Sibbie, the Puritan Maiden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 14 July 1904, Page 7

Sibbie, the Puritan Maiden.

'SHORT ©TORY.

1 khow I'm going to hate the counti j!' sighed North Dire, throwing herself dejectedly into the depths of an easy-chair, and croaeisg one dainty foot over the jtber.

*lt is hard lines on jou, dear!' agreed her cousin and constant admirer, Lennie Mayborn. "Well, I don't know!* spoke a voice from the coiner. «Many a person would be glad to get away from London this hot weather, especially when they have such nice friends to visit.' 'Yea. I know lam horrid to them, bnt they nndoistand my little ways and don't mind a bit. They themselves were not pest pleased when uncle exchanged his town living for this quiet spot.' 'No, we certainly were not!' said Lennie and Evat and the latter continued: ' But I think we have grown quite content now, especially as the country air has done father 83 much good. It is altogether different for you. Our life in London was not gay like yours.' 'lt was so tiresome of that housemaid to sicken for fever just as I was beginning to enjoy my first season!' went on Norah j 'and then, of course, auntie would not hear of my staying another moment in the house, but packed me cff to you just as if ehe was glad to get rid of me.'

•Perhaps she was!' interjected Millie Gray, slyly. Norah pretended not to notice the interruption, but proceeded: ' Whatever would have happened to me if you could not have had me I don't know. -- I should have b>en left in the coadition of Mahomet's coffin, with no resting-place for the sole of my foot. And, talking of that, my poor feet will indeed be all the better for a rest, for I have almost danced them off during this one delightful month.' 'We do have some little dissipations, even here,' said Eva, a trifle hurt at her cousin's disgust with her surroundings. 'DinneT-partioa and croquet ditto, I suppose P I know the sort I Half a dozen old dowagers and prosy country squires at the dinners, and a younger batch to correspond at the croquet! Oh 1' And Bhe groaned. 'No, reallj! Not quite bo badl Only the day after to-morrow'we are to have a liver picnic. That ought to be quite a treat for you.' 'Boating suggests creatures of tho sterner Bex, cerUialy!' 'Therefore possible admirers!' put in Millie. 'Of coarse!' from Lennie. 'Many of the girls row exceedingly well,* said Eva. .'JJorone shall be only too glad to take an oar. lam just beginning to feel at home in a boat' 'Tell me whom we shall meet!' demanded Norah imperiously. 'The Smith family—' 'Of coores I Who ever heard of a picnic or. anything else at which the Smith jjL family were not repreteated P I know * them well. The father, usually short, fat, and baldheaded; mother, comfortablelooking; two rather gawky daughters, and a eon at Oxford' _• That' is really rather a good description of our Smiths,' laughed Lennie, ' except that there are two sons and only one daughter.' - ' So much the better.' 'Then there will be Mr Vera and his daughter.' 'High-nosed and aristocratic P' inquired Norah. 'Something of that sort. Then the three Miss Higginooa - 'Oh, horrors! The name savours of pork I' 'As a matter of fact, I believe it was al. which is much mora respectable.' 'Anymore? 3 ' Ourselves, of course; and Millie and Sibbie Fairfax ' ' Oh, I can picture her to a • f!' said Norah. Lennie burst out laughing, but was Bilenced by a distinct wink from Millie. •Well, what is she likeP' asked that lady. ' Very demure —of a puritanical type of countenance—staid and decorous, and much affecting deep linen collars and cuffs.' * . 'The last part of your description is „ quite true,' agreed Lennie. 'I say, North, you are a regular tip-topper at clairvoyance, or whatever it is called. How can you contrive to depict people bo well without ever having seen them f' 'lntuition, 1 suppose,' she answered lightly, without noticing the expressive irnOe on the faces of her three companions. Millie soon rose to depart, and the cousins were left alone. ' I don't like that girl 1' said Norah. 'Don't you P lam sorry, dear, for she is really a very good sort.' ' She isn't my sort anyhow. Tell me all about your friends.' 'Well, one of them will please you, I am eure,' said Lennie, with a meaning lcok at her sister. 'Andthatia P ■ «Sibbie Fairfax.' • I don't believe it. I can just imagine her, with her prim ways and cast-down eyes.' , - .. 1 Nevertheless, I dcn't mind betting that before yen have known Sibbie for an hour, you wUI be as gone on her as we all are.' •I am not!' broke in Eva hotly. «Ah, well! There are reasons V laughed Lennie * I beg your pardon I' 'Surely, you are not jealous of her, Erie !* said Norah. • Has she been trying to lure away your faithful Colin f' For some reason or other this question appeared to be a very good joke, and both Erie and Lennie laughed until they were tired. • What aggravating creatures you are!' ciied Norah at length. 'Do let me into the cause of your merriment!' 'Oh, you will know eoon enough!' answered the othere. 'Wait until Thursday, the day of the picnic' Naturally, at this the girl became only the nz're mystified, and could but arrive ' jpw-At the conclusion that the fair unknown was a girl of marvellous beauty and attractiveness, and, as thus, labelled ' dangerous' by the other marriageable young ladies of the neighbourhood. ' I wonder if she will outshine me P* she thought as Bhe stood before her lookingglass that evening. She beheld a dainty, graceful figure clad in a perfectly fitting gown of palest cream, a shapely head crowned with wavy maesae of gold-brown hair, a pair of deep grey, laughter-loving eyes, and a sweet, rosy mouth made for kisses. Certainly she was not accustomed to being outshone, and came to the conclusion that she would distinctly like the sensation. In fact, she made up her mind then and there to hate Sibbie Fairfax. ' I will take Lennie's bet,' she thought j and as eoon as possible she made him state it in straightforward terms. 'I bet you naif a dozen pair of gloves that before you have known Sbbie Fairfax an hour, you will be as gone on her an the rest of us are!' said the lad solemnly, but with a twinkle in his eye. 'That ia no sense a£ all!' she said.

'H w raa I gaogc the extent of yonr ' goneness' P No. I bet you a couple of raaors '—Lennie blushed—' that, beyond saying 'flow do you doP' when I am introduced, I will not speak twenty words of my owrr accord to this said Sibbie all through the day of the picnic !' 'Done!' cried Lennie. 'And I think I will accept that bet!' . ' No need forme to do that with aLlleV laughed Norah. stroking her yousg cousin's smooth cheeka. ' Still, it will grow in time, you know !' he said, caressing the spot where his moustache should be. 'ln time—yes. But give it time! Don't he hard on its infancy !' And, with this parting shot, Norah vanished, leaving Lennie, as she thought, quite subdued. Had Bhe heard his burst of uproarious laughter, or ason the way in which he rubbed his hands with delight, she would have been somewhat puzzled. ' The razors are mine!' he cried gleefully. 'But I wish Bhe'd make it a sovereign instead.' 11. The day of the picnic arrived, calm and unclouded, and Norah arrayed herself in the most delightful of her many cool gowsß, determined, it possible, not to be outdone by Miss Fairfax. Tne company were to meet at the etarting point on the banks of the river, and our contingent were rather late—all the others being assembled, and most of them eeated in the various boats. So there was no chance of introdaotioss then, and our heroine in vain looked around for anyone answering to her mental picture of Sibbie. Mr Lester—Eva's fiance—and Eva herself, Norah and Lennie, Millie Gray, and a strikißg-looking man stepped into the only vacant boat, and all started down stream, bent upon enjoyment, The stranger was Mr Fairfax. •The redoubtable Sibbie'B brother, of course,' thought Norah. ' Well, if shß be anything like him I shall have to sing small, I am afraid.' And her eyes soughs the handsome, broEzsd face again and '•agin in admiration. Never bad she Been a man who so favourably impressed her. There was. such a look of strength and purpose about him. • Nevertheless, I am not going to make friends with his Bister,' she) thought, 'I hate' playing second fiddle.' Poor Norah was quite a spoilt child, but a very charming one into the bargain, and, after her first grumble on reaching her uscle's house, she had settled downf with the intention of making hersel amiable, and also of getting as much enjoyment as she could out of the humdrum country existence which ehe . expected to lead for the next two months, at least. She could hardly remember her parents, < who had died leaving her comfortably ' provided for, and she had passed her childhood alternately with her clergyman uncle and with the aunt who had brought her out this season, and who, though goodhearted, was a thorough woman of the world, living only in, and for, fashion. It is small wonder, therefore, that her niece had become, to a great extent, imbued'with her notions, especially as the girl was pronounced the belle of every gathering ehe attended. Then, in the midst of her triumphs, that aggravating housemaid must fall ill, and she be packed off to the country, out of the way of infection, 'I shall have to waste my pretty frocks on the cows and sheep!' she said vexedly. To which her aunt retorted: 'Thank your lucky stars you have somewhere safe to go to, child. Ton are beginning to look jaded. Those late hours don't agree with you; so perhaps it is just as well you have to give them up.' The idea of losing her looks did more to reconcile Norah to the thought of leaving town than anything else could have done, and she found herself now wondering whether thie new acquaintance thought her pale. I Judging by his eyes, which every now and then rested upon her with approval, nothing could have been farther from his mind. Occasionally their eyes met, and hers would drop confusedly.. They were sitting face to face with each other,,so it was■ but natural that their regards should cross, even when admiring the landscape. At last the boats reached their stopping place, and, as it was still too early for luncheon, the whole party strolled-off in various directions. Eva, of course, fell to Colin's |ot, Norah found herself walking by Mr Fairfax, and Lennie, with a wink, drew Millie Gray into another path. 'How's that for a lark P* he said, schoolboy fashion. • Capital!' she responded. ' But she's rather—well, rather too fine a lady to be niee, isn't Bhe P' • No, that she isn't!' ejaculated Lennie warmly. 'She ia the dearest girl out, when you once get to know her.' ' Bat she seems to look down on us all!' 'Oh, no! She only .felt cross the. day of her arrival. She was having such jolly larks in town, and had all the men at her feet. She has refused three good offers, and is only eighteen!' The lad uttered the words with as much pride as if he had been Norah's ehaperon, then wound up with: ' If only I were twenty-three instead of fourteen, she should be Mrs May bury, though father r; does not believe in cousins marrying.' 'And quite right, too. I don't think it is very nice of her to boast of her conquests!' ' She never did suoh a thing! It was Aunt Pare who told üb.' •Oh, that alters the case! But now, Lennie,- isn't there some girl you would like to be off with instead of keeping me company P' . «Aren't you a girl, I should like to know P .Of course you're engaged and all that, and its beastly hard lines that he can't be here. I hate little girls, if that's what you mean, and I'd rather stay with you, if you'll have me.' ' Indeed I will, and together we can watch the working out of the joke,' laughed Millie Meanwhile, Norah and her escort were enjoying themselves immensely. ' Do you know I have never beon boating before!' she said. •And you like it P' 'lndeed, yes! It is so different from every other pleasure. Of course, I have often been to the sea, but a riverside holiday is something quite fresh.' 1 And our Severn is such a noble river! Its only fault is that, hereabouts, the banks*are so high that while in the boat one cannot see much of the surrounding scenery.' 1 ' But the bankß themselves are so lovely, ' with their curves and windings; and: the day is so perfect, and, in fact, everything < seems nice.' ' He looked down into her pleased, excited face and smiled blithely. In truth 1 everything seemed 'nica' to him also. • 'By the by, where ia your BißterP' 1 asked Norah presently. ' 'My sisterP' he repeated with a puzzled air. 'Yen. I have been hearing suoh great

I -— o~ —--•- -«•» ""»« i out nuit« anxious to bob her.' 'She ought to feel complimented. But who on earth can have mentioned her to yon?' 'Wny, Lennie and the others, They Baid I should meet her here to-day.' «My sister P* again repeated Mr Fairrax more puzzled than ever. ' Well, no. Now I come to think of it, they did not say it was jour sister. They only mentioned a Miss Fairfax.' «I am Btill utterly in the dark. I know of no Miss Fairfax in the dißtriot, and mj only sister is married, and living in Italy.' 'How extraordinary! Well, I bare won my bet, at all events, whether that bad Lennie was playing a practical joke r or not' I * And what was your bet P May I know?' 1 ' Oh, yes» He was giving me a glowing I description of this Mies Fairfax, and so =* * womanlike—without rhyme or reason, I declared I should detest her. Thereupon he went on to say that he won Id bet me a a dozen pairs of gloves that before I had known Miss Fairfax an hour I shouM be as much ' gone' on her as he was. So, of couree, I bet that I would not of my own accord speak twenty words to this paragon the whole day of the picnic. Hurrah for my gloves! But what could Lennie mean if there is no euch young lady in existence P' 'Som3 practical joke, you may be sure. Ho is the very incarnation ofmißehief, especially when he has my cousin Millie Grey to egg him on.' * Now you mention it, she was there at the time.' ' Still, the joke seems too deep for us to fathom, so I vote we forget all about it, and give ourselves up to enjoyment of the present.' ' And I vote we go and «ee if luncheon is ready, for lam healthily hungry—a good sign, as my aunt in London would say. She told me I was getting dreadfully jaded and worn.' And Norah looked up at her companion with a betwitching glance of inquiry, to which he replied with such an expression of admiration in his dark eyes as sent the blood flaming into hor cheeks. At a bend in the torn, they came upon three damsels escorted by one cavalierengaged to the eldest. The other two looked daggers at 'the strange London girl,' and whispered something iH which the words ' Sibbie Fairfax' were distinctly audible—at least to one of the advancing couple. A frown contracted his forehead, and, with the merest salutation, he passed on. * Who are those people P' asked Norah. 1 The three Mis? Higginses,' he replied. 'They are just exactly,as I described them!' she exclaimed triumphantly, * although they are ' coal,' and not 'pork '!' * They are very ill-bred people, whatever may be their origin!' Mr Fairfax made answer, still with a vexed frown which, however, soon disappeared under the influence of his companion's gaiety. She had come to the conclusion that never in her whole life had she felt so happy. Could it be the clear, bright air, the rippling water, or the fact of being escorted by the handsomest man of the party P Surely not this latter, for he was not nearly so good-looking as Sir Henry Farley, whom she had refused only last week without a pang. Luncheon passed off merrily enough. Norah found herself seated next to Eva, who looked wonderfully elated for so demure a damsel. •Well?'- she said to her oousiH as if asking a question. 'Oh, it is all quite perfect!' replied that young lady, with a deep sigh of content. ' And what about Sibbie Fairfax ?' •Yes,' what about her, indeed P Oh, I know it is some joke between you three plotters, but I'll forgive you—for I feel altogether amiable.' ' Then you have not found out ?' 'No 1 Is there anything to find but P' 'You had better ask Lennie. It was his idea.'

And Eva turned laughingly to Colin, who responded with a knowing smile. The rest of the day passed happily away —at least, for all the members of the party in whom we have any interest. Anger and jealousy were certainly aroused in Jane Higgina's breast, and the other unattached sister taunted her in all sisterly freedom with the loss of her imagined chance of capturing Mr Fairfax —the catch of the neighbourhood; and who was about as likely to think of wooing a Miss Higgins as of seeking a bride in Kaffirland. Jane, however, chose to consider that Norah Dare alone was responsible for her shattered hopes, and hated her accordingly. (To be concluded next week.) ■