Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8260, 13 October 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

And he smiled faintly as he answered: 1 •Nothing—for the moment. 1 want to watuh; I Wwnt to dißQOver, it I can, what is passing in his mind.' 'They are in London?' asked selina. Tea, at least, they were there yesterday; and, somehow, 1 fanoy they will remain in town.' It coat Michael ateriible effort to leave Selina, but he could not go to London without making certain arrangements. He had a dogcart waiting, and ■he drove first to town, there to fix up things at the bank, to pass on h*« work to someone else for a few days. Then he went home to the Priory. His mother would fret herself terribly if he were to go away without seeing her; and, 'moreover, he wanted to speak to his mother, to oommend Selina to her care. There waa very little that Mrs Silonester could do, but he knew that it would please hia mother ;tq feel that ahe was important. As luok would have it, she had -driven over to see some friends a .good distance away, and he nad to wait some time for her return. It was nearly dinner time when «he arrived, and she jraa rather flasterd. •Sucti an extraordinary thing, she said, 'iselia Foster was having tea with the Pitzgeralds, and, do you know, Michael, she was so disagreeable, with me—in fact, quite iudel' •Oh, I think you must be imagining that,' Michael said, as he helped her into the warm hall. 'Oh, no, I'm not!' said Mrs Silchester, decidedly. '1 know when a parson means to be rude; and to think I made such a fusa over Jher! Perhapu,' said Mrs Silchester, as ehe eat down and tuok off her gloves, 'perhaps I made too muoh fusa. Perhaps i made her feel she was too important. Now that I come to think of it, Michael, I am not at all sure that I di 3 not let her imagine I should be very glad to call her my daughter inlaw.' Michael frowned and looked muoh troubled at this. 'Oh, my dear mother, he said, 'I hope sincerely you did nothing of that sort. 'Well, 1 won't be aure,' said Mra Silchester. 'One thing is pretty 'Certain—Nelia would not have said "no" if you had asked her to be your wife.' '1 think—l hope—you're eutirely wrong,' Michael said, in hia gentle way; then he added: 'Nelia has always known, mother, that I have no .Jove for anyone except for Selina.' 'Oh, that reminds me,' said Mrs Silchester. 'They were all talking to-day about Lady Durnstone. They were saying that ahe is going to marry again—going to marry Mr Delaval. I hope it ia not true.' 'I am afraid it is, mother,' said Michael Siloheater, with a sigh—in fact, I heard it is an absolute fact to-day; and 1 have just oome from the Gate Bouse. Mother, Selina has accepted my love; she gives me her ieve in return. I want .you to be very bind to her, for she is dreadfully unhappy. She is already tormenting herself with the dread that the ohild will be taken - from her. 'Oh, dear me! r said Mrs Silchester, in great trouble. 'And do you think that will be done? Poor Selina! Well, that would be a shame! Why, she has been tbe mother!' *1 hope she is alarming herself needlessly,' said Michael, 'but 1 am afraid the future blank. lam going to London, mother. I wane to find out, if I oan, how the laud lien. Will you take care of Selina for me?' 'lndeed I will!' said JMra Silchester, heartily. 'Poor child! she has had more that her share of trouble. I tell you what, Michael, suppose they all oome over here and stay with me?' 'Ycu shall propose it yourself, j dear,' the young man said. 'But you are not going away juat now, are you, dear?' the mother asked, anxiously. Michael confessed that he had intended going to London that ■very night, but, as this seemed to trouble his motier so muoh, he gave way, and decided to go instead very early the next morning. And the next morning, as [he was intending to stop at the Gate House on his way to the station, there oamo a message of wild entreaty from Selina telling him that the ohild bad been taken away the night bpfore—by whom and when Michael had to find out. He reached the Gate House as quickly as a horse could take him. It was a strange, a wild tale/ that Selina bad to give him. The girl waa waiting for him in the ball;' she was dresßed as if for a journey. 'Polly and 1 are going to London with you, dear,' the said. 'We cannot rest here.' And then she went on to explain the mysterious disappearance of the child. 'I gave him his bath and put him to bed, as 1 always do. Jl sat with him till be was aieeep, and 1 ran down to snatch a little dinner with Polly. When I got upatairs again, my darling's little bed was empty. Nurse was lying in a chair, as if she were asleep or in a faint. Evidently she bad been made insensible. She ia very ill—ind ed, *Dr Poater seems to think ahe will have brain fever. Poor nurse! Sbe loved him. She oan give no aooount'of what happened.' - There waa a preternatural calm about Selina which was very hurtful to the man who loved bor. fie would rdtlier have seen her weeping and broken down; sho would have to

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

pay auoh a heavy penalty for this terrible mental strain. 'But why should he steal the child,' he asked, 'when the mother has a right to it, and he knows that you would be forced to give it up.' I 'Perhaps because he knew that I would not give it up,' said Selina, with a oitter laugh. 'Oh, this is his doing, and—and my heart is on lire, Miohaell What is passing with the ohild? Perhaps—perhaps he is torturing it!' She gave a moan and stumbled, and Michael caught her and held her to his heart. | 'This is not like you, Selina,' he said. 'Be brave. I know this is awful for you to bear; still, you have sbown suoh wonderful oourage. Keep up that oourage a little while longer. I promise you that if human hands oan spare that ohild, mine shall be the hands to do this!' 'Only let me know where he ia—what is passing with him,' said Selina, 'and I promise you.i will be as brave as you could wish.' Michael tried to persuade her not to take the journey to London, but she had it in her head that she would be nearer tne child. 'Dorothy cannot prevent my seeing him. burely she cannot be bo cruel as that!' And then thejj tear scame—-that blessed relief which Michael had so longed to see. He made her rest in a chair in the drawing room while he went to speak to the servants and Mias Laaoomte. (To be Continued.)