"The Luck of the Lindsays,"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 45, Issue 13753, 4 February 1919, Page 7

" The Luck of the Lindsays,"

By MAEGAEET TYKDAUE.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

(COPYEIGHT.)

CHAI'TE R XVI.] I.—Continued. Aunt Bessie was delighted at the good news, for .she had been the first to realise that Adda's love for Stanley Gordon had been an ardent bat nevertheless very girlish affair after all, and now that her niece had at last found the man who was fitted to be her mate, Miss Gunning was or-ly too ready to extend her approbation. in the days that followed the announcement of her engagement, Adda was forced to own that Alec Lindsay, if not an ideal lover, was a-3 kind and considerate as could possibly be desired, lie bought her many presents and mapped out every detail connected Avith their honeymoon with th.: most careful regard to her wishes.

"You arc. so good to me," she said one evening, when the date ol; their wedding was not far distant. "'I am very grateful.' •'

"Your gratitude can never exceed mine," he answered softly, as he bent to kiss lier hand, and as he did so Adela told herself that sha would make this big", strong man love her i'or herself alone, and for no other reason. That he was very fond of her she realised only too well; she believed that with time and patience she would accomplish the rest.

On a bright spring morning Adela and Lindsay were married in the old village church at Chestermere, but few people had been invited to witness the ceremony, for Adela wished her marriage to be kept as quiet as possible, and Lindsay, who disliked ostentation in any form, was only too ready to fall in with her wishes. Adela has thought to be married' in her travelling dress, but whether for any other reason than a mere whim, Lindsay had requested her to wear iho dainty veil and orange wreath that so well becomes tho i';ur young bride.

With her heart light with hope because (if. , the radiant promise the future seemed to hold for her, Adda passed down the steps of the J'riory to the waiting- car that wnj to carry them to the Jirst stage ol: their honeymoon. Donald clung art'ei'ttouately to her arm, but Julia, having said good-bye to her stepmother in. the drawing room, did not make any attempt to see her off. -Miss Uunning for the moment wns not to be found, and Adela. felt a strange throb of fear as she noticed that Koger Main waring alone stood the top ot' the steps to wave her farewell. .I'Yom that vantage ground lie seemed to dominate the whole house, and to Adela's s! rained imagination the fact seemed significant ol: his iiialigant inllueni-e over Ale*; Lindsay's family.

Something Jike a sob rose in her throat, and for an instant the magnificent elms that bordered the drive vanished from her sight, in a mist of tears. Then tho car was brought to A sudden standstill, and Aunt Bessie's face was locking up at her nitee, while a bunch of freshly-cut roses —red almost to blackness —was thrust into Adda's hand.

"Ju\l. rosos i'or love,' , whispered the old la<ly in the girl's ear, and then Adda realised that there was at least an .•uif'ioto to Mainwaring's evil inlluence. With the knowledge she faced the future with new hope, with revived belief in tho fact that although for a time ■,'vil m:i\ soem to iiourish, good must eventually overcome all things by the lower 01 its own. truth, CHAPTER IX. A. BAD OMEN. i'Jog'.'f Mainwariug glanced at the flock ii , . tho bar parlour of the Bur'on .Arms, ovdered drinks fc* himself and his coiui.Miion, and r hen in a, carefully lowered voice said: "Twenty minuter is the limit I can span. , this morning. The train comes in at- twelve, anil I've arranged for the cub to meet me here a quarter to the hour.'-' The man whom Mainwaring addressed + li:ew back his head and laughed f .ftly. ''That means you want my information in as few words as possible. Well, ».~ 1 told you the other day, I am the hero of the present Mrs Lindsay's first affair." Mainwaring nodded impatiently and i'uain glanced at the dock. "J. haven't come here this morning to hoar that repeated, my dear fellow," he said brusquely. "If you haven't got anything else, of the kind, say so."

''information such as you require is only obtainable at a pi'ico, 1 ■wish to inform yoii,' ; was the lazy answer. "If i. give you what 1 may call special information, I'm entitled to a specialist's fee, oh J'' Alainwaring regarded his companion intently through half-closed lids. "J see," he said, and then more slowly: "I see.'' Stanley Gordon had not improved during the time that had elapsed since his last interview with the girl he had treated so shamefully. He was as handsome as ever, it is true, but in his face there now appeared lines that told of cynicism and discontent. It was clear that life had not been going so well with him as he desired, which reason perhaps might have accounted for his somewhat curious conversation "with. Hoger Maimvari ng.

"Look here, ;? he said somewhat sharply, "if you want to get this thing over aiul done with, it would be better if we cease to play at cross purposes. .If you '11 put your cards down on the table I'll do the same; if not —the interview is at an end."

Hogcv Maiuwaring took up his glass and eyed its contents reflectively.

"What, may I ask," he said after a moment, "is the nature of the special information you wish to sell?" "Letters, my dear man," replied the other quietly. "O-ho!" said Mainwaring, giving a low whistle of pleasure. "This is more interesting. I thought she looked too innocent for this wicked world." "She's innocent enough," began Gordon sulkily, "but " "But you wouldn't mind it appearing that .she was not, eh?" interrupted Mainwaring with an ugly grin. "By the way, are these letters dated?" "Only with the day of the week—nothing else." The two men looked at each other for a moment in silence; then they glanced away again. There are some thoughts that it is not possible to put into words. "And these letters are fairly incriiminating?" queried Mainwaring cautiously. "Decidedly," Gordon answered, as he flicked away the ashy end of his cigarette. "There is nothing to fix them to any particular time?" "Yes—with, all except one." (To be Continued.)

AN ATTRACTIVE LOVE STOET OF INTENSE INTEEEST,