The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-02 00:00:00

so early. I dare say she is right. Frank says he does
not remember India a bit, and he is ever so much
older than I am.'
Not so very much, child; and Frank has muCh-fese
faculty for remembering than you have. He is less
impressionable than you are, and would not attach
himself to persons or places as you would. Eels much
more a creature of the hour than his wife will be.' _ _

'Frank is not sentimental, certainly, Helen said
with a amile. 'Sometimes I wish he were a little
more s. He does not seem to have the same feeling
about things that I have. I tell him he misses a great
deal of the beauty of life through it.'
I dare say he does,' Mr. Jarvis said. 'Here's that
young clergyman coming foil you, I suspect. They
don't like an old man monopolising you, I can see.
Here she is Mr. Gayford. She has been playing truant.
I must have her again presently.'
Horace Gay ford bowed, and told Helen they were
going to walk to a special point of view in the wood
which she must see. It was something of a climb,
and Mr. Jarvis declined to accompany them.
'I know it,' ho said; and lam lazy. I will wait
fe'r you here, and take care nobody eats up the
dinner.'

He watched the merry party up the steep path in
the weed, resolving to speak seriously to Frank
Hatherleigh as soon as he could see an opportunityl
Frank meant no harm, of course. He never did mean
any harm. But it certainly looked as if he preferred
the society of pretty Madge Churchill to that of his
betrothed wife; and there was no mistake in the
fashion of Mr. Gaylord's attentions to Helen.
'Perhaps I am wrong,' he said to himself, as he
stretched bimselt under a tree and gave himself up to
the pleasant feeling of laziness that the soft summer
air and the soft hum of birds and insects engendered.
Perhaps it is only the way that all young people go
on; but I can't have Helen's future spoilt and Frank
made to go wrong, as he would, I am pretty sure,
w thout her steady hand to keep him straight—and
all for that man's vanity_ I think my shaggy friend
of the boat yonder is right, and there's small reason
to respect Mr. Gaylord, clergyman though he is.
The bees and birds hummed him to sleep between
them, and he was awakened from a dream of bygone
days by having a whole basketful of fragrant flowers
thrown over him, and Helen and the two other girls
dectaring that he owed them a whole box of gloves
each. He had been sound asleep.
• That's a base calumny,' be said, getting up and
shaking the flowers off. have never quite lost
myself, I think. I was aware of you though I was
dreaming at the same time, and I know quite well
that not one of you has had the courage to come
nearer than long arm's length of me. What's the
next item on the programme?'
Dinner I devoutly hope,' said Frank; I am
ravenously hungry. You don't deserve any, guardy
for being so lazy.'
But they all agreed that he did when he produced
from a cunning hiding-place amongst the bracken a
basket of fruit that made their mouths water, it was
so delightfull arranged, and it served for an epergne
at their al fresco repast, being set in the middle of the
tableel )th in a garland of fresh moss.
A thoroughly enjoyable day was that in the pretty
woods by Girton's Hole, and Helen Ramsay began to
feel that the lines had fallen unto her in pleasant
places, and to forget the disagreeable fascination that
Horace Gayford exercised over her against her will.
She always felt happy and at peace in the presence of
her guardian; he was all the father she had ever
known, and she went to him with all her troubles, as
a real daughter would have done.
After dinner Mr. Jarvis claimed Helen.

You must give her up to me for a little while. Mr.
Gayford,' Mr. Jarvis said to the clergyman, tak ng
Helen to himself with an unmistakable gesture of
ownership. I want to talk to her, and I shall not
have an opportunity again for some time perhaps.'
Mr. Gayford bowed stiffly. He was not pleased at
the appearance of the lawyer in this unexpected
fashion; he had counted on having Helen to himself
a great part of the afternoon, and of making Frank
of less account in her eyes than ever. He did not tell
himself in as many words that this was his intention,
but the notion was none the less in his head; he had
no plans as yet, only one all-absorbing and devouring
idea, which was too shadowy to be put into words.
The same evil look came into his face, when the
lawyer took Helen away from him, and left him tc go
back to the other ladies alone, that Mr. Jarvis had
seen there when he was looking at Barney Grubb--a
malevolent expression very unfitting for a clergyman
to wear.
Do you like that young man, my dear? he askod
his ward, abruptly, when Mr. Gayford had gone out
of hearing. 'Never mind Mrs. Churchill, I'll go anti
be agreealo!e to her directly; she will guess that I havo
come here to talk to you. This cousin of Frank's—
does he come about her house much?'
Yes, a good deal.'
}l'm, I am sorry for that; and you find him
pleasant man?'
No I don't,' Helen said, emphatically. Some-
times I think I hate him.'

My dear child! Why?'
Ab, that's just it; J. don't know why. He is very
attentive, and most gentlemanly, and Frank, poor
fellow, thinks him the best man on the face of the
earth—and— '

'And you don't eh?'
'No, I don't; he always manages to make his
cousin appear in a paltry and insignificant light when-
ever he speaks of him, either to me or the Churchills,
and yet I could not tell you of one unkind or exactly
disparaging word he has ever said to me about
Frank,'

_ _ _
I think I can understand,' the lawyer said, quietly.
Ah, well, my child; Frank and you will be one
presen';ly, and then nothing that any man can say
will have any effect. What do you think of Mr.
Gayford as a preacher ? You went to his church, I
hear.'
Yes.'
And liked him?'
'I don't know. He frightened me more than he
interested me, I think.'
How so?' asked Mr. Jarvis, who seem bent on
getting at all the information about Mr. Gayford that
was to be obtained from his ward.

I can hardly tell,' Helen replied. I suppose it
wO3 because I had never heard anyone like him before.
It was more like being at a theatre than in church.
Everything was put before us in such a realistic)
fashion; and yet it was a most thrilling sermon—
only it was a story well told; there was nothing
else.

_
Mr. Gay fcrd preaches as be talks, then?'
Yes, that is exactly it. I wish he were somewhere
else, or that I were out of Hillford:
My dear child, do you dislike him so much?'
It is n dislike; it is—but lam very foolish—it
is nailing at all, dear guardy, only that I have
suddenly come amongst strangers, and left all my
old associations, and I don't like to bear a word
against poor Frank. He is so patient with all my
slights—and I do slight him dreadfully sometimes—
and so good, and I always feel as if I wanted to box
Mr. Gayford's ears when he says any of the un-
comfortable things that he does now and then.'
6 Why, what 4 little termagant it is,' Mr. Jarvis
said, smiling. I think, on the whole, things are
going pretty straight, after all. Come along; we will
go to Mrs. Churchill andsthe girls, and I will turn you
over to your lawful proprietor.'
Not yet, guardy, please. I want to ask you some-
thing.
Is it anything very dreadful? Anything about
money? Have you been running in debt, and want
to make a clean breast of it?'

I have hardly had time to do that,' Helen said,
demurely. 'There's no knowing what I may come to
if lam left alone. No, it ists't anything of that sort.
I want to ask you a question, guardy, dear, if I may.'
Of course you may, whatever it is.'
It is about myself, my fatker and mother, and
Frank's. I was too little when I was left an orphan to
understand ili;ngs:
Y es, you were.'
'Supposing—mind, I only say supposing—that we
were not to be married. Frank and me, would it—
would there be any difficulty about it?'
Difficulty, my dear?'
Yes. I mean is there any condition p Would he
lost, his money, or be made to pay any disagreeable
penalty?'
Mr. Jarvis turned Helen round and looked into her
face.
My dear child,' he said,' I don't know what notion
regarding your father has got into that pretty head of
yours. He would not have feaered his child so f)r
all the world. No, dear, there is no penalty. It was
his dying wish, and he gave it me in charge to bring
about, it possible. Frank's father and he were like
brothers, and they both earnestly desired that their
children should be united if it plea,;ed Heaven to spare
them to grow up. There's the whole history of Ihe
matter in a nutshell. On Thursday, if you wi I come
to me in town, I will give you all the letters I ever had
from your father on the subject, and you will see for
yourself how earnestly he wishoe you to marry
Frank.'
Thank you. And you are quite sure we are free to
do as we like. It is better that I should thoroughly
understand—is it not?'
'Much better, now that you have grown a woman.
You are as free as any other girl, my dear. But of
course the thing is settled now, and there's an end of
it.,
Y itdiesrraquite d saeltltlaebdo,'uft lietl. And now I am re
0 n said. Only it is
ready
wellteos
nto give you up to Mrs. Churchill, guardy dear. Sha
A lA
looking for you.'
• -