When Love Rules The Heart.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9563, 9 August 1909, Page 2

When Love Rules The Heart.

CHAPTER XVl.—Continued. " 'Old Meg was brave as Margaret Queen,

And tall as Amazon; An old red blanket cloak sfrs wore

A chip hat had she on, God rest her aged bones somewere—She died full long agoneJ' "

Armitage tossed the man a shilling, but declined to listen to any more "comic" songs. Zilla had shrunk further into the shadows. The blue of the sky was changing to dusky purple. The west was orange and gold. The musician, a cruious look in his furtive eyes, was closing his instrument. Then, with a sigh of satisfaction, he lighted a dirty day pipe. "Shall weero, Duncan?"jjZilla said. "The air is g-etting so cold." Armitage helped her to rise, and they walked slowly away .under the trees. The musician followed for awhile.

"I wonder that such people are admitted -to this sweet sanctuary of nature!" and Armitage frowned. "Their very presence is pollution." "And 1 have been one of them!" Zilla 'murmured. "That man was in my iather's trupe—long ago—l am sure of it. If he me Duncan, I should'like to go home; I am so tired' I wisn that you had not spoken so contemptuously to him. He honestly believed that he was singing a comic spng; and many of the street minstrels make their own tunes—'little bits of old songs, you know, strung together." The man with the harxonium turned into another path. They head a loud chuckle and a shout, intended if or their ears. "Old Saton's gal's in good luck! And the old man's out of it! Poor oid man!" "What does he mean, Duncan?" Zilla turned.a pale, pitiful face to her lover's. '"Mean? It is utter waste of time to think of a brute of that kind. Have I vexed you, dear one? How \our hand trembles! It is not much father to the gates; and our cabman will be waiting." "You are so kind to me, Duncan —.so patient!" Zilla murmured. "It <-will be terrible when I am your vwife, -and some day perhaps a peer- • esg." S'he laughed a little hysterically. "A peeress—Zilla, the gipsy ,girl! .It will be terrible if these street-singers lecognise me then! I am so nervous, and my head feels .so strange! ; I saw the new moon through glass last night. Do you believe that it is unlucky?"

"I am not superstititious, and I hope that I am net quite a fool!" he replied with extreme irritation. The park-keeper was jingling his keys impatiently at the gates. Numbers of people were hurrying out " The street minstrel was seated on his harmonium at the corner talking to a policeman. He jerked his grimy hand in the direction of Zilla, and laughed coarsely. The policeman stared, and secretly took the number of the cab hired by Armitage.

"This is our cab, Zilla. Steady, .little woman. There—are you quite comfortable? Confound these newsboys!" iHalf a dozen ragged urchins wtre .thrusting their papers towarJ him. He gave sixpence for an "Echo" without any intention of reading it. The, hansom dashed off. "Are you comfortable, dear one?" Duncan asked again. "Yes—only very, very tired." "Rest your dear little head against my shoulder, Zilla! You are flushed and feverish." He was alarmed. "Mrs Cha'tto must put you to bed, ; and\you must take care of yourself I would not have .our .wedding postponed for worlda."

•''Our wedding!" she repeated dreamily. "Do you really believe that we shall ever be married, Duncan, and.live happily like the lovers in fairy books? 1 wuiider what has happened to rny father? 'lf he is in trouble I ought not to desert him. JHe.may be cruel, selfish, unnatural but, Oh, Duncan, I amjjso miserable.! Try as I will I cannot shake off.the depression. I bnng evil to all who come into contact with me. ,It lis my heritage. My .father has tqld.me often that he was a happy and honourable man until.heiloved my mojiher. His love was his curse I have tried to put the memory of these ; things from me—rhad almost iforgotten them. Duncan, J <am only a gir.l—[impulsive, imaginative— ■ foalish., ,if you will. The conscious-; nejss of ,my.lack of worldly knowledge arouses .within me indefinite xfears— • fears that are a constant torture. You so no speak. You think that lam ehaldash, erratic?" He kissed her, but there was a' moody expression in his eyes. ''Zilla,".he whispered at last, "I! have but one desire in my life, and that is to make you happy. You are a . little feverjsh and your imagination i is excited. There is nothing wrong with your father. He is naturally angry with you and me. Jiut there —I cannot pay anything in his defence, because f deßpise him for his selfishness. He woujd sell you, his child, whom, by laws both human and divine, he should ifight for and protect. Tha ; t is the seamy side of his nature, as I have seen it —and back enough it is, in all .conscience ! But we will forget it for the moment, and hold out to iiim the

V BY OWEN MASTERS. 3 ? ? (, Author of "Captain Emlyn's Daughter," "The Woman (, V Wins," "The Heir of Avisford," "One linpas- 3 / sioned Hour," Etc., Etc. /

olive-branch of peace. It will please and satisfy you, and I am not an ungenerous man. If he will live respectably, honestly " Ho stopped abruptly. Zilla was breathing heavily. He wondered if she had heard a word of what he had been saying. The cab drew up at the door of Mrs Chatto's cottage. "Home, Zilla!" Duncan said, gently shaking her. "How stupid of me!" she murmured, starting up in a dazed fashion.

Mrs Chatto was standing on the doorstep talking to a neighbour. "I thought it was Charlie's cab," she said brightly. "Oh, Miss Seton, your parcels have come! See how nicely I judged the time of your return! The supper will be ready in ten minutes." With a feeble gesture, Zilla sat down in the "dearest chair, while Armitage drew Mrs Chatto to one side.

"Miss Seton is a little fatigued," he said anxiously. "The worry and excitement, you know. Will you look after her, Mrs Chatto? Take her to her room and give her plenty of rest. I don't want a doctor called in. We are going to be married the day after to-morrow, by special license, and the wedding must on no account be postponed!" His handsome face flushed, and a tender light shone in his eyes. "I Bhall come again to-morrow afternoon, when.all my arrangements are completed, and I hope to find my darling perfectly recovered. Mrs Chatto, you are a woman, with a woman's heart. I know that I can trust you."

There were tears in the eyes of the cabman's wife.

"Yes, sir, you can. And you are a gentleman—every inch of you even if you are a nobleman's son. The compliment was somewhat equivocal; but Armitage did not notice it at the time.

He turned to Zilla and Mrs Chatto discreetly retired.

"Little woman," he said softlfy, lovingly, "I am going soon. I shall be here again to-morrow afternoon, and, in the meantime, I shall be very busy—the license for our marriage, you know, and other things. Then wo will be married and defy the whole world! I shall live only for you and your happiness, Zilla. You are rcore to me than all else beside." The tears rushed into the girl's eyes. She rose and out her soft arms about his neck. |TO nK CONTINUE!)."!