Daughter of Mystery

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10262, 14 June 1911, Page 2

Daughter of Mystery

OUR SERIAL.

BY F. L. DACRE, Author of "Was flo the Man?" "A Phantom of the Past," Sir John's Heiress," "A Loveless Marriage," "The Doctor's Secret," etc.

CHAPTER XXVlll.—Continued. Ronald pushed two documents over to Aubrey-Smith, both of which he had signed. "Head them," he said briefly, "attach your name if you approve, and retain one. They are agreements and may be useful should anything happen to either of us." "All right. There is nothing like business. I will get mine stamped at Somerset House to-morrow. Make that three into five, old man. Much Obliged. 1 will repay this next week. Anything else?" '"'No!" Hesoltine snapped. Then he looked at Aubrey-Smith, full in the eyes. "I don't advise you to get within a mile of Lady Eva just yet." I "My goddess!" murmured the little man, MoAving kisses through the open window. "Hx>w long must I wait. I have given my fate into your hands." Heseltine scowled. "Try and get used to the notion that your case is hopeless, and be prepared for the shock when it arrives." .But Aubrey-Smith laughingly put his fingers into his eans. "Never—.never! Nothing can, quench my ardour—my determination ; my patient and much-enduring love must ultimately compel some return, and with you as my powerful friend and extraordinary ambassador I must win! ... Tired of me, eh Ta, ta!"

He skipped away, paying no heed to his partner's growling response. Heseltine went to London the next morning by the eight-forty express from Birmingham. At eleven o'clock a taxi dropped him at Lord Lorington's place in Park Lane, and the earl met him in the hall. There was a silent pressure of hands, and a perfect understanding beamed in tihe eyes of both men.

"Come into the library," said Lorington, "and have some wine, or anything you fancy; you look fagged out. Eva won't be in yet awhile—gone shopping with Lady OlaokfOrd. I've been watching from the window for you for the last ten minutes. I wanted to be the first to see you." Ronald threw himself into a chair, while the earl rummaged about for some clean glasses and a particular brand of cigar he wished to recommend.

and Ronald rose from his seat. He walked over to the window and strove hard to steady his quaking nerves. A vision of Ehieflh Tyndalii dimmed his sight, and he wondered how he should acquit himself in the awii'ui part he had to play. "When it is over the translation of an honest man will be complete," he reflected bitterly. He heard a quick step in the hall, the door opened, and Lady Eva was s'hyly confronting him. CHAPTER XXiIX. THE OLD AND THE NEW. • Heseltine was disconcerted by the change m Eva. lib was a different Eva altogether, and he preferred the original one. He missed the dhummy charm of tllie old stimulating tomboyishness and flippancy. "Ronald, you are not looking at all well," she said anxiously. "Don't tei me that-; I am rather tired of it." He spoke kindly, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I am tired of telling people how hard I have been working with the little 'brains Providence has blessed me | with. Don't you believe in this blow to my health; it's nothing of the kind. I have merely lost the tan of the sun and the sea, and taken' on some of the grime and sailownes-s of the midlands." y "But you have been worried, old boy. I never, meant to tell you of that money until—until -" She flushed, and her eyes fell before his. "It was botih kind and unkind of you, Eva." "Funny sort of a paradox." She nestled her head against his shoulder. "But you wanted the money, and I knew you would use it well. I .didn't care wha/fr became .of it as long as it served your purpose, only I never anticipated you would want so much. Don't let us talk any more about it, please." There wias a short, silence, and it was an awkward silence for botih. Heseilfine had thought of telling her the straight truth from beginning to end, but how could he with her fond eyes turned upon him?

"I wrote to your father," he said.

"Here we are!" he exclaimed "so help yourself, Ronald, and light up. These are wonderful nerye soothers. Packed up three thousand of them in a curiosity shop the other day. Splendid condition. My boy, you've lifted a load of care off my mind, and I am pretty well burdened at present, what with one thing another. Charlie's on the ramble now, and I can't make him out. Of course, it isi-ough on him that I am so poor, but he has always known it. Here he is, close upon thirty, and without any visible means of subsistence. I have preached to him until I am hoarse, but his only hope is a decent marriage, and there are any amount of moneyed women ready to fall into his arms." '

"I've got the letter. I was disappointed, though, because you did not write to me. I was so. angry wit hmyself for vexing you, Ronald."

"1 haven't become used to this change in our—our relations- yet," he answered, rather lamely. "I like to think of you as my loyal, buoyant pall of the old days." "The days when we laughed . at love and lovers' keepsakes, and all that sort of thing? Oh, I think that they were hateful days, in a way. You would soon get tired of a whistling, rowidy, sporty wife." "We used to have a bout with the boxing gloves. I got them especially fo ryou—as big as pillows; play cricket, and hockey, and run ra-ces."

"Marriage appears to be the panacea for all ill«, ? ' Ronald lmirbteredl! "Perhaps he has not found the right girl yet." - j "Toimmyi-ot! There ai'e dozens of them in the market—five or six eligible -women to every eligible man. Our voung fellows run after brazenactresses nowadays, while the girls in their own class are left waiting oil the shelf. Eva lists paid his debts several times, and I told him that in view of her approaching marriage this sort of thing could not go on. Then he had a row with his sister for letting me know. As, a matter of fact she could not help it. Her deposit account, at the bank is drained as dry as-' my pocket." ' A dark Hush crept into Heseltine's cheeks. "I've sinned against Lady Eva without knowing it," he said. "Pooh! Pooh! Quite a different matter —an investment, not a game of squandering. I fully exonerate you from any knowledge of the thing and my daughter is her own mistress. I admit I was a good deal taken aback when I knew the ins and outs of the affair, but that's done with." "Nevertheless, I sihall repay every shilling before we are married," was the half-savage rejoinder. "Now, don't you cut up rough, young man," the earl said hastily. The matter rests between you and Eva, and I am sure you don't want to hurt her feelings. You mentioned in your letter something" about living near the works. Don't imagine that. this will be any hardship to Eva. She would be quite satisfied on a desert island with you. I never had any taste for trade, but I believe it is quite infectious vAi&a. you get in touch with people who are coining money. 1 must get you to show me round your factory one of these days, and initiate me in its mysteries."

J, He was warming to his subject a ! little.

"That was years since, before you went globe-trotting."

"I wish I had never left England," he said fervently.

"You are thinking of the Russian prison, poor boy."'

"Yes." "It was horrid—shameful! But the future is brightening." Siho hid her face against his shoulder, essing his hand the while. "And we shall be happy together. I want you to look like your own joyous self when we were chums together."

"I have lived a. long time" since then, Eva., and life has lost much of its vivid colouring. The illusions of youtii are only pleasant while' they last, and the aftertaste is bitter." "To me, Ronald, the past is ■..,■ ia glorious asset. But how. serious we are! Life is beautiful'with, oiir opportunities. I want to talk to you afoout ever so many things, and I hardly know how to begin. I have no wish to hurry our maorriage until you are quite, quite ready, dear; next spring will do, or even later. Then we will have to live somewhere near the business, your letter says. That can be easily arranged. And I want to tell you about my brother Gliarlie, He flunks a lot of you, and may Listen to reason." Ronald shook his head. "The eternal money question, and marriage?" - ( ..

There was the sound of carriage wheels, and the earl stepped to' the window.

"All, here Evia conies. Luckily she's got rid of Lady OLackford." He came back to Ronald, and. again gripped" his right hand. "I'M send her in here to you, and you can fix up your arrangements. I wish yoti all the joy this world can give." Lorington glided from (the room,

"But he's been seen with some very common girl—works in a factory, I understand. Lady Clackford saw them together." Ronald again shook his head, "My own affairs occupy the whole of my time, Eva. If he won't listen to yo uand his father, I don't think I ought to put my spoke in.'" "But the disgrace of it! There, I won't say another word to you about Charlie." "I dare say Charlie knows his own mind," he said, dismissing the subject. (To be Continued).