A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9180, 1 September 1908, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

By FLORENCE WARDEN. Ai thor of " in Black," "An Infamous Fraud," 'Tor Love of Jack," "\ Terrible Famil;," "The House on the Marsh," etc. e'.c.

CHAPTER XlX.—Continued

"You said, you know," went en j Hugh, with secret amusement, "that you knew all the signs and symptoms of love because you were in love yourself." "Yes, so I am," said Jem readily And after a moment's hesitation, and a shy glance at her companion to see whether he was shocked, she put out her hand for another cake. iiYQ',l don't seem to take it very teriously!", "Oh, out 1 (3d, though," said Jem ingeniously, "especially on wet days Then I feel awfully, awfully serious and miserable. Do you think," she went on curiously, "that anybody can be quite as much in love, in unrequited love. I mean, when the sun shines as when it rains?" Hugh sat back and looked at his umbrella. "The question has never put itself to me like that," he said meditatively. "But I believe there's something in it." "I'm sure there is," said Jem, gaining confidence from his manner, in which she preceived appreciation. "When you are shut up indoors, and can't go out, and you think of some one you care about who doesn't care very much about you, you feel as if you could die for the sake of that person. But on a day like this, when you're enjoying yourself, and especially when you're eating tartswell, you feel, after all, as if it didn't matter so much." "Then you are enjoying yourself?" said Hugh, breaking away from the main question. Jem answered him by a smile, in which overflowing youthful enjoyment was tempted by anxiety to be strictly correct in deportment. Presently Hugh began to smile, too. "What are you laughing at? Is it at my appetite?" asked Jem. "No, no, certainly not. Try this one now; it isn't quite so garish in colour as the. last, but I'll undertake that it will do your digestion less harmt No. If I was smiling, it was at your fancy that your love is unrequited." "It isn't fancy." answered she gravely. "It's hard, solid fact. He's in love with somebody elsevery, very much in Jove. He was a little in love with me before, I think; but that's all over— with him." "Then you should pluck up your . spirit, and let it be all over with you, too." "What I feel wouldn't be love at all if I could do that," said Jem sententiously. "You mu3t know that yourself. Besides, I can't be jealous. She's so much better and more attractive than I am; and, then, she's married." "Married?" "Why do you sneak in that tone?" "Well, if he is in love with a married woman, I shouldn't have anything more to do with him !" The glance which the young girl shot at. him could bear but one interpretation. "I was in love once with a woman who is now married," he said, answering the look. "But now I shall, of course, take care to get rid of the last trace of sentiment with regard to her." Jem looked incredulous, but'she cast down her pretty blue eyes and said nothing. "Depend upon it," he went on in a judicial tone, "the man who, when he has the chan e of being loved by a sweet young girl, deliberately neglects his opportunities for the sake of a flirtation with a married woman is not worth " "It is not a flirtation," cried Jem indignantly; "she has saved his life, and made him give up gambling and bad habits, and been his good angel altogether. She has kept him out of the hands of her husband " Jem stopped, for Hugh had looked at her in sudden amazement as the story developed, and from intere*-tirg became startling. Jem blushed to the roots of her hair, conscious that she had been indiscreet. "Her husband!" exclaimed Hugh slowly, "So her husband was one of the bad companions, was he'" but Jem had had a fright, and she would say no more. To the simple belief she entertained that the unnamed woman was an angel of light, and the unnamed man a creature worthy an angel's attentions, she, however, stuck bravely. He, on his side, had quite made up his mind that the young man was a i'uol, and that the attractive woman was in league with her husband to "fleece him." The difference in opinion between them was so hopelessly great that Hugh was glad when the matter dropped; he was afraid of saying moie than he wa« justified in saying. But the subject cropped up again in an unexpected manner, before many minutes had passed 'lo Hugh's proposal that they should walk back to tne Waterloo station, and look at the whops en their way. Jem had assented with r'eliglit. They had not gone far before they almost run against Gerard Waller as lie was coming out of the West End offlcc of a life-insurarcc society. The iitart and blush on Jem's part let rayed her to Hugh Thorr.dyke'H nyes. Waller was in high spirits. He glanced at Hugh, but seemed to be curioud rather than jealous. With much of the climuiness of the inexperienced, Jem introduce;! the two men to ench other. At the first moment of I nking into each other's face they conceived a mutuil liking, and they shook hands cordially. "I didn't expect to moot you. Jem," siid Waller. "I don't think I've ever met you in town before, I've been insuring my life." "Insuring your life!" echoed Jem with undisguised apprehension. "You're not going to kill yourself,

'CHAPTER XX.

are you?" Waller laughed. "No. If I were, the insurance money wouldn't be paid, you know." "But why do you do it?" persisted Jem. Walier glanced at the other man and laughed. "Well," said he, "it's one way of the wind. Isn't it?" he added, addressing Hugh. "Not in a very advisable way always," said Hugh. Waller shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes it's the only way left," said he. "But the point of it is that I'm so proud of being able to do it at ail. A year ago they wouldn't have taken me at any premium. Now I have every prospect of being accepted without any difficulties. Which way are you going? May 1 walk with you a little way?" Jem was delighted by the suggestion; indeed, it was quite evident to Hugh that she would have been willing to dispense with his attendance altogether. But he wanted to see more of Waller. He kept modestly in the background, however, and ungrateful Jem hardly remembered that he was there. It was not until they had seen Miss Collingham safely in her train, and the two men were left standing together, that Hugh remembered that he had lost his opportunity of learning the name of Netelka's husband. £

A TRAGIC MISTAKE. Hugh Throndyke and Gerard Waller walked away from the station together, crossed Waterloo Bridge, strolled along the Strand, and were so much pleased with each other's society that they ended by lunching together at the "Criterion." Hugh's interest in Waller, who was some ten years younger than himself, had its origin in two causes; the one being the vivacious and humorous presonality of the man himself, the other Jem's affection for him. Hugh fait, in a lazily benevolent sort of way, that he should like to help to make two yoang people happy; and he spoke rapturously about Jem without, however, eliciting any very enthusiastic comments in return. Before luncheon was over, indeed, Waller began to look at his watch, and to talk of an "appointment," which Hugh shrewdly guessed to be with the "married woman" of whom Jem had spoken. It was rather curious, perhaps, that it never once occurred to Hugh that the woman in question might be Netelka. The reason of its lack of penetration was probably the conviction he had formed that she was an adventuress of the worst type, in league with male accomplices for the ruin, body and soul, ot the young fellow. In this opinion Hugh was confirmed by certain words which fell from Waller, implying cynical doubts about the men of his acquaintances and an overwhelming belief in women in general, which Hugh interpreted an being the outcome of admiration for one in particular. Before they separtaed, Hugh had decided upon attempting the quixotic task of opening the eyes of the foolish lad. Waller was in the hands of the moneylenders, that was " evident; so Hugh nffected to be in want of money himself, and asked his companion if be knew of a 'financial agent" to whom he could apply. (To be continued.)