MY UNCLE'S WILL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2262, 8 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

MY UNCLE'S WILL.

(In Thukk Chapters ) (SpcL-iiilly written for The Waikato "Times by The O'Dull.) [All Rights RkskUvkd] CHAPTER ILL As many of the events in this chapter became known to me only after a long interval 1 must, as in my first chapter, adopt the third person, t<v% year has parsed by since the date of my last chapter, aud Florence Burton has heard nothing of our hero except a a brief auuouuuements iu tho Gazette of his being slightly wounded during a Russian sortie. Loft to herself she might perhaps have fancied herself slighted, and in pique and wounded prido would very probably have taken a step that Would have separated them beyond recall. And had Mrs Burton been of tho same- worldly type, iu matchmaking as her- husbaud; subtler tactics would, without doubt, have led Florence's hand, and perhaps-fancy, if not heart, to be captured by some one of the -many eligible suitors whom her beauty and wealth brought round her. But Mrs Burton, while too much in awe of- her husband to take active measures agiiiust him, had, perhaps from some kindred disappointment of her own in early life, a sympathy strong as her feeble nature would'.allow with her daughter's love, aud. though at times in feeble acquiescence in her husband's commands she half-heartedly urged the claims q£ , some wealthy suitor, yet Florence ajyjays retired from suoh -interview.- , , with lier half-shaken confidence in her lover's constancy renewed and strengthened. Her father, too, in his cynical disbelief in such slight things as love or mutual confidence, confined his direct interference between the lovers to maintaining a strict watch on hi« daughter's correspondence, and awaiting the arrival of some eligible suitor whom ho might command his daughter to accept. It is not to be supposed that Charlie hud rtt once, in obedience to his father's commands, abandoned all attempts to assure his betrothed of his fidelity. On the contrary his fh\st act, on returning to his temporary quartern at the Royal Oak w,as to write and beg her to bo true to him as he would be true to her. Receiving,, however, in the early morning- an iuipenitive summons to rejoin his regiment at once, ho had no alternative but to, entrust the letter to a hanger-on at the hotel who had often been his companion Qp. fishing and shooting excur.-ions. ilJck Shanaghau undertook the commission with alacrity, enjoying nothing pifore than a share as secoud, if not principal, in a clandestine love affair. . "Be.Kure and give it into Miss Florence's own hands, mind and bring me an answer before the coach leaves ; you have an hour to do it iu, and that gives you plenty of time. You're sure to find her on the river terrace about this time."

"All right yer honour, it's. I'm thp toy will bring yo the answer in a brace oif seconds," and Mick set off at ii round trot, putting the letter in his pocket. " He had just reached the.gates of Mnlcolworth, uiul was apemilatiug on the best mctliod of executing his delicate commission when ho met Mr Barton riding out. To cram into his solitary pocket the favourite " dudheen " he was smoking and pull his forelock was the work of a moment. '" Hallo, you sir, where are you going ?" cried Mr Burton, with Midden suspicion. "Ab, shure yer honour, I'm goin' to tell the young , inasther where he can git three or maybe four brace of iligaut cork (i.e. woodcocks), and, yer honour knows, if a frost cornea they'll be up on the ridge a.t wanst, and Mr Watson, bad luck to him, will bo shooting them," said Mick, " with native cunning, kuowing the deadly feud between the landlord arid the neighbouring Npire." "' r ' u ' All right, Mick," and Mick went on bia way rejoicing, but as he was putting into his pocket the half-crown carelessly thrown to him by the rider, " An shure, it's ye'r the unlucky boy, Mick, if iver there was one. Be jaber.i the captain's letther is all a mass of oindhers. May I niver see glory if I know what to do. F-iix I'll go , back and tell him there's no answer." ' No wonder if under such circumstances Florence had waited in vain for any •letters from her lover. Anxiety and. the conflict between hope and despair hud made her spirits sadly uneven, and that once merry girl was now alternatively feverishly gay or glooiui y despondent. Her health too had suffered from the conflict between her pride and her love. S'ie was in one of her lowest moods one morning when her father, looking up from a letter he had been reading: toreome time with intense satisfaction, interrupted her sad reflections by saying.

" Florence, my dear, I've just had a very kind letter from the Dowager Marchioness. She is entertaining a party mainly in honour of her tou's safreturn after the fall of Sehastopol ami the Dowager has kindly included us in the house party." " Thank yon, Papa, tut I don't fe< 1 ■well enough to go." " I really thought, that as my daughter. F.lorenc«, you had more pr.de than tcontinue fretting after a y>xt.nx scum who has evidently forgotten you lon since. Have you erer heard from hu\> since he left." " No, Papa," in a constrained whisper. " Then if you don't want all th« country to be talking out of what the> are already hinting- ut, you will go And let me tell you my dear that ynu can have your' revenge on your inconstant lover for the Dowager tolls mo that it i her dearest wish to sue her son's wife, am" let me tell you that to be Marchioness of Ossorv would De promotion for more than half the princesses of Europe." The first part of her father's speech had determined Florence to accept tinsecoud, to refuse the invitation, whei' she suddenly remembered that the Mar quis and his brother were two ot Charlie's most intimate friends, aud thai .Lord Herbert vva3 his greatest chum in tli• regiment. Hoping against hope to bea' some news of him, she was about to yield when a paragraph in the county paper she was listlessly looking at attracted liar attention :—

"Our readers will bo sorry to hear that that promising yoang officer, Capt. Conuell, was severely wounded in the attack on the Redan, and ia hardly expected to recover." Conquering, with difficulty, a strong tendency to hysterics, the natural consequence of such news on an over-excited .weakened frame, she astonished her father by her eager acceptance of his proposal. "There, if anywhere," thought she, <: I'll hear some new* of my darling. Oh. Charlie, you don't deserve mo to love you when you leave me in such terrible suspense." "You don't look at all strong, my dear, ami if you don't care to come down to-night I can explain your absence." Such were the kind words of the Dowager, who had come up to assist at. in more than the French the toilet of the girl to whom she fondly hoped to resign her own position, and, dearer still, her beloved son. " I am only a wee bit tired, dear Lady Ossory, and I do so want to g> down tonight, though T am afraid I shall not be able to dance much." " Well, my dear, I shoul 1 be aorry to lose the queen of the ball, "tit, you had better rest till . come for yo-, ;,ud Simmons will send you up som; -In* er here. I want you," and she strotsd t> e gir's hair with a tender grace, ;'lw.ii you to be with me when I receive our guests lor .the ball.' ; '' You are alwaya too good to wo, Lady Ossory but— " "No my dear, you just do asi you are told, and we shall .->stoDish ■■■htm yet. Qsaory is just come and is quifc' ■•■nxioue to see his old playmate, but I must restrain his. impatience,"

I'ln , , feeling that she had left her hostess under a wrong impression did not Lend to quiet Florence's nerves.' "She is so kiiul though that she will soon forgive me. I could not have sat out that dinner with Hubert then able to tell me all about him. Mary" to her maul "you know Lord Hubert's man don't you !" ? ■ ' ■ A Hush answered. Well, Mary, I know I can rely upon both of you. I want you to give -him this nc.te." " I've a threat mind to take notice at all oi" it," muttered Lord Hubert to himself. "She has evidently jilted poor Charlie, and they say for Ossory, though iknow In is not the cad to be any party to it. By Jove, though I will" on a second pcrus-il of this note. " l) t >ar Hubert, I have kept the second and third dances for you. Don't disappoint me, I want to see you badly." ( To he continued).