A Daughter of Mystery

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10266, 19 June 1911, Page 2

A Daughter of Mystery

'our serial.

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

CHAPTER XXXl.—Continued. "They do know!" he flashed. Elneth gave a little gasp, and her face whitened. "At least. Lady Eva does. I dropped that precious little note of yours—the one you wrote, thanking mc for letting you know about Foxer's advertisements —and she read it —trust a woman for that! Eva takes such a kind motherly interest in me—although .'.even years younger than I am. You see, she has the money bags. She spotted your name and address, and asked me plump and plain, who you were. I was in a tearing temper, and told her more than she wanted to know." Elneth's heart was beating fast. She, looked at him questionably, a hard light in her eyes. She had no kindly feelings for Lady Eva Lorington. "What {"id you tell your sisteV?" "You know." His voice softened. "I could only tell her of your goodness, and my love for you; that you were poor and friendless and earned your own living. She began to say j nasty things, but I quickly shut her tip. When I told her that you would not have me at any price site wilted. I'm quite fed up with these family interferences. My sister's all right—as fine and open-hearted a woman as ever breathed, but she had bettor look after her own affairs. She's engaged to s fellow without a rap, and actually lending him money to go on with! Her cheek must be superb when she can face me with a lecture." "Rather exasperating," Elneth murmured. Her eyes were contracted ■ —her lips set hard. "I'm extremely glad I met you," Charlie went on, a gulp in his throat. "I was going to write to you to-mor-row; and tell you that I was off for good. I shall never do anything now?, my mind is too unsettled. I have not -an atom of ambition. Take away the enthusiasm of youth, the ideals, the hero worship and all that, and there is prcious litle left to work on. . If you could have cared for me it would have been different. I've got six hundred a year, and plenty of influential friends, •We could have started a nice little home, and I would have made things hum. The idler would have become a hustler!"

of the street in which she lodged, the small shabby sitting-room, wherein her lungs almost refused to breathe.

The ordinary lodging house has a peculiar smell of its own. It seems that every tenant leaves behind a separate odor, until the* admixture is nauseating to people who are used to ptire air and cleanliness. Then there was the awful prospect of lunching there. Cold mutton which once frolicked in Australia, and a table cloth decorated with beer stains. Mr Moberley never would learn how to pour out bottled beer. Fizz —bang! and into the glass it went, half of it escaping in bubbling foam over the tablecloth.

He stared gloomily in front of him, seeing nothing. Elneth glanced at him swiftly. Her heart was filled with sympathy for him. No woman could listen totally unmoved to the love of such a man. She jumped up suddenly.

"You will come?" asked Charlie joyously. "Yes, if you promise to take care of me. But what about my frock ? This lighe stuff will look dreadful if it gets coated with dust." "That's easily settled. You can put. on my dust coat when we get away from the houses. Let me see—one — two —three —four hours. Yes, we can be back here by six, have some tea, a wash and brush up, and go and listen to Sainton's orchestra for an hour. What do you say, Miss Tyndall? I believe that Sainton's is a jolly good band." "I am not even a passive resister, i and if you don't treat me well, your sins be upon your own head. I never felt more reckless in my life." "And I have never felt so happy. Gloom yesterday—felicity to-day! The law of averages evens things up beautifully. When I am down in the dumps next time I will try and remember that joy is sure to follow." After an exquisite little lunch, Charlie ordered the car to be brought j to the hotel entrance, and in ten min- ! utes the big machine was gliding nlong the King's Eoad. This was Elneth's first ride in a motor car, and the sensation was delightful. She was surprised to find herself enjoying everything—she, whose thread of life had so recently been broken. A sharp ran of thirty or forty minutes, and they were climbing a lane inches deep in white dust. There was a high, quick-set hedge on both sides; j sloping,grassy banks spangled with j wild flowers, and beyond fields of j golden corn. In the air larks were singing as only larks can sing.

"The wretched Bandsmen are tuning their instruments," she exclaimed. "Do you know of a peaceful spot on the face of this weary earth, M&t Loringt»n?"

"Do I?" Ho laughed shortly. "Yes, there's an island in the Southern Bacinc, called Great Mercury Island. Splendid climate —absolute solitude. Let us go there —you and I?" "Come along, then," Elneth said, jokingly. chapter xxxii. reclless. "What are yoy going to do, Miss Tyndall?" Charlie asked, as they passed through the turnstyte to tTio parade. "I don't know. I suppose I must go back to :ny den to lunch •, it's past twolye." "And afterwards?" "I think I will stay indoors, and have forty winks. The landlady looks black if we don't get out early in the morning, but she tolerates us in the afternoon. It's really too hot to wander about aimlessly, and I'll brave the smell of bloaters, and the suspicion of fleas. Good-bye, Mr Lorington. You won't do- anything rash, will you? I mean you won't run away, and turn brigand, or road agent, or anything like that." "It's very easy to make game of me. isn't it?" he asked fiercely. "Oh, I didn't mean to hurt you. I like you very much, and I know there is heaps of good in you. Don't do silly things, and spoil your life for the vsake of a whim. If you go away I shall fell that I have lost a very dear friend." "It will be your own fault whatever happens to me." Then he added: "-A cowardly sort of speech, that. Won't s6mebody kick me?" She put out her hand, winking tears from her eyelashes, but Charlie affected to see neither the tears nor the hand. He looked the other way. "Look here, Miss Tyndall, come and lunch with me at the Grand Hotel, over the way, and then we will have a run over the downs. Some of the lovKest scenery in the world. I tell yon, it will be delightful. I don't like leaving you here to your own resources."

Elneth shook her head slowly, met his imploring eyes, hesitated, and was lost. She had a fleeting mental vision

* 'Beautiful—beautiful!'' breathed Elneth.

Charlie stopped the car, and pointed | to the swelling hills before them. "It's cool enough up there, Miss Tyndall, and,there are plenty of trees on the northern side. Our place is over there. Elneth bared her temples to the breeze, and listened to the birds, and rustling corn, whose song was not unlike that of the sea. "We'll move slowly for a bit," Lorington said, "and you will be able to see the ever-changing shadows along the undulating sides of the downs. There's nearly every colour imaginable." Through l#ng, windiag roads glided the automobile—roads which glittered white in the glare of the sun. Now and then breaks in the high thorn hedges revealed vast stretches of rolling meadowland, yellow with buttercups and starred with daisies; then a quaint old farmhouse would appear, nestling in a valley between lofty hills; ranges of dilapidated farm biiildings, with thatched roofs; a myriad of chickens and ducks in the yard, and cattle grazing on the green uplands. "We shall soon have a view of our place—Lorington Grange, T mean," Charlie said, at last. He sighed. "But for the assistance the earl gets from my sister he couldn't pretend to keep it going. A jolly poor look-out for me! You see, Miss Tyndall, itfs mortgaged up to the flagstaff on the tower. If I were the governor I would let it furnished to some of the wealthy folk who have made money in trade. I expect he mil when Lady Eva's married. There you are," he added, manoeuvring the car. "Look!" Elneth craned her neck. "I see it, but the trees nearly hide the building." "Not there, you ninny—miles to the left. Now you've got it." "Yes, it looks like a fairy palace in the sunlight. What's the other place?" Her heart leaped into her throat. She guessed that it was Ronald Heseltine's home. How often had he described it to her, and told her he and Lord Lorington were neighbours' "Warden Hall. Another povertystricken lot. Rum thing that the two show places this side of the county should be poorhouses! Warden Hall belongs to the fellow who' is engaged to Lady Eva, and he depends upon her to put him upon his legs. I always believed in him until he took my sister's money by the sackfull." "Really?" said Elneth, chokingly. (To be Continued.)