Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8239, 18 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

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

r CHAPTER XXll.—Ooatiuued. Though she had not apparently tasted proper food tor many days, she ate sparingly, and Bbe had refused all wine. It had been a strange experience to Miohael. He felt like one in a nream as he walked through the London streets that were busy again with the throng of people leaving the theatres. Two oherished phantoms went with him in that lonely «valk—one the memory of his brother, the other the bright loveliness of the girl who was dearer to him that life itself. Both memories were laden with sorrow in this hour. And yet it was typioal of Miohael that, though his heait was seething and his pulses thrilling, he determined en no hasty move. . 'I must see her again,',' he said; 'J must question ber. She must give me the proof about which she spoke. Perhaps there has been exaggeration. I may not act without the fullest cause.' It was the longest night Miohael had over passed. Thoroughly tiied out as he was with bis many hours of restless walking, sleep was impossible to bim. The uigbt was very warm, ana, accustomed as be was to the freedom of the country, he found the itmosphere of town very trying. As 6arly as possible he bathed and dressed and went out; he felt that he could scarcoly live through another hour, unless he saw his strange comnauion of the night before—till he had questioned her further, and satisfied himself that the story she had given him was the •truth. It took .him some time to find the lowly place where she lodged, and, when he did reach there,4 it was to ' be met with disappointment. Early as it was, this busy, poor neighbourhood was awake. People were nuatling to and fro, roost o f them too busy to cast even a look of surprise at so unusual a visitor. At the house where she told him she lived, a frowsy-looking woman was sweeping the passage and steps. 'She's oat,' she said, ' laoonically; 'bless you, she's never in. It's my belief she never sleeps nor never 'Out,' said Miohael. 'When will she come in? Did she leave any message?' 4N ' * • 'Not she,'said the woman; 'she don't speak to us. She thinks we're dirt, I take it. Leastways, she don't waste too much sympathy on us.' It was useless to question, equally useless to wait. Michael turned away depressed and troubled. The morning was lovely. There was a brightness and freshness in the air that would have exhilarated him If his heart ha J been free from care. He had made an appointment with the Italian woman to meet her again that night. In going to her before the hour of appointment, he had • been urged by the eagerness to put things absolutely sure. Pew people would have realised what it was costing Miohael to oonvinoe himsnlf that St. John Delaval was a man who had deceived and cruelly tricked him. There was more than that, however, moving m Michael's thoughts. It had made him winoe to realise 'that his brother's life had been sacrificed to the wanton cruelty of this man whom he called friend. It seemed to Miohael that henceforward, whatever joy might be vouohased to him, *he true story ■of his biothre's death would rest forever like a shadow on that joy, Once again he walked restlessly through the streets. He scarcely heeded whiob way he went, but he shrank from going back to the hotel; shrank, too, from letting himself anticipate what lay before bim.

And so, walking in this aimless fashion, Michael found himself finally passing into Hyde Park. The morning was still quite early, fcut, as the day promised to be a hot one, there were a numbei o£ people abroad—some riding and some taking walking exeroise. He went across to where some chairs were placed away from the paths, and he sat down and fell into a spell of hazy thought. Suddenly he was roused. A aog had come up to him, noked bis nose into his hand; then began to bark in a shrill and excited fashion, in which it was joined by another dog. Michael awoke from his dream, and his heart beat wildly. He recognised two old friends, and then, looking round, ho saw Seliua. She was calling to the dogs in a rather surprised pay, but when she saw Michael she started and stilled faintly. •Oh!' she said, 'now 1 understand. I could not make out what had happened to Ben and Billy; they do not often attack n defenceless person.' Then she stretched out her hand. 'I hear you have been in London several days,' she .said, 'and yet you have never been ,to see me.' Michael took her hand. 'lbat quick, hot rush of joy which the sight of her brought died away quickly. 'I did not think you oared to see me,' he answered. Seliua scolded him with a faint remembrance of her old manner. 'Silly Michael,' she said. Then, with a little sigh, she added, 'hope you are not going to quarrel with me. Ido so dislike quarrelling.' 'i don't think I am a good hand at quarrelling, eithei,' said Michael. *'Do you always come out as early as this?" he added, trying to drift into eater cnannels. Selina nodded her head. 'Yea; I always wake early, and this is really the nicest time to be

out in London, don't you tliiuk so? It is a very funny thing,' said Selina, sitting down, 'but 1 get so extremely tired in London. I never use to be tired in the country.' Miohael looked at her swiftly. He had remarked the momeni his eyes had rented on her that she had become even paler and thinner than she had been when last they had met. 'Why do you stay here?' he asked her, suddenly. 'Oh, we can't always do what we want to do,' Selina said. Then she asked him a question. 'Why are you in town? Isn't it very unusual?' The moment she had asked this, she regretted it. 'I beg you pardon,' she said, hurriedly; 'that was a very impertinent remark. Please forget it.' Miohael did not answer. 'He was sitting forward caressing the heads of the two dogs who were sitting as near as possible to him—they were so glad to -oe him again. It was like the fulfilment of some sweet ■ dream to find himself sitting beside Selina. The simple joy of her presence brought him a sensation of peace, a brief spell of rest, as it were, beforo embarking on the troubled future which him. All at onoe, hardly aware that his thoughts had passed into woris, he spoke to her. '1 want to ask you a question, Selina?' he said. Sho looked at him keenly. 'Well, ' she said. 'Everything is changed between us,' said Michael. 'lt seems to me sometimes as if I had said guodbje to everything that was worth having in life, so I have nothing really to treaauie except remem brance. Nothing can ever ,be so sweet to me as that which is over and done with.' He broke, off abruptly, and sat pulling tho long ear of Billy. 'What do you want to ask me?' asked Selina in a low voice. 'I suppose it ia what you would call a silly question,' said Michael with a fleeting smile, 'and it takes two forms. First I want to know ■—have you forgiven me for what my mother did that night?' Selida became very red, and breathed rapidly. 'l'ou are quite right,' she said, that is a silly question. It only shows me how little you know me. 'Of course,' she said, 'I never really meant to annoy you that night, I was so fcrious and so unhappy, I cau't, really reaiember what I did say.' She panted an instant. 'I will tell you this much,' she continued, 'and that is, that I am sure that you are not capable willingly of doing anything to hurt any living creature.' •Thank you, dear,' said Michael. And his heart beat a little more naturally. 'Now for the next question,' eaid Selinu, briskly. It was very ridiculous of her, so she said to herself, but in truth the mere a>ght of Michael had done ber good. It was like a littl» bit of old times to drift back to sharp words with him. In this moment everything that bad happened to alienate him from her was swept from her mind. Before Miohael could speak tho dogs had suddenly moved and pricked their «ars, and then they had started at full pelt across the grass. 'George!'said Selina, 'howfunny!' They got up and weat to meet Sir George, both consoious of a faint sensation of relief. 'I must have been mad,' Miohael said to hiniHelf, impatiently, 'just when she was drifting back to me, I should have asked her questions that would have sent her further away than ever, Sir George looked both surprised and pleased to see them. 'What is this—a clandestine meetng? ' be asked. Do you usually steal out of the house at cockcrow, Selina?' She nodded her head. For the moment she looked absolutely happy. George had reverted to his old manner with her. If she shut her eyes she oould have imagined she was back in the gardens of the Gate House with no troubles save, perhaps, a quarrel with Anne about household matters. It would have touched and amazed Selina oould she have known that her brother had risen and gone out this morning almost entirely because he could not rid himself of some anxiety about her. The knowledge would have been very sweet to her. (To be Continued.