Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 215, 15 September 1904, Page 4

Literature.

o JACK POLLARD'S INDECISION. Carrie Matthews stood outside the ■big co-operative store building iu which she had just finished her day's toil, slowly pulling on her gloves and looking expectantly towards one of the side-entrances. She carried her twenty-seven years very easily, and even the somewhat strained pucker round her lips did little to detract from her undeniable good looks. Presently the pucker relaxed a little as a tallish young man came hurrying towards lier, smiling awkwardly, and lifting his hat with clumsy politeness. " Good evening," he said, in rather a tilvaky voice, that seemed of a piece with his general manner of indecision.

'•' Good evoning, Mr. Pollard," replied Carrie, .i*r own voice as firm as the grip with which she met his irresolute handshake. Mi-. Jack Pollard gazed round him vaguely, " Isn't Nel—isn't your eister out yet ? " he stammered. •" She had to go over to the other 'building. She may be some little time."

'•' Shall we wait for her ? " Carrie shot him a sharp, scrutinising look. " Oh, just ias you like." " Then we may as well—it would he rude if we didn't, hj? " '•' Yea, I saippose Nellie would hi annoyed," said Carrie with a short laugh, after which the strained puckei came [back-to her lips a little more stiff aid. Strained than before. But apart from that there was nothing to sbow that she did not feel contented and at ease, for her talk ranged lightly and briskly from one subject to another until she came to an abrupt stop with a rather snappy •'■' Oh, here's Nellie." She said little more all the way to the station, and, indeed, it was difficult for anyone to get a word in whenever Nellie Matthews appeared on the scene. The sweet, fresh face, set in its frame of black clustering curls, showed unmistakably that she had left childhood but recently behind her, and her every movement, her every action, breathed the joy and exultation of a happy young life awakenling to all the possibilities of Its youth. And as Jack Pollard walked 'between the two girls it could not be denied that his face was much more frequently turned towards the bright little chatterbox oh baa left than to her taciturn elder sdsrter, TMs walk of the trio to the railway station after business hours had now ibeen the order of the day for some Six weeks. But for quite two months before that it had only been Carrie and Jack Pollard. The young ttian was Carrie's acquaintance. She did not exactly remember how it came about—perhaps a thank you from her as he held open a door for her _to pass through, or perhaps he bad. picked up, .her glove, and when they discovered that they had to tra- j yel along the Same train route it I -seemed an absolute waste to retain ~|rosn striking- up a friendship which was likely to be fraught with pleasure for tiiem ( both. Than there had been a vacancy at. the stores, and' Carrie' had obtained the place for Jfellle, eagerly seizing the opportunity of having her, little sister by her side. The two girls were orphans, with scarcely a relation in the world and they lived down Canterwell way under the sheltering care of a n old lady who had been a life-long lriend of their dead mother. Every day for the last week Carrie'had been questioning herself whether she had been wise in bringing ; Nellie to the stores. Bitterly she reproached herself for having so foolishly and u n necessarily burdened herself with a rival to Jack Pollard's attention. And yet she need not blame herself so much after all. Could she have forseen that this steady, stolid slowcoach of a Jack Ppllard would veer round so suddenly just because there was a prettier {ace on the other side di him ? And there could be no doubt of it that Carrie's conquest of him had seemed genuine enough at first. Well—and Carrie clenched her hands still mo.e tightly—her mind was made up: tibia chnbdisih business would have to take am end, and very soon too. They stopped outside the house where the two girls lived. Jack Pollard appeared to be hesitating with his good-bye. He was always hesitating.

" It—it'll be a fine evening. May I come later on and fetch you out for a walk ?" he stammered. There was no stammer and no hesitation in Carrie's reply. " No, thank you, lllr. Pollard ; I have something important to do tonight, and I shall perhaps want Nellie to help me." Nellie nodded assent, for there was to be that evening a groat council of war about the confection of some new Mouses. Jack Pollard looked nonplussed and disconslatc, but speedily decided to accept her decision, for he said meekly : " Well, then, perhaps another evening ? " '■' Yes, another evening, perhaps," replied Carrie, with a distinct pause- •*. before the last word, which nonplusBed Jack Pollard still more. A quarter of an hour later the two .jjirlfl were seated over their simple supper. For a few minutes Nellie considered nothing, except her own healthy appetite, and then her eyes Strayed to Carrie's plate. ''Why, you're not eating anything, Carrie," she exclaimed. " I can never eat when I'm thinking," replied Carrie, curtly.

" Oh, well wait till we get to the patterns.'' " I wasn't thinking of the patterns. I was thinking of going back to Stockton's. " Stockton's in Hammersmith ? " cried Nellie astonished. Carrie nodded mootlily. " Emily Tebb told me the other day she was leaving to get married, you know, and that I could have her place for the asking. They used to like me well enough at Stockton's." " But Emily Tebb has to sleeo on the premises." " Well, what of that ? Cant I do the same ? " Nellie gasped. " What, and leave me here all by myself ? " " All by yourself ! Why anybody would think you were living in a wild wood. You surely couldn't get anyone to look after you better than Mrs. Dalton downstairs, and the rent wouldn't run you into anything extra, because now that you'll be alone you could move up to the garret. . . ." '■' Carrie, are you mad ? " exclaimed Nellie, dropping her knife and fork. Carrie shook hor head qiuietly. "Not so mad as you seem to think me. To tell you tjhe truth, I'm sick and tired of the stores. Remember, you've only had a few weeks of it. I've been at it for three years and over." '■' But some of the girls have been there for six years." " Well, it may suit them—they're built that way, I daresay. Altogether, they've a pretty poor lot at the stores. Take, for instance, your Mr. Jack Pollard " "What's the matter with Jack Pollard ? " broke in Nellie, fiercely. (To be continued.)