KYR'S FATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)

KYR'S FATE.

IBT CARLES GAEVICE, - u „,. „ r '•Mala," "With All Her Heart," j *"• At Love's Art." "Love, the Tyrant,'' | „ The Shadw of Her Lite." " A Heri•l tage ofHate," " Just a. Girl," || ' ° Cupid's Chains." *1 ' ] --.'., ■ I etc.. etc. 1 sYXOPSIsfP PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. F5 rHtPTEJi L-lKvra, the heroine of the story. •. lving aslrl). or in one of her -nppobed 1 '"„,.« wWaround her bedside stand two 1 i ~ tf ,lather Pnil son—who evidently have I .-/■_-, : V-en secret /lot, in winch the fair Kyra is 1 Mfco a pmninent part. After a conversaI ifon betweeifthe father and son. the former § ;- •■'-■,- 1 «„n,scs /doctor—Dr. Graham—to see his I ■<'•-" ; ''' sn j?r whojves it as his opinion that his I ; Jltipni taint trancelike sleep. Kyra's father 1 ''"''" P hin he di* left a will, which provided, if 1 Kvra died rtmarried. the nionc- went to Mr. £.„,-»» the/elder. AND in.-Lance le Breton I ' T .«i virifto the home of bis pretty cousin, K- - P/ ys Aeblehi. of Holmby Hall, the country I ■'■•-"■ '"TnfWAshleighß. Lady May greets her 1 ' ,eat ,fn wailv. and i* greatly pleased to find 1 ' TaT glad to «* her. She informs fj .'.'.--'. , I * nc fi„? hey are coin?: to hold a ball in the I : lunitliaM^ is sorry that she is* not a few 8 ;." eve , old'fr so that she cotdd dance with II '- Hnrn arf the re,-t of the say company. i ..■•'■•'• •onrimr til evening Lance catches sight of the I P U "fnllfvi-a-and is at once struck by her !■'••"■ l!«ntv race ' is introduced to her H "' i T)r (raham. and dances with her once. I ■ v asilU'r another dance, and is refused, 1 ■■ ' iw on jcaviujr the ballroom, he picks up 1 v-rV-T-hn and on his handing " to her H ' :;1 iii» tells'hiin to ,lleet her ~ear t,i<? hnrch in 1' the lace the next evening at. 6 o'clock. 1 ■■•-'••'ifwiPTJRS IV. and V.—Kyra, on the prel'-': ;^ fence of taking a walk in the garden takes H - "■ »£. road leading to the lane, where she had 1 - arraneedto meet Lance. She Muds him await--1 "'■' -m? her and Kyra explains what she wishes i 'I 5 to'do and unfolds her plans, in which I '■' the finishes 1° by asking Lance to marry her. i rniPTKR Vl.—Lance, on leaving Kyra, reB ♦ riii to h* uncle's, where, he meets with his 1 /ViiHin M*'. whom he finds talking to his I ; xou» Lir''e saves his cousin from awkward I «U«<itions by remarking upon the weight of I +l«fi«n s'e caught while out with Kyra. He i IhinU ovv the promise he has given to onr 1 ' wnire and tianlly decides to stick to his ' SSeahVihat he will marry Kyra—and then 1 hsra in«Hate]v with his regiment, which is " : n the ' nillt of departure for active service. ? ; i £" Bret" 1 also agrees to keep the marriage i a „,p,-KK Vll.—Staoey Froyte and his father I .i„ ,m to "don. and while .'here the son S-Aises a diamond bracelet for Kvra. He •itclv* hi* omiortunitv for finding our iTo'roiie alone, when he offers her the bracelet, ■arte he wonld rather have given her a ring. but iras afraid s, 'e would not accent of if. efL,v'al*o tells Kvra that he loves her. and Kksher to marry Mm. *hc refuses to make Sim anv promise then, hnt asrrees to think i?: ' the matter over. Young Froyte then has an '• interview with his lather, and they have a ; talk together. ■..,':.;. CHAPTER VIII. I KSCK went lip to London the next day "to hurry on his kit," as he explained to the earl, who displayed a novel and flat- ? terir.L' reluctance to his temporary absence. ' "By Gad. Lance, you're the only live ' 'jnan in the family; it's pleasant to have I I ; Vou about. If we could only find something for you. some place under Govern- [ ■ ."nient. you could give up this ridiculous ! soldiering idea of yours; bur there! you pant get anything 'from your party nowadays: the beastly newspaper fellows n-iiteh everything like hawks, and are "3own on anything that looks like a job. JVfar, d— —n it. iii my fathers time, we held the borough in our breeches pockets, s and could shovel one of the family into a hug berth without the least difficulty. : The country's going to the dogs. Lance. . (hat's what it is, and, barring the responsibility and expense, a nobleman is no .different to any other man: in fact, I'd » deuce sooner be a rich city chap than what I am. For God's sake, get down in time for dinner: it's a little less like a funeral when you are here: at any rate, it's a change to listen to a man who knows something about a horse and a gun, instead of being bored to death with Arthurs ailments. Don't shake hands: I've ■ got' the gout in my second finger. Want ; f ' r;; any money"' If —" ' Lance declared that he was not in want , * 'of money, and refrained from shaking the polity hand: and promising to be back by dinner, if possible, went off. I He gazed, with feelings better imagined than described, at the windows' of the > : Kims, but there was no sign of Kyra. and the place, shut in by its laurel trees, vlocked so grim and sombre that it struck : m "chill to his ardent heart. i He had very modest rooms in Adelphi Terrace. They were small as well as modest, but they commanded a view of the Thames, which, especially at night, . 'was.-to use the words of Whistler, weirdly "magical; and they were so inexpensive 'that he could afford to keep them on. even when he was travelling in search of big . . game or visiting at the houses of the -' numerous friends who were always de- ? lighted to have him. v Mrs. Simpkins. the landlady, who " did for him." met him in the passage; and her motherly heart, was concerned at the fight of his grave and somewhat haggard - : - face. '» "La, Mr. le Breton, sir, there ain't" ' nothing the matter, is there?* You hain't ] been hill or thing? You look so " -anxious and worrit ted like, that it's give me quite- a turn." "No, there's nothing the matter, Mrs. iSimpkins," he said, with something like his ordinary cheeriness. "I've only come ""up to see about my kit.' ; / "Kid!" ejaculated Mrs. Simpkins. much ■ 'shocked: "and you a single man!'' _ ' ~- "No," no, my kit, uniform, Mrs. Simp- ■ kins." V "Oh, to be sure, yes, sir. But you did J';-;,';give me such a turn, and you so steady ;. : and regular." •-. .» " That's all right; any letters ( this -' morning that you haven't forwarded?" ;;. v * He turned upstairs, dreading lest he ' '.should find the notice to join the brigade; ,■ , hut . there was nothing more than the v-.iusual dunning letters, reminding him of his "little account," and he took a cab and went, down to Doctors' Commons. ; V What he wanted was a special license, 'which, according to the books he had .J consulted, would permit him to be marfried, to Kvra at any place and at any . time; but,"at the first set-off, it seemed as if there were insuperable difficulties in -: the.way of his obtaining it. But Lance ' was one of those fortunate young men ; whose face and manner work for them; - .."before his irank smile and pleasant voice 'the officials began to melt; and one of them was so taken by the young man that he went out of his way to smooth the -; [path which is so beset with, red tape that . . the unwary usually get entangled and are overthrown. ' In little less than an hour Lance emerged from the dull and grimy building minus . . £29 Bs, but witn the precious license nest'.ding snugly in his breast-pocket. : 'Then he went to. the jewellers in Bond- ' street, where, in the past —it was .past indeed now—he had been wont to purchase I trinkets for presentation to friends or ~'; pretty actresses, and. actually with a 'blush on his handsome face and a glow in his eyes, bought a ring—the wedding-ring. ■He was offered and was sorely tempted to buy a keeper—one set with pearls; but he J reflected that Kyra would not be able to ■\ wear even the 'wedding-ring: so he put • the temptation ' from him. But, a* he was •leaving, the shop he remembered May—dear ~'little May, his old playmate and constant loving friend— he chose ? modest -ring •' . ..for , her. ,- • Then he went down to his club and got ■some lunch; but he could scarcely eat it, ... .-for he was possessed with a kind of sup.;:fpressed excitement that set his veins throbbing. 'Before he left the club he wrote H| the following lines—wrote them with such M - « difficulty and. so much cogitation and tear- ;■ ." ing iip of paper that some of the men ;.; glanced at him and at each other and '•;:\. raised their eyebrows knowingly. •;.-,., "Poor old' Lance! been getting into . another scrape—trying to write a letter see?" . First, it was difficult to decide how to H p address her. He longed to begin " My dearest!"— for ;is no that the sweetest term in *J ' which a man can address a woman? And the dearest is the dearest to him of all the ' millions upon this sad earth of ours. But ' he knew thai Miss Jermyn would be startled . and perhaps offended if he called her by such .a term -of endearment. Then My dear .Kyra-." that was almost as bad. He had • not yet called her bv her name, though he • always thought of her bv it. No; there was nothing for it but "Miss Jermyn; - ' but it looked so cold, so business-like, that I hi rejected it. and began the note without • any form of address : •. "I have made all arrangements. But I , must see you. I will send May to you to- - '■. morrow morning after breakfast to go for %\'" .. ■ ■.-'-■-■'

likl &■ &he Wlll ? sk y° where you would TToLk g ° ; Say ' rea * e> by the Weir on the Holmby stream I shall be fishing therebj accident-and will contrive to Jet a few mites alone with you. I hope vou have not. changed yonr m.nd. I needn't say that J-ve not changed mine. < Lavcb le Bbeto.v." It sounded fearfully cold and matter-of fact—with not a word of love, not a word of the emotion which even penning the practical lines aroused in him-but he was obliged to be content with it. All the way down to Holmbv he thought of her, thought of her beauty and grace > and the marvellous fact that he was going to be married to her: and he thrust away from Him—as one thrusts away the thought of tteath—the gruesome reflection that he would be parted from her forever immediately after the ceremonj: At the station a dog cart was waiting for him but he sent it on. and walking round by the church sauntered to the stile in the .me, and looking round coutiouslv to make sure that he was unobserved placed the letter beneath the stone. He Mas awake with the dawn, but he resisted the almost irresistible longing to go down at once to see if the letter had gone; but as soon as breakfast was over he was off. To his immense disappointment the letter was still there; he was staring at. it. and turning it over, wondering whether she would be able to come down and get it in time, when he saw some pencilled" lines on the back of it: "I understand," she had written. "No; I have not changed my mind; and I am very grateful that you have not done so. Kyra Jermyn-." His heart leapt at the sight of her handwriting, and he dwelt upon the characters, which seemed to him typical of her own grace ; it Mas just the kind of hand he would have imagined she would write. But' his heart sank as he stowed the note beside the license. She. had valued his letter so little that she had felt no desire to keep it, but had written her reply on the back of it. How significant it was of her entire indifference to him as a lover, of the fact that their marriage was just a business arrangement from which sentiment was to be completely absent. He found May sitting on the stone coping of the terrace with a French grammar inone hand and a stick of chocolate in the other; and she greeted him with a cry of delight, followed by a yawn of disgust. \ " I am struggling with French irregular verbs. Lance. Isn't it a shame on such a morning as this—will you go halves with me in this chocolate? 'No? I shan't ask you again, mind! Irregular Verbs! Fancy a civilised nation like the French going in for such things! Why can't we have one language tor the whole world ; what on earth is the use of telegraph cables if you can't understand each other? . It is my opinion that half the wars are 'brought about because people misunderstand what each other are talking about." "Quite right. May," he said, " I know a chap who missed marrying a girl with a million of money because he couldn't make her comprehend what he wanted ; she was Spanish, you see." May opened her mouth with a delicious grin.' '* I don't believe that. by. you silly, you can kiss a girl in any language!" "That's true, and so clever of you, my child. that 1 give you a holiday on the spot. Look here! How would it be if you ran across to Miss Jermyn and took her for a walk? Such a fine day, you know." May sighed longingly. " Yes; but where does Miss Barlow come in?" " Oh. I'll face the dragon and pull her teeth—' '■::•-.-;-•; " You can't, they're false," remarked May. " Here she is! For goodness sake go away." Lance threw her a wink, and sauntered across to Miss Barlow ; and May with one eye on her book,. and the other on the pair, watched with keen anxiety the progress of the negotiations. For a time Miss Barlow preserved her usual stiff and stern demean- j our, but presently she began to melt —just as the officials at Doctors' Commons had melted, just as most persons melted under I the influence of this ingratiatory young manand Lance came back to inform May that, in consideration of Mr. le Breton's probably sudden departure for " the battlefield." Lady May could have the desired holiday ; but the" particular irregular verb, with which she was now struggling, must be repeated in perfect form on the following morning. May flung up her book and caught it deftly, and shouted a carefully subdued "Hurrah!"' for Miss Barlow had not quite got out of hearing. " I didn't think you would do it, Lance. I didn't indeed. But ' you've such a way with you,' as the maid-servants say. Lance, I've "a kind of suspicion that you are a dangerous young man. Nevermind; as you've been so good' I will reward you. You shall come for a walk with us. "There! what do you say to that?" "'Not much; only that I've a kind of suspicion that you're an exceedingly forward young woman. Thank you all the same; but I've got something better to do than tramp about the country with a couple of girls." "Oh, very well," retorted May, with a grimace at him, which would have certainly given Miss Barlow a fit. "Nobody wants you; I don't and I'm sure Kyra doesn't." '< She,little knew how straight her arrow had sped home,'and did not see Lance wince as he walked away. He waited until, from the hall window, he had seen her start took May about a minute and a-quarter to fly upstairs for her hat—then he got his fishing-rod. and creel, j left the house by the back hall and made for the stream. Under other and happier circumstances his heart would have throbbed with anticipation: even as it was there was a subtlte jov in the prospect of meeting Kyra ; but the thought of her coldness and indifference cast a chill over him. May almost ran to the Elms, and found Kvra 'seated on the terrace. '" Oh. what do vou think!" she exclaimed, "I have got a holiday!. It was Lance, my cousin, vou know, who did.it. Will you came out for a walk with me? Don't say 'No :' for goodness knows when I shall get another. And I sav, it was Lance who proposed that I should come to you. I asked him to join us. but"—she shrugged her shoulders with a delicious affectation of worldly wisdom"you know what men are? Ask them to do something and they at once want to do something else. But you'll come, won't you?" Kyra blushed faintly at the deceit she was practising—her life since the night she had overheard the father and son plotting against her seemed one tissue of deceit—and called to a servant to bring her hat. Mrs. Froyte came out with it, but stopped suddenly at si-lit of Mav, and regarded her nervously. _ " I am going for a walk with Lady May, said Kyra, calmly. Mrs. Fovte looked from one to another uncertainly, then murmuring : "Very well; it is a fine morning,' disappeared. - "And now, where shall we go.' asked Mav. as they left by the garden gate. The blood rose to Kyra's face. "By the stream," she said. "Is there not a weir there?" , "The verv thin"!" cried May: "its the prettiest spot in Holmby. How clever of you to have hit upon it. Oh, what a lovely morning! Aud to think that if it hadnt been for Lance, I should be stuck in that hideous schoolroom, worrying over lessons. What a pretty hat you've got! Oh. dear ] wish I were grown up like you, and could wear and do just what I liked!" Kyra stifled a sigh as she thought of her thraldom. ~ , " Do you think you would be any the Happier?" he said, gently. ". Why. rather exclaimed May; but J shan't have to wait very long: and then vou will sec! You and I will spend nearly all our time together. But there I am. running away with the idea that you 11 want me. Oh, I hope you will; but, perhaps, you'll be like Lance, who doesn t care -to come for a walk with me. I don't know what has come to him lately he is so— pre-occupied and absent-minded ; ho doesn t seem to want any company, but goes oft mooning by himself. Here's the stream. Doesn't it look dehciously cool! vviiy, there's Lance fishing! How selfish of him: but how like a man ! Let's pretend we don t see him. Kyra! We'll get behind these trees. Come along! He's poing the other But Lance had been watching too keenly for them to escape him, and presently he j turned and sauntered down-stream to tnem. The girls had seated themselves' on a boulder, and May, intent on watching i Lance, didn't sec the blush with which I Kyra was struggling- ' ','

"He's coming down. Well, let him! Now you'll see r the way to treat a man when he's behaved badly," she said, pursing her lips resolutely. Lance came upon them with a, faint start of surprise, and uodding casually to May. who stared before her , with . icy disregard of him, raised his cap to Kyra. "Good morning. Miss Jermyn," he said: " lovely morning for a walk. You've chosen a nice place for a rest." "Yes, a nice, quiet place for a chat, a confidential chat," said May. with emphasis "We came here because we thought we shouldn't be disturbed; we had no idea you were here. But don't let us stop your tfshing, pray!"' "They're not rising this morning," said Lance, setting his rod against the bank, and leaning beside it, as if he meant to stop there for the remainder of his life. May looked at the stream on. which the trout were snapping at the flies, and then stared at him indignantly. "You mean you can't catch them." she retorted, scornfully. "I always told you that you threw too heavy a fly. Why, the merest novice could fill a basket this "morning." " Could they?" he said, with a yawn. "You make a mistake, my child; they're rising short. If you don't* believe me, you try. I'll give you half a crown for every fish you get, notwithstanding your impudence." May swallowed the bait with satisfactoiy promptitude, and, springing to her feet, seized the rod. " Oh, do you mind if I try for a few minutes, Kyra?" she cried. "I want to teach my cousin that he doesn't know everything about fly-fishing. Mind, Lance, I'll have those half-crowns " You catch your fish first before you cook 'em," he retorted in a tone that' he knew would send her flying to the stream; then, almost before she was out of hearing, he sank into her seat' and bent towards Kyra. . s, ........ . " I must bo quick," he said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on hers eagerly.- "I went to London—l've got a special license." She regarded him intently, her brows drawn straight, her lips parted slightly, her breath coming quickly. " I don't know what that is." she said in a low but perfectly steady voice. " It's a license that lets you be married at any time, any place,'' he explained in the same tone. She inclined her head and looked away from him, as if she were considering this statement. We could walk into the church here, or send for the parson to this spot, or to any house, and he would have to marry us. But we couldn't do that, I've been thinking it ever: we.must go farther from home. You could not go to London?" ' "Oh, no, no! It "is impossible!" she breathed. No; I thought not. Well, then, see! You know Benstead? No? It is the market, manufacturing town about ten miles from here; it is a large place; there are ever so many churches. In the most crowded part of the town, where they have too many marriages to notice or remember any particular one. Do you see?" " Yes," she said, with her level brows still knit. " They don't know me there, they wouldn't know you ; we could be married quietly, and 110 one, barring the parson, and the pew -opener and sexton, would be any the wiser. Of course, we should dress quietly, and just try and look like the people of the place —a clerk and —and—" Governess, shopkeeper," she said, thoughtfully. a That's it!"' he assented, hurriedly. " Got one, May?" for May had taken off her tam-o'-shanter and waved it to attract his attention, and had held up a glittering trout. We shall have another minute or two; she'll ■ stick to it until she has got some more. We can arrange to meet there." Kyra shook her head. " I could not gothey would knowcome with me to the station." "Very well, then. I'll drive you there. The day you decide to go, I'll have the dogcart." "No, no; we should be seen," she said, flushing. " I will meet you there : I will get to the station in some way or other." He gazed at the clear eyes, the steady lips admiringly, with an adoring, loving admiration. " How brave you are!" he whispered. "Brave! If you knew—! But go on, please.'' "It is for you to fix the day," he said. "When shall it be? There is a train at eleven, and one back at half-past twelve. It would give us time, I think. I've never been married before." The old joke passed her by unnoticed. " The day," she murmured, deep in thought"the day— must let you know—" "Yes, it shall be when you please. It's for you to decide— - What's this?" He broke off suddenly. " There is someone coming. Don't move—stay here. They cannot see you.'' He sprang up and went towards a groom who was coming across the field. The man had a telegram in his hand. " Just come, sir. Mr. Williams said you ought to have it at once ; and, knowing you hau gone fishing, I— " Bight! Very thoughtful "of you, George," said Lance, taking the telegram and slipping half a crown in the man's hand. He waited until the man had gone some distance, then he went back to Kyra with the telegram in his hand. "I am afraid-to open it," he said, as she regarded him with grave interrogation. He tore the envelope open, and had hard work to suppress a cry as he read the telegram. He held it out to her. "Yon see," he said. " The War Office has decided for it. I have to join my brigade at once. I must start by to-morrow's boat. There will just be time to — Quick! May is coming! Yon will meet me at the station at Benstead by the eleven train?" She raised her head and looked at him steadily she was holding her breath; but at last she said in a low voice: " Yes, I will meet you." (To be continued on Wednesday next.)