CHAPTER XXXIV. MR STARKEY TAKES AN INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 147, 27 March 1886, Page 7

CHAPTER XXXIV. MR STARKEY TAKES AN INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE.

The winter passed quickly and delightfully, at least to pretty Annio Noble. Life for her had again resumed its brightest aspect. Mr Campbell had hoped and tried to get something for her from the dishonest, lawyer who had settled her father's estate, lie felt sure that as good a business man as Adrien Noble had been v. ould never have ! left his child so utterly destitute as Annio had been left. But the man had so thoroughly covered his tracks, and so cunningly accounted for Mr Noble's insolvency, that he could find nothing tangible to work upon, and had at length to give up the task as hopeless. But, notwithstanding this disappointment, the winter slipped away with very much of enjoyment in it. The Starkeys, Waldemars. and Campbells were much together ; indeed, scarcely a day pas-ed that they did not meet, or plan to vi=it some place of interest in company with each other. Meantime, Mr Starkey had returned from Maine, where he left the Jones family happy and contented in their new homes, Mr Jones having improved so r>pidly after leaving the city that he was able to attend to many duties before Starkey left. Rich made a change in his business at the beginning of the now year, as Mr Remington had advised him to do, and formed a partnership with Mr Mason. Having already acquired something of a reputation, order soon began to pour in upon them, and there seemed to be a fair prospect that wealth and fame awaited the new firm of Ma»on and Waldemar. Mr Starkey all at once became deeply interested in architecture ; espectally so in a certain set of plan=> which Rich was engaged upon for a house that was to be built a few | miles out of the city on a property lot which " Uncle George" had himsolf bought and paid for. The discussions upon these plans were frequent and lone. Rich was desirous that the house should be convenient, and every thing about it built with a view to comfort and thoroughness, ; but he aimed, at the same time to make the cost reasonable. _Mr Starkey, however, frequently startled him, and deranged his plans by proposing strangely extravagant additions, at least for a man who hid been brought up as simply as he had been. "Why don't you put in -ome of these new fangled fixings over the fireplace ?"' he asked, one day, when they were discussing the finish of certain rooms. '• These ornamentals do you mean ?" Rich asked. "I guess that's what they caU'em ; at any rate, they're all whittled out in fine shape." "They are very expensive— anything in carving always is," objected Rich. "I shouldn't wonder; but I like 'em first-rate " "Have you any idea what they cost ?" Rich asked. ''Well, yes, something ; I've been 'round a little asking the prices of some things, and,_ I guess, if you're agreeable, we'll put one in the parlour and another in the library. Then I reckon $ ou might as well have the rooms finished in hard woods to match 'em I heard the child pay &ho thought the natural wood was prettier than anything else." ° "Yes: I like that kind of finish best myself," the young architect admitted, but looking a trifie perplexed. " Then I've an idea," pursued Mr Starkey blandly, "that she'd like a little glasshouse, built on the south side, to keep posies in.'" "What? Do you mean a conservatory thrown out to the eouth V exclaimed Rich, aghast at these unexpected and expensive proposal?. " Yes ; I reckon that's the upper-tendom name for em." " I am afraid you do not realise what you are talking about, Mr Starkey," Rich said, gravely, for he could not see his way clearly yet toward mainlining a style of furnishing and living to correspond with theaa expensive suggestions. "I guess I do. if you'll excuso my contradicting you," answered Mr Starkey, serenely. • ■ According to my way of thinking, there ain't anything too good for that girl of our'n, and to she's going to have the best there is. I know she loves flowers better'n anything else that grows, and I want her to have a lot of 'em, and a nice place to keep 'em in ; and well, to make a long story short, you just take this and use it as if you knew there was plenty moro where it came from— for thera is— and you build that houee just aa it ovyhl to be built — hi ship shape. " He pulled a folded paper from his breastpocket as he spoke, and laid it down before Rich. The young man unfolded it, and found it to be a cheque for an amount that astonished him. He flushed and appeared considerably embarrassed. Mr Starkey, noticing it, resumed, in an explanatory way : " You see, if I'd been like most other men, I suppose I should have got married long ago, and maybe had children of my own, but I didn't, and so there's only Marthy Ann and me in the family, and the Lord only knows who'd gobble up our money after we're gone, if we didn't, do something with it beforehand. Well, we've Bettled it between ua that that child is going to have the most of it ; but I've a notion that I'd like to see a little of it Bpent by somebody who knows how to make things shine ; eo I want this house to be— a— well, a regular t>lunner— such a one

as you'd make it if you was worth, say a hundred and fifty thousand —perhaps more - and you thought thero wasn't anything too good for your bride that is to be." Rich was astounded. He had no thought of building in any such elaborate way as this ; a modest, convenient, comfortable little house was all he had aspired to, and all that he deemed his means would allow, Mr Starkey had given the land, and he had supposed that would bo the extent of his contribution toward Annie's wedding outfit. But this check, and the hint as to almost unlimited means, and the suggestions regarding finish and ornamentation, convinced him that Annie's guardians would not be satisfied with anything so simple as he had contemplated. "Very woll," he said, after considering the matter awhile, "1 will do as you desire, Mr Starkey; but 1 shall insist, upon tho completion of tho houso, that the property be made over unconditionally to Annie." Mr Starkey chuckled amusedly. , " Well, I sha'n't object to that," he said ; " you can do as you please, though J guess it won't make no great sight of a difference whichever name it stands in. All I'm particular about is that thero sha'nt be any outs about it, for I'm bound to show Marthy Ann that I can do the handsome thing aa well as she, and I don't want her to know, neither, till it's done, and that t'was my idea." So the lovely house grew, and Rich put his whole heart into it, until ifc came to be tho "dearest spot on earth" to him, tor round it clustered tho most sacred hopes of his life. Hamilton had become a frequent visitor at tho Campbell's during these months, and many a "Samaritan" errand was planned by him and Grace, and Wins Campbell seemed to be greatly changed in some respects. The look of sadness and pain had almost disappeared from her eyes, the old colour had returned to her face, and she seemed oaco more like tho beautiful girl whom Rich had so admired that even ing when he had first been invited to her home. Spring succeeded winter, and when April came tho S(arke3's were preparing to flit to their coun f ry home. Rich grew rather sober as the tiino of peperation drew nigh, and on the evening before Annie's departure ha was almost tempted to say that he could not let her g°She bannered him upon it with a forced gayety, which, however, did not deceive him in the least, for her eyes were dewy, and her lips quivered with almost overy other sentence. " If I do not run away from you I shall never be ready to occupy that lovely hoiifce with you next fall," she said, with a charming blu?h. " Ju°t think," she added severely, " wh it idle hands the c e havo been all these winter months, and such piles of sewing to bo dono !" Rich gathered those same " idlo hands " into his, and kissed them tenderly. | "I call them very busy hands whon I think of all they have done in the past," ho eaid, fondly ; " and 1 want to exact a promise that they shall not do more than is good for their owner while she is whero I cannot look after her," " Oh, Aunt Martha has taken care to provide for that already, and— isn't it just lovely of her, Rich ?— has engaged Mary Forsyth to go to Maine with us to spend the summer and help do the sewing. It will not only give tho poor girl employment, but help build her up. The country air and living are just what sho needs." " Arc you sure that 'Aunt Martha' deserves all the credit for the arrangement ?" asked Rich, with a significant smile. " Oh, well, of course, when I knew that we must have some one to help, I suggested Mary," Annie admitted, flushing consciously. " I thought so," Rich remarked, quietly " Aunt Martha ia a dear good old soul and a true sister of chaiity ; but sho isn't the only v, hole-hearted woman in the universe, by any means."