CHAPTER III.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11825, 23 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER 111.

Continued.

•Sensitive, or not, she didn't mind meetings with Colio Ramsey, which would have taken away the character of any other girl in' the neighbourhood, dairymaid or not,' he said. 'But lam not going to give up the chase, I can tell you 1 I have a plan in roy head tfhtch will compel her to listen to me, or which will bring down on her and here snch ruin and disaster that she will neret be able to go into reputable society again.' And with an ugly scowl he left his aunt to her own reflections. <D<?ar me!' she murmured, as he left her, 'what an absurd, impetuous boy be is, to be sme ! ', He makes one feel quite nervous.' Why doesn't that foolish girl accept Lord Feaiherstone, and so put it out of Lawrence's power to do harm ?' . , Thfe weeks flew by more pleasantly for Gladys.' Her mother seemed to exercise less control orer her* Lawrence had with apparently real contrition — begged her forgiveness for his rpde conduct, ami had behaved to her with studious respect; though he endeavored always, when addressing her, to pnt a wistful, yearning look into his sleepy *Through the medium of the village postmistress she had received two letters from Colin, addressed to Miss Heathcote, but commencing within, •My darling wife V full of-blissfol memories, and passionate vows, of constancy in the fat are, - „, - < She knew nowr— as he .had gone s by the long sea f voyage— ptbat she; could sot bear again, from him for months; but the was content to wait, and /or a private reason either .own she,,. was iappy to think that no domestic broil had occuried, to make it necessary for hereto .jxTtf ,out jier th,re»> of, quitting lier horn« tpre*rn ajivflibo/x?.,, ,<•■ , She r hia4 met .Lord, ■ Fe>therstone several times at, tennis ,> parties and at tell*. - ' . S „ „<„;- . ' She bad danced with, him again and. •gain, ,as inJeed she-, h,ad, r w?,s Lawrence, for bow could she refuse ? Bat the earl , had, not renewed the subject of bssjoye* . „, ..,<.' Sieiaw by. his Render, gentle ways that bis heart /was, fall, of undying mffectjoo, and she xesnected and liked him for bis chivalry.' *"Next to Colin, Atbol, Lord Featherstoue, was the man she most admired in the world. Three months, had. passed since the •tiling of the troopship Agamemnon, milk 4n« Fifty-fourth Regiment on

board, Lieutenant Colin Ramsey among the number. It was an evening in October, and Lawrence being absent at Cliffaea, at a bachelors dinner, Mrs Heathebte and her daughter had dined tete-a-tete, and then retired to the parlor and its cheery j firo. Gladys was very grave. For the last few weeks, indeed, a strange change had come over her. She was sad and fistful io her conduct, subdued, silent and abstracted. Mrs Heatlicote having lapsed into slumbrous repose, Gladys took up a newspaper which had been lying on the table near, unopened, through Lawrence's absence, and endeavored to pass away the time by scanning its contents. Suddenly Mrs Heathcote was startled from her sleep by a terrible cry — a cry like some wounded animal in pain, and as she sprang up -she saw Gladys extended on the tigersfein rug in a dead faint, the .open newspaper still clutched in her hand. Kneeling by her Child's side in an agony of fear, she soon contrived, by the ttse of smelling salts, to revive her slightly. 'Lean there, dear, against the coccb,* she said, in tremulous accents, 'don't try to get up, wbjle I ring for your maid.' 'No, no, dear mother,' said the young 1 girl in a hard, strained voice, which it; was difficult to recognise as that of Gladys j f eall no one. Fetch me a glass of wine, and I will tell you all th*> terrible truth.* There were no tears in her eyes as she drank tho wine. and silently pointed out to her mother the paragraph in the newspaper whichV had changed her from a light-hearted girl to a sac 1 , dazed, despairing woman. But when the mother had passed her arm round her as she r al,a 1 , and drawn her aching head upon her bosom ! she sobbed wildly, passionately, as if ber heart would break.' The paragraph was very short. It narrated the loss of all hands, save six, and all passengers of H M. troopship Agememnon, with the Fifty-fourth Regiment on •board, Lieutenant' Colin Ramsey being named as among the lost. The six men caved wtie the purser, the boatswain, and, four able seamen, who said that everybody else had perished. ' Mrs Heatbcoto might be selfish, frivolous*, worldly-minded, but she could not but feel tho sorrow which convulsed the frame of her only child. 'Gladys, my darling:,' she murmured, tenderly, 'was he then — poor fellow !—! — so much to you ?' •Oh ! mother, dear mother I' she cried, wildly, her arms clutching ber, tightly, as if for support and help, *he was my husband — my dear husband ! Ob, Heaven ! let me die ! let me die !" Mis Heathcoto made no reply ; she only pressed the weeping girl more closely to her breast. Gladys was silent a moment, as if in doubt and fear. Then, as if mastering all uncertainty by a snpreme effort of will, sbe whispered : 'And, mother, forgive me and help me, dear mother. I have another secret to tell you — a sscret which would have been so sweet — so happy a one if Colin bad bat lived 1 Bat now—oh, how horrible ! — how full of despair is tbe-thought that Colin will never see or bless bis child 1* ; Hrs Heathcote broke down at this, and the tears ; cf mother anjLulaughter mingled in bitter sorrow. For hours that night those two j mourners^ when their grief ibitM somewhat, talked and' planned eagerly. Next day Mr 9 Heathcote announced her intention of running to We south of France for tbe winter and 7 part df the j spring. When she came back, she told Sir George, he should no longer be' kept waiting ; and as for Lawfence, who vowed he "Should . accompany them, G lady 3 offered to him a deceptive bait to keep him peacefully at home ;to manage bis aunt's household, and get it in readiness for their return. > 'I have lost my— »y : betrothed lover,' said the young girl faintly as she shook hi 9 hand> *t -parting, 'and for -me fttf hninan affedtisn Mfems* Want fdr-e&r-more. tl'Jbis is dn*v *w doflbr} to my weakness and >my suddea griei. But when I come back I may be kinder to you than I have been i' "• <> • t ••'' And the beantifa! smile Which accompanied these words deceived ! eren the callous, »» suspicious r mind of Lawrence Way ville; - >> > -