Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1920-11-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

WARNOCK.  Dick Hastings wlalked away from his unc:e's (own house in Bruton-street w.th the pleasant consciousness of being a mean cad. ILe had just definitely settled the marriage day with his cousin Hilda, Whom he did not love in the least, but to whom he 'had been iengage.d nea.rly all his life. Their respective famil es had arranged the matter. D.i.ck was heir to the title and estates of h.s u.no:e, Lord Stockton, and it ,was regarded as both natural and empedient that the should marry his uncle's wealthy daughter. The extraordinary part of it was that Lady Hilda, was a beautiful, high-spirited and charming girl, over whom more than one man .had tr.ade a fool of himself. Yet, as Dick tore wildiy along, it wile not of Hida's dark glowing beauty that he was thinking. One face seemed to be ever before him—the sweet, far, blue-eyed face of Grace B tanmere. Jule. a year ago Dick had taken a run to De onshire to visit an old school-fellow, Arthur Stanmore, who was a country curate, and there he had met Arthur's aster Grace. They had walked and cycled and pieyed tennis together, and Dick had even gone the length of visiting the sick and poor of th,e parish, feeling especially charitable when he was in tic compa.ny of Grace. Before he left, Grace had become his ideal of all that was sweeiteet in woman- One glor'ous hay-seented June evening the had kissed her under the stars; and, although, rep word of love had passed between them, they knew that they were all in al i to each other. He still remembered the lingering sadness of his fare• well, the mute appeal of her sweet eyes. Yet he had gone away and tried to forge.; her—tried to sing ;him self into the whirl of London life, and &ince attendance on h's cousin, whom his family oonfidtnty expected hrim to marry. And 'here he was, I,Vtii his wedding-day fixed, thinking of Grace, and longing for her with a searing that seemed to have increased ten-foid since he Left that draw ingroom In Bruton-street. "Hullo, Dick! Where are you rushing to, old man? Have you been committing murder?" He pulled up with a start and recognised Arthur Btan•more. "Why, Stanmore, you here l" exclaimed Dick vrith. delight. "Hadn't a notion you were in town., Where are you staying, and what are you doing?" He linked his arm in his old chum's and turned w:l4.'h "lye got a living near Horsham—just hem appointed. We ran up to town to get some th'ngs." Is Or—your sister, I mean, with you?" "Xes, we're staying wiith an aunt in Kensington. Won't you Jook us up?" Arthur's manner had gpown e., trifle colder. He had always had a suspcion that Dick hail not treated his sister quite bairly. "Thanks awfully, old man," said Dick. eagerly. Arthur gave bin the address, and they walked on gossiping about old times, till Dick was at last obliged to part from his friend with a promise that he vrou ••• • • •  Meanwhile Lady Hilda tiastings was reclining in a luxurious chaix in the draw.ng-room at Bruton-street, with a very miserable look on her handsome face. "If only Dick didn't love me, it would all be so different," she was saying to herself. "I couldn't be so. ‘booreb:y mean as to draw back on the deer honest old boy, after being *.ngaged to IT'an all my life. Oh, the.se,wratched family ezrangernonts I How I loathe—" • "Capta'n Winro," my lady." Hilda started up es though she had received an electric shock. A tall so dieriy-looking man with a scar on his face, stood in the room. _  " Kenneth I" "Hilda—my darling I" His arms were round her in a 'moment, and lbw head was on his breast. "Kenneth, wh—whic h died you carnet Oh, your poor face! Sthe gently touched hie cheek. We got into Southampton Shills morn:ng. I trildn't lose much time, did I" Hilda slowly drew ,heraell away from him. "Kenneth, there's no hope. Nothing has hap.