When Love Rules The Heart.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9579, 27 August 1909, Page 2

When Love Rules The Heart.

CHAPTER XXlV.—Continued. "The messenger is waiting, sir,' ' the waiter reminded him. "He need not wait.'" He spoke harshly and waved his hand impatiently. He wanted to be alone. The man obeyed. He had begun to regard Mr Duncan Arrmtage as a dangerous lunatic. Armitage locked the door. The telegram was lying on the table fore him. Its yellow envelope had changed to crimson. No— a nervous fool he was I Crimson ? the idea was absurd! "Good news! Joyfu! news! Nefrs of my Zilla —my saint 3" hy muttered fiercely. "It cannot be anything else. At last the sunlight has penetrated the darkness of my sight. Morning is breaking!" b The sound of his own voice startled him. He seized the telegram, then laid it down a gam. His -face was strangely pale. He was a coward! "It is death-!" he said. His tone was hoarse, his hands -shook. The happy, thrilling sung of a caged lark sounded like the knell of doom. £ He tore open the telegram; he could not read it. His sight was blurred. Yes.; the writing was plain enough, bow. The letters were lurid. * "Come at once. Helen has met with i an accident. No hope. "RMNHILL." He sat still for a little while.; then a sob passed his lips. "Helen," he murmured. "My old ! playmate! Heaven -forigve me if : I have caused .you one moment of .pain J" He bowed his head over his hands.

.CHAPTER -XXV,

HELEN'S BEQUEST. .Ra.in.hill was a vast -and sumptuous building. The genius of a great architect had been sevoted to i.ts construction. >ll stood upon an eminences and aroused ih« wondtr and .admiration of the traveller viewing .tne beiuuies of southern Kent. The Court .was surrounded by many .acres of grisui.ds. A-mile distant thii .picturesque villas of Rainhill lay hi u.green-valley. in yearlong pone by the.acres of comfit Ids yielded a splen<did,revenue, but now it was rumoured .that Lord Kainhiil was often put -to tore straits to maintain the dignity of his ancestral home. When Duncan Armitage .left the .train.at Rainhill Station his father came out of the waiting-room to.meet ■ him. .His.pale fa< e was very grave, and.tnere wete aeep lines about his eyes. iHe glanced Keenly-at his son. ".Duncan,, my boy !" He held out his right .hand. The son .grasped it. "Tell.me about Miss Howard about Helen!" Duncan said tremulously. "Your telegram-was.an awful shock —so sudden, so indefinite,.so bewildering !" " i'he carriage is waiting. Come along.!" His lordship turned to the .gateway" "How oppressively hot the sun .is—no air stirring ! And we arenlt yet in the middle of Aygust." He glanced up at the gray-blue sky. ",I .think , that we eball have a storm 500n..1 am sure/that it will be welcdme!" A .minute, later the carriage was rolling.toward the village, the dust rising ,in suffocating clouds behiud .it. "J <hoped you would have, come by ;an ..earlier train," Lord .Rainhill said. ''lihad some people to see; and there was only one train before this. My affairs are. in a terrible .muddle!" His brow clouded. "I think you know almost as muchahout ithem as I do myself?"

" This is not time for unpleasant discussion, Duncan! Cecil Howard is at the Court, and ha has , heard You will not quarrel >with him! he is Helen's brother, and she, poor girl, is dying' Her .constant cry is for you. ,lf it is ter-rible-from the brightness of and sunshine of a young and .happy, Jife to the borderland of death in a few .moments.—all reslting from a careless step.! Jt is hard to realise yet. She .was,running downstairs last night to the library, to get a book for, Florence, and .slipped at the very bottorp. The [ .floor has been recently wgxed and puliahed, and as slippery as,ice. Miss Howard .was discovered helpless almost immediately after her fall. She was sensible, and complained qf ; little pain. I promptly sent fqv the village doctor, and telegraphed to London for Sir EJward Black. He is with Miss ;Howard now, and .pronounces hsr case hopeless. ifcfer i injuries are ,internal, and she sis J suffering from paralysis of tihe, spine. She .pannofc Jive a week." J A sob broke from Lord Kainhili I

"There id no hope?" asked h'£ son. "Somet,ipies doctors make mistakes. I cannqt believe it yec!" Lord RainhiJ! .shook his head. The carriage t,wept through the quiet village. The villagers were standing at their doors, gossiping. Every man, woman, and child loved Miss Howard, ,S.!ie was dearer to them than the loj:d pf the manor, and the news that she was to be the bride of the future master of the Court had been received by one and all, with jcy. And now she lay dying before her .reign had even begun! They ceased their chatter for a moment, and made obeisance to Lord l\'uinfci,ll and his son. Then tha carriage entered a drive in the centra oc ti;<3 Park.

BY OWEN MASTERS. Author cf "Captain Emlyn's Daughter/' "The Woman Wins," "The Heir of Avisford," "One Impassioned Hour," Etc., Etc.

A sudden gust of wind ihook the trees, and echoed Tnournfully through them. The birds were silent; the deer fled, wildly. "The storm is coming," said Lord Rainhill. The carriage stopped, and a footman flung open the door,. Cecil Howard was standing In the hall, a gloomy look on his face. He spoke to Lord Rainhill and bowed stiffly to Duncan. Lord Rainhill walked into a re-ception-room, and motioned to the young tnen to follow him. He glanced appealingly at both, and they understood the reproof, the warning. "My Darling sister, in her blind love, suspects nothing," said Cecil moodily. "Her faith ia unshaken; she does not dream that her idol is of clay.'" Duncan turned upon him fiercely; but Cecil remained unmoved. "I wH prepare Helen to meet yoa, to expect you, Duncan," he went on; "and I ask you, in the name of Hie friendship that once ex-! isted between us, by love you ! once pretended for my sister —I ask you to humour her whims for tne short time that she will be with us. •It is little enough, in all truth! Lord Rainhill understands my meaning. My father and mother are! with Helen, now. I will tell them; that you are here. You must see her alone. It is Helen's wish.'' Cecil Howard left the room. Lord; Kainhill gazed from the window at the gathering clouds and the flying! leavts. Heavy drops of rain beat against the glass. Vivid gleams of' lightning flashed above the tops of the trees Amitage placed the soft carpet, his brain in a whirl. His tongue was dry and parched, his eyes ached aridburned. Swiftly flying thoughts passed tlu'ough his mind, wild, disconnected —Zilla--Etherington detectives— Zilla—failure —misery enemies an misunderstanding everywhere. Ah, the bitterness of fate! And -Hslsu, tin girl sweetheart, >was dying! Tears stood in his eyes. Cecil Howard saw them when he returned, and his heart softened a • little. He spoke gently. "-My sister, is waiting for you, Duncan. She is occupying.the apartments that were once your sister's. She is perfectly sensible, and quite reconciled—if one wish can be gratified." | TO BK CONTINUED.]