A MAD BETROTHAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5631, 16 September 1889, Page 4

A MAD BETROTHAL.

[BY LAURA JEAN ÜBBY.]

CHAPTER V. " IT CAN NEVER BE ; I COMMAND TOO TO GIVE YOUR I.OVER ITP."

For one brief, intensely thrilling moment Nadiue gazed into the white, stem face of her lover. Surely he could never mean those horrible words. Ho was only jesting. Ho must have read the doubt in the lovely face, for he repeated : " I brought you here ; therefore donotfor a moment imagine, because we nave quarrolled, that 1 shall permit my rival to take you home." " You have no choice in the matter," returned Nadine, spiritedly. "If I chose to return with Captain Osmond, you cannot prevent me." " Again I repeat, he shall take yon only over my dead body," repeated Gilbert "Wctherell, his face growing a. shade palor. Nearer and nearer approached the dashing young captain, passing Wetherell without deigning him so much as a look. " Allow me to escort you to the other end of the yacht, Miss Hasley," ho said, proffering his arm with a low bow. " See, our friends are leaving the boat." Kadine laid her little white hand on tho captain's sleeve, aud turned away with him, and in that iustaut, pale as death, Gilbert Wethereli sprang before them. In Nadiuo's memory ever after there lived the remembrance of fierce, bitter words that led to blows. ? "Not hero and now, in Miss Hasley s presence," she heard Gilbert say. " I will see you later on, aud we will soon settle this affair." Nadine hoard no more, for tho sky and the water, and tho two hnndsome, angry, defiant faces, seemed whirling around her. She threw up her white hands with a stortled cry, and fell in a deep swoon at Gilbert Wetherell's feet. In a trice the two gentlemen had been separated by their friends, who had been amazed at the encounter, but not before a few startling words had passed between them. The captain turned on his heel and strode away, while Gilbert gathered up the slight girlish figuro at his feet, carrying her to Ms carriage, which stood in waiting. But as he placed her on tho seat ho caw she was reviving, and the water which they were bringing him for her would not be needed. Catching up tho reins, ho turned the heads of the horses towards Uplands. " Nndino!" ho cried, eagerly, as the dark eyes flushed open. She turned from him with a bitterly angry sneer on her lovely red lips. "Do not speak to me .'" she cried fairly trembling with wrath. " That will be the greatest favor you can do me !" " I have something very important to toll you, Nadiue," ho said, gravely, his fair, handsome face flushing. " I refuge to listen !" she declared. "In that case, I can but bo silent," he said, sorrowfully ; and a rigid silence was maintained between them during the remainder of tho drive. He attempted to hand her from the carriage, but tho wilful little bounty sprang past him, disdaining his assistance. " Can I not have just one word with you, Nadine {*' he pleaded, following her to tho porch. " You may regret it somo time if yon refuse me." " When you apologise to the captain for yonr rudeness ; not until then." Gilbert Wotherel drew back, us though she had struck him a mortal blow. " Do not add insult to injury, Nadiue," ho said, hoarsely. " You have my answer, ATr "Wctherell," she replied. " Let that settle it." Turning- abruptly away, Gilbert Wetherell walked slowly down the paved walk to his carriage. As ho was entering it, a horseman dashed swiftly up the road, drawing rein beside Wetherell, and he saw by thi? clear, bright moonlight that it was his friend Stantoa Tracy. " Well Tracy, how do matters stand?" aekod Wetherell, leaning breathlessly forward. "The captain has accepted tho challenge," returned his friend, slowly, " r.nft proposes Bryly Woods, three miles from hero, aa the place, and at sunrise as the time." " We will drive down tho road and talk tho matter over at our leisure," said Wetherell, and in a moment more they were lort to sight amid tho overarching trees that skirted the uvenue. Meanwhile, Nadine, in crossinir the porch, hud run directly into tho anna of tho Judge, who sat emoking in the shadows of tho pill.-irs. He had be-on a silent spectator of tho partiug between Nadine mid Wetherell, and could hardly credit what he had heard. "Oh! is it you, pa ?'' cried Nadiue, starting back. " Row* you frightened me!" "I was here watching for you, my dear," ho ar.swered. " You ought to have been hero an hour ago. Hud you been ' with any one but Gilbert Wethorell I should have felt uneasy. By tho by, my dear, you were speaking ruther sharply to him as you ran up the steps. Haveyeu been quarreling with him again ?" " I suppose that I may us well admit that we are not on the beat of term*, papa," assented Nudir.e, tossing back her dark curls. " I heard you mention Osmond's name to him," suid this Judge. "Repeat what you ■were saying." " Mr Wetherell grossly iusulted the captain on tho yacht tins evening, and 1 told him I should never speak to him again until he apologised to the captain." The Jiidije had sprung- to his feet, fairly purple with rage, and faced hi* daughter. "Do 1 hear aright, Nadine?" he asked, sharply. "Do i understand you to say Oiptufn Osmond went with the yachting party ?" " Certainly," she replied, wondering at his agitation. "Hβ did not go with us some circumstances prevented—but he joined the party at tho point, aud proved a delightful acquisition." "Stop! Say no more!" exclaimed the Judge, turning abruptly away. " I should horsewhip tho rascal for his bold effrontery in daring to join your party. I had expressly forbidden him to do so." "P»*pa!' : gasped Nadino in dismay, " whut can you mean ? lam bewildured"" "No more or less than what I have said," declared the irate old gentleman. " I learned, when too late, that we had made a mistake in asking Captain Osmond to tho garden party, and I sent him word to decline accompanying you all to the yachting excursion; and despite that, ho dared to go ! The man's effrontery is astounding !'' Nadine drew back and looked at him. "I shall make it so uncomfortable for him," declared the Judge, grimly, " that he will leave tho place." "Do you know what would happen if you_ should do that, papa?" asked Nadine, beginning to sob. _ " Yes; the neighborhood would be well rid of a scoundrel !" "You would break my heart!" she said, bursting into a passion of tears. A thunderbolt falling from a clear sky— the earth suddenly opening beneath his feet, could not bavo startled Judge Halsey more. For it moment he was fairly speechless. And in that moment, Nadino had poured into his dismayed ears tho whole story of how and where *he had first met the gallant captain ; how ho bad sated her life, mid her gratitude hud dei-j ened into love ; and when on the yacht he hud told her that he cared for her, and life would be nothing to him in the future without her, that then and there they had solemnly betrothed themselves to each other, vowing euch to the other they ■would bo true to their vow until death. Who bhalt describe the horror—tho dismay oi" the old Judge as ho listened. That was the bitterest moment of his life. "He bus dared t.peuk to you of love without consulting me !" said the Judge. " Of cours-e, ho asked me first, to find out whether I loved him or—or not," said Nadine, hiding her blushing face on her father's Lruust. (to be coN'rrstTED.)