Mary's Great Mistake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3055, 27 November 1908, Page 2

Mary's Great Mistake.

CHAPTER XXlll.—Continued. "Indeed, Isobel, you wrong me. Why will you think so unkindly of me? Do you ever stop and remember the horrible things you say to me? You are very cruel, and very wrong; never more so than row when " "Do as I ask you," broke in Isobel's voice, hoarse, violent in its expression, yet low, not high and clear as usual. "Just deny what I have said—deny that you knew Paul —deny that he was your lover in those days of ——" : "Isobel!" Mary said the one >ord in a very agony of pain and sudden shame. Isobel laughed savagely. "As if you can play such tricks and not be found out?" Laurie hesitated. Should she advance or go back? She was quivering with excitement and disgust. She felt for a moment she had, perhaps, better withdraw, and then she changed her mind, and walked on toward the boathouse. Isobel was going on swiftly: "You turn up your eyes, and pose ! as a saint to uncle, and he is fool enough to balieve you ; but I knowbetter. lam not a fool, and I don't mean to pretend things I don't feel. You have disgraced yourself and us, and I think you ought to have some shame in you instead of coming back here and lording it over everybody as if you had a past and a husband to be proud of, instead of being what you are. Oh, I hate you; I hate you!" Laurie quickened her steps involuntarily. "And new, as if you had not done enough to harm me, jjou must come into jnj life again, and begin probably a new intrigue with your old lover, who belongs to me, and who " Laurie saw Mary draw back with a shiver. "You are mad, Isobel," she said coldly, faintly. Laurie was just beside the cousins, but neither of them noticed her. Isobel had her back to the newcomer. Her small form was positively rigid with rage. She was blind, deaf, insensible to all save ahe was face to face with the woman she hated; had at length broken the bonds of her restraint, and was pouring out the burning flood of her venomous iage on her detested cousin, on her rival —the woman Paul Hungerford loved. Isobel laup,hed shortly. I "Mad, am I? Deny you knew Paul | Hungerford. Deny that you love him! you—a married woman! Do that, I say, if you carT." Mary put out her hand with a sudden imperious eesture. "You can scarcely know what you i are doing, what you are saying, I, fear, Isobel. It is impossiblee for me to stay here and listeu to such words. You forget what is due to me; you forget what is due to yourself. You " she br.ike off quickly. "I think we had better put the matter before Uncle Henry. He will settle any wrong that'needs righting. This has gone too far. For us words are uaeless; it is the time for action. If it is necessary ycu shall not find I shall shrink trom any sacrifice, even to leaving Thrapstone; but this I cannot bear—it is not possible-rit is not seemly, even. Please let me pass, Isobel. I will listen to nothing more." Laurie gave, a sudden, half.articulate sound. Sli3 saw Isobel's small hand clench itself. She understood instantly what it meant. With almost incredible swiftness she stepped before Mary, and as Isobel struck out furiously, wildly, the blow fell on Laurie's face instead of on the blanched one beyond. The next instant Isobel felt her arms firmly pinioned from behind. CHAPTER XIV. ™-£ SYMPATHY FOR AN ENEMY IN DISTRESS. When Isobel found herself so firmly pinioned, she turned round fiercely, in the fury of baffled rag'i, and beheld Doctor Cartwright. He was very quiet, but his face v/as fixed, and his eyes gleamed. "Come with me. You are my charge. It is useless to struggle," he said, sternly, as Isobel broke into ; a frenzy of-hysteria, and would have bitten him could she have reached his hands. "You have found a master in me for the moment, and you will have to obey." T h€n he looked across at Laurie, and smiled. "I will prescribe for that bruise afterward," he said. "Meanwhile, you are in Mrs Ballaston's hands. You could not be in better. Hungerford, will you kindly accompany Miss Marston and myself to the house?" "I will follow you," Paul said. He had thrown his arm round Laurie who had turned suddenly pale, but bis eyes rested on Isobel's sullen, < furious face. There was an anger in thoHe eyes that had never dawned there before. The whole of his contempt, disgust, disiike, broke into words at kst. "1 ask you all to be witness," he said, in a quick, low way, his voice not clear or steady. "I ask you all to witness that, here and now, I absolutely renounce all claim to this lady. I set her free. I refuse to make her my wife." Mary, who had sunk down on one of the wooden steps, rose swiftly. A silence followed on Paul's speech. She went toward her cousin. "Doctor Cartwright," she said gently, unsteadily, "pray let me ask you to release Miss Marston. We —u-e will go baf3k to the house togeihe', 'in'l Miss Hungerford has nee ' (;f \< u. Come, Isobel.'' bhe sti etched,out her hand to clasp her cousin's, but as Doctor Cart-

By EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS. Author of Selina s Love Story "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," "A Spler.dil Heart," etc., etc.

wright, obedient instantly to that gent'e, delicate thought, released his hold, Isobel sped swiftly away, and had disappeared almost before they had time to now it. "She is- a pretty young ceature," Doctor Cartwright said, with a faint smile, and a shrug of his shoulders, then he could not help himself, "but I offer ycu my most sincere and heatty congratulations, Hungerford, on your lucky escape. What! yon are going to shed a tear over that little reptile, Mrs Ballaston, after such infamous behaviour?" Women have few privileges. Do not deny me ir;v tears," Mary said, speaking as easily as she could. She moved away beside him, leaving the brother and sister alone together. Words were not possible at such a moment. She was eager, in fact, to be alone, and George Cartwright, divining left her almost immediately, ami let her return to the house by a separate route, while he pursued his way quietly, thinking over the extraordinary scene, that had just desecrated the calm beauty of the Sabbath, and wondering how much rage Isobel Marston would now visit on herself for the mad and unwouanly conduct that was to cost bei' all she held dear, and had made her -abominable to each and all, save to the gentle, loving heart of the one whom she had desired most to hurt. "A contemptible little viper," he said to himself, as he at length dismissed Isobel from his thoughts; "but, all the same I will keep my eye on her for, like the rest of her venomuos species, she may, and can, be dangerous!" * * * * t * Doctor Cartwright proved himself a man of infinite resource; he came to the rescue of the party at Thrapstone in the most marvellous way. A blight, brought about by Isobel's hands, had fallen on the pleasant household ; and it would have been difficult to have expressed how much gratitude Mary left for her kind friend's efforts to make things pass away pleasantly until the hour came for Paul's departure to Birchdale. Laurie, in gentle, loving words declared to Mary her intention of going with her brother; and to this could be nothing but assent. It was as impossible for Laurie to remain under the same roof with Isobel as for Paul. Mary never quite remembered how the re,-;t of the afternoon passed. She went up with Laurie to her room, and helped her pack her things, for Laurie was always too independent to have a maid; and they sat there, saying very little, only touching one another's hands in a gentle, clinging way every now and then, till the momenc came for parting. Isobel was locked in her own room, while downstairs, Paul had had a short, painful interview with Coionel Leicester, at which, yielding to the younger man's earnest entreaty, George Cartwright was present. Then the hour for departure drew near; Laurie, with one long, silent kiss of farewell, ran down alone, and Mary watched from a window on the landing the brother and sister drive away. (To be continued).