The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8280, 6 November 1906, Page 2

The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Bv OWEN MASTERS. Author of "Clyda's Love Dream," "Nina's Repentance," "Her Soldier Lover," "The Mystery of Woodcroft," " For Love of Marjorie," etc.

["The Ikonhastek's Daughter" was commenced on October 17th.]

CHARTER XlV.—Continued. Prank Stark watched her gloomily- " There's nothing so very remarkable," he grumbled. " It's very peaceful, and pretty on a small scale, but no active mind could endure a month of it. It seems to me to be asleep around here, and these aren't the days of dreaming. Might do for a cracked poet, or an old lady •who'd been disappointed in love. But you wait till the winter comes, and the streets are a foot deep in mud! Give me city life." But Pauline would not believe. "Papa," she said to Chester Stark; "I believe that I am half English; these scenes have been familiar to me in my dreams. Look at that narrow lane, that winds like a white ribbon ; and the tall hedgerows on either side, and the green banks speckled with flowers." " We Americans are half English," Chester Stark answered. " The same parent stock." ••Perhaps my mother was an English woman?" Pauline hazarded. Frank Stark laughed unpleasantly- " You've seen these things in a picture-book, Pauline. I don't like j you to go back on your own country, apd your own people." "I'm not—l'm not!" Pauline pretested. "But this is my home in the future, and I love it already." The party were driven to Birchdene, where everything was ready for the reception of the guests. Enys Tressidy was waiting in a flutter of excitement to do the honours of the house. But, oh, it was simple enough. The Americans were quite at home, and dropped naturally into the most comfortable seats in the room. No English stiffness—no formality, no nonsense of any kind. And Pauline took Enys in her arms, and kissed her with wild impulse. •' I love you," she whispered. " I can't help loving you, you are so much like Dick." Chester Stark went up to Mr Tressidy's room, and was there for an hour, while Dick showed Frank round the stables. Frank knew what good horse-flesh was, and he was in his element. After luncjieon Dick conducted Pauline and bis guests to Pauline's little home, right in the middle of forty acres pinewoods and ornamental gardens. " I bought the place out and out," he said, "so that it should be Pauline's own. I have had the house surrounded with a piazza, and made to resemble the country homes in the States. I thought Pauline -would like it so. When Pauline has no use for it a tennant can soon be found." He looked at the girl, who was clinging to his arm, and her soft eyes shone back into his. "All very prettily arranged," yawned Frank Stark. " I guess the rural felicity is getting on my nerves. These are elegant trees around here,'and for singing birds you've got ahead of us a long way. How do you come off for misquitoes." Oh, we have a few, but they are comparatively tame," smiled Dick. While Pauline and Enys inspected tne furnishings of the house, the j men talked and smoked. " It seems a pity to have fixed up this place if you are to be married so soon," Chester Stark observed. "It was Pauline's wish." "Pauline knows whatshe'sdoing," remarked Frank. " There's many a slip, you know." Dick didn't reply. Frank had a knack of saying unpleasant things, and his father was continually on thorns. "You shall show me the works tomorrow, Tressidy," he said, a bit later. "I'm interested; I want to see how you've improved upon us. Then I shall take a run over to Paris. I guess I won't worry over this part of the world," The next morning the Americans accompanied Dick to the new works, and Chester Stark was enthusiastic in his way. "You have your father's genius in a practical sense," was all that he would say. "I am more pleased than I can express, because you are to be Pauline's husband." But that same evening FrankStark had a plain talk with his father. * "I'm going away to London, and thence to Paris. I can't stand this," he said sulkily, without any preliminaries. "You can't stand what ?'" demanded his lather, with glinting eyes. "This business of raising up your own Frankenstein. But perhaps you don't care; your day has past, and mine's only just begun. A man of sixty doesn't look at things like one at thirty. Tressidy's corralled the Russian contract we've beeu trying for—l saw it to-day with my own eyes He's done this with our brains and our money." ' "Not a cent of your money or mine, Frank." "What about Pauline?" "Pauline's to be his wife. All that he has is Pauline's." "I'd have married her myself, sooner than have this problem to confront. He'll go on spending her money till nothing'.ll hold himThere ought to be a stopper put on it." Chester Stark was both angry and worried. "You could not marry Pauline," he said huskily, "and you know it.

I have schemed for her happiness, and I have won," "At the expense of your your own flesh and blood ! Why should this penniless Britisher step in?" "What is done can't be undone. There's room for two ironmasters on the top of the earth. I am satisfied." •« Well, I'm not, and I sha'n'ttake it lying down. Pauline's money ought to be in our firm. As her trustee you are bound to have it safely invested, and it should withdrawn from wildcat schemes." "Wildcat schemes?" "Isn't Tressidy unselling? Isn't he working at a loss to cut everybody else out." "I don't believe it. Besides, Pauline is of age—she is years older than her real age, in a worldly sense. Now, let me hear no more of this nonsense, Frank. I've make a soft bed for you, and you'd best rest easy." "And now you're chucking prickles into it!" Frank was in one of his worst moods. "A waif from the Lord knows where is put before your son ; she's always been a thorn in my side, and she's at the bottom of threatened ruin. If I married her " "For God's sake stop! Fool! Fool! Do you know what you say." Chester Stark was in agony, His son turned upon him mercilessly. "I've suspected something for a long time. Now, out with it, father. I suppose I have a right to your confidence," he added bitterly. "I'm ready to be hard hit." [to be ) continued.]