A LOST LOVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 5 (Supplement)

A LOST LOVE.

BY KATHARINE TYNAN.

(Copyright.)

Ii was nearly m.\ months since Jim Lovelace had come home on leave from Uganda, and during the six months things had happened which made, it unnecessary for him to return to the foetid swamp which he had been fortunate to escape from with- onlv a touch of malaria.

His Uncle Dick had died, leaving the. designing woman who had married him a sufficient competence, but Brown Barns and the comfortable estate that went with it, "to my dear nephew, James Victor Lovelace, in the full confidence that he. will deal with the place and the tenants as I have dealt witli them."

So the dear old man had forgiven Jim's remonstrances about his late marriage to his " lady housekeeper." Jim hoped she had made him happy. There bail not been much time to talk about it in the las; brief interview when Dick Wynter had lain propped up on his pillows, the struggle for breath nearly over, and had looked at his nephew with dimming eyes of affection.

" 1 am glad you came in time, lad," he said in :i whisper which Jim had had to lean to hear. " I've dealt fairly and squarely with you, and I shan't be afraid to meet your mother where I'm going." There was plenty for Jim Lovelace to do before going back to Uganda. Brown Bams was not essentially changed from what it had been in Tudor days. It was a fairly valuable property as it stood, but it could be made, much more productive, and he was going to do it. He was full of all manner of energies, despite the enervating life he had come from. He was going to farm and to breed cattle and pigs. When it came to his time to follow his Uncle Dick, there would be two blades of grass growing at Brown Barns for one that grew before.

But-first of all—there was Clarissa.

As soon as he decently could he sped to look for her. During 'the journey from London to the West of Ireland lie had plenty of time to think upon how she would receive him. He had been gone two and a half years. Death—Oh, no. he would have known in any corner of the. world if Clarissa was dead. Marriage -his jealous heart had one swift pang. Then he dismissed that thought, too. She would he there waiting for him, with heist rangely lovely, wide-open eves, under the candid forehead and the cloudy hair, that had often seemed to him to see visions. He would not listen to the voice that kept reminding him that he had gone from Clarissa without a word. What had there been to say ? He had been so unhapnv and so angry after the quarrel with Uncle Dick when Brown Barns had been closed to him, and ho had Hung himself off desperately to the first job lie could find, in a country where it would have been lunacy and worse to lake, a white woman. She would be there waiting for bun. Even yet. he felt the blow it had been when the carman, who had said nothing when he leaped on to the dilapidated outside car at Ballynol Station and bade him drive to Kiltrasna. had. on the very last lap of the journey, leant over "the well" to whisper to him' confidentially: " Maybe your honour doesn't know that the Big

House is empty." Empty! In the two and a half years there had been time for Dominick Ormshv's death, lor Clarissa's disappearance N.'. one could tell him where she had gone. Kiltrasna had been sold, and all it had brought had gone to pay the creditors. Of Clarissa no trace at all. According to the talkative wife of the gameshe had sold everything and gone awav in tears with only a dog for cornnan v. Perhaps Mr. Lovelace remembered Mick. He was onlv a pup when Mr. Lovelace was at Kiltrasna. but ho had grown into a beautiful dog. There had been an epidemic among the animals the | last, months of the poor master's life. | " We used to look for her to come back " Mrs. Killcen said, " but I doubt she'li do it now. She didn't know how bad things were till he was gone. She took little enough with her except Mick the dav she went out of it." Ever since Jim Lovelace had been looking for Clarissa, and had failed. There had been something in Mrs.. lvilleen's eves when she looked at him, and said. "'Poor Miss Clarissa. Hhe haduu much happiness after you left, sir. I hat came back to torture Jim Lovelace As time went on. and he could not find her. he thought over many things. \Us ,t possible that he had won Clarissas ovej That she had felt he had deserted hei without a word ? , He squirmed inwardly at what she might have thought of him If he could lHit^ehadnot waited for him to make . up to her. She might have fallen through space so effectually had she. disappeared Ho had ,od half-a-dozen clues, and each bad biokei. off loose in his hand. He was in rather a desperate mood when March Lennox began to lay herse lout to attract him. She was a beaurful girl. very, tall and graceful, with a lovely complexion, fine eyes, and a gilt or dressing her beauty to the utmost advantai- She had <> meek little mother v fel in with all her daughters plans nd desires. People said that he Lenoxes were very poor, and that -Mama wn » a wonderful girl to dress as well as she < id and get the society she got. to be. skell anywhere during the « -jl after it. to keep a little Hat in BickL Street, and so on. This talk had now reached Jim L-''\«-lace He liked Mrs. Lennox at first well - l,e drawn into a certain mtin;:;;r &™ * -r 1 ? e \ der, s in eclipse by beautiful daughter, accustomed to t in chimnev comers, sewing and leading w 1 not verv much to say for herself macv had been quite well f^'f'^ He came and went between Brown Barns and London. Many people would , ,ve been kind to him if they had onlj ten aware of him in time. By the tune JhJv became aware of bun he seemed to be Marcia Lennox's property. Some people shook their heads ovei t. He seemed such a good fellow and the women knew what Marcia was i the men did not-selfish, overbearing, ill-tempered, behind her brilliant beauty. Then ~ ma „ chaffed him one day and he realised whither he was drifting. He was not the least bit in the world in love with Marcia Lennox, though not insensible to her beautv and the charm she could put forth How could he be in love with anyone, seeing how much Clarissa was in his thoughts. . He was troubled and vexed with himself. What was he going to do? He wondered how manv people were thinking as Bobby Murray thought '." He had been a fool. Starved for feminine society, he had snatched too eagerly at the friendship offered him. , He was on his way to the Lennox s flat in Sloane Street. .'After he had parted with Bobbv Murray, having being rather sharp with' that good-natured gossip, he turned d/rwn a street with which he was unfamiliar. He wanted to think. flood heavens! -how far had he been making people talk '.' The Lennoxes had been so good to him. and lie really loved Mrs. Lennox. She had such soft ways. Once or twice lately she had seemed as though she wanted to sa\ something to him, then had changed her' mind. Was it something about Marcia ? It would be terrible if he had repaid all the kindness by making people talk, without foundation. He was verv fond of Marcia, and admired her. How could he do more, loving Clarissa as he did ? It was a bright, blowing March day as ho crossed the park and got into a quarter he knew little about- not a tashionablo quarter. He walked on quite a long way l,v little squares and streets o houses, and flats and small shops- not a shabby neighbourhood exactly, hut quiet and untashionable. . , He was thinking if Marcia cared, and, if Clarissa was hi remain out ol his lite.

could lip not put away that dream fo make two dear, kind women happy ? Ho knew now the carkirig care that made Mrs. Lennox sad. There was Douglas, in Australia, her one son, who had always lieen failure. No harm in the boy, and his father had loved him, but lie had been a failure right through. The. little woman's dream of happiness was to be with Douglas. "If Marcia married," :die had said, hopefully, looking up with wistful eyes at Jim Lovelace, " I could go to Douglas. Wc should need so little. Of course, Mania must have all this."

Her eyes had roamed about the flat as though she compared it with some mirage of exquisite happiness. Jim Lovelace had-been thinking of what might be done to restore the son to the mother if he was onlv a failure.

Suddenly lie saw .Mania Lennox. • She had stepped out of a taxi at a shop a little ahead, and had gone in, - having bidden the man to wait.

He hesitated as to whether he should avoid her. But, no—why should lie? If she cared for him . . . if she cared for him . . . might it not be possible to banish from his heart and mind that wideeyed image of Clarissa ? He had begun to see 'Marcia in a new light. If she honoured him by caring for him, why. surely he could learn to care for She was beautiful and kind enough. The shop was a hat-shop. He remembered to have heard Mrs. Lennox say that Marcia was so clever in finding out-of-the way milliners and dressmakers to copy her Bond Street models. This must be one of the places. He looked in at the window. There was a purple silk curtain that hid the interior, and a few hats on stands. But the thing that drew his attention was a very fine Irish terrier, curled round in the window, fast asl.eep. He was a beautiful rough-coated specimen of the red Irish terrier, just the colour of the puppy Clarissa was so fond of.

While he looked the dog awoke, yawned, and returned his stare. Then suddenly thumped his tail. Jim Lovelace's heart gave a great leap. Why should the dog apparently have recognised him ? It was not possible it could lie Mick, whom he had known in a tender age of fluirinoss. with a wedge of baby fur in the midst of his wrinkled forehead. Irish terriers were often very much alike. He was not going to be deceived. How often he had followed someone in the street, for some trick of carriage, for a turn of the head, a movement, knowing all the time that he was going to be disappointed, The dog was awake now. He listened with a disturbed air. Suddenly he got up, and disappeared between the purple silk curtains into the interior of the shop. Jim Lovelace's heart was beating fast. Why had the dog recognised him? Ho had forgotten Marcia Lennox when he opened the half-glass door and entered the shop. There was a group of persons who apparently had not heard him come in. The. shop was rather dark. Someone was talking loudly, shrcwishly. Was it possible it could be Marcia Lennox's voice?

" Unless you can produce the lace, Madame Clarissa, I shall be obliged to put the matter into the hands of the police. It is no use you telling me it was not in the parcel. The lace is very valuable, and someone in your establishment is a common thief.' 1

The voice was harsh, insolent, domineering. Suddenly he had a revelation of Mrs. Lennox's tragedy. Why. she had betrayed it in a thousand ways, if he had but understood. Everything had been sacrificed in this bard, brilliant daughter, not willingly. She had home down opposition, lie remembered many things people had said—unnoticed at the time. "1 shall have a thorough search made." went on the. hard, insolent voice. " T give you till to-morrow to find the lace, or its' money value. It is Point d'Alencon, and worth £3C0." " It was not in the parcel, Miss Lennox."

" My good woman, you have said that often. * My maid tells mo it was in the parcel." Jim Lovelace hardly noticed the dftg that had come to him as though to aSk him to interfere. He suddenly went to Clarissa's side. " I have been looking for you a long time, my dear." he said. Someone had turned on the electric light, and he saw his own face in a shop mirror. He had no idea of what he looked like to thegroup of women. Clarissa looking up at him as though he was St. Michael, the couple of shop assistants gazing curiously and fearfully, Marcia Lennox, angry and confused. - "Madame Clarissa, as you call'-her; . lie said quietly, "-otherwise Miss Clarissa Ormsby, is a' very dear friend of mine. I have been looking for her for a long time. Please leave the matter of the lace to me; it shall be found., or your claim will be met." " Oh!" cried Miss Lennox, like a Fury, " If you think I am going to compound a felony because you happen to take an interest in this woman ..." "Hush!" said Jim Lovelace, sternly. He was inexpressibly shocked by the spectacle of this untamed virago. "You are not to sav another word, lhis woman, as you call her. belongs to me. She is going to be my dear and honoured wife. "Allow me to put you in your

' Most unexpectedly Miss Lennox turned and went out quite meekly. -V dav or two later the Times had a paragraph announcing tho approaching marriage of Mr. Lovelace, of Brown barns, and Clarissa, only daughter of the late Dominick Ormsby, D.L.. of.; Kiltrasna Abbey, Co. Gahvay. The marriage was to take place as soon as possible and meanwhile one of Jim Lovelace s friends. Old Lady Belinda Burke, had taken charge of Clarissa and of Mick. . The o d lady was outspoken in her opinion of Miss Lennox, who. she said, had made a dead set at Jim Lovelace. „ , " She would have had him. too. she said grimlv, "if von hadn't turned up in the nick of time. You needn't pity her. If vou knew how cruel she was to that poor 1-ov. Teddy Grant, who adored her He hadn't enough money to give her alt she wanted, and when she was tired _of him she threw him over for someone vmc threw her over in turn. 1 leally think I should have had to interfere if you hadn't stepped in. There s plenty to tell about Madame Marcia if one was minded to tell it but nothing worse than her harshness to that dear little mother of hers whom everyone loves. Marcia is quite sensible of her mother's value. There was a brother, gentle, perhaps a little, inefficient, whom Marcia drove out with her bitter tongue. The poor mother adored him. Marcia will console herself and I should not be at all surprised now if she was to accept Hargreaves— not a nice person, but plenty of money The accusation about the lace had fallen to the ground. After some recriminations between Miss Lennox and her maul the lace was produced. It had not been sen'. Meanwhile a message had come to Jmi Lovelace from Mrs. Lennox. Marcia was gone to Scotland. Would he come and see, her and bring the bride-elect They went, and it was a very touching

interview. . , ~ •'I onlv want to tell you said the mother shamefacedly. " Marcia would not have made you happy. I should have certainlv warned you in time. Pooi Marcia ; She is greatly to be pitied. The" she laid a* trembling hand .on Clarissa's shoulder. "1 »eed not wish viu happiness?" she said tearJujy- ' Marcia did marry Hargreaves betore time to talk about Jim Lovepeople had time otm mado r S PP V a2 o 1 with her mother that had been persuaded to reconsider his low opinion of himself. , There, was work tor Douglas 1U tlie Lovelace estate office, m which he waj presently to prove very valuable. He and the little mother, living together in the lack-and-white house where he agent always lived, were extremely happy and devoted to Jim and Clarissa. 4s tor Mick: never was such a spoilt dog. to his master and mistress Persisted in re garding him as the one who had luought fhem together-when of cou-x ./Mrs Hargreaves might just as well have £ the credit, THE EK?«