"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 12 August 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 XX. (Continued.)

SIIO oonjured up, bit by bit, the scene that had passed between them She felt once again the frenzy of impotent rage in that she could force no word, no retort from his white lips; and then she had again the sense of savage joy when she realised she had roused him at last, and*he was about to answer her. How those cold, few words of answer burned ipto Marcia's brain! Would she ever forget them? The unutterable scorn, the contempt, the weariness, the horror of her, and the love unspeakable, the reverence, the adoration that filled his whole being for that other I > In that moment, tMarcia's mean spirit recognised its master. ' She cowed before Denis' quiet, Signified wratli. She winced at' his cold contempt; but th 6 shame within her was burned up instantly and utterly when he spoke his love for Penelope. "If I live a hundred years," Denis had said,-"if I have to endure a century of such a hell as you have made of my life this one year we have been together, you can never rob iiie of my greatest joy, the romembrance. of'my love, a love so pure, so great, so beautifbl, that not even .daily contact .with you ean bring a shadow upon it. You' jU"ve 1 tortured me. often enough, Marcia, with. senseless-, you havd held, me luiw'ortliy and - untrue to niy 'honor •' you have credited me n-iths doing you terrible wrongs. I have borne 'all that in silence, but now I .speak..out once and" for all! I will stand this sort of life no more. I am prepared to do my duty by you in the fullest sense of the word. I will consent to forget the past, to forgive it, also; but one thing I will never forgive: If you 'once venture to say one single word against Penelope, if you offer her any gratuitous insult, or endeavour in any way to harm or trouble her, I have done with you/ Nq duty on earth will keep me to you, and ,I will have no hesitation..iu | declaring to the world the reason . that I have in separating myself from i you. This is my absolute determination; it rests in"yoar hands, and I yours alone, whether I must. carry , it into action!" V-Mama's reply had been a burst of wild and a torrent of vituperation against Penelope. She had not stopped to choose her words. She had said the most terrible, ; tlie most horrible things one woman could gay of another. -■• - ? ■ . • When slio had ceased, to draw breath, Denis had put his haijd oh her arm for an instant.

J "And you aro "liy wife —my wife!" 1)0 said, in slow, deliberate . tones; tnen slowly and distinctly lie added: "I thank God that my child is dead I" He had looked into her face for an instant, then ho had , loosened his hold, and turned and left her. He determined suddenly to go away for a time. He had, indeed, come to th<? end of his tether; he could endure no more. He felt if he remained with her as ho wag now he .-night V cven be tempted to fcfrget that she tvas a woman, and ,do . what would be , a lasting* st&in on lum for life. - : Mafcia had nqt imagined such an j" action. She hafl come, Thicket ! \yith one intention, filled Cwith Penelopej to give vent in some-.way-—ho>v she could not for the moanCnt deienniine—to the fury of hate andsavaga jealousy that filled her every vein. / All at once she had conceived the idea of spending this night of the ball .UJ\der Penelope's roof. She had no'desire to go near the. dance., Her object in'coming to Lady Susan's had been more tlian well achieved. She had been eager to know the truth exactly about Denis and her cousin, afcd the knowledge had oome to her sooner than she had 'expected. The truth, was even worse than her fevered Wain had imagined. . Now there remained only the gratifidation of causing some pain, some discomfort, some mortification to Penebpe, in punishment for all she had done, directly or indirectly. Thicket Crcft would be practically ompty after dinner. Daphne Riley and her sister would be sure to go early to the ball and return late. ' ''lf I'oould f tay there, if I had some excuse to be with her alone, if something could happen to detain me I would shame her. I would draw her secret out and stamp on it. Let Denis even try to protect her! I will let all the world know what he does —and he will ruin' her socially forever." * j . Marcia's plan of action was decided upon before she reached the gates of,the Ooft—she would pretend sone illness, it did not matter "what; it would be so easy to deceive Penelope, ..she said to herself with 'undisguised contempt. She would remain at the house all night; Denis would have "to go to the ball ; her illness would not ; be sufficient to keep him away. It; was the excitement, and a little riervousness as to liow events would proceed, which had made Marcia <so bright and aliiost genial on her entrance at the Croft.'" The acidenj; was the result of » sudden determination ; it had worked eyen better than she had anticipated. j Mxireia scon settled iho, question! of Doctor,Gregory —• it was easy to pretend of <some mysterious pain with a iaw, ignorant country bumpkin; as she immediately designated the young doctor. She soon learned that Denis had not co-no —doubtless he knew nothing of her supposed accident; in all probability lie would not return to Lady Susan's until tco late to get over to the Croft. His anxiety, if he felt any, would be set at rest by Lady Susan; but even if he did come, iMarcia would have had her opportunity. and have made good use of it. The nobe to her was something she had not anticipated. Her

face was white to the lips as she read it. '"ln all probability," Denis wrote curtly, "it may be some time before we shall meet again. You have gone a step too far, Marcia. I can bear with you no longer—the horrors of my daily life art too much for me. You said things this afternoon that I will never forget—never forgive. There "can be no question of future life with youi "I go to London direct, and will write to you from there to-night. I have done my best, Heaven knows, but I am only, human, and I can endure no longer. Had you the faintest shred of sympathy, you would not have found yourself in the position you will hold from this date forward in my life." As Miareia ceased reading she trembled from head to foot, while the paper flitted from her nerveless grasp and fell to the 'ground. She did not heed it; she was going over and over the one thought, the one. bitter, maddening thought: Denis was gone—Denis had left her —Denis was lost to her forever!

A thousand pictures of tho future; danced beforq her and dazed her eyes.: She-rose to her feet, heedless of her supposed accident, and stood looking about her in a curious, strained fashion, as wii>h the air of one who seeks some glimmer of light" in heavy dark-, hess.

"Denis is gone —but she is hero Denis is gone —he can't protect her —he can't save her. He is clever 0 " with a senseless laugh—"oh, very clever, but lie is not as clever as I am! To-morrow he will come back; he will think of her, and be afraid. Yes, to-morrow he will come, but he lias forgotten to-night. He has gone and she is here. ; She will be with me alone. She shall hear mo speak, and she shall answer to me for her sin. She shall answer to me —answer to me!"

Penelope -gave \the best attention possible to-_ Miss Riley's ball gown, but she found it difficult to be her natural self. On other-sand ordinary ocasions she would have flung herself into the matter most heartily. She was essentially feminine; anfl had her weakness for all pretty "things and surroundings. '"I advised pink," Mrg Warriner said, as the delicate, diaphanous garment w-aa held out at arm's length and criticised and admired, "Daphne "has a mania for nothing, but black of late, and, although she looks ; very' welk in it, I thought a light color' would be very pretty for a change." f

- affected to think the frock would be a failure, or rather that she would bo a failure in the frdck, She put a bunch of soft drapery under her chin, and made a face,'at her reflection'in the glass. "Makes my brick complexion a little ..'mora.; bricky," was the remark; "doesn't it, Pen ?" Penelope tried very hard to seem deeply interested; it was not-easy, work to concentrate her thoughts. "I .think you look charming, .Daphne. How are you going to wear your hair?" she said; and, despite the ejlfort, she was glad, to rush into the subject of; the, ball>jtoiletj :eagcr to, escape ahy questioning or comm.en,t, on Marcia or Denisfor Lady Susan or anything to do with them for the moment.

"Oh, the usual way!" Daplme replaced her dress on the bed and looked over her fan, gloves, and shoes; everything was ready for putting on. ..._ ,

(To be Continued.)