HER SILENCE JUSTIFIED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3221, 19 June 1909, Page 2

HER SILENCE JUSTIFIED.

jj BY HENRIETTA B. RUTH YEN. J I ] w Author of "His Second Love," " Corydon's Infatuation," w c I* " Daring Dora," " An Unlucky Legacy," J; / Etc., Etc. /

CHAPTER XXVll.—Continued. Lois received the crushed and mudciy hat with thanks, and then turned away from the person who had restored it; but Sir Kollo kept close to her side, and began praising the fearlessness she had evinced when her steed ran away with her. "She didn't run away," he wa9 bluntly told. "I let her take me where she pleased, and I liked it. What fun ig there in going to and fro, to and fro, over one bit of flat road?" The baronet smiled assent. "Quite true —quite true. I admire ycur spirit and good sense—nv.d you can ride! Ton my word, you woke i,s all up when we saw you Hying by like a—like a centaur. Yes, positively." "A what?" angrily asked Lois, who had never heard the expression before; and the baronet, seeing he had made a mistake, tried to rectify it. "No, no, of course not; that's masculine, isn't it? Beg pardon. I'm sure. Astonishing how soon all thsy drive into you at college slips out of a fellow's head, he can't tell how i But 'pon my word you woke us all up, for you looked like an Amazon in a picture. Yes, that was the word—an Amazon." "You'll please not call me ugly names," said the young lady, breathing hard, and regarding him defiantly. Sir Rollo laughed as loud and long as if some witty speech had been made to him. "As if any one could call you ugly! Ha! ha! You don't care about compliments—neither do I" —Lois disdainfully wondered on what any one could compliment him—"but you have the courage to say just what you think. Bravo! Bravo! It's quite refreshing to m»et with anyone who says so little and yet so much! And with such hair, too! There's no sham about that, 'pon my word there isn't." More annoyed than flattered by such open admiration, she twisted up her tresses in a pet; and Laurance, impatient of the smiles and stares of passers-by, addressed himself to Sir Rollo, who was laughing again, appropos of nothing. "I shall have to hurry home that a carriage may be brought here for my daughter. May I leave her in your care for the short time I shall be away?" "No," said Lois. But her voice wa3 di'owned m the louder one of the baronet. "Of course, you may. Delighted, lam sure. Nothing would please me more. Here, Bob" —and a dapper little groom spurred forward on hearing himsslf called—"take my horse and walk him up and down. Miss Haydon and I will —but which shall we do, Miss Haydon? Stroll on the grass, or go and find a seat over yonder? 1 wish you could wear my hat—it's very light and the best make. I always buy my things good. Cheaper in the end. Now this suit But do take my arm; you're beginning to look tired, and 1 can finish what I was telling you as we go along." Here Laucence rode off to appease any alarm General Hvaydon might entertain on hearing that the mare had come home alone, and to despatch a cab, with Miss Braysby in it, to the relief of Sir Rollo. When the spinster arrived on the scene she found the baronet still talking animatedly, quite content with the monosyllabic repiles vouchsafed him, and the pleasure of looking at Lois. In spite of her repellent coldness, he ejected to escort the ladies to the door of the general's house. There, too, he loitered till Laurence came forth, hot and angry from another contest with his daughter, who not only refused to take the blame of what had occurred, but bluntly said she would aever ride with her father again. "Comical sort of party the oldyoung lady who came to Miss Haydon," Sir Rollo observed, accommodating his pace to that of Laurence, who would rather have* been without him. "No offense in mentioning it, is there?" "She i 3 a Miss Braysby; you may take her and marry her if you like!" said Laurence, feeling in his irritation quite spiteful toward Lollie. whom he had caught listening at the door of the general's room. "Much, obliged, but rather not," said the baronet, with the bold laugh that distinguished him. "I should prefer something more out of the common. Now, there's nothing commonplace about Miss Haydon. Never saw such a picture in my life! —quite took a fellow's breath away. 'Pon my word, 1 sha'n't be surprisd if I dream of it. How old is she?" "Old enough to know better than to draw all eyes upon her by such furious riding. 1 suppose the next annoyance will be that she will be arrested for it " "Really, now, you think so? 'Pon my word, I should like to see her before some stern old magistrate! 'Why did you do it?' he would ask; and she would thrown back that, head of hers—just like a thoroughbred—and say outstraight, "Because I liked it!' No finical nonsense about Miss Haydon, now, is there 7 " "Unfortunately, there is not. I should ..'prefer to sen her more like

another girls," said Laurence dryly. "Should you really?" and Sir Rollo looked thoughtful. "But what kind? The sentimental that can't speak above their breath, and are ready to fall into your arms if you only say 'How do?' to them; or the high flyers, who go in for hunting, and women's rights, and talk about leap-year privileges? Now, to my mind, Miss Haydon hits the happy medium. There's no paint nor palaver about her. Suppose there's no objection ,to my calling to-mor-row to inquire if she's all right?" Laurence Haydon rather more graciously gave him permission to call, and looked after him with changing sensations when he remounted his horse and rode away. "This noodle fancies he has fallen in love with my self-willed daughter! Wait till she favours him with a few of her rustic speeches, and he'll back out; at least, 1 fear so. She hasn't the wit to keep an admirer and convert him into a suitor. If she had, what a relief to me! With her married and out of the way, my own course would be clearer, and my father could no longer make her an excuse for deferring my marriage with Ambra." NHU As a rule Laurence was too reckless —too much swayed by every passing impulse—to devise any positive scheme of action; but the idea of getting rid of Lois now seized upon him, and he cogitated upon it till he had come to a fixed determination that nothing should be left undone on his part to make her the wife of the young baronet. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE AWAKENING OF A WOMAN'S SOUL. The general had hoped for great results from the companionable rides that were to have made Laurence and his daughter so much better acquainted with each other, and he was vexed when both declined to repeat them. However, Lois must not lose the fair amount of exercise which to a girl hitherto accustomed to an outdoor life was absolutely necessary; so Miss Braysby was invited to be her companion, and Ha! Dartford had orders to be in attendance upon both. Reminded by Nurse May's uplifted finger of the caution already given to her, Lois rode away from the door silent and embarrassed. | TO BE CONTINUED.!