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35"., I THE AC-‘IRL’.S‘" OWN PAPER.
with a feeling of such helpless misery as
she had never known before in the course
of her short life. The Mouse cried openly,
Miss Briggs whisked her handkerchief
out of her pocket at intervals of every
few minutes, and Hilary's forced cheer-
fulness was hardly less depressing. As
for Rex himself, he was perfectly quiet
and composed, but his voice had a hard,
metallic ring, and his face looked drawn
and old. Lettice could not bear to look
at him, for it seemed to her that there
was more evidence of suffering in his set
composure than in all the demonstrative
,grief of his companions.
Conversation languished over tea, and
at last Hilary suggested music as a last '
resort. If there were music there would
be a chance of moving about, and put-
ting an end to these death-like pauses.
Rex could speak to Norah, which no
doubt he was longing to do, but so soon
as music was suggested, the curate
begged eagerly to hear Miss Norah
play, and she rose to get her violin with
the usual ready acquiescence. Norah
had made immense strides during the
three last years, and was now a per-
former of no mean attainments. It was
always a treat to hear her play, and this
afternoon the wailing notes seemed to
have an added tenderness and longing.
Lettice bit her lips to keep hack the
tears, while she watched Rex’s face
with fascinated attention. He had
pushed his chair into the corner when
Norah began to play, shaded his eyes
with his hand, and beneath this shelter
he gazed at her with the unblinking,
concentrated gaze of one who is storing
a memory which must last through long
years of separation. How often in the
bungalow home in India the scene in
this English drawing-room would rise
before him, and he would see again the
tall, girlish figure in the blue serge
dress, the pale face leant lovingly
against the violinethe face which was
generally so gay and full of life, but
which was now all sad and downeast!
Lettice followed Rex's example and
turned to look at her sister. Dear
Nonie! there was no one in the world
like her! How sweet and gentle she
looked. No wonder Rex hated to say
good-bye-he would never find another
girl like Norah Bertrand. . V
The curate was loud in his expression
of delight when Norah laid down her
bow, but Rex neither spoke nor moved,
and Hilary in despair called upon the
other visitor to sing a song. The curate
had a pleasant little tenor pipe of his
own, and could play accompaniments
from memory, so that he was ready
enough to accede to the request. His
selection, however, was notverylarge, and
chiefly of the ballad order, and the open-
ing bars brought a flush of nervousness
to Hilary's cheeks-“The Emi rant's
Farewell!” XVhat in the word had
induced the man to make such a choice?
An utter want of tact, or a mistaken
idea of singing something appropriate
to the occasion 9 It was too late to stop
him now, however, and she sat playing
with the fringe of the tea-cloth, hardly
daring to lift her eyes, as the words
rang through the room-
“ I’m bidding you a long farewell,
My Mary kind and true,
But I'll not forget you, darling,
In the land I'm going to.
They say there's bread and work
for all,
And the sun shines always there,
But I'll ne'er forget old Ireland,
Be it fifty times as fair! ”
Could anything be more painful-
more disconcerting? As the last notes
rang out she darted a quick glance at
Rex, and to her horror saw the glimmer
of tears in those “ masterful” eyes,
which had hitherto been so scomfully
free from signs of weakness.
The next moment, and before the
choruses of “thank you's” had died
away, Rex was on his feet, holding out
his hand with an air of’ defiant in-
difference.
“I must go; it is getting late.
Good-bye, Hilary. Good luck! ”
" Oh, good-bye, Rex! I am so
sorr 4’
“ Good-bye, Lettice. You will be an
old.married woman when I see you
again.”
“Good-bye, dear, dear Rex. Take
care of yourself. C-come back soon ! ”
“ Miss Briggs! Mr. Barton! Thank
you yery much. Oh, yes, I shall get on
all right! Good-bye, little Mouse--give
me a kiss ! "
“Good-bye, darling, darling Rexe
and I've worked a book-marker for you
with ‘Forget-me-not’ in red worsted.
It's gone in the post to-day, and you will
get it in the morning."
" Thank YOU, Mouse. I'll use it
every day of mylife. Good-bye, Norah l "
“ Good-bye, Rex.”
That was all. A short grasp of the
hand, and he was gone. The glass
door banged behind him, footsteps went
crunching down the gravel, and Norah
stood like a frozen statue of despair in
the dim, fiagged hall. For one moment
only, then Lettice seized her by the arm,
and dragged her hurriedly along the
passage. ‘Such a flushed, determined
Lettice, with sparkling eyes, and quick,
decisive tones ! -
“Norah! You can't let him go away
like that. You. can't l-It's inhuman!
The poor boy was crying when Mr.
I3artpn was singing. I saw the tears
in his eyes. He went away because he
could not bear to stay any longer. And
you never said a word ! Oh, run, run-go
out of the side door, and cut across the
shrubbery to meet him at the gate. Oh,
Norah, quick. It is your last chance!
Think! You may never see him again l "
T.he.last words put an end to any
hesitation which Norah may have felt.
s...
“E!
Lettice held the door open, and she
rushed out into the drizzling rain, hat-
less, cloakless, as she was, forgetting
everything but that awful suggestion
that she might never see Rex again.
Down the narrow path, where a few
weeks before she and Rex had first dis-
cussed thejourney to India : across the
plot of grass where Geraldine had her
garden, and there, at the opening into
the carriage drive, stood Rex himself,
staring before him with a strained,
expectant glance, which gave way to a
fiash ofjoy as Norah's tall figure came
in sight.
“I thought you would come! I
.thought you would not let me go away
without aword!” he said, and Norah
gave a little sob of emotion.
‘.‘lVhat can I say? You know all I
feel. I shall think of you all the time.
and wish you good luck; and every
night when 1 say my prayers--”
“ I know!
Rex turned his head aside quickly, but
Norah saw that he was trembling with
emotion, and waited in awed suspense
forhis next words.
“ Norah-it is a long time-three
yearsefive years-I can’t tell which it
may be. I shall think of you all the
time. There never will be anyone else
for me; but it will be different with you.
You will meet new friends up in London.
There will be other fellows-better than
lam-who will care for you too. Per-
haps when I come back you will be-
married.”
“ No, Rex, don’t be afraid.
like that. I never forget.”
He gripped her hand, but made no
answer, and they stood together in a
silence which was sweet to both, despite
the rain, the gloom, the coming separa-
tion. Norah was the first to find her
voice.
“ You will write home often; and we
will send you all the news. ‘ The time
will soon pass, and you will enjoy the
life and the strange new country." She
looked into his face with a flickering
smile. "They say there's bread and
work for all, and the sun shines always
there.” I
“ But I'll not forget you, darling, be
it fifty times as fair! " came the answer
in a strained, hoarse whisper. Poor,
shy Rex! Even at the moment of part-
ing it was agony to him to speak that
word of endearment, and havingsaid it,
he was consumed with embarrassment.
Norah was still tingling with delight,
when her hand was seized in a painful
grip, :1 gruff “ Good-bye, Norah l "
sounded in her ears, and she was left
alone in the garden path.
She put up her hands to her face and
sobbcd in helpless misery-
“ Oh, Rex, Rex! Five long, long
years! Oh, God, be good to my boy-
take care of him l-Bring him back safe
and well!”
I am not
(Ta 12: continued.)
I thank you, Norah.” '
--s..a..a
L
