SHORT STORY

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 363, 23 April 1903, Page 7

SHORT STORY

' I hare my marching orders,' laid the man, with aa assumption of cheerfulness (hat was rather ovardone, 'and I most go to town to-night. The 'Lavidia* sails for China early tomorrow from Tilbury Docks.' He was looking oat over the sea, in indication watching the ship that would carry him across a new world and a new life, away from all the perplexities of the one he waa leaving behind. The.girl to whom he spoke, Marvel Ingrom, lifted her eyes, and looked at him with a glance that told of many feel, ings—-love, regret, pride, self-sacrifice, warring with each other in her heart. They were leaning ever the low wall tliat divided the rectory garden 'rom the down, purple with heather, that lay betwixt them and the ocean. Only the distance of a stone's throw, yet what a world of possibilities was in the space that divided Marvel's quiet country home from the changing future that might be waiting beyond the Sees for Langley Home! 'lt is unlucky for me that I should have been closen for this berth,' he k ecu- ; tinned. 1 The firm looks for great things from the establishment of a new bank at Shanghai, .and the chief particularly mentioned thai something more than-, mere clerk's-w.rk would be wanted. • Oar * representative mist be well educated, well balanced, enterprising, and yet discreet. We shall give him full discretion- .' ary powers, and a good salary with a chance of rising in the firm. We shall not be slow to recognise his merits if he succeeds. In a word, we want a gentleman with a good business head upon his shoulders, and with no nonsense about him.' That is what he said.' She had come a little nearer to him while he spoke, a glow of sympathetic pride in his words lighting up her face—a beautiful face at all times, but lovelier than usual at this mom<>nt with the stress of her emotion; 'And they chose you out of all the other applicants ?' she said softly. '1 am not surprised, Langley. I kto <r you will make the success they hope for, and that you will be a partner in the firm some day. lam glad that you are going—for your sake.' There was a tremor in her voice as she finished speaking, and she turned aside, to let the mist that clouded her right vanish before he noticed ,t, He was silent, strangely troubled. It had seemed an easy and pleasant thing during his autumn holidays to beguile the tedium of this little out of-the-way fishing village by a friendship with the rector, and a growing comradeship with the rector's only daughter, ' She was so simple-minded, yet so intelligent, so lovely, yet so unspoilt; and she belived in him so thoroughly; indeed, her faith in his powers and attributes was even greater than his own—and Langley Hume was not a diffident man. But though he had told himself all along that nothing could come of their companionship but a memory more or lees tender and lasting, he found it harder than he had dreamed to say good-bye to Marvel in this twilight hour, and to leave her without any promise, any sweet confession, given or demanded. ' I am sorry to go,' he said at last in a low voice, 'but I pappose it is best. One has one's way to make in the world; there is the future to think of. Hre in this lovely, lonely place—with yen—is Paradise, but——' He made a gesture expressive of disillusionment laterHe had not meant to say so much; to hint even that her presence was necessary te his Bden; but the proximity of the girl's sweet face, the thrill of subdued feeling that seemed to vibrate from her heart to his, weakened his self-control. ' So,' he resumed more steadily, after another pause, 'it must be good-bye. I wonder if we shall ever meet again ? I hope so, " I shall not forget the happy dajs I have spent her. We have been good friends, have we not, Marvel ? ' She had turned very pale, and had taken a step away from him. Some intuition had come to her of the meaning. of his studied conventional phrases.* The tears that would have been possible to her a few momenta before, were held in check now by the womanly pride that came to aid her girlish self-betrayal 'Quite good friends,' she answered gravely. ' And the days have been happy, as yru say; but I feel there are much better ones in store for you across the sea. It is best that you should go; and you get on splendidly, I know. You will have our very beet wishes for your future.' He looked at her with surprise; the conventional words and manner, dictated by bis own, were not to his taste. He felt an unreasonable desire to recall the emotion that had made her lips quiver, and filled her eyes with the ' light that never came over land and sea.' ' And is that all you have to say to me!' he exclaimed, taking her hand in hia. For a moment she allowed it to rest there then looking at him with reproach ai_d renunciation in her steadfast gaze, she said: ' That is all, except—Qocd-bye 1' And as he watched her slender, erect figure walking away from him down the garden path, he realised that she was going opt of his life, and that he should miss hex more than to his self-sufficiency he had thought possible. Yet he did not call her back; he repressed the words that clamoured near his lips for uttennce, for he said to himself: 'lt would be a fatal handicap; I should be -orry fcr it by-and-by!' • Will, you come round Borne of the studios with rae.HuraeF It is Show Sunday, you know. You will see some good portrait*.' Langley Hume, home for the third time oft leave 'from his Shanghai billet, had found town a little dull, until he dropped into the Sports Club, and met one or>two*old friends, procaic enough, but usaful to fill up .the gap. He accepted the invitation accorded to him by one of these j and presently, after brief visits to several well-known artiste' houses, where the usual motley crowd of

The Line of Progiession.

friondly critics came and went, the friend said: 'Now, we have just one more, and I think it will be the most interesting of all. M*aa Da vine is a new star in the painting world, but a very brilliant one. She exhibited at the Academy for the first time last year—wa3 hung On the line —and her picture sold for a thousand guineas be ore the week was out You mest have heard of it even in your exile. It was called ' A Laggard in Love.' • I fancy I did,' Langley answered. 'ls une aycung woman, this genius P' 'Quite young, very attractive,and an unusual woman altogether; her history is a romantic one.' Their cab had stopped now at the door of a large red-brick house enclosed in its own picturesque garden standing on the borders of St John's Wood. A line if carriages filled the drive; through the open hall door a crowd of smart people could be seen congregated at tea in the wide, eld-fashioned hall. Langley found himself being presented to a beautiful woman, with serene eyes and the bearing of a great lady. There was soree'hing eddly fimiliar about her unfamiliar face and figure; a haunting recollection that pursued Langley while we wandered up the shallow oak staircase into the ctudio, and along the picture-gallery that formed one side of the house. I .Then, aa he bent down to inspect more *cl sely a little picture of heathered down and grey expanse of sea, wondering where and when he had stood upon such a spot, a voice at his side said quietly, ' I wonder if ■ you remember that, Mr. Hume V And with a flash of illumination—voice and picture together carrying him back to an evening twelve years before, when lie had said a fat ewell in the twilight—be knew. 'Marvel!' he exclaimed, turning quickly to fit the voice to the remembrance; and then was speechless with amazement, for his hostess was at his side, and they were alone in the gallery. You are surprised,' she said, smiling, 1 yet I recognised you directly you entered. Only it was not a good opportunity for greeting an old friend' She had stretched ont her hj and to him in gracious welcome, and he took it, still silent, trying to believe that this selfpossessed and queenly personage was the little girl from whom in his egotistic complacency he had. parted, convinced that she would prove a handicap. • Yen are a great man now, I expect,' she said, gently withdrawing her hand—- ' the head of your firm by this time, no doubt. Married, perhaps?' ' No,' he admitted, ' I am only manager still, with higher salary, but more work. The thing waa not such a success after all, and I think,' he hesitated, 'perhaps I over-estimated the easiness of it—or else my own ability.'. It was unlike him to acknowledge even partial defeat, but he felt a sudden humiliation at the difference of their relative positions. | His own affair was, after all, a very' mediocre one. She replied sympathetically, and he was drawn on to tell her some of his mistakes and failures, finally asking her to explain how it was that he found her under a different name and circumstances. 'My father died,' see said, ' and an old lady who had found out what she was kind enough to call my artistic talent, adopted me, and turned me into a painter. When she died she left directions in her will that I should take her name. That is all.' 'And you have not forgotten those happy days ?' he said, p inting to the little picture. * How I wish they could cc me over again !' A sudden hope had sprung to life within him. • I remember them,' she said softly, ' but I have outlived them. I cculd never go back to them again. I live now only for my art. No other life would be possible to me.' She turned' to leave the gallery, for some friends were entering it, and be said hurriedly: , ■ 'But I may come to see you.again, Marvel ?' ' Oh, surely,' she said, ' you are such an' old friend. 'But lam very bpsy always, and. later I go to Italy. So-thatif we miss you.must forgive me.' . And he realised how fain was the hope that the past might be retrieved. 'Now, Hume, we must be getting along,' said his friend's voice, breaking in upon his reverie. * Why, my dear fellow, you have had a surfeit of pictures, evidently. You look as if you had seen a ghost.' ' F" I have,' murmured Langley to himself; the ghost of my chance of happiness.'—Bxatbice Hebon- Maxwell.