The Newtown bee., 1880-07-14

lend any ardor to his suit.
 The chief had given the tranquil and ready assent, which was a matter of course where every whim of his idoliz- ed and only daughter was concerned, i until he heard Gerald's name, when, | without any apparent reason, he per- emptorily ordered Kawara to forget her fancy for an Englishman, for Gerald should certainly never become her hus- band; but the princess remained un- moved at menaces, entreaties, threats of disinheritance, etc., and calmly followed her own inclinations, as she had done all her life, for the chief, who was the ter l TOT of his tribe. was the mere slave of his daughter.
 | Gerald's visits were frequent, and des- | perately he tried to become interested in the uncongenial creature, with whom | his life was to be passed, and who, in her stolid, indifferent way, seemed to | find daily more pleasure in his society. | She scrupulously observed all his direc- | tions as to dress, department, etc.. and | Gerald sometimes marveled at sort of innate refinement which she revealed. But day by day his antipathy toward such a marriage increased, and the morning before his wedding-day found him with heart like lead and face from which youth and hope seemed to have fled, but with never thought of regret, riding slowly toward the Maori encampment.
 To his surprise, instead of finding Kawara awaiting his arrival as usual, he was received by the chief himself, who had until then steadily refused to have anything whatever to do with his | future son-in-law.
 An hour later could this be Gerald, with radiant face and shining eyes, devouring the space which stretched | bet the .encampment and Timaru at mad, breakneck pace, which cer- tainly would speedily have brought to grief b tn horse and rider had not the distance happily been so short-an ex- ceedingly rash expenditure of wind and muscles, as there was not the slightest need of haste, for in Gerald's bounding 1 heart joy and gladness were telling him merrily, gleefully, that the iron load which had been crushing all light and peace from his soul was at last lifted, and he had all his life long for hope and happiness.
 eff Lawrence were only here," he muttered, as he dashed up the stairs to his room, we should be afraid to say how many steps at time. Dear old chap, he will be almost as much de- lighted as I am!"
 | MllGS dWdy III SdlllOIult, lLdWlcHCe received. two weeks later, the following l hastily epistle, which was all | that was necessary to crown the happi- ness of the newly-wedded pair:
 "DEAR OLD LAWRENCE: Send your condolences st once, my boy, or your congratulations, whichever you prefer, i for capricious fate has stolen from me wife and given me a- Wait little I'm beginning at the end, like a woman. But I'm altogether too worked up to be coherent, In fact, I'd give all my old boots if you were only here to tell me il the individual penning these lines is really Gerald Cliffe, or was it some other chap who rode over to the Maori camp this morning to pay visit to his lady love, was received by her fierce and un- appreciative paternal relative, and calm | ly informed that he might be off about | his business, it not being the custom in either savage or civilized society for a man to marry his sisterP
 "There, the murder is out, old boy Are your eyes we'll rolled up and every hair standing properly on endP For true it is that Kawara is none other than my half sister, Alice, supposed to be drowned when two years old, but really stolen away by Maori to gratify some grudge against my stepfather. | lDG culC1 or tIle GEIDe Htiu HO CuIIolCu, took fancy to Alice, adopted her, and she never knew until to day that she is not really his child. The discovery doesn't seem to affect her much. l offered to take her to her father, who as you know, lives in Auckland, but she declines, saying that although she had 8 fancy for an Englishman as a hus- band, she is quite satisfied with the second father Providence has given her.
 :. I feel suspicion that you will be heartless enough to rejoice at my dis comfiture. but, being of an amiable dis position, lose no time in affording you this unfriendly satisfaction. Verify, wonderful are the ways of Providence Fortune has evidently doomed your friend to single blessedness, as well as to continue still in your debt, old fel' low. Shall I never get even with you I wonder? My compliments to Mrs Lawrence. I am sure Of her sympathy in this upsetting dispensation. Youl defrauded friend. GERALD CLIFFE." 1 s And thai is the man l called com monplace and dull, D murmured Claire remorsefuny, as two teardrops fell upor the rather untidy-Iooking letter.