In an Overcoat Pocket

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 113, 26 November 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

In an Overcoat Pocket

COMPLETI*; t>tH)HT STOKY.

By ELSIE VVAYLAND.

" By-bye, Doily! Don't sit up for inc. i may not be nouie till late j Aua naudsoine .Dick fcveretjp beat to UiSu nis pretty wuo.

"-vlust you reuuiy go, Dick!'" iuiploi iiigiy.

"juuot 1 really go!"'' lie repeated. '\Vimt a ureamuily soieniu iacei ies, you liaiLiuoii'i darling. 1 really must I" " vviiyi"' persistently.

"On, because ox an —an engagement I—l cannot break, dear l' a trine gumuy.

With whom?"

"Uood gracious I What an inquisitive uttie mortal it ik, to be sure! .Don't irouuio your pretty uead with business taigageineutts, and once more, my pel, goou-oye! And oh, 1 say, Doiiy,' turning uack and putting nig head inside liie door, "ir you're ju search ol a job, i wish you'd mend my overcoat, j. noticed a big tear in it ior the hrst time to-night —it's an ugly tear. Will you Y"

And to his rather disconnected speech Mrs Dick nodded, and smiled a bngtit acquiescence.

The door slammed behind Dick, and she glanced round the cosy, home-like room.

"If only Dick had not been obliged to go out —and such a night, tool" sue signed.

The gae burned brightly; the cheery tire in the giVite was a bed of golden coals; the Trench clock on the mantel ticked musically. Towards the crimsoncovered table, on which lay a pile of unopened magazines, looked tw;6 wistful blue eyes. But the bride of 6ix months shook her dainty br,bnzi|-brown 'head with resolute determination; and the rosy lips repeated the hackneyed formula, "Duty first, pleasure alter."

So, accordingly, the little white hands laboriously lugged and hauled Dick's big overcoat into the room, turned it over and commenced their wifely occupation. She dniiled softly to herself, tor her thoughts were pleasant ones as she sat and sewed; a rare pretty picture in the firelit glow—the busy hands flying briskly through their task. "To-morrow will be my birthday, and Dick has forgotten it, I know. How sorry he will be when I tell him to morrow!''

And she broke merrily into "Comin* Thro : the Bye," as the dainty French conceit on the low marble mantel silveriy struck ten. Sha paused, amjilingly, with needlo suspended, to hear the mad, merry waltz that tinkled out from the little bronze Cupids. Her task finished, she turned the coat over to see it it needed other repairs, and, as she did so, a small, square sheet of creamy paper fluttered from an inside pocket and fell upon the crimson carpet. She bent forward and picked it up, with a low hiugh. " Which of Dick's friends is sufficiently foppish to perfume hie letters, 1 wonder!"'

Then she turned it right up and looked at it. And she saw—what?

Nothing very terrifying, certainly. Only a tnick sheet of emoossed paper, stamped with a monogram, in azure and gold, incomprehensible as monograms usually are. A woman's letter, decidedly—written in a pretty, scrawling, irregular hand, unmistakably a woman's. The bird-uke song died on Dolly Everett's lips; the soft, bright colour faded slowly out of her face; the blue eyes grew wide and startled, as she read the few words on the page before her. The note ran:—

"Dick, Darling,—l have niissed you dreadfully o»t late. Cctue! Excr-isc diplomacy to-night, and slip away. I hate her tor keeping you iroin me. Besides, Gerstcr is in town! h the hint too broad? In spite of atll, Dick, ever your "EDITH.'

That was all; but it was enough. For a few momenta Dolly's eyes, blazing, terrified, stared straight at the fateful sheet, as though they would tihrivel it up with their blue tire. Then she tfung it shuddering from her, as though it were a venomous thing, and could sting her. Who was the woman who dared write so to Dick—her Dick;'—yes, she told herself, with an air of defiant proprietorship, hers only. She crushed her hands tightly together, till the diamond next the plain gold circlet cut the white flesh cruelly. Then, as a horrible suspicion leaped to life in her brain, with a low ninan she slipped from her chair, and crouched shivering against the great, shaggy overcoat. Her fears took tangible shape! \\ hat if he had gone to meet this woman." For the first time he had evaded answering her questions. And how guilty and hurried he had seemed —so horribly happy and lighthearted, too! Words and glances, before almost unnoticed, now hashed upon her. She snatched up the note again and looked at it. It was dated the evening of that day. "0, Dick, Dick!" she cried, wildly, "how could you, how could you? And— I loved you so!" Then,* with a sudden storm of sobs, jhe broke down altogether, and, burying her face in the crumbled oyercoUt, wept as if her heart was breaking, the graceful figure shaken and convulsed. 11. The fire burned low in the grate under a coating of grey ashes. Eleven! chimed the clock. Stfe did not pause to listen to the silver music. Footsteps came along the gravel path, up the steps; a latch-key turned cautiously in the door. She neither heard nor stirred. In the hall, Dick paused, a curious smile on his lips. "Dolly's asleep, sure as fate!l lie breatlied. He divested himself of hat and mackintosh, and humming a popular air, turned the knob of the parlour door. " 'And listen while I tell you ol the

"Goodness! Dolly, what's the matter 'f . , His song came to sui untimely end as lie caught sight of tho sobbing, shaking little figure on the hearthrug. Ho took ono stride towards her, hut at the sound of bin voice she had sprung to her feet with crimson cheeks and dangerously-sparkling even. "Stand off, sir! Don't you dare to touch me!" , . •• Great heavens! Dolly in direst bewilderment. "Don't Dolly me!" facing .him like a diminutive tigress—"don't dare to!" " Dolly!" "Don't mention my name so kooU after hers—this 'Edith' to whom you are 'Dick, Darling!' " "Dolly " "Can you find no other word with which to defend or vindicate yourself except the repetition of my name?" this last with unnatural calmness. The temperature had wafted round from the torrid to the frigid zone. "Have you gone—mad?" slowly. "If T have, find the cause —there!" Scornfully .-he flung him the crumpled bheet. He tiiaklied it eagerly and read ever}

word. Then he lifted a face of, if bib.e, liiui'c lllbv'usc lUiti uunuu«4 man beiore:' " \\ nere did you get this, asked. rP " mere!" She- pointed dramatically to the blea overcoat. » '•There-'' in the blankest Site nient. "There!" lie glanced from the note to the and iroiu the coat to the note, back again to Doliy. She was longing desperately to s her voice and stm lier neam sulnc: to ask him h*w he liked tterster to exhibit a piece ol stinging sari There was blank silence lor & moat, then Dick walked ovor and ed up the overcoat. I Hark! what was that? Not a 1 surely 1 Yes, fT laugh l . That maddest, riest, wildest peal that ever rang human iips. There on the hearthrug stood' the coat fallen loosely on the noa hands on both hips, and fciughi loudly as he could. "Dick!" in faltering omazemei "Yes!" howled Dick. "Oh, it's the best joke of the season! H\

And then he was roaring dike a boy again.

"Dick—tell me!" Then, seeing her white, aaxiou: he grew suddenly grave. "Dolly, did you look at th velope?" " i saw none."

He showed her the envelope tht fluttered unoticed under the tobl She read the address : "Kichard Harvey, Jleq., >\ " 192 South Street, WSt "Dolly, did you particularly, the overcoat?" A tremulous "No!"

" Look! See that'velvet cottar, buttons, this pocket-book! Is tt overcoat?"

"Oh, Dick, my dearest, forgiv No, no, no!"

She was sobbing in his arms n« "My darling! But," bubbling into boyish laughter, "what a gi joke! To think that I should home in, and that you should Dick Harvey's overcoat! Wond his folks are going through my p< now. Who's' Edith'? Why, his t heart, whom he has to sneak off * because of a formidable heiress st at hie house at present, to whoi folks are trying to marry him. B me tall about it."

"Dick"—shy arms went ere round his neck, and blue eyes luminous through their tears—never going to be jealous again.! I'm not even going to ask you 1 you've been to-night," with triumj heroism, underlaid by a stratum of demng curiosity. "My pet, I was just going to tell but these will speak better than 1 You see 1 had not quite forgotten day to-morrow would be." i He had drawn a leathern case his pocket, and, touching the e| disclosed a set and necklet of white pearls on a turquoise-velvet "Oh, Dick!" A long-drawn breath, a rapt lighting of blue eyes, a lifting of lips, and then—well, when she through, Dick thought himself we paid! "Won't there be fun at the offi morrow? Jealous of Dick Ha

But, by Jupiter! what a recflrt got! Oh-oh, Dolly, Dolly, DolM the best joke on record!" And Dolly joined him merrily titter all, is not the sweetest lit that which springs from tears?— "Spare Moments."