MR DRUMMOND,S SECRET

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2698, 26 October 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

MR DRUMMOND,S SECRET

CHAPTER X. —From Jest to Earnest

About a month after the events related last chapter, Mr Drummoud and Mrs O'Connor were quietly married, Larry and Bertha being the only others present at the ceremony, beside the minister. When it was over the four drove to the Auckland station, and the newly wedded couple started for a fortnight's trip to Te Ateha, in the meantime Bertha had promised to pay a visit to a friend who lived at that beautiful little marine, suburb of Auckland, called the North Shore, when she spent a most enjoyable holiday, returning from her home tho day before Mr and Mrs Drummoud were expected from Te Aroha. She had only seen Larry once while she was at the North Shore, but he strolled in the evening she came home. After shaking hands Larry said, " Well, it seems a little more livlier to see you here, Bertha, the houses have seem'ed awfully deserted with you all away." "Yes, lam sure you must have felt lonely, it's a pity you did not take a holiday too." "I am -waiting , to take my holiday, he replied, " until I oan persuade a tain lady I kuow to accompany me." " Have you made it up with that girl you spoke of once," she asked interested and lookiusr at him. "We never quarrelled Bertha, but some difficulties were removed the day I learnt your father's, that is Mr Drum- | mond's Secret."

" Why, what difference can that have made between you two?" asked Bertha surprised. "I do regret Larry that lam not that good man's daughter." " I don't, Bertha, the knowledge of it has brightened ray life, it gives me hopes I never expected to realise." " I haven't the faintest idea what you mean," returned Bertha, "do not talk riddles, but make your meaning plain." "Well," said Larry, "its just this, that while I thought you were my sister-in-law. I know I must not fall in love with you, but now I may." " And do you expeot me to fall in love with you now , , that I know you are not my brothor-in-law," asked Bertha laugbingr, and highly amused at Larry's speech. " Yes, if you only will," he said leaning towards her a little carelessly. " I'll see what I can do to gratify you," ehe replied, her eyoe beaming with fun. " How am I to begin, what am I to say or to do, Larry ? " This is what I do first," said Larry, putting his arm round her and kieeing her before sho was awaro what ho was about, " Don't be absurd, Larry," she said, as she drew herself indignantly away from him. " I only showed you what I was going to do first. You asked me to, Bertha; are you going to follow my example ?" " I would not be so rude," she replied, still indignant with him. " I would not think it a bit rude on your part," Larry answered, with twinkling eyes, ffus Bertha turned her back, and would not look at him, till he came and knelt at her feet and begged her pardon, so humbly that she had to laugh, and told him not to bs such a goose, but to get up off his knees and behave himself, . "And now, Bertha," he said, getting up and sitting down opposite her, " I really am going to try and make you love me ; I am not joking." "Really, Larry, are you in earnest," slid Bertha, who was bursting with laughter. "I suppose you can try if you like; yoiz have an original way of going about it. I thought you gentlemen did not begin by telling the lady that he was going to make love to her. Neither do they generally, but I don't want you to mistake my meaning, you have been so long acustomed to look on me as almost a brother. Nor can I ever think of you as anything else," she replied, "so you had better not trouble about making love to me, Larry." " There's only one thing that will stop me trying," he said, "and that is, do you care for anyone else ?" '■ No, I can answer that with a clear conscience." "Then I'll win you yet, Bertha," ho said, confidently. " Very well," said Bertha, looking at him with her merry eyes, "and I'll just ptoteud I am falling in love with him to cure him of his conceit." "And now," she added iilonil, "as you have qui'.e settled that matter in your mind," suppose we change this edifying conversation and have a little music instead. " With the greatest of pleasure, ray dear, and do sing something about love to please me." Bertha laughed, but made no reply. She sat down to the piano and began to turn over her music. Then she began— "Love not, love not, ye hapless son , ? of clay." Singing it through with as much soberness as sho could command. " Now, that's too bad, Bertha, to sing that to me," "You asked mo to sing about love, and I did," she said maliciously. " All I can do," he replied. " is to sing the antidote you you," and he sat down and began "Love on," and threw such fervour into it that Bsrtha was a little surprised at his manner. "I can't make Larry out fco-night," sho thought, looking at him as he sat at the piano. " Can it bo possible that he has had a glass too much, 1, but the idea was no sooner conceived than it was scornfully dismissed, for she knew ho never touched liquor of any kind ; " he reminds me of what he used to bo before he was engnged to dear Kathleen. Indeed, I dou't think I have seen him look like he does to-night since that old time when he u*ed to come to our house in Dublin and bring us girls flowers and tickets for concerts."

As for Larry ho hail fully made up his mind to win Bertha if ho could, and ho was determined that there should be no mistake about his second courtship. He made it plain from the first by taking the lady in question into his confidence at the beginning, and Bertha, with some of her old spirit of mischief entered into the fun of it, as she quite thought at first that Larry was joking , with her and she thought sho would pay him back in his own ooin. It was some little time before she understood how thoroughly in earnest he was, and then—ah ! well, I am anticipating,. The next day brought Mr and Mrs Drummond home, both looking well and happy, and had thoroughly enjoyed their honeymoon trip to tho wonderful springs of their adopted land. For tho next month or so the Drummouds wore kept occupied with receiving , and returning calif. The newly-married couple got on very bappiiy together, and thp only difference it made to Bertha was that she hiul not to look after her father so much now that he h&d a wife to do it for him, so sho had more loisuro to spend in her garden among her flowers, n pastime of which she was very fond, and that together with her music and her pony, and occasionally going into town to hear concerts or lectures made up her life an innocent but a very hnppy one. She would never go out making , calls if she could help it, but would get the old people off, and she would go for a good gallop sometimes with a friend or oftener by herself. Thus three months passed away. Litry was etill pressing , his purpose, but do what he would he ever seemed to make any impression on the girl he loved If he began to be tender with her, she laughed at him and called him spoony. If he paid her a compliment, she retnrned ifc with interest. If he told her he loved her, she would tell him to tell her something: she did not know. One day he pleaded his cause more eloquently than ever, and Bertha felt sure for the first time that he meant whnt he said. "Larry," she said "are you roally in earnest in all this. I am so sorry." "Bertha, did I not tell you three months ago I was in earnest. I kuew vou did not believo me then, but I thought you did since. Surely yeu have not such a bad opinion of me as to suppose I was only amusing myself at your expense," he afked 'No I did not but to tell you the truth, I did not think much about it at all except that it was rather funny to see you who had got so grave, cotno out young again." " It is the thought of you my darling that has made me young again" he said, looking at her so affectionately that she could not any longer mistake his meaning. "I am so sorry" she said gently, H butl do not care for you in the way you wish, try and forget it all." " I cannot, Bertha, I cauuot, you were my first love and " "You forget my sister" she interrupted, "you forget Kathleen, she was your first " she said reproachfully. " No Bertha, no," and then he told her of his mother never breathing a word of blame on Kathleen, but putting it all on

himself, "and Bertha dear, if I had not found out Mr Drummond'a secret you should never have known that I cared ought for you, than for a dear sister." Somehow after that conversation, Bertha's feelings for Larry began to alter when she thought how he must have sacrificed himself sooner than let Kathleen find out her mistake, then, and then only, did she understand that the fatal letter Kathleen had received had something to do with this, then she thought of Larry's goodness to his mother, and how he had made her his first thought and she began to look on him in a different light and then she began to avoid him, whioh pained Larry terribly for he thought she meant she did not wish for hie society. He did not come into the Drammond'e house quite so often now or else he only stayed a short time, and Bertha began to think perhaps she had mistaken him after all and consequently grew rather strained in her manner in his presence. One evening Larry came in for a chat with hie mother and Mr Drammond. After talking to them for some little time he got up to go, seeing they were wanting to get to their evening game of cribbage. '' AVhere is Bertha, to-night," he asked his mother. " Why, I believe the girl is in the garden, Larry. Do go and fetch her in ; it must be damp, and I am sure she must be done watering her flowers long ago." So she had, and was just: returning to the house when she saw Larry going up the verapdah steps, and not caring to be thrown into his society she went back and sat down in the summer-house at the end of the garden, watching the moon rise and casting her soft reflection around. Larry walked down the garden whistling so that he should not take her by surprise. She stood up as he drew near, and came to the door. " Good evening, Bertha," he said extending his hand; "I am sent to fetch you in. My mother is afraid it is damp for you to be out," and he leaned himself against the door in front of her so she could not pass out. " I was watering my flowers," she explained, " then I came in here, and have been admiringthe moon. Solhavenot been out of the dew," then neither spoke for a few minutes, for the life of her Bertha could think of nothing to say. At la»t Larry said, " Bertha, why have you been avoiding me so lately, do you disiike me so much as that, that you don't like my presence." " Ah, no,Larry. How could y>u think so," she said in a low tone. Something in her manner made Larry look up at her keenly, and their eyes met for a moment. ■' Bertha," he said eagerly," my darling is it, is it that you have learnt to lovr mi; at last." She made no answer, but did not draw away from him, the grey eyes dropped usder his loving gaze, ami her head rested on his shoulder, conquered at last as he took her in his arms and kissed hoi - sweet lips. Perhaps it was an hour, pirlnps it was more, before those two came in o it of tlm Garden, they had so much to say to e.ich other, and the time went so quickly that it was 10 o'clock b.-fore either of them thought it could be more than 8 o'clock. Then they came in together and stood beside Mr and Mrs Drummond, who were just wondering where the young people were. Mr Drummond looked up through his spectacles and saw Bertha's blushing face, and Larry's proud, happy look. " Why, bless my heart," exclaimed the old gentleman, " what have you two been doing out there till this hour ?" " I have been asking Bertha to become my wife, sir," said Larry, " and now I have come to ask you if you will give her to mo.?" "Oh ! that's it is it, It took you fc.vo solid hours did it : while we played six games of cribbage," said he, with twinkling eyes. " We did not know it was so late, ,, Larry began to say. " Yes, yes. hours fly my boy at tunes like tJiis, and what does my little B 'rtlia say. Do you love him 5" " Yespapi," she replied, simply. " Then take her my boy, I have taken your mother, aud it is only fair f should gjvp. you my daughter, and Gol bless you both.' - ' '•To wh'ch I say Amen," said Mrs Drummond, as she kissed her son and daughter. Kour years have passed away, let us lift the curtain for a few minutes ami take a parting glance at oar friemls. What do we see ? the same houses iipw , tocether, on the verandah of the newst one, there sits Mr and Mrs Drtimmomi, not looking a day older than when wo last saw them, nestling up agaiiis-t her grandfather is a pretty little girl IS years oI<J, with her mother's gray eyes ami merry look—Bertha is sitting on the step 3 scarcely altered, except tint she is a little stouter than formerly,sitting astride on her knee is a sturdy looking blue-ejnd boy 18 months old, playing bopeep with his grandmother—every now and tlimi they all look out down the road—presently a tall man comes striding along, and opens the gate into the aanleu, and wo recognise Lirry. Little KnMileen is the first to spy him, and slie rims down the steps shouting " Here's Papa, here lie is." Lirry had bp.cn to the Thames fur three wocks, and is just returning. Little Larry gets down off his mother's knee, ami' toddles after his sister. Larry picks up Kathleen and kisses her fondly, then little. Lirry toddlts up and has to be pickpd up and carried. Then Bertha comes along the pathway, and Larry puts down his little soi, and, putting his arm around his wife kisses her affectionately and said : "I am so glad to be at home again, my darling." "And so are we glad ; we have missed you dreadfully," and the look of lovo tint passes between the two shows that there is perfect love and confidence between them, and that in their case " marriage is not a failure." "Well, mother, and how are you," said Larry, as he kisses his mother, anl shakes hands warmly with Mr Drummontl. Then they all enter thp, hoiisn together and a happier household will not be found in Auckland, nor in her fair city will there be found a more upright lawyer than Larry ; respected by all who know him or have dealings with him.

If any of my friends want advice on a knotty poii.t, ot' want to take a case into court, let me advise them to put it into tiie hands of Lawrence Fitzgerald O'Connor. [the END.]