My Friend Biggins... (FOR THE "FREE LANCE" CHRISTMAS NUMBER.)

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 233, 17 December 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

My Friend Biggins... (FOR THE "FREE LANCE" CHRISTMAS NUMBER.)

IF Biggine, had not been such a,n ardent believer in the stuoaiuous lite, ' he would at ainy iate have h\ed 111 a more perfect state ol tranquihty than ha» been the ca^e ior the last hity yean*. As it is. lam suie he \viLl die early, that is, it it is. not too late now to indulge in, *>uch a luxuiiy. Jirvea s»ince I have known Biggin» he has bee-.i aai active memoer oi sjxxoty, or ot many societies. 1 whould 1 &ay, tor lie is managing director oi an insurance society, president ot the Society ton the Prevention of Uruelty to Mother s-m-law, secuetary to a Society for the Suppression of Women Smoking Bad (Jagar», bew.det, holding other positions connected with other societies having mo.e 01 lesb pluUuit'bropic motives. It you want to see Biggin® ui town, don't ,go to lite, office , he is very seldom there. The best plan, is to get up at half-past four in the morning, and take a stroll up to his house. I don't suggest that you will find him there alwavs, but if you ar-iive anytime between five and six vou will in all probability, find him working in the ga-rden, pulling up weed^, or pei aha.nce manipulating the grass-cutter. Ins shut open at the tliroat, and globules of perspin ation standing out on his forehead At sax he wailko to the city bath® (two miles awav) a.nd arrive^ back at home in time for breakfast But the maivellou^ part of it all^ is that Biggins— have you ever seen ham? No, I don't suppose you have— is so ternbly extensive, some people call it fat. I am inclined to think, howeve/r, that the Society for the Prevention of Women Smoking Bad Cigars us responsible to a large extent for Bieenns superfluous peison. for the simple reason that the members of the society hnvino- to pass judgment upon infamous brandfc, have to sample a great many, and it is a well-known fact that excessive smokimg is oomduoive to -frequervt quemchings of inevitable tharat, and then, too, one of the vice-presidents of the society owns a brewei y Well, be that as it may, Biggins is a eood fellow. Perhaps, I should say that he is somethirae of a liei o, for in discriminating for the ladies in tihe dhoice of their w luffs, he dnniks hmiselt nto a state of obesity, to reduce which ho is forced to adopt a perpetual sys^ tern of violent exeicse. Still, for a good fellow, with a large heart, one is ■willing to make allowances It must be two yea.rs aeo sinco- I found out how eood^natured he really is. That was when Miss Foster, has wife's sister, was staying with _ them . Mi/ss Foster r ind I became very friendJy and I'm not atsnamed to own. now thia* I cared for her more than I—well, move than I cared for most girls. How good Biegins was to us — to me, I mea.n — in those days. The couin/tiess hfcble act« he dad and the tact he dnspla.yedi m order to leave me alone with her — for I'll swear Bige^ns knew how it -stood with me — will serve to make me remember him as one of the finest fellows I have ever met and. I have met manv It was on one of these oocasdonis that, ■suddenly finding myself alone with Miss Fosteir in the drawing-room, I forgot myself and made love to her. I don't thmk I shaJl ever forget that evening She was arranging some flowers in a taJl crystal vase resting on the paaao, and, as I drew near to her, the faant and dedicate odour of some perfume on her dress seemed to mingle with my breath and stifle me. I blurted out some wards — I don't remember now what they were^ — in a blumdeiing sort of way and then I looked ait her. She was laughing at me — laughing as a gnrl laughs at a man who loves her and with whom, she is not in love. I think I was angry and demanded ain explanation of her extraordinary behaviour, whereupon she laughed moie heartily, and asked the meaning of my broken words.

However, we wore good enough fi-UMids betoore the went away, whaoh happened on the following afternoon. 1 bad »ot heard from since, except tlirougli Biggins*, who occasionally mfoimed mo that Mis* Foster wished to be kmdly remembered to her friend, Mr Watson. I don't know whether 01 not Biggins invented 1 these messages, but, on consideration, I don't think he I fear I am wandering, too fail from the subject of my story. Biggins nativity was causang me some alarm. 1 didn't know where it would end, and! so it was a happy moment when, one eunjny afternoon, he bumped into me on the Quay, and told me that he had taken a house at the seaside for the Christmas holid'ays. Would I ocane over and visit" them? MiesFiaser would be there. Well, if it hadn't been for that la^t piece of information, I should have had no hesitation in accepting his ,i, ir y nta ; tion at once. But you see, I did not wush to be laughed at again, and so 1 did not give him a direct ieply. Good did Biggins, he understood. After thanking; the matter over, I arrived at the iesolutiom not to make love to Miss Foster again, and so there was no reason why I should not go. On the Thursday following I received an invitation: from my friend, to spend a few days with them at the seaside. On the strength of my decision, I replied that I would only be too pleased to accept it which (although I am a lawyer) was perfectly true. One. is apt to get the d-ust of the city ingrained in the system during a hot summer, and a short holiday near the sea is a refreshing change. Biggins, who had gone over on wie previous evening met me at the feiry wharf when I arrived. He looked very well indeed , strenuous, of course, but that's his natuire. He had on a pa*r o* white flannel trousers white <;hoe,s. a striped cricketing coat and a sailor straw hat. He has rather good taste m the matter of clothes, and anything white about Irs apparel is alw a,vs immaculate. When about half way between the wharf and his house, we met thi ee boys in orthodox seaside attire — which is not a great deal to look at — carrying half-a-dozen verv fine n"h. "Ah' What beautiful fVh !" exclaimed Biggins, with relish. He was evidently on sipeatking terms with the youths. "Where did you get them ? "Caught 'em!" said one of the thiw, eyeing his catch with pride. "Indeed' Well, I declare' Caught tihem, eh!" "Yes, caught 'em!" repeated t<he youth, with a side glance at his companions. "We got amongst a shoal or cod, and hauled 'em up as fast as we could. Caught three on one hook meselft" . . "Indeed'" said Biggins, in aetomsiiiment. "And what have you done with tVm rest?"' "Sold 'em!" answered the boy. "H'm! Sold them' Well, I declare ! You think there are plenty of fish about, eh?" "Well, there was this afternoon. Wasn't there Bill?" Bill nodded assent. "Do you think there will be plenty about to-morrow?" queried Biggms. "Oh, I daresay; but you never know, replied the boy. Still, there ought, to be, I think." "Ah l Thank you, my lads' said Biggins, as we moved off agai>n For quite a hundred yards, as we walked along, Biggins _ wa<s silent, which was a wonder for Biggins being. as he is, one of the best talkers I know However, it appears that his brain had been engaged with some scheme, to the detriment of his tongue, for suddenly he exclaimed • "What do vou say if we go fishing to-morrow, old chap?" Of course, I assured him that I should be very pleased, -which was true enough

at. the matter stood them. I had dicnie a good, deal of yachting, amid a little felling at times, and, although, I knew that my fiueaid's aquatic experience was almost limited to the bathroom, still I doubted not but that I could manipulate the boat myself, and, peihapt>, leave Biggins to manage the steering gear. Oh, yes, we could go fishing oui the morrow, and emulate the performance of our younig friends. I did not think them, however, that Biggins' enthusiasm would have stretched as far as it dad. But, I was not left very long in ignorance, for we had hardly passed the threshold of h,s house than he burst out with, his programme. "Ah, my dear , you see Watsoni, hai? not failed us, and! NoraJh, allow me to present an old friend!" M'ss Foster and I exchanged formal gieetwigs, but we were soon interrupter bv Biggins, who began, to despatch his children to different pa.rts of the hou?f with my belongings. ' Here, Akce. tske Mr. Watson's hat ain/d coat, and Ethel, you take his bag up to his room, and' you, Willie — but you -just stay here for a, moment, I want you to go over to the store." "To the store'" exclaimed Mrs. Bigpnis "And what do you want over at the store, John?" '•Ah, my dear," replied Biggins, without a.ny visible signs of trepidation, "we're all going out on a fishing expedition." My he ait sank at the words. 1 knew BiggiTis couldn't row, and! it was h.ardlv fair to expect that Mrs. Bieenns oi- Mi^s Fester or anv of the little Biffcniiis oouild. so. under the oircumstanoes, there was only one conclusion to an lve at, and that was that I would have to do all the rowing myself. Still, given a fine day, I thought I oould manage it, and therefore made no attempt to frustrate the scheme. Biggins was im great humour, and promised us that we would, with the aid of the children as emergienoies, catch enough fish to last the household .for a week. He even wemt as far as to tell Willie tio go round to a few friendis and ask them if they would hke some fish I—when1 — when we caught them. The remainder at the evening was devoted to music, and we retired at an early hour to reist, in order, as. Biggins explained to be in good trim for the morrow's sport. The mornumg broke clear and fine, and. breakfast having been disposed) of, preparation® for the day's outing were soon in a forward state. Biggins, of course, was in full dressi — straw hat, white trouseis, etc., and, of course, spotless Mrs. B. anxd her sister 'had suited their dress to the occasion., aaid the children wore white frocks. _ I had brought a few did "toes" over with me, and I daresay tihiat Wilbe and I looked the shabbiest of the party. After gettang together all our impedimenta, we started off for the beach. Arriving; at the landing stage, we found the boatman waiting to assist us into the boat. Biggins nearly oapsized it sfaraaigbt away, but we eventually started off. The day was perfect, hardily a npple disturbing the water, and Bigguns, at stroke, looked a good dteial more promising than I had dared hope for. But, he was on his metal, the expedition having been purely and solely his idea. With much, foreithought, the boatman had piooured for us a supply of mussels for bait, and on the way to the fisbjingground Willie was employed in providing the hooks with tHie necessary snare to the dennzeais of the deep. It was some distance to the spot we w&re dnected to by the boatman as the most likely quarter in which to secure a haul, and, although Biggins at tunes showed signs of fatigue, I dared not offer to relieve him of Ills oar, knowing tlhe standard of has pride, and' not wishing to offend him. We shipped oars at last, however, and dropped anchor in about thn-rty feet of water Then we started to fish. Almost simultaneously five sinkers dropped over the side of the boat, and five hearts (I'll include myself) beat violently as the thirst for sport became more apparent Mrs. Biggins, and Miss Foster (who

looked charming) reclamed, as coimfortablly ato they could amongst some cushions lai the stern of the boat, and did the it best to oonicewtrate thear tihougbfab on. some magazines. Tea mi mutes passed', and! nothing happened. Biggins thought it btrange, but I told him. nob to be unpaitrent. He took my advice, and waited another ten- minutes, but with a like result. I then advised ham to draw up hit. line and see nf his bait was all right. He did this also, and found that lie had been fishing for twemty minutes without any bait. After oaytiing a withering glance at Will ho, he baited has hooksi, and let lils line dlown again. Five — ten- — fifteen minutes passed', and) nothing happened. Then, sudldenlv little Ethel let out a <=aream, and nearly fell oiut of tlheboat. Baggins rushed l to the rescue, and, in his endeavours to hold he® line, keep Ethel from falling, and l at the same time pull up her line, !he lofift his balance, and, waving has hands m t(he air took a headier into thle water. A general hubbub ensued). I grasped Biggins by the arms and 1 endeavouired to puill hum into the boat. Mr&. Bi^Gjin's and/ the children! seemed to vie wiitih each other as to who could scream thle louidlast, whilst Willie, who seemed tc enjoy the "joke, was in fits of laughtier. # Miss Faster was the on]y one who took 1 things oooMy. With rare presence of miiind she came promptly to my assistance. It was as well that =he did ■so, for Biggins was becoming troublesome, andi, in, has struggles would, on on© occasion , have pulled me out of the boat, if Mi^ Foster had not come to the rescue by senzinig me by the arms, and holding on, with all her might. We evemtually h&udedl him into the boat in a half -drowned condition and', oomsequemtly, fisihainig foil" tihat day was off. To makei matters worse', a black cloud that I had noticed lsn the sky a few minutes before the aocddtemt, became blacker, and, before we were fairly started on the return trip, the wind had freshened, and the waiter was becoming dlecddledlv choppy. I saw trouble ahead, and without waiting to study Biggins' pridle this time. I took possesrs^on of an oiar, and, before I could grasp the. other one. Miss Foster had it m the rowlock, and had taken her seat to again assist me. Biggins looked dejected, and dripped water from every square inch of him, and I was not surprised, when Willie an<n)ounced a few minutes later that "Pa was ill." I looked, and l saw that Pa was ill, very ill — as people get. ill on the waters — and soon after that Willie got ill, the two children got ill, and by the time we arrived back they were all ill except Miss Foster and myself. I left the party in her charge, and made a trip to a fishmonger's house, bought half-a-dozen good-sized l fish, and (I blush to say it) doled! them out a few hlours later to Biggins' frieinds. Several of them called round in the evenan/g, and congratulated him. on lias catch, but. Biggins only looked at me, .remembered his pride, and wondered. Everybody retired early that evenuig—except Miss Foster and I—consequently I found myself in the same predicament I was m two years ago. To complete the awkward) coincidence, Muss Foster would persist in arranging flowers about tihe piano, at the same time casting furtive glances at me as I made attempts to read a novel. The strain eventually became unbearable and presently I rose, and, oasting misgivings to the winds, eaad to her — I remember it thus time — "Miss Foster, I love you as I did two years ago. Ca,n you give me half as much hope now as you did then, or must I go awav at oroe — now? Tell me my fate'" She turned from the piano, and, with a bunch of roses in her hand, stood facing me for a moment. It was only a moment, but it was long enough for me to see that fthe was not laughing this time. "You may stay if you like." sihe said,, "I— I — would rather you dad'" Tho next moment she was in my arms, amd — we are to be married before another Christmas comes round.