"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 18 July 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope,"

(OUR SERIAL

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands, Author n- "A Girl's Kingdom," "A Splendid Man," "The Inter- *** "i Kidman's Sin," "Brave Barbara," etc.

CHAPTER Xll.—Continued. "Why does he write?" Penelope said, a little impatiently. She opened the envelope and read through the pages of Harold de Burgh's clear, neat writing. It was an offer of marriage, couched in the most gentle, most courteous fashion.

The letter dispelled her momentary anger. It made her sorry. She had never dreamed of any possibility of his caring for her; and, indeed, * aft3i- that celebrated evening in the lane, when Denis had fcnind her so awkwardly placed, Penelope had been unjust enough to feel not only angry toward Mr de Burgh, but to dislike him in. consequence. . She put the letter,, down on the table, and fell into her, ojd position. Sitting thus, she drifted into a soi-t of dream, and awoke with a start as some one passed hurriedly up th path and stood before it. It was Denis Latimar. "I hope you will forgive me," he said hurriedly. ''l satf yarn* maid outside; she told me you were here. I have oome to speak to you." Penelope dropped her arms on the table, and sat looking at him with that heavy, weary look in her eyes that gjave him such torture to see. '•I—I. did not hear you cone," she said eorifTisedly, "I think I must have been asleep." rteru's answered her hur,.vjdly, ou* should i.ot remain here in this cold. Good heavens! Peneloipe, you will kill yourself. It is freezing hard." "Is it?'.' She p3ssed her hand over her hair, arranging i* mechanically. "I did not feel it; >ut then, I like the cold." |

She was hardly conscious of the position. For almost .the first time his near presence gave her no sensation either of joy or of trouble. She was mentally as well as bodily numb'ed by her long drea.m of thought. He stood before her, a trenor thrilling his tall, strong frame—a passion of love, of despair filling his heart. "You are going away to-diy?" he said, breaking the silence. She had her hand pressed to Jier brow, as thought to still some pain, or to assist her to collect her ideas and thoughts. "Yes, this afternoon. Have you come to wish me good-bye, Denis? You are very—" Penelope's words ended abruptly. Something seemed to break with a sudden, sharp shock, dispersing the dream cloud from her brain and eyes, and bringing her face to face with absolute facts. ' With a £roan Deiiis had sat down opposite to her at the table, and had buried his face on his folded ar-ns. "Benis! Denis!" slie cried wildly, sharply; "what are you doing?—what are you doing?—why are you here? You must go away at once —at once! Oh, Denis, do you hear me? You must go away!" .. Penelope's heartbeat like ;> j-ledgo hammer in her ears. She was aslien white, her eyes n most black now in the intensity of - suffering—of.. fear -- chat overwhelmed her. . lie lifted r Jjis face and looked at her. : •

"Penelope, I will not go away. I will never go away from vcj ' Jj;) you understand von belong to -ne and I am yours? You love me! You cannot deny it, and you know I love you better than life! You did a wrong thing once, Penelope—you acted a lie! God knows why, but you did it. And now I shall do wrong! Yes!" his voice growing hard as iron, with a deliberation that was not natural, "Yes, I know ail you want to say. You will tell me I ar.i a brute, that I am a blackguard, that another woman claims me. You pushed mic away from you, hut I liave come buck, and I have come to claim you. Look me in the eyes and tell -ne you do not love me. Swear that, you do not know my love, and—" Penelope was on her feet how, ;i bright spot of colouring painted on her white clieeks, her eyes fixed with •such a look as must have agonised the man before her, had the madnss of despair and misery not lure held him in bondage. She tried to speak twice—her lip:, refused their office. When her voice did cone it was hollow, broken —so laden with shame and suffering that Denis gave an involuntary start. Could thi s be Penelope speaking "For all the wickedness I have done you, 1 ask God' to forgive me," she said slowly, painfully. "For all the wrong you would- do now I will pray all my life that you may be forgiven. You must go content, for yoai are paying me back now!" She staggered against the old wooden frame of this sunrnerhouse, and broke into such weeping a,s Deiiis had never heard in his life before. It took liim out of his madness immediately— a frenzy of shame, of sorrow at what he liad done overwhelmed bin. He knelt at her feet, imploring forgivenness. He touched her hand. She made no .sign. He poured forth words of contrition, deep, earnest, sincere, and, at last, when the first element of tears had died awav, she looked down a-t him. "Go; I forgive you!" she murmured brokenly. "I have to forgive you, Denis, but please go. I want to be alone here. I must be alone. You must never try to see tie, Dem s never —never!" He took her hand, not touching it with his lips, paused an instant; then, rising without anther word, he turned and left her. CHAPTER XIII. TJio Home which awaited Penelope

was certainly a strange one. It was perhaps the best thing that oould have happened to iher, this plungs into a different sphere. She left Stevenstone in a dazed sort of way. She had no distinct recollection of anything that occurred diuring the last two hours she passed 1 there before entot'ing the train which conveyed her to London, Denis, as she had last seen him, as he had appeared before her in the old garden, as he had spoken—this figure of Denis was phatographed on her mind, and on her eye indelibly. Look which way si to might, she could see nothing but his handsome,, troubled face—could hear nothing but that hard, passionate voice speaking out his despair and reproaches. She utterly condemned her past conduct. She called her .reckless defiance of Denis' love by a harsh na.no. She felt that his accusation had been true to the last letter when he had turned on her and said: "You acted a lie once!" She had acted a lie—she had wantonly deceiv,ed him. She had played and mocked with the most sacred feelings of her heart, her love for her mother; and what was the result?

She had been anxious to let Denis see that there was at least one poor girl in the world who w.os not desirous of scheming for him and for lii.s wealth, and she had succeeded adinirr ably. Through her Denis had -losi his happiness. Doctor Westall noted the signs of tears on her white face; but he his brows and shook his head slightly. He was not satisfied with her looks, and he drew Kate on one side as they were starting and impressed upon her "that if her young •nistress should bo ill she was to send for him at once and without delay. The journey to the town was accomplished by Penelope in the same heavy, dreamy fashion; but once arrived at the busy London terminus, she had to bestir herself and lock alter her belongings. All thi s was evactly what was needed to rouse the girl out of the lethargic spirit of despair that had fallen upon her, and when at last she had laden two four-wheelers with her luggage, and was being driven ..slowly and with a certain amount of rickety indicision out of the station, her facp had regained a< little of tihe look il used to wear. "Uncle Hartwick said I was to givt the cabman only eighteen pence, but I don't think that will bo quite enough, do you., Kate?" she said, with :i faint, weary shadow of her former sunny lar.rjju ' . (lo p. rjoiitlnaed.)