Men Were Deceivers Ever.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1034, 7 July 1904, Page 4

Men Were Deceivers Ever.

BY EDITH FRANCIS

CHAPTER IV. SABA HARMON It was early on tho second morning after tho boat had been cast on tho bench and theehipwreokedstrangorshadbeen brought to tho Abbey, and though it wnntod yot a quarter ot ah hour to the time bveakfa?[ was due, Aline paced the avenue, waiting '' the arrival of tho postman. What could havo dolayed Neil's return ? was the question sho was n'ways asking herself. Could he have mec with an occidont.'or was it merely that tho business ho \\ai gone to town to see about had tnkou longer than bo had calculated. Underneath all this was tho fear that ho did not miss her as sho did him, She was wailing for the postman; not that sho expected a lettor-shetold herself this a score of times—but thero was just the chanco that he might write and oxplain his prolonged absence. She had almost given up tho idea that the poßtman would appear in time, and was about to return to the houso. when tho carrier of letters passed through tho great gates. Sho mot and took tho loltora and papers from him, and thon turning her back, quickly sorted them as she walked slowly towards the house. • There was none for her, but there was one with the London postmark, and in ' an unknown hand,-wbM'made hor hopes ..rise, ~ Surely it might be from Neil, who with his usual thought for hor, had considered it best that she should hoar of him through ber fathor. Whilst she poured out tho ooffeo, Sir Godfrey, as was his custom, slowly took up one after another of his letters, whioh Aline bad placed beside his plate, and after skimming them over laid them aside. He made no remark about any of them, and as the girl, though bitterly disappointed, dared not question him, she was reduced to sipping hor tea and crumbling a pieoe of toast on to hor plato. , Utterly unconscious of his daughter's tita'o of mind, the baronot chatted away about bis guest. "You innst see the cook, Aline," ho • remarked, " and toll hor to have somo little, delicate dishes suitable for an invalid for lunoh, as Mrs Harlton will bo down ; and mind you aro in to sec that overyn thing is made comfortable for her. I had an interview with that man, whose name is Vulodo. and hoard something of tbeir dreadful experience in tho open boat, after they had left tho ship, wnich appeared to be on the point of foundering, But, as his English is difficult to understand, and I know no Spanish, thero aro many points which remain to be made dear. I daresay Mrs. Harlton will enlighten us." "Will you bo back to lunch, papa?" Aline asked absently. "Of courso, my dear. It would bo a slight on our guest not to be present when sho takes her first meal with us. lam hurrying off now so as to bo done by one o'clock." ? He rose from tho table, tho letters in his hand, """' ' "By the way," ho said, v/'nen halfway to the door, " there h ii loiter from Den< say/ ho has had to uiako a -—» ''-. .jßj* Btß y m town than ho expected but "will be down in th>-eo or four days at the latest, wlii'Q wo may expect to see him. I don't know why he took the trouble to write, but I suppose he was thinking of the young horse ho is breaking in," Aline broke out into a merry laugh as her father left the room, •'Breaking in the young horse," she thought. I know better than that, It was me hen as thinking of when he wrote. Dear JN'eil! Ido not believe that in all England there is another man as tenJer and true I" Whilst she busied herself in making up a cosy corner in tho conservatory that opened offthe smaller of tho two drawingroomß,Bhecaught herself singing, or lilting, as the Scotch say, from sheer lightness of heart. In threo days she shouldsoo Noil again, in five at the most. Now that she was certain ho was thinkof her, she did not feel his prolonged absence so long, * It was a morning in early Juno, and a gentle breeze kept tho comervatory from feeling too hot. She had just complotod her task whon the rustle of a curtain made her look up, Standing in the entranco of the conservatory, where it opened out nf tho dr»wing*room, was her father's guest, Sara Harlton, The day beforo Alino had driven ex-* JMenly*lnfo ■ Minstetbury, tho country '— to purcL.no dresses ami all things that tbeir guest might want, The dress sbo wore that morning had been altered so as to fit admirably, It was white, of a light summer fabrio; her only ornament, except a couple of rings—one of them a marriago ring—n brooch, clasped it at tho neck, She had evidently taken pains in dressing her glorious hair. Aiine, who had constantly sat beside her bed, was more struck than ever bj her loveliness, Even when lying at tho bottom of tin boat her colourless face had preserved t certain beauty, hut now, though still ■ slightly pale, she looked like somo glori *■ ous tropicul flower rather than the pallit lily she appeared then, " How good of you to tab so mucl trouble on my account," she said, in i gwect, low voice, "Indeed, you am your father have been too kind to me I 1 "It is nothing; we could do no less, 1 Aline answered, " But now you sit dowi and rest; I think this is tho most com fortable chair in the houso." The lady smiled <md sank down into th chair, " What a troublo I am to evorybody,' """*-• she murmured, "What would hav become of us but for your kindness ? Bu yon do not know how much I have suffo: 'i od, Thia last affair is only tho culminatio s - of my miseries, Shall I toll you a littl of my private history?" The girl protested, " You are not strong enough yet, dec Mrs. Harlton," she said, "If you lit to tell papa somo day, lam suro he wi try and help you in any way ho can," "lamßUro ho would," Mrs, Harltc answered. " And it will savo mo froi telling my story twice if I toll it to hii whon you aro present, Tell me how —'- Jose Voledo getting on ? I heard that 1 was already able to go about," " Oh, yes, ho seoms quite recovcrod, I is a Spaniard, is he not ?" " Yes, and was a most faithful sorvar of my poor husband's. But for him [ should have gone down in that wreicht I ship." " And your husband perished there T ' ,' Oh no, He died at Huelva, in Spai where he was engaged in working ti mines. He has been dead nearly t\ years," She might have said more, but at th moment Sir Godfrey bustled in. .-•__' He was quite red in the faco with t ~" : baits he had made. He inquired aft hit gutit's hsalth with what Alius thong

Authoress of " Sinned Against and Sinning," " Love in Idleness," ett>., etc.

>x aggoratod anxiety, seeing tho lady was up and looking ipniarknbly well. He would not listen to n word of thanks but declared lie would not lot Mvb llarl*ton leavo tho Abbey till sbo had quite ro« gained her itrongth, To be continual)