CHAPTER XV.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 138, 23 January 1886, Page 3

CHAPTER XV.

" I WONDER WHO SHE IS," Rich and his now friend, the builderMr Mason fyy name — were some time making out the specifications for their plans and completing everything to their satisfaction, but they were all finished at last and sent forth jto judgment. Then there came a long time of waiting and. suspense ; but Rich did not allow himself to dwell anxiously upon it, nor did he say anything 'to Audrey about his venture — there was time enough for that by-and-by if it should prove a success, he thought ; if it should be a failure, it would be better to keep his disappointment to himself. • Meantime he continued to work diligently and faithfully at his post in the office during the day, devoting his evenings to plans of his own. He sent one or two simple designs to a periodical which published articles upon architecture, and they proved so acceptable that he was requested to contribute something every month, for which the publishers agreed to give him fifteen dollars for each contribution. One day, during the winter, a young man came in from the country to consult with Mr Remington regarding plans for a house that he was going to build. But after listening to him for a few moments the busy great man said : " I cannot attend %o you, sir, I am sorry to say. Such a small job wouldn't count me anything ; in fact, it would be more of a hindrance than otherwise. You will have to consult some one else ; or stay Waldemar, turning to Rich, who was at work on the other sido of the room, " can't you do something for this gentleman out of hours ?" Rich came forward and waa introduced, and, after conversing a few moments with bhe applicant,made an appointment with him for later in the day. He had quite a number of plans which he had drawn for his own amusement from time to time, and he thought that one of these, with some changes, might meet the wants and come within the means of the 3tranger. It proved ever so, for he found just what he wanted among Rich's collection, and our young friend received his first regular foe— a hundred-dollar note, for Mr Remington Baid the plans were wall worth that amount —with a feeling of pride and joy such as he had never experienced before. " Aunt Audrey's birthday will be the day after to-morrow," he reflected upon receiving the monoy'; " I phall keep this a secret until then, when I will give it to her, and it will be my first real gift to her." It is needless to cay that Migs Waldemar was both proud and delighted, and she would not disappoint him by refusing it. She took it with her heartiest kiss and thanks, but went the very next day and deposited it in a bank in his name. Time passed, the breezy month of March was here, and still the result of Rich's first venture was unknown. The fifth of March was a dull, stormy day, and when evening came our young architect had just settled himself before a cheerful fire, his feet encased in a con; fortable pair of slippers, and an entertaining book in his hand, which he was going to read aloud !to his Aunt Audrey and Mrs Allen, when the door bell rang an imperative peal. A few moments later the little maid-of-all-work ushered .Mr Mason, the builder, in to see Mr Waldemar. He entered with a quick, elastic tread, went straight up to Rich, and seized both hands in his. " We've got it," waa all he said, but his face was full of triumph. "The contract, do you mean?" Rich questioned, growing suddenly pale. "That's exactly what I mean, and I believe I am more glad on your account than my own," responded Mr Mason, heartily. "The parties were delighted with the plans, and there is not one word of fault with specifications or price, and the wotfk is to be begun the third of April." Rich sat down half dazed, and feeling 1 decidedly weak and trembling. He had not known until that moment how much his heart had been eet upon the contract. He had not even asked his visitor to be seated, nor .introduced him to the ladies, who were regarding them both with astonishment, he had been so taken by surprise. But he recovered himself after a moment. "1 beg your pardon," he said rising again and smiling ; " I believe you have scattered all my wits with your news ; allow me to in-troduce-you to my aupt, Miss Waldemar, Mr Mason, and Mrs Allen." The introduction over, Rich drew a chair forward to the fire for his new friend, and then turning to. Miss Waldemar, before resuming his own r seat, he said : "Aunt Audrey, Mr Mason is a master builder, , and we have been negotiating a little business together. I have dra wn some plans for him for a block of buildings at Yonkers, and he has secured the contract upon them. The bargain was that I should receive five hundred dollars if he succeeded. That will do for a first venture, will ife not ?" Miss Waldemar looked amazed now. j But she would not allow' herself to betray any emotion before a stranger ; so ;after the first shock of surprise had passed stie said, quietly : . „ - "I am very glad, Rich," but the look which accompanied the words expressed *a whole volume, '/ ' Mr Mason spent the^ whole evening* talking over , the matter, and J appeared -very itnucK elated, as the' contract would yield him a ba'ridsbme l profit. * ' ' When hejarose^t'p jro,' he again grasped Rich by the Jiahd, spying : *-' ; '- ' ' 1 '"I feel very; gratef til tbyou, young sir, and I predict a brilliant future for you. "I believe rshould,ribt Have secured j this "cojntiract'but fßf'yoUj arid! hope that this our first mutual transaction /will' I ndt be-our' last." ** **#»»^ .-'--? V"' ' * ''.*'»* ;\ " I hopVf %'; '%«&,»?" RicKj answeWdj heßtily'} arid it faino't^f b>: he drew plans' fpr^bimj^ sentfmany; people ,iiq,%imV"an,d^thOTe"waß*fi6^ ;t^£:.Rin%^t^

Jmye/betn a-hmdrance to him, so that ; our. young fr 'end began to realise quite" a hand-! income from his ' energy v arid' perseverance. ''* ', - > ! One day in May he went oub to Yonk.ers to see how the buildings-were progressing. Mr Mason was delighted to see him, and took .Him throughr every portion of the buildings with a good' deal of pride. ■, On his way out Rich passed ,ayoung man about his own age;, or perhaps a little older, who was planning at a bench, and he noticed that he was regarding Him very earnestly, and with a disagreeable- scowl on his face. < There was something familliar, too, about him: he was sure that -he had seen him somewhere before, though he could recall neither time nor place. " Who is he ?" Rich asked of Mr Mason, when ihey were beyond his hearing. " His name is John Crouch ; he's a surly kind of a fellow, but he's a good carpenter ana a smart hand at work. By the way, be looks as if he knows you," concluded the builder, glancing back at , his employe, who bad suspended his work and stood regarding Rich with no friendly look. " T am very sure I have seen him before ; but I cannot place him," the young man said, reflectively. But he forgot him. entirely after a while, in his interest in the development of the plans over which he had spent so much bime, and thonght ; but when he stepped upon the tram to return to New York, that svening, he almost stumbled against the game yo*uug carpenter, who was just leaving one car to go another, " Curse you !" he was sure he heard him mutter under his breath. "I beg your pardon," Rich said, court aou8ly ; " I did not see you in season to step aut of your way. The fellow made no reply beyond a disagreeable scowl, and pushed ahead into the 3mokingcar, whiie Rich, forgetting the circumstance, or thinking nothing of it, 3ave that he had run against a coarse, illmannered, boor, settled himself comfortably in a seat and began to read his evening paper. But he was destined to see another face bhat day— one that he could not forget, and which was to haunt him for weeks before he iiscovered the name of its owner. Arriving in New York, he sprang lightly From the train and made his way out of the 3tation, softly humming a tune. He was in excellent spirits, for Mr Mason bad been consulting him regarding plans for some Queen Anne cottages that a sapitalist wanted to build in the suburbs of Brooklyn.and he had strong hopes of securing the contract if he could get designs to 3uit. He passed out upon the street and took in up-town car, but after riding a short distance he suddenly thought of an errand tie had promised to do for Miss Waldemar, md alighted before a Btore on the roadway. He made his purchase and then concluded ihat he would walk home, as he felt just like taking the exercise. He had not proceeded far, however, before he noticed the slight, graceful figure of i girl, clad in a neat dark-brown suit, just x little in advance of him. Almost unconsciously he slackened his pace and kept behind her, feeling strangely interested and attracted by her. His quick eye took in every detail of her neat, though inexpensive costume, from ber simple brown hat to the toe of her 3mall, perfectly fitting kid boot. She carried a bundle in her arms — quite a bulky one— and Bich wiphed he knew her, 30 that he might relieve her of it ; it nettled him that such a pretty girl— he knew, instinctively, that she was pretty, although be had not yet had a glimpse of her face — 3hould be so disagreeably burdened. He was so intent upon observing her that be had eyes for nothing else, and all at 3nce he was startled, and his blood sent to boiling with indignation, as a newsboy sudienly flew around a corner, running plump against the girl, nearly throwing her off her Feet, and sending her bundle flying out of her arms upon the sidewalk, where the string, with which it was bound, giving wav, its contents— the materials for a dress, with spools of silk and thread, whalebones and buttons— were scattered about in confusion. Rich's first impulse was to seize the boy by the shoulder, stopping him short in his mad career. " What are you about, young man ?" he demanded, " rnnning against people in this way ? Have a care over yourself in the future or you will get into trouble." Administering a slight shake to enforce his reproof. Rich let him go and turned his attention to the unfortunate victim of the encounter. As he did so there flashed upon him the memory of an incident of a somewhat similar character, which had occurred when he was a boy, and when he had defended a little girl from the abuse of a low-born bully. Then in an instant it came to him who the fellow was whom he had seen in the new buildings at Yonkers, and whom he had encountered upon the train. " He was that mean-spirited bully as sure aa I am alive?" he paid to himself, "and I he recognised me as soon as he set his eyes upon mo." These thoughts passed through hia mind with the rapidity of lightning, and he was j astonished to find how little a thing had aroused memories that had long lain dormant. j Then he turned to assist the young girl in recovering her property. " Will you allow me to help you, miss," he asked, politely, and lifting hia hat to her as if she were a fashionable belle, instead of a poor sewing girl whom he now knew she was. She lifted her face to him as he spoke, and he thought it the fairest one he had ever seen. A pair of beautiful blue eves met bis, looking out from beneath a finely shaped brow, upon which rested light waves of rich golden hair. Her complexion was faultless, with a delicate bloom upon either cheek ; her nose and ears were like a dainty bit of sculpture ; her mouth was a scarlet line of beauty. She gave a violent start as she looked at him, then grew crimson ; while to Rich, as he noticed it, there came a shadowy memory, like some strain of music heard somewhere in the dim past ; but the titrife and theme it was beyond his power to recall. *{ Thank you," she responded, in a low, sweet tone, a shade of sadness stealing over her;> face, " I do not believe I need to trouble you, I think I have recovered everything," and she began to make up, her bundle again as Bhe spoke. ; - 'J I- know I can assist you about that," Rich said,, as pbe tried to tie up but found the paokage difficult to manage. i ; He - noticed,, too,, that her little browngloved hands' were trembling violently, and ho Wondered at it, for behond scattering her w,ork, the clumsy newsboy, he knew, had dbne no damage:". "•' ' -* , „>. bundle • from her,- he djew-Ketvout-oi the jostling crowd into a he^ tied E it*neatly_;and sesurd that' she ►would have no : f urtherwtroublet with ? it, > evexr4f I \t_ should Ifallva^ainl^yy :m -'• ,;-. * " «^.**THank 'ypu^ishe said,' and as her deep T blue ? eyes /were raised for a moment, to him,

$6 jtHoiai^ht, there was a 4a 4 fistful, almost ap-1 pealing^expreseipn; in "them," , ";you have taken a great deal of trouble for* me." '] \ I,'^Noj indeed;; it has been a pleasure, I assure you, "> he" said, " and' if ydu are going much%rtherthis way 1 1 .shall be tiappjr toj carry^it for you, as I am bound in the same (iireo.iori." t " y „ '\\" '".,'''l' ," Ydu, are very kind," she replied, ,a'nd, he was jure /that the sweet voice trembled/ "but I believe I will take a car.* ''It would have been'better if I had done so* in the, first place. " , ' \ ! ' ' > Rich bowed acquiescence, but he was dis-. appointed. 'He would have been delighted to walk by her side and carry that clumsy bundle, had it been twice as clumsy 1 But he hailed a car for her, Baw he* safely into it, then with a lingering look, lifted his hat and went on his own way. ''What a pity that anyone so lovely and delicate should need to toil for her living," he mused. " I wonder who she is. I wonder if I shall ever meet her again." (To be Continued. ) I