Hugh Gretton's Secret.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8491, 20 July 1907, Page 2

Hugh Gretton's Secret.

By EFFEE ADBLAIDIS ROWLANDS. Author of "Selina s Love Story." "A fP leml }%^, irt " "Brave Barbara"The 'lemptaU'-n of Mat if Bar," "Ihe Interloperen,, etc.

CHAPTER XX.—Continued

To her brother Sylvia Langtono had said nothing, not even expressed the most ordinary congratulation, but she knew perfectly well how to imply a sentiment witnouf"- worus, and John was perfectly aware of the meaning of all her little c.ipeis and attitudes. _ He himself went about his uaily life just as if nothing had happened. He was just as tender and quietly careful of Miiiicent as he nan evei been. If he remained out a little longer than us n al in his riaes and walks about the property, there was the reason ready that the many alterations and improvements he was making demanded this of him. Immediately Miiiicent oeeame ins affianced wife he put the matter before the Gretton lawyers. There was, _of course, no demand for tnis formality, but it pleased him to do it. The lawyers were warmly congratulatory on so happy a termination to the young girl's sorrow. Every investigation had been pushed by the firm in Australia to discover whether Miss Gretton had kith or kin, but there seemed to be none forthcoming. If questioned on this point, Miiiicent generally became angry, and then tearful. "Why do you want to find out these, things?" she said once, fretfuliy, to John. "I have told you I never had any i*elations. I don't even know ■who my mother was. Father never cared to speak about it, and I lam sure, quite sure," the girl added resentfully, "he would be very angry if he could think any one could , conie forward and take any of tny money. He made it all for me he always told me that. Do, please, John, ask them not to make any further fuss." Her wll was obeyed. "Miss Gretton is desirous there should be no further investigation," Sir John told the lawyers, and so the matter dropped. For a fortnight or so life was full of pleasure to Miiiicent. The engagement was a novelty; fuss the Bynge family made about it and about her was very delightful. But aJ , this did not last. Excitement was what h;r spirit craved. After the first flush of pleasure was over, Miiiicent wanted another wave to come. The feeling of dulness j that had begun to oppress her return- j ed in double force. She could not take j anv interest in John's silly building plans, his farms, and schools and cottages. She was not strong enough to walk with him or ride with the girls. She found Mrs Bynge a little changed, too; how, she co&ld not have told. For her betrothed himself, she had a slight sensation of nervousness. Nov/ that he belonged to her, a certain charm was gone. He was so quiet, always, and such simple things pleased him. Millicent's best amusement was her intercourse with Mrs Langtone. She went frequently to the rectory. "You are so much brighter here!" she would often say, and she delighted Sylvia Langtone's heart, needless to relate, in so saying. It was Mrs Langtone who was responsible for Millicent's second excitement. "You must begin to get your trousseau together," she told the girl one March afternoon. It was a radiant idea, and Miiiicent glowed. Then came the cloud. "But, Sylvia we are so faraway from any shops." "We must go to London," Mrs Langtone replied promptly. "I dare say mother will go with you. If not, I must see how lean be spared for a week or so. It will be very difficult; still, I see you must begin to think of these things. You will be married very soon now, so there is no time to be lost." Miiiicent went back to her present home much comforted. She shivered, nevertheless, as she drove through the country lanes. "To live here always —uh! I could not! I could not! John must take a house in town." i She was a laughing sunbeam when j she met him. "Sylvia and I are going to town to buy my bridal outfit!" she cried, like a child in glee. "You need not come —don't look so frightened." John smiled, but the aching void in his heart g - rew wider and deeper. Clothes, shops, toys! This was the life of the woman he was about to take to his heart as his wife. He shut himself suddenly in his room, and, throwing himself into a chair, buried his face in his hands, and groaned aloud, git was a terrible,terrible sacrifice. It did not seem to him that even for Sigrid's sake he could carry it through to the end.

CHAPTER XXI. MILLICENT DRAWS A CONTRAST. Lord Yelvertoun had not intended io bow absolutely to his Aunt Philippa's advice whers Sigrid was concerned.; neither had he desired or inxen.ced to disobey her; he had merely told himself he should let things drift a while. Of course, it was possible Si grid might be utterly indifferent to him; on the other hand, it was just as possible she might not bs; and in that case—well, his Aunt Philippa might for once see that he had not been over-sanguine, or presumptuous. That was the curious part of the matter , to Lord Yelvertoun. Undoubtedly Mrs Harlowe had regarded his proposition concerning Sigrid as savouring of presumption, and this after he had braced himself up so completely to meet and overcome all the objections he had imagined she would urge on the score of Sigrid's vague social position!

"Now, if it had been Aunt Al« thea!" he sz-id to himself, and he always smih cl as he conjured up a vision of Lady Yelvertoun's haughty horror at the suggestion of such a marriage. The young man was exceedingly disappointed when he found that Mrs Harlowe either would not or could not give him any information about the true story of Sigrid's birth. He had be n out. of town at the time of Lady Yelvertoun's interview with Mrs Harlowe and had been away nearly a fortnight, but he had not lost a moment in paying a visit to the invalid on his return. Mrs Harlowe had, however, nothing to tell him. Moreover, she was so extremely weak and ailing that the young fellow's exuberance and excitement quickly gave way to anxiety. His solicitude touched Sigrid, whose own heart-anguish was softened to her through the touch of pain and anxiety Mrs Harlowe's condition gave her. "She seems awfully ill," the earl said to Sigrid, when they were alone for a moment. "I hear Aunt Althea was here the or-her day. I suppose they had a row about me; they always do have a row over me. I wish Aunt Althea would have some consideration. I feel dreadfully upset. Poor little Aunt Philippa, she looks as if she could be blown out of sight." "We must take the best of oare of her," Sigrid said, in her low, soft voice. She was setting the flowers he had brought in a number of little jars and vases. She was herself very pale, very tired-looking. "But you must not overdo it either, you know," Lord Yelvertoun told her, in his blunt fashion. "You are looking very white to-day, too." "It is the weather!" Sigrid laughed hurriedly. She encouraged Lord Yelvertoun to talk. He always amused her, and now he seemed to bring a touch of life and life's pleasures and hopes into the quiet resignation that was to be her future henceforth. Mrs Harlowe had been so ill ever since Lady Yelvertoun's visit that, against all her courag 2, Sigrid had grown ill and oppressed, too. She gave every moment of her day to the invalid, and she tried hard, poor child, to shut away both thought of John and remembrance of Lady Yelvertoun. She did not succeed in either case. Thought is not always to be controlled, and especially so when the life of the thinker is laid out in the lines of absolute tranquility. She had read the announcement of his engagement to Miiiicent in the Morning Post, and she had knelt and prayed with more than her usual earnestness, that Heaven would set the difficulty right, and send them happiness. She cried as she prayed, for she was scarcely more than a child, and, oh! she loved him so dearly. She winced sometimes when she awoke to the knowledge of how dear he was. It seemed to her pure heart that she did a great wrong in holding him so precious, even though she had renounced all claim to nis love. From the morning paper she had read, too, that Lady Yelvertoun had gone to Paris. "Aunt Althea is for all the world like an unquiet spirit. She can't rest any where," the earl said, as he sat on the edge of the tableland watched Sigrid handle the so tenderly. "She told me she was going to stay at Storr till the summer; couldn't afford to travel any more, you know. 1 laughed at that, I can tell you. Aunt Althea could afford to go to the moon if she chose." Then seeing how pale Sigrid was, and catching the sound of a faint sigh from her lips, Lord Yelvertoun ceased to talk about himself or his aunt. He exhorted Sigrid to come out for a walk instead. Mrs Harlowe had urged him to do this. "Do get Sigrid out into the air a little. Nigel," she had said. "The child has really hardly left me for an hour all this week, and last, too. It is much too close in this room for her, and the warm weather tries her, 1 know. 1 can't see her, but I feel she is not looking well." Lord Yelvertoun refrained from telling her how really ill Sigrid lookI ed; instead, he went to talk to the j girl, and he urged and advised a | ramble in the fresh air so successfully that the two young people were out of doors almost before Sigrid had realized the fact. Powell was in attendance, for Mrs Harlowe was too keenly careful of the girl's beauty, and youth ever to let her walk in the streets unchaperoned, but Powell kept well in the background, and Lord Yelvertoun was in high spirits, as he found himself escorting so lovely a companion. It was the highest satisfaction to him to notice the strong admiration Sigrid aroused from all who looked at her. (To be continued.)