"Pretty Penelope."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 July 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope."

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• By Liiie Adelaide Rowlands, ** «a nirV. Kincdom" "A Splendid Man," "The InterA.uthor ot 'A Girl s Kingdom, * «f Brave Barbara." etc. loper," "A Kinsman s Sin, .Brave uaruaia, ««,.

CHAPTER IX.-Continued.

Ross Bryant's ugly face flushed crimson for an instant. ..-■ "Aye," he said in a low voice, ' aye De-nis, I'm afraid you've got very near the truth this time—" He -broke off suddenly, and then he be<*an to whistle, but not very successfully. "I'll be after leaving you soon, Denis, early next week, I'm thinking," he said next, >a s he used his brush busily. Denis, who was standing with Ins back to the speaker, apparently a> impatience for his horse, turned round at this. . ■■* "What's the hurry?" he said laoonically, his heart beating fast and

unevenly. Ross did not answerer a moment; then he said: "Oh! I've been idle long enough. It' s full time I was back in town and in harness again, and — and it .will bo wiser, tool" "Ross," Denis said hurriedly, "there's no trouble, I hope?" The other turned his -ugly countenance toward the handsome one beside him; there was pathos now, where a smile.and! twinkle! was usually. "There- will be trouble, I'm thinking;. Denis,"""he v answered. "She's—" !she!a too beautiful for irie,":. he -said aftexVa-ptus^ji'land—and she would.. : if^'o3!jre-'.^-ine v if I asked her .a irun-dred-time3. ' I-think she cares for some one else;

. ''So yjOu'llVunderatand why! it is I go so soon, Denis, won't you? Perhaps I'll come back one of these days when I am quite cured. ' In any case, I must get over it, and I'll make my peace with/her before I go. I think I know just how to do it.to th-3t girl's heart is 'through, her mother, and if I give* her mother pleasure, perhaps she will forgive me, and—" '

"Have you had a quarrel?" Denis asked in a low voice, Something in Ross' words touched arspring of new suffering in his heart. Wlv:t was it he had'just said about Penelope? "I think she cares for some one else*" What a horrible sensation that Ventence gave him, and what W3 S that curious feeling tjiat arose as Ross spOke ; on: "The way to that girl's lieart is through her mother." ■Why did Ross' say such a foolish thing, why did he not. know better •than thvt? Was not Penelope's callous -selfishness and heartlessnes parent ■to;'aJjl .thWw>ria? ''•-... ." Ross shook. his'head.

quarrel j but I had'the bad J hick, last night to vex Miss Desbor-' caife-Ii beyond all wards." Denis made no once. His horse was at the, door now. "So," Denis said, as he turned away, "so you hope to mako your peace with.Miss Penelope by giving lier v mother this picture. Perhaps you may succeed, but it is not quite the-■character'the young lady has. Rumour says Miss Penelope has no very great love, or sympathy, either, for her weak, suffering mother, and. that.the most important creature in the universe to Miss. Penelope is the pretty person of Miss Pen —" > - ■'■''lt's,a He!" JJoks Bryant said, with 'p'^io^^.£e^eYgy.'/' biggest- lib; th^^;.eye|\^\v%^'UtteFed; : ''? J can &eo yeft thfowgKk- brickrwall a-s most ; peoI can see and worship a beau-tiful-thing w-heh it's straight in ; front of aiy eyes. Penelope Des borough' >• love, for her mother is. just the. most beautiful thing a man could hope to see this side of heaven, and he whosays anything against her in this respect is a fool—-and a liar, too!" . Den|s turned oh his heel swiftly ■. "You are. in a dangerous. mood today', Boss," he said, Bryant did ' mot answer- him, and Denis mounted his horse and rode swiftly away." ■■'■''-. The blood was rushing wildly to and -fro in his veins, his hearti was beating to suffocation. Thought was not clear or,definite in this moment, but all at once a single idea stood out before hrn. v

What-if it should bo true? What if he, Denis, tod made such another horrible mistake—had— He his horse the. rein and cantered through the muddy Lanes for miles aftd miles. . TJin rain ihar. had held"off all theafternoon w>..s beginning to fall, but Denis did nr.t heed it. He had hardly any knowledge of how far he had come, or in which direction', when all at once, he turned a eorneiyand if lie h.:.d not had his horse wejl in hand he would have fieen tlii'owji, it swerved so suddenly. A hor.se, bearing a lady' s saddle, was standing quietly, its bndie thrown over a stent branch, and crouched up on the ivugh b.uik close beside, in an attitude that.lietokcned patience and suffering, the figure, .of a igirl in a riding habit. As Deni s - nulled his horse on one side this girl* looked up. and then, with :>i, smothered exclamation, lit- recognised Penelope Desborough. To fling himself from the saddle and advance toward, her was but the work of a moment to Denis. Penelope had turned even whiter than she had been before. "I ha/ve been thrown," she said, spe.vking as well as• .-she 1 could. "The ihare shied", : and'be|bre I could j:re•vent it, she had gonp down, .. /'And yoit "are hiirt. Tell rue how y ( ou,-feel. -Good heavens! this is Jioav. r\ble. Why aire/" you alone so-far from Stevenstone? Give me your hand. . Where do you feel.the pain? .Don't. ,be, ; frightened. Good.heavens! do you think I would hurt you?" "I am not frightened," Penelope answered; as steadily and a s bravely as she could. The effort to seem quite at ease with him was a tremendous one coming ,afc such a moment when every nerve in her body was jarring and quivering from the effect of the foil and sudden shock to her

system. She was trembling all over. She let him take her hand passively ; but at the first touch of his strong tender fingers, a thrill of comfort, c sudden pleasure, ian thrugh her frame. "I —I don't think I can stand just yet, Denis," she had to confess a s he put his aroi about her, and drew her up slowly, her face blanched again, this time from acute pajn. "My—my right foot," she siaid, in answer, to his eager inquiry. For one instant. Denis held her slight form clasped close to him. "Be brave, my darling," he said, S'll unconscious of the words he used or of the passion that escaped him and rang in his voice. "Lean on me, Penelope. lam going to put you down again, and then I am going to examine this little foot. You wj.ll 'trust to me, Penelope, de.i'r, will you riot£ You know I will not hurt you more than I can possibly help; but I must see how far you are injured. If any l»one is broken," his face gro.v white as he' said this, "I shall have to leavathis boot on; but if, as I hope and believe, it is only a sprain, why then I sh.il know how to give yo. ease until I get you a doctor somehow from somewhere." •

"Daphne has gone for one," Penelode managed,to say, with her, lip.v ashen.:white-.- '-. "I—l -was., nbt-a.lonev. papKne;Riley: with•'■•me.'.,. "!. She "rode back to Little Winstead.' I—l thought you were she when —" And tJien Penelope had to sit very, very quietly, while Denis took the small foot into his strong hands and passed his fingers gently, but firmly, about the ankle. "The bone is safe," he said at last. "Now, Penelope, sit very still; I am jgoirig to get this boot off. No, I am not going to hurt you. , See, I •shall cut it straight through with this knife. You had no idea I was so clever, had you?" Penelope did not. smil- or ansrwer:,She was in excessive p.-in. She wondered in a weary, heavy sort of way whether, it could be possible for one to.,suffer more than she was doing at this "moment. '' The sudden joy, the intense comfort called up so naturally and so unconsciously by Denis' presence fjded away new, and only ,a dampening of the?, mental pain remaini ed. His tender .words, the love that rang out so clearly in his voice and shone in his eyes, made the burden a I the greater, the before her all the.more difficult.

I 111 ?.s "she had b:.sn when hj/ nJ » d ' I appeared so unexpectedly,. Penelope'? ■ "eyes-had been keen enough to see th? : change that Am s - written on Denis' face. She had no need of, explanation to know" orly too well that her mother's fears for his future were but too surely founded, th-*t his engagement was a great, a terrible mistake. i (To oe Continued.)