A GIRL TO LOVE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9087, 12 May 1908, Page 2

A GIRL TO LOVE.

CHAPTER XVlll.—Continued. "What presumption—what or'ant rot!" he ixolaimed. "I'm annoyed with Rutherford," he added, seeii g I'sla's startled gaze. "I gave my address to him in confidence, and he scatters it about broadcast." He knitted his brows. ''l shall have 10 run back to Birmingham at once. The proprietor of the nut and bolt factory wants to see me on so mo matter of urgent importance. Have 1 startled you, darling?" Isla had risen with one hand over her heart. "I don't like to see you bothered and angry, Victor." "It is a nuisance." coming now. You and mother will have to finish up at the cottage without me. I must go to Birmingham to-night. You can follow to-morrow, and mind and be at the church in time tho following morning. Don't forget that it is our wedding-day." , "Oh, Victor, as though I could forget!" Isla's heart pained her, and ahe gave a little ga&p. "I wish that we could go with you." "And so do J, most heartily, but you are in good hands here, darling. JNow, go and find mama, and tell her the bother, while L hunt up a timetable."

The moment Isla bad vanished, he read the letter again. It was an enclosure from Rutherford, and Rutherford had written a few lines on a half sheet of note paper. The letter ha,d arrived at Kennedy's that morning, and he had also given Pelham's address to his late employer, under extreme pressure. "He came here," Rutherford's letter concluded, "and declared that it was a case of life and death. I hope I haven't done any wrong?" "No," Victor decided. "You could have done nothing less in the circumstances, and I am in a fever of anxiety. But this letter from Miss Leighton, L will call upon her, too, and 3he shall have the plain truth. I don't think that I have been exactly discreet, but I do think that she has given her love unasked." Onqe more he spread out the letter before him and read:

"DEAR MR PELHAM: From the tone of your last letter, I quite expected that we should have seen you at Pendinas before this, I was so glad to learn that you had tired of slum life, as I have been very anxious about your health. ' I sincerely hope that you are well. It is not so very long since you went away, but to me it is like an eternity. Please let me hear from you soon, and if you can come in person, that will be far nicer than a letter! Very sincerely yours, "NATHALIE LEIGHTON."

"A nice sort of thing for a fellow to get on the eve of hia marriage," Victor growled, under his breath. "I had no idea that I was ass enough to provoke it." He motioned to a passing waiter. "Bring me a time-table. I must go to Birmingham to-night." "Yes, sir; plenty of time. The last train doesn't leave till nir.etwenty." "Not so much'plenty' about it," Victor grumbled to himself. "Ic is half-past eight now." He went up to his, room and changed his coat. Then he packed his satchel and later reflected that there was nothing in it that he would want again it Birmingham. It would, therefore, be a waste of energy to carry it about now. That decided him; the satchel should remain, and the hotel have instructions to send it to Woodbine Cottage. "I, must go to-night," he was convincing Mrs Craig, five minutes later, "as iny business is at Wdrcefter. I shall sleep at Kennedy's, and thenolf first thing to-morrow morning. You and Isla can finish up at the cottage by midday to-morrow, and I will be at your lodgings to-morrow night to make final preparations for the wedding." Then he added tenderly: "And I shall be glad when it is over, and we are in our little Eden!'' Bright tears were trembling in Islb'ssoft, dark eyes, but she smiled bravely. i "I should like to go to the station with you, only mama has- a headache." Then she broke down utterly. ' "Oh, my love—my love, I have an awful pain at my heart! Isn't it prefectly silly?" "No; I'm not a bit cheerufl myself. But this time to-morrow we shall be together again, and the day after is our wedding-day!" There was a passionate embrace, and then Victor fled. It was more than a mila to the railroad station, and the big clock in the hotel tower was striking nine.

(To be continued.)

CHAPTER XIX

"MY WEDDING-DAY TO-

MORROW!" The l:i3t train to everywhere nppaars to travel at an exasperating Hiiail's pace. It Htops at every miserable little station to pick up mail bists, or milk cans, and loses five rmnuiwateadtof them. The officials are usually sleepy and ill-tempered, ;jntl if an impatient utters a protest, he is treated with acorn. And when the train romps homo in the small hours of the morning and the belated traveller has a tew miles to walk, the weather if sure to be unkind. , Atrl this was Victor I elham s experience. It was J. a.m. when he alighted at Birmingham station, and there was no train to Soho. _He haslened to th» cab-stand outside, but the yard was as innocent ot cabs as though sii' h. ' hinga had never been invented.

By BERTHA M. CLAY. Author of " Thrown on the World," " Her Mother's Sin," Hcyond Prtrebn," " The Lost Lady of I-laddon," " Dora Thome." " An Ideal Love," etc.

"The theatres .'ilw.'ivf clear 'em o/F,'' a policeman t")ci him.

So he started u> walk homo in H drizzling mist, it was rial a pleasant walk, either, as ho had to traverse .«ome of tho most l«vvU\«s byways of the big oily. Three lie hail to inquire his way, and when he was knocking at ivjis.s Kennedy's door, the chunh clock eerily chimed the hour of two.

It was opened almost immediately by John Kuth^rlovil. "I had an idea lh:it you would come by the last train," he explained. "So I sit up for you. What an abominable night! You must be wet to the skin." Victor smiled rather dismally.

"Come along; I've kept a fire going in your room, and your supper is waiting. 1 guessed that it was too Inte lor you to send me a wire from Seaholnv." "You are an awfully good fellow, Rutherford," Victor paid, divesting himself of his wet coat. "Then I did right in giving your address to Mr Trenwith? I was terribly afraid afterwards, but he was so insistent, so pleading. It was all for your good; mistakes had been made, ar.d he would hold me morally responsible for some awful wrong!" "He wired to me; I got your letter and telegram together. I am completely mystified. The enclosure, too, demand* my presence at Worcester, so I came back at onc°, as I can't be bothered after my marriage. Even now I mustn't let the grass grow under my feet, if I am to cram the whole of the work into one day. Mrs Craig and Isla are returning tomorrow afternoon. Fish Mr Trenwith's telegram out of my coat pocket, Rtuherford, and read it." The cruate turned every pocket inside out, and then Victor remembered that he had left Miss Leighton's letter and the telegram in the coat he had been wearing at Seuhoime. "Bother!" he mutterci'; "and I know I neglected to lock the hag. My head i« like a 'Sieve." "Hush!" Ruthertord whispered suddenly. He shot to the door and jerked it open, just in time to see the figure of a man vanish into the darkness.

"Kennedy," he remarked, his face very pale. "Ho was spying upon us through the keyhole. Ho has been perfectly sober to-day, and I believe that he is more dangerous now than when in drink. Hello! it's nearly three o'clock. Now, then, off to bed or you will have the dawn in your eyes!" "To bed, but not to sleep," Victor said, "(iojd niy'lit, or, rather, good morning'."

But, to his surprise and disgust, he slept soundly until past ten, and even then was only aroused by Rutherford pounding loudly on the door. "Do you want to wake the dead?" he called out grumpily. • "Wake up! l thought that .you were pone, nutil I turned the knob." "i was tired out yesterday, and have lost part of to-day in consequence. This comes of measuring, and planning, and worrying generally. Tell Miss Kennecy to bring up a cup of tea, there' a go-d fellow." Within fifteen minutes Victor appeared, dressed, for his journey, and .Rutherford greeted him with a laugh. "Now, suppose this had been your wedding-day?" he said. "I shall have to keep an eye upon you tomorrow."

"It's an abominable nuisance, and I feel like kicking myself." He was consulting a time-table. "There isn't another train until after twelve, and what time I shall get back is a problem. I must telegraph to Isla this afternoon."