THE Girl from Madeira.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1036, 8 June 1894, Page 7

THE Girl from Madeira.

» In Four Chapters.

By P. L. M'Dermott.

CHAPTER IV— .Continued. Having nothing to do next day, he amused his fancies by wandering round the same route he had taken the day before. He went on across the bridge and past Mr Hooley's office, thinking over everything that had happened yesterday. Going into the confectioner's for another light lunch, the waitrpss greeted hirn with an intelligent smile. 1 Wouldn't it be odd, now,' he thought, 'if she came here again by some chance ' It was certainly j odd ; for there she was, at the same little table in the corner, looking at hirn with a pink face expressive of innocent surprise. To give these young persons justice although each was thinking of the other, neither had a thought of meeting, and it was only the association! of the restaurant whioh attracted them there. During the fortnight that elapsed before Fenwick took up his new duties, they met every day ; and most readers know how much may happen in a fortnight, conditions on both sides being favorable. So much progress had been made that, a week or 10 days after Fenwick was settled down at his work and quite fitted into* the place, these two young persons were holding an anxious conference by the water-side in St. James's Park one evening. The subject-matter of this conference will suggest all the rest. The question was one of taking a certain pretty and withal cheap cottage, in a charming suburb, and the anxiety was involved in the furnishing of it. The joint resources amounted as the reader knows already, to L7O ; and it was at last reluctantly felt that, even if a cottage could be furnished on such a sum, it might not be prudent or comfortable to commence housekeeping with an empty purse. On this matter the girl brought much more good sense and experience to bear than Mr Fenwick could command ; and she successfully led him to the conclusion that, until they could save some more money, it would 1b wiser to live in apartments. The apartments were hired, and, by arrangement, the young man moved into them first. Ethel Flint had not mentioned to him that she received an allowance from Mrs Roscoe, though he had often wondered — privately, as it was her own affair — what business relations the girl had with Mr Hooley. But as soon as she and Fenwick came to the important understanding precedent to looking for a place to live in, Miss Flint went to Mr Hooley and told him all about it. He listened without surprise, because he had expected it, and agreed with her that it would be proper to inform Mrs Roscoe that the allowance might now be discontinued. Mr Hooley wrote to his client to this effect, and received a reply, which he handed to the girl the next time she called. ' Dear Mr Hooley,' the old lady wrote, in a horrible hand that ran diagonally across the paper, 'if the young idiots are going to marry, the girl had better continue to receive the allowance. She will soon find that she will want it to keep bread in her cupboard. If alive — which I doubt — I am coming up to see you on business three weeks from next Tuesday. Rebecca Roscoe.' Ethel Flint looked perplexed, and even distressed, after reading this singular epistle. The solicitor waited for her to speak. , •Mr Hooley,' she said at length, with a nervous tremor in her voice, ' I — hope — Mrs Roscoe is not vexed with me?' It looked very like a smile which the lawyer made a grimace to conceal ; but he answered in his ordinary dry way • * Why, no ; I think not, Miss Flint. In fact, I do not think so at all. You had better continue drawing the allowance, or you will surely vex her.' Ethel knew enough of Mrs Roscoe to be aware of the truth of this, at any rate for a while, there would be some addition to income to put by for accumulation. That evening she met the young man as usual and told him all about the allowance. 4 What !— that dreadful old woman V 1 She is dreadful, but she suffers a great deal, and has a very kind heart.' ' Well, I admit she has, Ethel.' He was thinking busily on this theme, and several observations made by Ethel fell upon dead ears. 4 What are you thinking of, Ernest V she asked at last, curiously. He drew a deep respiration. ' You are such a sweet little being,' he answered solemnly, * that I cannot wonder at the old lady having a deep affection for you. So have I, in fact.' 1 Really V 1 Yes. And mind you this, Ethel : if we could see all the correspondence between Mr Hooley and his client, I fancy we. should find ourselves the subject of some of it.' She glanced up with surprised interest.

4 Now, mark these points. When I answered the advertisement, why did Mr Hooley bring me there, and question nip the way he did, with you sitting — as you have told me — behind that screen, listening to every word 1 And more than that ; I suspect the advertisement was only a bait thrown out to catch me. Alderman Sir James Roscoe never used a private secretary before ; he hns two score of clerks in the city. And do you guess who he is 1 The brother of the late lamented, who was blown up with his powder mill. He bears himself towards me more like a friend than an employer. When I told him we were going to be married, he heard me with the kind of smile a man wears who is expecting it. Anyhow, Ethel, you are mine now — and that's the whole thing !' Then he took her home to her lodgings. They were very silent all the way, and very happy. Three weeks or so afterwards, these two were quietly married one forenoon ; and on reaching the apartments with no wedding company save their own full hearts, they rsceived a surprise of a startling character. In an armchair in their front room, facing the door, sat Mrs Roscoe, stern and silent. Not even when they stood before her, astonished, did she utter a syllable! But in her new happiness Ethel's heart went out to the aged sufferer. 'Oh, Mrs Roscoe, I am so glad to J see you again ? — And — and — this is my husband,' she said, blushing crimson at the word, ' and we have only just been married !' Ethel knew the old lady better than to fall into two" mistakes which would have had ill effects on Mrs Roscoe's temper — namely, to inquire concerning her health, and to thank her for the allowance. ' And you call yourselves the bridal procession, I suppose V Mrs Roscoe observed sardonically. Ethel modestly explained that they bad no friends to invite, and were very happy by themselves. ' Why don't you speak ? Mrs Roscoe demanded of the bridegroom. ' You have seen me before, haven't you V ' I am glad to see you again, Mrs Boscoe — for Ethel's sake,' he honestly replied. ' You have been very kind to her, and for that I will venture to thank you most heartily,' 'Rubbish !' muttered the old woman, hot very angrily, however. ' This is your home, I suppose ? Do you ever hupp to have a house to yourselves V 1 Certainly, Mrs Roscoe,' answered Fenwick proudly, ' and very soon, too. We coil Id nearly do it now, but we do not, want to spend our money till we have more saved. That's all.' ' Quite enough, too. Humph ! — Flint,' she said suddenly, c make, me a cup of tea ; I have not had any n't to drink since you left me. Those people in Wiltshire — faugh !' The bride quickly, and in her wonted noiseless way, which Mrs Roscoe knew so well, proceeded to make the tea. It was soon prepared, and the old lady drank it with much apparent relish. ♦ Now,' she said, 'fling something out at that cabman's head to wake him. I am going to see my lawyer. — Good-day to you both. — Flint, help me clown to the cab.. — No ; on second thoughts, I'll take the young man's arm ; he's stronger than you.' Fenwick, gave her the support of his arm down to the street, and gently handed her into the cab. She just turned as he closed the door, not to thank him, but to say, with an expression in her sufferins eyes that was intensely pathetic : 4Be good to her. She is worth it. That's all.' The visit of Mrs Roscoe, whom neither of thorn should probably ever see again, threw over the happiness of their wedding day a shade of pensiveness, and subdued their bliss to that lower level at which it is most fully felt and appreciated. They were very happy indeed ; Fenwick most of the time watching his young bride moving about the apartment, and the latter transforming everything into the asppct of home with little touches of her cunning hand. How she achieved that effect, Fenwick was puzzled to understand ; but the fact was evident that, after half and hour's attention from Ethel, it was no longer the same room. She had stopped at a window — the room contained two — looking at some object half hidden beneath the bottom of the curtains. It was the battered black box, with the initials E.F. on tho lid. 'Ah ! you remember that, Ethel V said Fenwick, laughing. It is more precious to me than ever now.' She blushed, and after some hesitaj tion, asked him to show her the inside of it. Accordingly he took the box on his knees and opened it. The various odds and ends belonging to its former owner were still there, and the empty pocket. Ethel inserted her fingers into the pocket. 'I have always thought, Earnest,' she said, ' that it was from Mrs Roscoe the LSO came back to you. What Mr Hooley told you was not the exact truth ; but he must have informed her, and she understood. — Oh ?' she suddenly exclaimed, drawing her finger from the pocket and holding it up, bleeding ; ' 1 have scratched it against something.' Binding it with a piece of linen, Fenwick began to explore the pocket for the cause of the scratch. There were no nails in that part of the box, and the leather padding was all sewn

in lozenge-shoped sections. ' I cer tianly feel something sharp,' hi observed. ' I wonder what it can be T What was it ! He opened thr pocket as wide as hr could and turned it round to the light. Peering into it. a ppcular .scintillation caught his eye, which made him start. 'Ethel! he exclaimed, ■ hold on a bit till I $<■<■ what this is V His penknife was immediately ap plied to the stitches and the padding torn open. Inside was cotton-wool, and wrapped in the wool were — diamonds ! Diamonds in every part cf that leather padding, as, one by one the sections were ripped open — diamonds, large and small, glittering as only diamonds can do — the slow results of poor Jim Roper's years of labor in South Africa, and bequeathed to his young friend and companion Fen wick. • Ethel, we are actually rich !' said Fenwick, when the glittering stones were spread out oh a tray. 'Poor Jim ! Only fancy him hiding them in I such a place, and never telling me a word about them ! Why, nine men , out of ten would never have taken 'Jim's box out of his hut !' ' But you were the tenth, Ernest,' she answered softly ; ' and perhaps Jim believed yon loved him well enough to take care of even so valueless ft poaseasion as an old box — just for his sake !' ' Perhaps so,' said Fenwick thoughtfully. It was not yet 3 o'clock. In half an hour they were in Bond street ; and Fenwick gave the diamond merchant the history of the diamonds. The merchant called in an assistant, and together the two slowly examined the stones, one by one, noting the results in hieroglyphics upon tlips of paper. This done, they compared their totals. ' I take it you desire to sell the stones, Mr Fenwick ? They are nearly all of very good quality, but some will require a good deal of cutting. They are worth, in our opinion, LSOOO ; but perhaps you would like to submit them to another valuation elsewhere before deciding V ' No,'- said Fenwick, after a minute's thought. ' I have no hesitation, Mr Adler, in accepting your valuation. Give me. a receipt for them, and you can forward the cheque when yon have satisfied yourself with my references.' They drove back in silence, too full for talking. Only wh«n they were in their sitting-room again, 'We shall havfi the cottage, after all, 1 he said ; 'and I am so glad, for my darling's sake. These lodgings have been a burden on my thoughts !' It was long before Fenwick and his wifo knew the whole secret of Mrs Roscoe's life. She had told Ethel of the lover she had repudiated, and who j had broken another woman's heart. | And it was Mrs Roscoe' who, in the hope that brighter days would dawn for his daughter when he was gone, had employed the agency of Mr Hooley to send him to the other end of the world\ whence, it may be added, he never came back. Mr Roscoe ended her sufferings a few months after her visit to London ; but, while Ernest Fenwick and his wife were having the diamonds valued, the old lady was executing, at Mr Hooley's office, a codicil to her will, which was a surprise to that young couple when in due' time it was made known to them. The End.