SERIAL STORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12844, 29 November 1905, Page 2

SERIAL STORY.

THE -BREAM AND THE MAN.

(By-Mrs L. Baillie Reynolds.)

CHAPTER IX.—(Continued.) " Then the poor girl has been nicely sold.);" cried Hugo. "Of course, she married the brute on the supposition tiiat- she would at least have a place in the county ! Well, I -don't- wonder that she preferied to stay in England and sew, to, gunig out) to Atrica him." 1 ■ 'Mildred" smiied. - ''lb -vras,. no doubt, a blow to them both—Mr Morrow's sudden' death," said she. "But it could not •be helped. Now tell me more oi your plans... Are you thinking of marriage?'' He laughed. " I should think of marriage if Alan's wife were free," said he. "I have never seen such a fascinating girl."'

■Mildred sat and looked at him, and halfguiltiiy caught herself wondering if it would be a good thing, could the knot be cut in some such way as this. She'was very unhappy about- Alan, eating his heart out alone in Africa; and she knew that so long as Honor remained his wife, he w-ould long for her, and .would never entirely give up hope- of winning her. But Honor's indifference seemed to be complete. She .was apparently happy, living simply and quietly, coming- to the Harveys when had no other friends with them, enquiring in a simple, friendly way after "Mr Morrow," and displaying for -the most part a : cheerful contenb with her lot.

She deeided that Hugo and Honor must be kept apart. She yearned to tell Hugo from what abyss of poverty and obscurity Alan'had raised the girl "he chosie; but she was inflexibly prudent, and she held her-peace. ■ You had better let- Mrs Morrow alone, if that is your feeling about her," she said. : "=What-! do you think I might not- go to see her at Kiida-rff Terrace?" asked. You mean to say she gave you her address ? How imprudent!" "I am her husband's cousin, and she seems very- friendless; what relations has she of her own?"

fl Very few ; she is an orphan." ' Ah*, that accounts-' for. Morrow having got round her, poor child ! I don't see why I shouldn't befriend her. I'll ask Lady -Etty to .be kind to her. It- seems too awjful ft> thmk'-01-'a sweet creature like that wast-ing-her youth and sweetness slavir-g all day dt dressmaking, and tied to a hound like Morrow!"-, -

( Hugo you will do the girl no kindness by'noticing her. You have done Alan injury enough; let- his wife a-one." "Why, I- don't believe the cold-blooded beast cases' about- her. He probably married her so that he could get the "monev '-settled oni-Jier,, failed in that, leaves' her here in lodgings and clears out. Ah! I can see by your face that I am precious near the truth •!" ,

I happen to know for a fact," cried' Mildred hurriedly, "-that Alan, did try to persuade her to go out with him." ■ "1- expect ish.e had found him out by that time,and had too much sense," said Hugo, takicg his hat. ".Why can't seme of those beastly Boers shoot- liim? That would be -a; really Christian act, and then I -would win her, you mar bet I would, though she bites iny head off now if I look at her. .Well, ta-ta ! Won't you both come down and dine with me at the Cornwall, and bring her? 2so? You are very disagreeable, I die- : say. Why shouldn't the poor girl have c. little fun ?"

CHAPTER X. As Hu;- • descended the stairs after his interview vitii Mildred Harvev, his hand was rather ostentatiously in his pocket. ; Clisb^, said he. ' 'does Mrs Morrow oiten come hei-e?" Yes, sir, she nearly alwavs dines: here on Saturday nights," said the maid promptShe comes in tame for tea. arid stavs for dinner, because we're nearly alwaysalone Saturday nights." * . ' The, coin that fell into her hand surprised lier. Xh i s was how it happened that nexr Saturday, Ut ; tea-time, just- as Mildred and .Honor were discussing with, bated breath tae details of the frock that. was to be tuiried .out for Mildted s wear at an approachicg - yeiy smart wedding, the dour swept open in Clisby's best manrer, and she -announced rf' Mr Denver." It was not- possible to be very angry with hiip, he was so gay and debonair; and Honor, feeling safer now that Mildred was present, did not deem it- necessary to keep him so carefully at arms' length as she had aone when they, met in Bond street, bhe felt secure in the faith that Milch ed would not give away her address, and so ■she-unbent, and.was charming to a degree that: half; astonished the woman, who "everday- saw possibilities in her husvi 31 - S , but ever . v day be'ieved poor Alan s chances of happiness to be dimiir'shingv .

That night, after Honor and Hugo, who had shamelessly touted-to be invited to stay jo dinner, so that it was impossible to the hospitable soul of his hostess to resist him. Nad both departed, she spoke something of her thoughts to her husband. ° said she, "I feel more and more UKe Frankenstein every'day." " Like Frankenstein? What do ycu mean my dear?" "I mean that we have no rin-ht .to bring about circumstances which we earnpb;ccmtrol.: You cannot make an arraW 'ment'between tfro human beings with their souls .-left' out.. : successfully married poor • AJaji, and look how the results have been taken out.of our hands !' That Jine is always ringing ?m>my bead, "Tis an'awkward -thing to. play with souls." Yon and i;-Ted,, .played with souls; arid we have •not'yet seen the end." ■ He gazed-thoughtfully before him: he saicl, " I fear not. The girl is not in : the lea«t to be -blamed. . We took advantage of : her reeessity.. and it 'is to her credit that she maintains the independent attitude which from the first she took m>. Yet. 1 1 cannot but feel anxious, when I see a, young woman, who grows more attractive ! every day, thrown so entirely on l:ey own resources in London. I felt it so stfongiy that T came to a definite conclusion as°to my <f;riy .ibout six weeks a;ro. I wrote and Alan to come home." Ted "Yes. You know he vas oiiginti'ly

trained for the law. Well, Ferguson, my right-hand man, has had the offer of a junior partnership in another firm, and I have offered Alan the post of head-clerk to myself, which will have the effect of throwing him and his wife more or less together;-' and he must- be a fool if he cannot avail himself of liis oppDrtunities." " Ted, you "have taken a load off my mind. .. . Sis weeks ago, you say! Why, he may turn up here in a fort-night's time. . . . And now my mind is easy, and I can accept, without- scruple, Hugo's invitation. t-o dine at the Cornwall and go to the play, and bring Honor. I was dying to accept, but so afraid of the conse-. quences."; . The theatre party came off accordingly,, and was followed by a .day at Rarielagh. By - the end of the Danelagh day 'Mildred! was-' seriously uneas-v. There seemed no doubt that Hugo in that condition in wliich a man is easily carried off his feet. Honor was discretion itself; bjit there was also no doubt that she liked Hugo much. In fact, the young man 'himself felt, after parting from her, that- the moment had come wherv he might risk a call upon hgr. The apparition, so entirely unprecedent, of a visitor for Mrs Morrow on a Sunday afternoon bereft Mrs Atkins of her customary good sense. She was so bewildered that she showed Hugo straight- upstairs. As he neared the stairhead, he heard a high, clear young voice singing a snatch cf a lullaby, and then a little burst of pure laughter, which he knew for Honor's. " Oh, baby, baby! my hair!" cried she. ...

The door swung open, revealing a prettyroom. on the shadj side of the house. On the floor Honor, in a white linen gown, her face flushed, her eyes a-sparkle; and on a pill&w beside her, a baby boy, fat and fair, with dimpled fists, making aimless grabs at the loosened locks of her cloudy hair. She leaped to her feet, crimson, panting. ' Oh, Mrs Atkins!" she cried; and broke off. ' Hugo took iher hand. He was-as white as she was crimson. "Forgive me," he said. "I was so low-spirited, I felt I must come and see you. ' I had no idea of being so completely ;ai intruder." " Should I bring up a cup of tea, ■ma'am?" suggested the benevolent Mrs Atkin, dimly conscious of discretion and anxious to propitiate. Honor murmured something incoherent, and the door clcsed. " Sit -down," she said, pushing a chair towards him. The baby was -a protection ; She felt no nervousness. While the little, unstudied grace which was her characteristic, she stooped and gathered the tiny thing from his pillow, sitting down with him in her arms. He raised a sudden whimper. " Oh, Alan, my precious, don't cry!" sh? cooed softly, dangling a bone ring and bells from a scarlet ribbon. The baby features puckered themselves into a smile of ecstasy, and the hands and feet gesticulated vigorously. "Isn't he strong? Isn't he strong for four months old?" she cried with pride to her visitor. His face was curiously set. " I had no idea——" he began; and stopped, unable to go on. Ttte nature of his surmise did not for a moment occur to Honor.. " Did nob expect to find me with a plaything?" sae laughed. "Well, you have transgressed what you knew to be my wish and come to see me here. How you got- the address I don't know—and now you must take the consequences." "Yes; lam well punished. I hardly know why I should feel so surprised, but the idea never occurred to me that I should find yon fondling Alan's child." For .a moment she sat stone still; the colour rushed in floods over her face, the ■tears stood in her eyes. Clasping the babe, she rose unsteadily to her feet. " What—what did you say ?" she gasped; and repeated" in a whisper " Alan's child!" He rose also, to the full a"s surprised as she "Is it not Alan's child?" he cried. " Did you—did you—think he was mine?" she demanded, trembling. "He is not yours?" he questioned jovfullv.

She looked down at the dimpled creature; over her face there stole a tender yearning. "Oh, no!" she said —"on, no! God has not given xne such a treasure for my own. . This is my godson. little Alan Carter. I love him very much. I have him every Sunday to play with, and take him back to his mother at night." She hid her throbbing brow against the bundled draperies, of the little boy. Over her rushed such a torrent of feeling that for a while it threatened to cany her away. She struggled more and more against it; but- in her heart a voice cried veheniectlv : " Alan's child—Alan's child—Alan's child and nvine!" For the very first" time the consciousness of her own possible motherhood rose before her. She longed - for ihe floor to open and swallow up Hugo. What did he there looking upon her holy of holies? With, the baby for" a shield against her breast, she battled with and fought down the stemi; then sank again into her chair—a rocking-chair, purchased for little Alan's special benefit; and slowlv rocked the lately fed child to and fro, a's his eyes, but now so full of play, gradually I closed in sleep.