NOVEL.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 413, 14 April 1904, Page 6

NOVEL.

« ail bat -taia'teUac:* M ?©«*-;#*? bn> |bw crag and flapped, Wett* We* teatants, jdriftia K seaward! m wide elliptic linesHUid ever again returning. Witfreyery nmmentihe sympathetic commotioi gre*wDder, ■ tortU - Btfddeily * gnat blade bird came tumbling doim the ladgea of the-rbdrraad fell helplessly among the sioaea. The othe*rcee triumphantly mto the air, fofiowed by a clamorous crowd of admirers, Harold arose and A picked up the bleeding cormorant* .Which fr ; . was half Btunned by the fall, and from an impulse of pity thrust his knife into its f? heart. Then he flung it at his feet and gated meurnfnlly at it : j "; other's peaceend happiness as were these buds in their bHnd fury. I don't know i»e if the quiak murder is not; preferable' to msm&*"**4 He sat long pondering, olenchißg bis flits instinctively' at the thought of the £ indignities he had silently suffered. > , usvj'j*Ho/by Jepitert >t*i&ttk&ft'-3tino longer/ he cried, springing up andi shaking his fiat against the sky. 'I will go Fired with he turaed hotly about; thea paused with an exclamation of'wonder; "He found hinueU face to face . .with n jouag girl,—&-slender, delicate thing, with large bloe child-like'eyeH and blonde hair which fell smoothly over a sthplJe, narrow forehead, SioX, J * Hilda,', he cried, -what are you doing cut seTkW vol 'laaw the cormoraats flght, J fiho'fsaids «j breathlessly *.; I.camettor separate them.:: "* I ran with all my might, but. I. camejtDo|i late.' ■'■.'..'pu/-i». m.'iij g!ii»uy ( § heb> ! Hoi t*4mgmmmuc? *■> iii'*- uc'i ba£ J .£ ™I ; :;fiWbjK-.didjK»ii§BUifc to sepaxatethern f| • hj asked mm , , H.: __--»' 2 r Wh Jt of course, because it is' wicibd- • -*■%' ngW and- because I«SSrtf fc'want ttei poor bird to get hurt.' .qedsasm | do jtairnoW rmf?fnS(r hftTs been the one that commeneed the flghtf I I .■iaUKkffiaO I iMfeifcWttJJwafo be: . hurt, whether he deserves it ox not.' - ; i? Ag as-one "ftnrileVWan^ sd.f 'Too are in that Kepe<jt :diflerenCfjom.: s : meat creatures, Hilda/ he said, r,' L«ok ati auka, how they axe screaming fheisEalyea.' hoarse, celebrating the victor^^while'noone i roubles himself about the* poor rascal* who 1-a i <sa*d their en the sand. 1 c * Yes, I*jfronblr<nyßelf about him/!; shei answf down and patting the; '•wh\Kfi^nkU^ fc *at3nglyvai!f addretsln^the cormorant; 'if I had my way; ao onp should ba permitted tq strike or maltreat any one.' He scarcely listened to what she said, but stood regarding hex pretty stooping - figure with compassionate interest. >. / ; Hilda,' Ee said with a sort of mournful ' flippancy, 'then "you ought to be very fen* of me, I have a bad time c£ it.' ■ ! __J3liTf> ynn f! ahaluuked, lookiag-np dubiously, aa if questioning whether he WM.4s>-e§MMestr»*-i thought-yon were : rather~-iather—***»'.] -..^■-^■i She paused and looked away ia embarrassment. ' Now, oat with it: yon thought I was a bad lot; wasn't that it V ' ' •He, aot exsctly that,' she protested . feebly and with increasing bewilderment, ''.■* bub but' -"■ '. fc uwi.fc.Kf*.! ' ' But something very near to ifc* hie supplied, smiling/«*lpm#e#nf#*leßr t UMt you Y -'■ She atocd shifting her weight from one foot to the other and looking anxiously over her shoulder, as if watcbing for a chance to run. * - '. x ■- * I wish you wouldn't ask me such t'ons/ she said, with little gasps between each word, like aa excited child. ' Goodsight!' " -;. 'Hold on a minute,' he responded, sailing her gently by the arm. •You needn't be afraid of me; Isha'n'tbiteyou. Now sit down here on this stone and; talk ."with me.' lam a very harmless fellow, I aseureyou.' .. "?; Bhe yielded to Hia strength rather than to his words, and seated herself timidly ' upon the stoae. ' They have been telling take about me to jou, Hilda,' ha said, stooping.dowa to catch the glance of her I eye; 'my sister Catherine has told you that I amTOl*at,haxd, and unfeeling; is it not so P .She has told me that you contradict your father,' answered the pirl evasively. - * Bet it isn't she alone. Everybody says jou are inch a wild follow." jj 'Well, if ererjbadysays it, I suppose it must be true,' he muttered sadly. I was born that way, Hilda. lam smsHSHsak . . ?* < -

► I jesiMUlip 37rf«83 00

j lit--.j ••■-' «« •••iß'jUi o<! ?*di ierc »Hc] i»»rf °- mialmar * **

v* ft.sora©f*Si Ishmasl whose aiaiflil ; everybody tat aseeybody^shaed^lsiasV T-. bim.-'Jtekag ttNtaght «-. the tHe^lsai^TspQfeei and MteyfatottfotiP^ij^i cto runaway.** s ? ! r»»c8 ti*bs*r-U# w '■>.* 1 a Ht^^name^'^i*mififf' »ii such- a bare-faced bid for Iter l sym'p«chy^« -v* but he was determined to"Wrn'hsx soofc t ; will, and;;'in W* cause"^^ -'ißtratagehrmfght weUberexisnwble.' a^e, fact was, the barrennees'of his life had "■' 'become sO oppressively' apparent, thatPa" <■ hunger for sympathy had.takenp'oasesßion' '■: -'oi; him. As he 'sat' gazing into theclear,' « : bright face of the girl, with itß dimpled ' roundness and large frank child-eyes, he 1 marreled at his owa obtuaeness' ia having - never discovered Its attractiyeaess, j He ; knew "that in thiß unawakened nature there was a fund of sweet devotion, which in all likelihood, would be given "to him who should be the first to demand it' | Td' maidens of this type there can ba no" i£ question of choosing; like the wild ; flowers by. the wayside, they, i passively. , allow thenißelves $o be chosen.. But to Harold tins will surrender was so touch- ■ irigly- vir & inal, • it" seemed' to heighten .rather than diminish the delights of the chtice. s ~ ; i%}Tr, -- rsos.nar-ii Ws* They had been silent for several minutes, but the thunder of the surf filled '■ ■" the silence and made it unnoticeable. She r sat leaning forward, with her J hands folded in her. lap and her head thrown backward. She was beginning to feel at ease and her timidity had vanished., : ~.,. 'Do you know,'she said, turning Bud- ' denly toward him, ' that Ears the .Bhoemaker's wife had twins ami they had no olothea i>t the poor little taken Iw;# ofci :thej.hadn?t had;a, and when I Wis s up there Mb morning it was the funniest I thing to see the two little upthingabte^ifioySDoufEkß in k. been ati % work/-ilf . gether forthate and "iustibeeniup there wift-;feJMl:-and clothes when I saw' '"Why, :-. terested. « j" f;. ~. not ai all; it < . is . the commonest thing Jn tab world. Thepe<Tiehßrearejo 4 ,vewpo6T;you know; ?&:tofeed & they, can have: to wbrxV | so hard that'they r have time to make preparations for the unborn.' i" Thij; wholly impersonal candor with.: I which she spoke.*fii(uae| ; and touched |.: him, and her utter" uncoßßoibusaesß that the subject she had chosen for their conV (retsation. was, tcujay the Jeaefc, uncon--H ajnoeenie TO* new • land bOwiglegß^|iiht||fef|B|||| that j her mother and father, who wers both (in a rural way) cultivated people, had not

gives her some ideaof the/world's etiquette. But, thea, of conjAel ."tjie- world wast so : remote from their'eecloHed* little valley, ~ and -they themselves had been so long . n * W »T probably; jnecef|ities "of the hour, rather than deference r'or the tfocia ideaUvof their ybntfifefiap'ed'lheir duty, speech, and istercourse. | w He must have allowed hie, features to, express some. of i;thf •, wonder, which he .felt? for she suddenly paused in her rapid narrative aad remarked dubiously, .'Of course, you know Lark the shoemaker.' . ,'-, : No, he had been so long away froujh'ome that he had no longer any vivid recollection of Lars the shoemaker. r,c«T •/•■'Why, is it possible P' she cried iri astonishment. V Why, he remembers "you perfectly. He used, to make your shoes always when you were a little boy-and jhOjtold meAat you.' were terribly hard on shoes.' 'Td"rather make boots for a yearling colt,* he said, 'than for that harum-scarum lad of the Judge s.' -'-Why, r he was pleased to be complimentary/ said Harold laughing. 'No, not at all,' she replied with amusing literalness; *he has nothing against you, of course, bow, because it. was so

long ago; but the Judge need to scold' him and use very hard language to him, because you *ore your shoes out so rapidly.' I«f1 L/UiU"iJiu^ Harold was about to eay that he was much obliged to Lars for bearing him no ill-will for hie treatment of his boots, but a regard for her feeliage, which were as genuine as they were transparent, checked his tongue. Her interest in the twine and the importance she attached to their father's opinions added two fresh touob.es to her character, which no w stood 'out in his mind with charming completeness.' She seeded now no further encouragement to talk, She chattered on with de? I lightful vivacity about Thore Gimlemo, who believed that his wife was possessed by the devil, and pnt her, head foremost, into a tab of cold water in order to make it as uncomfortable as possible for the evil spirit, until the poor women was well, nigh drowned; about Mikkel Bamstuen's wife, who was a witch and had been seen riding across the sky on a broomstick, and Truls Oatmarkes, who had fallen in love with a gypsy girl and had given up, house and home and joined the gypsies. Wasn't it feasible i And his poor mother,

her the chapter in the Bible about him who bateth not father and mother andißon and daughter for my anteis hot wosthy lotine* bnt ebe hid takenon at 6n4h« - rate that she (Hild») had been frighfe|s&,~fc and had ..although gdienoe had since sorely accused ier» Bhe meant* to go up ib the larm'inadaj or two and comfort the poor woman again, hoping: that by that time ihewodld be more resigned, j\ di'tvt 7stiaitp9 t *$ \. In this strain ahe chattered- away «£<?*' nearly an . Jiour, he" tfcrowiae iuLanj6o • -basidnaT itfoßrbsyllablefidr" I'Mfhjq f aatk whfoh was calculated to stimulate her garrulity when It ahowed signs of flagging.> But through all- her;iacoßseauenfc talk, tjiere jpn a«<Vein o£.,rMaß-, thropis sentiment which aaimafied the homelitsfc details and made them appear beautifuL title saw her -inspirit, Kke a -bright; ; moving am >Hg %^9%^dSi*^ n ffi ; * alii' ibe -war animated %> M iindjiatanjyng.what6neh.ia feeling meWr but followed unreflectingly the* impulses '&% «ihdry'' : heaT* and 'a ? heliifhl i: tat|ira*'' ¥ven : her little excursions" bsyond jithe boundaries of convention seemed part of SftifajPftrfflpojaAm»»4 and deepened his respect for her.., ..,-., f 3gs '" They together' in'the fcwilightjibe^ocoinpanying^her to r ifie 'gaw'bf 0 Jthe'.parjjonag'e. ilfm a Moaa'b I iifmf father ;i does npfr;approv&©f Jsk, I '[» ,-«SA %nld;can;:upon-. yon 'fo-nforroV.* ai " T i««>«<i *«<**. -» | a cßtrt Infill'makeJ hint ; she. oonfidenUy. ; * Bejcaila me? IfflSW-fW*^ 1 * Aa » r # o ' *M ae dltftftr t won!* refiise. Jt>Own his'ilifted ruff. lam the-ohly bnfr in tie'souse jjeho"' :iaitsdo it?prpperly k ?Ai vsbaoM siO Moo taanfja f W»whmrf k -^? * p i6d *** *• «**«» 1 4 ianpcenfesear neatness Ij«Jbut

fhV^mij'M^ ;fhq usßtewi&a&&i ainds%toop*- bver it|tW' Imi/m&SkfiWtfl* sjss^it^antlftvjahlf .sbfteiaeaioif gall h* ?:ThefbabyinitheiCradle.';'?ui;,avj:..i t " w ;_ She did not at ome. comprehend 'his ;meau|ng, .but as it dawneduporiher; ,«the blood mouated slowly to her "cheeks and spread over her r, neer and forehead ' She" dropped' her eyes, but in a moment conquered .her embarrassment and met;bis m U ~4 nsnorH , ' T.ou should not say, such things to ibe/ 'she, wMspejfeoT a 'little '*ither* f iFouid nbtapprovfe dr»i# aeca J w . so?' But \Wfi hft.criedVJanghing.i, 'There,is always the, fluted ruff.' Andliffcinghishat.Jie.liaa-,;

9si svode isoi 00fc]J f <;fi i bfl After the first meeting scarcely -a day 1 passed that they did not meet, uatil the pretense of accident became a trans-: parenT*uoSS^' r He , ~Kad not been wrong in anticipating an To use an he had gent!y ; shaken the tree-aad the fruit had fallen*/ ripe and golden, into: his.lap., 1 was an adept in the ;ciyiUsed<art eljflb}tft,:j tibn v and thJB jeeribus 'denbuemeniqt the, affair had been visible fo ! both of' s tihem. : f^oni4he'begmßing^ , 'when the* 4 proposal came it caused no surprise, but only a little maidenly flutter; end she: p yielded-,t<},hiß, caresses,shyly,. luxaribus sense of surrender,' aad Utter self-tfiaßemeat. She gloried m 'hisiprotectingiairr his- mascnline lease' and; .possession" 0? her love. She laughed and wept with joji.when -he .conduqted ber. : into" her' father's study, and [ holding ter byibFMandh asked s foif his' ! cbnseiit : .Vo the unions the be Wildexed little 1 pastor' anasdisppiedjjlhiSjlßint filled, her with brides "and A..Ut'tlej haidiSwalft.e'b&ttle with hisowrffamilyi tm* thatf^shbhad! anticipated; ~:Fer::wheh the, Judge had' conquered his. ; first, disappointments he: KB^| ! .p.ersnac|ed himseit; that aujaarly niarriage- (bven though it were* an ■, unambitibus one) ! was'justwhat waefieeded tofgive his-BOttßtability-Of'purpbßeand-driveAheireyQlutionarywhimeout ot his* brain. And when he , had,...;reflected sufficientjly,. he. hega»l ; to congratulate Mmeelf upob J this unexpected jurn -of, affarre,* aabT only 'nWrveled* "thait^hb 5 'had not himself had the iagennity to devise: so'' simple:' a^remedy.v Harold was \ already gjatjer. an4,faore ;faaoteble ,than heJhadi Been y:' thbre cbuld. be .no". iriartiage : him. ,j>flo3s* ;i '*

' nS* man can afford to bs a radical/ said the his hands .contentedly;- ' and ttaMlPfriffittfcfr Rftfdi ballasted with all these blessings;™ I shall have the happiness.before JdiS of 58eemg3him;"a" : corpulent landowner, who proposes the* attl jft 0 i The .vision, pf fais; Bon;*8 a Btout,.middle.> aged dignitary, who has, a salute, fired from' his pier whenever: a high, ei&ciai parsonage passes in the steamboat, pleased the Judge He war'quite ready to retire from the stage as soon as ,he; should,.hare assured; : himself;; that Harold, waß equipped for the; \ respond •, bilitiea of this illustrious role.*; In spirit he saw Harold decorated with ried ribbons ana stars,-seated on the platform on public ©ccasion?,; or •advancing in-drees-: coat and white kid gfLoves toahajce hands with His Hoyal Highness Prince Sorandbo, or His Kaverence the Bishop when he made his annual visit to the'parish.: " " . ■■\' (To bs continued:)'; '"

~Mae: 'How is it that Mr Prpßtris' so, .cordially liked by everyone ?' ' he has''such a good ; memory that he knows txactly what to forget, and when.! , sd?^

.'.. J a P a C?!! 61^) s 'Did youastmamma ifyou could have that Five-year-old: 'Yesjipipa/--Papa: 'Be caxeful,,,aow; do not tell a story. Did yon ask mamma P' .<■ Five-year-old • Papa, 1 asked her. (i piiufle ); She?said."roouldn't;h»veat.»

: . t _.^The jbhrjaie, when jou gol dowh'to the e'easidb. again; your not to driak any more teawater.' ' • Johnnie: .-'Why p. It don't cost nothing.' v ;Th6; Poctor : : J But it'll make; you viry thirsty, you stupid boy.', Johnnie: 'Well, there's plenty more, isn't there f' ! '. «■«»-*' **■'] "■■ j Accordiag to a Qermaa doctor, it takea 132 days in. winter and ll§ days in summer for the human neil to be entirely renewed. Bight hand nails grow more quickly than those of the left; and the nail of the middle finger attains the greatest growth in the shprtest time. The thumb nails grow the flo'wejslf,' -'". ' ~ Z, f '''"'''.'',,' '■ ■ •