Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8249, 2 October 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XXVII. -Continued. *1 have n right to my own opinion,' answered Nelia, with almost as much passion. And then the troth broke from her: 'lt is because I care for you so rruch; because your happiness is dear to me; because it augers rue to see you wasting your life in a devotion to a creature who neither can understand it nor treasure it.' 'What I do belongs to mysef,' sa*d Michael, quietly. Then he obanged his tone. 'Why not try to be friends with Selina? Try to see the good in ber; it will not take you long to find.' Nelia gave a quick and impatient sigh. 'Everybody has not your eyes, Michael,' she said. 'Everybody cannot be ho easily deceived. No man can read u woman's character as well as another woman can zead it.' Miohi el curbsd the anger that he felt. •I would rather not disouss Selina with you,' he said. ♦lbat moans,' said Nelia, with a little lougb, 'that you. ire angry with me.' Michael shook his bead. •No,' he paid, slowly, 'I am not angry with you. I am only sorry that one who is a mere girl should be so hardly judged. All Selina's faults are the faults of a very young and untrammeled nature. If you were to know her as I know her you would value her as I value lier. Su?U we walk back to the parade?* Nelia assented, ana thty turned and went from thß beach. This time she did not take his arm. She felt angry, and she felt hurt, and she felt mortified, and her anger was partly for hereelf. 'What a fool i am," she said, in her thoughts; 'why could 1 not leave well alone? 1 must realize that her Influence is very, very strong. J must counteract it, not by opposition, but by sympathy.' When they were un the parade she spoke to him again. •Don't be cross w'.tb me, dear friend,' she said. 'Surely you must know by this lime that all that concerns yon is a matter of great concern tn roe. When I sea you sad and troubled, I am quite unhappy. I am afraid f accrued to lose my temper just now. Please forgive me, I think I am really rather tired. I have not slept much these last few nights.' At once Mlohael felt a qualm of self-reproach. Though she did not understand Selina, she was a very good friend to his mother, and that could;] not bo overlooked. He made some gentle response, and after that the conversation drifted into other ohannels. and the tub. jeot of Selina was passed over for the time. ' It would have surprised Michael Silobester vastly oould he have known what was in the mind of the woman who was walking beside him. Perhaps another man would have guessed why Nelia was so citter against Selina, but Michael was not clever at such things. He was only sorry that one whom he regarded with bo much liking, v/ho seemed so womanly and cood, as Nelia was, should have ranged herself against the child he loved. And he went back with Nelia to the hotel, and sajd goodnight to ber iu a calm, brotherly nay, while tho woman looked at him with her soul In her eyeß and could hardly refrain from throwing herself iu bin arms and crying out the story of her love for him on his breast. ; She sat for long that night beforo she went to bed. 'He shall forget her,' she said to herself. 'Oh if something or someone would only take ber far away. She does not iaie for him. She would not Usteu to him, even if he were to tell her that ho loved her. And yet because of her I must stand outside his life. To-morrow,' Nelia said to herself, deliberately, I shall work bia mother on ray side. He shall not go away again; of that 1 am determined.'

CHAPTER XXVIII

gA TFE.'OIIEROUS THRUST. Selina spent a troubled night. She'' nover realized until she pot baok into the safety of her own room the nervous tension she had put on herHelf. She found s6me food daintily prepared for her, but she had no appetite. Sho eat staring out of the window, nud the dogs eat and stared at hor. These dumb companions seertod aware that the girl was passing through a time of shadow. Every now and then they woul3 whine ih an uneasy fashion. There was much to occupy Srlina'a •nind. 'Thought followed thought In quick succession. Till eho had met Delaral, there' had lurked in her heart a sense of pathos. Though ebe had awakened tu the certainty that the did not love bira, she was atill sorry for him, and thrre had been a littlo pang of regret that sho should be obliged to speak the words she must speak, This feeling was all gone now. He haql revealed himself to her, if wot wholly as he was, to a great extent, and she shrank from what sho had i seen. ' There was the grip mark on hei slender wriat still. The pressure of bis hand bad not been so oiuel, though, as the look in hla eyes. The menace of such a man filled her with terror. t She bitterly regretted that she flboald bare drifted into such up- • parent sympathy with him. Wow it i waa evident that Michael might have

By Eftie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," "Temptation of Mary Barr," "The Interloper," etc., etc.

some real cause for judging this man hardly. What oppressed Selina was her uncertainty aa to what she ought to do. She longed to go to her brother and tell him exactly what had happened. She trembled lest Sir George should take this matter into his own bands, aud it was not for herself that she trembled. She wus lying wide awake on her pillows when she heard Dorothy return from the opera. How she longed for someone to whom she oouJd have spoken 1 •If Polly were only here,' she said to herself, miserably. 4 I feel so lonely. I don't know what to do fox the best,' And then her thoughts all at onae veered to Miohoel. 'lf he comes to see me tomorrow, 1 thiuk I will tell him all about it. Bat will he come? Jf his mother is ill 1 supposo ho will not be able to leave her. 1 wish he had given me the address; 1 would have written to him. 'Yes,' Selina decided, 'I would rather tell it to Michael than to Polly.' She shut her eyes and a quieter sense fell upon her ", as she recalled the calm tranquillity of her old friend. The tery thought of Michael was comforting, and yet once she Hushed and moved restlessly in the bed, 'What on idea for George to take into bis, head,' she said to herself. 'Michael has always been fond of me; 1 know that, but I aBl filinost quite sure that I Am the last person In the World he would like *o raarry. I expect George would like me to have him for a husband, and eo he fmagiues things. But he is a long way out. If Michael will marry anybody he wiil mmry Nelia Poster. Bat I hope he won't,' said Selina out ioud, and with so muob energy that she roused the two dogs who slept in her room. '1 don't want him myself, but I don't want him to marry Nelia; she is a cat, and she would make him wretched. I wish he had not gone away.' She fell at last into an uneasy sleep, and when tbe> morning came she got up with a firm intention of tolling her brother ail that had happened the nightjbefore. But, having been awase so long during the night, she found that she elepfc later than usual, and by the time she bad got downstairs she was too late to catch her brother, who had gone out fcr an early ride. 'Sir George said he would be back to breakfast, miss,' said the butler, who looked at the girl's pale face with sympathy not unmixed with curiosity. Martin had been struck by the strange took on Mr JDelaval's face when ho had drawn near them in the park tbo night before. She felt inclined to put on her hut and go out. Perhaps if she did this she might meet Sit George, but before she could carry the idea into action her sister-in-law's maid approached her and told her that Lady Durnstoue would like to speak to her. Dorothy's room was in half shadow. The windows were open, but the blinds were not drawn up. It was going to be a very warm day. Lady Durnstone was lying back on the pillows. She seemed half asleep, and Selina paused at the door, hesitating whether she should approach. But, as she hesitated, Dorothy spoko. 'Sorry to bother you,' she said, 'but 1 want to steak to you.' 'Yee,' said Selina. 'Pull up one of those blinds,' said Dorothy, shortly. The girl obeyed, and the bright morning light streamed in, glinting all the crystal that decorated Lady Durnstone's toilet table till it shone like jewels. 'Oorae and sit here,' was Dorothy's next command. She indicated a chair by the beds toad, but b'elina preferred to stand. 'I want to know, selina,' Enid Lady Durnstone, in a quiet, deliberate way, 'what mischief yon have been making between Mr Delaval and George' Selina gave a great start. She had not expected this. 'I make mischief* she said. Her voice trembled at first, and then it grew cold. 'What do you mean, Dorothy?' 'Just what I say,' retorted Dorothy. 'What have you* been saying to Gf orgo about Mr Deiaval? Selina hesitated. She realized ; tha ! ; her brother had kept her confidence, aud that Dorothy was in" iguorauco of what had been passing between Mr Deiaval and himself. (To be Continued.)