Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 184, 9 August 1904, Page 4

Literature.

OFF TO. THE DERBY. "The long and the short of it Is, Helen, I am broko ; stony broke." "My dear boy, that has been your condition ever since you left Eton. But if you are broke—as you cail it —it is never too late to mend, you know." " "Oh; 'hang ! Don't talk rot ! It is all very well for you to joke. Y'ou married cleverly. With old Sir Joshua's millions, you are, of course, in clover. You might lend me a couple of hundred to carry me on till the Derby. I stand to win a cool thou, at Epsom-, and I shall be able to pay you back with usury." Lady Coyerdale threw up her dimpled hands in horror. "My, dear Gerald', what a request ! You know how terribly tight my beloved husband holds the pursestrings. He never gives me one single penny beyond my settlements. Denise is almost threatening to sue me for her account of the year before last.' Besides which I lost over fifty pounds at bridge down at Lady Golightly's last Saturday to Monday. Now, how in the world can you expect me to help you out of the consqqjuences of your almost criminal extravagance ? " "I like your preaching about extravagance, Nell. It strikes me that we are about tarred with the same brush as far as tl-.-t. {joes. Never mind, I'll go out una work in the South.African, diamond mines, and herd with the heathen Chinee. Then you'll be sorry." "Shall I ? What for ?" '•'That you declined to spare a crust for your starving btother." "Dear boy, you can have as many crusts i as: ever you can eat. You bry come to dinner every night in the week, if yon like, and swim in champagne, to any extent. Uis only ready money that I deny you, lor the very excellent reason that I never have any myself." "And .it happens to be just hard cash that lam in need of. I can get any amount of dinners, and plenty of chiampigne a deuced sight' better than Sir Joshua Coverdale's own special family brand.': "It is shockingly bad, isn't it ? ,You see, Sir Joslhua was,brought up oh beer, so he doesn't quite know the difference between gooseberry and the genuine article. But I have a brilliant idea. You remember. Ruby Oorkran, the girl you met here at lunch last week—the soap-boiler's heiress ?" "What, the eighty-thousand pounder ?" "Yes. I have promised to run her down to Epsom on the Derby day on our new fifteen horse power car. And I'll tell you what I will do. I will tell Sir Joshua to go by train. He will ibe only too glad. He is dreadfully afraid of a motor car, only he hasn't the courage to own It. Then I can sit in front with the cbajflMr, Jaad you shall share the back -sear with the lovely heiress. If you cannot turn' to account such a lovely opportunity you had better set ' ilfciit cultivating a pig-tail and turn diamond miner at once." "But, I say, look here, Helen, a fellow can't make an offer of a battered hat and an empty hand while two people are listening, with all .their ears; to hear him make an ass ©f himself. "H'm J." .mused Lady Coverdale. '■•TherVi" so'ffiething in that. Can you be trusted'to'drive the car your■ejl, Gerald ?" ~ , . .. ''Mjjdear Helen, you-'might as well ask, could I be trusted with untold gold !" . "In these hard times I doubt of anyone is to be trusted with that. No matter. I'll risk it. At the eleventh hour I will 'be detained at home. .I; am not/very keen on the Darby; it "js. such a mixed sort of a crowd. I will let the chauffer know that he won't be wanted, and arrange wjth.my old governess, Mrs Lethbridge, who is nearly as deaf as a post now, to como and play propriety, and hand Miss Oorkran over to Sir Joshua and our party on the etand. Of course. Ruby will have to como back with Joshua, whatever happens, because your trip to Epsom together must appear to be a case of the. purest'accident. So make the most of your down journey, for such an opportunity of .bettering your melancholy condition may never occur again." "Helen, you are no end of a brick. When I am the proud husband of a wealthy heiress I will not forget that I am indebted to you for all my luck." "That's all right, Gerald. First Catch your hare—l mean your heiress—and we will talk about dividing up the spoil afterwards." The scheme worked out to perfection. Sir Joshua Coverdale was highly pleased that he could get away by train with his bachelor friends. Lady Coversale's neuralgia •—which never failed her in cases of need—set in just at the right moment. MrsLethbridge, whose deafness rendered a drive in a motor car a' thing, for her, of unalloyed delight Was charmed to take charge of the pretty heiress. Miss Corkran was glad that her view of things would not be strictly limited to the leatherhound back of thq chauffeur. Gerald, perhaps, was the least contented of all concerned. Tc< avoid the Scylla of the bankruptcy court he must run full tilt upon the Charybdis of the hymeneal altar, and either danger .thueitoned the wreck of many of his most cherished hopes. He packed Mrs Lethbridge safely toto the Back seat, then twisted himself witif. agile grace roun'd the Wheel info his seat beside Miss Corkran, who was already in her place. At first Gerald's attention was almost entirely devoted to steering through the traffic of the streets, but CDC9 out Into the open he was able to givs more than monosyllabic replies to his pretty companion's remarks. "You do much motoring. Miss Corkran?" he asked. "Not any," she replied "Really '• Don't you like it ?'' "I never tried it before tn-day. It •eema rather decent. Pity they can't make the machines noiscl.-s4, though, isn't it." " "To come like shadows and so Bepart ? Rather a creepy mode of progress-nil, don't you think?" "I suppose it would be. Dangerous too, for the man in the street. But I thought, Mr Howard, that the road to Epsom was one unbroken tine of vehicles.'-' "The direct route, yes. I am making a ; detour. There is no fun in going at a snail's pace." "You are sure you know the roundabout way ?" "You may trust yourself implicitly In my hands, Miss Corkran—now and always." She glanced at him from under her dropped lashes. "That is comforting." sihe said. "I wouldn't miss the DeifcJy for worlds." "Is this your first Derby as well as your first motor car trip ?" "Yes. I have never seen a race before." "Jove ! How refreshing it must be to revel in all these first impressions, quite free from the fear of the Inevitable moment or 'disillusion." "Must there necessarily be disillusion ?" "I fancy so. About racing matters especially." , "Why'?" "Well, oho can't expect always to Jfi-n, you know." "I can," she returned, with a laugh full, of. glee. "I have a system all my own. I am positively bound to win.'' He turned and looked at her keenly don't say so! Where do jrpu find your dead cert. ? A safe tip from one in the know ? Believe me, that is one of the riskiest things going. Is it second sight, dreams, hypnotism, or what ?" She. laughed still more merrily at his sudden and unwonted excitement. •'I will tell you. I have backed ew*y single, horse that is entered for the Derbyj So you see I cannot •tfeelp winning on one of them." my goodness, Miss Corkran ! .absolute ruination. You «tand to .low far more than you | jrin."

"I don't care «, Nit aAlout that. My system gives me an equal interest in all the horses, a . d I „j n certain to have the pleasnn ~f seeing one that uiy money is on cine in a winner." Goirald drew a deep breath. '•'lt must he ripping to be able to do things on so gorgeous, so princely a scale," ha said at length. •Yes; isn't it? 1 couldn't always, you know. When I was at school abroad papa only allowed me a franc a week for pocket money. My guard an is much inore generous." (To oe continued..)