ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9040, 16 March 1908, Page 2

ONE IMPASSIONED HOUR.

By OWEN MASTERS.

rhoi- of " Nina's Repentance," " Clyda's Love Dream," " Her Soldier

Lover," " For Love of Marjorie," " The Mystery of Woodcroft," etc,

CHAPTER X—Continued. "Co;rw into the grounds, and tell me all.about it. I've been harassed to death almost with hysterical telegraMa. Where is Miss Linley?" "In one or the reception-rooms, waiting for you, sir." "Now, Benson, what does it all mean? My father appears to hava utterly vanished. At first 1 smiled at the idea of such an absurdity; then I became alarmed. Is Miss Linley a very emotional young lady? I've had such a deluge of telegrams." The butler was pale and troubled.

"i felt that I mqst call, Miss Linley, even at the risk of displeasing you " He blushed aqd stammered. "I would do anything rather than vom should vote me a bore." "

"I have only a few minutes to spare Mr Forrest. Mr Allan Berrington is home." "I know—l know, but they are saying queer things in the village, and I want to help you. Perhaps you know that Mr Eastwood has gone indefinitely, and is on his way to America' The landlord of the Castle Stanford Arms is certain that there was a terrible quarrel between Mr Berrington and Mr Eastwood, and hints at foul play. Then others swear that both Mr Berrington and Mr Eastwood married chorus girls at Biarritz, and are going abroad to live down the scandal." "And do you, a man of sense, give credence to such disgraceful absurdities?" Kate said contemptuously. "I might believe it of Mr Eastwood but " "That's just it," broke in the curate. "I don't believe it of Mr Berrington, but I'm horribly afraid " He wiped the moisture from his tall forehead. "Oh, Miss Linley, I have pained you, and rather than give you one little pang I would suffer any torture." "Don't make yourself ridiculous, Mr Forrest," Kate answered, reddening with annoyance. "Why should you suffer on my account?" "Why? why?" His eyes fell, and he turned away his face. "Heaven knows!" He rose from his chair, and held out a shaking hand. "I don't believe that you like, or even respsct me." She was startled. "I don't understand you, Mr Forrest. Is this the way in which one's curate usually talks?" with a faint smile. "No —perhaps it isn't." He endeavoured to appear calm, but his mouth was twitching, and she felt that the hand which held hers was icy cold, i "Idon't want you to think of me as I your pastor; I want your friendship, and I am jealous of —everybody else. I am not rich—-I am not handsome, and in the eyes of girls my personality is the reverse of being heroic." "Cood gracious, Mr Forrest, this .sounds uncommonly like a confession of love," Kate exclaimed, in the utmost confusicn. "Please, don't do it again, I beg of you. As a clergyman, I esteem jou; your sermons are really very eloquent, but " she I shivered. "I am sorry to pain you—very, very, hut the idea of a clerical lover is too funny for words. Go, now, if you please; lam so bothered, you know that." He sighed in a hopeless manner.

"It's like this, Mr Allan, as near as I can make out. The master got a message from Mr Eastwood the night before last, asking him to go to the Priory. He went m the dog-cart, with Mr Eastwood's secretary, and left the Priory at ten o'clock, or thereabouts, to come home. Nobody has seen or heard a word of him since." Allan Berrington .shook his head distractedly. "I can't understand it. Poor old dad! I must hear what they have to say at the Priory. My father is a strong man* with a sound heart. He isn't an eccentric man, either. Yes, something has happened to him, and something very bad." He rather shrank from the ordeal of meeting Katherine Linley for he was very shy with women, this young lawyer, who had a face of brass when bearding judge and jury. And the name of Katherine Linley—her goodness, her wit, her beauty—had been inflicted upon him in his father's weekly budget for months past. So the strong, masterful fellow faced the girl timidly, while she flashed upon him a swift, comprehensive glance. "Allan," she said impulsively, the colour leaping to her face. "I seem *o have known you for years. Your name has been on your father's lips a hundred times a day."

■"And yourn in his letters," ho said gently. "I am glad to meet you, Mi a s Linley, but wish that the circumstances were pleasanter." His manner was rapidly becoming easy. "I have been takling to the butler about it, and my perplexity is unbounded. Have you any idea what my father went to the Priory for the mght before last? But that is a frivolous question, when one reflects that he and Charles Eastwood have been almost inseparable since boyhood. Old friendship, similarity of tastes, business—everything induced them to seek each other's society."

He- was watching Katherine's face, and he had to confess to himself that she was very pretty, and no doubt very lovable. But now her brow was clouded with anxious thought, and he told himself that he liked her already, because she loved his father so sincerely. . "There was something wrong between uncle and Mr Eastwood, at the last," she said. "I know there was a quarrel——" Indignation flashed into her eyes. 4 'l saw Mr Eastwood the next morning— I was in great trouble about your father, and he was positively insulting. You are not vexed with me about those telegrams, Allan?" she added ingenuously. In your very brief letter this morning you used the word 'stupid.' " He colonred and apologised. •"I attached very little importance to your message, Katherine." Her name slipped from his tongue, unawares ; after that it was the most natural thing in the world to use it. "I was hard at work, too, upon a most intricate case. At the last moment I had to abandon it to come home. And then, Katherine, I did not know you yesterday." They looked frankly into each other's eye 3; already they were sympathetic and companionable. Until now Allan had rather resented the fuss a comparative stranger was making of a trouble he considered exclusively his own.

"I thought you understood long since, Miss Linley, I wanted to share the trouble with you; that is why I really came. This is not funny for me, but I shall dedicate my life to your service, come what may. Say that you forgive me."

"Oh, I forgive you, if there is anything to forgive. Good-bye!" She glanced at her watch. Allan would be waiMng for his tea. (To be continued.)

"I will not believe that there is ■anything wrong—alarmingly wrong," •he went on. "My father is universally beloved, and no one would dream •of hurting him; besides, he is the wrong sort of man to tackle' lam puzzled by Mr Eastwood's conduct towards you, Katherine, and I am : going over to the Priory this evening. In the meanwhile, I will run through dad's papers. We may have ;to call in the police, but I hope not — I hope not." His voice became /husky, and his eyes moistened. "Won't you have something to eat, Allan? You look tired out," Kather•ine paid in her gefitle way. "And we will hope for the best." "Just,a cup of tea—the thought of .food is nauseating. Have it sent into the library, Katherine. I must get out of these city clothes. I'll be down in twenty minutes, and you will sit with me and talk, won't you?" She glanced at him shyly.

"If you wish me to, Allan. And I won't'let any of the Mresome callers bother you, unlcaa you want to see them. Everybody has turned amateur detective, and there is a pile of letters i'rom all sorts of people offering .their suggestions and their services.'"

"J'-mmaod to that sort of thing in the'ilaw. Who is thia coming?" he .added, looking out of the vindow, ■which a view of the .drive. "Oh, Forrest, the curate. 'Well-meaning, but utterly tactless, • chap. Get rid of him before I come ►down,Kafcherine." gj One minute after he had left the ■room, Mr Forrest entered it. He was • a spare man of thirty, or thereabouts, with a thin, clean-shaven face. He wap not ill-looking, by any means, ■but the restless eyes and the twitching lips indicated hastiness and a want of discretion, when more than •ordinarily excited. He was clever, too, and nobody had ever doubted his •earnestness or his capacity for •work.