"Pretty Penelope,"

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 14 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. MMarcia id much changed!" Penelope said, in a pained voice. "I—l scarcely know how to understand her. It must be her health, Daphne — it—" "Fudge! Nothing of the sort —it is temper, pure and simple; she has a detestable temper, and she is jealous beyond every sort of description —there is no need to look farther for cause of her hatred against certain individuals; for instance —" Daphne put her head hack critically and surveyed her friend. "Really, it is not at all surprising she should find a little cause to fee jealous when she looks at you, my pretty, pretty little Penelope!" Penelope starter to her feet. "6h, doa'fc—don't, Daphne!" she said, with sudden entreaty; such a flood of new, painful thought arose swiftly and suddenly in her mind at these words. "Suppose Marcia should have—"

She broke the thread of thought instantly and with sudden relief; 110, this horror would be spared her, must be spared her.

Ma,rcia's manner showed as yet she had no inkling of the truth. That was very evident, for Penelope had learned by this time to know that when Marcia's suspicions were aroused slid did . not permit herself any constraint or jjutj' any barrier on her tongue. Therefore, since her manner. with her cousin was' so neai'ly affable and pleasant, Penelope felt most surely that as yet Marcia could know nothing of the love that had lived in her husband's heart, nor of the great love that was always for him, could he put out liis hand and meet it.

It must be her task, Penelope decreed in these swift changing thoughts, never, never to let Marcia know the truth —not for her own safety, but because she did not desire that any further trouble should arise in this unhappy marriage through her.

The conversation between Daphne and herself came to an abrupt ending' here, for lights were brought, and Mrs Warmer came in to report that she had been in to see the invalid, who stated that she was very sleepy, and would like to bo left quite quiet for another hour or so.

" "So there is no need for you to bother about her just yet," Daphne said. ' 'Come along, let us go and eat «o'ne dinner, and then you can sit and watch me dress as a great treat, unless"—Daphne looked keenly into the big blue eyes—"unless you really, honestly, and truly would rather we did not go. Now, do speak up, Pen; wo-are not babies. We shall most probably have more balls in the future than we shall care to attend." We can easily do without this one."

Mrs Warriner joined Jier views with her sister.

"I wish Doctor Westall had come, and then Daphne had a chaperon, am) \ could have stayed with you/' she said, when Penelope received, all this kind thought with an absoluto refusal to accept it. "You niust not dream of staying away. Why, everybody will be so disappointed, ant! to think of.wasting the beauties of that .gown on the desert . air of Thicket Oroft! Perish the thought. Daphne, dear! Don t look at 1 me as if you imagined you sjiw two gigantic bears about to crunch me up!" Penelope was forced to laugh at the expression in Miss lliley's ©yes. "Cone along; suppose: we go in and have dinner, as you proposed. I believe I feel him-' gry!" A; statement not founded on fact, for when they sat down to the dainty meal spread for them Penelope could not swallow a mouthful. Her two friends were troubled about her. They ccmld not quite follow or understand her most evident anxiety and restlessn%s, i;ot having the faintest idea of what was pressing on her mind. Finding, however, that she shrank from any question or remark, and also that they would give her. genuine pain if they insisted oh remaining away from the ball, they said no more about it, and turned the conversation on general matters —on dogs and horses in particular. ,

Penelope went immediately after dinner to see Marcia. The room was in half light, and Mrs Latimar was evidently sleeping, for though her cousin spoke her name in a soft, questioning' way, there was no answer and no movement from the figure in the chair. v

She hoped iii this moment almost despairingly that Marcia might sleep on for some time. She felt sure that such a burst of rage and fury as Lady Susan had described must have exhausted a frame already weak and faltering, and she was glad, too, apart from her own feelings, to think that the pain of the accident, w:hich Marcia had described a® so acute and distressing, should have been soothed into oblivion if only for a short time. By and by the rustle of skirts in the passage warned her that her guests were ready to depart. They were starting in good time. Penelope, very tired and weary, went downstairs to see them off. With many a tender word and kiss, Daphne confided her two canine treasures to Pen's charge, and gave the dogs due notice that they were to take great care of the mistress of the liouse and guard her from all harm. Dapluie looked very bonny in her ■pink gown, and Mrs Warriner was a charming foil in black. Penelope stood in the doorway a dog, disconsolate and miserable, on either side of her and waved iher hand as the carriage rolled away. Most of her household had begged permission to go over to .the scene of the excitement and gaze at the grand

The lights were still low in Marcia's room, when she opened the door, but Mrs Latimar was not asleep this time; she was fitting up in her chair, toying with rather than eating some food the housekeeper had brought up to hor. Penelope shut the door and advanced to the fire with some gentle word of inquiry. (To be Contlaaed.) ,

folk going in. Naturally, Penelope had been delighted they should go, and gave them hearty As she shut the big door, however, and heard the sound reverberate through the old house, se shivered with sudden swiftness as with cold, and gave a nervous glance about. Downs, the old butler, was pottering still in the dining room; she could hear the clinking of glass and plate. Dannie, the dandie diumont, heard it too, iand faithlessly trotted off to see what he could find; while Billy, the bull terrier, mournfully cniade his way to his proper mistress' quarters, there to repose with one of her slippers aa consolation till his quick ears caught the first sound of the carriage wheels returning from the fray. Penelope went in search of the medicine Doctor Gregory had promised to send, and then turned to go up to Marciai. She had heard, with a sudden contraction of the brows, that all her maids, with the exception of her housekeeper, had gone to see the fine folk arrive at the ball. Under ordinary circumstances, Penelope would not ]iave cared whether the house wero full or empty, but tonight the very atmosphere of her home seemed changed in an odd, indescribably uneasy manner; all Daphne's jests at Marcia came backk to her and took a deeper significance. She tried to shake off the-feelings that were lupon her, but could not succeed in doing so. With a heavy, weary sigh, she resigned herself to the inevitable. She had had a long, exciting, worried day. She must bear with the results of such a day, and accept her mental condition as being natural, though it was excessively disagreeable.