FIGHTING HER WAY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 976, 21 February 1910, Page 2

FIGHTING HER WAY.

CHAPTER XXIII

A CAT AND A DOVE. In the pain of her own discomfiture Gertrude Carrol sought the n-lief which soul 3 find in the misery of others. She determined to make another woman as wretched as herself. Despite Roland Mallow's assurances to the contrary, she clung to the belief that his love for the beau-

tiful girl, in whose company she had found him, had been much more the cause of the rupture of their engagement than her own conduct. In any case, she was resolved to separate him from the society of so lovely a creature as Miss Castlebar, little dreaming that Virtue had already effected what ice would have failed to achieve.

Three days had now elapsed since I the evening when she had so rudely broken up the interview between I Christine and Roland, and although a I bitter wind war. driving up the snowladen clouds before it, Miss Carrol wrapped herself in her seal furs and ordered her carriage to the humble residence of Mrs Goodley. Inquiring for the young lady, she was informed that Miss Castlebar had not yet returned from her flower store on Fourth Avenue. Taking the address from the child who cave her the information, Getrude repaired to the little shop, where she found Miss Castlebar engaged as usual. '.Excuse me, I have made some mistake,' said Gertrude, with a contemptuous shrug ot her handsome shoulders, and an insolent stare at the sweet face which Christine had raised to her, and was now intensely suffused as she recognised in her visitor the virago who had intruded on her privacy at Mrs Goodley's. 'What is that you want?' asked Christine with dignity.

*I did wish to give an expensive order for flowers for a wedding breakfast, but had no idea this lovely store was kept by such a person as yourself—' Madam, I do not understand you,' in a tone at once proud and reproachful.

*I will explain myself. One does not care to give patronage to girls like yourself, who make a pretense of honest occupation to mask their immoralities. But, no doubt, you are quite vain of your increasing notoriety as a public beauty. Your sign is becoming famous. In my haste I did not notice it as I entered, but mistook your store for another which had been recommended to me.' 'What have I ever done to merit such insult and persecution from you? exclaimed Christine, tears of anger and mortification shining in her excited eyes. 'Oh, not much—only rendered it necessarv for me to discard the man I was engaged to marry. Of course no lady could become the wife of a gentleman after she had discovered that he was carrying on an alienanea with a shop girl.' Christine made no reply. She could not. Her face had become quite colourless, and she felt too stunned to offer the least protest against the gratuitous insult being put upon her character as a woman, and her rights as the proprietress of the place into which this course parvenue had forced her, presence to use abusive language. At that instant a young man whom she had never seen before entered the shop to buy a bouquet. He had the air of a gentleman, and his look was kind and respectful. Instinctively Christine felt she might seek protection in him from the cruel persecution of this bold woman.

With the rashness of extreme youth she put out her hand to the stranger before he had spoken, and with broKen voice and quivering lips she said: 'Oh, sir, may I beg you will request this lady to go away and leave me in peace! I cannot endure such words as she has been speaking to m«. God knows I have not deserved them.'

'Ha! ha! ha! Quite traigic, I declare! I presume I behold another of your captives, Miss Castlebar! Really your triumphs endanger the welfare of good society!'

With this scathing taunt, emphasised by a tone still more caustic, JVliss Carrol drew her rich draperies about her and swept from the store to her carriage just beyond the pavement. As she departed poor Christine covered her white face with her nervous hands, and suppressed sobs shook her frame.

'What; is it all about? There, don't weep, but tell me how I can serve you,' said the gentleman kindly, touching her shoulder.

'Ah. do forgiye me, sir? I should not have troubled you; but I was desperate. I cannot explain,' replied Christine, as she partially conquered her agitation, and rose to wait on her new customer. She added: ' What can I do for you, sir?" 'I will have the cornucopia of flowers in the window, if you please. How n;nc!i is ir worth?'

'Six dolla.s, si--. Ttr-. flowers are very rart.'

!V BY ROSS ASHLEIGH. Author of "Eleanor's Luck," "The Widow's Wager, ? "Pure Gold," / Etc, etc.

'Wrap it up for me, please,' and the gentleman laid the money in gold and silver coin upon the counter. Narrowly watching the girl as she

I unhung and folded carefully in tissue paper the exquisite flowers he had I bought, the young man seemed deeply

moved by her tearful, troubled face. As he took the package from her, he said gently: 'I fear you have been seriously distressed by the vulgar language of that young woman; but console yourself, lor anything she may have said in my hearing, with the assurance that she has disgraced no one but herself. Women so youn£ and fair as you are canuot escape the envy and malice of your inferior sisters; but be patieDt; it cannot harm you while you are true to yourself. If at any time i can help you, I shall t>e glad to do. so'

In saying this, he laid his card upon the counter, and went away.

When Christine returned to Mrs Goodley's fireside an hour later she related the scene to her kind old friend, and asked her advice on the best course for her to pursue against the slanderers who seemed determined to ruin her reputation. 'My poor child, I see no way out of your present embarrassments, except for you to seek a perfectly new locailty for your business, and thus free yourself frurii all your old associations and acquaintances. In this big city it will be easy to find a safe refuge from all who seem anxious to injure you.

'Yes; but see how many years it has required for me to build up my little business. In a new locality how can I hope for custom enough to keep me up?' 'God will take care of His own, my dear, and He is everywhere. Besides, you are bow mistress of your business, and can much more easily and quickly make new interests than you did while you were learning it. Fortunately you have not yet refurnished your store with the money sent you by Doctor Howard, and it will be just as cheap to put your new goods into a new store. Let us devote to-morrow to finding another place. Franz can take care of your affairs on the avenue.' It was finally settled that Christine Bhould establish herself in a new locality.

CHAPTER XIV. TAMNG A TIGRESS. On leaving' Miss Castlebar's store —pleased, but by no means satisfied with the suffering she had inflicted on the woman she believed to be her successful rival—Miss Carrol determined to invoke the superior genius of Hubert Derring to her aid in accomplishing the ruin of this innocent being. She knew that his hatred of Roland Marlow would be a sufficient incentive to' his malice, even if she were able to find no other; and, by furnishing him with a new enterprise, she might induce him, to consent to the postponement of the marriage, which seemed to her little short of purgatorial torment. She summoned him to her boudoir and confided her plans and wishes to him. In conclusion she said:

'Give me proofs that you have alienated Rolana Marlow's interest from this girl forever, and I promise submission and uncomplaining obedience to any and all of your wishes afterward.' 'There is now no time for the pursuit of your charming enterprise, ma chere, since we are to be married and to leave the country in a few days,' ho answered reflectively, yet with a tinge of regret that he should be debarred the pleasure of so congenial a pastime.

'Let the marriage be delayed; you know full well you have the power to force it on whenever you choose, and that I have no possibility of escape from the compact. Oblige me in this —you will never regret it.' Derring had never seen Gertrude so gentle and mild mannered; she was playing for n stake which she deemed worthy, of her best efforts, and she had not only made herself as beautiful and captivating as she knew how to do, but had assumed her most flattering tone, her most caressing mood, to win him to her purpose. Fortune hunter as h. was, selfish and avaricious to the care, Derring was a iran of strong feeling and passionate impluses, and in the beginning 3f their association he had been genuinely infatuated by the superb physical charms of the haughty heiress, whose insolence and violent temper had disenchanted him later on.

But to-night her.softer mood, her splendid beauty, her siren-like appeals to his sensuous admiration, made him forget the repeated offencse that had almost turned his fancy for her into hatred, and once more the Circean spell of her voluptuous nature stole over him. TO BE CONTINUED