A Tardy Wooing.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8152, 30 May 1906, Page 2

A Tardy Wooing.

By Charles W. Hatfoaway. Author of " Marjorie's Sweetheart," "A Lonff Martyrdom," J* A Hash Vow," "Joseph Dane's Diplomacy," etc., etc.

CHAPTER XXXlV.—Continued. "Yes, Mr Outram put it on my finger himself, but not knowingly. Shall I tell you more, Miss Dartison? At the time he did this he was but half coDscioua of what he whs about, stupefied by a foul blow struck by your friend, 'Jhris Kennett." "1 do not believe itl" Cyrilla stammered. "it is the truth," Wynnie asseverated. "From one of the windows of the house where I was then living I saw that bad mnn oreep behind Mr Outram and strike him on the head. I saw him dragged into the home of Kennett's relatives, where he was kept hidden as long as it suited the purpose of his assailant; and it was I who waited on him and nursed him to the best of my ability." "And for this be rewarded you With the gift of his ring?" "No," taid Wynnie, uMuginiz her ] bead. "I do not believe he knows I have it; and yet it was hi 3 hand that plaoed it on my finger." Cyrilla regarded her distrustfully. Could this insigniflant girl be idea tioal with the angelio uieature of Harold's imperfect recollections? Impossible! And yet—and yet she was extremely pretty. Not tiii now had Miss Dartison discovered to what pure, pale loveliness the blossom of her girlish beauty Was expanding. She was a rival to be dreaded, after all! The thought was so exasperating that she could have struck the softly rounded cheek flushing beneath her frowning gaze. "I do hot oelieve a word of it!" she cried abruptly. "There is no truth in you! Mr Outram must have dropped his ring here, and you found and kept it!, If your garbled story were correct, Kennett would have known something of you, unless, indeed, you have been in league with him, as I am inclined to believe!" "In league with him!" Wynnie repeated with scorn. "Never 1" "Ay," said Cyrilla. "No matter how yoa protest, 1 shall stiJl believe that you have been in his pay as a spy upou me. It was not for the value of the ring that you kept it, but to vex me, who have always been desirous of having it! Oh! you "late earned your bribes well!—with your meek look and quiet way yoa have wormed yourself into everyone's confidence, and kept your employer informed of all that was pasßBingherel" Wynnie regarded her reproach.- ( fully. Was this a generous return for hex oare of Lady Dartison? "Is it possible that you can think 80 badly of me?" she demanded. "Remember that I did not stay here willingly." "1 remember that you said so" i-espbnded Cyrilla, sarcastically. "Ob! you are an ornament to your —profession, shall we call it? I said truly that you were a hypocrite as well as a thief, and you shall pay dearly for practising your arts on me! I shall send for a detective, and until he comes, I forbid you to leave this room. If be can find —as I have no doubt he will—the most trifling ariole of mine secreted among your possessions, you shall pass this night in prison!" She moved towards the door; but, Wynnie's entreating voice arrested her. "Miss Dartison, be merciful to yourself as well as to me. Do not heap such indignities on one who .has never wronged you or yours!" "Give me that ring I" "Never—you are not worthy of it!" she was provoked into responding. "To Mr Outram only will I explain how I-became possessed of it, and to nim only will I give it up!" "Insolent wretch!" and in her rage Cryilla advanced a step or two, with her band uplifted, as if she was about to strike the girl who had spoken to her so freely. But she changed her mind; and, shutting the door behind her with a slam, she ran downstairs, calling to one of the footmen as she went. Vvbeu he had been despatched into the village she stood a while in thought, and then, pressing her lips together and throwing back her head defiantly, went in search of Harold Outram. It was a desperate act tons to confront tier lover before she knew whether Chris Kennett had revived sufficiently to make to him the revelations she had good cause to dread; but she bad immense confidence in herelf, and did not doubt that she should be able to confound him with the virulenue of her retorts. What could he say respecting her encouragement of this man that she could not hurl back in his teeth now that she knew who had hid ring, and could insist that it had been one of many love tokens bestowed by him ou Wynnie? In her heart she still creaited the latter with stealing it, and felt certain of Harold's constancy to herself; but it did not suit her to avow this now. She must carry matters with a biffh band or relinquish her hopes of beooming mistress of the Towers. Unless— Cyrilla grew pale, and glanoed fearfully around as if afraid her tbQUghts might be overheard. Yet she did not banish them, and they prompted her to fall back upon the soheme of proving hia insanity. To do this she must work upon Eustace Leylaud and mduoe him to obtain the commission of lunacy that would consign his kinsman to an asylum. Harold, with his hands crossed behind him and bis head drooping on his chest, was slowly pacing the drawing room when she re-entered it. Crushed in one of his thin, muscular hands, she saw a large packet of letters—her own— addressed to Crhia Kennett at the time she was using every artifice to induce him to place at her fatner's

disposal the money he had iufaerited from some relative. Before her lover could utter the reproaches Cyrilla believed he was preparing for her, she took the initiative and overwhelmed him with suab furious accusations that he recoiled i from her in astonishment. "So, sir, you, who pride yourself on your sincerity and honour, have not hesitated to deceive me deliberately. Vou had lost your ring; you knew not where; and I—fool that I was—accepted all your excuses, and §told myseif you would unt stoop to a ialsehood." With stem gravity Harold Outram stood before her, looking at her scarlet cheeks and flashing eyes as if he were marveling that he had once fancied that he loved this woman whom anger metamorphiaed into such a veritable fury. "I have found out where your ring is," she went ou as soon as she regained her breath. "Not half an hour ago I saw it in the possession of demure, cunning, little Miss Moyle." "You must be mistaken, Cyrilla!" "What! when she does not attempt to deny that she had it from you? Is this your love for me, sir? Is this your honourable treatment of your betrothed? You professed to be scandalized when J talked and laughed with the young officers who visited my friend, Mrs Maclnuis, athough I did it openly; yet all the while you were presenting love tokens to a sly prude living under the same roof with me. Oh, it is monstrous I" "Monstrous, indeed!" Mr Outram responded, so quietly that it eraboldeued her to commence a fresh attack. "After such shameful treatment you do not deserve to be forgiven, but my heart still pleads for you I" Here Cyrilla produced her pocket handkerchief and moderated her aooents. "l will hear what excuse 3 you have to offer." "None," he answered firmly. "I have no reply to make to such unfounded statements. If a stainless life and unswerving fidelity to my vows will not exonerate, me in your sight, I must bear it as well as 1 can, for I ahall not stoop to enter upon my defence." "Is th's all you have to say to me?" she angrily demanded. "AH" he responded,/'except that I must beg you to tell me whether you endorse the man Kennett's statement that these"—he held out the packet of letters—"are yours." She could not conceal her uneasiness, though she replied loudly and defiantly that the question WB.B merely a. subterfuge to gai» time—an. evasion made because he knew not how to justify himself. "Have L not already told you," ho "that nothing is further from my thoughts? I repeat that I "disdain to make any attempt to excuse myself. I ask you again Oryilla, if these are yours? If that man has spoken truly and they were writteon by you to him, take them and do with them what you will." They were snatched out of his hand and torn into a thousand pieces. "You are as mean as ha is oruel," Cyrilla raved, "or you would not have read silly, girlish effusions never intended for your eyes." "1 had not read them, though invited to do so," she was told, Mr Outram's deep, sorrowful tones In marked contrast with her shrill tones. "It sufficed for me to know that, when you told me that this man was merely your father's old friend, you forgot to add that he had also been your lover." "Could 1 help it?" she muttered, sullenly. "If he was weak and foolish enough to imagine, that I might be induced to marry him, was it my fault?" Harold pointed to the torn letters. , ' "A girl who corresponds with any man to the extent that you must have corresponded with Chris Kennett, cannot say that she has not given him encouragement." "Take care!" oried Cyrilla, in a burst of ire. "You shall not expose me to the sneers of the world by breaking our engagement. Or, if you do I will have a revenge that shall make you long to die that you may esoape it." Harold looked at her but he did not speak, and his forbearanoe exasperated her into hurling fresh taunts at him. "This has been planned between you and Kennett and your confederate, Miss Moyle, but I will be even with them as well as you! The police will be here directly to maruh the damsel off* to prison, and, if you refuse to prosecute her for the theft of your mother's ring I shall look upon it as another proof that you are in league with her to annoy ana disgrace me.!" "This is the second time that you have asserted that the missing ring is in Miss Moyle's possession!" oried Harold, agitatedly. "I cannot understand it at all; may I See her and hear her version of the affair?" "In my presence you may. Ob, dont' think I will leave yoa togetner to invent new schemes. If you tell the world you broke with me through Chris Kennett J, on the other hand, will assure everyone who knows you that £ could not oonsent to wed the honourable gentleman who lavished his smiles on one of my father's servants 1" (To Be Continued.)