NEW STORY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16218, 24 August 1918, Page 8

NEW STORY.

TO RE COMMENCED ON MONDAY. TO BE COMMENCED ON MONDAY. TO BE COMMENCED ON MONDAY. TO BE COMMENCED ON MONDAY. POWERFUL STORY OF LOVE AND MYSTERY. THE CHESNEV INHERITANCE. By ARMINE GRACE, Author of “The Cloak of St. .Martin,” Etc., Etc. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS, Dorris Clare: Step-daughter of Airs. Tracy. Becomes Denise Crofton, The heroine. Dr. Walter Sartorys: Heir to Sir Robert Cliesncy: Of Heronsmoad. Ralph Dalmaine; Of the AA'est Indies. A man with a past. Letticc Dalmainc; In love with money, and jealous of Dorris, Jack Garter; A real friend to Dorris. Walter Haxol: In love with Lcttice. Oswald .Teilicoe: Australian, and a sterling gentleman. SKETCH OF OPENING CHAPTERS. At Lady Roscoc’s luncheon party, Lcttice Daimaine. leading actress, tail blonde, “with indolent amber eyes,” learns that Dr. AValtcr Sartorys, who has long interested her, is the heir to Sir Robert Chcsney and Heronsmoad. This altera her plans; she will marry him, and remove every obstacle in the path leading to that goal. He asks Lottieo to introduce him to Dorris Clave. To humour him she agrees; hut soon discovers her error. Dr. Sartorys is not alone in being strongly attracted bv the refined beauty of Dorris; hut ho is the first to hurry his acquaintance into friendship. She is lonely, with no social circle, devoting all her free hours to her invalid mother, long in her second widowhod. Dorris’s father died before she was horn. She has never even soon his photograph. Whenever questioned her mother veers off from the subject as painful. After mooting Dorris throe times, Dr. Sartorvs tells her ot his love, and finds it returned. They become engaged without more ado. Ho is to see her mother a few days hence. Dorris knows nothing of his prospects, being drawn solely by his ow-n fine qualities. When she mentions the name ot her lover her mother has a great shock, and becomes ill. Lettiee is fiercely jealous of Dorris. Lattice's uncle, Ralph Dalmaine, is over from the West Indies, and for private reasons of his own is deeply interested in Dorris. He means to cultivate her and tells Lcttice ho will shortly marry “Grey Eves.” In a way this will suit Lettiee, because her own path will ho clear. Dr. Sartorys runs down to -see Sir Robert Ghesney. The old baronet worms out of him the news of his engagement and asks that Dorris’s photograph he sent to him. Sartorys agrees that whenever Sir Robert dies, he will spend a vonr in quest of what became of Harold Chcsney. who had been disgraced a generation before. The old baronet disinherited him for the supposed theft of the family heirlooms, hut now_ repents, and would like to see part of his wealth given to Harold’s descendants. It is a sacred trust, and AA r alter accepts it willingly. Sartorys returns to London, and is about to meet Dorris when a telegram arrives bidding him return to Heronsmead, ns Sir Robert is dying. He rushes to Hampshire with all speed—hut too late. The baronet is dead—and the cause of death is the shock ho suffered when the photograph of Dorris reached him. Here is a double mystery. Why was Dorris’s mother startled at the name of Sartorys? Why was Sir Robert .stricken at the sight of Dorris’s photograph ? Meanwhile Lettiee has been playing the part of a snake in the grass. She asks Dorris to come to her rooms, and there shows her a letter purporting to ho written by Walter Sartorys. The handwriting is his, and tho contents whiten Dorris’s cheeks. She will refuse to see him again. Ho receives her letter just when he has become the master of Heronsmoad. AVc have only outlined the opening portion of a story replete with incident and containing .a plot as complete, well- ( oustructed. and powerful as need he desired, The Ghesney inheritance is hound up with the search for Harold Cliesney cud his descendants: the happiness of AA’plW Sartorys is hound up with Dorris Clare- tho safety of Ralph Dalmaine requires that he should embark on a further unscrupulous enterprise, snatching Dorris away. And behind all this is the .scheming Lettiee. Tt is a powerful story, strongly toTcl. with love and truth triumphant after stormy days.