UNKNOWN

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 110, 19 November 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNKNOWN

.FRED COWANS, in "Spare Moments."

"•ere four rooms in that cotiusive of the kitchen. 1 in a fair-sized bit of garden I where beans and cabbages, d marigolds flourished, to the ot other growths, e days, however, when "weeka • little experience of -»no e are fashionable, the fact lew arrivals had rented just a ottage would not have made a e*»on m that neighbourhood. y ought to have arrived in a id given a name which would iced the residents to call, and to tea: whereas they had anthemeelves as Mr. and Mm. id they positively walked all rom the railway station, fola perspiring porter with their n a truck. moved all doubt as to their tus; they must be merely People" who would, of UMit severely alone, infen became confirmed when red that Mrs. Brown undercooking, and did not despise ig of beds. A woman of the >r the sum of five shillings as willing to "oblige" so far strag of the kitchen fire, the i the breakfast things, and a cleaning-up were concerned, magine, no servant 1" o ain nson-Green to her special s. Walker White. "What can »ing hereP" » he may be looking out for 9 place where he can make a poultry-keeping," was the rs answer. "A pity that a King man liko that should ork in some busy town. He veil in a shop, for his appearite respectable—for one of his lean."

weeks went by, during which ns ceased to interest the lood. Ihey looked very wellid smiling; they did their ting and carried home their they appeared it the parish l Sundays and sat in the i appropriated by the poorer d no one\ knew, or cared to thing more about them, ile ihey were enjoying ;fc , and keeping friends at a highly amused by their ictus just a new and charming lese two were playing, and ?d to postpone the last act possible. Utyled 'Mr. Brown' had haps, 'laughed so heartily in one day, when he came in zarden to tell his wife that Tio coneidered herself at the II things local had asked il ell her two cabbages and a

*&>f.oi?g to do it! 1 know wns tuo reply. And I shall go round to th» trvice und wait for the moimeh my hat in the proper no end of a lark."

a this piece of news was sent don, its effect was to bring e-looking elderly man aown intry neighbourhood without a day. Those young people ing their love of fun a little id he must stop it. is no conveyance to be had ached his journey's end, unI, one was sent (or from the >es.

done, and a satisfactory towed on* the messenger, stranger waited, he got into n with one of the porteis, a few questions about the ood—Wnat sort of house re! Cottage'' being one in-

considered it not a bad lithe would not mind living »lf supposing by-and-bye ho y up" his present work and ling to do outside the town. a fellow there just now," he p, 1 ieccy, must have come rts thinking he'd get a job, Ichosen the wrong place, er much doing here for nuj lone strangers." heard of him," was the relet, 1 have come down here to see him. 1 think he will before long." iin a bit of work, perhaps F" rter. ■

Inger smiled. "I think 1 u in the way of employing where. Ah! Here's the -day." at of Laurel Cottage was the doorway in his shirt »king a cigar, when Ae Uof the approaching conjtk the window oi wuich a e wus looking out. Kitty!" he cried, dashing lie kitchen, where his wife atending somethiug in a jf here isn't the governor. I coat? I'm afraid we're in [stormy weather!" [ tho "carriage was coming ktill, and it« occupant detake you back, sir?" asked k«." And a couple of halfLisiid the man. who hatdLore than his cighteenpenn. id! this is a surprise visit, H the so-called Mr. Brown, [his hand. "What has I here?" . , Lhiin when the door is clos[e reply. "Ah! There is las n figure advanced, slowI itself of a cookuig-apron. |o seo talit you both appear libarrassed by my arrival. i lat once. It is tune this Ided Yo* told me yon %** Eke an experiment of the Ibut I hnd no idea that it |e itself into passing for a Ivork, his wife cooking and Lite that. A woman does ■'and if I cook, well-sure-I that a Queen a daughters Indidlv when they were Ihe delinquent laughed. Lfor Fart be was-seated [kitchen chair, cleared his I looked round, ■the term of your tenancy

lately, soon.'.' answered hi« four weeks more, and we ft* hack in the old hnmoof high life. ! inA T n of the working-class! «>' •'$ eiisleme would fcare

suited me. I should have enjoyed standing behind a counter, saying 'And the next article?' or, 'ls there nothing more I can show you, madam?" The disgust which such sentiments inspired was clearly to be read on the elder man's face, but ho had not come down to the country to argue—he would command. "i gne you oue week, no more, during Milieu i micuu luui it snail ue uuottu t.uu .you uie. iuu will nave ouuieieui time iu winch 10 urrauge jour ue»arvur«, and uo the necessary pucKWg. »» nere guuh i uuu your lauuiuru, aud tor what sum snan l write a cneque r auu tue AarJt iooKed round tor uu inkstand, aim produced a cheque dook. Hum ins coat poeKet. " uii, i m not hard up; I ean pay what wnl be due" —but nere the liar. waved Ms hand imperiously, aud ure.v ins euair up to the Kitchen mine. i lie cheque was small, tor Laurel Cottage was but simply turnished, and the rent was cheap. "it you must see the landlord, I'd ever so much rather you didn't let oal who 1 am. Why shouldn'tnve be Mr. aud All*. Brown to the end; 1 " asked tins son of a nobleman.

■' Because 1 will not permit it," aud the Earl took his hat, and inquired how long it would take him to leach the house where the owner of Laurel Cottage resided. " Seven or eight minutes, and I suppose you won't stop very long. Come oack, won't you? and condescend to a bit of our early dinner. Katherines cooking isn't bad, 1 assure you." Over that simple meal the Earl became more genial. He admitted that the roast mutton was done to a nicety, and that his daughter-in-law's pastry was excellent.

"All the same," he added, "you have carried your experiment beyond bounds —you should have 6aid that you were Viscount Overton, even if you wished to be called Mr. Brown.'' "And then we should have had an the residents toadying to us," retorted the Viscount. "Whereas, thinking wo are nobodies, they have not come near, and have only looked at us with scorn if we met on the road. 1 expect now you have let out the secret that this last week will bring ue some visitor*." The Earl went back to London by au afternoon train, his son walking with him to the station, and conscious —by the courteous bows and raising of mens' hats—that the truth was afreatij circulating.

111. "My dear!" said Mrs. Williamson to her neighbour, Mrs. Jackson, "what do you think is the news about Laurel Cottage? That young man is Viscount Overton; and 1 bought cabbages and beans from him! I do think it is a shame that people should be allowed to come down among us and fool us like that, calling themselves by the name of Brown, too I" The indignation was general, for what opportunities had been lost! Had they all been nice and friendly, it was possible that they might have received invitations to the house in Belgravia, where they knew that Viscount Over, ton resided—they t.ight eren have become intimate with an Earl and a Countess!

However, one week remained, and the most must be made of it. The Vicar was the firet caller. He expressed his regret for having been somewhat tardy in welcoming the visitors, but his time was fully occupied, and the weeks dipped by so quickly. He mentioned (quite casually, of course) that there was a good deaf oi want in the neighbourhood, the men poorly paid, and very little subacribeu ior charitable purposes by the better class. A live-pound note given for his poor parishioners sent him away radiant, and expressing a hope that this first experiment of rural life might not be the last.

The purchasers of cabbage* came next, and with would-be mirthfulness declared that it was "quite too naughty" to play such a trick upon unsuspecting people. Mrs. Johnson-Green and Mrs. Walker White—in fact, everyone for miles round who had a great respect for themselves, took an opportunity of making the Overtone' acquaintance during that one short week, and most fervently hoped that they would come to Laurel Cottage again. . "In fact," as Viscount Overton said to his wife, as the train carried them on their homeward way, " I am afraid we have proved that we are just us much a nation of snobs as when Thackeray wrote his book, and that a title and plenty of money will constitute your best passport in the country or in town. Still, I have enjoyed the fun, and, somewhere or other, we will be Mr. and Mrs. Brown again."