"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 July 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope,"

MRSBRIAL

By tffie Adelaide Rowlands, Author ol "A Girl'B Kingdom," -A Splendid Man," "The Interloper," "A Kinsman's Sin," "Brave Barbara," etc.

CHAPTER XI (Continued.) Doctor Westall sipped his wine and smoked his cigar, while he talked over loca<) matters will Denis. As ho drove home the good-natured man was conscious of a retairn of the pain and regret in his thoughts. "Not tho look on his fee© of a halppy man, or of a man who had just married tho love of his heart. I hope to God Denis ftatiinar lias nob made * great mistake; hut I fear it, so:nehow—yes, 1 fear it—and now I think the sooner my little Penelope goes away from here the better for all concerned." Which showed an amount of discernment and. quickness of sympathy in Doctor Westall that might have belonged to a woman instead of'to a -man grown gray in his profession, and credited with no belief in romance nor patience with the softer shades of life's history.

I CHAPTER XII. The morning dawned that wa,s too see the departure Penelope Desborough. from the home of her childhood : forever. Her boxes .and a/11 her belongings were ready packed. Everything had been stowed away.'by-Kate;' who, to her own delight aiid Penelope's pleasure, was permitted by Mr Desborough to accompany-her y6ung mistress to her new home. The furniture of Laburnum Cottage \ which had been bequeathed by her i mother to Lucie, was left there until orders were received from abroad concerning it. Penelope only carried away with her some few cherished ornaments, things that she had seen ever since she could remember to have seen at all—>a few pictures, some odds and ends of china. The smalll collection of jewelery had been divided between,Lucie and herself, but untill her sister returned Penelope took charge of it all. She also came into possession, through her mother's death, of the legacy Madam Latimar had left her. She did no realise at this moment the value of the jewels & he had receiv- j ed from Denis' mother, but , their i beauty appealed to her. There were some exquisite pearls and some diamonds. She put one of the latter j ornaments round her throat. It was a small heart, incrosted with diamonds, containing two pictures, one of Madam Latimar, taken years gone by, and one of Denis when he was a tiny boy. Thi s little heart, and an old, curious ring that had always flashed on her mother's white hand, were the only things that Penelope took from her jewel case. The rest she locked away and sealed up at Doctor Westall's instigation, and sent to be kept at the bank where her modest account was deposited, and where the silver and lace she inherited from Latimar were-also .stored. " , "I feel quite rich," Penelope h-.d said to her one friend, as she let him arrange all this. iShe smiled as she spoke, that faint, shadowy smile that was a s sad as tears. "You are rich in yourself," Doctor Westall answered'gruffly.. And indeed the girl's beauty was- almost startling jt this time.' ■".',.'■' > She had recovered a little from the; close confinement of the sick room, the ceaseless anxiety;' the anguish of watching and waiting were over. The Sadness that remained, the grave, thoughtful Tair, gave a new look to tho young face, a new depth to the heavenly'blue eyes. Doctor Westall had an uneasy I thought for her future. Much as he I admired her in her new garb, he found himself wishing mauy times that she could have remained the child she had been —the sunny, merry will-o'-the-wisp, without a suspicion of cloudy skies or a knowledge of human suffering. Not knowing what had happened, tho old doctor found himself, against his wish, judging Denis Latimar a little harshly in connection with Penelope. He did not know if there had been wrong or only folly, but that there had been something he wn.s convinced, and as he realised what that something meant to Penelope and her future life he wa s inclined to be both angry and unjust. There was nothing to be done, however, and Penelope was happily in absolute ignorance that Doctor Westall knew anything at all about the matter. She was occupied in defending her future guardian from her "Uncle ©Gorge's" attacks. A letter had come to Penelope, following her acceptance of Mr Desborough's offer —a letter written on odds and ends of paper, the back of her own envelope, and the reverse side of old letters—convoying, in a cramped hand, tho intelligence that Mr Desborough would expect his niece at such and suoh an hour, that she was to travel third class, and by no means to give the cabman who con-' i veyed herself and her boxes from the station to the house -novo than eighteenpenee. Mr Desborough further observed that he should expect his niece to pay him board wages for the sustenance of the servant maid she was bringing with her; and he begged to impress upon Penelope that though he offered her a home and protection he was by no means prepared to give her luxuries. The letter lashed Doctor Westall to positive fury. "The mean hound!" he cried, scattering broadcast the isconnected portions 'of Mr Desborough'« letter. " 'Prn my soul, Penelope, T don't Ihi k T can let you go—l don't think '1 hi. He means to starve you, the wl Ivastl I should just like to give him some luxuries! Now, iook here,

| child, give hie your solemn promise, if you can't endure the life there you will come back to me. Promise me, Penelope, or else I won't let you go!" Penelope promised gently. She was mora than touched by his love and kindness, but at the same time she wag by no means appalled by the prospect of the life that awaited her. She had a keen appreciation of humor and admiration for <a strong character, and there was something about this curious old uncle of hers which roused hor interest in a way that vory few things could have done at this particular crisis of her career. Besides, she was young, and youth i s always more or less alventurous. If there were difficulties ahead, Penelope had a feeling of ipleasuro in the thought —it would be like breasting a new sea; and anything that would drive away memory, if even for a moment, was almost priceless in her eyes. On the morning of the day she was to go, Penelope dressed early; and after the doctor had started on his rounds she walked by a back road I down to her old home, to take fareI well of it. She paused on her way through the garden and under tho evergreen, and sank at last on a •wooden -seat in an old summerhottse, -where she renie-m----bered ah© had been wont to hold her doll's tea parties, and have other grand ceremonials. She sat with her elbows planted on the table, and her chin in the hollow of her two hands. It was a cold, bright day, with a touch of frost in the air. She tossed off he rhat, and fixed her eyes on the house that looked so desolate, so dead, as it were, with its shrouded windows and closed doorsShe did not feel the cold. The icy band in her heart was too bitter in is intensity. She had been there for nearly half an hour when she heard a slight sound on the path, and turn/ing, saw Kate running toward heir, with a letter in her hand. "'' ••' "Please, Miss Penetope, I've .made •so 'bold as to run after you, cos 1 thought as you ought to have this letter. It come just as you started, and it says 'answer,' you see, miss; "You were quite right, Kate." Penelope put out her hand and took the letter. She frowned as she saw the writing. It was from Harold De Burgh. She could not know for certain, but sho 'feared its contents. I "I shall be. i back directly, Kate," i she said, leaving the letter on the I table. "If there is an answer I will I send it." I Kate turned away, and then same back. "But, Miss Penelope, please won't you put your hat on? You'll he so cold, miss, and you ought to take care of yourself!" and then the little servant broke into tears. . "Oh, dear Miss Penelope," sho said, with iv pathos that was very sincere, "what do you tliink the dear mistress would ■say if she oould see you like that," Penelope's face flushed crimson for an instant, and she bit her lip. "Don't! don't!" she said, almost ! sharply; then, more "Go, j Kate, T am coming soon." • I Left alone again, Penelope passed one hand over her eyes, and ruffled her hair into pretty confusion on her brow. She shut her heart resolutely to the anguish those few words of Kate's had stirred up so completely, and turned her attention to tho letter before her. "To.r.r r-i-rTn-iP'O