Fotheringay's Son.
'OUR SERIAL.)
BY ALAN ADAIR Author of "An Island Princess," "A Marriage of Felicity " Etc.
ChIAL'TKi? 11. (Continued.)
"Perhaps," le continued, "you would give nu- a dance at the -Ropers' to-inorroiv night? I presume you are "Yes," she said, "I am going, iu-cl nul shall ho much pleased to give you dance . I shall not forget." "Please don't!" he said gravely, then bowed and left her.
Tony laughed ay he passed on. "That little man was much in earnest," ho said. "F. don't like you giving him even one dance." "Hut vou don't mind, Tony?''
"My dearest," he replied, "1 tie mind in a way. and in another way 1 don't. If you must come in contact : with the outside world at all, if F cannot monopolize every instant of your existence, F am quite willing that >ou , should give a little of your attention : to a gentleman like a duke. He is too insignificant to matter!" 'lie looks insignificant, you mean," she 'said. "F suppose he does not think a duke could be insignificant." He laughed again. "In this world there ace only two people," ho said —"you and 1. The rest are .shadows and don't matter in the least." 1
He had one dance more with her and then they both left. He escorted her down to her carriage in almost ft delirium of joy. The everyday world had ceased to exist for him. He >ad entered into the great world of romance—the world where lovers are always true, where the yun always shines, and when he handed Virginia into her carriage even Lady Rayburn noticed the exaltation of .his manner. "We shall see yon soon. Captain Fothoringay?" she asked.
"Soon? To-morrow—which is today," he answered. "F must see Lord Rayburn—will he see mo to-morrow morning—to-day, T mean? F play polo at Hurlingham in the- afternoon, and you''—he turned to Virginia, a?.' be spoke, with a look of love —"are you coming to see me play?" "Yes, of course!"—and the carriage rolled away.
CHAPTER TIT. Tony was left, standing on the sidewalk as the carriage made its way to Green Street; other carriages came up and went, hut ho .stood still and looked at the house where so much joy had come to him. The lions? was such an ordinary house, too —just the sort oF well-kept house that one sees in the great London squares, with i'flower boxes and well-curtained windows. Tonight, owing to the hall, it I wore almost a rakish appearance, but Tony did .not notice that. Ho stood [ still and looked at it in tho gray light I b'eforo dawn, and only moved away as ho saw a little man in a light summer overcoat come, out from under tho awning.
The man pulled up his collar, lit a cigarette and stepped out briskly. Tony knew that he did not like, him, although before his grace of Alfretr had always seemed, to him a. harmless person enough. He kne.v, too, why it was that he did not liko him—it was becouso Virginia had promised him a dance. "What.a fool I am!" he said to himself. "She must come in contact with other people on. her way through the world, ibut I hate it—l kite it!" Ho did not smoke himself —it would not have fitted his mood—hue he thought suddenly of Arthur Damian. "J must tell him," ho thought. "Good old Arthur in snoozing under his bedclothes by this timo, I suppose, Never mind, ho must be a wakened —he must hear what has happened." He set out briskly for Damian's apartments. Anthony Fotheringay knew no restraint or moderation, Arthur must hear his news, and at onco. In response to his knocks at the door a very sleepy man in hastily donned garments came down ami asked the impatient lover what he wanted iu not very patient tones . "To see Arthur Damian!" replied Tony just as if it were the most natural thing in the world to disturb a household at nearly four in the morning in order to pay a call. The man said something under lu's breath, but let Tony in. Arthur Dannan had heard fiome of the colloquy through the open window, but was not sure of what was happening. He was quite sure, though, the moment the door opened and Tony walked in . As the light of dawn fell on Tony's face it showed his friend that some wonderful thing had befallen him. "Wako up, sluggard!" cried the Tfsitbr.
"I am awake," said Arthur, sitting upright in his bed and: holding his hand out to Tony . "I understand. I know wliy you have como to see "Do you?" said the other. His
voice was high and clear and triumphant. "Can you understand, old man?
Can you realise what it is J feel?"
The honest, practical face with its nondescript oyey was raised for a moment.
"I do not belong to the raco of the giants," said Damian humbly. "I am head and shoulders below the rest of the world .while you are head and .shoulders a.bpye; but 1 do not understand bv the love I bear vou."
They could talk love quite simply in the dawn of the morning, and somehow it seemed to come to Tony for the first time how much Arthur cared for him. He took the other maii'sj hand. "(jlc.oc! Jonathan." lie said—his* voice had an odd kind of break in it "good Jonathan, 'passing the love of women,' is that the kind of love you have for me?- 'Passing the love of worneX' Can- anything surpass that?"
"I.nve of different kinds," said Arthur quietly. "But T love you all the more, Tony, because you came at once and told me."
"J have told you nothing as yet, " said Tony.
"Oh, yes.', you have! You have told me that you love Virginia. Raybum, that she loves you, and that she has promised herself to you forever and a day. You told ■me all that without uttering a single word. It was easy to see it, Tony, if you knew all the good I wish for you." "T know you wish me all good," said Tony. "But T have it, Damian—T have it . As long as «ho loveg mo and will give herself to me, nothing else matters at all."
It was not the moment for the thousand practical thoughts that rushed into Arthur's brain. He did not want to be called an "incorrigible dog" ; still more did he feel disinclined to dim this one great moment of his friend's life .
Tony did not -"-aspect that Arthur thought of telling him that it would have"been better for him to consider his position. For an hour or so he talked, and Arthur let him, then suddenly, quite as suddenly as he had come in, Tony roso to £O.
"I must try to rest,"he said. "I am to play in the polo match -this afternoon." She will be there to **ee; it won't do for me to fail to-day!" "Why should you fail?" Arthur said; and then there came to him a thought. "Do you know that I shall not see the fulfillment of your happiness?" ho cried. "I heard yesterday that I have to go India in ten Hays." "To India? What a bore? Why ,Tnust ycm go?" | "It is a chance that comes to a man |once in a lifetime," replied Damian. ! <'Ther© is a crisis in the affairs of the ! company. If I can pull things into I shape, the fortunes of the company will he placed, upon a. firmer basis and | incidentally my own fortune will be i made. It is a groat thing to bo mI trusted with such an important mission. If it were not for leaving you [T should be delighted."
(To bo Continued.)
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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 3 December 1912, Page 2
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1,304Fotheringay's Son. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 3 December 1912, Page 2
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