PRIMROSE DELORAINE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10289, 18 July 1911, Page 2

PRIMROSE DELORAINE

OUR SERIAL.

THE MISER'S DAUGHTER.

By MAISIE PENDENNIS,

Author of "Sir Reginald's Whim," "The Forgotten Heir," "Rival Beauties,' 'etc.

CHAPTER Xl.—Continued

"T may as well tell you the truth, ' she went on, in a. low tone, "and then you will understand now and always. It is quite impossible that I could ever marry you, because —because well, because there is someone I care for. j I don't suppo-v 1 shall ever sve hun , again, but I shall always care for him, and so, you see, I can never marry you or anybody." Then she held out her hand to him. 'Forgive me," she pleaded. "I am sorry. I hope I haven't liui-t you. It can never be, you see. It can never be." Sir Gerard held her hand for a moment in a close clasp, but lie said no more. And afterwards she remembered that he had novr said lie loved Tier. Mrs Vivian was still writing letters in the morning room when Primrose went in a little later, and she darted a quick, questioning look at the girl's face, and paused a moment in her writing, as if she half expected that Primrose would have something to say i tether.

Eve sighed, and reached for a little tin pannikin of water that stood near the bed. "Try and drink a little, dear," she said gently, as she held it to his lips. "And don't talk. You must be very quiet." Poker Bill put out his rough hand and knocked the pannikin over, with a sullen oath. "Give me brandy," he said. "What is the use of water to me ? Give me brandy." Eve sighed again as she stooped down and patiently picked up the panr.ikin and mopped up the u at;r. "I have no brandy," she said, in the same gentle way; "and if I had I dare not give it to you. Don't talk. Try and keep quiet. You have been very ill, you know, and you mustn't get excited. It may be a matter of life and death." Poker Bill swoi'e again, and.closed his eyes. "It may be what it likes," he said. "I don't care. I tell you I want some brandy. If you haven't got any you are a fool."

But Primrose said nothing. • She felt no inclination to confide in Mrs Vivian. She deferred to hfcf, and Jbbeved her, and respected her. wishes in every way, and tried hard to like her, because Sir Gerard had placed her in her charge. But ttori wa> no real sympathy between them never could be. They were so different. Primrose went and stood by the fire and gazed meditatively into the glowing embers, and for a moment Mrs Vivian wrote on in silence. Then she peeped up at the girl from beneath her fluffy curls.

He rolled over again and Eve stooped down and carefully arranged the blanket that covered him, and shook up the straw on whioh his head rested, and once more lay her cool hand on his .fevered brow.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she said, "that your chauffeur lias come —the man Sir Gerard has engaged to drive your own special motor car, you know 7 . They came to say he v.is here a few minutes ago, and I said he had better wait in the servants' hall until you came in, in case you might like to say something to him. If you want to see him yon had better ring a.d say so." And Primrose looked up with sudden interest. "Oh! of course I Should like to see him I an: simply dyinrt to get out in my new car. May I ask him to oome and speak to me in here, Mrs Vivian?" ,

"Try to rest, dear," she said, still very gently. "Try to.sleep." Poker Bill only grunted savagely, and Eve went back to her seat by the candle, an I took up the sewing that she had laid aside to minister to him. It was three months since Captain Jack, with her aid, had rescued Primrose and carried her off from the cave where she had been an unwilling captive.

Mrs Yiyian shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, yes!" sihe said, "you do as you like, you kn6w, my dear." So a few minutes later the new chauffeur whom Sir Gerard had engaged Primrose to attend t<\ the beautiful car that he, had chosen for her own speoial use, was ushered into the morning room by one of the footmen. -And as Primrose went forward to speak to him, all at onoe she stopped in surprise, and stood spellbound. For the man before her, the mair-who was to be her chauffeur, was no ganger to, her. It was-.iihe man wh'-:u she had aren lurking in the shadow of the tree watching manor the night before. And ad looked at him once more, that vague: sense of fear, that dim premonition of evil to come, stole over her as it' had done then. What did it mean? she wondered again. ! Why did he haunt fier footsteps ? ; Who was he ? Where had she seen him before?

That she dil not Wow. Neither ~did she know that, hue wasa-linkra the chaiiv'th'at Fats was forging closely and relentlessly round her life, and the man she loved.

How well Eve remembered that night and its attendant circumstances —how she had watcthed and waited in the shadow of the trees by Primrose's lonely hut, and all the details of the scene where Poker Bill had carried off his hapless victim. How well remembered her meeting with Captain Jack afterwards, andT then their hurried rush in pursuit to the cave in the mountains —how, as she watched outside the oave, she had seen Poker Bill lurching heavily along the rugged track that wound up the mountainside —and had sounded her danger signal. Nov could Eve ever forget Captain Jack's prompt response, and his bold dash for freedom, with Primrose in his arms, on the back of the good gray mare; and Poker Bill's ferocious rage and diabolical attempt at murder. If it hail not - been for her, as she well knew, Captain. Jack woul- 1 have paid *tb.e penalty of his rashness with bis life. But, thank Heaven, she had been in time to -prevent that —to prevent the man she loved from the committal of a base and cowardly crime, and to save-his soul from the stain of deadly guilt. She had been in time to- divert the course of tiie bullet, fired by a sure and steady hand that was never known to falter or fail in its unerring aim; in so doing she had saved Captain Jack's life, but she had wounded Poker Bill. Tin bullet that had been meant for Captain Jack had found another billet and Poker Bill had been the sufferer. It was retributive justice beyond a doubt, but Eve did not find much comfort in that fact.

i CHAPTER XH. / ' '

THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAINS

The little cave in tha mountains looked very dark and gloomy in the flickering light of the candle that was stuck in a crevice of the roqk, and Eve shivered a little as she rose and went to the corner, where a man lay on a rough bed of ferns and leaves and straw, with a blanket for oovering. "If only," she said, "he were better, if, only he would jjome to himself, and know me. If only—if only——"

. For many days Poker Bill had lain hovering between life and death, and Eve had been his untiring nurse, his devoted slave, his faithful watcher; never leaving him for a moment, day or night. Beyond all doubt he owed his life to her skill and care and tenderness, but his warped and sullen nature felt no gratitude for what she had done, but only bitter resentment.

She stooped dowji and laid a cool; firm'hand on the aick man's hqt brow, and Poker Bill turned over on his side and

letter,." : 'he muttered feebly, "and he does know you, you fool, -better than he wants to, too." He opened hia eyes for a moment, and a look of ferocious passion Showed sullenly in their sunken depths as he glanced at her. "You fool!" ho said again "Youfool!"

She liad cheated him of his prey, she. had balked him of his revenge; and he oould not forgive her. Bitter, implacable hatred filled His Black and cruel heart Whenever he thought of 'her, and the knowledge that he was dependent for his life on her ministering care aroused him to insensate fury. All danger from the wound was now over, but he was Suffering terribly from of a bad attack of fever, which hiad prostrated him, and left him as weak and helpless as a child. If it' had not been for Eve he must have died, as he knew; and at the thought he ground his teeth, and hated her the more. (To be C*ntin*©d>.