CHAPTER VIII—Continued.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12994, 23 October 1905, Page 6

CHAPTER Vlll— Continued.

"He is handsome, certainly ; but is that liis only passport to your esteem, Miss Clitheroe ?" Len inquires, looking down into those dangerously beautiful eyes. "Did you never hear that 'handsome is as handsome does' ?" "Does -Mr Warden's doings come under that heading ?" she asks. , "He is a capital fellow, I think," Len repHes;. "And a most inveterate flirt," she, returns, with a laugh and a covert glance at Addie, who has suddenly*' become deeply engrossed with her cup and spoon. "Pray don't look so shocked, Mr Kendricls ;I am betraying no secrets, believe me. Everybody in Hanbury knows in how many affairs of the heart Mr Warden has been engaged. . But perhaps it is unjust' to blame him too much, poor fellow ! He can't help being so handsome andLfascinating, can he ? Though I fanoy he is very well aware oi his powers. Do you suppose that there is a* single reflection in that winnins?- voice, a smile in those handsdme eyes, that has not been carefully, studied ? And then, you lfnow,J all the girls are positively wild/about him. It really is quite too ridiculous, the transparency oi , their little designs on handsome Ernest Warden's, too susceptible heart. For lie is very susceptible, and" so fond, of the society of ladies, a fact for 'which we ought not to blame, him too severely, perhaps; though \ do wonder who will be the. next victim to his fascinations,"; she adds, with a , : laugh. "There- always is some one to take seriously, his little flattened and meaningless at-, tention'sj and to break her heart in consequence, you know.'* The" storm that came up so rapidly, passes over almost as quickly, and'by ;/ the time tea, is over, the rain-drops, tha^ still cling to the trees, aire glistening like diamonds in the sunshine that is bursting in r sudden glory through the fast-re-ceding clouds. „ - : 1 "It "is going to be a pleasant evening, after all," remarks Addie, turning from the window, . from which ' she , was surveying ( the drenched ' "garden, and receding stdrtn,' as our guests, with profuse thanks for our hospitality, prepare to depart, under the escort of Len, w t ho.has volunteered to, see them safe to the r rect6ry— an, offer, that , is willingly accepted. J A week,|ater a second break occurs in. the ' quiet monotony of oui life at Deepdener j Coming irom my walk one afteruoon, 'Fhear * voices" in the room Len calls his "den," andj wonder^ ing who my brother's visitor can be, 1 open the door* to behold a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing in front of the easel, its back toward mcv ' How' well I know that dark 1 head that, erect '.figure ; • andi the next moment the, -visitor, turning at the sound of the. opening door, is comt ing toward, me with . that grave, sad smile, tihat never fails to awakeii a little thrill of half-cur-ious, half-sorrowful sympathy in my heart. , • "Well,, Lesley >" exclaims Len, as with a hot s rush of blood to my face, I lay my hand in Dr. Fuljler's outstretched palm, striving with a hot rush oi blood to mj the wretched tongue-tied feeling , that alwa3 r s seems to take p'osses- \ sion of me at the first sight ol that serious, powerful face, "this is a nice,; comfortable state of things, upon my word ! Here's Fuller, blessings on him for coming to the relief of a poor wretch, cast away in a desert region* just arrived, welcome as flowers in May, and hungry as a wolf,, and not a petticoat in the chouse to scare up\ meal for ; hjym.". ; "But. where is Addie ,?'\ "Where Addje always is nowasays,' v with a sigh. "Warden's foeen here as Usual, and carried her off on an excursion to the moon, or some place equally indefinite. And where, in the name of mystery and mischief., have you been all this time, and when are we, going to have tea." , ,' "I will get it directly," I reply, glad of the suggestion by way oi diversion. "If you will excuse me for a few seconds. Dr. Fuller, I will see what can be done to assauge those dreadful pangs of hunger from which you are suffering, or which Len is suffering — which is it ? What do yon think of your '< patient, doctor?" I add, with a laugh. "If. an enormous appetite is any evidence of J should say change of air has wrought a complete cure in that case. The way that boy eats is simply alarming." "Yes, Devonshire .'air seems to agree with your, brother as well as it agrees, with you. I am glad to see you looking* so well, Miss Kendrict," the doctor replies, looking down into -» my flushed face with eyes that seem to penetrate the depths of my soul. The meal, which I haVe hastily improvised for the benefit of, our guest, pas'"s '-ft' without any, appearance of Addie and her escort; and Len and the doctor, ignoring my existence in a wav that is not flattering to feminine" vanity, en-ter-upon a long political discussion.

»■ Clearing the' table "at last, Ij light the lamps ; and leaving them' to their chat, stroll away into the. )noonlit garden. Jjt is a quietj : May night, warm and. balmy as June itself, heavy with blossom and deep with scent,' Resting my arms on the gate, I stand looking , up the road, where the ancient elms are casting black shadows in the moonlight, when a step, a breath — a vague, indefinable something—tells me that I am not alone ; and rousing, from my abstraction, I look up into the grave unsmiling face of Dr. Fuller. .' "What a beautiful' night !" he says, in that brusque way I know po well, reaching vp f , without looking at me, fbr,one-of the white spikes on the chestnut tree above my head. "Moonlight in the country is a different thing, is it not, from the pa\e gliraqtner .we sometimes see struggling with the red and, white glares of gas arid electricity ? I have comfe out to look at your flowers, Misjf Kendrick." . "You mean weeds,'* I laugh',' with a glance at thetaitgled wilderness. But whether flowers ,or 5 weeds, it looks beautiful as c a dream in the white radiance,. 1 leaf and twig into things £>f beauty, as side by side we stroll; toward the plantation of dark te , bounding the further end of Qiir neglected domain. ; ■ . '] "|t seems a?.' pity, that: a place like this should' 1 runi- to ruin so utterly," he presently)-, remarks. ■ . ■ ; <4 lt is a pity, l' I , agree, "but * how are we to., prevent it,- Dr. •Fuller ? As Addie enthusiastically declares, Deepdene .has wonderful capabilities. With time and moneyone might do almost anything 'with it; but tnen,'as you know, we are too poor to bestow much of either on a place that will not let and cannot be sold. You have heard ; the, story of the ' strange way in w^icn it came into our family possession?" I ask as we near a struggling cluster of yew and laurel. But the question dies on my lips, for; a "spectral woman starts up frdm the path before us, with a suddenness that to take away my breath. „ A. woman with, a. mas.s of gray hair flowing . wild,'., 'and, disheveled over her shoulder's. With the air jjof - some hunted animal, she pauses ifor a moment in the moonlight filtering down through the trees, her mournful eyes? fixed"''- upon us. .Then with a low; pitiful moan, she put her hand toy her Head, and disappear as suddenly as. shei came. „ I have seen that wild' face with those haunting: eye's.', before ; .. but it ,'does not terrify 'me so greatly now, for .the- reason that I am not alone. „ ■ . I have, the cpmfor.tmg sense of Dr. Fuller's pro^ecvt&ig presence to sustain me, I tßiink, looking questioningly up into' the face of my ■.companion- ;" and£H£- l-liaVe not been frightened. . before^ ;I H rnake up for it !no.w. „.;,; ' ' ■„' ' •■ ' . , Never in all my life have I felt *so startled, so and sur'.prised'. - White &o the lips, and rigid as death, lie stands there in the .moonlight like -a figure carved in 'stone, his eyes l still strained toward the bushes behind which that .-spectral figure has disappeared, as iif lie cbujd never jnove .or speak again. • . , a . ,1 Utterly at 'a Toss-wnat to say or -thinks I stand for one breathless moment looking up into that white horror-stricken face with an amaze-* ment words art powerless - to ex^ press., , • l Dead, and in .his coffin, I , think Dr. Fuller can scarcely look more white and rigid than he is looking now ! f (To, be Continued.) '