Mary's Great Mistake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3052, 24 November 1908, Page 2

Mary's Great Mistake.

CHAPTER XXl.—Continued. Isobel flushed hotly for a moment, then she was herself again. "No. You don't know evreything, dear Laurie," she said, cooly, "although you think you do." Needless to say, Laurie was lashed into fury by this remark. It was impossible to deny Isobel's power. She was clever, very clever. She was certainly unscrupulous also, but she was clever all the same, and that was why Laurie had such fears and doubts for Paul and his future; for it was growing upon her slowly and surely that everything was possible to those tiny little hands of Isobel, and that, if she set herself to do evil on a big scale, she would i succeed, just as she had already succeeded. Isobel was more than satisfied she had scored off her enemy, and she promised herself some more chances of ths same ilk, for George Cartwright was comihg down to Thrapstone Court to stay over the next Sunday* and, a«*we have already seen, Isobe! klie\tf just how and where to plant a sting in Laurie's most vulnei&ble spot. It was perfectly true that Paul had written to her, and was about to arrive at Thrapstone; Isobel had summoned him arccording to those directions of his. She knew right weil she would have roused very false hopes in the young man's breast, but tnat did not trouble her much. "I shall be glad if you will come home, and see me as soon as possible," she had written, "as I think it will be best for us both to come to some good understanding about our future." She was perfectly aware that Paul would put a different construction on her words to what she bad in her mind. Hope springs eternal in all human hearts, and it would be impossible for Paul, not to allow himself a hope that she meant to give him back his freedom in these words. , Isobel's first wish was to get him home, then she would manage things so that the marriage should no longer be delayed. There was also a not-to-be-denied sense of exultation in bringing her aristocratic lover to Thrapstone, and letting Mary see now the great social step upward she was about to make; she would wed with no penniless imposter, no theatrical vagabond. Her husband was to be a baronet of one of the oldest and highest families in England. Let Marv but recognise all this, and there would be aome pleasure left to Isobel. It was a source of extreme annoyance to her that Laurie and Mary should have struck up such a strong < and lasting friendship; but Isobel was mean enough to imagine that Laurie had done this as much to vex ( her as for any other reason. The 1 real truth of the tie that bound 1 Laurie and Mary together in the i first instance never dawned on Isobel's mind. She had not the least idea that Paul had ever seen her cousin, much less had known I . her so well as he had done. This was ior future development, and \ the development was mt J9.ng de- £ layed, £

Sunday dawned gloriously. Isobel had been restless all day. Paul might appear at any moment, and »be was rehearsing a hundred different scenes, each more calculated to Work end than the last. The whole party were sitting out under the trees, Laurie engaged jn haying & Brand argument with (korge Carlwtighfc, ?,lary listening with a smile on her lovely face, Shd Colonel Leicester breaking'out into a hearty burst of laughter now and then as the doctor coolly routed his inflammable young adversary, and Isobel, lying back in a chair, looking pretty and cool in a dainty summer gown, was toying with a society newspaper, and watching the house at the same time.

She was determined to bring an end to the present state of things; her patience was well-nigh worn out. She was hungering for the moment that would be the fulfilment of greatest pain to Laurie and put her —Isobel —so much higher than her cousin could ever hope to be. Yes, this very day, if he came, and would give him to understand there should be no more waiting, no more postponement. She held him to the bonds of betrothal; she had been lenient enough, and for the sake of her pride she demanded that the marriage should be celebrated at once, with no more delay. She lapsed into thought, and read her journal in a half dazed way, when, alj at once, Laurie sprang to her f§et, cried excitedly, "it is Paul!" * She was half-way across the grass as she spoke, and both Colonel Leicester and George Cartwright followed her fleet, graceful movements with admiring eye?, Isobel did not look after LauriG; her eyQs Were fixed on Mary—Mary, who, after growing rosy-red, was now quite pa.le—Mary, whose lips had reechoed that name with a tone, an accent pregnant with passionate love Marv, whose face was turned toward Paul as a flower turns to the sun—Alary, who stood revealed to Isobel in this moment, as the woy man whom Paul loved, the wr fl whose name had escaped hi® ./ when W® vWt to J d that borders life and de* >ch _ Mar her hated cousuv-;h*' t . rival __ enemy. i'ar'" held that ' which strive as sift :vi: lit, "he could never even I u i e t touch-—J/aul's heart, and Paul's Jo e. I

By EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS.

Author of Selinas Love Story "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," "A Splendid Heart," etc., etc.

CHAPTER XXII. PAUL ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTIONS. ' Ic is more than possible that - there might have been an awkward moment as Paui came toward the s group on the lawn, with Laurie clinging affectionately to his arm, had not Doctor Cartwright rose to 3 the occasion. Isobel's jealous eyes . were not the only ones which had rested on Mary's delicate loveliness, j changed for an instant into a new ; and even greater beauty at the un- . expected appearance of the man she ! loved. George Cartwright had , turned almost unconsciously in her ' direction as Laurie's excited ex- , clamation had startled them all, and instantly he had arranged himself, metaphorically and actually, on Mary's side, He rose from his chair with no •suggestion of haste, and Colonel Leicester at once followed his example, and in the next few minutes of hsariy greeting from the two men, opportunity was given to Mary to regain full poiSsSssion of herself before coming in closer contact with Paul. She availed herself of that opportunity to slip away hurriedly, followed by Isobel's eyes, which, for once, were not cold, but glowed in the , very intensity of passionate hate. At all turns she had to support defeat and mortification through Mary and by her. Only this morning she had been painting to herself one picture at least out of the not very pleasing circumstances that surrouded her—a picture which should partake a little of the nature of a triumph. She had intended to send a pang of envy through Mary's heart at sight of Sir Paul Hungerford, a husband so different, so vastly superior, to the man whom Mary hart married; and behold, at the very instant of realisation, there came this last and most bitter of all her. mortifications. She had thought, at odd times, a little about that "Mary," whose name had hovered so tenderly on Paul Hungerford's unconscious lips, when he had lain in momentary delirium at her feet. She had had, it is needless to say, hot, mad, jealous feelings tor this woman, whose shadowy presence had evidently lived so closely, so much with the young man, as to grow into reality at critical moments of his life; but Isobel had not troubled herself very much about this unseen and unknown rival; in fact, she had long ago come to the conclusion, in her own mind, 1 that this "Mery" was no longer a living rival—a women of flesh and blood, to be feared and circumvented, if needs be, but the name of one who had lived and been loved, the memory of one who had passed out of the world forever. Paul's deep sadness and pr«occupieJ air during the days before that celebrated visit to the Massingham's rose always to confirm Isobel in this theory. (To be continued). I