IN APPLE BLOSSOM TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19040, 10 June 1925, Page 5

IN APPLE BLOSSOM TIME.

BY L. G. MOBERLY. Author of " Cleansing Fires.'.' " In tho Balance," " Hope, My Wife," *" Violet Dunstan," etc.. etc.

(Copyright). CHAPTER XVl.—(Continued). There was something oddly irresistible in the boyish rush of words; in the hovish impetuosity of his wooing; something very irresistible, too, in the liluo eyes that were so full of love, and in the firm grasp of his hands. But Sylvia hung back nevertheless. " You forget, people don't care to luive much to do with me now, because of Denis," she said. " Even if—even if—" she faltered " if I —liked you, too," she added. " I mustn't forget that Denis—" " Look here, little Sylvia," Lance put his cheek caressingly against her hands, " what your brother did, in a moment of great temptation, and when ho was very hard pushed, doesn't make you a different person, and doesn't make any difference to the way I care for you. Anybody who knew all the circumstances as you have told them to me, would not blame Denis overmuch. And, after all, the poor chap is paying for what lie did. Nothing that he did, or left undone, makes one scrap of difference between you and me. Give up all those nonsensical ideas about being a companion, or any other rotten old thing, and marry me. " " But I couldn't marry you when I hardly know you. " "Hardly know me!" he exclaimed, reproachfully. "When I; have been forcing myself on your attention ever since we first met ? When I have been standing in the limelight solely for your benefit?" He spoke jestingly to soothe her evident perturbation, but his eyes told her a great deal more than he put into words, and the close clasp of his hands sent strange little thrills along her pulses. "Yes; but I mean," she faltered, "I mean—a few weeks ago I had never even heard of you, and now " " Now you' have found I am a distant relation, and you are going to marry me as soon as it can be arranged," he put in, briskly. ' , "Am I?" Sylvia answered, sparkling defiance in her eyes. " You take everything very much for granted. Why, how do you know that I even like you, much less- -" She broke off short, flushing vividly, and Lance's eyes shone with mischief. "Much less love me?" he questioned. " But don't you think that some day you could learn to love me? Don't you think I could teach you?" She looked at him wistfully. " Don't you sec I am afraid of doing what you say, lest —" . "Lest what?" he asked gently, when she hesitated. " Lest I should be doing it because it helped me out of a difficulty, because it gave me protection and safety." ' "That's what I want to give you," came the prompt retort. " I want you to be sheltered and safe. I don't want you to have to struggle yourself, you little precious thing! ifou are not fit to fight for your life. You are to let me do the fighting for you." " But that wouldn't be fair. I mean, it wouldn't be fair for me to take all this goodness from you, . when I don't know you, when I am not sure " "Sure of what?" "That I carc," she whispered. "I believe," he bent near to her, his lips just touching the dusky softness of her hair, "you like me a little bit now, and that perhaps some day you might like me a great deal." "I think you are very conceited, and that you make very surprising assumptions," she said demurely. "But her small fingers nestled more closely into his hand. "I do, like you, and I feel so safe with you. Life looks so big and cold when one is facing it by one's self. "Then don't face it by yourself. Let us face it t9gether. And when your brother is a free man again, he must come out to Australia, and start a new life there." "I couldn't go awdy from England while he is> here," Sylvia exblaimed. "I am allowed to see him periodically, and I couldn't stop doing that. There is no one else to go and see him—and seeing xne does help to make his life more bearable." "I should think it does, and I'wouldn't for the whole world deprive the poor chap of anything that helps him through his awful time. But, in any case, I meant to be in England at least a yeiir, pjrobably more. I'm not only playing about here, you know, I am partly here on lousiness both for my father and my grandfather—your great-uncle John. So we can perfectly well get married and stay here until we can take your brother back with us—or at any rate, very nearly till the time when he is free again. Doesn't it all seem as if things were arranged to suit us?", he added coaxingly. "It all works out just right." "You make it seem right and isimple," sho said, "and " "And it is all right and simple," he exclaimed, all at once gathering her into his arms, "give yourself and your life to me, you shan't ever regret it, little precious girl." And, as his lips touched hers, all Sylvia's scruples and misgivings melted away, never to return. "I do believe you were hunting through this to try andfind a job," he exclaimed later, picking up a newspaper from the floor. "Well! all that is over for you for ever! What a piece of luck it was that sent me here to stay with the Bennetts, and that made your dragon, Mrs. invite the Bennetts and me to her party. No, I oughtn't to call it 'luck'," he corrected himself gravely. "It was somethinc greater than luck that sent me here to you." , For a few. minutes they were silent. Then Drurv's eyes glanced along the columns of "the newspaper he held in his hand. "Mrs. Bennett was a perfect brick to take her husband out this afternoon, and leave mo here with you," he said dreamily, after that brief silence. "She is one of the understanding people of this world. Hullo! Here's a chap I know something about. What on earth "he stopped short and whistled softly. "Who are you talking about?" And what do you mean ?" Sylvia asked. "Why, here's an announcement of a forthcoming marriage as they put it—Dr. Hugh Tranleigh, of Downside, Mcrslaka, and Marjory Henderson " "Marjory Henderson 1" Sylvia broke in, ''Marjory Henderson ? She is the girl who threw Denis over. You don't mean, to say she is marrying another man ?" "A marriage has been arranged," Drury answered, and Sylvia noticed a curiously sarcastic inflection in his tones. "The marriage appears to be fixed for September. But Hugh Tranleigh—Hugh Tranleigh! There can't be two men of that name. I hope your Marjory isn't going to marry the Tranleigh I knew in Australia."

"Don't call her my Marjory. She treated Denis abominably. I don't ever want to have anything to do with her, and if she is marrying a man who will give her a bad time, so much the better. I should say—serve her right!*' "I won't exactly contradict that, though it sounds rather severe," Lance looked up with a smile from the newspaper. "Miss Henderson does seem to have treated Denis abominably. I can't understand any decent woman behaving as she did. AH the same," ho paused, and his fingers ran along the lines announcing Marjory's marriage. "1 should like to know for-certain whether this Hugh Tranleigh is the same man I knew. If it is— I wonder what X ought to do, in all justice and fairness to iliss Henderson I I wqndex&'-

CHAPTER XVII. DOUBTS AND FEAR.

The preparations for Marjory's wedding went on apace. Mrs. Creighton was in her element; indeed more.than that, she was in the seventh heaven of enjoyment, helping to choose her niece's dresses, organizing the actual arrangements both for an At. Home two evenings before the wedding day, and for tho day itself. And Marjory passively acquiesced to all that was planned for her by her aunt ana lYanleigh. Never before in her life had she let herself be so completely a passive agent in the hands of others, but she felt curiously numb, curiously disinclined to dispute any < decisions that were made for her. If she had followed her own inclinations she would have preferred a quiet ceremony, and no social evening beforehand. But at the niece's suggestion of this, Mrs. Creighton showed herself so disappointed that Marjory did not press the point. After all, she thought, what did it matter whether they had a big evening party or not, as long as her aunt was pleased ? And if it gave Mrs. Creighion any satisfaction that the marriage ceremony should be on a grand scale, and that the bride should wear orthodox bridal raiment, and be attended by six bridesmaids, then why not give her that satisfaction. Her own proposal that she should bo married in her travelling dress early in tho morning, and go quietly away directly afterwards, almost roduced her aunt to tears, and from that moment Marjory allowed herself to be treated somewhat like an automaton, moved this way and that as the movers chose. And. always in the background of everything there lurked that strange fear for which sho was unable? to account. Tranleigh was a passionate lover, and it seemed to Marjory that lie and the rather quiet Dr. Tranleigh who had boon her friend before lie was her lover, were two different people. The old Hugh had been quiet and restrained; the new Hugh j was restless and impetuous, showing some- ! times an almost savage resentment against j" the slow passage of the days. " Why didn't Wo fix an August date ?" he asked the girl ope hot afternoon, when they sat together in Mrs. Creighton's garden, from which they could catch a glimpse of a sweep of tawny harvest field upon the downs. " The time boforo September seems interminable." " Impatient person." Marjory looked with a smile into his dark face. But she shrank involuntarily when he put a hand on hers, and drew her fiercely near to him. "Don't you understand that I can't bear waiting for you?" he said, with an oddly hoarse noto in his voice. "I am afraid—looking over tho long weeks until September 15th." " Afraid of what? " Marjory felt ashamed of her involuntary shrinking from his closo clasp, yet she experienced it nevertheless. "Afraid of—of losing you—oh, imaginary fears," ho laughed uneasily. "Surely it. is natural," ho triod to rally himself and speak in his normal voice, "that I should find the time of waiting lox iKt • • • You seem as if in some way you wero really afraid! " Marjory drew herself away from him, and looked into his disturbed face. " Short of my dying, which doesn't seem a very likely contingency, what could, happen ? " "Nothing—of course nothing." He spoke quickly. But the girl's sharp, ear still defected trouble in his voice. I am just absiirdly in lovo with you, my dear, and I magnify all possibilities of danger or difficulty. '' " Danger or difficulty?" Marjory looked genuinely puzzlqd. "What big words to use in our quiet, humdrum life! You talk as if we were in the wild west., threatened by Indians! Danger and difficulty don't seem to be the kind of words to uso in Merslake." " No, they are not." With an obvious effort Tranleigh pulled himself together. "I am an ass. You are quite right to scold me, but—l told you beforo—you havo bewitched me, and I want to have you safely in my own keeping. One always has a dire foreboding that Fatto may step in and interfere with one's happiness, even i at the eleventh hour." "Oh! Fate!" she exclaimed, "fancy, your talking about Fate, such an up-to-dato modern as you are. Now don't have gloomy forebodings any more, let us think of other things. I heard to-day 'that Sylvia Brennington is goinfj to bo married. ; I never met her, but Denis always spoka j very affectionately of his sister. I am glad she is to bo married. It was hard upon her to have to work." " Was sho obliged to work? " Tranleigh asked absently, his mind only halfconscious of Marjory's words. (To be continued daily.)