THE ADVENTURES OF ALICIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12909, 4 July 1905, Page 3

THE ADVENTURES OF ALICIA.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

BY KATHARINE TYNAN, , Author of "A Red, Red Roes," "The Dear Irish Girl," "That Sweot Enemy," "The Handsome Brandons," "A Daughter of tie Fields," Etc., Etc.

[COPYRIGHT.]

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.

Chapters I. and II The story opens in an Irish home. Alicia MacNamara is disconsolate at haying to leave her country in order to earn her living in England. , Her sister Molly looks fit it from a common-sense point, and advises her sister to give up her cousin, Cafw MacNamara. Their Aunt Sib is anxious tbii Alicia's outfit should do justice to her people. Colonel MacNamara, the father, tells them that he has been aßked to reduce the rent of ario!fler tenant—a common occurrence. Mrs. Venables, Alicia's English aunt, discusses family matters with her Irish niece, and relates an instance, now long past, of a certain lady's devotion to Colonel MacNamara. This lady 'is Miss Luttrell, a woman of means. Alicia spends a week in Mrs. Venables' home in Bath before she goes on to the Hesoltines, where she is to be companion. One evening Mrs. Venables announces that she expects company .for dinner. One of the guests is Tom Heseltine, and the other Charlotte Luttrell.

Chapter 111.-Tom Heseltine is not a conversationalist. Alicia at length enter's into a chat with Miss Luttrell, who takes to her, and offers her her friendship. Mrs. Venables tries to give young Heseltine a favourable Impression of the MacNamara family. Miss -Luttfell expresses the wish that Alicia could be her companion.

CHAPTER lll.—{Continued.) "I shall have to tell him by and bye," she said, "about Brady being butler and coachman and footman and gardener, and! the ragged regiment of urchins that he has to work under him; and Nannie in her bare feet being upper and under housemaid both; and old Mrs. Brady doing our plainest of plain cooking. And our only carriage the outside car, for the barouche would drop to pieces if it were taken out of the coach-house, let alone that the hens have lived in it for longer than I can remember." In the drawing-room presently (-lie got a chance to tell Miss Luttrell that she was going to' Mr. Heseltine's people in the capacity of companion to his sister and to help her in her duties as house-mistress. "I'm no good at all at housekeeping," she confessed frankly. "We all wondered what bee Aunt Grace had got in hep bonnet when she talked about that. But I can do the companion part all right. And wo can learn the other things together, if I like her. I'm really a very cheerful companion: I have great spirits, at least I had ..at Mount MacNamara. They think me quite a wit there. To be sure they are partial. 1 And! I am never tired nor out of sortsat least, I wasn't there. 1 can walk miles and drive and ride. I can read aloud for hours without losing my voice. I used to do it for my grandmother; she was such a dear. I can sing and play, and paint a little, and do embroidery and make lace. Aunt Sibbie taught me. But—housekeeping!" " You should have come to me," said Miss Luttrell. "Why shouldn't I have a companion? I'm sure I want one. I take it very ill of Grace Venables that she didn't give me the chance." " I wish it was you" said Alicia. " You couldn't come all the same? No, I suppose you couldn't. It wouldn't be fair." For an instant Alicia had looked up hopefully. She had taken a great fancy to Miss Luttrell, who knew papa, and had 1 been fond of him. It jeed not havo been in the way Aunt Grace had suggested. But she had felt his charm. She had said .as much.

" No, I suppose I couldn't, not now," she answered. "Aunt Grace would never forgive me. I hardly know Aunt Grace tonight. How fond she seems of Mr. Hosel■tine! He might be her son. And he is certainly verv nice to her." "If you find you can't get on there, my dear, yon will let me know?" Miss Liittrell said.

" I shall let you know," answered Alicia. "It's a bargain," holding out a frank hand. "I wonder what on earth you two are shaking hands' for," Mrs. Venables said, coming over to them. " I see i must separate you." She was amazingly vivacious, even frivolous, for her. ■ "Come, Alicia, I want you to sing. Some Irish songs, please. I have been telling Mr. Heseltine how delightfully you sing the songs of your native country."

" I hope he won't be disappointed," Alioia said, going obediently to the piano, while Tom Heseltine came and stood beside her, ready to turn over the leaves.

Mrs. Venables' preference was for the old songs she knew, mainly Moore's melodies; and she sat in her armchair by the fire beating lime softly to the music, and looking as pleased as Mima, her big ta'bby, which had sprung on to her knee, and sat purring there in lazy contentment.

Alicia had not only a beautiful voice, but she had also a fine dramatic quality in the singing; and after she had; charmed them with "The Ooolun" and "She is Far from the Land," and "Silent, oh Movie!" she struck a few chords and broke into a passionate rendering of "When He who adores The©;" and when they asked for more, sang, " Oh, Where's the clave so Lowly."

" I had no idea Irish music was so beautiful," Tom Heseltine said, drawing a deep breath, when she had finished.

As a- matter of fact he know rather more about Fiji than ho did about Ireland, and had been somewhat opposed to the idea of having a wild Irishwoman for his sister's companion. "I could listen to it for ever," ho went on. "It makes even rebellion comprehensible to me." I Alicia laughed softly and triumphantly. . "We may go on hating you," she said, "but you can't go oa hating us once you give us the chance to wis you over. Everything about Ireland, her mountains, her streams, her clouds and mist, her dew and sunshine, her music that is' the expression of them all, is made for allurement, especially for the allurement of her conquerors. It is what we call 'putting the comether.' " ' " I don't, know what that means," ■he said, seriously. " And I have never known Irish people. But—l have heard they were fascinating. I know now it is true." • That night Mrs. Venabks came to Alicia's room, She was carrying something in her hand, which proved to be a jewel-case, aaid opening it she displayed a string of emeralds, on their bed of, white velvet.

■ "How lovely!" said Alicia, taking them up arid examining them. "They are old. Aunt. Grace, aren't they? I adore old jewellery . and especially emeralds. How good of'you to show* them to me!" ' She let the light run through them, flashing them hither and thither, before she laid them back in their case. "They are beauties," she said heartily. "They remind me of the rivers at home. when they glide under the newly-leafed trees in May," " They are for you, child." "Forme!" Alicia could not believe her ears. She had been made aware several times during the week, implicity or explicity, that the MacNamaras need not look to 'halve any share in the fortune heaped up ,by the labours of that excellent British citizen, Josiah Venables. "Forme!" " For you. lam much pleased with you, Alicia. Emeralds are for a fair woman. They would bo all wrong on May Heseltine, to whom the bulk of my jewellery goes. You are a good child. Go on pleasing me, and —who knows what may happen?" " Alicia could not have imagined herself a little while 'before offering Mrs. Venables a caress, but now she was silent for a moment with sheer gratitude; then she put both her arms round' the lady's neck in a sudden impulse. It was like the action of a loving child.

" Dear Aunt Grade." she said, with shining eves. "How can I thank you? It isn't the jewels, only, but your goodness." " There, there," said Mrs.. Veuables,— caresses were not very much in her way, and she put oft' the soft arms gently but firmly—"you are a good child", Alicia. I took a fancy to you the first time I saw you. Co on being'a good child, and who can say what may happen?" CHAPTER IV.' THE NEW imiEN'D. Duvino the, journey to Woodfiplds next dav under the charge of Mr. Heseltine, Alicia thou with some wonder of her aunt's sudden warmth towards'her. Not only had Mrs. Venablos riven ier the emeralds, but she had slipped into her Band at parting a couple of five-pound notes, and had folded the hand over them in a way which for her was fond.

. When Alicia had discovered what they were-she could not help peeping at tliem, although Tom Heseltine sat opposite to her apparently engrossed in the btandftia the changes that passed over the expressive face were delightful to that quiet observer. Mrs. Venables had stayed by the carriage door till the last moment. While she had stayed Mr. Heseltine had busied hmiseit making arrangements for the three_ hours cross-country journev. Beside Alicia was a new book; beyond" it a pile of papers ana magazines. At the last moment a luncheon basket was put in. The gold foil of a champagne bottle peeped through the halt-open cover, and a bunch of violets lay upon ttte lid. Alicia had had no rug. That was a luxury she had dispensed with on her lew railway journeys in Ireland. But, what matter?. Mr. Heseltine's rug, a wonder or softness and fleeciaess, was tucked warmly about her knees. The owner of the rug had) seen to it that a piping hot foot-warmer was pushed beneath the rug. "Dear me," thought Alicifc "I never travelled in such luxury before." When the train had steamed out of the station Mr. Heseltine with .a word of apology i retired behind his newspaper. . „ i " And I was just thinking this morning, said Alicia to herself repentantly, " that it was an ordeal to travel with a stranger, shut iip with him for three mortal hours during which ,he might consider it his duty to make conversation for me!" _ She glanced at the newspaper which intervened between her escort and herself before she opened Mrs. Venables' envelope. When she had' realised what the enclosures ■were, she sat with the notes held in her ■hand•looking at them with an incredulous delight. 'She had never before possessed so much money; in fact she had thought the sovereign over and above her travelling expenses with which her father had presented her at parting quite a great sum to be used for mere pocket money. , And now here were ten pounds— enough to restock her purse and leave nine pounds over. For a few minutes she sat smiling at herself thinking what she would send home to Mount MacNamara. She wanted to send a dress to Molly, a parasol to Aunt m, and something for the boys; and a bit of finery for the servants. She thought she might spend four pounds and send a, five-pound note to Aunt Sib to pay some bill so that papa shouldn't lie annoyed with it. i She composed her letter to Aunt Sib as she j sat fingering the crisp notes. ; "' Aunt Grace gave me a great sum at ■ parting.' Yes, that would be vague enough —'and I shall never miss the five pounds I enclose."' . ' . . But her gifts. She sent a backward/glance at the shops of Bath, at which she had gazed thinking than?, amazingly fine, but their contents as far beyond her as the treasures of a fairy tele. She' wished now she could have been photographed for Carew. That 1 wjra the gift lie would like best. He had nothing but a dreadful thing of her, with her hair about her shoulders and her skirt to her ankles, the faded, spotty production of a travelling photographer. She looked up to find Tom Heseltine smiling at her with an air of solemn pleasure. ' . „ T , "I beg your pardon/' he said. Ive been watching you for some time. You were looking so happy." Alicia blushed and laughed. ' )( ".Aunt Grace has been ; so good to me, she said frankly. "Just imagine. She gave me ten pounds at, parting. I was thinking what I could send home. Are there any shops near WoodfieldsV" ' " They are very good shops in Radford." " As good as Bath?" "Quite as good as Bath." " Photographers,. too?" " Excellent photographers.'' "I haven't had my photograph taken since I was sixteen. It wasn't very flattering. My nose was crooked •in it, and I looked as though I were crying. . Fortunately, the last time I saw it a shower of hail or snow had come out on it, which, I daresay, has obliterated it by this time." Re had a vague, passing wonder as to where the photograph might be, but he merely remarked that it was time she should have another photograph taken, and that Nelson was the best photographer in Radford. " You must tell me," he said, " when you feel hungry, and we can have some lunch.; Have you looked at your papers? I hope' they are what you like." :• She restored the two notes to their envelope and put it away in her handbag. "I'm sure they're beautiful,"' she answered. " I'm going.to look at them now." "Do," he said, disappearing again behind his paper. . She had time to read several short stories through before ..he was finished with the Standard; At last he became conscious that she was • looking at him . with grave, interested eyes, and laid down the paper. " Supposing we have lunch?" he said. " I'm frightfully hungry," Alicia confessed frankly. , She* had been thinking as she looked at him that she would never call him plain even to her own mind again. To be sure, the face was heavy and the features insignificant; but he had looked at her so kindly, and his mouth was pleasant, Alicia thought; also his chin was firm— liked a firm chin in a man. ■ The luncheon-basket contained a cold chicken and- some slices of tongue, .with a varied assortment of pastry. Alicia looked with all her eyes as Mr, Heseltine brought out these good things, carved for her, spread a serviette on her knees, and poured her out a glass of champagne. " When I was travelling up to Dublin," she said, "I had some sandwiches, but I didn't care for them much, and I got a cup of tea and some buns on the way. The tea was very hot, and I had to run away leaving it untasted, and the buns were very doughy in the middle. I had no idea that one could be so comfortable travelling." "All," he said, "that is one thing we do in this country. We make things comfortable."

"I have been thinking," said Alicia, heartily, " how very, very kind you are to me. It reminds me of what Aunt Sib said, ' They may be starving the soul of you,' she said, 'but they'll be terribly kind to your body.' There!" Alicia blushed furiously. " That was something I didn't mean to have said."

" I hope we won't starve the soul of you at Woodfields," said Tom Heseltine, " even if we are very kind to your body." " You're not vexed with me?" said Alicia, imploringly, "Not I. Let me give you a 'little more champagne." It was some time before he made her forget her indiscretion. He waited on her with kind assiduity while she had her lunch, enjoying it with the thoroughness of her sound health. ■ He had an odd thought that he would like to present Alicia with a bos of the finest sweets procurable, and see her little milky teeth crunch on them like the teeth of a squirrel on a nut. He put away the contents of the luncheon basket with methodical carefulness when they had finished, and pushed it out of sight under the seat. By this time the sky, which had been blue,' was overcast, the hedges shivered as they passed them, a few Hakes of fine snow came in the wind. They were nearing the station now, and mill chimneys, long ranges of brick buildings, and the. cylindrical shapes of gasworks heralded a manufacturing town. Alicia looked out of her window with interest. She was like a child for inexperience, and her curiosity was as fresh and eager as a child's. She asked question after question, and the young man delighted in satisfying her. A passenger who would have entered the carriage when it drew' up at Radford Station took them for a bride and bridegroom, and retreated considerately. "That tall chimney yonder," Heseltine said, after- they had left the station behind, '" belongs to our mills. Some time, if you are interested in such tilings, you must go over the mills. •We make smooth-faced cloths, you know; there is nothing better done in Bradford. They are beautiful stuffs. We send a great lot of them to Paris. Hcseltine's is very much up to date. I've gone everywhere where there was anything to be learned that might improve the cloths, and have spared neither trouble nor expense." Alicia smiled at him with a faint radiance which he failed to interpret rightly. His face had worn a look of modest pride as i lie spoke. Alicia had never known anyone I who had made their money in trade. To J be sure, Aunt Grace's money had been so made, but it was a long time ago, and Mrs. I Venables had never spoken of it to Alicia, i It was coming to the girl as something new i and wonderful that people who made their | money in trade might, b; as proud of the | repute of what they manufactured as people | like the MacNamaras were of old, heroic I traiiti»fl».

"I am sure it is beautiful," she said with a smile, which the young man found bewilderingly sweet and sympathetic. "You'll find things—at Woodfields very different from what you are accustomed to," he said, after a few minutes of silence. "I've been discovering that we shall probably think differently about almost everything." "I was very unhappy about it," said Alicia, with unconscious flattery, " before I met you. Now lam not afraid at all." It was like the spontaneous, unsought caress of a child.

"We're very commonplace people,"' young Heseltine went on, looking greatly delighted. "Just business people. , We haven't any time for the arts, and we think a deal of success in life. In fact, it is the only standard with many of us." "Not with you," said Alicia, unbelievingly. "Perhaps not quite the only standard," he said, again flushing with pleasure. " Still, I think a good deal about it, too. Honest success, you know; the success that comes from producing the best article of its kind on the market."

"I know," Alicia answered, looking at him with eyes that reminded him of the wild hyacinths in the May woods. "But there are other things. You ought to know, papa; and Aunt Sib—and our friends and neighbours. If to succeed is to be. rich we're all terrible failures, for we're as poor as church mice, else I shoudn't be here," she added reflectively. " I'm afraid you'll feel us terribly alien," he _ said, with a little cloud on his face, which had already become a friend's face in Alicia'e thoughts. "I want to prepare you for it. I know there are lots of other things, but— won't hear us talk of them. I'm proud of my father, indeed I am, and you'll like him, but— think a deal of materiel success. There is only one of us cares for anything else, my cousin Amy, who lives with us, a .queer child, always reading and playing the piano to herself." "I'm,glad about Amy," said Alicia, with a little uplifting of the heart. " I think I skill do very well, Mr. Heseltine, with you and her, and your father." Again Tom Heseltine's face lit up. He began putting the books and papers together and collecting the various small articles of Alicia's luggage. '■:.'■ "We are nearly home," he said. ' " And please remember, Miss MacNamara, if things go uncomfortably in any way you are to come and tell me."

"Indeed, I shall," said Alicia. "I am so glad you are my first friend. It makes all the difference."

(To be continued daily,)