NEW STORY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16454, 5 June 1919, Page 8

NEW STORY.

DELIGHTFUL STORY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE.

ADVENTUROUS ANNE

By E. EVERETT-GREEN, Author of “Defiant Diana,” “Married in Haste," “A Queen of Hearts,” etc., etc.

PRINCI PAL CHARACTER S. Anne Desorongh : Tho charming heroine, who seeks adventure and finds it. Lord Uavenhill: Heir to Valchester estates. Suffers from a brain injury. Hon. Jack Raven: Brother to Lord Ravenhill. In love with Anne. Olga Hartmann: Alias Princess Kilinsky and Madame Delimit. Endeavours to trap Lord Ravenhill into a marriage. Mrs. Bellermain: A friend of Anne’s. Amabel Seller; Lady Valchester’s ward and Jack's friend.

CHAPTER U. Ono week later and Anne tobed herself at nine o’clock in the morning in her well-cut riding habit and coat. The dark green cloth showed up the clear fairness of her beautiful skin, and the tho little diamond horse-shoe in her tio scarcely shouo brighter than her sparkling eyes. She took from her desk the testimonial received from Miss Cheshunt as to her qualifications as riding and sports-mistress, and was carefully put into a taxi-cab by the beaming Budgett. • “Horse exercise will do you good, Miss Anne, if you can get it regular. And if they want a lady as looks well in tho, Row, and shows off a horse better to advantage, well they can’t do hotter than engage you.” “No, I don’t think ''they can,” said Anno, with her flashing smile, “and if what I heard yesterday is a true bill, there ought to bo a billet for me at Galsworthy’s Riding School, and I mean to get it if I can.” A quarter of an hour .later Anne was standing in a big circular building laid down with tan. confronted by a keener od man in full riding-kit, to whom she handed her testimonial accompanied by a few words of explanation. “I hoard through Lady Templcmore that you wanted a lady rider for your pupils. 1 have come to offer for the place. My mornings are' free up to two o’clock. And I can be here as early ns you wish, to ride horses in the Row to accustom them to girl riders. I have done that before, as you (fan see.”

He looked up from the paper and met Anne’s clear glance; then his eye travelled up and down her trim, finely proportioned figure, and ho put a few quick questions which she answered tersely and without hesitation. Then ho sang out «n order to some unseen underling. “Saddle the chestnut filly that threw Adams yesterday, and bring her along.” Anne’s eyes sparkled as she saw the prancing creature with the satin coat led forth, her ears moving quickly forward and hack, the whites of the eyes showing somewhat too plainly, and the red rims of the delicate nostrils clearly visible!

“Sho’s not partial to the habit, Miss Desborough, hut will make a first class lady’s hack in time. She chucked one oi my men yesterday, sitting womanfashion with a cloth—that was one of our jumps. Will you try her yourself now you’ve seen her? She’s a bit gay and larky I” Anne’s smile gave response. Next moment she was in tho saddle, settling her habit and reins with perfect sangfroid, despite the restless movements of the filly, whose head, though held by the groom, managed to toss and turn, and her delicate limbs to quiver and prance, as though every nerve was tingling for a tussle. “Let her go, please,” said Anne, and the man stood back. The filly started forward with a plunge, and finding that this had no effect she stopped suddenly and gave a buck that would not have disgraced a broncho of the wild west. Anno simply remained seated undisturbed and serene, no fclying of tho whip. The

filly wont through a series of astonishing evolutions with immense enjoyment to herself, and without disturbing the balance or ■composure of her rider in the very least. After the fling was over, and the creature stood for a moment snorting, as though to consider what next to do, Anne brought down a gloved hand upon the glossy ueok, and patted it with a firm strong touch, speaking in her rich voice encouraging and friendly words. “My turn now, my lady,” she said, and gathering her reins in a firm grasp, she started' round the large ring first at a swinging trot, then at a sweeping canter, and ■ hist ■ at a stretching gallop, not suffering her mount to choose the pace, or to increase it by a voluntary exercise of will ,but regulating the’pace exactly as she chose, and so quickly circumventing any attempt outlier to swerve or rear or commit any T{ gary, that the attempt was speedily abandoned, and Anne presently halted beside Mr. Galsworthy. “Will you have the jumps put up now?” she asked. This was speedily done, the filly watching and quivering with excitement, but with an evident alloy of wickedness in her heart, thinking that another innings was now hers. But there she reckoned without her host—or hostess 1 Anne settled herself firmly, and took the reins in both hands, setting the filly’s head fair and square to her task, and rode round the ring at a gradually accelerating pace. Then putting her in a line with the first set of hurdles she took her straight at it, wondering what trick was going to be played on her. But the filly rose like a bird, only with a leap that would have cleared an obstacles half as- high again, and tried to rush, the second in like fashion at her own pace and her own will. But Anno would have none ofi this. She pulled her head aside and brought her past with a mighty flourish of defiant heels, but without any jump. “You will take that properly, in my way,” she told her pupil, and set her at it again. This time the filly baulked, throwing back almost on her haunches, with a gleam of malice in her eyes. Anne waited motionless upon her back till she righted herself, and kept her standing quite still beside that sot of hurdles, repressing her restless frettings, holding her there by sheer willpower, till at her own time she took

her round the ring again, and then set her at the larger jump with a lift of the reins and a cheery cry of “Overl” The filly skimmed it like a bird, and then Anne took her over it the other way—which in a riding school is not always an easy task, the horses being used to moving round and round in one direction only. But “no nonsense” said Anne with resolution, and the filly was.soon taking her jumps in Anne’s own way and by her direction, thinking that after all there was something to he said for such a rider, and that move fun was to be had this way than by tactics of obstruction. When Anne reached the master’s side again she found that somebody else had entered the school, and heard a voice which was sufficiently familiar, speak in somewhat imperious accents. (Continued daily.)