THE GAME OF LIFE; OR THE MASTER OF MILLWOOD HALL.

Western Star, 31 March 1911, Page 3

THE GAME OF LIFE; OR THE MASTER OF MILLWOOD HALL.

COPYRIGHT.

By Heclley Richards, Author of "Time, The Avenger,” "The Mine Wlaster’s Heir,” etc., eto.

PART 16. CHAPTER XXXV,

“If a woman did turn man out of Paradise, she has done her best ever dnce to make it up to him.”—Shelton.

The next morning Stella received a ctter from her father, and, opening t, she read :

“ Dear Stella,—l am going to Lonlon to-day in order to secure a house :eady furnished. I shall take one 5f the best I can get, as I mean to bunch you in society, and no doubt y on will then marry so well that Mill wood Hall and its owner will ippear small and insignificant. Vlajor Doyle has promised to ask a iousin of his, who married the Earl 3f Bpennithorpe to he our sponsors. £ don’t think from what he said that Ms grand relations have much to do vith him, but he hinted they would ie glad to be of service to a millionaire with a beautiful daughter ; so as soon as the house is secured he will write to them, and in return I shall invite Grace for a few weeks when she may also find an eligible husband. Put all the romantic notions in which you have been indulging out of your mind ; remember that what is called love, is a myth, that money and position are the real things—the things that ensure the world’s favour and all substantial good. Prepare yourself to become in a week or two the mistress of one of the grandest mansions in London, where my wealth and your beauty will enable you to become a queen in society. Before I close, one word of warning.' Should you be obstinate and keep to your silly notions of marrying the nameless ranting parson then I will blot you out of my life; you shall never have a penny of my money, but it shall not go to charity. I will marry again and have children to whom I can leave it, who will be trained to believe that money is the one good thing In life. This is no idle i-hreat, Your Father.’' P.S.—You will return at once to Doyle Court. As Stella put the letter down Lady Annette said : “ I see your letter Is not very pleasant reading.” “ No, my father says 1! I marry Miles he shall cast me off. lam sorry but I cannot give up the man I love for the sake of money and a position. He is going to take a house in London, and while he is looking for it he wishes me to stay at the Court.”

Lady Annette’s face clouded ; she waa really fond of Stella. “is it necessary that you should

do so ?”

“ I don’t want to go. Grace dislikes Miles.”

‘‘Then stay here ; it cannot make any real difference to your father,” said Lady Annette, and so it was settled.

About three o’clock that afternoon Stella dismounted at the door of the little house where the minister lodged and the groom took her horse after being told to return in three hours ; then as Stella turned to enter the house the door was opened by Miles, whose face was radiant with happiness, and they went upstairs to the sitting-room where his mother was waiting to welcome Stella. She looked admiringly at the beautiful girl, who was charming in her riding habit and little cloth cap.

“ I was hoping nothing would prevent you coming,” she said, as she kissed her.

'• I don’t think anything could have done, I wanted so very much to see you and Miles,” said Stella with a happy laugh ; then her face became grave as she added, “ I’ve had a letter from my father this morning. I want you both to road it.” And she book out of a cunningly-contrived little pocket in the skirt of her habit, her father’s letter.

Miles read it ; then handed it to his mother who, after rending It, looked gravely at Stella saying : “My dear, you ought to weigh this matter well. If you become Miles's wife you will have to give up most of the things to which you have been accustomed ; you will be the wife of a poor man ; your housekeeping will have to be on a most economical scale ; whore you have had well trained servants to do your bidding you will have one untrained maid who will probably try your patience sorely.”

Before she could say any more Stella had risen, and, throwing her amis round Mrs. Ford’s neck she kissed her, saying laughingly : “ Are you trying to frighten me? because it’s no use ; I’ve thought of all these things, and I know they will count as nothing to the real happiness I shall have,” and she ipoke the last words in a whisper. Rachel embraced her.

*' My dear, I was trying to show you the shady side |(,>f your future life but I didn’t think it would weigh pith you,” she said. Miles, who had listened quietly to phat his mother and sweetheart had to say, now spoke :

*' Stella, I needn’t tell you that you are the one woman in the world for me, that unless you are my wife I shall not marry. Still, my mother has done right to show you what you will lose, but I will try to make it up to you by surrounding you with love. Will that compensate 7” he asked, looking down at her. Stella shot one quick glance at him

—tr.ori in a voice that was tremulous but which she tried to make playful, she said :

“I must put in the scales money, position, possiblj a grand marriage. I might even secure a title ; but it would only be my hand I would give so that to the money and position you could add a starved heart, and in the other scale the love of a man I honour, whose love is priceless to me, a happy home without luxury, a work-a-day life. Why, really, Miles, the happiness and joy will dump the scales down, in spite of the narrow means.”

“Thank God,” he said, as ho kissed her, gravely.

“ When is your birthday, Stella?” he asked a minute later.

“ A fortnight, to-morrow,” she replied.

“ Will yon marry me that day ? I have a friend who is without a church ; he would come here until my time is up ; my people know It is my intention to go to London and I think it quite likely Frank Leonard may be asked to take ray place permanently. If ho came it would allow us time for a three weeks’ honeymoon while my mother gets the house ready. What do yon say ?” he asked, taking Stella’s hands and looking down at her with eyes that wore full of love.

“I say yes, 1 * she answered, in a low tone.

He kissed her gravely ; It was no light thing to him that he had won the love of this beautiful girl, with such a fi nc nature that prosperity and great wealth had failed even to tarnish It.

A moment later ho turned to his mother saying : “ It only remains for you to promise to get the nest ready. Can you ; leave your business I long enough ?” “ Yes, that Is all right, hut would not Stella rather choose her own furniture ; you could take rooms for a week or two.” “ I would rather you got our house ready ; I am sure you would make It lovely,” said Stella. “ I will do my best ; it will be a work of love, and I will make it as dainty as I can,” said Rachel.

“ You will make it look a home, and that is what a lot of the grand houses lack ; they are very beautiful but not home-like,” said Stella. “ Well, I have saved enough to give mother a chance to make it cosy, if not granci,” said Miles, smilingly. “Oh, I have some money In the bank. Won’t you let mo help to furnish ?” asked Stella. Miles shook his head. “No, I must find the nest ; you can save your money for a rainy day ” then as his mother left the room he drew Stella into his arms, saying, “ What a wise mother mine is ; she has not forgotten that lovers like sometimes to he alone.” Half an hour later Mrs. Ford returned followed by the tea, and Stella thought she had never had such good tea or cakes, but. when she said so, Miles laughed and told her that was just how ho felt, and happiness glorified everything ; then after the tea things had been removed the three had a long talk when it was arranged that Mrs. Ford should remain with her son until after the wedding then go to London to get the house ready. “ Miles, you will come to the Hall to see me ? I shall stay there if Lady Annette will let me until my birthday,” said Stella blushing brightly as she remembered that her birthday would be her wedding day. “ I will come sometimes, but I think it will be wiser not to come too often, it Is no use arousing comment and as Lady Annette is known to bo a proud woman people will not understand how it is she will receive a man in my position, but if we only sec each other a few times during the next fortnight there is the post and after that a lifetime together.” As he spoke they heard the sound of horses’ hoofs and Rachel said : “ My dear, the groom has brought your horse. 1 wish you could have stayed longer.” "So do I, it has been a happy time. You will come and see me at the Hall ?” she added. “ No, my dear, I shall never go to Millwood 'Hall again. I went for the sake of truth and right, but it cost me something to go there where I had expected to live as the wife of the man I loved—the only man T ever loved. Barry Stirling i T never cared for, he had a fascination for me ; I was very young and he made me believe that the glamour he cast over me was love, but I soon found out my mistake. You understand why I cannot come to the Hall ?” “ Yes, I should feel as you do. Good-bye.” Then Stella followed Miles downstairs, and soon Rachel saw her ride away slowly, looking back at Miles who stood at the door watching.

When Stella reached the Hall’she went at once to the drawing room, where she found Lady Annette and Jack, and she confided to them what had been arranged about her marriage.

“If you don’t mind I should like to stay here until then. I think Grace would be very vexed if I was to go from their house to be married to Miles.”

Lady Annette laid her hand on the girl’s.

” Stay hero until you are married, and when you are, try to persuade your husband to let Jack allow him an income.”

“ Yes, do your best, and of course you must stay here,” said Jack.

“ I don’t think anyone would persuade Miles to take any money from you, and, to tell the truth, I like the idea of having to look after my own house and being a thrifty careful wife.”

Lady Annette smiled half sadly as she said :

" I'm afraid you will not find it so easy as you think, but you have a fine spirit, and will hear being poor better than most people-. I have an awful shrinking from hardship of any kind. I must confess I like to live in clover.”

Stella smiled, but she only saM

“ I shall go to the Court and arrange for Hortense to bring my things hero, and explain matters to Grace.” Then she laughed as she said ; “Poor Hortense, I must give her notice ; she’s one of the luxuries I shall have to dispense with.”

CHAPTER XXXVI.

“ Our deeds determine us as ranch ns wo determine our deeds,”—G. Eliot.

“ Do yon moan to say you are not coming back to the Court ?” asked Grace Doyle looking at Stella in surprise.

They were seated in the morningroom at the Court.

“ No, never no more,” replied Stella in a playful tone. Grace looked still more puzzled. " I don’t understand it. Your father said we were to expect you to-day ; that you would remain here until the house in London was ready for you, when he would fetch you. Father has written to his cousin, the Countess of Spcnnithorpe asking her to take you about. You will have a glorious time In London.” “I am not going into societj ; when I go to London I shall live in the East End,” said Stella quietly, but there was a twinkle in her eye as> she waited to see the effect of her words.

“in the East End ? Are you going ’to join a sisterhood ?” Grace asked in dismay. Stella laughed.

“No, I don’t think I’m cut out for that kind of thing ; all the same I do hope to help the poor and those who have to struggle to get daily bread,” she said in a graver tone.

“ What do you mean ? I wish you would speak plainer.”

“ Very well, then, I’m going to he married to Miles Ford, though he isn’t a Cathcart ; that was a mistake. He has got a church in the East End.” “ You are going to marry that horrid dissenting minister ! You must lie mad !” exclaimed Grace. “ No, I’m perfectly sane and very happy, because I love that horrid Dissenting minister with all my heart.”

“What does your father say ? I’m sure he doesn’t approve of it. because I heard him tell my father the man was a sneak and a cad. I wonder if ho had been telling him about you being in love with him for he stopped abruptly as I joined them.” Stella’s face flushed, and her eyes flashed as she said : “ Miles is the soul of honour.” "Whatever be may bo s on cannot marry him,” said Grace coldly. “I certainly ‘ shall be married to him, and my father knows it ; at least, he has been told so, and I think he knows 1 do not change my mind easily. If what my father had wanted had come to pass he would gladly have agreed to the marriage ; now things are not as he hoped he wants to prevent it, and as H shall certainly become Miles’s wife I do not intend to come here and get you into trouble, so I shall remain at the Hall. Jack Cathcart and Lady Annette both like and admire him,” said Stella.

“Lady Annette admires Mr. Ford ! I think the world must be turning topsy-turvy,” exclaimed Grace. Stella was silent for a minute or two, then she said ;

“ Grace, you made a terrible mistake when you were so cruel to Jack Cathcart that day you met him, because—”

“ I wasn’t cruel, I only told him the truth, that a Doyle couldn’t marry a nameless man,” interrupted Grace.

‘‘You were cruel, and as it happens you didn’t speak the truth when you called him nameless. Jack is a true Cathcart and Lady Annette was his father’s lawful wife.”

Grace turned pale as she said

“ Why did yon toll me that about Jack apd say that Mr. Ford was the real owner of Millwood Hall —what does It mean Stella ?” “ Only that a great mistake has been made, a mistake that would never have been discovered or set right if Mrs. Ford had .not explained the mistake and given ample proof that Jack, not her son, is the true owner of the Millwood estate. '*

Grace’s face brightened. “Mrs. Ford ? Do you mean the minister’s mother ?” she asked.

“ Yes, she came from on purpose to sot the matter right ; it was a noble thing to do, because if she had just stayed at home and remained silent the estate would have been her son’s, and I know she would have liked him to have it, but, as she said, she could not do otherwise than speak the truth. Oh, Grace, I wish you could have heard her tell the story of the past. She was so hravc, and took such pains to make everything clear, yet I could see it hurt her awfully to say what she did;

she’s a woman who would have gone to the stake rather than do what she believed to he wrong.”

" And you say she made it quite clear that Jack is legitimate ?” askcd Grace in a low tone.

“Yes, and by do in# so she made her own son nameless.” “It won’t make any difference to j ou —I mean you arc going to marry him just the same ?” said Grace, hurriedly.

“ Oh, yes, it makes a lot of difference, I feel that I love him more even than I did, and I long to do ! something to show him that his loss I has made him dearer to me,” said i Stella, and there was a tenderness in I her tone that struck the other girl. I “Does ho mind about it ? Would

he rather his mother had not spoken ?” asked Grace. “ Of course ho minds. What man or woman wouldn't ? But I’m sure if his mother had not told the truth and ho had discovered it later, that he would have been deeply grieved, and he would never have thought the same of her again. You don’t know how good and unselfish both Miles and hia mother are,” said 'Stella.

“Do yon mind telling me what Mrs. Ford said. How the mistake arose ?” asked Grace. After a moment’s hesitation Stella began to tell the story of the past, as Mrs. Ford had related it, only, leaving out the fact that her father had known the trnth ; she felt that it was not necessary to reveal the fact that he had been playing his own game and caring nothing for the feelings of either Miles Ford or Jack Cathcart.

“ What a strange story,” exclaimed Grace ; then she added in a lower voice ; “ Do you think that Jack will ever forgive mo?” “ I don’t know, I think he,has felt your cruelty very much. Yes, it’s no use denying it, you were cruel. You flaunted in his face the fact that you were a Doyle of Doyle Court, while he was a nameless man. If I know anything of Jack he will resent it bitterly,** “ Oh, Stella, you are very hard. I only wanted him to understand that I could never marry him.”

'i Well, I don't suppose he’ll ft sls you again. I expect you’ll live and die a Doyle of Doyle Court and he the last of them,” so id Stella with energy. She wanted Grace to suffer in return for what Jack had suffered. “You arc very cruel, and—and I 'have suffered. You don’t think I could send him away like that and not suffer ?” exclaimed Grace.

“ I don’t know, I begin to think you are a very hard-hearted girl.*’ “ Perhaps I am but I have longed to go and tell Jack how sorry I dm and that I would join him in America as soon as he had got enough money to keep a wife.” “ Why didn’t you ? He would have believed you then, now he will only think you were saying it because he was Cathcart of Millwood Hall,” said Stella. “I wish I had, but I couldn’t forget that I was a Doyle.” “ Well, I don’t suppose you are likely to fouget it now, as you’ll probably sign yourself Grace Doyle to the end of your life, unless you choose to marry some other man whom you don’t care a rap about,” said Stella, who was determined to make Grace suffer for the way she had treated Jack.

For answer * Grace hurst into a flood of tears, and as Stella saw her grief was really genuine she relented and tried to soothe her friend tolling her that it would all come right in the end.

“ You arc just Raying It to comfort mo but I feel that Jack will never forgive me ami I deserve it,” she sobbed ; then, as she heard her father’s voice at the window she said :

“I cannot let him see me like this, Stella. Good-bye,” and Grace left the room as her father stepped through the open window into the room.

“ Why is your horse waiting, Stella ? I understood jou wore coming here and I was hoping you would cheer Grace ; she isn’t in the best of spirits,” ho said. “ I’ll come over pretty often, but I’ve arranged to stay at the Hall for a little while.”

“ Of course, if you prefer it,” and the Major’s manner stiffened. ’“Peryou will bo taking up your residence there permanently ?” he said, in a tone that puzzled her. “ I live at the Hall ! What do you mean, Major ?” .“ I thought you might remain as Mrs. Jack Cathcart,” he said, trying to speak indifferently, but she saw that he was in reality very much in earnest. “ I shall never marry him ; we are very good friends, but that is all. I shall marry the man I love, and he is Miles Ford.”

The Major looked incredulous, then he whistled softly.

” I bcig your pardon, Stella, but you' surprised me,” he said. “ Didn’t my father say anything to you ?” she asked. ‘-‘Not a word. In fact, he said he expected you to make a first-class marriage. I don’t think he’ll ever consent to your marrying Miles Ford, will he ?”

“ Perhaps not !” Stella replied. She thought it just as well not to tell him she was going to take the law into her own hands, so she said good-bye to the Major who accompanied her to the door and watched her mount her pretty brown pony, then he stood gazing after her. “ What a pity for such a lovely girl to bo in love with a fellow like Ford, with her monej and face she should marry a duke. But Swift won’t allow her to have this person,” he reflected as he re-entered the house.

While he was thinking of Stella and the blunder lie thought she had made his daughter—who had locked herself in her room—was weeping bitterly. She had repented of her words to Jack, and now she knew they were untrue, that he was not the nameless man she had scorned, she repented still more, and Stella’s words that unless she married some other man she would probably live ami die Grace Doyle of Doyle Court had convinced her that. Jack would nove'r forgive her.

CHAPTRR XXXVII

‘‘Yes, you will give me the keys of

your heart, Yes, we will lie married, and never part. Yes, I will walk, yes, I will talk, Yes, I will walk and talk with thee/’ The sun shone brightly on Stella as she stood at the altar in the

Congregational Church on her birthday. She looked very lovely in her simple white serge gown and large white straw hat with the white silk scarf wound round it. Miles looked radiantly ha,ppy, and the words he uttered a a he took her for better or worse promising to love and cherish her, were spoken in a clear distinct tone, that had a ring of triumph in it. Lady Annette and Mrs. Ford stood behind the bride, while Jack stood near the bridegroom. None of Ford’s people know that their pastor was bo bo married. A rumour of his engagement to the American lady who was staying at Millwood Hall had got abroad, but the fact that they wore to he married soon had been purposely kept secret as they did not want Swift to hear of it and try to interrupt the ceremony. It had been as easy matter to keep the event. Qjuiet, as Miles’s friend who was to take bis place was to marry them.

At last the ceremony was over, Stella had signed her maiden name for the last time, and, leaning on her husband’s arm she passed out of the church looking like a sunbeam, her face was so full of joy and happiness. Then before getting into the carriage that was to convey them to the station, Stella said good-bye to her friends. As she and her husband took their seats In the carriage the clock chimed the half-hour after eight. “ Now, I must put this cloak on, or the good folk In the station may think I look like a bride ; you see I haven’t the slightest touch of colour about me,” said Stella, as Miles helped her to fasten the long dust cloak of pale grey. u Look, there’s that girl !” she exclaimed as she pointed to Julie, who was standing, gazing after the carriage, with an expression so malevolent that Stella shuddered. " Don’t look at her,” said Miles. Then as the carriage turned a corner they lost sight of her, but the expression of bitter hatred with which she had regarded Stella had dimmed her happiness, and it was not until they had left Millwood behind them that she regained her brightness. “So he’s married her ! If I'd only known I’d have tried to stop it,”- thought Julie, who had come out directly after breakfast, going in the direction of the minister’s lodgings In the hope of seeing him, but the two carriages from the Hall—she recognised the livery—standing outside the chapel attracted her attention, and she was thinking of going inside, when Ford and his bride came down the steps and she had watched —her heart full of bitter hatred of the girl who had won the love of the man whom she almost worshipped—until the carriage containing the newly married couple was out of sight ; then she waited until the other carriage with Lady Annette and her son in it had driven away and Mrs. Ford and the new minister had walked slowly in the direction of Ford’s lodgings. After standing a moment Julio suddenly turned towards the station. She couldn’t have given a reason for doing so. Nevertheless, she went quickly forward, and had almost reached the station when .a train came rushing in and a moment later she saw Mr. Swift come through, - the gate. He wTb? walking briskly, and appeared in the best of spirits, hut as his eyes rested on her a subtle change came over his face, and pausing he said ; “ Good morning, Miss Julie, I did not expect to see you at this early hour. I’ve been travelling all night.” “It’s a pity you didn’t get here an hour earlier,” she answered. “ There wasn’t a train from the junction sooner, but I—” “ You should have ordered a special, It would have been worth your while,” she said, shortly. “ Why ?” and there was uneasiness in his tone.

“ Because if you’d been here an hour sooner you’d have been in time to prevent Mr. Ford marrying your daughter, but you’re just a little too late, you’d pass their train outside Millwood.”

So Stedla had kept her word and married the parson. He had anticipated some trouble, but that she would settle the matter so quickly, he hadn’t expected. Ford had been one too many for him. Ford and his mother had beaten him twice but he would have his revenge, Stella should never have a penny of his money, and he remembered his threat that he would marry again. Turning to Julie, he said : “ I was going to Doyle Court, but I don’t care to go now, I want to talk to you. Do you know a nice quiet spot whore we could have a chat ?” he asked.

“ Yes. If we go and sit in the church porch there’ll |be no one to hear what we have to say. I mean, Millwood Church, not Ford’s little chapel.” “ Yes, it’s nice and handy,” he replied, and then turned in the direction of the church.

In a few minutes they reached the gate leading into the churchyard and passing up the broad gravel path, with gravestones on each hand they came to the porch, which had seats at the side. Swift sat down, and taking the girl by the hand drew her on to the seat beside him then lie looked curiously at her as he said: “ You and I became acquainted in a strange way.” “ Yes, but that doesn’t matter now —I want to know what you axe goingl to do to serve your daughter out. I know you are mad with her. You won’t give her any money ?” she asked looking keenly at him. He smiled, and Ihero was something cruel in it as he said : “ You are right, I am what you call mad with her, and she won’t have any of my money. I want you to help me to punish her.” Julie’s eyes brightened.

“ I'll gladly do that. If she had never come here, Mr. Ford would have married me.’’

Swift smiled again. He knew well enough that Miles Ford would never have married Julie, that she was not the type of girl he would have chosen still it was better she should think Stella had come between her and happiness, so he said : “There's one waj you can serve her out. I want you to marry me.” “ Marry you,” and Julie shrank back.

“ Yes. I’ve not exactly fallen in love with you. Men don't do that at ray time of life, but I admire you, and I can give you everything a pretty girl like you longs for. You would be mistress of a grand house, and spend as much as you like on dress. You’d have carriages to drive in, and all the good things of life ; moreover, you would have taken Stella’s place. She has stolen the man you love from you, and in return 3on take the position she has stepped from. She would be poor, and you would be rich. It’s a grand revenge,” he said, watching her face.

She looked curiously at him, scarcely able to realise that this man who was so far above her in social position, was asking her to be his wife; and as she looked, instead of the cold, cynical face, she seemed to see that of Miles Ford, noble and good. 0 I cannot marry you,” she said.

He laughed. v Why not? Miles Ford can never he anything to you, and I offer you a glorious future. Granted I’m old enough to be your father, I’ve still a long stretch of life before me, and I mean to he a power in this country. I shall get into Parliament, I shall r give large sums in charity, and within a few years I shall have a title. Of course, I must buy a grand place, Millwood Hall will be nothing to the place I shall purchase, and yon will be mistress of it ; your children, not Stella’s would inherit it. Won’t that he a punishment to her ?” he said. She didn’t answer, but stole another look at him, and a desperate struggle went on in the girl’s heart. She knew if she married this man, with the cold, sneering face, that looked so cruel at times, she would end in hating him ; hut Miles was lost to her for ever, so what did it matter. She would he rich and have a great position, and above all, it would enable her to have her revenge on Stella whom she hated. “ I’ll marry you,” she said, curtly. He smiled.

“ You’re a sensible girl and a very pretty one,” he said, as he drew her to him and kissed her two or three times, thinking it would he pleasant to have such a pretty girlish wife. She tried to free herself, but it was useless, until he let her go ; then she said in an angry tone : *' That kind of thing is not in the bargain.” Swift smiled as he said ; “ My dear child, you don’t think I could be engaged to such a charming girl and not kiss her. And now we have settled we shall be married, the sooner we get married the better ; your people might object, and I’ve no fancy to come courting in Millwood, so I propose to return to London at once and get a special license, then we can get married the day after to-morrow.” Julie started. She hadn’t thought of such a hasty marriage. Then she told herself there was no reason to defer it ; if she was going to marry Swift, as well at once as later ; so she answered, shortly : " All right.” Swift regarded her with an amused look. He knew there were hundreds of girls in society who would be glad to marry him, a millionaire ; and for a moment he felt inclined to tell this love-sick girl that he’d been chaffing her, and had no intention of marrying her ; but even as the thought arose he reflected that Julie might suit his purpose better than a wife higher in the social scale, with tm host of aristocratic relations behind her. She might, if it suited her, defy him ; and he couldn’t get rid of her ns easily as he had done of Stella—a wife couldn’t be turned off penniless because she asserted her own will. No, what he wanted was a wife who —no matter how she might kick against it —would be forced to obey him in everything. Of course, Julie would he difficult to manage, but that would add spice to his married life ; moreover, she was very pretty. These thoughts passed so quickly through his mind that Julie had not time to wonder at his silence, when he said :

“ You had better not tell your mother that we are going to he married. Just put a few things in. a bag and send them to the station, then you can meet me here, and we’ll go right away as soon as we are married. You can post a letter to your people explaining matters. I’ll take you to Paris for a time," and you can buy frocks.” Julie’s face brightened, even then she was not indifferent to frocks, and he saw it.

“ If you mind what you are about you’ll have a real good time,” ho said.

‘ ‘ Why do you want to marry me ? I'm sure you’re not in love with me,-” she said. " I want a mistress for my house, and if I don’t love you I admire you. Will that satisfy you ?” he said, as he turned to leave the porch, then paused, saying : ” The vicarage joins the churchyard, I think 7” “ Yes, that path leads into the garden,” she answered, pointing sideways.

” All right. You will wait here until I return, to tell you what arrangements I have made.”

As he left the porch she stopped out on to the path and watched him

go towards the vicarage. “He’s going to give me a real! good time. I wonder what sort of a time he’ll have,” she muttered and there was something mocking in her tone that boded ill for Swift’s future, (To be Continued.)