A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10056, 30 May 1910, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

V BY F..L- DACRE, * Cj x\uthor of—l he Doctor's Secret, A Case for the Court, t ¥ - Sir John's Heiress, A Loveless Marriage, *• / Treaholme's Trust, Etc. J\

CHAPTER XVI. - Continued

"Still one i a mot be too charitable' Remember that you are the victor. He has been misled by the grandfather. Even the rabble have their feelings." He shrugged his shoulders, adding, .."Mr Dudley will make his home with you for a little while; I think that I uncerstard the arrangement perfectly. You will ioc- I ate yourself at Ellesmere temporar- 1 ily, and finally leave the old man in ( \ undisturbed possession, tt would be < awkward to have to introduce him 1 to society as your wife's grandfather! i Hi 9 manners, to say the least of 1 them, are rather provincial. Pi'.y he can't die off respectably !I am entire- ( ly at your service, Pircy. I will re , main here for a week, and forward ; your letters—a kind of intermedi- ■ ary between the Mansion at Manthorpe and the love nook at Ellesmere. 1 will also undertake to clear up affairs here—the gardener's and your own—so ti at the honeymoon may not be shadowed by one passing cloud " His manner betrayed a mixture of flippancy and earnestness, and it jarred unplensantly upon Clirlor;'. He took Daventry's hand. "You have anticipated my wishes," be said. "Within two hours I want to shake the dust of Llanthorne from my febt, and if 1 take my wife I cannot leave her grandfather behind. His effects here must be sent on—the plants, the flowers, and the furniture. Yru will undertake to see that that is done?" "Yes 1 will see that it is done." "I shall be ever mindful of your kindness,." Percy brightly declared. "And you will never be suspicious of me, or angry with ma again?" "No, Daventry—l could rot if I tried."They turned toward the house, and Percy continued, "» muse write to Constance Glinton to-day—l will write to her before I leave. You will send her reply on to me. If a telegram should come''—he grew pale at the thought—"if a telegram should come, Daveniry. 1 want ycu to open it, to repeat the contents by telegraph—word for word. The delay by mail might cause a lifetime of misery and regret." "Yes," his cousin replied in a low voice—"Jie earl's ctndition is si strange that a change may take place at any time. I promise to do all that you have lequestcd me to do. But let us hope that the fates will be kind to you—that the joyß of your hot ej moon may not be disturbed by tha ioies of j the funeral bell!" ! Hlldred was told of the arrangements that had been made, ard ®a 1 happy light shone in the wistful blue eyes. "My darling," she whispered fondly, "you are too good to me!" "My dear little wife, that would be impossible!" was the passionate reply, "It I can help it, you shall never Know another care. A few hours mere and Llanthorne will be a pleasant memory, a delightful dream. Mr Daventiy has consented to be left in possession here, and will superintend the removal of all your grandfather's treasures. Is it not kind of him, sweetheart?", "Yes, it is very kind'of him," the girl said slowly. "You are not fond of jny cousin?" Percy questioned. "I am fond of no but you, dear." "Evasive little woman! Poor old Daventry ! 1 don't know how it is, but he make 3 few friends. He is so ' cold, so cynical, so reserved! Kiss ' me, darling—l am going to the Beach : Hotel to collect my belongings. I shall be back in an hour, and then farewell to the old shop, and to Llanthorne! To-morrow we will inspect our new home; then will follow the delights of furnishing it and making it beautiful." Daventry walked back with him to the hotel, and Clifford wondered how he could have managed without the . help of his cousin whom he had so bitterly wronged. "I am your valet to-day," Daventry said, with a laugh. "I will settle your bill and pack your satchel, while you write to Constance Glinton. I don't envy you the task. I wonder how she will take it when she hears the whole truth!" There was a wicked gleam in his dark eyes. "Don't speak of such things now !" Percy pleaded. "Remembar that it is my wedding day." " I am not likely to forget it; still, I am but human after all. .Constance Glinton spurned me, insulted m?, and I can scarcely tell now whether I hate or love her most! Pardon me,|,old boy I am forgetting myself. To-day I am your slave, U king! To-morrow I shall be your master!" He favoured Percy with one of his enigmatical smilep, a swift gleam cf exultation in his glowing eyes, and turned upon his heel. "A peculiar fellow;" reflected " Percy. "I do not wonder that he I makes so few friends. I must remember to Epeak to him about his finance?. The earl's illness may have \ stopped his allowance. I do not think that I can do better than reinstate I Daventry in his old place of trust. 1 am sorry for the breach between

CHAPTER XVIII,

him and Constance!" Then he sat down to write to Miss Glinton.

"BEWARE OF OUR OLD MAN OF THE SEA."

Clifford did not realise how hard his task was until pen, ink and paper were before him. His heart was filled with tender pity for Constance, his mind was haunted by her sweet face, her melting, beautiful eyes. He thus began his letter: "My Dear Constance: Three whole days, and I have had no word from you! I sincerely trust that, in this case, no news is good news. I have been rather busy down \iptp, and Daventry joined me this morning. He is extremely penitent for the sin which he cannot believe himself guiity of. Don't you thitak that you have been a little hard upon him, Connie?l3 it a sin for'a man to aspire, to the hand and heart of one so good, so noble as ycu are? I am not inclined to place very much faith in Ston--1 er's story. Stoner doea not bear the best of characters, by his own show--1 ing, while Daventry is my cousin, j and in Daventry my father had absolute confidence. "Unless trouble demands my presence at the Park, 1 shall not return for ten or twelve days, and then I will tell you the nature of my business, which is all-absorbing. "Write to me, Constance, ard make your letter a pleasant one. I hardly know why, but you have heen constantly in my thoughts to-day. How can 1 ever repay you for your gocdr.esa to me, for your devotion to my dear father? Only by an affection that shall know no change! "Always yours, Percy Clifford."

He read the letter through tealit g it. It never cccuned to him that it was alnrost lover-like. He thought of Constance Glintcn only as a dearly loved sister—as a beautiful, noble woman. Daventry came in a few minutes hater. His keen eyes rested for a moment upon the addressed envelope, and a dark flush rose to his sallow cheeks. "You have written to Constance Glinton?" he questioned. Percy approachtd him. and laid one hand kindly up:nj_his cousin's shoulder. "Yep, Ower," he replied—it was rarely that he used Daventry's Christian name—"yes, I have written to , Constance; and I have mentioned you, I have made no secret of my friendship for you, of my change of feeling toward you; and some day she will understand your sterling worth as I understand it." Daventry moved impatiently. "How much have you told her of the dcings of this happy day?" His voice vibrated slightly. Was it emotioD, or was it sarcasm? Percy could not decide. "Nothing! I dare not yet! That must wait. Poor Constance! l wo - der how she will tale it? She will be pleased when she knows how happy I am, when she has seen;[rny darling wife!" Daventry wa3 looking into the street below. The window was open, and a gruff-voiced man was asking for Mr Clifford. - "It is that fellow Winters," Daventry said, a hard look cominp into his eyes. "I fancy that he has been drinking. Leave him to me." He turnsd and strode toward the doorway, and then looked back, adding: "The bill here is settled, and a servant has taken your satchel downstairs. I will wait for you in the vesti ule when I have disposed of this lovelorn young seaman.-" "If Robert Winters has business with me, I will deal with him!" fercy angrily said. He snatched up ihe letter he had written to Constance Glinton, and hurried after his cousin. His hot young blood was on fire. Daventry was standing in the hall below, talking calmly to Winters. The seaman's red face was swollen from drink. His evil passion glowed in his small, deep set eyes. "1 've got no particular ill feeling against the man who hat* cut me out," he growled. "I've come here to tell him so; I've come here to beg his pardon for believing and saying that he was a villair." TO BE roNTINTJED