CUPID AND THE LAW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11619, 5 April 1901, Page 3

CUPID AND THE LAW.

"Tell me - what you buy, and I will tell you what you are," runs a certain trade motto. •- - '

Yet even this all-knowing sage would have drawn blank if he had attempted to gauge Harley Stone's character by : his purchase on a foggy morning in December last.-

'It was nothing, less than a guinea's worth of palmistry! '■' ' ' •

Such a proceeding might have shown superstition, or a taste for occult sciences; or it might i possibly have indicated a frivolous disposition, eager for amusement and excitement; As a matter of fact, Stone was unimaginative and grave. He went, as a sceptic, with the base determination to compass the exposure of a fraud. Two years ago Stone would have attempted to dig up the Pyramids sooner than act the unpleasant part of social reformer. But something turned the current of his life, and he lost his bearings for a space. It was no new story. He fell in love, and the inevitable quarrel occurred, but it was not followed by the usual reconciliation. So when " she" passed out of his life, Stone tried to banish the tenacious memory of a pair of gray eyes by barring the windows of his heart, and with the temporary loss of his emotions he became a woman-hate..

The little sanctum in Bond-street was luxuriously upholstered, in strawberry silk. Photos and palms threw their weight into the decorative balance, whilst a profusion' of ornamonts completed a charming apartment.

Stone eyed the elegant fittings with supercilious interest.

H'm!" he muttered. "Probably not paid for, which is bad. If paid for, then on the proceeds of quackery, which is worse." Then he subsided into an easy-chair,- which gave a loyal groan—-as of —under tho weight of such disbelief. Apparently " Lallah" was a favourite, for Harley had tc wait some little time for his appointment. A pretty, fair-haired girl, brimming with excitement, was the first to emerge from the inner room. She was immediately pouncod upon by a lady, who was also waiting. "What did she say, Enid?" " Oh, she's wonderful! Everything is true. She told me all about my past; and what do you think? She said I had two lovers, but I did not know one, and I should marry the one 1 cared for best." Stone stiffened with indignation. "To think she can take in silly women by such arrant nonsense! It's only a shade more lucid than weather prophecies. Wait and see how she'll tackle a man." But Lallah's bait was evidently suited to her fish; for 0' few minutes later an individual bearing the stamp of a city man came into the waiting-room. He smiled approvingly, and expressed his approbation to the fair-haired. girl, although he would not divulge the details. ■'-'. "Very-good, and absolutely correct," was his verdict. Stone had barely time to digest this fresh evidence of folly when the page brought the message that Lallah awaited him. Prom the light and chatter of the silken divan the transition to a quiet, darkened room was certainly a little startling. " ' As he advanced, Stone stagsrered. for the fraction of a second, for the faint odour of some familiar fragrance met his nostrils. An elusive memory stirred in his brain, and brought a strangely disquieting element with it. Ho frowned impatiently at his weakness, and went forward. The rays of a hanging lamp lit the lower portion of the room dimly. . .The rest was in sWow, but the decorations seemed to be of a Moorish character. _- Near the lamp a woman was seated. She was clad in Oriental garments, and her face was completely veiled, except for an aperture, from whence her eyes shone with exceptional brilliancy. Lallah took no notice of Stone for some minutes, but crouched, casing at her crystal. At length she spoke, and in a musical voice, with an obviously-affected foreign accent, inquired if Stone wished her to read the lines of his hand. ! . He assented, and added: .■■•.-" "I think it's only fair to tell you I'm a sceptic." Lallah laughed. ,-; "It's half the battle to own your error. The sheer audacity of the speech stagjpred the young man for a minute; then he sa-d hotly: "Error? I'm perfectly convincedeven as certain as you must bethat this is pure trickery." ~ - ' "Wait a. minute. Perhaps I shall convince you." ,-,' ~' , -, She took his hand in hers, and. hardly looking at the lines,' began to speak rapidly: " A childhood totally unmnrred by illness. You are singular in this respect—that you have had few of the usual infantile ailments. When you were 14 you lost your mother." Stone perceptibly started, but these revelations were certainly striking. " Come. . conic!" he - said impatiently. " After all, every boy is alike. Pass that over, please." "As a younn: man your character v,-a_ very untrained. You caused your relatives much anxiety. I can see evidences of excesses both—" : Stone interrupted sarcastically: "Indeed? How do you know that?" "The lines tell me." . "Then they exaggerate grcsslv." I can see," went on the fair inquisitor, "several love entanglements,. one of whirl, might have proved disastrous to your future career.' But i here your lines alter for the better.' Your.character undergoes a mvkorl improvement, and.' another influence enters your life." '' , Tinder his breath Stone breathed the w'rd " Maisie!" *' ; "."' ~ :: ' :,■,■'.

" A. pure .love, on .both.sides, which should hove '■ blossomed 'into' perfect fruition.' Bu* what is this? A —jealousy, suspicion ! And the fault is yours, and yours alone. • By- your blind stupiditv you 'Java crushed the gladness -nit of her life, :r.„<] drowned'-'- the light of ,her eyes in tears.". Lallnh's' voice'thrilled, but Stone laugh od ironically. .'•• .- . # ' _•' "Ton are curiously at variance'with truth," he remarked.

Lallan went on unheeded : "But I see no more. Your nature changes. From a frank, light-hearted youth you do generate into » suspicious, gloomv character. Yet, p<rnin, the good influence enters yoilife. You meet her again. You will marry her in six weeks' time, and joy will crown your future." iy, • '■'■'"■'■

She dropped his hands, and Stono took lip his hat. • ■ . "Now let me speak," he said. "You have told me absolute nonsense! At first there were a few lucky shots; but the last was rank rubbish! It proves conclusively there is 'nothing in the art you practice. Come, be sensible! I'll givo yon the chance of retracting all you say. You had: better own up'-"- -•■■■■ ■'...,'. Lallftli laughed. "J have spoken your future.. It cannot be altered."

.Stone's lips tightened. '••. : " Very well: I've warned you: Now, remember that I'm speaking to you— as a man",to a woman, but as to a quack—in the interests of humanity. Your impositions must be stopped. , They are a disgrace in such an enlightened age. Give me your promise to stop this gipsy humbug!" Lallan's eyes flashed, and her voice sounded defiance..

"The gipsy's words will come true!" "So bo it! I warn you I shall come again, to-morrow, and, however painful it may be, _ proceedings will be taken. The matter will not end here." .

As Stone threaded his way down Bondstreet into Piccadilly, he was only conscious of a storm of chaotic feelings. His moral indignation met in rather cramped quarters with undignified bad temper. He had had his life wrecked by a girl, and then ;an impertinent trickster dared to'cast aspersions "on his character, and, worse, take liberties with his future! But. worst .of all, Maisie's. ghost was raised for the evening, .and stayed with him till he turned into his club, when, like a well-conducted spirit, sho vanished before the fumes of tobacco-smoke.

After a round of the halls. Stone woke up in an evil temper tho next morning. His moral scruples returned with his cold tub. however: and it was in a particularly virtuous frame of mind that he called at the Bondstreet sanctum, accompanied by an individual whose plain clothes successfully veiled the majesty of the law.

. Stone left him in the waiting-room, and unceremoniously pushing aside the curtains, penetrated into the inner shrine. , -.•-. All the glamour and mystery had vanished. The Oriental hangings looked redolent of Tottenham Court Road in the morning light. On the table-were a bowl of flowers and a woman's glove. Stone winced suddenly.' He realised he was tracking down a woman. He hurriedly turned but on the shelf facing him was a sight which mad© him catch his breath ; sharply. , - . . A" photograph of himself !,.■ > ,; . -' He" had barely time to grasp its Significance.' when'the portiere was pushed aside, and Lallah, radiant in modern mourning, entered. .', ''''.;."-;. : ' .'... , , , ■:•: Stone's heart beat like a sledge-hammer. ' "Maisie!" he gasped. "'•'."..:' ' ... . "Harley!" was the reply. * / "."After nil these, years!'' began otone, in a tone of suppressed, emotion. y ■> , , . *■. ':/■ "You've come to arrest me,' Mame finished, in a matter-of-fact tone. A brick colour mounted' to the man's brow, but faced the situation, , .'

" What does this mean?" he asked, sternly "this tomfoolery?" . The answer was simple. " -. ' -.;•'. "1 must live."

" But when I left you, "': you were -wealthy enough." "Yes; but the crash came afterwards. Didn't you hear?'' -.'"■:., : " No. Besides, they told me at Malta you were going to marry Darnley." "They? "Well, they were certainly right in that. It would have been a capital way cut of it; but I did not choose that alternative." . ■' '. . -:.'::-l

:; "Why?" Maisie looked at the carpet. "Never mind 'why.' Oh,"; she burst out suddenly, "don't think too badly of me. After ali, I've done no harm. What else could I have done? My limitations—well, I was all limitations."

Stone pondered a little. "Why didn't you teach?" he hazarded, lamely. "Teach? I should have done harm then, by giving an imperfect education; but, in'stead, I've only given hope. And the last two years have proved the value of having something to live for. You don't understand it until you've lost it." There was silence; and then Stone said, in an altered voice:

"Perhaps you have suffered?" " You know you treated me very badly," Maisie only answered. "I never was untrue to you." But Stone, for the first time in his life false . to his principles,'- suddenly -accepted this bald explanation, and doubted ho more. Three blissful minutes slipped away, and then a cough from the outer room startled them. ,

Harley spoke gravely still, though very tenderly. . , . < . r f ; • . :' "You had better understand the 'gravity of your position. You: have predicted an absolutely untruthful ! future for me, and placet! yourself in a very serious predicament. Unless you can verify you* words, I must call in the services of the detective. ; You tell mo I shall be married in six .months' time. That will be impossible, unless I can marry the one woman. I want. Can you accomplish it?" . ~', It was certainly a grave situation; but two minutes later the Law was ejected by Love.