Fotheringay's Son.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 10 December 1912, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son.

'OW-SERIAL.)

CHAI'TKH V. (Continued.)

Again she was silent, and he repeater! his <;ue>.'r.ion :

"Mav 1 hope, MissKayburn?" Sir.' turned away from lii'iti with a, f>.pl:!iu (!•:' embarra-sment. "I do net know. Why do you insist »n »■■ answer, your grace? Surely it is scarcely decent here, to-night, when onlv a Few hours have passed since—" ''\fc nin only asking you if I may l>.'H)«." said the duke. "Wliy. ven—of course—hope ! But veil should not wring words out of mo. T air cold ; take me in and let. mo "You want to dance again.-' "Yes. Did T not say so?" -'Cw then! - ' he said, leading her back to the ballroom. The duke kn-nv from her troubled; look that it had cost her a good deal to make her renunciation of Tony. He put his arm round her. "Yon shall never regret your words, ho snida. "You know yon ™ a s' ' n,st

">>s," she said quietly. "And you kr.ow that, although appearance? are against, ire, you may trust me. , I rnuld have deceived you easily, you

knr.w." "Yes," he said; and then added, almost against his will: "Why did vou not?" '•Because," she said naively, I hav<? always found it pays better to tell the 'truth."- . '•I understand," he said. "Well, it b as good a basis as any other to work on. Bv the way, we have talked through.-the whole of this dance, and you are out of breath. Shall I take you to your seat?" "No," replied the girl; "you can take me to my .mother. I have had enough of this; I want to go home. "You are tired" "Worn out! I have lived a lifetime today." / , i . Lady Kaylwrn was ready to tako her daughter home. . . ~ "You arc dreadfully pale, \irginni., she said. "I am afraid you have been overdoing it." "1 think it was the shock of Captain Fotheringay's," accident/' - remarked the duke. He was taking the ladies down to the carriage. Lord itavburn had obstinately refused to come declaring that he had made up his mind to go to the club. "And I can get the latest news of Tony for j Virginia," lie had said. Mother and daughter drove Home i without exclaiming many words Lady Rayburn's heart was wrung with , what she thought was her daughter s crrief and pluck. She drew Virginia J dose to her as they sat in the carriage | together. ~ ' ■, "It will be all right, dear," she said, i„ her soft purring way _ "You know men do not think anything of these accidents; he will be about again in: a very little time." _ "Oh yes!" said Virginia. Pour weeks,'J'think Mr Damian said." | The mother then referred to some of I her daughter's triumphs. | Tho f)uke of Alfreton is going to call to-morrow. Virginia, You must be careful, dear. I think he has looked .at vou too often for his peace of mind *lf it had been he in the beginning ray Virginia, would have been a duchess, a great lady! But it was Tony who came hrst-Tony, who ought to have been the duke. He looks like one even- inch of him—not that tidy little man. I could never stand a little man myself!" ".Strawberry leaves add immensely to a man's height," said-Virginia dryly, "and I like him, mother; he is very nice to me." "Very well, dear—l thought I would warn you. You do not know how you play with men's hearts, and I should not like my daughter to be thouht a flirt," added the mother gently. "I don't think any one 'would call me a flirt," said the girl gently. It was quite true, for she was not a flirt, but if Lady JRayburn had but known she could have substituted the harsher word "jilt" for flirt. Virginia had never flirted. She tod fallen in love with.-Tony,.imagining him-to be able to give hor all the good tlungs of this Hfo, and if she had been.asked she would have said, .that she was bedtvalt by because ;the,man she loved was poor. She blamed him, too. "It was dishonorable of him, Knowing that he could not marry me,/- she said to herself,, when she was trying to i justify her own conduct. It did not occur to her that money was a-thing I about which Tony never gave a mo- : ment's thought.

tSHAPTEH. VI

"I am going to see Tony fcliis morning," said Lord Eaybum to lus daughter at breakfast. "If lie is very insistent Virginia, would you like to promise that I will take yon to see.him ? Virginia flushed and drew herself up stiffly. -. " ■ . , ,: -' ~ "No thank you, father!" she..said. "My dear child," he said, with a laugh, "I did not know I had hrougnt up "such a dragon of propriety! You know, Virginia, there i 9 nothing unusual in a girl going with her father to visit her invalid fiance." _ "Oh, I know!" said Virginia.. But you see, father, the engagement is only known to us four. It would not do fame to go with you. Besides, lony would not like to see him at a disadvantage. I understand Tony,,father. I He glories in his handsome appearance

BY ALAN ADAIR Author of "An Island Princess," "A Marriage of Felicity " Etc.

(To be Continued.)

and in his being always in tlio pink of perfection. And he would not car© to see me with a third person in the room. That wcidd not bo Tony at all. Ho, likes t: have me to himself!" "Very .udi," >e> lied her father; "1 only thought it would please you both!" "You are a kind creature!" said Virginia, and she went over and kissed him. She had pretty ways with her, and .she was not above using all her wiles to cajole her father. Lord E«iybum left her, very well pleased with her and himself.

He found Tony looking very pale, but as handsome as ever. He had suffered a great deal of pain and ho was lon/iino; for Virginia with an ardor that ,almost consumed him. When Arthur Damian had given him the message the day before ho had said that he had understood. He longed, however, for a letter ho could keep under his pillow and could read and re.

read. His love for her left him no peace. He had not even a, picture of the woman ho adored—nothing but the remembrance of that onointerview whan she,had told him.she loved hi in.' Since then he had gone over every word she had said, had tried to recall the tone of her voice, the turn of her throat, e-tery single thing that made up the girl's fascination for him. He | had r (Ter imagined himself capable of such strong passion for any one. His ver\- being seemed to depend on Virginia alone. When Lord Raybtirn was announced Tony was almost beside himself with gratitude. The presence of Virginia's father seemed to make everything much more real. "This is very good of voir," he said, as Lord'Eayburn approached. And then a. wistful look orept into his beautiful eyes. *'Have you a letter r. me?" he asked. "No," replied Lard Ray burn, vexed with' himself that he had not asked Virginia if she had a note to send. "I wanted to bring Virginia., but she tWicrht jt better j )l0 t \ 0 ( > ome . Your engagement has not been announce • yet, she said, but " Ho was about to say s'he sent her love," when lie remembered that Virginia had not done so. "But what?" asked Tony eagerly. "Virginia, does not ca're to send messages," said Lord Rayburn. "T know." said Tony, a tender smile quivering on his lips. "There are tilings about us too sacred to be talked over. She is quite perfect, you know."

Lord B.ayburn walked about the room. The look on Tony's face hurt him. Virginia was not perfect, he knew. He might lie a commonplace man, but he would have infinitely preferred a girl who would have insisted upon seeing the man she. loved, whatever anv one might say. Sometimes it ccurred to Jiim that Virginia way a trifle cold-hearted.

"f suppose," ho said, "that you will want to get married verv soon?" "Want to?" cried! Tony. "'Want to? Why, you don't know how difficult it is to live through a day without her!" Lord Kaybum smiled. Tony, at least, was not cold.

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