A STORM.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 450, 1 December 1904, Page 7

A STORM.

SHORT STOEY.

F- INTO the dark wet night he disappeared, I and never once turned his head to give a last look at ■ the white, angry, little face pressed against the window pane. ' Had he seen it, perhaps he would have been sorry, for his generous heart forgave directly; but as he trudged along in the rain, he knew that the little quarrel was not of his own making, though there was amall comfort in the thought. Eileen had been in a very snappy mood' all the evening; she had tried to snub and ignore him, and why? All because he had happened to become deeply interested in the conversation of an intelligent woman, and had not devoted his whole attention to her, as she informed him he ought have done.

What utterly unreasonable beings jealous people are, especially jealous women ! Poor Jack Howell had only spent an interesting 'quart d'heure' with an interested companion, and now he was to suffer tortures from the exacting little spirit and naughty little tongue of his jealous little sweetheart! She chose to think himself ignored, he never for one moment meant her to be. Indignant, angry remarks on the woman's side; calm, cool protests on the man's! The result—a slammed front door, torrents of tears, a good deal of remorse now he was gone, and certainly a very restless night for both of them. Why will engaged couples stand on their dignity when they happen to disagree? But I suppose they always will, to the end ef time. Eileen ReiUy turned from the window, and crossing the room without saying a word to anyone, closed the door behind her, and went upstairs to her own room. How she wished that she had not been quite so cross, that she had not let him go with such a cold farewell I She drew back the curtain and looked into tho dismal rainy street. The pavements were shining in the lamplight, and the few passers by held their umbrellas close against them for fear of the high wind. How miserable she felt 1 A little shiver ran through her slight young figure as she pulled down the blind, and shut out the rainy darkness. Like all generous natures, Eileen was quick to forgive and forget, and now that her anger had subsided, she would have given worlds to see the dear blue eyes and sweet tempered face of the man she loved. She knew she had but to hold out the smallest sign of apology, and they would have been friends again instantly; but he was no longer there to receive the little overture, and perhaps she might never have another opportunity 1 Gone was her last chance with the hasty shutting of the door! Eileen began to feel exceedingly uncomfortable at these reflections; fo, being a sensible girl, she tried to put such morbid thoughts away, and began to undress. Her light out, she knelt in the dark and said her prayers; and that night a very earnest petition went up to the Great White Throne for forgiveness for her fault, and for the safety of her lover. H. Straight along the slippery wet pavement Jack Howell plodded, caring little for the pouring rain, as he went over in his mind the unpleasant incident which had led to his abrupt departure from Eileen's home. His momentary anger vanished, he only thought the kindest things of his quick tempered love, and put all her hasty hurtful little speeches down to her being tired and perhaps a trifle excited after the evening's entertainment. 'lt certainly was a pity,' he thought, • that she was so unreasonably jealous; but for the future he must be more careful, that's all t" So he consoled himself with the thought that on the morrow he would return to her, greeting her in the usual way,

and bringing the sweet sadden smile he always loved to see into her bonnie brown eyes. ' I only trust, - he said to himself, as he turned the last corner, and began feeling in his pocket for his latch-key, 'that I shall have no night-bell worrying me to-night. I don't feel very grand, and certainly not inclined to turn oat in this wretched rain. If only little Simmons keeps all right, I shan't be disturbed as far as I know.' The house seemed very dark, cold, and miserable, as he closed the door, and entered his study. The fire was out, and the dreary look of the empty chairs made him long for the time when bright Eileen would give a radiance to everything connected with him, and fill the desolate little house with her sunshiny presence. •* It was not long, however, before he was fast asleep, and dreaming that Eileen had come to him and whispered : ' I'm sorry I was so cross, darling,' and that a fairy kiss had been imprinted on his lips. Wh-r-r I went the electric bell at the head of his bed, and, his sweet dream dispelled, he was awake instantly. ' All right I Say I'll be round directly, he said through the tube, and without a moment's delay he hurried on his clothes, and was out of the house. Tossing en a hard bed in the delirium of fever little Ted Simmons lay moaning, his panting breath coming and going fitfully between his parched lips. ' If only Dr. Howell would come,' whispered the mother anxiously; 'Teddie is always quieter when he is here.' A firm step on the stairs, and even in his restlessness Teddie seemed to know that his beloved doctor was near. A cool hand on the hot little forehead, and a kind word to the overtaxed mother seemed also to still the suffering little patient's moans for a minute or two. • Poor little chap ! He is very bad tonight, Mrs Simmons; I'm afraid to ssy there is any hope; still, you know the old saying * while there's life, there's hope.'' He sat down by the bed, and gently stroked the burning forehead, soothing the little sufferer with his kind touch, until he began to feel unaccountably tired himself; so after giving all the necessary directions and soothing the mother with a few words of true sympathy, he left the comfortless room, and went back to his own lonely home.

His head ached; he felt fat from well, and supposing that it only resulted from the cold, night walk, he went straight to bed again, intending to sleep off the effects. It was very late when he awoke, and then he felt as if he could have gone on sleeping for ever. He tried to get up, but ft his head ached so, he could hardly move. W He drank the hot coffee his housekeeper had brought to him, and then lay back thinking what he should do. Telegraph for his old chum, Dick Trevor, to come and' do his work for him while he got rid of this confounded cold_? Yes, that would do. He got out of bed, dragged himself to his writing-table, and scrawled the following words: Know you are free, come for a week and oblige a chap who is ill. Howell. Hinging the bell, he sent of! the telegram and then returned to bed. How long the hours seemed to him lying there alone ! Two—three—four—at la3t he heard a ring, the door opened, and a well-known voice cried: ' How are you, Mrs Stevens ?

How s your patiant ? Can I go upstairs ?' all in one breath! In another minute he was clasping the hand of his boyhood's anl manhood's dearest friend. ' Poor old fellow, you are in a hole, and no mistake. Never mind, I'll stop with you, and do the work. It won't be the first time, you know, by a long way; and don't you worry about anything, but to hurry up and get well.' He chatted pleasantly to Jack for a little tune, and then left him, saying ' He would just go down and have a look round to see how things were going.' True enough, it was not the first time he had worked Jack Howell's practice, and he knew the running of it pretty well; but never had his handsome face worn so anxious an expression as that it now assumed, as he sat down in Jack's arm-chair, and gazed thoughtfully into the fire.

' He's got scarlet fever, that's very certain, and he knows it himself, too, only he won't own to it just jet. Caught it from that little chap he has been so taken up with the last fortnight; his throat is awful. What will his girl say to it ? By Jove, this is an awkward scrape I'. ' Yes ; what would Eileen say ' She little dreamed that the ncn-appearance of her lover the following evening was due to anything but his professional work, which was often the cause of disappointments ; so she contented herself with writing a loving little note, which she knew would bring him the next day to see her, and to find her penitent for the haughty unreasonable temper sne had indulged in, and which had caused her so many hours of regret. Poor little Eileen 1 111. * Here's a letter you'll be glad to see, old chap,' said Trevor, as he entered his friend's room the following morning. ' Look here, who is this from ?' and ho held up Eileen's letter, not without a keen glance at the hot, flushed face on the pillow. A radiant smile illumined Jack's eyes, as he took the envelope and recognised the beloved handwriting. ' Well! she is a little brick to write as I didn't turn up last night,' he said eagerly. ' I must manage to send her a line somehow, just to tell her not to worry, and that I shall rocn be all right.' He read the letter twice through, put it under his pillow, and asked for some notepaper and a pencil. ' I don't feel up to writing much, but a few words will satisfy her that she needn't fret, and will please her, too.' Only a few words indeed could he manage, as the effort was too great, but the little note contained all the love he gave her, and spoke more than volumes would have done, Just a badly written little note, which in after years Eileen prized as her dearest earthly treasure, as it meant forgiveness I * There ! have that posted old fellow, and then I think I'll rest a bit.'

Dick Trevor took the letter, and on reaching the study deliberately placed it in another envelope, accompanied by a note in the' following words : Deab Miss Reilly, Poor old Jack is not at all well, and I hope that it is nothing serious. At present, however, 1 must beg of you to trust me entirely, and on no account either to come yourself or to send anyone tc Inquire, as I fear that he is in for what I trust will only prove to be slight attack of scarlet fever. I will promise to keep you daily informed of his condition, and all letters, etc., will of course be faithfully delivered to him, only I must entreat you to be careful owing to the infection. I enclose you a short note he wrote you himself this morning; he is in very good spirits, and I hope to be able to send you a favourable account each day. With kind regards, Yours sincerely, Dick Tbevoe.

Eileen's feeling? when she received this letter can better be imagined than described. On no pretext whatever would her family allow her to go near Jack's rooms, so she could only comfort herself with sending him flowers, and a loving little note by each morning post.

How Jack asked eagerly for her letter each morning, and the messages he sent by Dick would have filled pages had they been faithfully repeated 1 His great trouble was not being able to write to her himself, as he knew now that he had caught little Ted Simmon's fever, and all day long he regretted his hasty departure on the riight he last saw Eileen, and wished h6 could just have that evening over again.

At last one morning he was too ill to ask for the note, and it was placed on the mantlepiece against the clock, so that it should be the first thing his eyes should rest upen when he was conscious. In a few days six little letters lay against the clock, and Dick Trevor trembled for the resulti With more than a woman's tenderness he nursed his friend, but he, at last, could no longer ignore the fact that Jack was gradually sinking. At length, just when the eighth little envelope had been added to the others, Jack's gentle, manly soul passed away: and Dick Trevor went downstairs into the little study, his heart wrung with agony, and, throwing himself once more in Jack's arm-chair, he buried his head in his arms and wept. *•* * *

No one but Dick Trevor noticed, when they laid Jack to rest in the damp, cold earth, that not far distant was another small, newly-made grave, with one solitary woman's figure kneeling besides it. After they had left him alone beneath the dull grey sky, Teddie's mother came and placed a few fragrant blue violets among the magnificent wreaths and crosses arranged on the freshly turned earth, for the sake of the little son through'whom Jack Howell had lost his life. *• * * * Eileen is an old woman now, and her face is that of a woman who has known this world's bitterest sorrow. She never married. AH the joy and happiness of her life left her with the cross of white violets she placed on Jack's quiet form as she bent to say ' good-bye ' for ever with a kiss on the cold, white forehead. No one could imagine this calm-eyed gentle voiced nurse, Sister Eileen, to be the impetuous, impulsive Eileen Eeilly, who had buried her girlhood's lover in the freshness of her youth. No hasty, unkind word has passed her lips since that night, which is branded on her memory for ever; the night she had let the dearest of her heart from her in a fit of temper without a wcrd or kiss. The bitter lesson she learnt then influenced her whole life, and she only waits now for the moment when she can once more greet her lover, and this time with the kiss of true contrition ready on her lips. J