LEvallion's Heir.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 133, 5 June 1907, Page 11

LEvallion's Heir.

CHAPTER XIV. A DOTE-COLOL'EEI) GOWS. gjjj. if is had iav idea or finding oat fjoni Adrian, the " morning effectually jgnshed it. TV splinters or bone m his jcix ha* P hiln ITI aad h-? js fee svml'i Li* tor days, stupid with jncrrena. Levaliion looted with a oueer SETOC «se pain-dravra face, and softly away. He ran- rin-i out for hhnseli wky that woman hud come enm i= hi* eon*ui'- company. -"Jcr. of eoarv, -w did: inured. «sJie oaly tiling that brought tvr to ;»-k jgerMßi wa* that =h«; got tired ot wai.- l--jjg-iaiae vflJagv. iit-.«r creature: Adrian aiway- a quiioti.- a— about a wo-jj-nj.-' And h- *et Forth .-.„ an a;>pargjti- aimless ride through the village. for «w* k- iIM nor. α-k his wue to shareScj hi* idle anJ ' Ueerfui conversation. ve-tiw-way- w« re c-ariouily astounding. Es lonishlp whistled a- he turned hi* w= head down an anfreqn«?nted lan-. he BJsht culler* his thoughts. ■ (mc tod eonw dotcn with Upum abue in •« black *Li*g, wessted the pity of the whole village: • uas not a Maying at the STor at any of the lodgmg-hou=es-"W Levsffion was annoyed that he ,^ EQ t pm ewe and two together Sfit the codißg of Adrian Gordon St ftat tomans voice in his had. • "Ti s6e> Bvins iB this neiglibonrnood, "•&1I not do it long! -, tie reflected an- - !!L - "-But as far a≤ I know, taere 5 nofer W to ttw. Unlesa"—he .topped his horse, gare a sailed exclamathe lane rounded a sHarp turn oS'lis lert hand, a vacant field fai-mn up to the outlying edge oe his bjS in a new garden: ana stroffiagaWt it leisirely a woman ma Jore-coloured gown. worn. handsome lace .- Hoodies bat bw meofeire stare never turned from that smalL cajESv ferore m tie garfeli gaidea. __ h a dwnning >urpn§g, he sid softly. "Charming And if Adnin had nothing to do lt - how tae de-va did sht kaow he wa* b«re. waen I fed? : "" '■■- smlled _a,-"ai?ae waiuh Sjlsfe. woW bave not Sarenel. "Sliretewwißß-Bttte- »a.rdi»a had turned, iad -pretended not to *cc him, and -ranisfaeci into the house. ..-IjsbL Leraßfon gon on his horse, and csajzred thxaush the gate. "TUmk not." Be obserred to him-flf je2fr. And if h« were middle-sisred and. was yet a sufficient ly territiring to the eyes tha: surveyed, him tfetHEih tie lower blind of the drawißg-jiw-n -crtadow a≤ he sauntered up To the feoose. ■Without, the slight formality of VmylrfnT he openai the doer, the dovet cakrareo. fugitiTe" Bad not thought of locking, and waited in*T 2HI iere_'A.lie observed politely. J§Eher&-iS- s» oct-asiaa. to. sta.re out of jhe Tsaaow ice me. - ; rSssser Murray jave a slari in- ?pite ci her-elr. Sh= turned with fcara bright pink patches nu her thin _dieeEs. and tnsd —iinsui-aesTtul'\»—<wi.e: iis pretty manaaes. ii Ohl How do vhju do? [ wai noi sue it Tra-s T7*2." Her uuc.-Lretc-h'ec land 'n'as not steady. Ton may reis-un , yourself a-; t<: 6at. It is I —-And I ant q'lite as uiiial. -faak you." He pet down hi= ridingirep and hU Itut wirh neatness, and, very fineily, closed the door. he said —and if ever a devil looked from a muni eyes it wa.s from LevalnDn's—"may I ask. what you ara OmritT here.?"" , ••living here." Lerallion could have fe^hp^ l aioud a- ac remembered how aßay times she had assured him she ins never afraid of any one. "But yon Saew that or you would not have come Sα see mc- ' ihe sat: down, her one ring was a ■weddim-rins —-hiniTrr oddw".fiHJH>H!!io'.is on her nervous hand. :.-I@°Cs" long have you been here?" he the_ jviadqw with his back siiSfi aprieot-eoloured blind. r T<<--Ti~h~ " n-nre-jf ."*BUX I'm 3jealiy hardly settled. I did noc -want fjcaand Lady Levallion to know of mc jt3 I itas all arranged. Bin, of course. y?w Lshall be deiijrhtpd t.j call on her." 'Se'"was not sure whether she was taK.Setae right -Rray or nor. but surely LeaP»m thttiM pp»rVr . thii one. • did not aas-vve-r for a moment. $ "ioare say yoa would." to hiT surprise iie broke out into j. sareaocic chuckle. -zßat vqb. are Dot at ail likely to. Nov.you ni-unt: by iijrnmg to ay Sonse last night and rai-ing the ■tefl-abcai Adrianf' T'n* sodden eiiange ■flf vaite turned her eoM. I "^—l heard in the village"" she sumtasai. -I -was anxious." I iffidoas indeed! Eren Lord Lpvailion Saiiio notion, how sue had run breathiasiiiongi! the fields, hoping the ramoar her bi-ousht from the "■ £ 2 age was tm.> that Adrian (iordon down dead a: Lady Levalaofs feat. /■Tviy- -were you aiuiious?' , a lift of his eyebrow. "And how fflfi yon kiiow he had come heme ?'"* ta|"sa,y3 idd yon it was foolish not ~reaS ne-»=papers. r " she retorted, "even SjOTtare in love! 1, shrugged nis shoulders. ■ Sai a man. -who concerned yon no: *«i,IJ3Hnk; vtra wasted =hoe-leather." • aa, and in his eves wa= a kind o< ■"IgaeHi that confused her. ' r -i£ was rrood ti> mc om.-el" rrirh na==h of inspira-tioo. ~ls he dyingr for she rnnst know. he were not particularly ill. she -Zγ- her TOr k rut onx" to hide g*. sue had paid him for that honest by doing £ybia. Arun-<|py's dirty of course, that -iri would "(&' t* _iac *—there were other things. l^ 6 ? «ra]_dn r t the man die? do y-ou no good if he tud is not in the leasT; likely." , blandly, having seen aoc'wS B^lt on her iace. w lc "would , " ,5 Z - hOUSh sprang up as if he had a cmel ro]d d Ife nai her small teeth—and s^JaaiiS? 1 noticed before how z were. -You"ye no I %S^J la<i yca,"|nterrtiptue her ~: more truth than, he knew £r^3lteaed and sobered. ■•"* c^"peL"^'(lOme t(, ,li^",l either ■^^M^^ attributes, but to tell

Eγ ADH.AESE STIRLING, Aetaorof " Abore All Things,' , " Waea LoTe Dawas," "A Sacrifice to lere/' etc.

J voice '.vas perfectly level, but yet Mrs I Murray drew away from him before she . I answered. "I've nowhere to go." =he -?aid sullen- i ly. "I came here bei.-ause it was cheap." . "I can assure you that \ ou'll tied it ■ rema-rfcably dear." dryiy. ■■and tvhere"= the London house?" "[ t afford the ren* ;inv longer. * j "I oonsiri-er youVe plenty of money." '• -!]■ rtiy. " ! >~ -0.-t- more every iav." She did not ->■■ v hut. nor did he" a*k her. ■■\Vhf-rc- Murray V" f>vaili"n. he lm'.-i knew why. wa« iioiding himself ■ i-"i- the nirt time she looked aim in :!n fact and tolj the rmtli. I (i"n': know and I don't i-are'." 1 -.lid ■. i iou-[y. "He raid i,- \v.l-= -ick of ' iiif- li;j-ine-: —and me —and he never . meant to eyes on mc again." 1 "Poor devil." said Lord Levallion •lowly. It «a- the la<r. straw. Hester Murray j Ouivered from head to foot with unsovr:i;»e. "¥ou can't -pnd mc iirav u'lim iiern!"" j sh-e cried. "You daren'r make a scandal i ao-H-—at this date. There".- no reason , why I should not lire here. You can ! let mc call on yoar trite —and —I'll go ' on holding , my ton<rue."' Levallion leaned tonrard and spoke j almost in. her ear. I "I dare anything , ." he =s.id evenly, j j "Kindly remember that. And abo that j jmy wife," emphatirraLty, "shall never : kno-cv >lr= Murray or L*a!l on her 'd she lives here forever. ■"People -will talk:"' she gasped. ■ "If the.v do." cool.-. "I -han't hear it; hue youll feel it. I think yon had bet- ! ! an- go, if you're '■ j '"tupnosi" I tell your wife—what will j i yon do then." it was h*r last shot, and j ■i: had a <uxiou= effect. Levailion laughed. I "Pfease yotir-pTf. stay here, tell anyIthingt" he returned, still langhing. ■ J "And I"!l tell. too. Ir would make ss j amn>ir-j story —in your favourite new;I '"Levallion!"" i" vvd_-s a!! bat ;i scream: i she elntched him a> he turned urav, ' i ■ i l"\nu rant. \on went. you've—oh. (>od: haven't you :■::;, ;:..nour?" for to mm one"-' own reputation is a very i different tliina to harms it don» fir I I yon. ) "'I haw exactly as much a- you! hare."" h» answered moving quietTr . from her appealing hand. "You can re-! member that. And if you like." care- ' "you can stay herp. OnJv be I yood not to come to mv i house on any pretest whatever. ii ttoti't have a woman like you tind.T my wif."- roof. You understand?"' -barpiv. She eotild only nod. Hi* -uddpn ac-qnieseeni-e in her living near n.iiu I had son'f-.vh;:r dunifounded her. toge- : ther with his rpfusal tn recognise ber i in any rray. Levallion. ->vho had a!-; wiiuuil ii)..4veep thius-s quiet; Vet, It was = iuir>ie eftough. "After i ! ,1.~ iv had thought SSriftU,' j ""she's a- -.se: , . under my eye a. ? any-I where, while we rejoit* , in a penny-; post!" Yet if br had -een the fan* of the woman he left in th.it dim draw 103----room, ir is tn be doubted if Lord L-e----valiion wouid not have preferred himself removing her and her' belongings j on a barm—. rarber than have had her I within a. huinirtd miles. And yet =he I was only crying , ro hor>elf pitifully that =he loved him itiil. (To be continues daily.) j