TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10422, 13 September 1911, Page 2

TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

By CARL SWERDNA, Author of "A Mere Ceremony."

CHAPTER Xll.—Continued.

"How was that?" Severance asked with a laugh. J The merry, girlish, pretty chatter always amused him ; it seemed the J right kind of thing to come from J her. Ho had moro than once told ', himself that in her light, sweet, affectionate nature there was no note of tragedy. "How? Because lam a goose, and Anna, my maid, is another. And it is her fault. She should ■' have told me before wo came to town that she was in love with the wheelwright. I'm sure I don't know!" "May I ask what the wheel-} wright " I "Has to do with it. He lias most \ - inconsiderately contrived to break liis j arm. Anna came up bathed in tears this morning, and announced that she muit go home forthwith. And be- | cause' I am as great a goose &s she is I lot her go. And so for the time I am m aidless and- suffering -. agonies. Ctoce fancy a dress is unsafe, there's no peace for the wearer.'' In repeating the futile endeavour to see the back of her own waisjfc Clare's bright eyes encountered the moody visage of young Seton behind her. She turned swiftly. "Oh, there you are, Harry! And where have you been hiding yourself, pray? You wicked boy, I don't believe you've been dancing." ''Don't care to, thanks!'' mumbled , Harry,- sulkily. "You don't care to? Dear me! That's a strange development! You might.(have mentioned it before Mrs Moorfield invited you, particularly when I told her that you might be relied upon to dance all through the programme." ' , j "I'd dance right enough if " Harry, breaking off, flushed, wrathfully (to the roots of his hair. "Esan<g it, Clare, you knavv what I mean right enough! There are fellows here you haven't seen half a dozen times, yet you can be pleasant and attentive enough to them. That's all right—l -don't say you shouldn't —I'm not a fooi. . But when you haven't got so much as a dance or five minutes to spare for ms —well, you can't expect >that I like it much, I should think." | His fair head was bent close to the j pa-etity birown hair; his angiry growl wals aud&le enough to the pair standing by. . Severance smiled sflighftly; Lorraine's steady face dad not move a muscle. Clare's eyes Iboked'up into-' with'•"' an' adrof wondiefingjly rernbhitratiye.. inr nocence. But there was a twitch of heir lips as though she suddenly pitied her boyish lover, who had not the art to conceal- either ■Ma love or | Mis pain. j "Won'lt dance with you?" she said. "Wlhy, what a thing to siay when I have saved a special dance for you—rthe' first waltz after sup* per! A waltz, too, and your favourite one! For shame, Harry!" "¥ou have? For me? Do you mean it?" Hairy asked, half ap»peased, half unbelieving. ■ ~■■■■ . ■ * "Certainly I do! Haven't I put your initials down? No—l will, though." She hasltily scribbled on •heff pa'op'amTime. ' 'There! - Perhaps there may be another—it depends. Go and do your duty now, or Mrs, Moorfield wd II never invite you any more. Look at that girl in, yellow over there! I,forget her name, but you know her. Go and dance wi^th - her—-do, to plea.sejme]" Hairy, beaming now, departed to ', make hasi besit bow to the young lady ■• in yellow. ;JLlare, with a deprecatj ing little laugh, took . Severance's arm, and they moved away to join the' dance theii forming. Doraine* thus lefit standiing alone for the first time, moved) with the air of relief from tension, as though she had been, waiting for this. Her eyes flashing with one swift, exhausitive glance round the room, sitopped at one figure and! stayed there. Sdr Derek had also left the fernery; he stood at a little distance in his ussual, easily, graceful attitude idly watching the scene. A strange expression, flashed' across- the: - girl's face j she became scarlet and then ■'isJowily whiter ..than before. At the instant he turned, saw the graceful « bliaok figure and the glowing chesit- ' nut head, and was speedily at her side. "Mis Latouche, you are not dancing ! Is it altogether hopeless if I beg of you again?" "Quite! I shall not dance again to-night." "No? mil, I'll bear my fa/e if it is dealt to othersi, too. But you look tired, pale. Perhaps the room

(OUR NEW SERIAL.)

is too worm for you? Let me, at any rate, find you a seat." The m,any women who admired Derek Wdlloughby for more than for being the most perfectly handsome man of their acquaintance, and the few who declined to aa>, mire him .-vert whale- aakmowledg ing his good looks, were alike fain to confess that the . fascination of hes nilannecr to their sex was wellnigh iresistible., He was exhibiting it to the full now; there was even an added, touch of ■■ deference in. it. Lorraine looked at Mm with a face like stone "tfes, you can. find me the seat," sOie aadd. ''l : have something to say to you, Sir Derek." "To say to me? I ami honored. But, pardon me,are you sure that you prefer to say it to-night?" 'I came to-night to say it. One can al'wlayisi be alone in. a crowd. At Hill Stireet "

'There are interruptions ? Yes." He was so quiidk and sjO adroit with the-interpolations that 'he might have known what sihe had meant to siay and purposely altered it. "I'need not say-that I am entirely at your service. Theire is a little fernery place here. .Shall we try that?" "Not there.' she said. ' "It will not be quiet . Mr Moorfield's I study is empty, and I know the way. Come there." 'With pleasure. But it must be be ve v y important, - Miss La touche." She .flashed Mm a look— & dozen different epithets might have been u. ted to translate it without siueoasis —and the imsrtant they were ailone drew, her hand from Mis l arm. In silence she lied the way, and he followed her. Entering the room, she turned to face Mm in the brilldant light, and sighed him to. close the door. He did so and aproached her, smiling. , "This is surely a'trifle mysterious," he said lightly, 'but since it is your good pleasure it i!s enough. And, by the way—rather odd coincidence—ip is the second secret conference to which I have beeni summoned to-nigh*!" '.'The second?" "I have already enjoyed one with my well-beloved cousin, Severance." He laughed slightly. "You look disposed to accuse me of sarcasm. Not at all! I assure you I did not enjoy it. An odd character that! Singular amount of stupidity for a man with brains \ But pray'excuse me! Yjau have something, to say. May I askj what it is?" . f It was as though the pleasant, easy smile, the nonchalant manner, ' the softly drawling voice had the | power to lash the girl into frenzy. She [ turned upon him with a passionate gesture and blazing eyes. I "What is it?" she cried. "Is it I Are you even worse than'l have ali ways thought you, Sir Derek? Are I you scoundrel through and through?"

CHAPTER XIII. "Have you a headache, Lorraine?" asked Clare Throckmorton. "No, my dear." "You are very quiet." "I am thinking," was Miss Latouche's reply. "So am I. lam thinking that one may decidedly have too much of a good thing. I have been so disgracefully rackety for the last week that I feel at the present moment as though I should never' want to put on an evening'frock again. But you ought riot to feel done up. You have not been but at night since Mrs Moorfield's dance, and that is four evenings ago. I am so vexed you weren't at Lady Heston's last night. It w.' s oharming!" "I will take your word for it, love." "Oh, you may! But I always" feel as if I had lost somethings when you are not there. Yes, I enjoyed myself very mudi, but it does get rather wearisome. I wouldn't go through a whole season year after year for the world!" Miss Throckmorton stretched her arms over her head with a yawn and a laugh. "Oh, how sleepy I ami What a boon it is to feel that there is notWng to get ready for to-day, and that if I like to go to bed at nine o'clock I can." •

(To be continued.)