Men Were Deceivers Ever.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1035, 8 July 1904, Page 4

Men Were Deceivers Ever.

;CHAPTEE IV,

BY EDITH FRANCIS

11 We have woudovful air hero," bo enid; " but even with tbo assistance you will receive from (hat it will take you quite a month to recovor from all you have gono through. A month is too short indeed, anil I only mentioned it so that you might Bend off any telegrams, or writo any lettors which might rolievo tbo anxiety of your Monde. The fair widow smiled sorrowfully, " I am afraid there are vory fow pooplo who take an interest in me, I nrn an orphan as well as a widow. My husband baa been dead two yoars," She baronot tried to look sympathetic, bat Aline fanciod he appeared rather pleased than otherwise to hear that Mr Harlton had been doad somo time. However, luaohoon was announced a ininute later, and on Sir Godfrey's arm the young widow passed into the dining room. She eat delioately of ono aud all the various dishes prepared for her, and drank two glasses of ohampagne, seemingly with much relish, Sho went up to her room to lie down during tho afternoon, but roappoarod at dinner, and the next morning declared herself quite well enough to sit out iu the garden. To Mine's annoyanoe -for sho considered that seat was sacred—sho choso tho very rustic bench on whioh Neil and sho had plighted their troth, Aftsriiittle time sho asked Sir God* i. frey if he wou 3be so kind as to send her • servant Jose to her, as she bad several things to say to him before he left for London. The baronet, after protesting that Jose was weloome to stay at tho Abbey as long as he wished, went to oxecuto hor " command, taking Aline with bim, Another five minutes and the Spaniard, dark-eyed and swarthy, with lank, black moustache, stood before his misiress, J 1 That is right, my dear Jose," she laid; 11 stand in my presence and keep up an appearance of respect, for wo are mistress and servant now, not brother and Bister, you will remember," She spoke in Spanish, and he answered her in the same solt language. '• lam not likely to forget; if you wero as cautious as I am thore would be no danger," " There isnono now," she said." Listen, and say if matters eould have gone bettor than they have done now. No one doubts our story, We are shipwrecked, and Fate favoured us so we'.l that wo are actually carried into tho house we wanted to enter, and asked to remain there as guests. Tho most we dared to hope for was that we should be greeted in tho village as interesting strangers, and that Sir Godfrey ' would oome to make our acquaintance. " Never mind what we hoped in tho past," the man said sharply, "Thoques- ' tion is, what about the future? You will find out where tho jewels and plate are kept, and will call me back. Then—" ' " Wait," she interrupted. "My dear brother, when first we read those letters < and other papers which came into our J hands by a stroke of fortune, our plan was j to come to r*igland. and, armed by the ; Vnowicdfje wc had gained, toeomwiUu,' to ultor all "hat. I do not mean ,(i rob Sir Godfrey or his protty daughter, and I am so oomfortable here that I do not intend to leave the Abboy either." " What do you mean to do?" the man asked. She leaned back in the rustic seat, splendidly insolent in the knowlodgo of her beauty. 11 1 mean to remain here to marry Sir Godfrey," she laid. " Tho old fool is in love with me already, and his daughter's fortune depends upon his will. After our marriage he will disinherit her in my favour, and then perhaps he will die, and 1 shall be a rich woman, Jose, with a large fortune to share with my devoted brother." CHAPTER V. TUB WORK OF FATE, The next day and tho next passed slowly enough to Aline. She counted the hours, eaoh ono as it passed bringing Noil's roturn tho noarer, Sho had plenty of leisure, for Sir Godfrey had quite forgotten his usual habits and employment, and devoted himsoli entirely to his guesi. Now that sho was strong enough to walk, he was evor by her sido, end whon they quitted the lawn to wander farthor, he took with him a camp stool, so that she might rest if fooling tired, Aline, whose wits wero sharpened by her own love affair, began to ask herself, with somo dismay, if her father wore not aotuaily falling in love with this beautiful stranger. Alroady she was no longer Mrs Harlton but Sara. She was playing her part so well, this lovely woman, with tho witchory of her golden hair, her sweet, low voice, and infinite tact, Her servant, as shooallod him, Jose, had departed, but sho still remainod Sir Godfrey's guest, the fascination which had from the first enthralled him growing greater day by day, She meant to marry him, to win for herself the wealth that should have been her daughter's, and could havo laughed aloud to think that her task was so oasy, And Alios—with a woman's instinctfelt as if a cloud wore lowering ovor hor own life, which with tho passing of overy dav grew but tho harder to bo borne. Neil too, had not roturned. How passionately she longed for his coming no wort's could say, and no nthor letter had arrived from him. For his sake she endured a torment of susponse, though sho assured herself that sho was seoure in in his great love, but sho grew very pale and weary as the days crept on, Her father did not notioo the ohange in her, ho was too muob engrossed with his guest: and somohow tho old home no , longer seemed homelike now this brilliant woman bad installed herself there. Already she seemed far more tho mis» tress of the house than poor Alino, and tho girl drooped amid tbo new atmosphoro of coldness in whioh she found herself. For the first time in her lifo sho felt de trop. The only thing wbioh comforted tho girl was that no answer to her father's fetter bad arrived from her cousin Jaok, Whatover was to happen, tho present was hers end Nell's, It wob the fourth day after the letter's letter to Sir Godfrey that, when walking in the avenue with Sara Harlton, Aline saw the man she loved ride through the open gates, Sfck knew that sho was blushing, and she notioed an amused light in Sara's eyes, but the latter made no remark, and the next moment Neil had ridden up and dismounted, He shook hands with Aline, and tho latter introduced him to Mrs. Halton, Until that moment he had, or seemed to have had, only eyes for Aline herself, but at her words be turned and so for the first time looked into ths face of tho lovely woman before him, : Thilr glaniH met, iwift, brfgjit'uugo

Authoress of" fiinnert Against and Sinning," 11 Lovo in Idleness," etc., otc.

netic, glauces wliioh wont from heart to heart, and woro surely barbed by fate in ono of her waddost freaks, , To he continued,)