For Her Sister's Sake; OR, THE LAVENDEN SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8319, 27 December 1906, Page 2

For Her Sister's Sake; OR, THE LAVENDEN SECRET.

["For Her Sister's Sake " was commenced on December 20th.]

CHAPTER ll.—Continued.

"Oh! about the change that all this has meant for us," answered Winifred Lavenden, ; "about the lorg, long days up at ; Islington, and how stuffy and noisy the streets were about there, and . how gloomy the evenings used to be in'winter, and how sick the sound of ( the sewing-machine made me after . it had been going for hours She stopped. "I —I'm afraid," she said, "1 ought to ask you to let me change the subject. The baroness ( doesn't like me to talk about those times; she—she thinks it bad taste, lather. I suppose it is/' Agnew touched a soft hand that lay near him on the arm of her chair. "Is it?" he queried. "I'm sure L don't know. What a busy lit,tie hand this must have been! But was there no one to capture it —like this" —and his own firm fingers folded it deliberately—"and tell it that it must rest for awhile?" Winnie shook her head, but she did not withdraw her hand. "Only Julia," she replied, "and I hadn't to mind her, for both our sakes." "Poor Lady Lavenden!" . said Agnew. "But had you no —no ' friend of your own to scold you for working so hard?" • Winifred Lavenden glanced up and read in his eyes a meaning that his words had veiled. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "No; only once, and then it was not a real friend, not' my friend.'' She blushed —painfully. ; _ Edward Agnew pressed the girlish fingers. "Forgive me," he said; "my question was ah impertinence." "Please don't say that," begged Winnie eagerly. "Fd like to tell you—only—only it's not my secret. " Agnew felt a sudden thrill as he met her troubled gaze, and he would - haye spoken. But they were interrupted, and ,by the utterance of Winifred Lavenden's name. Julia Lavendeii had come to the entrance of the balcony. "Winnie, dear," she said, "they a.re asking, for Mr Agnew in the drawing-room, and—and I want you for a moment, dear." i Her faltering syllables were so.unsteady that, Agnew turned'hastily. "You —you are not indisposed, I trust, Lady Lavend&n?" he said. "You look very tired." \"I do not think I am very tired," •„ answered Julia Lavenden, yet wearily enough to words. "I have been most interested in Air Garside's talk of Australia. He —he is really an extremely entertaining person. And, as Winnie knows, I like good talkers. But I have developed a .headache—a poor compliment to Mr Garside, it is true. It will pass off though. I t am subject to such attacks;. they seldom last long. ". Her manner and rapid speech alike impressed Agnew with a sense of Strained cheerfulness. But he made f no further comment, and passed out of the balcony with a brief sentence of symyathy. for the elder sister's indisposition and a glance at Winnie so lingering and significant that her: ■ heart beat with tremulous happiness. , When he had gone Julia Lavenden leaned' heavily upon her sister's shoulder. Winnie bent , under the weight ,so abruptly < thrown upon her. ■ '"V "Julia, dear,"--she exclaimed, "you are ill," faint!" : "Oh, my darling," said her , sister brokenly,- "be brave, , very brave! He has come back. Didn't you recognise him? No; how should you? He, is too cruelly, : wickgdly clever. I—r meant to tell you this afternoon, -/-but -you seemed so happy I'could not." . ' Winifred Lavenden caught her breath. "He!" she repeated; "not —not — : —" Julia checked her quickly. "No, , no," sne said; "not he—his brother. This Mr Garside is Janies Garth, and . oh!— Winnie, I am frightened, • frightened!" V She hid her face on he*r sister's shoulder and sobbed, great tearless throbs that shook her from head to foot. • Winifred Lavenden drew herself up, and her young countenance grew i hard and stern, like that of a soldier under fire. " ; "Mr ■ Garside, Mr Garth,", she ! murmured slowly. '' How strange !■' I—l thought' he reminded me of some one! And he has cdme here, after us. Yes, that is like him. What does he want?" , The elder woman clung to the , younger. "Don't ask me," she moaned, "an# yet I must tell you. He—he wants —you." Winifred Lavenden recoiled from her sister's clasp. "Me!".she cried. "Julia,. I would kill myself first!" r Julia Lavenden shuddered. "You —you don't understand;" she replied falteringly; "he—he has the certifi~_cate,i—Qlv_heavens! what shall I do, what shall I do!" and she gasped hysterically;. Winnie took her hands ,and stroked them soothingly. "The certificate," she said; "so it wasn't burned in the church,, after all. Then why wasn't there a copy of. it at Somerset House?" I Julia threw open a pane in the glass wall of the balcony. The cold night air played about her white shoulders, dazzling as mairble against her black evening gown. . "The register was bui-ned," she ■answered, "and before the copy *. could be sent to Somerset House. But this is the. certificate of marriage that is given to the married couple--to the wife. It was given to me, and I gave It to—to him. I had forg6ttfih it qtiitey-quite—or thought it logt. And no-yv James Garth has it,

By R. Herman Silver, „ ~, of - f j Double Mask," "A Daughter of Mystery," "Held Apart," *'The Golden Dmarf," etc.

and we are in*his power!" Stern, yet self-possessed, Winnie pondered. She had recovered already from the shock of her sister's news. "Where is he?" she asked. Julia Lavenden took her arm and led her across the wide reception-room beyond into a small winter-garden that ■communicated with it. As they entered, a tall form in the contrasting black and white of masculine evening dress stepped out sharply from a palm-screened corner. Winifred Lavenden was face to face with "Mr James Garside." She looked at him, and her lip curled. James Garth smiled. "Well, you pretty little vixen," he said, in his low, half-Whispering voice, "so we meet again. And am I to explode a bomb in the midst of these splendours, or are you going to be friends, like the sensible girl you really are?" Winnie made a disdainful motion. "I despise myself for not having recognised you," she told him. "But I do not wonder that the thought of you did not come into my head; I hate even to think of you." There was a lighted cigarette in "Mr Garside's" fingers; he put it between his bearded lips and regarded her tolerantly. He took it out again leisurely and flung it away. [To be Continued.]