, and sorrow meltod far, far wway. Mary Lasoombe sat by silently. 'What can I do?' she asked herself. 'lt 1 speak I shall only precipitate matterd; if 1 go against him openly, I ahull assuredly maiso him take a definite attitude.' For sho still clung to the belief that tbis man was not in earnest She waited eagerly for each day to bring the information that he had gone; but each day came and passed, and he seemed tu have no intention of going. Many and many a time did Mary Lasoombe think of Miohael. She wanted to write to him, but what could she say? She could not understand wby he did not send her a word. It was a difficult and delicate position for her; she was convinced now that Delaval was amusing himself with her, that, in hia quiet and almost oruel way he took a delight in mystifying her and in making her miserable. Just is she was puzzled about his real leelinaa for Selina, so the gill's attitude towards him puzzled her also. They talked about him freely. Even if Selina had wanted to forget him he made this impossible. Something was always coming—a note, a telegram, flowers, some small atteinion. There was only one way in which Mary Lasoombe could effectually rouse Selina, and that was a way she did not ohoose to use. It was her own wish tnat the girl had renounced immediate efforts to obtain some kind of means hy which she could earn money. They would have been so happy together if Delaval had heen on the other side of the world. But Mary Lasoombe d-d not deceive herself. She knew that the day was not far distant when Selina would rouse from this kind of holiday dream and remind her of her promise to help her. Sometimes Miss Lasoombe became impatient. 'Why do things go crookedly sometimes?' she asked herself. 'Why could not Selina fa 1 in lope with Michael? He is not a hero, but he is a thoroughly good man-—a man who would give her happiness, whose life itself would be devoted to her, who is a gentleman, and who would give her the position she ought to have. But no; she must needs turn away from him and waste her heart on this wanderor—tbis man of mystery, What do wejinow of his past? It cannot be possible that suob a man has reached this part of his career without having made some woman suffer.' And then all at once circumstances came tr Miss Lascombe's aid. They met at breakfast one morning, salina with white face and tea: stained eyes. She had two lettera .in her hand. 'Read those, Polly,' she said. Miss Lascombe took tnem, and read through quiokly what Sir George and his wife had written. When she put dovn the letters she looked aoroes at the girl with a faint smile. 'When are you going to leave me,' she asked. Selina tried to amile baak, but her lips quivered. 'Oh! Polly,' she said, 'you don't know how happy I am.' Misa Lascombe laughed, dryly. 'I think I do. So. after all my teaching, after all the hard knocks you have had, you remain just where you were. You won't leave me to day though, will you?' she added. Selina got up, and, going round to her, she put her arms round the speaker's neck. 'Darling Folly!' she said, as she nestled her face in Miss Lascombe's shoulder for a moment. 'You see, Polly.' she said, 'he has not forgotten me. Even in the veiy beginning of his great happiness ho remembers mo—he wants me. I knew—£ knew ne would not forget me.' Miss Lascombe kissed the girls oheek. Not for an instant would she spoli this wondioUa happiness, by even suggesting that George Durntsone's letter was the outcome of necessity, not affection. 'Why should I take thisa way ' from her?' she said. Indeed, all at once there came to her a sensation of extreme relief. At this moment she saw how little depth Delaval's power had taken in the girl's heart. In needed but this call from the old loved ties to sweep away from Selina's mind the influence inat had been so strongly upon her in the last week or so. It gave her immeasurable satisfaction to realise this. '1 need not ask you what you are going to answer,' she said. M shall go back for a time. 1 don't know that I shall stay very long,' Selina said, slowly; 'but I could not possibly refuse to go now; in fact, I shall send a telegram to say that thoy may expect me tomorrow.'

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara "A Splendid Heart," "Temptation of Mary Barr "The Interloperetc., etc.

'I shall miss you,' said Mary Lascombe, quietly; 'but 1 staidl not say a word tu stop your going. Iu this your heart must be the bept adviser. And, afterall,' said Miss Lascombe, 'it is not fit or right that Sir George Durnstone's sister should go out into the world to try and earn money. I beg of you, Selina, not to be too proud. George may probably talk of your future, make some provision for you; you must let him do all he wants to do. It is his duty, and he must not be prevented from doing his duty. And don't tie yourself down by any promises, dear child, said Miss Lasoombe earnestly. 'I know what you are. Capable of any sort of sacrifice fur those you love. Well, sacrifices are all very well, but sou are only a child, and life stretches in front of you. You must not bind yourself too srongly; and there's one thing more,'said Miss Lasoombe, Mo going ba«k like bis, Selina, you will evpose yourself to some suffering. You will bare to learn that you are not the important, little mistress at the Gate House any longer. They will make a little fuss of you perhaps when they get you baak, but that will soon pass. You will become just the Selina of old—a person that is of no use exoept as an admiring shadow.' But Selina was too happy to listen to any words of wisdom. She went about the bouse singing The dogs seemed to oatoh the infection of her happiness, for they scampered up and down the staircase like wild things. In the afternoon Selina went out for a walk. She took the dogs, and there was a maid with her. Since she had come to town Mary Lasoombe had insisted on fur bishing up her wardrobe, and in consequence Selina had an altogether more attractive air. They made for the park, and they were just inside the gates, about to cross the road, when a motor came whizzing up, stopped abruptly, and Delaval got oat. 'I had a sort of instinct that 1 should find you here,' be said. Selina answered him with a laugh. 'lt is very odd, Mr Delaval, that you always seem to have the instinct to know where I am or where 1 shall be.' 'Does tha*: seem so strange to you?' he asked, in a low voice. He was looking at her very keenly. Instantly he noted the difterence in her. She seemed to have drifted away from him altogether. Only the day before he told himself that he had her in his hand. If only he spoke the word of oummand she would follow him, even to the other end of the tvorld. Now she was qjuite different—the Selina of the first day, the girl who had so unoonsoiously defied him, and set his pulses thrillins, and the fire of desire to run iu his blood. 'What ia the matter with you today?' he asked her, abruptly. The maid had dropped behind discreetly. She looked him full in the eyes. 'I am happy,' she said, 'so happy —oh! so happy!' A grim look came over his face. 'You are happy,' he said. Who —what has given you happiness?' She laughed. She heard nothing strange in his tone. She had been dreamiug that this man was gone and forgotten, tie was only'to her a stranger—a sympathetic one, but sf ill a stranger. 'You should not ask me that,' she said, 'for you know so well what has been making me so sad these last few days. But I will tell you. lam" happy because my brother has written to me, because he wants me —because I know that he loves me, and that his anger is all gone. I em going back to the Gate House,' she said. 'I am very sorry to leave Polly; but George wants me, and Dorothy wants me, so I must go.' She stopped abruptly. Delaval'si hand had gripped her wrist. The sensation was one of pain. Selina turned and faced him. She saw that he was white to the lips; the expression in his eyes filled har with sudden dread. 'You shall not go,'he said. 'What! have you fceen so blind—don't you realize that jon are no longer freo? Don't you understand that henceforward your life belongs to me —that I alone can order it?' (To be Continued.)