THE CYNIC'S YARN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 90

THE CYNIC'S YARN.

By Garnet Bonnet.

r Andy Seaton rose and stretched himself. " Well, chaps," he said, " I think I'll have a bit of a stroll before I turn in." With this he walked out of the glare of the camp-fire and into the night, j "Where the deuce is he off to now?" ' I said to the Cynic. " I wish to goodness he'd behave like a rational human being, and try to be a little more sociable." I was 21, and easily ruffled. The Cynic smiled exasperatingly. "If you grow up to be as good a man as he • is, sonny," he observed, "you'll do." I was interested. "What do you knowi about him, anyhow?" I asked. "Considering that you only took him on las! , .week, I don't see how you can vouch for his good qualities." " Let's see. It's five — no, six years now , (£nce I first met Andy Seaton. He was the accountant in a large Sydney ware- • house at the time, and I went into the same office as bookkeeper. Neither of us f thought then that six years would see us ' starting together from Walgett behind a ' ncob of sheep. But a man never knows his luck, and here we are — in for two months' hard graft. Then a week's spree ■ —and broke .again." : "Well, let us have the story," I said, as the Cynic paused. "Oh, the yarn? Well, there's not much •to tell. The boss had a pretty little Daughter — a woman at the bottom of it .as usual! — and she took it into her head that she'd like a billet in the office as typist. The old man roared against it *t first, but gave in finally — everyone had ■to give in to Annie, — and she came. " She was installed in a little room next to Seaton's, and " the fellows were busy about the room that day. But she ljust went on typing, without taking any notice, and seemingly unconcerned. I can picture her now — and it's five years ago, — looking for all the -world as if she'd \ crumble to pieces at a touch. Within a i week all hands were hopelessly gone on her, Seaton among the rest. What surprised me was that she should pass- him t>y, for he was a fine-looking chap before' "the boose got him down, and take up 'with our shipping clerk — a miserable, shifty sort of a fellow, who talked slang and had all the racing tit-bits at his fingers' • ends. Andy was the only man ih the place who couldn't — or wouldn't — see how the wind was blowing. I tried . 'one night to let a bit of light into his (thick head, but he turned in a fury, and , jtold me to shut up and mind my own ■business. I'm not a coward, but I shut ;up. Well, after a time things settled /down into the old routine, ana one by ■ pne the fellows saw there was no hope .lor them while Willis (the favoured one) ,was in the running, and one by one they 'dropped out of the hunt. All but Andy : Ihe continued to worship at her shrine in this own quiet way. I'll say this for ''Annie, though: she never gave him any .encouragement. ' ' The Cynic had warmed to his subject, and was almost human. "I used," he continued, •' to feel inclined to shake the little fool, and as for Willis— well, I think he had a fair idea of my opinion of him. iThe old boss, too, was as blind a 6 Seaton, «nd . none of us were game to open his eyes to what was going on. I used to meet the pair — Willis and the girl — pretty :well every night over in Manly, where the boss lived ; and at sight of me they would always pretend to be looking most earnestly in the other direction. Willis Came up to me one morning and wanted to know what I meant by poking my nose •where it wasn't required. I think the hiding I gave him that morning was about the best act I've ever been guilty of. £here was a bit of a row with the boss lover it, but I took his lecture meekly, fox I didn't want to get the sack just Ahen and miss the end of the play. I wasn't greatly surprised one night when 'Andy came home and told me that he fiad proposed to Annie and had been refused; but it shook even my beliefs $© -see the way he cut up over it. Next ftight we went out and had a drunk tofether *on* the strength of the refusal, hen he began to go steadily downhill — .prasn't quite so particular how often he shaved or how often he forgot to go some to bed. Everyone noticed it, and I .nsed to ace the girl's lips quiver somelimes when she looked at him. The boss gave him a little bit of fatherly advice dne day, and Andy squared up after that for a night or two. But the drink had hold of Trim, and he soon fell back into his old— or rather his new — habits. Of oourse, it didn't matter about me — I had always been looked on as a bad egg ; but then, you see, I didn't care what any of them thought, so long as they didn't think ( .aloud. However, Andy soon got too hot Bven for me, and I to pull him in ft bit. I might as well have tried to tnrn a bull, though. He cursed everybody ' and their opinions, and we ended up with another night out. Then things .went wrong in the office. Money began to be missed, and it became appar-ent that someone was tampering with the books. I was in my little office one morning, when I heard loud voices in the next room — Andy's. I recognised one as belonging to Willis, and Andy was •vidently accusing him of something. I could not veTy well help hearing without going outside, and I wasn't quite particular enough to do that. " ' You scoundrel,' I heard Seaton $ay; 'it's you, then, who have been Hootoring up the books! Well, I'll do my Iwffc to gaol you for it, you mean hound.' " Willis trie 4to deny it,' but failed. > It was the ponies, Mr Seaton,' he whined. *So help m% Ood, I reckoned it would tonly b« * loan. If Havelook had pulled oft the Cup I'd lavo claarod two thousand. Don's. M up on Ms, Andy, old man. 2t'U settle ins sure -, and th«n there's 'Annie. l?or God's lake keep quiet, if you «v«r thought anything of lier.' -" H« lowered his voicu." continued Lhc

Cynic, " and I didn't hear the rest, but I guessed what it was, and it made even my blood boil. There was a dull thud, and I rushed in just in time to save Andy from committing murder. He was raving mad, and had Willis on the floor, choking the life out of him with both hands. I pulled him away, and after a time he cooled down a, bit. Then I left them, and saw no more of Andy until midnight. I told him how much I had heard, and he made me take an oath not to mention it to anyone. He didn't say much of what had passed between him and Willis, but left me to draw my own conclusions. There was the deuce of a row in the office when the old man found out the pilferings that had been going on, and suspicion was at once directed to Seaton. His actions during the past few weeks all told, against him, and one day •he was arrested. He pleaded ' Guilty ' when the^case was brought before the court. Or course, I knew he would do that, for the girl's sake. Two yeare the judge gave him, and a very good thing, people said. The day after his conviction Willis and Annie were married. This was one of the stipulations, and Willis, craven as he was, accepted the sacrifice on the terms offered. "So that's why I tell you, sonny, that if you'd half as much grit as Andy Seaton you would be a lucky man, and that's the reason why Andy has developed this moroseness that you see fit to grumble about. Likewise it accounts for the fact that he has the reputation of being the hardest drinker and the N worst man to cross this side of the Murray." The Cynic proceeded to arrange his blankets on the ground before turning in. "But, I say!" I expostulated; "you don't mean to tell me you stood by and saw an innocent man suffer?" " Well, you see, I had given my word; and, besides, I rather fancied the little girl myself. Good-night L"