CHAPTER II.—(Continued.)

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 4255, 6 July 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER ll.— (Continued.)

" That must be it!" added Harry,

•' I can't explain it any other way," said MiBS Faleß. " I wasn't aware, though, that the picture had made so great an lm£>rf>ssiov» on me.' 1 She glanced at him archly as she spoke, and laughed— the tinkling laugh Frank remembered so well.

44 1 am gieatly flattered, at all events," he said. " I hope I have also marlo a sufficient impression for you to give mo A lew walt7oß. :>

v *Aronrf Ton are too nioaeat, si*. Lorraine. One, perhapß." She handed him her card, and he wrote his nauio in the only vacant place. Then Harry claimed her, and they danced away. " Be sure and come back to mo, lta," Miss Meade called after them.

lta! Then it was her name ! lta Fales ! He had the whole name now, at least. But who was Arthur St. Clair?

The last was a question which began to take an unpleasant prominence in hia mind. Could it be she was privately married to the man, whom, for some reason, he had been so strmgely called upon to personate? Frank did not like the idea.

Ho fancied it still lesa when, having led her out for the promised waltz, the fair hair almost touch* d his breast, and the coquettish face was very near his owa. The dance was the last before intermission, and aa the music ceased Frank whirled his partner out into the conservatory. " The supper room will bo crowded now — let us rest here awhile," he said, leading her toward a secluded seat under an orange plant.

"You have such a dreadfully authoritative way with you that I must needs obey," lta responded, in a lightly sarcajtic tone.

" You are mistaken. I assure you lam very meek, and capable of being domineered over in the most shameful manner. I could prove that to you by an experience I once had."

Frank seated himself by her side aa he apoke.

"Tell mo what it was, then I will decide,'" she said, slyly studying hia handsome features.

"That I cannot do. It is a secret which I havo revealed to no ono."

" How provoking of you to mention it, and arouse my curiosity all for nothing ! It was very voVnantic, of course?"

" Think oftiic most romantic adventure you ever hi i, and I can match it with mine," returned Fiank, watching her intently to see if the words brought the recollection he thought to awaken.

Apparently they did not at first, but presently she broke into a little laugb, while a peculiar expression came into hor eyes.

" I doubt ifc. I had one once that nothing could match."

" Let us compare notes," he said, leaning o^er her eagerly. Shu shook her head.

" Oh, no ! Mine is far too serious."

" Serious !" he echoed. "Mine was quite the contrary. Can't we make a bargain to exchange confidences some ti.no?"

"Impossible! But you might tell me your 3, that I could be sure it was really, actually romantic. There was a lady in it, of course ?"

" Certainly, and a very beautiful one." Tta trifled with her fan as though not entirely pleased with this answer. Sho made some gay comment, however, and a conversation in the same strain followed, on different tonics, which Frank wna very i*iirry to have interrupted by Miss Meade and several friends in search of lta. The latter went away wifch manifest reluctance, and looked back to smile brightly at Frank.

He hovered about her THuniiy the remainder of the evening, although finding few opportunities *o say anything farther. But he had the pleasure of taking her to the carriage, and received a goodnight ■mile from under a bine hood, which made her look more bewitching than evsr. It was not unnatural, under the circumstances, that after this unexpected meeting Frank's thoughts were filled with the charming, puzzling lta ; and surmises of the mystery which now, moi c than before, interested him, and reawakened his curiosity. He went everywhere that there was a possibility of meeting her, and ipon so progressed in the acquaintance that he became a frequent yaller at her home.

It began to be remarked before long that the society of other ycung ladies had lost all charm for Frank Lorraine, and that lta's colour changed at his approach. " It's no use," Harry Meade said to him one day. " I was goin^ to fall in love with lta Fales myself, but it is evident we all must yield to ytru, so I might as well do it with a good f,'race."

"What do you meanT' Frank questioned itarting.

" What do I mean ?" laughed ilarry. " Well, that is cool ! There's no sense in ienying it, old boy ; any one can see you *re dead in love with her, and, sad though it be, 'tis true that she alights every one foryou."

" Nonsense!" exclaimed Frank, hastily. *ad getting very red. •• i am actuated by onfcirely different motives, Harry. Some ui-ie, perhaps, 1 can tell you." " In ir«dding cards and cake!" retorted y*rry, shaking his head knowingly, as he d) rted away uy the street. Praok gazed after him a moment, then went on hia way thoughtfully. Harry's half jesting, half serious words had eroused some hitherto dormant consciousness within himself, and from this time his manner changed. He was preoccupied, and, singular enough in the gay, light-hearted young man, often melancholy, In fact, he could no longer conceal from his own self-scrutiny the fascination lta Fales had for him, and that, had he met her without the previous knowledge of some Btrange secret surrounding her, he should have loved her with all his heart. But as it was, he must conquer all such emotions. The mystery might be a shameful one. Certainly, from what he knew of it, something it must be which precluded the possibility of her becoming his.

Then Frank's brow would grow dark as he thought of Arthur St. Clair. Who, what, and where was he ? Was it really his rightful place that he himself had assumed? If so, why had it been necessary ?

These were questions to which Frank could find no answer, but yet, in the very midst of the pain sucn thoughts brought, his pulses thrilled with a sweet sense of having for two hours called her his wife.

Sometimes he was tempted to tell her everything, and demand an explanatiou. But there were now only a few weeks to pass before the time would come when she had appointed to meet him _Mt»in »t the old church, and he was

anxious to see if she would keep her word. What would then happen he did not dare think. He could hold no bright anticipations of t'ae future, however. Meanwhile, he did not cease his visits to her who had become the source of so much trouble. There was a dangerous fascination in being near her which he could not resist.