Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8242, 21 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

By Eftie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," "Brave Barbara," 11 A Splendid Heart," " Temptation of Mary Barr," "The Interloper," etc., etc. .

CHAPTER XXlll.—Continued. 'Far better that she 3hould suffer now than that she should be given to him, and that he should utterly ruin her beautiful young life,' lVliohael said to himself, and he regretted that be bad not spoken to Selina. 'Perhaps, if George had not wme,' ho said to himselt, 'this might have been discussed hetweeii us. She knows already that Jaok and 1 are separated. It would be so natural to her to wish to know why this had come about. I hope George will be gentle with her!' An unexpected change iu Michael's movements was made when ho reached his hotel. A letter was waiting fur him. He opened it hurriedly. It was from Nelia, aunouueiag that his mother had mot'with a slight accident, and that she desired to see him with as little delay ns possible. Nelia wrote in a guarded way, as though she woiiH not alarm bim, but the mere foot that she bad written at all did alarm him. ir tho letter had been from his mother, or hits mother's maid, ho would have been iuuliued to consider it an exaggeration, but coming from NtMa, who was so calm, aud so well versed in illness, it impressed Michael. He nevor heailot»d as to what he should do. He must of courao, go. to his mother; but before doing this he made imother pilgrimage to that dingy, shabby neighbourhood where the old Italian woman lived. Once again he was told that he could not seo her. So be loft her a letter in which he j described how and whv he was pre ; vented from meeting be that uigbt. 'I shall return to London to-mor-row in all probability,' he wrote, •and then I will see you.'' He ventured to inclose some money, which he .begaed tur to accept as from a friend. He knew now that she was a womin of delicate birth, and it pained him to realize that one who had been great in her own country, and wbo was verging on old ago, should be actually in need of bread. Then he scribbled a few lines to Seliua, aud inclosed the letter Nelia bad sent bim. ( 'This will explain to you why I oannot come and see you to-day,' he wrote. 'I nai afraid it must be a little serious, for Mi»3 Poster is not an alarmist. • I hope to come back to-morrow, however, and then, if you will naie to see me, you know how aladly aud with what delight I shall come to see you.' It was with a return of the op- . presston at his heart that Michael boarded th« train and went down to the seasido to join bis mother. He realized the love Selina arouped in him. She had been able to drive away from him the blackest of blauk olouds, to lift biro for a brief spell out of a very quagmire of sad thoughts and doubts. Her influence had floated about him like a fragrance, dividing him from all that jjwas' so bitter and painful In these moments, and all this although ho kuew ber love was not for him, aud he stood in a great measure outside her life. But, once flootiug away frbru London, Miohael went back abruptly from that frame of mind which had driven him foith so early from the hotel, destroying his rest, and robbing him of his appetite. "for what was this story that the Italian woman had told bim the night before? A story of-wrong, of wanton troaohory—a etory that had not one redeeming feature iu it as far as St. John Delaval was concerned. It had turned Michael's heart cold and heavy as he had listened to it—this story of a ruined young life. By what cruel fato had the only solace of this poor woman's life drifted into Delaval's path?, How her voice had changed, how her spare figure had thrilled, as she had spoken to Miohael of her daughter's beauty and innocence! Miobael possessed no ready imagination; still it was easy enough for bim to fill in this picture which bad heen sketched for him.' He knew the power of this man. Had he not himself yielded to it? Was there not a moment, and that not so very fair distant, when Delaval could have done with him what he wished? Was it so strnuge, jthen, that a child should have fallen beneath the thrall of so unique a personality, and for his euke have forsaken all tbfit belonged to her? Prqbably Delaval had regarded the transaction as a very ordinary occurrence. Miohael kuew that there had boan many women in his strange life, but to bis simple mind there was something deeply pathetic in the sacrifice of this beautiful, highborn girl, and it made his heart thrill as he remembered what the mother had told him about hia brother. It was so like Edward to have made himself the champion for one in such sore distress. He could readily beliove that the girl whom Delaval had wooed so lightly and dis carded so easily bad been the cause of tho breach between Edward Silohester aud the man whom be called his master. As bo reclined in the corner of the car, with his eyes closed, Michael felt bis heart swell with the flood of emotion which filled him. What a tragedy bad teen written in that far-off country! 'You wonder,' the old woman had said, In her broken English, 'why I should have some to you? It is because the name you bear is sacred to me; for your brother's brother there is nothing I would not do that, is possible. It is not merely revenge that hag driven mo to you; it is beoaose I know, because I have known for long past, that you worship this man, that you give him faith and love; and it has burned my blood to know this.

So I have said to mvself, "He must know the truth ; he must know first the story of my poor Rosital <Jod rest ber soul!" ' aud then she bad told the story of how Edward's good, honest heart tried to stand for and protect her child, and how his goodness had been returned by treaonery and immeasurable cruelty. All that reoital of tho care and affection which Delaval had declared bad been lavished on Edward Silchester was discredited by this old woman's words, aid somehow there had been the absolute truth in her voice. She bad been so quiet; there had jbeon no excitement, no wild outburst of passion; only a calm, determined attitude, which bad impressed Michael far more that fury would have done. Once he had broken in on her words. •What is it that you wish me to do?' he had asked her, and she had smiled an enigmatical smile. 'You musi act as your heart dictates. I do not desire that yon should avenge me. lam strong enough to do that of myself. 1 think there are momenta,' she had added, musingly, 'when this man has a qualir as he remembers my existence. Possibly it does not oome very often* Suob a man as he would not trouble too often with conscience. Still she nodded her head, significantly, and touched herj'breast, •here I know it —my n»me is graven.' Then she added, abruptly, He is making his plans to go, and he does not moan to go alone.' Those few words came back to Miuhael now with a painful, horrible significance. All at onoo he began to reproach himself for not having sought Delaval. •It is one thing to hesitate,' he . said to himself, 'it is another to postpone till it is too late. As soon as I have sseti mother, and looked after her a little, i shall go back direutly to him. I shall force myself upon him. I shall go directly to the point. I can do nothing now to bring my brother back, but I can, and will, stand between Selina and the harm be would do her.'

And, thinking this, strengthening bis resolution with every fresh moment, Miohael arrived at his destination, and found Nelia waitr ing for him on the platform. She wore ber nurse's uniform, and looked very sweet and womanly. 'I am so glad you have come,' she said to him. 'Dear Mrs Silchester baa, been wanting you so much.'

She explained that the accident bad really been a very trivial matter, or so they had imagined. 'But your mother complained of pains i u every limb, and I lanoy she must have strained herself very violently. However, now that you are here, I daro say she will soon he all right.' They drove away together, and a little Hush crept on Nelia's obeeks. She bad been teaching herself not to be honest, with her own heart these last few days, otherwise something like a sensation of shame must have taken possession of her as she realized that she had brought Michael from London by a trick that was both unworthy and untrue. For no one knew better than Nelia that the slight fall Mrs Silchester bad had was not serious, and that by encouraging a nervous woman to imagine the opposite she bad managed to work a little scheme to berj own end very successfully.

CHAPTER XXIV. A BARRIER BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIPE. Dorothy occupied herself the whole of the morning in arranging for the afternoon. By this time Selina had drifted out of tbe habit of driv.'ng with her sister-in-law, but it was just possible that Sir George might-offer to esoort her. •You know you must not let me be a bore to you, George,' she said, •r know perfootly well that you would like to go to your club, and 1 am going to do any amount of shopping. lam having my court dresa tried on for the last time. I shall be so glad when my presentation is over. It seems an awful ordeal to me.' 'Are you driving alone?' Sir George said, as he watched her ar* ranging her hat and veil bofore ono of % the mirrors. 'Yeß,' said Dorothy, 'l always do. Poor Selina, she does hate London, and.all our Loudon ways.' (To be Continued.)

Hast sorrow thy young days shaded? Or hast thou a cold in thy head? Thy tonsils, are they out of order? Thy nose, is the tip of it red? If these by thy symptoms I charge thee, All nostrums inferior abjure. There is hut one remedy for thee, And that's Woods' Great Peopermint Cure.