"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 11 July 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope,"

; By Lffie Adelaide Rowlands,! < A oirl's Kinedom," "A Splendid Man," "The InterA * tllo loper, AB. Sin," "Brave Barbara," etc.

CHAPTER IX.—Continued. Harold de Burgh's face was scarcely less white and agitated than Donis'. The rector paused only a moment, then he spoke very quietly: "1 think I understand what she wishes. We will drive straight to Doctor Westell's, wfhile you-go and pay >a visit to Mrs Desborough, and keep her interested and free from oare and" anxiety. We must do all we can to guard the mother; she is so frail now, poor thing. No doubt airs Desborough will expect to see you, Mr Latimar. It is liai'dly the best moment, perhaps"—Harold de Burgjh smiled faintly as he spoke—"but you will allow me, I hope, to offer you my best wishes .and sincere hopes for your future happiness."' Denis gave a great .start. For one instunt longer 'he held Penelope's slender form to his heart—the full, the utter enunciation of all joy, of all happiness that was written on his white face touched a chord of pity in the breast of the other man —pity that outstripped the jealousy, the meaner i baser feelings which were so natural to one who found himself confronted with the actual cause of i his own oin'liappiness. Harold ; de Burghi had feared these many days past that his - chanoe for success with Penelope \va« almost" hopeless.: He knew- it for a certainty now, yet, lie 'could not withhold his pity for the 'in an who had possessed that for 'which his heart had craved in vain. Even as (his words died away Denis unclapsed his hold about Penelope and put her into the rector's arms, only waiting till he saw the girl's death l like face resting on, the soft cushions of the brougham. Then lie held out his lian<l to Harold de Burgh'. "I will leave her with you," he said, frig voice very quiet and dull, "land I will ride on to her mother. I hope and trust there will be no cause for anxiety. At any rate, we must spare her all we can." CHAPTER X. By sheer courage, strength of will, and unbounded love„ Pehelope managed to conceal from her another the truth of her accident and ilhe extent of the injury she had received from her fall. *\Denis was still sitting with Mrs Desborough, listening to her gentle voice in a masty, far-off way, his eyes fixed on tilie dark path outside, his ears keen for the ,first approach of the giifl, when the door of the sitting room opened, aiulTenelope stood on the threshold. . She was laughing, her habit was cleansed from the greater part of the mud that had .spattered it, enough being left to look las the natural result of a long ride on such a day. Her cheeks were red, her eyes spark-""" ling. She leaned her *mall, ungloved hand on the doorway! as though for effiect; in, reality,- as D[enis Vag only too v quick to see, ; for support. ]She wlaved her riding cap in the air. "All hail..to the bridegroom!" &lie cried gaily,. ' 'I would come and make, obeisance, 'my Lord' Dehis, but I « a;walking mud head. Mumsey, you must dispense rt'ith a kiss for .the< moment. By-by!" Mrs Desborough stretched out her Hand. ' "Do you think I am frightened of mud? Pome and kiss me, baby," slie said tenderly. , ' Denis saw Penelope's face contract, the ines round the mouth grow" hard. Involuntarily he /sprang to. his- feet, and would have advanced toward her, but at once glance from her eyes ho stood still.' He saw her pause an instant, lean a ltitle finger against the doorpost, then rearing her head and ; grasping the heavy folds, of. her habit as if that would give her support, she moved from the door across the floor stiffly, with absolute agony, -feflio . man watching her could feel almost every throb of pain himself, but with only a very little difference to lieu- usual gait. "Oh! ,my darling, you a^e'tired out," Mrs Desborough said, witih a touch of anxiety in her voice; "yciu have done too much, Pen." "Stiff, mumsey; only gfciff. I have not ridden for so long, and—Denis, don't listen, please—mumsey, I have a confession. My boots are too small, and they pinch' me; I am as Lime as anything. I don't believe any one's vanity ever was so punished as mine." Mrs Desborough kissed the lips bent down to here; the lamps were rj'ot lit, , arid the dusk hid: the sudden pallor that, against all her will and control, spread over Penolope's face. As she lifted herself Dt>iii s caught her eyes bent on him. "Help me—help me!" they said, as clearly as lips could speak. "I can do no more!" «». With his heart be.iting like a sledge hammer in his breast, he rushed to obey that glance. - , "Pride must puffer pain, Miss Pen. as every one knows! Now, if I aim iiny\]udge of things, I consider you have'\ suffered just enough, punishment from those tight boots, and so" * —coming forward and putting liis arms about her in a way that gave lier intense comfort, yet horrible, horrible mental pain—"and so, now is my opportunity for winning that bet we had at Waveston. You remember you said I could frot carry you upstairs. I am just going to show you I can, and two of you—twentv f or the matter of that.!" / "Denis, how dare you! Mumsey, won't you help me?" Penelope made a feint of frightening him off. "I think Denis is quite right, and I am all on his side," laughed Mrs Desborough. And so for a second time Denis held

close to his heart the sweetest burden in the whole world to him. There was something strangely like a tear in his eyes, as in silence broken only by a gasping sigh or iai little moan from the girl's ashen, brave lips, he carried Penelope tip to her pretty, low-roofed room. He laid her on the bed with its white frilled pillows and draperies. Penelope's own little hand maiden, by name Kate, was waiting there in a fever of anxiety to receive her. "Oh! sir, has she fainted? She didn't ought to have done it. Miss Riley's downstairs in an awful state, and Dr We stall, lie says, he washes his hands of her." This last in a tone of horror. Kate evidently imagined Dr Westall's wrath to be something very terrible. ' 'But Miss Penelope, she would do it. She never do think of herself when it's to spare mistress anything!" and then Kate give a cry of alarm at Penelope's face, and began pouring eau de Cologne about recklessly, and holding salts to the pretty nose in a despairing sort of way. Penelope had not fainted, however. She opened her eyes after a moment, and gave a feeble, flickering smile. "Go and see if Doctor Westall is downstairs," Denis said -to tiie servant. ~ Then as he was alone, he. knelt_ suddenly beside, the figure n the bed, and' taking, up the hem of liei; wet habit, pressed his lips to it passionately,' once—twice —three times. Penelope put out her hand. "Don't! .don't!" she said, almost sharply. "Denis, I command you!" "How I have wronged you! How I have wronged you!" he answered, rising obediently. "Oh!. Penelope —Penelope!" "Go!" she slid, almost inaudibly—the agony of remorse and love on his face frightened her in this moment, the, full misfery of what her girlish pride had brought about touched her with alarm.—"mother—please, Denis —go to mother —" Without another word, another look, he turned and left her. On the landing outside he came upon the doctor, who had crept up noiselessly behind Kate. "Of course—of course," lie said angrily,, to Denis, "I. knew,the result of such a mad act. Might at. well talk to a wall as thut child. G<k>d heavens! what a will she has. Harm her? Of course it must harm her. She ought not'to have put'her foot to the ground for at least ten days. ' I don't know that I will answer for the consequences." "It was because of her mother," Denis said, speaking with the utmost difficulty. • / ' Dr - Westall answered him testily:, "@h! I know —I know; but even love can go too fa - , and, after all, although X told'her the other day Iher mother's heart action was growing weaker slowly but surely, and that all unnecessary excitement must be avoided, I did not, of course, foresee a possibility like this occurring—ihow could I?- I only hope J'shall not have, the child on. her track for a month, and that's about what it will be; and as her/ mother must know then, well, I don't see—" \ \ Penelope's voice l came out from her room, flint, but clear and determined.' She had overheard everv^word. * "She shall not knowy*/ soufher voice; "don't you " dare to tellher, Doctor Westall, and if you think ll'm going to stay here for a weelj: you are greatly mistaken." • j < (To be Continued.)

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