CHAPTER II.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9214, 18 April 1908, Page 2

CHAPTER 11.

" But all the tunes are quite familiar to you, Miss Sanderson, and it is only for one night." The boyish-faced young curate of Endercross had spent the last half-hour in a futile attempt to persuade Mary Sanderson .• to join the church choir," who were going out carol-singing that night t New Year's Eve.

" Yes, all the tunes are well enough known to me] it isn't that," si > said, her face, flushing painfully crimson, her roughened hands picking at her white apron.

" The rector and I regret exceedingly that you will not join our choir, especially when we are told you were for some years its leading soprano," pursued Mr Grant, unwittingly probing a wound that went to the very core of Mary's being. "Mr Breckon's tenor requires a clear, powerful soprano like 3'ours to lead it. Certainly Miss Miltliorpe does very well, and this sudden illness is most unfortunate, especially so if I cannot prevail on you to take her place, as all the other sopranos refuse to sing without a leader. It's most unfortunate, 3 ' he repeated, " when I hod hoped the result of to-night's singing would make a substantial addition to our organ fund. Mr Bentley alone promised to give five pounds if we were at the manor on the stroke of midnight."

"I — I don't know how to refuse after all your kindness to mo," faltered Mary. She saw the closing two years of her mother's stricken life conetantly cheered by this bright young presence, her death bed hallowed by nis prayers, and in memory she lived again the minutes when he stood beside her and watched the feeble spark of life flicker and die out.

"I have lately thought there are personal reasons for your refusals to join our choir," he went on. "If so, I am exceedingly sorry I nave been left in ignorance of them." Mary Sandereoirs dark eyee gave him a long, keen look, but he met it straightly. He had spent three years hi the parish — was it possible that gossiping tongues had kindly refrained from telling him of the tie once existing between her and Breckon. She rose and went to the window, looking^out on the hoarwhitened landscape with, eyes that were blind to its beauty.

The joys and sorrows of ten years bad parsed over Mary Sanderson since she parted from her lever, the parting which had silvered her hair and ploughed the deep lines on brow and cheek. Five minutes later Mary turned to Mr G-mnt; duty had conqriered inclination. " T will take Mira? Milthorpe's place to-nijrht, but never again," she said, and the curate breathed with freedom.

" I fihall never ask you again, but to-night our carol-sinsing would have hed to be abandoned if you had refused to come out."

Mr Grant hurried off, leaving Mary alone and free to consider the oost of the effort she had promised to make; for tr> meet Breckon calmly would oost an effort that the flight of time could never lessen. Save a curt passing greeting they had spoken no word 6ince they ceased to be lovers ; he sought no woman and nightly smoked his pipe by a fvolitary. hearth, too proud even now to retract hi« hastily-spoken words, too honest to offer another the symbol of a love he could not tear from Mary Sanderson's keeping.