When Love Rules The Heart.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9557, 2 August 1909, Page 2

When Love Rules The Heart.

CHAPTER Xlll.—Continuec'. "And now, Duncan, for future atrangeraentd," his lordship repumed. "I am tired of London. I want to know my children better, and 1 want them to learn to now me —as I am. I am determined to throw off my artificiality forever. Ido not wish to hurry yon, but I am fc free to shut up our town house to-morrow. 1 sigh for the country I have told Florence and her friends to to join us at once. The Howards are our neighbours, and you can bill and coo to your heart's content!" Duncan rose abruptly and walked to or.e of the windows. He feared that his father would perceive the struggle that was going on within him. ( They were alone, the butler having retired ihe moment that Lord Rainhill began to talk to Duncan.

"I am porry to disappoint you, father," the young man said at length. "I require a week in town at least to—er—fulfill engagements already made. He flushed and stammered. His father eyed him keenly, coldly.

"A week? So be it. I will make my plans accordingly." He looked at his watch. "Eight o'clock. I am sure that you are impatient to pen your first loveletter. Is it the first? And Helen will be miserable if she does nut receive it. Ido not forget my own young days."

was glad to escape under any pretense; and when he was gone Lord Rainhill smiled grimly. "Flo was right," he said to himself; he is infatuated with this singing wench. Great heavens, what an escapa!" A clammy dew broke out over his brow. '"What an escape! Arid it is partly my own fault! Ihe boy has never known the sweets of parential sympathy. Twenty-four' I had forgotten that he was a man—an impetuous, hotblooded, chivalrous young fool, just the fellow to capliviate the fancy of any woman It has beeii my desire that he should marry riches. 1 shall be fortnate indeed if I prevent a mesalliance." In the meantime Duncan had retired to his own room, and was penning a letter to Zilla. It ran thus:

"MY DARLING: From the hour I left you I ha"e been thinking of your sweet face, your mournful eyes, and I shall be thinking and dreaming of you, until you are again in my arms! To m-jifow. sweetheart —and it seems ages until to-omrrow —at one o'clock, I shall be at Brixton Hill. I have arranged with Chatto to drive me, and 1 shall stay until six—five long, blisslul hours! We will talk about our future, and make ail arrangements for the quiet little wedding which will unite us fur all time. One note of warning, dear. 1 do not wish to frighten you. but 1 should not feel at rest if I did not tell you that Etherington knows of vour flight witn me. Avoid this man as you would a poisonous reptile. That is all, my I feel taht I could write a hundred pages, but I must hasten, or my letter will not reach you by the eariy mail. I wish that to-morrow were here! In tne stillness now I seem to see your sweet face—to hear your divine singing. Until to-mor-row, my sweet Zilla, good-bye ! "D NCAN." He went downstairs with the letter in his hand. Lord Rainhill was standing in the hall. The clocks were chiming the hour of nine. Lord Rainhill smiled.

"I know that you have written your love-letter," lie said. I saw the rapturous look on your fape before you were aware of my presence here. Duncan, I wish you joy, and 1 hope that very soon you will give me all your confidence. I feel that I am your best friend." He sighed. "You are going to mail your letter?" he added. "No other hand may be trusted to carry that treasure?"

Duncan reddened and slunk away He felt that his father's keen eyes were fixed upon him; but their expression was inscrutable. "Great Heaven," he thought, "have I descended so low as this? lam a coward and a traitor —I who have until now believed deception to be a crime!" CHAPTER XIV. "YOU HAVE FILLED ME WITH VAGUE TERRORS!" Duncan could never recall the excuses that he made to his father Ihe day after he sent his first letter to Zilla in the Brixton lodigngs—the letter which his father supposed was to Helen Howard. He had business of an important and private nature which would take him nearly a week to get through. He could not explain just yet. In a week or ten days Lord Rainhill listened calmly, coldly.

"That means that I may expect you home when 1 see you here?" he said. "Well, it does not matter particularly. I myself have a great number of farewell calls to make; and it will also leave me free to perfect my arrangements as regards tlie future at Rainhill Court. A litiie more life, a little more gaiety !" He smiled and nodded.

BY OWEN MASTEES. Author of "Captain Einlyn's Daughter," "The Woman Wins," "The Heir of Avisford," "One Impassioned Hour," Etc., Etc.

Duncan accepted his dismissal giadiy. ;^^:&m "The other side of my father's character is as pleasant as it is surprising," he reflected. "I have believed him to be a piece of human machinery: but his heart has throbbed with the passionate and generous impulses of life. He loved my mother; he fpi tied the gamekeeper's daughter; and he shows his detestation of Etherington in a true and manly fashion. And he and Etheriogton were once friends—companions!"

The young man went to his own room and wrote two letters—one to his sister, Lady Annandale, and one to Helen Howard. There was no difficulty about the first; there was so much to say that was pleasant.

"You have formed an erroneous estimate of our father's real self," he wrote. "And I depended so much upon your judgment! It is true that he always seemed to me, in my brief glimpses of him, to be cold and passionless ; but I wa3 too young to penetrate his reserve and stoicism, and my father never courts sympathy. Imagine my surprise and delight to find in him a generous being, full of the solicitude that a parent feels for the well-being of his children! I came here expecting nothing but unpeasantness. I was surly and stubborn. My afther was affectionate; and j anything that pleases me pleases him. I have heard none of the expected tiresome speeches concerning the traditions of the Kainhills. And now he is planning a lengthy period of gaiety at Rainhill Court." ... tOML< tk He wrote much more in the sime strain, then sealed the letter reluctantly. He could not shirk the other duty any longer—it was impossible. He must write to Helen Howard then and there. It was a terrible task. He rose and paced the floor. "Mean—traitorous dispicable!" he helplessly muttered. "I deserve lashing! Heavens, what am Ito do? Poor Helen! Heaven knows that I would willingly suffer any torture rather than give her a moment's pain ! I love her even better than 1 love my own sister! Our youth was passed together, and she was always my little comforter. But for Zilla I might have loved her in the other way, and then " He sat down, wrote resolutely, and with despairing calmness. JTO UK fIONTCNI/ED.'i