CHAPTER II.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2242, 20 November 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER 11.

Time, wore on, and w inter was closo at hand. One clay, early in November, Godfrey hart .in appointment to keep with his publishers. His way lay through one of the most crowded thoroughfares. As ho was threading along, he suddenly became aware of a conimutiou in the street. Looking in the direction of tho noise, he saw a hansom cab, the drifer of which had pulled up suddenly, in order to avoid colliding with an omnibus ; the horso was rearing and plunging in an alarming manner. These affairs aro so common in London that Godfrey would havo given it but, a passing thought had he not seen a girl, who must have been in the act of crossing when tho accident occurred, stop in the middle of the sheet, too much bewildered, cither to advance or retreat. Godfrey, becoming aware of her danger, made a rush, and pulled her into a place of .safety, but, seeing she was nearly fainting from fright, he half led, half carried her into the nearest shop. As ho placed her in a chair and caught sight of her face, he knew that he looked once more upon tho girl he had last seen in that bright summer time, which now seemed so long ago. But, oh! how chingcd was she. She looked pale and thin. She was dressed in deep mourning, rather the worse foy wear. In her hand was a roll of music, to which she tenaciously clung. Godfrey, obtaining a glass of water from the kind shopkeeper, offered it to her. She took it and drank it eagerly. The cooling draught seemed to revive her, and rising from her seat, she thanked Godfrey hurriedly for his kindness He asked her if he shoukl get her a cab, but she coldly declined his offer, saying she could very well walk, aud pulling hor veil closely over her face, she moved rapidly away. Godfrey stood for a moment quite taken aback by this sudden termination of the long-wished-for interview. Then, ""pulling himself together," he followed hastily in the direction he thought the gitl had taken. But he had not goae far before ho retraced his steps, recollecting how utterly hopeless such following must prove in a London ftreet at its bu-iest timo of tho day. Had she recognised him ? He could not tell. Ah ! poor child, if .she only knewr howr ho longed to help hor, for he felfc sure she was in trouble of some kind. She must have lost her mother, or why that deep mourning ? And had sho to earn her own living? lie remembered the roll of music, and feaied so. Well, Godfrey thought, as he went on his way to his publisher's, whether he was ever destined to look upon her face again or not ; no woman had ever so attracted him before, nor ever would so attract him again. (To be continued. J