"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 29 July 1913, Page 2

"Pretty Penelope,"

(OUR|SERIAL

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

CHAPTER XVl.—Continued. j "I don't think you need trouble yourself very much over her. Pen, Lady Susan said. "Mrs Latimar honours me because it suits her purpose to do so —once this visit is over I shall sink into oblivion again, no doubt', but I hope I shall survive that muoTi and more. Oome to lunch, dear, and tell me all your news." Tifey chatted away merrily through lunciieon, but Lady Susan s quick sympathy had noted at once that there was a shadow across her sunbeam, and that Penelope made an effort to exert herself where usually she had no need to make any. But the old lady never fathomed for a single instant the real cause for this shadow, and Penelope was only too content to let her think she was troubled by Marcia and Marcia alone. "If you do not see much of me next week," she said, as she rose to take her departure an hour or so later, you will not think it is neglect on m#j>art or forgetfulness, will you, dear Lady Sue?" In answer Lady Susan drew her down and kissed her tenderly. "Such, things are unknown to my little Peri," she said, with much love in her, voice. "My dear, you know I know you,- so why, do you ask me such a. question ? lam sorry you have npt decided, to stay with me today, Pen, it feels to me like snow in the air. Be sure and ride home quickly.' Oh!'of course, I remember, you have got your old doctor coming to. see you to-day. I believe lam jealous of your old doctor, Pen." "You are both two silly persons," i Penelope cried, with her own inimi- I talble impertinence, "for Doctor Westall pretends he is jealous of you. Now I must be off. • Yea, I will take every care of myself, and you will see me to-morrow with my doctor. He Has promised me to stay till tomorrow evening, ,but it is an immense concession, I assure you, and I have had such difficulty in getting; him here at all."

Despite the emotions aroused naturally by the news Lady Susan had given her, Penelope managed to spend a very happy evening with her old friend. It was such a pleasure taking him all over her possessions. "See, Uncle George, these are your apartments—l shall keep them always for you, remember; and this 18 the room that I am going to give Daphne next week." « For Miss Riley had sent a hurried scrawl to Penelope, which Doctor Westall had delivered, asking for hospitality for heraif and her married sister for thr Westshire hunt ball. Penelope's answer had been sent, and was, needless to say, a delighted acquiescence. /, It was not till they were seated at dinner that Penelope spoke of the latimars. Ignorant that ] the doctor had guessed a great deal of the truth back in the old days, she felt it Wali|ft>ehoved on her to speak of such a, Subject of mutual interest. Doctor Westall laughed grimly at mention* of Marcia's name. . "Don't inquire anything of me," he said, in his shortest way, " I have had the Latimar gates shut in my face!" - ■ Penelope uttered a broken exclamation. "Not Denis?" she faltered.

"Denis!" cried the doctor. "No, no, my little Pen, not Denis. He is - what 119 always was—one of the best young fellows in the world; not Denis! no, indeed." Doctor Westell sipped liis wine. "I ventured to-tell Mrs Lati*nar she was going the right way to kill herself, and she has dispensed with mv services, Pen. that's all." "Is—is she then very delicate?" she asked, affc,er a pause. "With care Mrs Latimar might, and could, be as strong as any one could desire to be; but she wants" great care. She has no right to be here now. I ordered her south weeks ago. Three or four months in Italy would do wonders for her, but"— Doctor Westall shook his head—"she ongEt not to put her nose out of doors in this English spring weather. The consequences cannot but be bad." "Then I suppose the going to this ball does not meet - with your approval; Unflfe George?" Doctor put down the glass he was lifting to his lips, and frowned. \ "Is this settled?" he asked sharply. Penelope gave him the news as she had received it from Lady Susan. "Marcia writes she is quite strong" she finished. , Doctor Westall paused for a moment. "Denis knew nothing of this two days ago, I'll swear, for I met him m the village, and we had a short chat about her." "Perhaps she thinks it is due to their position," Penelope suggested. Doctor Westall snorted. "She has got one of her devilish cranks in her head AJi! I see it now. Some <-n+ h-ij, told her that Daphne Riley is going. Perhaps Denis, poor chap, may have said he ought to show up at the affair, and there you are!" was shocked and felt very miserable. f "And Daphne is coming here," she said in a low voice. "Oh, Uncle George!" "And why should you not have y,our friends here, I should like to know?" flared the doctor. "Must you consult that young virago for all you do ? I tell you what it is, Pen: I shall come to this too. It's a long time since I tripped the light fantastic i. o; but I dare say I shall be all right trlxen I get there' I'll have my red cjat furbished up, and I'll dance with the ibest of them!"

Penelope smiled at this; but somehow her •enjoyment was spoiled. Try as she would to push aside her feelings, she had an uneasy sensation that something unpleasant was going to happen, .and it did not give her much comfort when she realised, as she did later on, that her old friend had the same feeling, and that he looked, as no doubt he was, troubled > and slightly anxious, * : Doctor Westall's theory that Denis Latimar was ignorant of 'his wife's decision to attend the Westshire hunt ball was perfectly correct. Denis, in fact, knew very few of Marcia's decisions while they were in the course of being determined in her mind; they were generally conveyed to him by some third person, or else shot at him in a sort of defiant manner, a,t a moment when an appeal to common sense or argument was absolutely futile. Thus it was with their visit to Lady Susan Verschoyle. In a casual way, a week or so before, when there had been a Small dinner,, party at the Court, .the subject of the Westshire huii£ ball had been introduced, and Marcia Had been asked if ,slu> i ed to honour it with her presence. Denis replied to this query. "I am afraid not," he bad said "I don't think I can permit my wife to risk so much for the sake of a. county ball ; the weather is too n> Marcia had sat like a stone under tihis tender speech, which Ln another wife's ears would have sounded so sweetly. She looked handsome in her black velvet dinner dress and the Latimar diamonds glittering about her throat and hair; but all the guasts present were quSok to note the restless, hungry eyes and pinched mouth, that spoke a story intelligible to almost every intelligencer—a story of discontent, of evil temper and unhappiness—was as unlike the handsome fine-figured Marcia jßoahdale as it was possible for any one to be. .To oo Contmj«d.)