AFTER RELEASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10599, 3 April 1912, Page 2

AFTER RELEASE.

OUR SERIAL.

CHAPTER XIV-€ontinued. EMyth moved, and -her glance mel his. "I was thinking how strange it is and yet how natural it seems, thai you and I should bo here,'.' she saic simply. "It is such a far cry from Madame's fitting room to this here place, is it not? And yet, you know, I always feel as if we had been friends for ever so long. How grateful I was to you that day I"—'with a. little soft laugh. "All my future orders depended on that one, and it really was well done, though Lady Flora did not like it. I was very grateful to the Duke of Ludiworth 'when Connie told me who it was." Ludworth hesitated. Might he, dare he, remind her of a previous meeting? "But — we had met before," he said. She looked surprised. "I think Jiot. I had' the impression that I knew you, but that was impossible. It must have 'been in some past aeon." "Oh; no! Only a very time before I met you at Madame Jacqueline's. Dp you remember a- very heavy fog, and a man colliding with you, and you showed him, or rather took him. to Hblborn?" The colour ,begtani to rise in her cheeks.

"Bub that man ——' she said slowly. "You don't mean it was you?" "I do indeed," he answered. "I may have appeared very rude, 'but I had fallen in—l mean, your voice struck me,. and I was in despair at the thought of never hearing it again. Imagine 'meeting a. really perfect contralto in.the fog, and —losing her!" ' She laughed with some consciousness, and lie (wondered what her expression meant. "I remember quite well," she &aid.

"The service I rendered you was quite small, and in the circumstances so natural, that I did not think you would rememiber it.' ' The little smile on- her lips deepened. "And so that was you? How'strange! And you recognised my voice again. That i» stranger still 1" He wondered if he made a .mistake in telling her. The consciousness remained in her eyes, and when they left the tea room there was a little aloofness in her manner as they walked into the park he had noticed for many meetings. She had alt a country girl's fondness for walking, and usually their meetings ended in a walk through the gardens and into the park, and she had much to say over the grey shadows that gathered over the yellowing grass —the colours that .stall lingered in some of the dead leaves. He had never before met anyone so quick to notice the beauty of even a long line of •grey houses, painfully alike in their monotony, yet serving as a perfect background for a string of gaily coloured omnibuses and motors. But that afternoon she walked be- j side him almost in silence along the j damp, sodden path, between the bare j shining holes of the leafless trees that .Gripped onoisbure as they passed. On 1 j their right hand rose tie dull roar of the traffic, with all its fugitive accom- ] ! pandment of! sounds—a motor horn loud and aggressjve, a bicycle bell so shrill and insistent/the cheerful tingting of the omnibus. Ludworth would not have it different. Senses that he-had never known he J possessed, emotions to which he had I always beeni a stranger, stirred and J throbbed within him. He was vaguely J conscious that he "was greater than lie I knew." Ho had an impression of anticipation. It-was as if Ihe stood'\breathless, waiting for he knew "not what, silent-with expectation not yet realised, hardly dreamed.

"How a sound shall quicken content to bliss, Or a breath suspend the foody's ■ Pl»y» : >■ . ..'''' And like be a proof of this." The still greyness held a, meaning far deeper than words, almost painful in its intensity. When they parted at" the island a?most opposite the.hospital rwhere Eldyth's bus waited, ib was with Ibarely a word, scarcely a Took; for each realised vaguely, and dimly that some subtle change bad come into' their frank, open companionship, and each feared,, without .shaping, the fear into words, lest the change should mend or 'break it.

CHAPTER XV. "St. Clement's Clergy House, December 19, "MY DEAR DUKE:—I am preaching at St. John's to-morrow. iMay I drop in, afterwards tfor a little talk and a smoke? Louisa asked me to thank you warmly for the tickets to Ventnor. Ever affectionately, "VIVIAN OOURTIOE." "Now what does this mean?" Ludworth asked himself, as he read the letter. "V.C generally comes when he likes without writing a letter. He wants-to haul me over the coals, I Suppose"—with gloomy conviction. There was a letter from Hermiono on the table, hut lie did not open it. He knew what it would 'be about. She was up to her eyes in work, and pei - - feotly happy in consequence. It was a queer idea he could not understand. "It's a queer world. There's Hermione tied to me, who couldnt' see a kid in pain without squirming myself, and I am tied to Hermione, who thinks in her inmost imind, that Bach is .p. mere confusion of discordant sounds. She'd bo happy with a 'sawbones' if he was a gentleman, andl—

By VIOLET M. FLINN, Author of "The Master Paasion. "What Shall It Profit?" "V«rena." "By Devious Paths," Etc.

I Oil, well, it is no use musing like this! What must be has got to be!" He stared at "tile murky sky visible above the roofs of opposite houses. "What a, fool I am to be istaying up here, just singing my wings! I wish I had the moral courage to quit the whole thing and go off to iMonte Carlo. No, 1 dont —I don't want to go —at least nob alone!" He sighed unconsciously. Ho was recalling a conversation that had taken (place over the coffee cups after the last concert. V.C hed begun talking aibout a holiday that he had orice .spent in Algiers, and he had supplemented some of the stories for the sheer pleasure of watching Elrlyth as she listened. She would have en-

joyed such an experience! He had » never imet anyone who appreciated ' beauty and pleasant things as she did . —and ihe had so few of t-hesn.- "It's beastly unfair,'' he reflected, "and I t would give her everything if I could, • and not even want a 'thank-you' from ' her, and I suppose old V.O. is going to haul me over the coals the same 1 -.as Von Markheim did; Oh, it's a hate-" ful, censorious old world!" • He turned'with an impatient frown as a servant made his noiseless appearance. "I did Jiot ring!' he said sharply. • "No, your grace. Sir Thomas Blagg your grace." Ludworth suppressed the words that rose to Ins lips, and turned with some surprise io meet his uncle-in-law, his natural kindness of heart and courtesy reasserting itself. "This is an unexpected pleasure, Tommy. I thought you were breaking the bank or has it broken you?" he asked as they were left alone. You have had breakfast? Have some with me—l have not finished yet." "I had breakfast an hour ago, such as it was," Blagg answered oracularly, ! "but don't let me interrupt you. My i business can wait." "Had a bad crossing, I suppose, Ludworth said sympathetically. "Try a whisky and"soda." . . ...- "I am perfectly well,' Sir Thomas replied testily. "We crossed three or fuor days ago." "What?" Ludworth dropped his knife and became aware that som*-, thing was amiss. _ . "My dear fellow," Ludworth cried. "Is there 'something wrong? What brought you back so suddenly? Sir Thomas groaned . "That,'' he .said, "is what I have come here to learn, Ludworth. \oxn—your aunt " He paused. "I hope there is nothing wrong, is —has Flora "he stammered. It was not an easy matter to disentangle Sir Thomas's long story or to find out his precise frame of mind. They had returned'to England almost at a minute's notice. Flora had been unhappy and unlike herself ever since | she had fainted at the restaurant She had'been "doing all sorts of things likely to raise suspicion m the unsuspicious, and had suddenly made up her mirid that they must at once return to England. . ; . u '; "No sooner in the house than she must have the carriage ordered at once and go to the dressmaker," Sir Thomas said, "and twice she has done this ; •, But worse evidently lay behind, a I chance remark to the coachman had ; revealed that' Lady Flora had sent the carriage away and an hour or two later had returned in a hired cab. , "I suppose,' Ludworth said, that she did not want to keep the horses standing so-long in the coldr "But why did she deny that she had J; done such a thing!" Sir Thomas said, j, Ludworth raised his brows. "First of all declared that she had not done so then went into violent hysterics, and I couTd'not get another word out other " He glared angrily at the young; man, '<lt had always been the custom ever since our marriage that themorning letter bag-is brought to me to unlock and distribute. There has never I>een any question on that point; but ever since we came back the letter bag has been opened, before it came to me! Her ladyship's orders! It's only a little matter, but straws show which wav the wind blows. .Why sholud Flom "wish to have the bag opened if it is nob -.thai she does not wish me to see her correspondence? I don't want to nrv on her letters—l have given her a. free hand ever since we married—but iw'hv should she have letters that she doesn't want mo to see ? Answer ie that, sir!" ' , "I can't," Ludworth answered quietly. "Unless, perhaps, she has II n into debt." (To be continued.)