WITH LOVE'S AID OR, WON AT LAST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 153, 27 June 1908, Page 17

WITH LOVE'S AID OR, WON AT LAST.

. WENONA GILMAN iathor of "Evelyn, the "For an Actress/* btella, the Star." ...

i iat not is she does. I never ■ heard anyone who did." f . "She could have made a world-famed anger, if fate-had thrown her in-cthat : direction," he said softly. "But I am glad it did-not. -I like Cameron, tre- ; mendonsly,:and think they will be charmingly iiappy." : ; . "'B»t it takes a great deal out of your life, doesn't xti You will be bitterly ..lonely, -when c i lonely! "■ he assented. I "I am so sorry foj? you!. I know what yon -will feel, perhaps better than most ; people, : because I lost a dear brother through marriage. I say lost, because, you know,.that when another inflnence • comes into their lives they are practically taken out of ours. "We should have much sympathy with each other, Mr jGriswold;" '- f "Does that mean that'you offer mc .'yours?" ] ' "Yes, if you will have it. "There is just j a suggestion of my brother about you . somewhere^—not iv appearance, for he ! was not: tall and very fair, but—you •■know how those things are which canI not be explained. It is a pleasure to J one to feel it, though rather a- saddening j pleasure." j "It ~ seems to mc that the ! truest ami best things of ! life are saddening, but you are too j young to feel ft yet. When Dorothy goes, I shall be absolutely alone in the ■world." "Kbt friendless!" she exclaimed softly, "and so not absolutely alone. I wish you would try and let mc take Dorothy's place, in some sort, and yon take Jack's, Imy dear brother's. "Wβ might be such I consolation to each other. I will perj suade mother to ask you up to our place after Dorothy has gone, and You will come, won't you?" .He started slightly and drew himself •backward, his lips setting proudly. Hβ remembered that these people knew nothing whatever of the fact that he had on.cc been an acrobat, and not i so long ago. j "I -vrijl come gladly, under certain conditions," he answered slowly. "1 canmot \sail under false colours, Hiss Beaufort! ■My. time is i,o a certain extent I at my own disposal just now, my cmI plover being in Europe for.a short and ! much-needed rest. He has absolutely ! xefused to know anyone to know his address, and so, while his business is to a great extent in my charge, I am not confined to the city as I otherwise would be. lam the private secretary of Governor Fallow." j She laughed softly, j "And-you think that such a dreadful I thing? I thought you were about to tell Ime of some terrible blemish upon your birth. My grandfather was private secretary 'to the Earl of Dorchester once. j We don't consider that he was a blemish upon the family." 'i Rudolph smiled wearily. -He could not tell her of his former occupation because _of his promise to Dorothy. And, after all, "what;" wasrxhe use?"'" She had only offered him, in a very sweet and womanly way, a friendship because she was sorry for him. He J leaned-towaTd her again, has eyes fixed upon her with a caressing light which burned in them as naturally as the warmth in the palm of his hand. "Then, Miss Beaufort, I am going to accept, more gladly than you kniow, the friendship which you have offered mc. It will sweet to mc to know that there is some one who remembers mc when Dorothy is gone. Is this a genuine friendship to last for always, or only one of the ordinary type that forgets when out of sight?" "One that lasts forever!" she answered, with" some emotion. "One that will last under all circumstances as long as you will have it, Mr. , Griswoldl" a Mrs. Beaufort came up then and placed her hand rather anxiously, upon her daughter's shoulder. . "My dear," she said softly, "it is late, and quite time that we were finding our ■way home. Say good. night to Mr. Griswold." .;->; ' ■.- ■. . ... .-; And to «Mrs- Beaufort's surprise the girl held out her Band to the young man right before her mother's eyes. "Good night, Mr. G-riswold," she said obediently. % shall not forget tie promise I made you of inducing mamma to ask you to Agate's Bridge when your little"ward is gone, and I am sure thai I shall not have to use persuasion. Shall , you remain long at Ingle XooE?" "A week, I think.'"' "Then we may expect you to dinner. Hamma and I will drive over to Ingle Nook to ask madam and Miss Griswold to-morrow, I think. Good night." ; And Mrs. Beaufort was too much aghast to speak as she led the way from the room.. (To be continued daily.)

I CHAPTER XL : , AT THE CASTLE. ~" $ j : .Any, invitation which' brought them more" in' touch with the master of Peak 7 Castle was not to be lightly .treated by ■;■ the best-families of the country, and so ; 7 .Trien Kenneth Cameron, himself rode CT er to (Agate's Bridge, to ask the Beauforts to dinner that-evening, both .moth-. -er and daughter were delighted to acquiZ'tsce. ryZ"J£ is just a quiet little dinner, you "know," he explained to Mrs. Beaufort, 1 -"to entertain Miss Griswold's relative, ,4 tifho is at Ingle Nook for only a few . ; days. He. is a yery charming fellow, -3fiss Beaufort, andl'm sure you will'like 7 him. It is awfully good.of you to let joe come to you in this, informal: way, and for you to help mc out." But they were only too glad to. be of "fervice, and -were on hand promptly'at I the hour designated, 'Miss Beaufort | -Charmingly attired in a gown of turz qjioise blue. She was a handsome girl of the purely blonde type, statesque of fgure, with deep violet .eyes, matching i -exactly in colour the flower 3* upon her . corsage. Her lynx-eyed mother never lost a movement of hers as she sat beside Rudolph; at the table, his handsome face bent to-1 •ward her, his-low-toned.voice sounding Eke music in her ear. .She saw a new; expression in her Rosalind's face,, and -" .glanced anxiously toward her host, but Tie was serenely unconscious of the im-i press!on Rudolph was.making... [ There were two other gentlemen pre-; sent, one an old friend of Madam Delpre's, the other a general in- the late war, invited to amuse Mrs. Beaufort, but .'-.'she found little enough: amusement in anything outside the interest in her daughter's countenance. Madam Delpre, jthe hostess of the occasion, gave the signal taking the ladies from the dining-room and led the way, with Miss Beaufort beside her, to- the drawing-room, but 'she was almost immediately deserted for Dorothy, who had j taken on a new interest in the eyes of I ihe aristocratic heiress "of the Beauforts. The two girls -wandered away, into the i conservatory, leaving Mrs. Beaufort alone j with Madam. Delpre. She drew her chair : near confidentially and began suavely,; never for/a moment deceiving the astute eld French-woman. "What a, charming -young charge you have, dear Madam! J ' she .exclaimed. "Ana how much more delightful it must be for you than passing your life with an elderly lady such as-the mistress of Peak Castle was." . ftfc . . "Yes," assented, madam. "Youth certainly puta. more, life in one's veins, and it is a positive delight to-.be-near a person so. beautiful as Miss Griswold. Her*temper is charming! And she is such a. well-read and accomplished girl., There is. scarcely an instrument of which she is not mistress, and she-speaks r iFrench-wonderfully-well for- an-American-girl who has never been abroad. "She never Thais, then? What a treat is in store for her when she is mistress of the Cameron millions. It is-a wonderful alliance, for, as I take it, dear madam, she is not wealthy." [ - '"Oh, dear," no!" admitted madam, serenely.. "She has a small fortune, not sufficient. ;to buy: the gowns that your daughter would: wear in a year. She has yon by the power of her beauty." - ; "Good looks "seem- to run in her family. What relation is 'Mr. Griswold to her? It seems to mc that I don't remember ever to have seen 'a, handsomer man. His eyes "are magnificent, and* his form superb." „-. ... . "He is some sort of—er7cousin," reinrned madam carelessly. .."Miss.. Griswold's parents died when, she was. very young, and she was left to the guardianship of an old friend, of the family -who was also Rudolph Griswold's guardian at the timeofj-the death pf her parents. '• Of : course that established 7an immediate I friendship between them. He was. like •,' Ber brother, and mutual'guardian died Rudolph-was left in charge of the estate.". ... ~ .'. , . r "He has an estate of his own, then?" ' The question was put indifferently, but - "Madam Delpre was ..not slow to observe the catlike- watchfulness-; in 'the woman's ' eyes. She answered just as indifferently:. - "No, I believe oiot—that is- nothing : Ciat would be ..considered an estate; by those in your class. , .He is only, the . private secretaxylof ex-Goyernor Fallow." \ Oh, indeed!'' returned Mr 3. JBeaufort, ; partly closing (her . eyes.' "THe is—-er—• rather a dangerous experiment, don't - .you think?. He is.entirely too handsome ±o be permitted to wander" about freely .among our girls with only a salary to depend upon. Of course, the posigon is . perfectly respectable, 1 but—it is "sry kind jpf. you, dear madam, to have heen so perfectly;frank (upon the sabjeet.*- ./. _-. ' : " •"--■("•- The. last sentence was spoken in an ttaiertone as AGse Beaufort was retttm- : ing to the: room "-with ; her; about Tteothy'a waist, the first' time she "had erer shown her such .an attention,, al; though"- the twoi ; : girls ? hid imet many " • ..fiffles."" "'"'.' ....:. : "Won't 1 - yoii 'sing?** she asked, be- '- omse she knew perfectly well that the < sweet; fhrtelike tones ;of voice would draw j 1 "feegentlemen to.them." . ''}~ -('.- ■":*"'-; j' 7 * Without a word, IJorothy went to tie J.< .piano and seated (herself, "aDowing her ii ■ fingers to wander over the "keys i . dreamily. Miss Beaufort 7went to the ] (: -«Sier side nf the room? and -placed her- i 7*lf upon, the end-of a sofa, her head '.i Je&ning backward,, fully ;exposing 7 the J fciutiful line of her throat. '■ i'7-J.'7... , < ■She was sitting like that when the 1 JenGemen entered. Apparentry- Rudolph i ' about in search of her/ for he '•j.rfcand ier at once and went toward Ber. ] *«rrall I-disturb you if I Sit down?" i ■/.. ; ka questioned, his.tone Tery low, that < >-■6 might not annoy the singer. "--;" I shall be glad to hare you.":', 1 - She, whispered the swords. Aloud, they. .( 1 j ;f*oold ba.v« svouded conmjonpiaee 'en-, i that gentte whisper, to the i : . «f. that. charming -voice t .at the piano, they took" oj» » -pecnEax. ! ( iifleatkm. .\ ii* silence iMf wsatod xndal the song : "•»» rfSmshed, Rudolph not looking at -the singer, but (before him. ( t*i*Tilring ot tbe difference in her situn.M *=«v now and the last time he had hearfl ( 7 that song, which he had-taught her. | He sighed as the song saiae,to an end. "Are you fond of mU3ae!"*aiEas'Beau- < 7 fcrt nskid gently. . ■ | :• "Xnd I love Dorothy's voice. 7 It resiiinds.me.of a you p smj, Miss ijeauiort?" 7 . -' '• -. t'