"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 30 June 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope,"

(UUK SfcKirtL

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands, Author of "A Girl's Kingdom," "A Splendid Man," "The Interloper," "A Kinsman's Sin," "Brave Barbara, etc.

tjHAl'TEll V—Continued. -

Penelope's selfishness was not long- . lived, tWver. Loaning forward, she kissed the flushed, excited face before her. "Dear, darling Lucie. lam so glad at last you are going to make that poor Walter of yours huppyW hat wonderful news I It sounds like a fairy story. Have you told' mother? But, of course, you have, and isn't she delighted?" Lucie's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Pen," she said, is an angel; slio lives only for us. If I had to leave her alone, I should never marry unless she would consent to share our home; but now she has you. She has such joy, such delight think of ail this, I feel as though this liappines s were not real; it seems too great to bo true." " 'Everything eomos to him who waits.' You have waited a long! time for this, dear Lucie." They were pacing homeward now over the sunlit sand. Mrs Desborougli, sitting beside the open window, saw them coming, and waved: her handkerchief to them.

"Is Walter here?" Penelope asked, as they walked on, Lucie talking excitedly. . "No —he has written. This afternoon's .-nail has j list come. Mother bad oner from Aunt. Julia,, and from Mr de Burgh, .! fancy; but I really am too excited to remember. 1 j .hi out to find you so hurriedly; I longed to let you know at onW." And then Lucie drifted on\to tho question of her marriage. v •' IV a Iter said he wan. a thts wedding to bo- immediately—rnmodi.ste.ly, Pen; what can-he mean by that?" ■'Now —at once —directly posthaste —without delay 1" said Penelope with a smile that lit up her frqe, but did not linger now as it used to do; "that is the true meaning of tihio word in the dictionary, Lucie. I hope you will write to Aunt Julia ami let her know of your good fortune as soon as possible." "Wo .shall see whit she has written, No doubt mother will want me to answer the letter some tine soon."

Penelopo was standing in the window where she and Denis had exchanged that last never-to-be-forgot-ten com-ers.ntion, when the mother

.-stoni.shed them with her news. "Just fancy! your aunt is on board Denis Latima<r's yacht—-she and M.xrcia. They have been with him nearly a month. Why, the* nust have joined him immediately after he left us. She says they have had a dJe-< lightful time, only short cruises about tlu-. coast, and their headquarters at Southampton. She alludes to their mourning," Mrs Desborough said, looking up fi-om the letter, "r.r.d the paper is bliek-eclged, so so~ne one in Mr Rochdale's family must be dead. I wonder Julia did not tell me of this before." "You forget, mumsev. you pre realIv noteof very great importance," Penelope spoke dryly, with a. touch of bitterness in her voice.

Mrs Desborough only laughed; alio took the sneech is one of Pen's loving impertinences, and tl,io bitterness escaped her; she told them also that ■Latimaf Court .was to be opened in -October,' an'd a-large house party, iamong which - the widow and her daughters were to be found, was going to be entertained by Denis Latimar. ' '' Why. we shall bo quite gay," Mrs Desborougii said, her pretty face looking almost young with the glow of pleasure and animation this news Jtad awakened. "ft will recall something of the old days. Pen, my darling, this wiil make a great di. ference for you. You will have some of the enjoyment and gaiety you ought to have. I wonder Denis has not sent me this news himself. I have not had a letter from him since ihat ono he wrote just .after ho Uif'lis." "If he ha 3 been yachting, that will account for his silence," Lucie said, with that gentle tact and sympathy which made her try to smooth difficulties away. Penelope, playing with the tassel of the blind, looked over her shoulder. "And what doe* your f-vomit?, the rector, say, munisey, darling?" she asked, strangling a ya'wn and up-pear-ing overcome with sleep. Mrs Desborough hastily ouen"'l Mr do Biugh's letter. "It is a confirmation of your Aunt Julia's news," she answered. "Orders have been sent to the court, and already workpeople are in the house, and the whole pi see looks wide awake. Mr de Burgh is so pleasedj" "In fact," Penelope observed as she left the window—"in fact, there is general rejoicing, and Stevenstone will bo out of it-s senses with delight. Mumsey, I am going to lie down. I on't keep my eyes open, and unless I give way to an hour's .sloth 1 sha.H lie absolutely incapable of giving a definite opinion on the subject of Lucie's trousseau. Supposing I said 1 would have a bridesmaid's'dress 'of yellow, when I meant green! The thought is too horrible!" "00-ne and give me a kiss, Imy baby," the mother said tenderly, as she watched the graceful little form moving slowly awav. Penelope returned instantly and pressed her lips to her mother's; i then, with a prodigious yawn, she sauntered through the doorway. IMrs Desborough sat for an instant looking after her, then turned to her daughter. "Lucie," she said tremulously, "I —I hope Pen is well. She tookecS pale just now—did you not think so?—and her lips, when she kissed me, were quite cold. If —" "Dearest mother," Lucie hastened

CHAPTER VI. Lucie's goo<l fortune riised her con- | siderably in the eyes of her worldly | relatives. Mrs .Rochdale wrote a most warm letter of congratulation, and declared the pleasure it wou:d give March and herself, to be present at the .wedding, which was fixed for the second week in October. It was . going to be a very quk'i wedding—merely the nearest relatives and one or two old friendn. There was, nevertheless, much to be dono in preparation, for Lucie was io be carried off by her husband/for a tour abroad immediately after the ceremony, and there w,.is little time to get together all the clothes she would need. The house party was to assemble at Latimar Court just three days be-, fore the wedding, and as the time drew nearer for her trial, Penelope plunged deeper and faster into the business of preparing her- siste. things She 'was apparently in high spirits —the laughing, merry Penelope of old, with a joke always, on her lijjj, and a sparkle in her eyes. Had. her mother *and Lucio been less preoccupied, they -might have noticed th.it every now and then Penelope's laughter seemed to come, in a spasmodib way, and that there seemed to be a kind of effort in her merriment. • But there wjs so much to be done, so much excite.:neat and hurry, that Penelope was not submitted to any careful scrutiny iasid?. the; .house; and though one pair of eyes watched her keenly and tenderly, tlioy were on refill not io lot the girl have the faintest' i. kKrg of this. v io o<- Continued.)

to say, "there is nothing, wrong; she Ls only sloepy. She sits out there on those rock s till she becomes stiff and tired. I will go and she alter her if you like." "No, leave heir. It was only my fjney, very likely; let! her rest. If she thinks .1 am anxious she will come back again, and the hour's sleep will do her good." Then the mother's heart turned to the happiness that had come to her other child, and the two who h.d boon togeter so much and so clovvly '■at aud discussed the future; w:ile Penelope, safe within her bedroom, with locked door, walked to ami fro in the restless misery that filled Inr heart. If she suffered now at tiie* hare mention of wli it lay before ii"iin the time close at hand, what would die not suffer when that time was actually come? It- seemed to her she would not be able to go through with the task which Lay before her.