A Beautiful Fiend.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 230, 26 September 1906, Page 10

A Beautiful Fiend.

1 By MRS. 'EMMA D. E. N. SOUTHWORTH. Author of "lahmaei; , "Tha Discarded Daughter," "The Curse of Clifton," "The Jklfeslng Bride,"" "The Haunted Homestead," ''The Fortune Seeker.." etc.

CHAPTER LI. Tin-. , X ASTER PARTY. A sharp glance rent around the room" showed that the Rev. Dr. Jones was not ' present. And n quick intuition told hor; truly that, he was in his mother's room, j \-- soo:i-ii.~ :..bi' crossed the threshold, 1 M. .. < i.vcndish Kindly caKie. forward to 1 iii"--l. ]y-y. ami took her hand, saying: : "V-'orao in, Mrs. Grey. "We are waiting | for yon. Hero are Laura and Electra.. j both looking so well and happy." [Ua.-.viired by these pleasant words. T\i.: i'y Gr<*y went smilingly forward and gree , ed the two young ladies, each with ■1 kiss. And she commanded herself sufficiently well to say to Laura: "We, had hoped to have your brother here also, Miss Lytton." "Yes, I had hoped so, too. It was so | very kind and thoughtful iv Mrs. C'av-endi-h to think of asking him. Was it nul ;" said Laura. "It was like her dear self." smiled I Mary Grey. j "Ami after,nil he wouldn't come: said : be couldn't: that he had to read hard | ;i'J he holidays, so as to makp up for | Inst ti.ne. and to be prepared to pass his. , oxu mir:ation in July. It is a. great nuisnnne. is it not?" "It is perfectly abominable!" put in [.;i, c -,- ;; . At, this moment old Aunt Moll, the nhle.'i ;ind nioM. esteemed female sor- \ ::;'. in the family, entered th;; room. :»iiil.. rourtcp.y;.ing ' with cld-fashionod ilrfi rence, fuid: •■ v i I■;-; Jimmy, honey, do ole madam 1 "-i,-:---, fur t,o ctoe you i:i her own room, and likewise Miss Mury and the young Indies.' , Mi«s Cavendish immediately nrose, re qucf-tinpr her i-oinpanions to accompany hor. left 1 lie , drawing-room, and condueled llit'in to her grandmother , d c-hnrnber. Altlimigh it was rather later than the old lady's usual hour of retiring to rc.-.i, they found Mrs. Cavendish still sitting in her- riresid • 1 :isv chair. dressed with i;nu.= r.al rare and taste, nnd looking better and brighter thau Emma had .-een her for years. Come in. Mr dears. Kmuia introduce your friend," said the old lady, kindly. Miss Cavenilifh took Laura's haDcl and presented her by name. "! a,.1 glad to sec you. Mi.-s Lytton. Your family and Emma's have been friends for centavsiesv"-said Cavondifji, offering her band." Laura Lyttnn cdurfeslcd very low, and kissed -the-offered hand of this ancient prande datue, as if it had been the bund of a queen. But the old lady drew the young girl to her bosom and embraced her with milch tenderness. Then Kuima "took Electra's hand to prefc! her. Jint the old lady forestalled the action. "Xo. my darling Emma. It is I who must introduce, this yotuig lady to your ' voting frirrrclfl, aye. and to lierself, too. iii a i-haractc-r in v.liieh sho lias not hithrrto been knoMti to any not even to herself. Mr?. CiiTPudUh paused for a moment mii looked from the curious and expee-t-.r.t faces of her young listeners in the uMonished fnee of the girl v.-lio stood before her. Then taking the hand nf Electra she firew her to her bosoiu and eml>raced her fondly saying: "Ceme tfiw, my dear child. This is your hotni: forevermorc/' And then releashr; lier. and turning her around \o the others, she, said: "Young ladies. I am over eighty years of ago, and have lived to see my greatgranddaughter a young woman. This is fV] f —Electra Coroni. She is the granddatighter of my good, long-absent , son hrre° Dr. Beresofrd Joner." At the.i words the youthful party turaed their .eyes on the ReA\ Dr. Jones, who smiled and bowed gravely. Electra's face grew white and red aa;ri:ij and she sank upon the foot-cush-inn at the old lady's feet, dropped her hr.-.d upon her hands, burst into tears, sofliy. ' The-fJd lady laid her hand.upon the girl's shining hair, and kept it there for a SiH.ie while, during which no one spoke, nr.J no-sound v» - as hoard, hut the soft sobbing of Electra. T!ic announcement that had been made •was totally unexpected. b\ r Laura Lyttori'arid Mary'Grey,"and'their - faces expressed the utmost;astonishment. Truly. "MAfV firey liad, by eavesdropping, overOieard .Ciivendish. call Dr. Jones her sou, and had thought that she had dis covered' n mighty family secret, -which w<■ uld.be.of u.se to herself some day. lint this had gr\-en no clue to the see-ret of Klectra-'s parentage, and thus she, waa as much taken by surprise as was Laura Lyi ton and Electra herself. Mrs. Cavendish was the first to break tho silence. ■ •■-[.. --..cd it -right, young ladies, to call you here, and'eommunicate this piece of intelligence at once, so as to put all matters -upon a right base to befjin.with. AiHi now.*;ny dears, ns my health as hut feeble, and I need.to retire early to bed, I will ill" ■■; you ..to, your evening ;;m;isen ■ ■ v.r.h the hope that Vim -jvili find 3' ..-. .'.. ■ re as pleasant iv you-r-EelfC' >it ivelcomc to us. GoodAnd the old. lady held cut her hand with' a blending of friendliness and old-;fa.-;hioned formality. Emma, Laura, and Mrs. Grey, in turn, took aid kissed the kindly hand, and turned to leave the room. But Electra sat still on the cushion at her grandmother's feet, with her face buried in her bands, soUbi'ng softly, until the «id lady stooped over her "and whispered: '■'Mv door child, does it. affect you so much as tlii* to have found your family and friends?"'' ' '-'OS, yes, yes. yes!" sobbed Electra. "t.'ojno. try to calm yourself. Ris<' and 00 with the young companions to whose sf-cicty you ui'c :".ccuitonicd. You will have ft ercafdja"] to s;ry other after ilii:--. And vi.Hi will recover calrur.fiss in their company sooner than anywhere c-lsc."' And -vvitii these words, the ancient dame ra-ised her youthful descendant to her feet, and ; turning to her granddaughter, f-.iul: _;.;■. "Crime. Kmma. take your cousin here away with you, and be good to her." Miss Cavendish took Hleetra's hand, and said, pleasantly: '•T'onip. rrry little-cousin.- -Wβ have always beeii and now I am very glad To find- that-\re near relatives."

rather than grief, suffered herself to be led away by Emma- Cavendish. j -Mrs. (ttpx and L-nura Lytton were fol- . ? owing, when, the old lady suddenly ut- [ tered a. low exclamation that stopped 11 hem. j ''Come here, Mrs. Grey, ray dear. 1 , bog your pardon. And yours also, my j sou," she said, turning to Dr. Jones. "The iibsorbing interest of receiving the child Heel ra made mc forget the comI mon courtesy due to others. Mrs. Grey, permit inn to present to you my eldest son. Dr. Borcsford .Tones. He has been an absentee and a traveller for many years. And his return now fills my heart ■with joy. My son. this is Mrs. Grey, once 1 he dear friend and betrothed brido of your late brother. Their marriage was prevented only by his death. Receive her, therefore, as a sister." And the old lady took the hand of j Mary Grey and placed it in that of fieresford Jones. What Dv. Jones was about to say or do. under the circumstances, I do not j know; probably something rather unI pleasant to the young widow; but Mary j Grey, as the gave him her hand, lifted. 1 her beautiful dark eyes, her pleading subduing pye*. In his face, and he simply released her hand, and said, gently: "'I have mot this lady before." "Ala! to be .-sure-. At the school where you went to place E'/ctva. She was a teacher there at the time, as 1 have heard,"' murmured Mrs Cavendish to herself. '"Ah:" thought Mary Grey, "he was going to sneer when I -was introduced to him. But I only looked at him, nud he could not do it. 1 shall have him at my feet yet., for all hia grey hairs." ■■There my children, old and young. an old lady's invalid chamber cannot be the most cheerful plave in the house for j 011 to spend your evening in. And, besides, doubtless you are tired and hungry, and your supper has been ready this half-hour past. Take, them down, Emma, my dear. Goodnight ray loves,' , said Mrs Cavendish, sinking wearily back in her chair. So at length they all left the room. Brama Cavendish drew Electra's hand within her arm. and pressed it affectionately. The strange girl returned the caress, but then slipped array from the side of hor cousin, and went and put her hand through the arm of Dr. Jones and walked down with him. "Grandpapa," she inquired, "why wa>it that you put mc to school Without any other name than Electra*" "Because, my child, you must remember -that I very much disliked your father's name, and would Dot call'you by it. The dislike has only now been reasoned away by my good mother. You are Electra Coroni." "~My father was a foreigner, then?" '"All Italian rlaaoing-masti-r, whose acquaintance your mother formed at her boarding-school. Bui your mother was my daughter, a lady. Both your parent? died in your early infancy,* leaving yon in much destitution. That accmmtVfoi your Laving been lost in New York, and having 'fallen among thieve.s,' while you were yet too young to baar your parentage in memory. T had lost trace 01 lily- unhappy daughter for many years; so that when at last 1 sought her. I could not find hor. She had,"in fact, been dead for a long time, though , 1 did not know it then—did not know it, in fact, until accident revealed to , mc the fact of your existence, and gave mc the clue that I followed ba?kward.s , for years into tho history of your mother's married life. And, Electra" let . us drop the subject for tho present" . said Dr. Jones, as he led the young lady , mto the supper-room, where "their coni- . panions had already preceded them. t The supper was a triumph of Aunt Molls housekeeping and culinary skill . And the hungry travellers cnioved it , much. " And after supper they adjourned to I the drawing-room, where Emma Caven- . dish soon found herself sitting beside - Dr. .Tones. ) "Uncle.," she said, slipping her hand in his, "I hope that you will confirm > grandmamma's words to Electra." "What words, my dear?' , inquired the doctor. .' -She told Electra that this was to be her 'homo forevermorc.' 1 hope it is to . be, dear uncle. I have no sister. 1 . should be so happy to have Electra . always here. Shall she not stay?" ''She shall stay until after Raster . week, my dear, and then she must re- ■ turn to school, for her education is very backward for a young lady. She shall 1 spend all her holidays here, however, : if your grandmother 'and yourself wish i it." i '■Certainly we wish it, undo. And . when she leaves school finally she shall come here to stay permanontlv : shall, she not?" *' '"Xo, my dear. Once more I am anxi1. ous- to make a bumc of my own. While ■. my granddaughter is completing her . education, I shall be improving and . beautifying our old family mansion and i estate, of Beresiord Manors. When she , linally leaves school, I shall take her ; there to be the mistress of tho place : of which fchn will be the solo heiress. But, my dear, you can exchange as many a.nd as long visits as you please." "In that case, dear > uncle, I cannot be so selfish as to urge my own earnest desire to have my cousin make her permanent home with me, -, said Emma, with • a smile, as she arose and went to join Laura "Lyttnn and Electra, who were chattering away in a corner like a couple : of magpies. : "I hopu. deai- cousin, that you feel 1 quite ct home here,' , said Emma, apprnaehiiig hrr new found relative. "No, T don't. I feel like a cat in i\ ' Strang;; garret.'' answered the girl: for she seemed quite to have recovered her eheerfulnoHß. And truly Dr. Jone.s was right. Her education had bpen eadlr neglected. Meantime. Mr>. r.'rcy. seeing Dr. .Tones 'left alone, uoat and, look her .seat by • j hi.--, side, nnd with an upper:ling lon'l: up into Lis face, the said, -with childj Like humility: "Oh, Dr. Jones, do not bs my {oa! ' If you " She stopped and sobbed :; little and then recovered herself on-.l continued: "You cannot condemn pir ; more than I condemn myself. But 1 I waa so young, so young!* And if you '.knew all you would not condemn m-, so much." - "My girl/ he answered, "if I had clianced to come upon the scene before my brother's death, and had found him en the verge of marriage -with you, 1 Jlbould certaijUy, Myp. interfered and

prevented that misfortune by telling him I predsly who and what you were. But | death prevented that intended marriage, i And now, as I said before, that, seeing you can do no harm to others hero, and "may do good to your own soul, I shall ! not interfere unless I see grave occasion for so doing. Therefore, be circumspect." She took his hand and kissed it. and poured the light o*s her soul-subduing eyes into his face, until ho had to turn away from their lustre. Just how circumspect Man,' Grey could he, and what the future lia-d in spore for this beautiful fiend, will be told in "Victor's Triumph"—the sequel to this romance. THE END.