Novelest.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2552, 17 November 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

Novelest.

Marriage of Col. Lee. « A STORY IN THREE CHAPTERS.

BY DORA 11USSELL,

./Author of " I'ootprints in the Snow,' "The Broken Seal," Beneath tue Wave," &c, &c,

CHAPTER II

The engagement was immediately announced by Mrs Oliver to the whole regiment, and to all her

numerous friends and acquaintances

iin many different lands, as fast as tthe post could convey the intelli-

Igence. Katie was considered to have jgnade a rise in life, and the young officers who had joked and flirted

Tjefore now grew respectful in their demeanoar, and remembered it was their colonel's future wife they were addressing; while her younger brothers and sisters began to regard her as something different to themselves, and to treat her with peculiar distinction. As for poor Captain Oliver, he was simply overjoyed at his daughter's good-fortune, and his pride and confidence in his the ability she had displayed in arranging the affair rose to such an excess, that he absolutely spent five pounds on a

new silk dress for her, and astonished the, good lady by presenting it to her with a kiss.

Kalheriue also appeared in a very different attire to the shabby and often tawdry " frocks " she had worn before the engagement. Col. Lee took advantage of his age and position to furnish her with everything which was necessary for a young lady to wear, and with pride and pleasure saw her beauty improved and admired. But she was always -very shy with her lover and neither his -yresents nor his kindness availed to break through this reserve. "Young girls in love always are," said Mrs Oliver to the Colonel, confidentially, and as she took good care to leave them seldom alone, be was compelled to be satisfied with this explanation. With o sort of chivalrous forbearance for the young girl he was about to marry, Colonel Lee, however, declined to take advantage of his future mother-in-law's eagerness on this point. He and Katherine had in fact come to a kind of agreement about it, for an incident occurred some six weeks after they were first engaged, which helped to bring a better understanding between them. One evening Colonel Lee happened to be sitting near his betrothed, when the soldier servant brought in family letters, and Katherine received one, which was handed to her, she took it with unmistakable signs of agitation, and rose shortly afterwards and left the room with her unopened letter in her hand. "Sure its from her cousin, Phil O'Donnell, who has just lost his wife, I believe," said Mrs Oliver, observing at once the Colonel's grave looks. " What a feeling heart the child has ! She always is bothering herself about somebody's troubles. Col. Lee made no reply to this observation. He sat very silent and sad after Katherine had left and for the first time since his engagement, serious doubts as to the wisdom and propriety of it began to enter into, and disturb his mind.

Was his sister right after all, he thought 1 Was it his position and fortune which Katherine had played for and coveted, and not his heart ? Old, old times, which he had almost forgotten, seemed to come back to him as he sat there, thoughtful and absorbed. Almost thirty years ago he had been in the same position as ho was now, and how had it ended 1 He had been then deeply attached to a beautiful girl, who while she responded warmly to his affection, had always insisted on positive secrecy as regarded the engagement which subsisted between them.

There certainly seemed many prudential reasons for this. In those days Colonel Lee was but young Austen Lee, with little or nothing but an ensign's pay, and some reasonable expectations to look to; but as true-hearted and noble a young fellow as ever lived.

He loved this Miss Seymour as such men do love, and by her wish exchanged into a regiment then stationed in India, under the positive understanding that when the old aunt who had willed her money to him died, that they were to marry ; and not one doubt of her truth ever entered his mind during the three years he was patiently and cheerfully waiting for her in that far-off laud. But the lady's constancy was not so enduring. One mail he got a letter from her to tell him that it was wavering. Her family was anxious she shsiuld settle.; her health was breaking; she was unhappy, and so on. Without a moment's unnecessary delay after receiving this news, Austen Lee started for England. When he arrived at the end of his long and dreary journey he found ho was too late. Miss Seymour no longer existed, hut Laciy Belsay, old' Sir William Belsay's handsome bride, heard of her former friend's arrival with tolerable composure, though she certainly shed a few secret tears over the young fellow's disappointment. He got over the blow after a time, like a brave honest man will, but still it altered him considerably. He was graver than he formerly was, for one thing, and for another he seemed never to care for the society of young ladies. He followed the fortunes of his regiment for the next thirty years, and during that had had some hard work, and many changes, all through which he simply did his duty, and served his God and his country as best he could.

He had not been in love with Katherine Oliver when her mother told him she had given him her young heart, but he had learned to love the pretty girl he believed cared for him, and who had promised to be his wife, and as he sat waiting after she had left the room, with her unopened letter in her hand, some of the bitter experience of his youth seemed to return to him, and jealousy and distrust, and for a moment or two, anger, took possession of his mind. But he was a just man, and had fought and conquered other foes, as well as his country's ; and after a brief struggle with himself, he suppressed his feelings now. " Will you tell Katherine I will come back in half-an-hour, Mrs Oliver," he said, quietly rising and taking up his cap. " I want to see her a few minutes alone."

Mrs. Oliver was in terrible fright after he had left their rooms. She rushed up to Katherine and scolded

and shook her, till she nearly sent tho poor girl into hysterics. Slittold her if she lost this chance, she would never have another. That her selfish folly would break her father's heart. That they would end in the poor-house, and all for the sake of a worthless, idle scamp. Katherine listened and dried her tears, and batered her face, and begged her mother would leave her alone till the Colonel came back. " But what are ye, going to say to him ?" askerl the anxious mother. " Surely ye won't be putting him off after all the trouble and expense ye'ro poor father and myself have been at to engage him." " No, no," said Katherine, impatiently. " Let me alone, mamma ; do let ine alone. I will keep my word, though my feelings of course are nothing." Then Mrs. Oliver thought it her duty to burst into tears also. " Nothing, me child, nothing ! Ye're feelings nothing !" she, exclaimed, amid her sobs. " When I'd just die for any of ye—lt's, hard, very hard to an ungrcetful child." "I am not ungrateful. Go away, mamma,'' said Katherine. •' What is the matter 1 I won't say anything to Colonel Lee that will vex him." Consoled by this promise, Mrs. Oliver descended to the sitting-room, and received the Colonel on his return, as if nothing had happened. "I'll tell Katie ye're come," she said, cordially. "It jest was from poor Phil' that letter, as I told ye. He's in terrible grief, poor lad, and no wonder—not two years married till January, and his wife and twins all gone together. He's my sister's fourth son. Or l plain O'Dounell, her husband has a tine berth. He's chief officer—"

" I should like to see Katie at once," said the Colonel, interrupting her, for he had learnt to dread her family histories, and not implicitly to believ d in them ; aud Mrs. Oliver seeing his impatience, went for her daughter, and with a few significant words of warning sent her down to her lover. Then, when the sitting room door was fairly closed upon them, she very cololy placed herself outside of it, and kneeling down applied her ear to the key hole, all the while considering she was doing her duty as a mother and an Irishwoman, to her child.

As Catherine went into the room, Colonel Lee looked very earnestly at her swollen eyes and pale face, which suddenly, under the consciousness of his gaze, grew violently red, and her hand trembled when he rose and took it.

" Kathleen, I want a few words with you," said he, speaking quickly as men dowhen suppressing emotion. " I want you also to tell me the truth. Who was that letter from you got to-night?"

Katherine hesitated and looked down.

" Why do you want to know ?' she said after a pause.

" Because you have promised to marry me," answered Colonel Lee' " Because even the most unsuspicious of men must have seen the agitation with which you received it—and is there anyone else—if you care for anyone else——" "It was from my cousin," said Katherine from my cousin Willie O'Dounell. There's no harm in geting letters from one's cousin, is there?"

" There's always harm in concealment, I think," said Colonel Lee, gently. "If there was nothing to hide in your cousin's letter, why could you not open it, and read it before ma 1 And your mother told me it was from your cousin Philip O'Donnell, and now you say it was from Willie."

" Mammahas mistaken, I suppose," answered Katherine quickly and nervously. " I said from one of the O'Donueli's. We are own eousins. They often write to us all."

Colonel Lee did not speak, but stood looking at her gravely. He was net satisfied that she was telling the truth.

" What is the matter 1" said Katherine, looking up into his face, though not confidently. " How have I offended you 1 If you are vexed at Willie writing, I will tell him lie must not write any more."

" I am not vexed at Willie writing, or anyone else writing," said Colonel Lee, " if you really care for me more than them all, Katherine," he continued, almost solemnly, " there is but one thing which makes marriage pure, or happy, or holy ; but one thing which makes this tie between men and women what it should be ; and that one thing is love. If you do not feel this for me, tell me now before it is too late."

As Colonel Lee thus addressed her, Katherine began to tremble violently, and her blue eyes filled with tears.

"Do not let me distress you," said the Colonel, again taking her hand. "In my youth, Katherine, I had a bitter disappointment. The pain I felt then, at least will teacli me to be forgiving to you now ; and if you have yielded to your wishes about me rather than your own heart—if, in fact, you have promised to marry me while you love somebody else, tell mo now and I will not blame you."

"You—you are very generous," said Katherine, and she put her hand over her face to hide her fast failing tears.

" My child," said the Colonel, "at my ago no disappointment can be so bitter as at yours. I do not say I

will not suffer,'' he continued, after a moment's hesitation, while his face Hushed and his lips quivered. " I will not pretend I have not learnt in all these weeks to love you, and to think of you as a man honourably may of his future wife ; but," ho added almost passionately, " I could not, I would not, marry you, if I thought anyone else was dearer to you than I am." As he spoke, Katherine once more looked up into his face, and then for the first time in her life flung herself into his arms, and hid . her face on his breast. " No," she whispered, " no—no one is so good, or so kind to me. as you are. I will be true to you ; I will marry you ; but will you give me time? That is all I ask. Don't mind what Mamma says. Let three months pass—just three months, and then—•" "And then you will be my wife;" said the Colonel, kissing the pretty tear-stained face which lay on his bosom. "Be it so, Katherine. 1 will trust you, and you shall arrange as you will. (7'h be tnutbnr-d).