"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 12 May 1913, Page 2

"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

(OUR SLRSAL

By Charlotte M. Sianity. Author of "Edna's Vow," "His C ountry- Cousin," "How an Oath Was Kept," "A Wo man Wronged.

CHAPTER ll.—Continued. « _ "A YOUNG MAN MARKED."

Fred's meal, scant and uncomfortable, was ono calculated to enhance the 'charms and merits of that cozy little home dinner.from which he had run away, and all other home comforts in * his estimation. What a happv and coaifortable little home she had made liiii on such small means, and what a brigbtener and sweetener she had always been to it! Sweet Lillian! what would hfo be to him without her? Even if she did want to go to this ball —and here it occurred to him to wonder what ball it could l)'o at this early season!—there was nothing surprising in it, she being so young and so lovely. She must not go, of course, and she must give < up the acquaintance of Rose Clare! I Good gracious! what a wretched hypo- j crite that girl must be, witli her pale, saintly, and sweet, bin© eyes] No wonder Lillian wa s deceived in her! Well, she must give Rose up that he should insist on —and he would take her to a hall himself as soon as ho got back from Europe. Europe! Goodness! how little time they had left them for consideration! It would bo nine o'clock beforo he reached home, and only three hours before midnight,, and Lillian did not knowdid not even dream—-about the T>nsineso! Ho would go to her and tell her at once. He pad lii s bill and turned homeward , indulging in the extravagance of a street car in order to economise some oF tlio.se Tew precious minutes that lay between the present hour and midniglit. As he realised how veiv swiftly they were passing away—how cruelly abrupt would come his starting news to Lillian —how their quarrel, mid "his own anger, had caused him to waste five good liour s in Which the important subject which must now be hurriedly decided might have "been reasonably discussed—he cui sed his own folly in having heeded his wife's teasing nonsense; in not having resolutely put all else aside and gone straight to the main subject of his thoughts. ! "I'll do„ that now," he resolved— ] wise too late, like so many of us. ; "If she pouts or sulks or seems inclined to quarrel, I'll just say to her: 'Let us put temper aside for a while, and listen to some serious news, my dear,' and then I'll tell her. I must. There's no time to be wasted. Lillian must decide at once." He came on eagerly, looking up to window of their room —that window f-om which she had lately watched l.im him through her streaming eyes —as' ho jumped from the car at the corner. Tt gave liini a sudden shock, a chill, "to see that window dark, or very neaijy so. What could that mean, now ? He paused and set his teeth, and his brow darkened heavily as a thougjht, a doubt, occurred to him: "Can she havo gone, after all? Can she havo defied me? If she has" —a. d'wp and passionate oath fell from his lip&—'"if she has, my child goes to Europe with me, and she and I are parted from this hour —forever!"

But next minute t*lie harsh suspicion died. What ailed !him, he wondered, to ho so qtiick to believe evil of her? This was Saturday night —oh, the lumpy Saturday nights they had had together! and this one so miserable —she had her marketing to do —who might ha.ve gone out for that. But. somehow, his own !hoart told him that was not very likely, while she was looking and hoping for his return, and after they had parted in anger. More likely isihe had given way to grief when he had left her—you see, love was guiding him nearer to the truth t>v degrees—and had wept until she had made iher head ache, and was now lying down in the darkened room beside th? sleeping babe. Ah, that solution of the mystery recommended itself to him as the true one.

CHAPTER IV

He entered the house very quickly and quietly, and stole softly upstairs and into the rami. He meant to arouse' her very gently, with a kiss and ,whi»!>ered prayer for pardon, pre knew, tliat he would only need to say: "My darling. I have come back. I am sorry. Do forgive me," and her •soft arms would come stealing round his neck atjcl all would be well again. '"A young' man married is a young, man marred," indeed! More likely a young man saved and made 'happy forever. But she was not on the bed beside tlip child. The little one lav there, indeed, hut the mother was not-near it. Puzzled,, and strangely troubled, too, he came, out ef the bedroom into the other room —also 5 darkened — and—

Why, there she was, sitting, in her rocking chair beside the table, her back to the window, her arms flung on the table, her head lying on her arms —asleep was she? or weeping Fred camo near and touched her very softly. "Lillian." said he gently, "Lillian." And then ho started back, a woman looked up in answer, but it was not Lillian. It was the landlady. She spoke, yawning heavily. "Is it Mr Lorrimer? Oh, ] thought so! 1 was dozing a little, wasn't 1 ? So tired, you see. No danger but T'd hear the young un, though, if he woke and cried. Your wife asked me to sit here with him till she came in again." "Oh, indeed! Has Mrs Lorrimor gone out marketing?" Fred asked her quietly, very quietly. "Well, I don't think so," she said. "Goodness, Mr Lprrrner, how hoarse your voice i«s f You've got a dread-

CTo be Continued.)

ful cold, haven't you ? No; Mrs Lorrimer went out with that young woman—what's her name? that she's so friendly with —Miss Clare. She did say something this morning about going to some ball, but f reckoned she was only jokng. 'cause of baby here. Anyhow, she and Miss Clare had each a big bundle to carry, and she said she would bo back before ten o'clock, and begged me to sit with baby. Are you going to stay in now, or will you be going out again?" Fred started as she addressed this question to him, as a man starts trom a dream. "No," ho said as hoarsely as before. "You needn't wait, Mrs Juniper; I'll take charge of baby." Then when she had gone: "A young man married is a young man marred,' he said bitterly. "But, marred or made, I'll take charge of baby."

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BALL DRESS. And. in tho meantime, where was Lillian ? Where was the loving, remorseful little wife'whom we so lately saw watching her husband with tenderly regretful tears ? Not very far away in truth', and yet, perhaps —011 such .slight chances do the great events of life often turn and hangperhaps too far away to get home that night in time to avert the shipwreck of two lives. STie had dried her ears in order to return to her sewing, which must be finished before eight o'clock, whatever else happened; for at that hour Rose Clare was coming to help her to I take it home. Ah, if Fred had only got back in time to meet Roso andlearn the plain and simple truth about that unlucky ball dress! It was briefly this: Rose Clare had a married sister who was a dressmaker, and wio, while having a quantity of work on hand, had been sudden tlv taken sick. Two ball dresses, which she had faithfully promised to a valued customer by Saturday evening and .which could not possibly be delayed as the said customer was to leave New York that night on the midnight train,: -mist be finished by somebody, and in this emergency were offered to Rose. She, hard at work in the store all day. undertook to do ! one of them in ; hor overtime, and secured the other one for Lillian, well knowing how thankful she would be for work.

This was the great secret that had worked sudh woe. Lillian was to have five dollars for the work, and being able to keep at it pretty steadily all day, while Fred was out, had conceived the idea of hiding the .matter from him until the task was really accomplished, nud the money, so welcome, so much needed, and which she felt so joyfully proud to earn, was indeed their own. For three days she had toiled at it enjoying the secret and the thought of Fred's glad surprise fully an much as the prospect of having the money. Her spirits rose a-s she worked, for might not this lead to other chances and so enable her to lighten her husband's toil? And she pleased herself —being but a girl—thinking what fun i't- wooikl b' to put the dress on, and tease and puKzlo Fred a little befoi'o she told hiin her good news. Poor Lillian! She hiVd teased, and puzzled :him to some purpose now, indeed.