The Romance of a Business Girl.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 18 November 1912, Page 2

The Romance of a Business Girl.

HAPTER XVJI. (Continued.) Seren: dutiful! v presented her check again, writhing under tlio infliction. "T may a.s well be hung for a sheep as for a Jamb," she reflected, while speeding hack to her lodgings. "Anyway, J shall know the worst and the best of my mother and brother after Sunday. Then I will make, my choice —hike thorn or leave them."

CHAPTER XVJII. MRS MAXWELL HOPE'S SUNDAY PARTY. The last mail on Saturday brought another letter from Jim, and he was overflowing with jubilance. The business was finished, hut .for the signing of a few documents, and very fine business it was, too. Now he ;vas certain that he should reach Loudon not later than Monday, hut he was kicking up his heels for joy at the prospect of being with Serena again. He told her not to reply to this letter, because the chances were that he would have left Paris before it re idled there. In the meantime, Serena had spent an evening with Lady Laura, and a whole, af ternon with her uncle 1 , George Fleming. The conversations, however were of a widely different character. Ry a very slow mental process Ladv Laura, had arrived at the. conclusion that she had done Mayhew a serious injustice. His absence and absolute silence were cruelly painful, but she wars too proud and too selfwilled to make the first step toward a reconciliation. The theft of her jeweh-. was a nv'tcry which threatened t:i romai'i unsolved, She had suspected Mayhew when his bey was found in the lock, and his suddenly a--•wired funds, the .trip to Monte Carlo, had ch.'Uged the suspicion into a certainty. After all. she had been wrong. "ft must be Phil," Serena thought. "Her liusband thinks so." Aloud she said: ."Circumstantial evidence has hanged lots of innocent men, Lady Laurii.' 1 believe Captain Mayhew to be the soul of honour. He went to Monte Carlo almost empty-handed, and staked a trifle at the tables. Tt Mas inspiration—intuition, he says; he knew that he would win, and ho did. He felt impelled to go on until the hank w,s broken. Then lie came home, and will never gamble again." "T hope not."

"I am sure of it. . Ho isn't the man to disregard an oath. liehi'id his cold exterior there is a big reserve of do"p feeling." "Little champion, you make me ashamed." "Write to him. L"dv Laura, and say that you are 'orry. Tt is the least that yon can do." pleaded Serena. "T think T will, darling—nay. T am sure of it, and you shall mail tho letter." So this was a little triumph for Seren.i, and the interview with her r,:io!o was no less decisive. She was no longer in the mood for tentative or half measures. Life was becoming a serious problem. Pleasure seemed to bring an equal proportion of pain. No longer wa.s there a shadaw of selfdistrust ; her mind w.:vs clear and determined.

She told her uncle of her more than doubtful experience at Richmond—of her promise to go on the followinsr Sunday, when her final decision would bo made regarding her future' attitude toward her mother. "T will remember who and what she is to me. and lie as charitable, as T en and then J shall tell Jim everything. Uncle," she trembled, "she drinks champagne at tea time, and is familiar 'with the servants. Her language sets my teeth on edge. She pretends to cam for me, but her kisses make me shudder. She cannot really love me, and it makes me wonder why she wants mo at all." "Easily explained." her uncle said dryly. "She has her knife into Jim Carting, she lutes me ; and, Serena, you must be aware that you are a very attractive young woman. Your mother, T am sure, has some scheme in her mind that you will be of very materia! nso to her," Serena's face and eyes flamed. "1 am not going, to make any pretences; I know what you mean, uncle. She has already hinted that 1 may marry a duke." Her lips curled with scorn. "That's it," he pointedly answered, "I need not say another word, i You will have your eyes opened still wider on Sunday." These words sounded ominous to ■ Serena, and when the motor landau- j lette from Richmond drew up at the''

'ftUS? nth* \l]

BY F. L. DAGRE Author of "A Fleet of D roams, ' "Silar DenninKtot." a Mouey," "The Shadow of Shame," "A Phantom of the Past," H eld in Bondage etc.

' door of her lodgings on Sunday ino.-u----!ng her heart almost failed her. She had dressed with unusual care, ,:i a ne.v costume, bought during the. previous week. .It was a sort of dress rehearsal effect for Jim's bonoiit, when he came hack from Paris, and ahe had not scrupled about spending a few pounds of the hundred given to her by her uiide. Sho. said good morning to Captain Vance, after promising to bo home about ten in the evening. "You ara getting s.nue swell friends, Miss Fleming," said he curiously, "Yes." Sho raised hor shoulders. "I will probably tell you all a.bruil tihese new wnes to-morrow. They have been sprung upn me quite unexpectedly." She was drawing on her gloves, and Captain Vance stared at her admiringly. Her enchinced beauty came upon him like a revelation.- Her dress was of some creamy silken material, embroidered witli ,a design of pale, I wild ro.ses and the. large lace- hat had a cluster of wild j"oses tucked among its folds. He thought that he had j never seen a more beautiful woman, i ■•'Enough- to make an old man young," ho thought. "What a few fine feathers will do, to be sure. She oughtn't to be flying About by herself so much. Out till midnight h"ii>ly." The mysterious calm of the sabbath was in tho air. The church bells were ringing; the birds were ewittering in. the trees, and on the' housetops.. Prim children, dressed i" i their Sunday best, hymn books in hand, were trooping away to Sunday School. "Up to tim-\ miss." '-fie .''ennan s-ii dfamiliarly; "we genoralk have to wait .hilf an hour for the 1. i ses' appointments." rSeiena gave the man a cold and haughty stare. He stood aside- while she entered the -car, then winked at the driver, and jumped up to his own seat. "What hive we her''.'?" he whispered to tho driver. "A frozen image?" During the drive to Richmond Serena's state of mind was curious, almost torpor like. With her back to the sun, hey chin half supported ni the palm of her left hand, she stared steadily in front of her. unseeing, unhearing. When the landaulette swept info the drive at The Laurels sho was moved "to astonishment at what seemed to be the wonderful shortness of the journey. She alighted, and..walked indoors, preceded by a snuff seeiit?d butler. hi the hall he told Miss Fleming that Mrs Hope was net down yet. Tt was rather early. "Eleven o'clock," thought Seren-. Perhaps she wou'd lik? f- go v." to her room? Hid. she require nny- ! thing?- Mrs Hone hod givmi orders I that Miss Klc'iiinrr was to do 'just I she pleased. The housekeeper wa.'.n'f down vet. either. "Gc.\:\ heavm*'" Selena thrught. "What e household!" (To be Continued.)