Selina's Love Stray.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8254, 6 October 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Stray.

CHAPTER XXlX.—Continued

•Very well,' said the ductor; 'but you must cat. I will give you something that will sustain you. You wilt need all your strength.' As he went away, this man—a middle aged one—felt hia heart yoarn over Selina as it might have yearned over a child of his own. *A spirit,' he said to himself. 'How brave, I dare say, uo stranger like myself can fully realize.- The other one will wake up in a day or two, and after she has cried a few hours she will begin to see that the snnßhine is about her, and that there are a great many years before her. Well, that is life, •alter all! When vie die, we cannot take the live ones with us!'

CHAPTER XXX

<SLAYE OR DEVIL, 1 AM ALWAYS YOUR MASTER!'

Quite late in the afternoon of that sombre day a gentleman got out of b handsome and iang the bell at the door of Lady Durustone's house. He asked to speak to Miss Dumstone. It waa not Martin who opened the door, but the footman, who, well acoustomed by thia time to admit Mr Delaval whenever he called, found it quite natural to open the door and admit him on this occasion. 'I have been in the country all day,' said Mr Delaval. 'I have only juat heard about thia awful thing! la it true?' 'Yes, sir,' the foolman replied. Orce again he repeated what he had said several dozen times to those who had corno seeking Information. Delaval s-erned to turn pale. lie pressed his hands over his eyes for a moment; then he walked on into the hall. '1 can scarcely believe it,* bocaid. 'What can have caused sucn an accident?' 'Something frightened the mare,' he enid. 'Sir George waa riding her for the first tlm*, sir. No one knows exactly what ' did happen. The poor master was by himself when he was thrown. LSeg pardon, sir,* said the footman, 'but I don't think that her ladyship will be able to see you. She is in her room. She hasn't left it all day!' 'I don't e.vpect to be received by Lady Dnrnstone,' said Delaval, quickly, 'but I mnsS see Miss Durnstone. Is she in her room?' The footman shook his head. f No, Sir, 5 he said; 'she's in the study. She's the OLly one there is to give ordtirs, sir. She's took it wonderfuly brave. It a hardly natural, sir, to see how quiet she ip. Why, they do say, she ain't shed a single tear! 1 A curious expression settled for an instant on Dejnval's face. He showed his teeth rs though he were smiling. He had thought to find her in a state of collapse, and yet, ho said angiily to himself tbo oext moment, why should he have hot known her better? Was it not just this very remarkable strength, this unusual oharaotor, which had struck him ih the beginning, had marked her out as being the one woman his life needed? 4 Yoa need not announce me,' he said to the footman, and he lied boldly. 'I wrote to tell Mies Durn stone that I should call tbis afternoon. She expects me.' He put down his hat and cane, and moved aoross to the door which the footman hud indicated. The servant was quite satisfied that he bad been speaking tho truth, and took himself downstairs till the next ring of the bell should summon him, an occurrence which happened at, that very moment, and which sent out of hia mind oil thought of the man he had just admitted. For a moment Delaval paused. He was an evil man. His life was one long history of black deeds —a man who had never known fear, never owned n master. Yet now a tremor ran through his frame that had its rise in fear. He was afraid of this youn?, simple, broken-hearted girl whom he was about to faoe. She had defied him »be night before; she had denied all his right to claim her or her love;, for that be had punished her. The blood of her brother lay on his head, for he had sent Go rge Durnstone to his death, willingly, deliberately. So much for his power with others; but what is his power with herself? Would this sorrow serve to sweep her still farther from him? Or would it drive her, as it so naturallyjsbould do, to seek tho shelter of his arms? Delaval could not answer that question. Had Selina been a different sovt of it would have been otisy enough; but, theu, if she been any other sort nf woman he would not be standing where ho wob. pre pared tc kneel a* her feet and plead, like any other man, for tho gift of her love. He knocked at the door. A voice from within said that ho might enter. He openod the door, passed in quickly, and shut in afiain. At first ho could see nothing] distinctly;, then Utile by little he etnv Selina. She was silting at Ibe writing table, her head supported by ker two bands. 'You have sent that telegram to the Gate House, Martin? 1 she asked. Tho sound cf her voice made Delaval wince.

By Efiie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of ** An Inherited Feud," "Brave Barbara *\A Splendid Heart » " Temptation of Mary Barr," * ( The Interloperetc., etc.

As there was no answer, Selina let her hands drop, and turned. A feeling of fear, a repellent sensation, had come to her. Delavnl hod drawn nearer. He stood close to the desk; through the gloom of the lowered blinds his face looked ghastly. belina drew bacK from him with a sound that was a cry and a moan at the same time, then she quickly recovered herself. 'What are you doing here?' she asked him, and there was passion in her voice now. 'How dare they admit you! How dare you come!' 'These are strangw wordo to use to me, Selina, the man arswered her. 'Of courne you must have known that 1 would come to you. Who has the right to be near you at such a time if this right is not mine?' Relina put her hand to her throat. It was the first niotuant in which her endurunce had wavered. And thou she calmed herself. 'I wish to be alone,' she said, 'and you know this. It is Jike you to.come to me at suoh a time!' j Her voioe was husky. She cleared it. Then she looked at him half pleadingly; she softened tier tone. 'Pleute don't let m«t say dieattreeable things to you, Mr Delaval. I thought you would have understood. ) hoped that Ihad mnde myself clear on that point.' 'I am trying to forget what you sakl to me Inst night,' Delaval replied, his voice soft, tender '<nd low. 'You were angry with mo, and in anger much is said that is beet forgotten.' That tense of fear became now a sense of horror. Selitja got up and moved toward the maut6l. Ho guessed what sho was about to do, and he put himself between her and the bell. 'No; you shall listen to me,' he said. 'Call me nruel, what you will; this is my moment and 1 will bo heard.' He gripped her hand as be had gripped it in the park the night before. 'You cannot shake me off so lightly. lam not a child to bo played with. I could not insist on my rights last night with that confounded servant close by yuu; but uow I insist. You shall, you must hesir me!' Selina drew a deep breath and turned and looked «t him. 'Mr Dsbvval,' she said, 'you are brave now. Long before I met you I learned to know the story of your courage and of your brave doede, almost by heart. I appeal uow to thai brave spirit that is in you. I—l will not speak of your hc-arV, because if you had a heart, if you know what love was as yuu would make me, believe, would you bo here now? Do you not know what has happened? Have thoy not told you? My brother is dead! My brother, whom you know I loved better than my own life; who was to mo the dearest and tho best of ali human creatures. My brother is dead! Do you think that this is the momont if) rfhicb I enn stand and listen to suoh words as you want to speak? Last night I told you I was sorry if by any Lmoceut act of mine I should hare been the cause of encouraging your strange iufatuation for me. 1 am still sorry, but even more strongly than last night do 1 desire to draw back from you and your love. You must leavo me, and you must not come back to me again. We are not in a savage countty, where people can be coeroed ugainst their will. lama tree woman; I deny your right to approach me I Hear me now,' Selina said, her voioe growing bitter,'l have given a promise to ruy bmther that 1 would nrt even have friendship with you; that promise is one 1 shall never break.' Delaval's face grew livid. There was tmch a look in his eyes that, had sho been in a les9 serious mood, she might have drawn back from him, dreading wtial; be might do to her. I3ut she had uo fear now. (To be Continued).