Our Short Story. WHEN THE WOMAN WOOS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143781, 3 May 1912, Page 8

Our Short Story. WHEN THE WOMAN WOOS.

By EDWIN PUGH. The famous author of "The Enchantress,” "Broken Honeymoon,” etc., etc.

CHAPTER Vll—(Continued.)

“So you have come, then,” said Viola. “I hardly expected you would.”

“How could I possibly disobey so urgeut a summons, Miss Conti?’ .Stephen retorted. Sno winced at the formal address.

“1 thought,” she said, swallowing her chagrin, “that you niignt suspect me of employing a ruse in order to see you again.” Stephen flushed. He had indeed suspected her of some such trickery. Ana so, having none of the arts ol polite subterfuge, at his command, he was reduced to an embarrasseu silence.

. “1 see,” she said, bitterly, '•you did think the worst of me —as usual. But it doesn’t matter, since you have come in spite of that.” ".-ind what is it you want to see me about?” ho asked, with his customary blunt directness.

She seemed to consider deeply for a while before reply. Twenty-four hours had elapsed since the events of the last chapter. Imst night she had sent him a letter saying; “I want you to give me not more than two hours of your time to-morrow evening. 1 have something to reveal to you that it is of the utmost importance you should know. Vour happiness is involved in this revelation. It is for your sake t make tins request, if you will call for me at my hotel at half-past seven f will bo ready theu and waiting lor you. ' He baa been able to make little or nothing or this cryptic message; hut be -lell ne could not uo otherwise than as she asked him. So he had turned up at the hotel at hull-past seven punctually. And there he had; found Her, as she had promised, awaiting his arrival in the hull, sue was already dressed in hat and coat, and as soon as lie iiad stepped across the threshold slieTiad gone to meet him, had turned him about and led him out into the street. Now they were walking at a brisk pace through the suburos toward the common. “And what is it you want to see me about?” lie asked her again, “i said, 1 think, that 1 had something to reveal to you.” “Acs!” “That means I have something to show vou.” “Ah!” “And in order that I may show it to you I have to ask you to accompany iiio to a certain spot about a mile away.” “i see.”

“Aon remember,” she went on, after a pause, “that I once said to you 1 would do anything to serve you?” “1 remember,” ho said. “To-night J. am going to prove to you that 1 meant what t said—that 1 was not talking idly, wildly. Only 1 must ask you first of all to promise me one thing.” Ho looked at her in some distress.

“I’m afraid, Miss Conti, 1 can hardly pledge my honour unconditionally,” said he; "that is to suy 1 must know what it is you want mo to promise before 1 give you my word.” “Oh,” she said, “1 am not going to ask you to do anything very wrong, i merely want you to say that you will go to a certain place with mo, ana wait there, and say nothing. Mind! you are to say nothing, do nothing, whatever you may witness iu the way of a shocking revelation, or however much you may be moved by what you see.” ■ .

‘'So Jong as that docs not involve my spying upon anyone- ” ‘‘l assure you that it will not be necessary to my purpose for you to come within earshot ot the people.” ‘■ft is a case of spying, then I”’' ho interjected, sharply. •‘Not exactly,” said she. “Von see, 1 am'being as open and above-board as you could bo yourself. 1 am telling yon plainly that f want you to look on at something that is likely to surprise you.—to shock you—to give you great pain. 1 think yon ought to ho made aware of what is going on. I think you have been, and are still being, shamefully deceived. It is to open your eyes and save you from the results of your blindness that 1 am taking all this trouble on your account. I want you to be happy, even at tho price of present unhappiness, even though your happiness means my unhappiness through your hating niio.” "I—frankly, 1 don’t like it,” he said. “You see, f hate mysteries.” ‘‘So do I,” she rejoined. ‘‘But how if you are the victim of a mystery. Ought it not to bo cleared up—for everybody’s sake?” ‘‘l suppose it ought,” he assented, doubtfully.

‘•Then,” said she, "I am justified in my belief that what 1 am proposing to you is perfectly just and right. Now, db you promise Y” “I promise to do anything that doesn’t outrage my code of decency,” ho blurted out after a pause. ‘‘You will excuse my bluutucss?” ‘‘l like your bluntness,” she replied. “It is one of your most charming characteristics; but a less charming characteristic of yours is your lack of consideration for other people’s feelings. Mine, for example. Your grudging promise does not guarantee that I shall not be compromised in tho event of your—your code of honour being outraged.” “Oh, Miss Conti, I think you ought to take that for granted,” he protested.

“Thank you. You will not, then, whatever happens, leave me in tho lurch ?” “I would not leave any woman in the lunch, in any circumstances,” he assured her. “Thank you again. And that is all I have to 'ask. The'rest is merely a matter of using your eyes.” Nothing further passed between them until they came out upon the common.

Viola led Stephen by a circuitous route to within thirty or forty yards of the old monolith.

“You will sit down here,”.she said, indicating a sandy hollow, surrounded by a ring of furze bushes. “Here we shall be able to look on, and at the same time be out of sight. Moreover, wo shall be too far off to hear what is said, and so your code of honour will be in no danger of being outraged.” Even then Stephen felt that he would like to withdraw from this invidious enterprise into which she had beguiled him. He did not trust Viola in tho

least,. He felt that there was something treacherous and unseemly underlying all this stealthiness and craft. This kind of plan of campaign was not congenial to him. And, above all, lie felt rather a fool as ho squatted there beside her, in the fine dry sand. They had not long to wait. Very soon tiie figure of a man emerged from the blackness of one of the tangs of coppice and came rapidly along the crest of the ridge toward the monolith. It was the same figure that Viola had seen on the previous evening, but tonight it looked a little more trim and spruce. The straps of the Norfolk jacket were fastener!, and the big slouch hat had been coaxed into a more symmetrical shape. Stephen had hardly taken in details of this first figure when Viola touched him on the arm and pointed in another direction, toward the town. And there he saw a second figure approaching, which was as yet a mere black smudge in the gloom. The two figures converged, and as they drew closer together lie perceived that the second figure was that of a woman. An instant later lie recognised Lily. , And it was as if an icy hand had clutched his heart. (To be continued.)