Mary's Great Mistake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3050, 21 November 1908, Page 2

Mary's Great Mistake.

By EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS. Auiuor of Selinas Love Story "An Inherited Feud," "Braveßarbara," "A gpler.did Heart," etc., etc.

CHAPTER XX.—Continued. They had no conversation together, and, had not anger, and an extraordinary lack of natural pride and modesty, armed losbel at this time, she must have suffered a mortification too bitter, and too deep, to be put into words. The mere fact of seeing the consummation of her vanity, jealousy and ambition slip away from her touch, so swiftly and so surely. was something she could hardly support at first; and, when it was announced Lady Hungerford was about to go away for a long period on account of her health, Isobel could have ralliedheartily at the perversity of her fate.

Now, there was nothing for her to do but to return to Thrapstone Court—not as its mistress, intolerant, hard, and self-opinionated, but subject once again to the hated presence of her cousin, who, of course, had been reinstalled in her former position, and given full control of her uncle's household. The meeting between the cousins promised to be very disagreeable, and Mary desired to seek an interview with Isobel as soon as possible for the purpose of getting this disagreeableness over quietly, and surely. She drove to the station to meet Miss Marston on her arrival.

Isobel wilfully misunderstood her cousin's manner. She read triumph, and bad taste, where Mary wished to convey forgetfulness, and absolute good feeling. It had been a pain to Mary to remember Isobel must return to Thrapstone. She had almost prayed that the marriage might take place very quietly, not so much to spare herself the annoyance she knew only too well would be meted out to her by her irate cousin, but because phe could not endure to remember that this same cousin was none other than Paul Hungerford's affianced wife, the companion of his future life.

True to the instincts of her gentle, refined nature, Mary had not spoken one word to her uncle of Isobel's treachery to her in old days, or of her cruel renunciation of her, when, in her despair, she had put herself at Isobel's mercy. She knew her return would be a bitter blow for her cousin to support, and she set herself to try and see how she could lighten this blow reinstated her in her old position.

"Now I am at home again," she had said, so tenderly. And Mary's answer had been a kiss; but she told herself that, when Isobel came back , as come back she must, row that there was to be no marriage, sbn would, before letting heseit acctpt thi3 position, speak frankly and kindly to Isobel, and treat her with all the courtesy and consideration ."he would have wished meted out"to herself in such a case. ' For this purpose, she determined to spe?.k With. Isobel before her sousin had time to enter the house. stopfl op the ririy' platform, a lovely vision q£ womanhood in fcer tftin bl&ck gown. She been overwhelmed with loving ! greetings from all the people of I the neighbuurh«od, and there wasj nothing but sincere gladness oY§r' Mjsg Mary's reappearance in her old hOUifcV" ISob.-i saw her cousih immediately on her arrival, but she affected not to do so.

"The carriage has come for me, of course," she said in her clear, ! high voice to the old stationmaster; J and then, as Mary came forward, I she gave a little start. "Oh, I did i not expect tu see you. What an j hortattti-" ?te added, laughing j derisively. 1

■ Instantly, Mary knew that it was to be a case of open warfare between lsobel and herself. Her cousin's very manner was changed. Instead of being honeyed in her speech, and doll-like and aggravating innocent in her looks-, lsobel shewed I plainly she neither wishvd-, feor Intended to pretend the and affection sh'e "had formerly so glibly, arid t'her'e moreover, a dozen subtle differences written thi'tiug'hout the girl's small, pretty tiefrson that spoke clearly to Mary that the future would be no easy or pleasant one, , so long as it meant close contact with her Cousin lsobel. She was too proud to show any hurt at Isobel's words, and, as her cousin coolly appropriated her place in the carriage; gathering up the reins, and giving orders with all her accustomed hauteur, Mary accepted the position calmly, and gracefully. She sat silent as they drove through the villiage. There would be in speaking out the gentle words she had taught nerself to utter as she went to meet lsobel. Her cousin's arrogant manner was too eloquent of her intention to show Mary she, and she alone, was mistress of Thrapstone, at least so long as she lived within its walls, that it would not only have been waste of breath, but laying herself unnecessarily, open to indignity, to try to let lsobel feel that she desired nothing so much as to give her cousip pleasure, and to spare her pain. "She either would not, or could not, understand me," Mary said to herself, with a weary little sigh; it would be folly to speak on such a subject now. Alas! loobel is changed, though not, as I had hoped, for the better; it is going to be bitter work, 1 fear, between us; but even this would be nothing if thtre were not always the shadow of Paul's unhappiness ever above my head." drove on in silence tor a time, then the spleeen within her had to find a vent. "I wa3 not prepared for such a welcome," she said, with the** sneer fully revealed in her j voice. "I suppose I ought to say ?r.in' ,r Jrg very, grateful. You j <■ it i. J-.< arrinyed an effcstiv 0 re- | c.p.iO., black gown, and everything;

but, ho doubt, your theatrical experiences came in very valuable for this occasion." Mary flushed, and then paled. "Arc r you going to quarrel immediately we meet, Isobel?" she said, in low, hurried tones. Isobel laughed shortly. "It is perfectly immaterial to me," she said coolly, flicking up the ponies as she spoke. "You set yourslf to misunderstand me, I see," Mary said, controlling her agitation, and speaking very coldly. "I can only regret it, Isobel."

"You can keep your regrets to yourself," was Isabel's reply given roughly, and passionately. It was an intense relief to find some one at last on whom she could let loose the tumult of anger, the madness of impatience, and piqued vanity, the hot flood of jealousy that had been imprisoned so long in her heart—and she was so safe with Mary. She knew she could do, and say, just as she liked, Mary would bear it all, because—so Isobel would have said to the world—because Mary was a fool; but in herself she knew this was not so, she knew it was pride, and that delicate refinement of nature that her cousin had always possessed superior to herself, that would set a seal on Mary's lips, and give her patience, noj matter how strong the provocation might be, or how great the hurt, or insult, Mary would receive. There were no more words spoken between the two girls, for they were indeed," no more than that, although Mary had already tasted the fullest bitterness and sorrow that may fall to the lot of womanhood. The gates of Thrapstone Court were reached, the ponies dashed to the door, and Henry Leicester stood there to receive his niece on her return from her long and eventful visit. "Welcome home, Isobel! Welcome!" he said heartily; but there was an almost imperceptible frown on his face. His eyes, less dull than they used to be, had noticed the on Isobel's face, and, if this had not been so, the fact that she sat in Mary's place would have served to anger Colonel Leicester extremely. He said nothing for the moment, however, and, as Mary greeted him with smiles, he gathered none of her pain or vexation.

Isobel was radiant. She utterly mistook her uncle's silence, and continued her task of showing Mary she intended to have to dispute, or attempt at disputing,.her sway over the household.

To that end, she Jed the way to the cliu?t!g-room and th§ luncheon-table at oue<? placing hfirsgjf afc the head of the tabfe; in the sga£ sfcp Hfid occupied since ■'Msty'n departure, but never once before.

Colonel Leicester watehed her, the j frown intensified on his worn, handsome face. He shut the afcor keeping his hand upon the knob to prevent the entrance of ' any servant, and spoke very quietly, (Tq b§ continued).