THE Temptation of Mary Barr.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12818, 28 March 1905, Page 6

THE Temptation of Mary Barr.

By £F?iE AQEUtOE RuWUMDS, .d itbhor of " & Splendid Heard, " ' ' A Woman I Scorned, ' • " Brave Barbara," '' *i Kinsman's biro/ " tio L'Jce a Man/ etc, etc,

CHAPTER iV.—Contiaueld. . * j "I thinfk," she said, in a voice ; that tremlbled, "that you are the kindest, the best man in the world. . Just to know that yom are my j friend makes ever3rthin!gj different — makes " She broke off. "Friend !" said George Verney, and then lie checked himself, for the door bad opened anid Lady Somerton gome in. 'QVliss Forrester is downstairs, Mary," slie said, "she won't come up beoaiuse slie has ridden here an/d declajres y that her ihiaTiit is muddy.''' "I will go to her," said Mary, hurriedly, ami as she went from the room George Venney ttiirned and spoke to the hainCdsoirie woman who stood ncsMe him. "I have been trying to perstoade Mary not to be miserable about me, Lady Somerton," he said. "I am afraid she is fretting because she thinks that all this is a little rougih on me." "Of couTse she is fretting," said . hsOfy Somerton, softly. "That is ; inevitable ! Mary's /is a very j higjhjly S'titumg, extremely sensitive natiufe, Sir Oeorge. I really hesi- | tated to come here with her," j adfded Lad-y Somertoai, "bjut she j so iin|plored me not tojlealve her, ; anjd s'hie was so lonely, desjpdte her great position, that % felt it almost a djuty to do as she desired. Yqu see, . she is very, yoking, and j her life has so ' unfitted] her for : things as 5 they now are, tihlat I feel I , may, perhaps, be a| little usefjul." 'VMore than lh,at," said George t Verjney, | _ warmly, "I airy siurej , Mary cares for you very mfu/oh. As , yo^i s/ay, she is really very lomely^ j I hope I ma} r be permitted to express a wish that yoai will remain wibh her as long as yoto can, Lady Somerton." | Lady So'inerton gavej him her j best smile. "'Happily, I am free j to do as I like," she answered, i "and I don't • think I shall leave I Mary just yet. Now, perhaps, we had -bjetter go and join her. Wttto is this Miss Forrester ?V qjjuieried La/cDy SoinejrtoM,. ajs /"sjhe parsed out of the ( roomJ "She is ,a ! hanidsome girl." Sir Oeorige g-ave her / Carina's history. "'MV g|ranidfat!her used to think her a lovely child. She was one of his favourites. Carina' anid I were almost brought iVp together ; we are the best of friends." Laldy / Someton's djarjk eyes took a strange look. ' \ ■ "flow very interestinig ! " »he j said, but as they passed down the staircase into the hall where Carina Forrester was standing, hanldsome and picturescflue even in her ( conventional riding gash t that , stnange expression deepened on j Lady Somerton's face. j For once she did not fix her \ eyes on Mary, watcihing tlie girl's every action, as. it ,were ;) she j settled a strange, steady g'a/ze on ' Carina Forrester's undeniably attractive face. Sir George had hastened forward to offer his, services to his- "cousin at the tea table, vvhidli was laden with splendid old silver and ' ihome-made delicacies, anid the other two women stood by the big log fire dhatting, apparently muoli interested in one an'otlier. But, swiit to catch ©very clh'ange in the mental atmospjliere, Mary / Verney s*ujjdenly paused in. her . process of making teia, and looikescl across at those, two. The faint smile Sir George hiadl ffujeceeded in b'ringinig to her. lips fadejd away, and those same lips paled. Already her sensitive spirit had recogniH»od one that was anrogfant an/d antagonistic in CariiTia, Few things ha/d driven Mome to her heart so surely the misery of this life s!ie was acting, &s the attitude of this beautiful girl whom ' George Venney had s>poicen of so . freqjuen'tly, ahd with slu'dh real affection ; biut not till this moment ; dald Mlary realise hlow tjtfuie wais the \ instinct that made her sihlninlk from j Cajrina, Fonrester, who had from ' the first . treated , her in a way ' thlat savored strongly of im/pertinenice, how tr,ue the t-h,qu£fh.t that this okl friend of George Verney \s regarded her as a usur/per. i i CHAPTER V. | "THE GAJVIE IS IN MY j ' I-IAN'DS !" ! CaJrinia did niot ,piay a very long ■ visit to YeHverton, and ass 1 soon as sdie aitin'oyncecl,' her departure, ' Sir Oeor/gie gave cwyders that a horse should be said'dleid, anjd, de- j spite her ■pirotestsr—^wlhioh were not g-enuinci sinlce she had calleld at j YelVertoJn for the very punrtpiosc of ; oibjtaiiiiiig an interview with diirjD — , he announced his determination to ride home with her. •He and 'Mary stood together for a min/Ute as he gave t<his onder.. . "You, sec,''' he said, uander his breath, "-I am doing exactly what you wisihJ— pretending that' I am master here." 'M)ary said nothing, only bent down and patted the rou^h head of Carina's Irish terrier. The dog seemed fascinated by Mary. Ca(riln ( a looked with ec jealoi^ eye at those two stanjding close toigldflhieii. j Eivery | time 'George VeHney sVpake to M>ary sihe felt her an 'gf r 'y 'hate for the. latter deepen.

jvShe talked Hgjlitly, however, a> • she drew on her gio\es. ! "My v uini'le charged me .with mamy messages of regret, i I/ady jSomerton. , He is s,o very sorry it'hat 'he 'has not beeai able as yet to call at Y'elvertojn, bjut he is a very olfcl mam, and tihis winter heseems to 'have aged a goofclj deal. I always tell him that he hat> worked too mti,eh." "'Worlkeid ?" repeated Lady Somerton in lue.r cold, siujpeixiliotis way. "Yes," said Carina ; "my uncle is tihe Rev,. Daivid Foitwester. He sometimes preaches now, and I will confess that that is the only time tJtoat I cajre t!o go to dhjuircn.'^ Lady SoMierton. 1 mafle no ansHer always hard faoe had taiken a stony loo3k, her eyes <h\a*l a curious expression in " them, , almost an expression of fear. "Are you tallking of the -dear old vicar ?" saijd Sir Geoiige. "Lady Sonierton, you must meet ihim ! He is the best and c\leverest man I have ever known, and he and my grandfather were ( blosloltn -frierids. Come, Carina, if you jmuis't gjo, we had better start ; it is a gfoold ride, you kfnow, anid I the barometer is falling. I am ajiraid we are going to Urave rain." i As the two youiig .peo/pie passed jo'ut Laxly Somerton, sat -d/own rather siiddenly in a chain. "Forrester ! 'V she saild to luerself. "That was wily the name jstrWk me at tlie beginning ! That : was w<hy I -hated this, girl the first time she crossi^d tihe threshold ! Forroster ! Da'viid 1 'FdrTester ! 1 tfoxjujsht his b,ones' would ( be moklering in the gj'o|uii!d by tlhi* ,time ! An/cl he liv/es here ! He has his faculties — foe c»an remem(ber ! Well," ;-<he laujgfcteid, stoftly, urtder her breath, "I am warned ! After all, he is only a , p/uity old man. The iif^ht shcniflid not be jeqlwal. Anylvow, I slhiall talke good jcare that | tilii^ dea/r oilid friend }of George Verney's does not see inie until I IdoM all the .threads in imy h^'ds !" At that m»ament the butler advanloed, beairing a card on a tray. Hie h'atided it to Lady Somerton. "The gentleman apol'ogi-ses for bejiirg: so la.te, mv lady, "bju^ lie wishes to k-'now if yo]u cduild seeliim." As Lady Somertoiri took ujji tlie carid aib'd reaKl the name insdribeid on it, thic ' ".hfitterness atnd the har-dness went suddenly fcoin her face, a hot oolo'ur HiijSiJi'ed into her cheeks, anal li^ht iii'io her eyes. Then ,^he looked across at iM'ary, wliio, .seated in another clliiair, liaicl j Fallen into that kii?id of -direaim which was her freajnent attittutd^e. "Ofn<4 of tHie neigihiblorws," sihe epcnlainetd, "that Mr Leister whom (Sir (ico r w was speaking abotut at .laftm'h to-d,ay. You remember" — jthe yo.iwig mail wilio hias ta-ken jtihat old li.QUise / just optside the | parjlv . 'I {•Aififpose we h'a'di better .see him ?" I Mary started. • "'lf you tjiinlk so," sflie said, ner-Vo'iMily. Lady So'Mierlon glau-cecl at the -lock. 'Well, we have lraM an htonw before we dross for > 'diujticr. He may lit ain.tiwin" Tell iVLr I v ester we shall f>e imieh pleased to see him 1 . 1 -' The hitler retumn^cl almost immeidttariJeliy,' followed by a / yolung itiaii, wji|oim, 'a|t, first glance one Mojinld t ' 'tyajvid ttei'kien fio Tafe a for'reigftre-r]. He wag d'aiflvi-hairetl, aaifdl dla.rlkj-eyed, and 'he haid soime'uhtinig- i;iiv4otmim(oui abotirt his dress and, bearing;.: Laidy S'omeifton roise, anfd gaye a little, ccxjciliamnaition as sihe saw him. "\So you arc the Mr Lester !" Aie MaiVlj. , "The world is very snUaJil. T womjrlierdd when I IhieiarVl vc/i'lri .nlame if .ouir new anetiioflh(l^o)iiir jiopilld 'Itty amy gjood- c(haiw>e be the lift' Lester I knew. -Miary, my •dear, let me pticsent vow to an old fiienid, Mr Paul Lester." j <To ho con tinufti.) . iSpccia.l show of now H.ttumn un< winter goods— millinery, childiun's tnillincry, jncKcts, dross skirts, silK blouses, etc., on Kridny. Jnspet:tioti invited. — Ward, Cush Draper. — Advt.