Men Were Receivers Ever.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1029, 1 July 1904, Page 4

Men Were Receivers Ever.

BY EDITH FRANCIS,

Authoress of " Sinnod Against and Sinning," " Love in Idlonoss," etc., etc,

CHAPTER 11. The sky overhead was of the palest blue fleokod with cloudlets, the heralds of the tun. Tho river meadows wore, liowovor, wreathed in mist, and the copse hunting to tho hillsido on which tho Abhoy was built showed above the white fog. The mill was buried in obscurity, but not so dense that a figure might not havo been seon sioaling from behind the groat laurel bush which masked half the side of iho house, Passing through the gate in tho fence, the man looked at tho plank bridge- and the damp meadows, A walk through tho sloppy grass was mote than ho cared to face; so Neil Denton took the road, which Wound round Sir Godfroy's Park, though at tlfo expense of n mile or two of walking. This, howover, was of little moment to a young man in the full vigour of life, and Dp the hill he strodo, thinking ol Alice one moment, of Alino tho next, gradually coming to tho conclusion that his next move with regard to the latter had bettor be a bold one. The seed was already sown, tho flower was in bud, tho best thing was to pluck it without delay, As for gaining tho father's consout, that was a mattor whioh must remain open for the prosont, Ho must depond on his lucky star, He was barp .ip, and such a srnail thing as a father's consent was not likely to stay his hand, Perhaps Sir Godfrey would havo to climb off his high pedestol tnd make a merit of necessity in giving his daughter to the reckless spendthrift, At the top of tho hill he caught a glimpse of tho Abbey through tho trees. The sun rays was just tipping the vaue on tho old dove-cot with gold; but Captain Denton was no admirer of nature, He selected a oigar, lit it, kissed his band in the direction of the Abbey, and Walked on in happiness and content, seeing B golden future in which duns figured not, Dor creditors annoyed, The sun's morning work was over boforo life showed itself at the Abbey, First a fowrnen appeared in tho stableyard, armed with buckets aud pitchforks, Next the housemaids and cook came down to the kitchen. The butler unlocked the front door aud iked himself for a moment on the steps. At oighto'clook Aline cau'o down and took her dogs for a run round the gavdon. At half-past to a moment, thoi baronet joined her, and then camo breakfast, after whioh Sit Godfrey transacted what he [leased to call busings in his study, It was not till aftor a late luncheon that lather and daughtor found themselves together on the lawn. The baronet smoking a cigar and ex* ohanging a word or two with his daughter from time to time. " The post brought no letter again today," he said rathor abruptly, and it struck the girl that ho was watching her curiously out of the corners of his eyes, She looked at him in some surprise, "Why, father," she said, "wero you (Xpeoting anyone in par'icutor ?' "Why, yes, my d;!".,'' in; r ."L ,; To tell you the truth, I am p ■:(■■■ iiins; ■ 'nttafrom Mexico—ono tbr: ough: t:i huve c..\ here days ago." AhY'-.'stoppsii abruptly, the lights and sh.vJov.'j casing each other over bor bonny L..v, '• From Mexico," sho said. " Oh, father, du you mean from Jock ?" Sir Godfrey nodded; now that tho ice Was once broken his task was easy, "Yes," he said. "I do mean from your cousin. Jack, my dear; your only living relative except mysolf, and tho heir to my title and ostato, though, as you know, my fortune is almost all at my own disposal to be left to whom I will, You will remember that Jack and I quarrelled —it was but about a triflo, but wo were too proud to give way. I wroto to tho) boy weeks ago, though I said nothing to i you «t the time, and I am waiting for his answer now." There was silence after that for some considerable time. Alino was thinking of the Jack she had known in the old days and of tho affection she had felt for bim, but she was wondering uneasily it his return might not make some differenco to hersolf and Neil, while Sir Godfrey watchod hor closely. He had a certain pet project in his mind which be had begun to put into forco when be had written that letter to his heir. "Alino," he said, " has it ever struck yon that you aro twenty ? A timo when a girl ought to think of marrying. Now, you remomber that 1 wrote a letter to your cousin Jack. That is, I sont it to the last address ho gave mo, Docs it not seem strange that he should not have answered it?" " Yes, dad, but he may be still in Mexico, for all wo know, and the letter is following him about." "Quite true," returned the baronet reflectively, stroking his short, pointed beard. " Quite true, my dear, It would not matter much—the delay, I mean—if I had not made up my mind to forget the past and to marry him to you, my lore. A most natural match, which will not separate the title from the estate," Alino did not answer, but blushed like a rose, Till the other day her girlish dreams had been of Jack—Jack, the handsome, Jack, the reckless. But since the previous evening her eyes had been opened, aud she knew, or thought sho knew, that she could never lovo another than Neil Denton, " You see Alino," tho baronet resumed " that as I shall never marry again myself, I Bhould liko to see tho titlo and estate descend in the direct lino. Jack has been a hot-blooded lad, but ho will no doubt settle down now ho has had his fling, and as I have forgiven his behaviour towards myself there is no futher reason why you should not marry him." All her lifo Alino had never doiiiod « wish expressed by hor father, and now it cost her a great inward b'trugglo to rebel, but. tho nowly awakened feeling lowards Neil overcame every othor thought, and With a Bhy upward glanco at hor father's faco she replied: '' But dud how can I tell if I should liko Jack now ? I was but a child when bo wont away. You would not make m« marry him if I did not liko him, would you." Tho baronot's somewhat store faco grow sterner, "My dear, you limit loam tho lesson once for all," ho replied, " that in our rank tho poor, sentimental feeling of what is called love must not entor, You, us my daughter and hoiross, must tab a fitting husband. Jack, as tho successor to the'titlo, must also join ray views as to his marriage it our quarrel is to bo mado up, He lies learnt sorno little oxporienco, I take it, in tho last four joare, and will understand this, But I think I shall havo said enough for to*day, my love, to point out to you mywishofi. Doubtless, I shall receive a lottor from Jaok within a few days, and alter that ; the sooner the engagement takes place tho better I shall bo pleased," ] "But* dad," eiclaimod Alino dm <

peratoly," suppose ho does not turnup, and supposing I do not like him if he docs'/" "Fancies, my dear, just foolish fancies. Doubtless, I shall hour from him in n low weeks or at most in a month or two, and then why, I will leave it to him to light tho torch of lovo. Lovo comes natural to a girl's heart, anil yon, as I know, my child, aro as yet fancy free," To be continued.)