LITERATURE.

Bush Advocate, Volume IV, Issue 291, 22 March 1890, Page 4

LITERATURE.

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||pHsp^tbe g^ntleiQeiiisit;;l6ng ■• ind'; ;^hen ; they - J^|li|^^^:'at^6n(^ll;d:,EBtelle'B . side. l3|J^^ok^up witjja winning smile. ||IP;^i^po brightens into ; , positive £t!Qi&&j|^when she, smiles, and f ; .tne ||;v:J^|^^m which she anight "have U|; |saj£en; her natne, gleam with a won|j 7sff|[fe|fui';i^4ia.pce.,.;•.'-, ; ■.. . ;. ■. he says, as though .enjoying yourself / '^'.^■■;^f My Jdtfkii'"- speak the truth for &|H^pnfcei' she/answers, making room >X?* fe¥ him tp sit down beside her. '.I : . ami very happy, to-night.' „ ; V : ' he says, '-y our devoted E"j ; !ojJo^or*Jhiai failed for once inffiis J^ifiegwnp^.,;- ">:■ r> j ■ , : •: ;■•:-..• ' ■ |?;^Hjil;k{Jß[er?eyes follow his. " . . ; .she llfyifl^ifitt a slightly;; snrprised air. ip^^|pi|p;a^aH^6rr^.that-'he is ? l^^^^^^vl&^A'ii^iiijgh^; I often : V "His pre>, ll^^ej^^s^eins' ;to' ' overpower me. ■ I ' : '"': feel although I lose all sense of my .; ' . 6#n identity when he is near, and v;; 'that is not a pleasant feeling for a •-Sri 7 girl with any f ith any spirit of her :V^lowii,;is;it I 1 : \.- ■■■. r "'\ v ■ ■'■ .•.. , •"• I ■ iS^ll^l^lM^'faticy^not:- 'But 'what £i||s3^^ pbweivpf 80-ls^o':-^-'' :i^-- , ' ■ ."■ '. '■'■ |^£i;^|f^pot tell,'; sa|yg. C J do not or I should lli^tp^itiiwss spmetliing of thatjaort; |$f|j^S|pSyit^':animarma^iietism,v- or ';' ' v :.•■''-' ' |fs^^fibn't:l'?aial interrupts, quickly; mail' his i^gl^c^an 4nfluience over you- You struggle against it Estelle, girl to submit td f^^^cuiir a^thing without some protest.' ll^^i^ :^6 j>rbtest in my own mind, fe^^E^tejJe says, laughing, * but what is ft;:|it|e^g6;c»d; of -/that: i The next' time I |#^^esmmj:lf&el"quite as compelled tp. |$J;^^haMhe wishes^ though it may' my'own inclination.' l^^^hat do ;^you jthink /bf him, Mr I^^Ctiahiips s?'.'.5 ?'. '. /: •"• ;•■.;'-...'.. : ' I -hardly know,' $U i Ofay's j^alili4eliberating upon the'subf^^ieciL 'I think generally I hate him; w be. n I cannot; |:% :^ut>admir^ Him. He is so strong <Sv;^and stea^ast, afid I always ;do like; |i^:iß^ei^^:bl:mind and purpose.' you •• are" strong,' :she says, t^i'inusingly;,- 'and yet you dp not .im,-- |^> i. j^ssVpne' as !Mr 'Berthbld does;; - f^^^puglit; to* be leader :of some great ■'l^^ipty^ How ; his followers would I^Ogloye and, his opponents hate |*f?r:JQim.' ■:V;K' i \ ' • .-'■'• '..' : ft^fe^M wi^h,' says: Paul, half-laugh. half-earnestly, 'that you were ;i flzl ampng;the latter cla3s. .1 tell , you tj '& candidly, Estslle, I db like not tp siae f|s fc^e in* > which y pu bbey that J^'lmtin^,^;;^;.,-;', '■ :'_ ■■■',^;- |!f|i^;^Hri' loots- up as he speaks, and to?swxs-: that; .Conrad Berthold's eyes ||f\ ; ire fixed upon 5 them with an expresiSibn^that he cannot fathom. It is !|}r^- nppsnkeT, nor enyyi nor any kini^ik'if^redvfeeiing; but-more^it seenjs to ; | - ■; x ; >Msst fquiet and suppressed amuseKl^yja^ait thanlany.thing/ else. 'Perhaps $y&flkssi 90 sure- of winning > his' : own |/4?^:Fay ifaHhe i end that he can afford ;fv^;to Regard this little byplay v ;,.• ..■ - - l} f ■■;■ ■ ; | ' . : ; V ! Audrey 'Be^ho^crd^ises the rbbijji V;' f jaMsits down" at 1 the 'piano. She V; ;> has a good voice and style, slnd now '\^;-^_.|Bhe..aingS;Kenelm bends over her %s?>, turning tjie leaves of Her music^and jull; into thpse bewilderingly ;^^liangefuLeyeB^pf hers. ' ' - . ; &$M:'% 'PauHs ; called away by Dr Marsh : moineht Estelle is -left ■(?? 2{svq*( '---Only for a rapoaent, ;fpr, tp fc*s°M her; surprise and discprnfitin^ Mr f<t^- : Ghkndps comes tp her aide, and Paul's is taken, j. • -,• • _■-„ i v ljf ;i tn'sre is any living individual ; ;■ ' of whom the girl stands in awe it is |-r wed man who now sits , "i ; 'beside^e'r., He has always been i: ./Astern and forbidding to those around . ; '; him, *has never tried for himself any ,'.■:/.-,:.•-_• love jor 'friendship, -but it is with a \. ':■>.'-. vyery angry feeling that he notices :l^ start of surprise and repugr : ; \ V; liance., . His harsh, grating voice |-f freaks the silehce, after a moment Suspense. ", / . . .. . 1^1^; f Ji^jbuare like your father, Miss ||i|^Wiihfie.ld,'"he,s.ays.-| your eyes ll^EMr are the; same colour as his.' , ? " ; ■■ ' ° *Y«iß ;sh'e answers, wondering wtiat will come next. Audrey lifts her voice in Marzial's pretty 'Just as well,' and under cover of the clear, high soprano, Mr Chandus speaks again. Estelle i knows that Paul is looking at her with a strange appi eher.sion in his eyes, and the knowledge makes ■ : her nervous and embarrassed. Why '■-■ '" should he look so frightened just becanse his father happens to be speaking to her? *,When I was a young man/ Mb Chandos says, * your father and I , were great friends. Now that he , has chosen for himself a path so at , variance with my own, we no longer . even, exchange words of greeting one with another, aucT it is best so. ■■; \ ".'■-■ To be Geoffrey Winfield's friend now ,': ; . .;Would moan to-be a spendthrift and - a drunkard, and I would rather see :.\i both my sojis^lead than know they -were {611 owing in his footsteps. : ; , .Therefore, -Miss Winfield, I have >:-•'■■?'■ taken upon myself a very painful and I ;' ; uncongenial task, and I only hope : yV will pardon me, because my fi'' active is a good one.' ."Sir/ the giri says, with white $}&A\pB t ' i Avill pardon .anything but ;£ further abuse of my father. What & have to say about him should p.; ; Jbe Bilis to his face — not to me, and Sj'-here/s",: ' :. , -- ■ . . .'_'.■_ ■ U--?>:-'-.4 -'. Uh I-. Mr Chandos ,£ss..'• cpm?P^E^e4ly«! ' Geoffrey $ ifj||||ffobws

ing. .JJhftM wasfchojifc to. say is, that if -emer^m^sln^; cantem- 1 prated an alliatice with his family] X;, would disinherit him, and cast htim off for ever. Pray understand thjat I mean no insult to you personally. You are a , ver.y, .pretty ; lady, anddoubtless as gdod-asyou are pretty ; but you must not dream of "ever entering my family. This is t(ie close of the -old year ; to-morrow we begin a newyone^ajid^it is as well to commence ( without any misunderstandings.' The fair young face turned towards him has grown } white as. death;- \lp-$p §e>uii£ui eyes there is pain and ""wounded, pride, before rthichthe old man's gaze falters. But* when she answers bini hqr voice is clear and ifirm. 'I thank 4 you, ■ Mr'Chandos, for the warning you have given me, though I cannot s congratulate you upon the kindly way in -which it was administered;, Your solicitude for your sons I can well understand, and no one can blame you for being anxious as to their welfare. But you might have #f $*e|TV6ur|elf thilyjry. p'aiiafuyjtagt f 111 m. too {frou^tti) i enter any family unless I were first 1 assured of my welcome.' lie rises and looks down at her, unwilling .admiration struggling* to find' expression In" J his eyes. Then he offers her his hand. • '" : 'I fancy you are a brave little woman,' he says. 'Shake hands, and let me wish you a very Happy .New Year." ■ • ' ! But Estelle shakes her head. : 'No. I do not feel kindly towards you, ]\£r Ohapdo§,r&n)i I will not clasp hands* with^du,' and, accepting his rebufi quietly, he leaves her. _How the rest of that evening passes Estelle scarcely knows. She, fyears; ,th,e/ hejisf/clasbing out'-their; welcome to the New Year, which is fated to Dring to; her so many new and strange experiences ; she stands; at !; the ; windbW with -Paul,^'looking! out across the midnight landscape,! and vainly trying to associate some : c©mforting words with music of? those bells. She feels ; ilie close clasp'i of his hand, the dear delight of his? near presence, and then, glancing vp f with a stare of fear and a, chill sense; of coming evil j she sees that Conrad! Berthold's eyes are' fixed upon her' with the look which she is learning^ to dread. • < Paul holds her hand in his when! they part, but he does not offer to go; home with her.- Kenelm is going' with Audrey, and Conrad will walk with Estelle j and Paul is in no mood to either'play ithirdi pers6h 'or 'elTduf c the presence of one. So he stands at at the door and watches them out of sight ) and long after the slim young figure has passed out of his range of vision, he still "stands there, the prayer in his heart finding voice at last in the murmrad words — ♦ Ifo^ven grant , mj 4 ar^ng a Happy :NeV Yea/ !'' '• "' ; ? '. , Well for him and her too that neither can foresee what lies between the uncut pages of this new volume of life. „ Chapter 111. What a splendid morning that following bne is. The frost shows no signs of breaking up, though peopleshakeVtheirheads as they see the sun for tho first time that week, and begin toprognosbicate a speedy !thaw- This is a white frost, every ■ roof is covered with a delicate coat of ; white, as pure and snowy the icing, ,on a wedding-cake, every little twi<? ,and branch bears its burden of | hoar-frost, whicLsparkles in the cold ! clear sunshine, like so many diamond points. ' Three white frosts and then a ,thaw,' saysyMrs ,Winfiel^, H lpoking from her window/ (i auh glad enough I shall be of it. The coals have burned out terrible this last week.' : 'But it is nipre he.althy than wet, mild wether, '^le^ds-Ekelle, who is busy helping s \k\: mother to prepare dinuer. , Often that most important meal is ft subject for much anxious thought and discussi6pV for, ,'as ;^srs' Winfield says-, pathetically, 'The -children must be fed,' and though the healthy j young appetites are easily satisfied with the quality T of. the/ foocl/tlid 1 quantity must be good, or there is an outcry, like Oliver Twist's, for 1 Some more, if you please.' Geoffrey .^infield goes /out each night, and com es Home at any time between midnight and daylight, spending money right and left, and not caring a bib about ,tho poor little creatures at home, who scarcely know what a good meal is. As for thsir clothes, well, as Mrs Winfield says with a sigh, *it is worse to mend up old ones, than to make new ones/ and the young Winfields' are in a study of patches. Thanks to a once very good wardrobe of her mother's, and 'an occasional burst of generosity on her father's part, Estelle is decently clad, and perhaps the; plain' diet does not harm the healthy girl. The dinner is prepared and eaten and it being holiday time, tho children disperse to their amusements, and EBtelle steals up to her room. Her father having enjoyed, his cutlet, has settled' himself with an entertaining book, and will not move for an hour or so ; and Mrs Winfield has taken a great basket of mending into the sitting room and looks as though she is y established for six months there. Estelle does her best to make.herself look as? attractive ■■' as possible ; not so very difficult a task when a girl is young aud pretty, though she may have, .very, few ex-trane'ous aids to her beauty. But there is a bright, rich colour on the fair, young face, a wonderful light in. 'the eyes and the masses of her hair seem to catch all thdspare sunbeamsjand imprison them among their mesh6s. . ' - (To fa Continued,) ''' . i