Fotheringay's Son.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 16 January 1913, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son.

) (0\ R SER'AL t

; BY ALLAN ADAIR \ 1 Author «f "*.« uiand Prlnows," "A Marrlag* si Falii- j/

C'HAPTKK XXV. (Ciontinuoil.) '■You must do vvhiit you think best," said Gla/.obrook. "My mother •-.liiv'it- m v-< with nil invasion. You -'•r'' know her. She is nevim- happy in the same place for long. ' *»P„.<r v'ii.' I,;i- danced too much and is [■■.;■ I -.f r.oiu'-.n life. She talks of coming d''-w<:i !"'iv vstt.lt a fen- friends, ""v mother's 'few friends' mean largo dinner parties, and dancing and -anK She alwavs Lives m a whirl—'■mi- vmi aw her :n town i "Only for ten minutes. She seemed to me most astonishingly young to look at.'' '•\'es every one says she looks 1 voting," said 'Mortimer. ' "We ran have our mornings lor work," remarked Donald. "1 am afraid 1. alwavs think of the work I fi,-st—work has been the habit of my life." I "I think it Ims bee?i the pleasure of mine," .said Mortimer. \s they were talking, Sylvia and Miss .Morse entered the room. "! do not know why she i s coining so much sooner this year." said she, and then she added a little wistfully; "We shall not get any more nnv-ic, Mortimer; even if I am not of the party, mother will want you." "S'ex." said Glavehrook. a little impatiently, "everything will be. quite different."

be ft; re w- to make or to mar, and you must not try to moralize —it would spoil you—and it does not ring true either. You say a thing like that because yen think you ought to, not beeatts. v you want to!"

"You are. quite right," he said, "f only want to say one thing when f am will) you !" "Would it not be a trifle monotonous if you only said the same tiling over and over again?" "Yes, it would be," lie said, with a sigh of relief.

He realised that he was on the edge of a precipice. A word too much, and ho might perhaps never be able to see her again. Already lie felt thai he. had been unfaithful to the trust reposed in him. "Why did you sigh, 'Mr Lavender?" 'tie asked, watching Donald eh-solv.

Miss Morse was a wary woman, niul knew quite well that Sylvia was losing her heart to young Lavender. She. of all the four, was not sorry that Lady Glazobrook was returning, so that she could see for herself how matters stood. She had. however, no idea that Sylvia had seen Lavender in the rose garden. Donald lingered over lunch with his pupil, and it was only when the latter declared that he must go to his room and work that he ;iir:ule his way tr> ,the rose garden.

"My mother is not well, for one thiii'z," he said. "I~s she not? lam sorry. T '■■ impose vou a.re all the world to o.nch other?" "I do not know." he said haltingIv. '•'] am sure she loves me, but there has always been a feeling of restraint between us. T do not know why. although T am sure she would give her life for me." "Do vou think vou get at the heart of neople easily?" "Easily?" he reoeatod. "It wruld not he worth, getting at if one did." "1 am glad we have had these two afternoons," she said, with delightful frankness, as they wore about to part, "otherwise we-might never have really known each other." "I a.m. more than glad," he said. "And now T must go hack. I do not think you will have many opportunities of a quiet talk with me fr.r some time to eo.mp. but remember this is a favorite, spot of mine—when other couples are not about."

He sat there for an hour or- more

"I shall not forget," he as»urecl her gravely.

dreaming, when a footstep caused him to look up. Tt was Sylvia. She stopped a moment to pick a 'hunch of crimson ramblers, which she endeavoured to fasten to her hlou.se.

"There, I have bent the pin! Can you straighten it for me?" she asked, holding out a brooch to him.

"I will trv," he said. "Now it is all right." "I bebove this is the coolest place in Gkzebrook," she remarked, after a pause.

"It certainly is the most beautiful," he answered. "Is it not? 1 am very fond of it. But after to-day it will be full of coupler, and there will be the sound of revelry all day and all night." "T think you will enjoy it immensely." he said.

"Why do you say that?" she asked quickly. "Do I seem so frivolous, then?"

"You will enjoy it because you will love to shine among men and women. Please stop nie if T am impertinent, hut any one as lovely as you must enjoy the homage of men." ".Must T" she said wistfully. "I think that, after all. vou do not understand me very well Mr Lavender."

! As he stood aside to let her pass down the steps of the pergola her roses brushed against him and fell to the ground. She walked on, apparently uncon'cious that sh? had jdropped them. He picked up the flowers, pressed them passionately tn his Jins, and then put them in hii' pneketbook. "She takes a little interest in r" he said, as he walked back to the house, "because she has a generoirheart and would like to make me feed at mv ease. But that is all. a he would never, never think of me. \Vkrhoulrl she? The thing is impossible She is a great lady. T am the som of common people,, and my father was a thief." He groaned aloud at th? thought. "T shall have to leave this." hj" muttered. "T shall have to hegin iifc afresh in a new country where social differences do not mean so much. But it will be terrible to have to leave her."

"1 think f do. ' he answered, in a low tone.

"Oh, no, I do not think it possible! You see, my father was like Mortimer and me. He loved my mother passionately! notwithstanding that the was so entirely different from him. When men praised his statesmanlike qualities ho was only pleased because she liked to see honors heaped upon him.'"

"And do you think you would not care for honors yourself?" he asked. "Xo honors would make me think more of a man if I really cared for him," she said. "Nothing that any one could say or do would make any difference. Tf T honored him with my regard other honors would matter nothing to me." "And, if one had the privilege of winning your regard, that should be guerdon enough for any man," he said. She threw her head hack with a proud gesture. "How afraid we are of words!" she said. "When I said 'regard' you know I should have said 'love.' " "Regard is the hotter word," he remarked. "Perhaps it is a little safer," she said with a, smile. "But Tam no coward." "I nm suro yon are not." ho answered. "T menu no moral coward.," she Went on. "T hate physical pain. T am a coward ahrmt that, hub 1 am I not afraid of saving or doing anything. T think T can he a law unto myself." "That is dangerous." ] iP said soher. I.v. i "Please don't!" she pried. "Don't . think it your duty to moralize. You I"ever have done so before, and you | don't mean it a little bit. Tn v'n-ur heart you are like me. You feel px'actly as T do. Why should you not? ■ We are hoth young and have our life

(To be Continued.)