SHADOWS ON THE SNOW.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 13013, 28 June 1906, Page 2

SHADOWS ON THE SNOW.

i Continued.) '" And now you are going to settle into a humdrum life, perhaps xiot exactly suited to you,'' said Laura, after a pause. - That is just what Stephen Winkworth said," teplied Willfcun. "When he went ti. t:.e lawyers' with his .money in, his hand, sixteen huudred sovereigns, and I told .him I had altered my mind, and did" notintend to sell my larm, he called one rashheaded—said that 1 did not know what was guod for myself, that the bargain had been made, aud 1 could not go back from it. And there the money is to this day—at least, so old Mr Wymer is always telling me—and there are the deeds ready for signing. All I have to do is to go to the office and write my .name, and pocket t!;e sixteen hundred pounds. Butwere ■it a million times as much, it would not tempt me, if it threatened to part us—for your love, darling, is worth all the gold in the world to me, and I do not intend to forfeit it by any aot of mine." > " If you have found your happiness," she said presently, after a delicious pause, '" Which I pray that you have—l will try that it rshall be so. believe me!—l have found mine. Tell me, William, what made you so eager to go to the gold colonies!"

" They seemed to offer the most tempting Icok-out. But there was another reason. A frie-ad of \\rirx-, wj;> had been a scapegrace in his younger days, had gone over, and reformed, and made lots "of money. He wrote so eloquently {ihout the mode "of life there, and. its freedom., and tie gold, that he fairlv turned _mv head."

" Your friend," .said Laura, and hesitated. " Yes ?" questioned William.. "Was he simply wild and thoughtless?" "He was worse. He committed a great wrong." "Tn what wav< William.?"

"He forged lis father's name—" " Oh, William!" she cried, in a voice so frauglit with pain that he held her to his breast and asked her in alarm what ai ! ed her. She recovered herself quickly, and laughing hysterically, begged him to proceed..

"Well," continued William, "he forged his father's name, and the forgery was detected. The old manigave him means to take him to Australia, and he escaped punishment. But lis,father, in settling the claim, was almost ruined." "And afterwards?" said ,Laura. " Th© father died, and the young scapegrace reformed, and became a first-rate member of society." "It is a melancholy story," said Laura, in a tone of sadness. "Stephen Winkworth and- poor Alice have just come in," said William;; "go and bring AHce here." "In a minute or two. Let ns sit quietly for a little while.- I like to be away from the lights and the people when you are with me; and here in this little, nook we can see everything without being seen."

William needed 110 urging, and they, sat, happy and still, for five rapid minutes. I* How beautiful the snow is!" said Lfura, nestlisg close to her lover.*- "The flakes float down from heaven like feathers from the wings of /the angels." "Laura,*| exclaimed William, looking intently through the -window, " what is that outside? There! "Do-you not see it .moving? 11. It was the shadow of a man lurking about the house. Laura's leart sank -within her, and she turned as -white as the falling snow. Evidently some skulker," said William. " I'll _go out and «*ee who it is." -• " No, no, William," implored Laura, olingii-.T to his aim, "do not go ! I beg, I implore you, Ho not go." "My little wife that is to be," he said, gazing at her in tender concern," "this is the second time to-night that you have startled me without cause. It is right I should see who that man is; if he is in want I can relieve him ; if he is here for no good purpose, I must get rid of him. He'll not hurt me. dear."

"No, no, no!"' - she exclaimed, with etrarge earnestness, still clinging to his arm; " yon shall not, you must not go. And see—rit is gone! It was only a shadow, after all. We have been standing here from the lights so long that we have grown fanciful." Leaving him, she walked into the room towards Alice Winkworth.

Many of the guests gazed at the contrast presented by these two girls. One, lithe, supple, graceful, pleasant-looking; the other, deformed, maimed, and sickly. A world of tenderness was expressed in Laura's face as she leant over Alice's chair.

! H " I am so glad you are here, Alice. You are looking so "well!" " I am as well as I ever hope to be," Teturned Alice sadly, but whh no sign of petulance. Laura, smoothed Alice's hair with an affectionate and tender land, and selecting a flower and some green leaves from a vase, arranged them tastefully among the bright curls. " You have the most beautiful hair, dear. You should always wear flowers m it."

Alice took the* kindly hand, and softly pressed it. ."JVilliam .sent me to-you, Alice.""Yes!" said Alice eagerly. "He wants you to come and Bit by the -window."

A glad light passed into tie sick girl's face as she rose and walked with Laura .towards the curtained recess. Before they reached it Laura whispered with an air; of anxiety, __ • ).. ' ■

"Will you do me a favour, Alice?" .. " Oh. yes, if I can." , . "I have something to do which will take me away from the room for a few minutes. Sit and talk witih- William, until I .come back. I>, shall not ba gone long." . ' r-rJ N. ,«4i ; Alice nodded acquiescently, -bufc-mtt wftfi-. out surprise, -more at <tbe> T&FvQvsjsfr&Bxi! xious rnanner in made, than at the request entereo'the recess, and with a smfle atiier lover, Lqnra led Alice to lis- side,.. and? turned^tq,leave. ; . L : !

" vou going, Laura?" -asked' - ,:_ rt ..^:r^ ' l l'mnst attend to> tfie "gueks, WiUTlj flail be ,ba2k presentlv." """ V - 'WilKam was not "satisfied. ~ With *I«J usual selfishness of lovers, : he begrudgeo! every moment that Laura devoted to others But the deformed girl was ' gazing wist : - fully at him, and his nature was too, considerate to treat her with Seating himself by ler side at the window, he t=aw for the second time the shadow of a man lurking about the louse.' "By leaven*-!" he muttered; "there it is again!"

For a mordent he thought of running out into the white plain and accosting the man, but he was restrained by the reflection that, after what had passed, Laura might,he vexed with him for doing so. Other eyes than his- were fixed upon the falling snow. Reuben Harrild had- left his gnests for ti while to their own devices. iijMi bad retired to his ntudy, where he sat jpizicg dreamily <vut of the* window. Old memories were passing through his mind, f.-using him to look older than he was. Some lives, filled with vain si ravings and

mental struggles, are prolific of wrinkles; others, free from those wild storms which are too frequently .self-created, scarcely raise a furrow on the face. Too often, alas.! are the pages of ;a life blotted -with tears; ;md Memory, as she scans the record, lives over again, with bitter brevity, the sliedding of each tear. Around Reuben Harrild hovered the ghosts of . past joys and griefs—overshadowed' all by oue pale spectre whose intangible * .presence raised frowns upon his face and shame and sadness within his heart: ' Nor was""his gloom dispelled by .the appeaance of the child whose pure spirit shed the light of happiness upon his life and home. He drew her to biv knee, and with head pillowed upon his shoulder, they sat for a brief space in silent -communion. " Did you 1 come to seelc me, Laura ?" he asked. " Yes iather."

" I shall lose you soon, " dear-' child. Doctor Box asked me to-night -what T shoulld do without you. Ido not know; I shall be like a lost man. But I must not repine. It is the way of life; to love and lose I"

" You will not lose me, father. Our home will be yours, and we can live together always if you wish. Do not speak so sadly. If W e love and lose, memoir remains." , .. . *"

" Kemaim to stab us," he replied, with a shiver; "to "bring shame and sorrow to us. to the last day of our live?."

She was too well acquainted with lis mcod to continue the theme, and she strove to lead him to gentler thoughts, -with so much love and tenderness as to' partially succeed. Pressing his lips to her cheek, he said fondly, . '".You are like your m&ther, child. She never failed- to • win me -back to cbeerfuina:«.'\ , "'lt is good tolhcar that. Father, Ido so wish I could be „ brave, and to speak to you what is in my mind," ... , "You may say what you please, dear child, on every subjects—" "On every subject!" she interrupted with sudden.earnestness.. * . « Some meaning, in s ler. tone, in her Mords, "put him oh Ins guard, and he answered gravely, ; "On every subject but one, which you are aware must never be mentionel between us. You know me, Laura; you know how! deeply I love you. x No father could better love a daughter; and I have striven, most earnestly, to do my duty to you: Therefore, dear child, you must continue to obey me in. this as yon have done in all other things, and be to me what you lhave ever been—a child I can love without shame or reproach."

i As he spoke, she saw outside the sha- [ dow of the man -upon .tie snow, and drawing her fatler nastily'away from the window, she stood between him and the night Supposing that by : his action she wished v 1 • to -- ro J° in J" 8 , guests, He passed out of the study saying as they walked alonir the passage, .-....- •'. "I thinking of wlat I know is in your, mind. But I would ratlervrisk my life than my honour. A stab at the one may. be cured; tat the otler, never. Dear to my heart as yon are, Laura, if yt>u committed an act which reflected dishonour upon our name,, I could never for, i give you. Nay, tlear child," he said kiss, j mg the pale face which was raised pleadingly rto his, "do I not know hoy ■inpossible, it is for you to do a wrong f : I only, wish to prove to you low irrevocable is my resolution. : Everyman has.3, louse; and I must not ble at mine. I would like to lock it jn an iron safe, and tlrow tie key into tie sea— ~\ ..;,., ; ■-■,, ■

What, -what!" cried Doctor Bax, who, coming into the passage with the lousehold cat upon his shoulder, heard the last of the uncompleted sentence. "What do.you -want to throw into the sea?'? /'The key of the safejin -which I would like to lock my skeleton,'? replied Reuben Harrild, with a smile. >

Trying to get away from your skeleton" exclaimed Doctor Bax, .tickling the ears Of tie cat. "Pool! Rubbish"! as if you or any man could escape it! No, no, my friend, it will stick to you while you can, draw breath, and as likely as not, it will follow you into the. worlds Just now,, you have a louse full of .old invisible bones. I -warrant you every man's skeleton has steppedl'out of its cupboard to. accompany its owner to.; your Christmas party,, and that there -are*.score of them jostling up,against.: us,?: if we > could-only see them.. For curiosity, now," he said,motioning Laura and her father to the halfopened door fte room wlere some; of -the elderly people were playing cards.-jahd.inost. ones playing forfeits and making love, ''loojc at Stephen,Winlyworth there, sitting by,T.limself—wbat a skeleton he has got! A perpetual day and nigltmare!. It never leaves him. It perches*upon .his shoulder, IkcVthe bird of ill-omen we .read of: . '"Leave my loneliness unbroken! Quit the bust above my door!.. Take thy beak from"'-sutmy heart," And thy form, frony.off .my.door!— -i Quotl tie raven, And Stephen's daughter, poor child.! has *he not a skeleton ? Heaven help her! hers is the saddest of -all, for it stands at" the portal of a girl's brightest hopes, shutting out the light. Look./at little Mr Raiiage —Mrs Ramage is lis skeleton—and" is- : not. she an- awful -one, hanging- round a < man'sneck. • And you, my dear," •le.,;said 'to; I/anra, "you have your skeleton;; and I. have mine—here! here!" and he smote Wbreast theatrically, and upset the cat. " Your skeleton, Doctor Bax," said Laura; "wly; what kind of a on* can that be?" ... . , -/"A tearing, malicious, wicked skeleton 1" cried' -the doctor, so loudly that the eyes of every person in the room were turned upon him. " A fearful, Hideous, monstrous, (hobgoblin kind of |skeleton. I will tell you what it i&—in ["confidence, -so tlat nobody shall hear!"— jle raised his voice to its pitch) cl'loyeyou,', and ymi''araigoing : to ; marry; another! If it be not true, may -this kiss going to give you under .tie imisletoe fcfcmy Oastl? v-'-g " J..---S f. " -Y=r'-- j.. T But Laura -darted away, and tie little doctor, pursuing her, turned all tie cardtables topsy-turvy, and set tie wlole roomin; an ■(•uproar. '~ 7 ! '■"'■' '■■'- •'■'-. :, •-•*?N " ufc * ■ W *'S' a merry Ohristmas partyj : stesßite the skeletons, and little "Doctor Bax "Was the life and v soul ;«rf jit J_; Had : an ac*. le kissed every "female in (tie louse at leaast half a ddxen times over. He; was; indeed a —Even Mrs Ramage submittedstot^esalut^; r .and i as.for Misa WynieEj r/ sße : - tie" mislefoe smacked! ber lips after tie Tlere were two rooms on tie lower 'floor; of .tie louse •. in wjhicl tie guests alinc!e.t by chance if" tley happened i& stroll out of the larger apartment .wlere. the chief, merrymaking -was carried .on." In one of : these, an hour Tater, 1 were Stephen Winkworth and'his daughter. .-.'.'. "Take me home, fatler," said tie girl. "I am weary of this; I want to be at home."

" I ihoug-ht you wished to be here," he returned wistfully. " It is gayer than our dull house." J . "I know it is.—but how can I be merry, seeing what I e'eie?" she exclaimed iretfullyi 1

'"I am like a baby crying for a toy which somebody else has got." (To be Continued.)