[All Rights Reserved.] PHIL'S PREDICAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 77

[All Rights Reserved.] PHIL'S PREDICAMENT.

■ißy "M. E. Fbancis," author of "In a 1 ' North Country Village," etc. - \ It was late on a .summer afternoon -jphea Johnny Bulshaw came to call on -'Alice Pike. Though it was only Thursday •he .wore his best clothes and had a posy of sweetwilliama and stocks in h:s button•bole. He knocked furtively at the back • door, which Alice opened so quickly that ,4h© started. To his. surprise she, too, was •i dressed in holiday attire, and aad an ex.pectant air; -but "her face fell at sight of him. .. ' , i "Oh, it's you!" she exclaimed. ' "It's me," said Johnny eagerly. "Many happy Teturns-of the day. I've brought >:jou fi birthday present." j "No,- thank you," 'returned Alice with - a toss of the head. "I don't want no -.birthday presents from you. Mother don't liite me to have presents nobbut from "relations." "Well, come for a walk anyway," pleaded Johnny. " 'Tis a beautiful afterxioon, and you're all ready I see." As ■ Alice shook her head he continued in an altered voice: "If you're waitin' for Phi l Luptc-n you're losing your time. He's 'ruhnin' sack races down in the field at the back of the Blue Boar." "Runnin' sack races !" cried Alice. Her face clouded over," and she took the pins out of her hat ; turning after a moment's .reflection, with true feminine inconsequence, on the innocent Johnny. "Take yourself off, do ! I'm fair moidered wi' ye." She •whisked into the house, banging the door after her in the face of her disconsolate admirer, who, after making sundry appeals, and receiving no response, reluctantly obliged to withdraw. Presently Alice came out into the yard •in her everyday print gown ; she seated ' 3ierself'on a bench in a shady corner, and began to shell peas, letting the pods fall upon the ground! By-and-bye an odd shuffling noiee was r heard, and Phil came in at the wicketgate, which, luckily for him, stood ajar. • He -still wore the sack in which he had •been running, and came lurching forward, --making frequent- stumbles. As he ad- - vanced he called Alice in an odd in'i articulat-e 'way, and, looking up, she • observed that he held half a crown between < his teeth: . r

As Alice continued her occupation without speaking, he shuffled up to her, thrusting forward -his head with an ingratiating grin ; then, slowly powering himself, ■dropped the half-crown on the bench beside her. "What's that for?" exclaimed Alice sharply. "What are ye doin' here? I don't want ye> ! Ye micht have had the manners to get out of that sack afore ye showed yourself, I think." "I" come straight off as soon as I won , the race," rejoined Phil, staggering as •he raised himself, and still grinning. "I> . didn't as much as wait to get the string . untied. I come straight off to give you my prize." . "Well," retorted Alice, "v,e might ha' kept it for yerself jthen, and ye might ha' kept away, too ; I don't want ye." "I thought," said Phil, with a^ puzzled ' air, "ye said summat about goin' for a . ■walk wi' me." "Well, an' if I did," cried Alice. '1 thought you'd ha' hurried up and let us ; have a proper walk — my birthday an' all. I put the clock forrard half an hour, and nearly scalded^ myself with my tea, and * the're v-y6uv -y6u go^ruhnin' sack races till 'tis ■ just 6 o'clock !" As Phil gazed at he^^with a contrite air she continued . emphatically :^ "I'll never have , nothing, more if tq. say- to ye — rnever ! I thought you" were a sensible, respect- '- able, dependable chap — even, though you're j'3Jpt ; 'nvy"equ i als.", ,/-",„,-• '' f*'Me not' your equals!" interrupted Phil *, with sudden T > ~ r'T&o," * returned Alice firmly, "nothin' . o'^.ihe .kind. I'm. a farmer's daughter, an' > jrqu're nobbut a labourin' man."' "I'll tell ye one thing,'-' cried Phil — "a t farm isn't much "without it brings in bra&3. I've got a nice bit o' "braes laid. "toy in the bank. My poor mother was a ■* savin' woman. ' I've got better nor two ' Tiundred pounds o' mj' own. I'm keepin' till you an' me starts housekeepin'." "You're goin' a bit too fast, Mr Lup- • ton," said Alice, relaxing, however, into a faint smil«. "Come, my lass," said Phil, smilin? too, "let's ha' no more words. Untie this 'ere c ' string will ye? I want to get my arms * free." "Do you?" said Alice coyly ; "and what - for, I wonder?" "I wonder'" echoed i-'hil, with an arch shake of the .iead. "I want to catch hold o! summat. Make haste; it's fair tantal- - jam' t/> fc^ tied up wi' you sittin' bes'de rule. I'll soon show you ffhat I want my 1 £rms loose for." ' . "I don'l want ye to s-how me any sich - Tiling," returned Alice, edging away from iim. for by this time he had seated him"'Be 1 * on the bench.

'As he continued to plead, however, she relented, and was iust about to unfasten me string when Mrs PiKes shiill voice ..called from the house. ' Oh, my goodness," cried Alice, springing to her feet; "mother's comin'. Dear, '-this string's in a reg'lar hard knot. Run •'liway '.' •■„ "I can't!" responded Phil in a terrified ■whispered. <: I'd ha' to pass back -kitchen • window." " Hide then ! criedi Alice. " There, Climb into that cart and lie as flat as ye can ; maybe she'll not notice ye." The cart in question wns lull of cinders and rubbish from the ashpit — a most un- • inviting receptacle, but Phil could not afford to be squeamish. Alice and he had been forced to keep their courtehip lecret from Mrs Pike, who had very high views for her daughter, and he feared that there would be an end to all hope of success if she were to see him in his

undignified apparel. He hadi only just time to climb into ambush before his mistress came running out, indignantly inquiring why Alice was sitting there, as if there wasn't a thing to be done in the house.

"What's that great eack doin' there in the cart?" she added, turning her sharp eyes on poor Phil's back, which could not be- altogether concealed. " Oh, it's just a sack I picked up," faltered Alice.

" That ye picked up !" repeated Mrs P&« shrilly. "It might be a pin the way yp talk — a great big thing like that, and stuffed full -o' summat by the looks on't. What's it got inside? " " Nothin' but rubbish," rejoined! Alice. "I've— l've been makin' a clearance round here, and I thought it would be handy to keep ihe rubbish from tumblin' about till 'tis carted down the lane to-morrow."

"Well," said Mrs Pike in a mollified lone, "I' ye got a couple of buckets of cinders and odds and ends I were goin' to throw out, but there's no use makin' two jobs out o' one, so I'll just tip 'em straight into the cart." As she went away Phil peered out with an agonised expression.

" Must. I stay here to have ashes thrown over me?"

Mrs Pike came back before Alice could answer, andi emptied first one bucketful and then another of ashes, cabbage stalks, eggshells, and such unsavoury odds and ends into the cart, poor Phil not daring to move the while. When she went off, however, in search of a sitting of addled eggs "wtijeli slio cl-eo].Ei;re<? h-a-d better be §^^ rid of 111 the same way he raised his head, Indignantly announcing he wasn't going to lie still and be pelted like an Aunt Sally.

. Alice, seized with compassion, ran after her mother, and after some persusasion Induced her to relinquish her intention.

" 'Twill make such a smell as never was if you break 'em here close to the house," she said.

"Well, I'll sit here for a minute, then,' 1 said Mrs Pike. "Where's Phil? Idlin' about somewhere, I reckon. I've no great iikin' for that chap."

"Well, I'm sure I don't know what fault you ha' to find wi' him," replied Alice, painfully conscious that Phil could hear every word. " You said yourself as ac was as honest and industrious, a lad ac could be found anywhere." " I" only said that along o' your cheekin' me about him," retorted her mother. " When you said he was th© greatest noddy as ever set foot in this place I thoughL it but right to take his paTt." Her* poor Phil's much blackened and -reproachful countenance again appeared over the edge of the cart. " Now, mother," returned Alice, half crying, " you know that was a long time ago, when Phil first come."

" Ah ! " said Mrs Pike, " when Phil first come. I mind ye said- he'd do very well to set up among the taters to frighten away the crows, but you didn't know what eke he was fit for. Nay, I mind now, ye •said he'd be good for one thing," she went on — " he'd save us in matches. ' A body could easy light the fire wi' his hair,' says you."

As Phil's maligned head disappeared again, Alice valiantly protested. If she had ever said such things she was ashamed of them, she said. She now hadt learnt to know Phil Lupton and to value him.

" Well, there's others as values him too," said Mrs Pike placidly. " Lizzie Wharton does for one. She's carryin' on at a fine rate with Phil. I should think we'd be hearin' them shouted in soon."

Poor Phil raised a pleading face, but Alice, glowered at him. "Perhaps, after all, mother, ye might as well throw out them eggs here," 6he said after a moment's vengeful silence ; "the smell 'ull soon wear off, an', as you say, 'tis better to make one job of it." Mrs Pike departed with alacrity, and Alice was just turning to frown again on her lover when Johnny Balshaw peered diffidently over the gate.

"Whatever brings y« back?" Alice was beginning crossly, when a sudden thought appeared to strike her, and she' altered the phrase to an arch : "So you're back ?" coupled with a smiler

" That's right," returned Johnny delightedly. " That's same as owd times, that is. Ye smiled at me like that on Saturday when you an.' me was countin' the eggs as my aunt bought off ye."

Phil was watching the pair with a fierce ] and gloomy countenance, and Alice smiled , again. " Ah," said Johnny, approaching the bench on tiptoe, " I can't forget them meltin' looks of yours, Alice — dye mind what ye said when I took the butter < from ye?"

"What did I say?" returned Alice with her head on one "side.

" Summat very soft," returned Johnny, edging nearer to her.

" As soft as my heart, I suppose," said Alice.

" Flesh an' blood can stand no more o' this !" shouted Phil, sliding from the cart a.mid a cloud of ashes, and shuffling towards Johnny, who sprang to his feet. "Come on, I say, you Balshaw, come on !"

As he rushed blindly at his adversary, he stumbled and fell sprawling on the ground. Mrs Pike came running out, to find him struggling in the eack, while Alice shrieked, and Johnny looked helplessly on. After calmly remarking that she might have guessed what kind of rubbish Alice had in that sack, she rated both combatants soundly, dismissed Johnny, and then, turning to Phil, helped him to rise.

" Well, you are a nice one," said Phil to Alice. " A poor return you've made for all I've put up wi' this day for your sake. To think that while I was layin' there amid the sweepin's o' the ashpit, yo' was makin' up to Johnny Balshaw before my very eyes — smilin' at him so tender an' talkin' about the meltin' looks

yo' gave him on Saturday when ye handed him over the butter."

Mils Pike suddenly burst into a peal of laughter. "Don't be a fool, Phil," she cried, as soon as she could speak. "Alice thinks the world of you. Come here, Alice ; you can untie this knot better nor me, and ye can both get tied up together as soon as ye like." - " As they stared at hex incredulously, she went on': " Did ye forget there was windows to this house ? Of course I knowed ye was in the sack all the time, Phil. There, cheer up ; it's all right about that brass as ye've laid by, isn't it?" " Yes," said Phil, still gaping. "Well, 1 think it'll be a nice match," said Mrs Pike.