The Two Miss Carra

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 4

The Two Miss Carra

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Thomas Cobb.

CHAPTERS I. to XXVII. —Mrs. Fenriman flatters herself that sne does not look her age, although she is 10 years older than L’icK Warrender. He knows he lias only to say the word and the and all her possessions are his. fche is trvine: to get his a post as private secretary to Sir Edwin Shackel. Mrs. Fentiman returns from a visit to her mother and sees Dick Warrender with a young lady companion. She Is handsomely dressed, and holds a Sealyham by the leash. Eater in the day Mrs. Fentiman entertains Dick and taxes him about this young lady, whom Dick owns ne does not know. On their way to tennis Luke Harborough notices that Dick Warrender waves his hat to a radiant-look-ing girl standing bareheaded at a cottage gate. On Monday Dick devotes the day to Mary Carr and on that morning Mrs. Fentiman drives past in her car. She recognises the girl, and greets Dick with a distant bow. In Hyde Park Dick comes across another lady with a , Sealyham. The dog recognises him, and Dick scrapes acquaintance with the girl. He brings up the topic of Mary Carr, and his companion asks whether she has yet obtained a situat.on. Dick ’s astounded, and asks whether Miss Carr eft her last situation on Saturday "Yes. last Saturday," is the reply. Having made up his mind to forget Mary, Dick does not take her home on Sunday, but, believing she wants a situation, he gets a Mrs. Harborough to call on the girl. Mary says she does not mind being a lady help. Luke goes to an at home at Lady Canningbury’s and there meets another Mary Carr with whom he takes tea He finds that there is some connection between the Misses Carr. Dick sees the lady with the Sealyham go to the house of Sir Timothy Carr, who left £250.000 and jumps to the conclusion that Mary is the heiress. If that is so, she is eligible for marriage with him. He plans accordingly and tells Luke he wants a job, then he calls on Mary. He suggests that sheh should accept a position in a newspaper advertisement and later makes sure that Sir Timothy has left his money to “Mary." Luke in response to an invitation calls at Virginia Cottage and learns that the two "Marys" are cousins. After another interview with the lady of the Sealyham who calls herself "Molly,” Luke has a new interest in life. Following his plan Dick inserts an advertisement for work for himself and tells Mary and Mrs. Fentiman that he intends to get married. During a visit to Molly, Luke learns that Lord RothnilT was a suitor for Mary and that she went to Highstead to make up her mind. Dick calls on Mary and finds that she is just going to town. Later he tells her he loves her and she agrees to become engaged. He breaks the news to Mrs. Fentiman and Mrs. Harborough and goes to see Mary again. He finds out that there are two Miss Carrs and that he cannot, think of marrying a poor woman. Believing that Mary has not a peny he rushes away from the house. Meanwhile Luke discovers that Molly is the poor girl, and the mistake he had made. Mary, bitterly disappointed, decides that she will marry Lord Rothnill and Luke calls on Molly to get her sympathy for Warrender. After deciding to emigrate, Dick calls at 4 Quinton Gardens and is met by Molly. He is told that Mary will not see him and he declares he will go abroad. Mary accepts Lord Rorhnill. and goes to view her future home. Barhampton Court. As her future husband is ‘called away to visit an “H.R.H.” Mary joyfully accepts a holiday and invites Luke to dine at the Ritz. D:ek meets Luke at the station when he returns, and later gioes to Mary and pours his tale into her ears. CHAPTER XXVIII. —(Continued). She covered her tingling cheeks with her hands and, believing she was crying, he drew nearer, standing close to her side, leaning forward over her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her neck, but her eyes were dry, though her heart had never beaten so fast. “Mary,” he continued in a lower voice, “you gave yourself away, gave yourself to me. I longed to shout the good news from the housetops. Yet the next, time I saw you, only a few hours later, what did you do? You had given me your dear kisses. You had clasped your hands round my neck. You had promised to be my wife, and made me the happiest man on earth, but for all that, you could bring yourself to tell me a deliberate lie and then I ceased to be a responsible creature. You added insult to injury by an attempt to turn the tables as if it were I who had taken you in.” “Hadn’t you?” she demanded. “A thousand times, no! I explained my position the first time we were alone at Highetead. Mary, do you remember that morning on the common? When I heard from Luke that you had been playing me for your own amusement ”

“It—it wasn’t in the least amusing,” she cried, lowering her hands and jerking back her hair. “You were testing me!” he answered with a laugh. “Testing me, good Lord! After what had passed between us the same morning. Oh, of course, you made it look as if I had sinned beyond redemption, though for my part I could forgive you any mortal thing because I love you.” “There are things that love makes it more difficult to forgive ” “Ah, yes, but I’ve not committed them. But what did you do? You scarcely lost an hour. You could weigh Rothnill’s title against my devotion. But now we stand face to face, you’re dreading what you’ve let yourself in for. While I was absent, you made yourself believe you could put up with another man, but now we’re together again, you know you can’t. There’s only one in this world for you, as there’s only one dear woman for me.” lie stepped back as he ceased speaking and she imagined that he was on the point of going. All her characteristic vivacity was in abeyance. Her body seemed to droop. Her hand was resting on the back of a chair for support, and the appalling truth was forced upon her that if Dick went her last hope would go, too. Not that his audacious arguments had actually convinced her of his innocence, though they had made her feel horribly guilty. But it was impossible

Author of “ Joanna Sets to The Mr. Beverly," &c. f &c

i to look at him, to hearken to him tlfia morning and doubt, for the time being lat least, that the man loved her. And this might have been the only important consideration, if only she had not I irretrievably committed herself with • Lord Rothnill. Dick was right in one regard— She loved him in spite of everything. She loved him: moreover I she dreaded her self-ordained future a | thousand times more deeply than ever. CHAPTER XXIX. | Dick Warrender had no thought of going just yet. He, had moved back from sheer inability in his excitement to stand still, and might be said, rather, to have been preparing for a spring. His eloquence had stimulated himself as well as his hearer, and already he' had gone farther than he intended. He ! had. it was true, counted on a more or less emotional interview, if only Mary would consent to see him. but now he had reached a condition of utter abandonment. Pie was in a mood to follow the line of least resistance, and at the moment he was not likely to meet with much. Approaching again, he put his hands |on her shoulder, and. while she wriggled for freedom. she had no physical antipathy. “Don’t —don’t touch me. * she said, but is was an entreaty rather than a command. “Mary, rnv darling ” “Let me Dick,” she insisted. “Upon my soul. I can’t.” he cried, drawing her closer, while the untimely recollection of Henry’s similar behaviour caused her incongruously to cling to the only person in the world who it seemed could save her from a repetition of it- “ Dearest, you’re mine again.” whis-l pered Dick. “I swear that no other man shall liaye you. It’s only a ques- * tion of method.” “You forget. You forget,” she expostulated. “Everything but the fact that I’m going to take you out of this.” he urged. “But, there’s Lord Rothnill ” “Never mind Lord Rothnill!” I “Don’t you see that it’s too late.” said Mary. “No, I don’t,” he returned. “I’m going to take you away ” “I —I should be ashamed,” she murmurered, still clinging to him, however. “How could I face him or even Molly?” “There’s no necessity—till the trick | is done,” he said. “You shan’t say a word to any living soul. You know you can never be happy without me ” “Ah,” she suggested, holding back her head and looking into his eyes, “but can I be happy with you?” “When do you expect Rothnill back?” he asked. “On Monday.” she said, and shivered in Dick’s arms. “Can you be ready on Saturday, Mary?” “Ready ” “To be married,” he answered. “To-day’s Thursday. I can get every- I thing fixed up by the day after tomorrow'. Well give that cousin of yours the surprise of her life. She won’t be able to put a finger in the pie this time. There will onlv be one Miss Carr then. She can have it all to herself.” “You take my breath away,” said Mary. “We can.” he continued, “be off for our honeymoon on Saturday afternoon. You’ve only to say you’ll marry me in the morning.” For a few seconds she did not answer. She wished she need not think of Lord Rothnill, conscious that the acceptance of Dick’s proposal would be reprehensible, and finding consolation only in the assurance that after all she could do Henry no greater injury, in the circumstances, than by keeping her word and becoming his wife.

“At —at which church?” she faltered, burying her face in Dick's coat. That was her complete surrender and with a business-like promptness inspired by the occasion, he asked her to choose one in her own parish. When two or three had been canvassed, Saint Ninian’s was agreed upon, mainly because of its out-of-the-way situation at the end of a cul-de-sac; a gloomy-looking building, with a tall spire. For better, for worse, Mary had made up her mind, ceasing to feel remorseful for Lord Rothnill, in the excitement of the imminent prospect. If it had been a question of enlightening Molly, it is possible that she might not have had the courage to join fortunes with Dick Warrender, and now' that her fate had been determined, she grew anxious that he should leave the house in safety before her cousin’s return. “We must meet to-morrow, anyhow,” said Dick. “Not—not here,” she cried in alarm. “Have you ever been at the National Portrait Gallery?” he suggested. “Will you «ro to the Stuart Room at —say 4? It’s on the second floor.” She was surprised that he should be so familiar with the lie of the land, and the thought flashed across her mind that perhaps he had used the place for previous assignations. But then it was scarcely to be imagined that his past would bear a close scrutiny, though she w r ould not allow herself to doubt the future. As soon as he had gone, she went upstairs, and sat dow n on the e dge of her bed with a sense of ineffable relief. There was no reaction. In two days’ time she would be Dick’s wife. Nothing surely, could happen to prevent her. She was going to take him with all his faults, not blinding herself to them, but preferring him nevertheless now it came to the point, to the most virtuous man in the world. (To be Concluded.)