"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 14 June 1913, Page 2

"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

(OLR SERIAL

By Charlotte M. Stanley. Author of "Edna's Vow," "His Country Cousiii." "Eovr, an Oath Was Kept," "A Woman Wronged."

CHAPTER XXVlH.—Continued. Bertha knew while she asked. The wild account of Fred's apparition in the garden, which Lillian poured forth almost incoherently, was a "twice-told tale," but she dared not' say a s much —no, sho could do no other than listen patiently. "I fainted," Lillian went on, ''and lay insensible for a 'Jong time, and even now Clarice and the servant., suppose me to be sleeping, locked u my own room. But I could not rest. Hoivw'% it possible? So I changed my dress and : stole away—no one knowing but my own maid—and came to you, Bertha i To you—who can tell me—oh, I know you can —what is this face and forjm that I have seen? A spirit, or my own true, living husband?" •

Bertha, without replying to the question, caught at that last word.

"Your husband? You still call Lorrimer—your husband, although you are Lady Holme?" "Assuredly 1 do I" Xillian's voice was passionate and clear, though low, and her manner intensely earnest. "Assuredly he is my husband! Not that he might consider rue his wife, -seeing that he think.me, false .to vKinxl. ~; Ahd ; yet-[how; faithful I have ;. bfeen :]'■)'} ;':j 04i; ~ ^Kil^; . \.l.-', .'Him; « ,-.eojMol^^ \v4iat passes on this earthas ; I believe* ihey do—see clearly. Theft w£uld"lie jsee iny sufferings, mo-tivfe^ho^wsj-the sickness of heart, so..king, waiting for news Of my lost passionate young iiother yearnipg iJiatiled me to this.eecou ■marriagel. How many a time'in the ■night | hive fancied; hisV-spirit;- 1 neat me/ andl told himof toy faitlif til, constant love, and wept the cruel fraud thatrsold me to a hateful slavery ? I ['"fancied I saw Fred in the spirit knew that ; neither wealth nor title had charms for me, save as the first might give me the .means .of finding child! But,if. lie be alive he knows ■ nothing! I must seem* to him a .light, vain woman, who grasped at position, and money and a second husband before heart's true love , -—had been twpc ;year§ dead! Oh,; cruel! cruel! from this, at least! > Oh, save^me!" She sank down upon her knees . by Bertha's chair and buried her facein the folds of her gown, weeping bitterly, i * ;,; -'- : '' ;;- ; '.; : '. ' - --'''ry ■•; ■

Bertha—[almost, .beside she saw* the bed-room door mpve slightly,' and thought 'of Sir Gilbert ill.the office outside, Bertha strove to calm her.

; s Gpod heavens! What'would happen if Fred should come out and they should meet, and'.-.Sir Gilbert should hear their-, voices? 1 x iNogocd would corner of it, since, ,as felt and' said,' between; them stood Sir bert's v child.' ;,"....';■.''. \■-;.-■'.,•'.■'>;•,■, ; '.-..'.' \Slio put jier arms rcuridfLillian, ,( ; ; sel!fand H6;calm|" she said,. "This and there are pjo Sin! the offi'ce who may overhear .ybtftfv tliaifc you want m,e >to do? ■ i:WKat" it;that you iifia^ine; i. ■■»l;?'l' '*-ffi-&W«- ''• ■?'}■ '& : ">. ■' : ■•' : 4~;Th^ ; i"uTid' ■■' ■ •'• v-;'i ■■ $ itfy.' oWn 1 "' true nishandr know the [truth. Tell it to him as 1told" & toi you ye&terday, :' Tell; lii-n pi my struggles, my poverty and toil, my TOsolute'determination 'and coc [Stant^Jhope—hot; dead even : yot. Bertha, not quite dead even, yet—to, niy.son:, . then tell him.liow this man, Sir/Gilbert;; came to 'me with [the offer sfUarge*hearis and;faithful help. ; 'Bo my wife, and let lis searchfor tlie child; together,' he said;* Oh. what wonder that glistened to him! I so young, -so inexperiencel, so desolaie, doubly oereaved as n'Other and Nrife, and heartsick with longing fpr my/ chftdj, Fi-pd this, I implore you; and 4-hen, wheht he; ilknows the truthj and thinks no weise than the truth 1 of me, perhops ?h time lie riiay le-arn to forgive rac, iaaid T niay "to be his .wife , \heaVhn.",'' , .';'.\' : "

■ She ceased, choked by her teal's, and her face • sabak down on Bertha's lap again. i; Bertha \ bewi lde'red ■'• Iwtween 'her pity and her fearsj and.quite unable to movV herieyep from that bedroom door* whicli stood ajar riow>; and > r-or,* she. fancied omi-. nouslyi;^'.- : ■:;■;"•" ; -; '■; /Bertha spoke almost harshly: :>'■''HOw pah I do all this ? ' And of what use, if I did do it? Yen'two 1 , are separated Wever. Besides,"—. with sudden recollection—"what, nonsense all this is! Fred being dead, how can.l tell him anything?"

Lillian rose suddenly to her feet. Her face Was pale,' and her .eyes shor>e tlirough their tearfi like stars. "She looked down v on Bertha solemnly. .■■* • "Fred is not dead," she said earnestly. ''No, and neither is my child, although you keep him. from me! How can you reconcile it to your conscience to do such -tilings—you, a good stand between a mother, and her child, and, knowing my, true huslwuid to be alive, to expose me to the sha'he 'and-.danger-.of [living\iiv sin wi'thv;anpther—-lioir cail you do this Ido n'otknbw! TThdoubtedly you will answer for it toGod, and to Him.l leave you. As for me,_l have seen my husband—seen him in the flesli, and only on© course is left ■ me. I shall write to Sir Gilbert in New York to-morrow, that Fred Lorrimer is alive, and from this.hour I have no husband!" Then suddenly, with those words, "I shall write to Sir Gilbert in Js T ew York tomorrow," there came over her the me-nory of what she had done. Sent him here to this very hotel for lodgings. ' ;

(To be Continued.)

Perhaps, then, he was under the very roof with her at this moment. She' trembled; and then turned red, and her beautiful eyes flashed. Why write ? Why not say what she wished to him 1 here and now?

"I s Sir Gilbert here?" she asked. "I remember that he spdke about coming." Then as Bertha, lost in deep and painful thought, moved her head assentingly, she turned toward the door.

"I should like to see him," Lillian said resolutely. "What has to be said between u« had best be said by word of mouth, and with yourself and your husband as witnesses. Will you show me where to find uini, or call him here?"

She was at the door, and her hand was on the look In another moment she would have opened it, when Btrtha spra.ng s uddenl;vjTom her chair. "Stop!" she cried, ai.'d her face was pale and her mild eye* glowed with a resolute purpose, "stop! I have kept silence long enough; now I'll speak to.you!"

OUR NEXT NEW SERIAL •"COM''y "'.:.■ v , '' ; ;otr4^cin^'.';i^Ance,''of 'w-;' re-; f markaMy enthralling story entitled "PRETTY PENFLOPE," I ■ BY / EFFIE ADELAIDE ROWLANDS, Author of "A Girl's Kingdom,", "A ; Splendid Man," "The Interloper," "A Kinsman's Sin," "Brave Barbara," etc. This is certainly one of. the author's.; most meritorious The heroine, though far- from faultless, is a very amiable personage,,yet inclined ori -occasions to have her Own way,, and ingeniously plans* to secure» ! it. It is not strange, therefore, that she- is frequently in trouble, and exmuch tribulation. A very interesting plot, full of intensely exciting dramatic situations, unites the strange events, and keeps the reader in a state of delightful expectancy. ■: The opening chapters afford a fore-, , taste of the delightful story in [ wljich Pretty Penelope enacts a captivating part. Read them, and judge for,' yourself. • ; - . .--.,,'