CAMELLA OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2941, 21 May 1891, Page 4

CAMELLA OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER

l.)v Mks L. .Frost Ratthay (Author of " l!n«tondcll.")

A Tkvst. A i.i, the way to Iluamoa, Kate was haunted by the vision of the man who had once been so much to her.

Should she see him that night 1 ( 'uulil .she. on this her first evening, slip away unperceived '!■ Should she (ell (.'amulh, and if she told her what would she say ? Surely that Kate had hotter not have anything move In do with a man who had treated her so infamously ; hut then Oamella was so happy herself, would she not .feel for a suffering sister? Would six) not say : " Well, dear, if it would make you happier to seo him, I u ill go down with you and wait near the gate." iiotli ladies were rather silent — the one, ln'c.ui.,o il was dillioult to talk and think satisfactorily at the eh me lime ; Ihe other because she was suffering from a severe headache. When they arrived at home, Mr Tallot met them, and announced that Stanley was very sorry to desert Miss Powys on the first night of her visit, but ho had been obliged to go to an important meeting some miles off, and would get sumething to eat at Awa Moa and return home about ten o'clock. Then Can.ella's suffering appearance was noticed, and Kate, a little ashamed of the relief it would give her to be rid of her friend's quick eyes, insisted on her going to bed, which Mrs Tafforson was only too glad to do. Then Kate told Mr Tallot she was going to take a stroll in the evening, and informed him pretty plainly that she did not wish for J]is company. .Ttather surprised, he accepted the sop she threw at him in the shape of a new novel, which had been her travelling companion on the voyage up, and esconsed himself in an armchair with it and his pipe.

Thus freed from instrusive friends, Kato walked quickly down the drive. It was not 8 o'clock, but she hoped that MrTJront might be earlier than tho time lio had

:~peeilied Sho was relieved on roauhing th" trysting plnco to find liiiu wailing for hor, and ho commended her for c jming so soon. "Wu cannot stay here," said Kate; " whoro shall wo go ?" "If wo follow that path to the right, through tho plantation, we shall 11 ml a fallen troo. Wo can .lit there, Kate." " Yon have no right to call mo ' Kite.'" she protested, an they turned into tic " I have—-the host light in the world. For you bvo mo, Kate ; I tan seo it in your eyes—they alwnys told (he truth." "Hush, yen shall not talk Uko that. What did you want to soo me for For everything. I have been

hungering for the sound of your voice, longing for a look, a smile from your dear faco." " I shall leave you if you talk such nonsense," said Kate, putting on immense constraint upon her feelings, which seemed to impel her to cry instead, " Oh, Robert, so havo 1." "Jlow cold you are! Women forget so soon. Who would have I bought that you, sitting hero so calm'and cold' and self-possessed, wero the writer of this passionate, delightfully loving lettor," and ho took an envelope, addressed in her hand writing from his breastpocket. " Oh, Robert," sho exclaimed, stretching out her hand eagerly, " You must give that back to mo. You shall not keep it You have, by your own act, forfeited the right to it or to any letters that I have written to you. Give it to mo. " Not so fast,'' he said, holding her hand in his warm elasp, "What will you givo mo for it ? A kiss ?

Kate turned her head away from him. .She felt a thrill of pleasure at the touch of his hand and the rush of old associations when they had been affianced lovers, and used to sit thus, hand in haud ; he with one arm round her almost overpowered her. But she was a thoroughly high principled girl. She snatched away her hand and rose to her feet.

"If you have nothing more to sav to me than this, Mr Bront, I .shall return to the house.' Her tones were cold and decided, and he looked at her in mingled admiration and disgust. " You are perfectly heartless. Don't you want to know why I did not wait to marry you 1" " I will listen to that if you will cut the story short and leave my name out of it altogether. " llow you have changed, Kate," he said. " You used to be so sweet and loving ; now you are as proud and haughty as Lucifer." " And if I have changed," cried Kate, passionately, her self-control suddenly deserting her, " whose fault is it 1 Who spoilt my life ? Who made me think all men, with their never dying promises of constancy and love, were utterly false 1 You, you." He cowed before her passionate indignation and muttered, " It was not my fault." "Of course it was not" ; her tone was intensely, bitterly, scornful. "You unfortunate men have not the power of asking whom you like to marry you, I suppose. You have to wait until some silly girl takes a fancy to you and invites youto make her miserable by getting engaged to her. And she has the power to throw you off because she wants to ask another unfortunate victim to marry her." "You are very severe, but you have nearly hit the truth this time. I did not ask this woman to marry me ; ncr brother did to suit his own ends." Kate did not reply but looked incredulous.

"I assure you that was the case. You don't believe me? Well then I will tell you all I can without compromising anyone. You have hoard of secret societies V "Yes." " Well, I was mad enough to get mixed up with one of them. They doubted my good faith because I openly expressed my entire disapproval of some of their plans. To, as they thought, bind nie to them, they said I must marry into their order. One gentleman was kind onough to propose that his sister should become my wife. What could Ido 1 I was wholly in their power, money, position, even life itself, feo I gave in, and was duly married to her. I could not write to you, I hoped against hope that something, even death, would release me from my hated bonds before you came out. But nothing happened. I met your brother-in-law, and told him the bare fact of my marriage. I was at liberty to do no more. And I must request you to keep my secret also."

Kate had stood during this recital with her eyes lixed on the speaker's face. When he had finished, she dropped down on the horizontal tree, and wept bitterly. Very gently, Air Bront tried to soothe her, saying that now lie knew she would not judge him so harshly, and it would be easier to bear the separation from her. Presently Kate grew calmer, and asked, " Where is she 1" " The woman I married 1 I left her near Wanganui. I am trying a little experiment. I have run away yet I have left myself plenty of excuses to fall back upon, and explanations of my enforced absence, if any fuss is made about it. I have also a friend, whom I can thoroughly trust, to keep an cyo on Mrs Bront's movements. If slio seems to be getting uneasy at my absence, and threatens to bring me back, well, I shall just return, and make things straight with my prepared excuses. If she, and thiough her, the society, soem willing to lot mo go, I shall make tracks for Los Angelos, and tako up my abode tliero, or near thero." " How long is it sinco you hoard from her ? " " Of her, you moan. "Wo are not on corrospondiug torms. It is about ono month, since I wont to "Wellington, then worked my way by easy stages up here." Kato nervously tore a little fern, growiug within roach of hor hand, to pieces, then gathered another. Mr Bront took it from her, and kept the destructive little hands prisoners. '• Kate,'' ho said, and his voice was low and entreating, " Kate, if I go to Los Angelos, will you go too ? Never ! never ! How dare you in«uU mo so?"' She was on her tret in a moment, confronting him with Hashing eyes, and panting bosom. " You havonow placed an utterly impassablo gulf between us ;

Mr liroiic. While your wife lives, 1 will novor speak to, or seo you ii gain." Sho turnod, and ran lightly along tho little path until she rcnched the large gate, then walked swiftly up tho drive. She was glad of tho fow minutes that must elapse beforo she should meet thoso dark penetrating eyes of Mr Tallot, though sho resolved to avoid them if possible, plead fatigue at tho sittingroom door, and slip off to her own room. But Mr Talbot was pacing up and down the vorandah, "You should not extend your strolls until such a lato hour, Miss Fowys," ho said. " Mrs Tafferson has twico come to her door to call for you, and I at last sang out that I fancied you wero asloop in your own room."

" Thank you very much. I will avail myself of your kind excuse, and crcep in noiselessly. Good night." " Goodnight," he answered, wondering greatly what sort of a young lady this was, who on her first arrival, wandered over the gardens—as hp supposed—alone, remaining out so late that her door had barely closed, e'er Stanley'shorse was heard coming up the drive. "Where is every one?" he exclaimed aa he entered the sittingroom, and found Tallot its sole tenant. " Gone to roost, I believe," answered Mr Tallot. " You don't say ho 1 Well I suppose they are tired, but it is barely nine o'clock, is it?"

" About half-past, I think." "So it is," and Stanley went to see how Camella's headache was.

Kate Powys was rather glad tho next morning to find that though Camella was still suffering from the effect of her over-work in order to make her house look nice for her friend's arrival, she was well enough to appear at breakfast, but not able to drive out as previously arranged. So Kate congratulated herself that she was not likely to meet Mr Bronfc.

She devoted herself to Camella, trying to put away all remembrance j of the previous night's interview. She was puzzled by a certain strange kind of constraint between the Taffersons, and wondered greatly if Camella had already discovered that she had made a mistake in marrying Stanley. Yet, every now and then, they would exchange a joke as if on most familiar terms, though Kate hardly considered them a very affectionate couple. Still, she occasionally surprised a look of pleading tenderness in the wife's eyes, and a watchful, questioning glance in the husband's which puzzled her considerably. Was Stanley jealous of Mr Tallot. Kate asked herself. But there wa3 absolutely nothing in his behaviour to Camella that could justify even the most suspicious of husbands in entertaining for a moment the slightest jealous feeling. They were much like brother and sister, she thought, whilst it was quite evident that Camella had no affection to bestow ©n anyone but her husband. Kate wondered in silence, and, like Mr Tallot, questioned whether had she married tho one she loved, any petty triflo would have been allowed to come between them. (To be contumai.)