LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7720, 24 January 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

READY-MADE ROMANCE. fine aiteinoon in MaiEL 'ihwc Wd9 a pleasant wttrwth HgUbeMa-ch sunshine as Jlrs Hamit■Sl Grey 9*t on the balcony hei Bralle flat, which - vras> Situated in ■MMST-fcishionable locality, tiie Strada BEjfejgsfdi, often termed the Park l«ant' BBjfiVaictta Bat was \erj noisy in the street beKm^' 1 but 3lrs Hamilton >■'>' liked |Mfo rheertul Maltese noise, even » s Bw'enjoycd the s-uiiyhine. She liked BBS >a».md of bells, which reached ]j||«s Airs Horn all directions'. The pgta>scs 'jangled in loud competition j|2gh tie mules, \\ h.U- the goats, B&foivlrffr hither and thither in search savoury morsels wherewith to aj>Ul'.'ir uiisdtislu :1 appetites, Epbook Ih'.n starved ne-:k»i and jingIpol «i,li monotonous regularity. 1 §| ■ Al:mi all clange-l the l a' I.', of :a:vejpral Komaii Cuthu.ic churches, mixed i gwith the distant sound of bagpipes 1 isg the Highland l''iisl.iers mulched . fit down the neighbouring Strada Heale. §pAi>d bo.;".ll'S all I.lLs lively diiv, yet ' i another soui.d reached the lady's fear—namely, the rapid click of a | /typew niter, which presently caused |SIW to foivake her chair on the bal&tony and to step through the open into the room whence the |;»ouitd proceeded. fi. - Mrs Hamilton Grey, with her conifigure and rosy face, preIPSented a striking contrast to her jjjjfftogile-looking secretary, whose slen,- ' *der while bands were so bUb'ity enfWS& with the keys of the Yost. ! handsome widow on the night side Wfff forty, the elder lady htul been cull (lowed with a very liberal share of fSjtbis world's goods, and also, in her 1 gown opinion, with positively biil- 1 intellect. In conversation with I : .intimate friends she was accustomed I f to aKt.de to her wonderful " brain." I a matter of fact, f7he was a ! S& person possessed of quick understanding and a good deal of imaginl£*tion, and chance having thrown her -the path of some pleasant jomn- ' „ alists, she had enthusiasticajly iuf vested in a typewriter a nd a founwmxinced that in hsr the :jr..World would discover, sooner or lat- I jer, a ."econd Ooergp Kliot. Thanks partly to a certain amount ' STof interest, she successfully placed ! £", two stories ; ami now, in search of c copy for an ui»-to-date novel, shejuul 3} established Krsclf very comfortably I j lor a season at Malta. " j j As to Emma, the s(c,etary, she the gifted authoress calfiy.fv* a little nobody," who had been picked up .jf a boaitliing-house, and SZ?. Ut "l losJ l" : t em|toyer knew i and cared less. Emma was (.-pretty, and excessive.y useful. She Mrs toys I TkJpeiMng, and even elaborate a thrilt tale from an occasionally rath|,er nebulous plot. The secretary had g|*t nnit iKvn regarded merely as a j&Juachtoe, but, i>roviii s nn a grecal)le had been gradually to the ofliee of le-eS. wor ' K '' n S relaxed, the rich graced the social gatherings got gay Valet (a. h s SUCh vaT,iti( ' s that Af.s I i "J 1 ey nas thinking, , vh ,]e I fefc d ff ra '' IK - d a "->.v so vigorous- I |%v£" Sot ° " A Katie's I - vou hove worked enough 1 1 i JOU can sto " now. I E *° - vou some- ! "ave on my mfnd." jjEfrL.^; 3 Weri ' silenced abruptly, S,IJ " ffi«l turned a small lit up by large iwtlu-tic grey to T ards: he '' emj/Joyiv as s £ "'Z a SU <^ M oi in her voice, • Another 0, n„ n ,° tWl,fe " to do .vour a matter I I'Mhf Won t ros<mt what I am Bkw ttt sa V but yt>u " ,ust fr™ H I J™" to k »"< to • takcn .}ou out every- » ,cut 0 you a good iaVC bwn vcry K o ® l to nie. resent what ou are going to say." gk£WcH .then, it is about that 1? Mrthuc "' I have c . }° ok,a e at you in a very !wL° rt ° f Wav ' I,cail y if he ad rS^L 5 """ extremely. And occasionl'» of JJfSw CUr '° US int ™'ate man. s Piaking io people which I do i&rTw. 0 ° f „ onCe 1 Positive IcritS, n°' m c . asc y° u are inclii Ifalfi? sentimental intei c st i "• my dut J to warn yo Wyou 'T' Mrs Grc t??" are quite mistaken. The sui Jon have chosen to talk ai.m l^o' , r i >r tCrCSt in the tst ' ntari ' r isen froi a « l with white face wo 1 "«'w pWyant in these cases,and I a^n 8 j Ifcr 1 l ° i ' ol ' ° laJrie d n>an. He is on l PS, from h,s not eve MS*™ os . » shade of n BEnmn i n S voice as sh c Pn the last words. B fof"t^tr n r° r di '~in iKer t, 1 think 1 woul pO-W vou t not a ' fltto club dances "- 1> ° 1<>1?, ' 0u " (1 . f % ' ITlftt will be an T nk rm Isresztj*'-' 354 2 Enact we 4 t o "r n *men t' Aft< h p re,o ', t «' M, Lt "hining almost fierci IK ■t snn r\ h thai Sf, 80 O ft «i Iho soene of sLi r> at Malta." The •? dies «' <m+\£ y b Pavilion were annove hSTL" 0 "* ° f a <be _Poloi>layer. H . as thei httlc stffds An j 4 Ea'jft.'Swys Ev=^'-a'As d sce notl * in e pi'om th u 3;;~ ,r™T Populated it) to a hetten-osiuj^ KSLte 0n .?, 0f goal-post" Ife«a2l ton (!rey did not un ggewtand the game, nor in her ascre ,ake muc h intcrcM i hut aha was anx i()us to » „y? g '"formation for d, of copy, and Major Tracy «1 an °l' t,n &cret that h the wulow a very f lne ( wa s oniiy waiting „ suit Zr*v£?°Ji Ui ' l ° teU "or s„ a %VjFU>o do you think will win \i„ n^Tracey—your corjis, or the West 7 " shc "•qui'-cd, will glance througlt her lo n n gjnmaiea eyeglasses. ° &1 1 we ought to get th : thn th ° Ugh the Wrats h" -www wimt they are about I f. whites i S lot > of ithat before he joined." L, f' I , hcar he was a Jl'iliti'-anian ho sent out here ? " mto^L g /h a „ commission at th. ffle the Boer War • h*» i« ? now. J>o JtoVl-f te a '«" I* far -,, ' " " 0r s- *m for once tho 1,-^1 fell on deaf ears Z " W** fixexl on i° *• v Kl,,n,a s eye? lr»Jrftrsr*»!i: KVoman's scream ,anr! agonised ie,., 01 . ' r a'i<h(. with tWe . ,hc hail, pt- the lean^u,rrr-/;:: Hgt.Major Tracy """''"i".!.'' his consoling ,!' S HnHfe- The i.. " "ids iv,to HpPrt wa^'^ n l ca hud

held it was foremost among those 'running to the aid of tlis injured ' mail.

1" Make no excuses for hoi', Alajm Tracy. I can lienor rorg;i\e such a ..shocking lack oi ."-oil-control, To see her actually weeping over tfw man ! I assure you 1 have never frit more in my IhV." | Mrs Kiaiuilton Oivy, in hoc own little drawing-room, spoke with fcca rcely-conci-a iwl t'ury. Her ia( .was oxtK'ine'iy Hushed, and -hVr wlu>'e handsome person swdlorl with te >us indignation. | "If you would only let me explain ! • 'almost panted Major Tracy, as he jerked the ends of his moustache with nervous lingers. "If Jou w ill let me sj>enk for one moment. I a; sure jou it was the luin ~i. g lt CO,,M lmve liappoii--1.. J hero was no disgrace. Mrs Alethuen was very naturallv a"iluted 'right "°- We wi'll he put

I liut , l » m talking of ll.e mi,ur a'He girl Kmnia. It only it St.*'? thci: 1 "imi v' S ! 'f J ? J , ll "' KO COll 'used, I ~ ' tim 1 "iid'.'istawJ." Acumen ! - Maoi 'lion U M St s?ho,lU-d '><* deKpei-.,-Oh "h lt : J )o - VOU " leail to Lay t° a comfortable armchair you. US ."T" 4 *' Sllockin B to tell ter ail , unu suol story a f_ head,W 'borXx g,i lave ,Ti f , U and won't dignity, 'precious little of her lu °ney ; has «n twoi«>nce a d ly "in"' t™ 1 liu ' s ■ house. .Meets vm. r a boai dingrttary ; J 'rovidcn,', eco " les J 01 "' secI>:c:t -UeUiucn's n ' ° f; J ' ou St. Elnio Thnv nt iB t G |'"S each other as'sfrt, 3 ' Kl . " ;v t !' eal " I c " he jiolo-ground I lgcrs ' Accident aft°]££,<^ "™«h for Ml , jjwgs darling Di ck s >' lf -coiitrol ; <i«ne sS, l ° '"Ww i, e ,«i a; in will aNow o ®, as a .., ri>k _ kiqiiy f or g'-cond 11 lx ' oil to I ' And wIHM-e do ? " i to I'o left t """' in ?Am j .«! °'i thia a '° nv ' ! '' Ix-iV w,.,',. , ' !" an:l ? " eyes I e JitHe JHuj.j,. j-/!f- 0 !V c - And when " Vo' 0t ff "' hless of husk\ lUS VOiC ' I ion iHcd never |„. , ' f'"o.ii„,i. '- Ss -v«>u choose Yo„ 0 " u a W ai » unof c J" c ame h uie iu P'ovidttl will, ; been ,7 bul it needs a st^" ade ,0 »"«nc.. J could i n ,/ a,lt ' ' think a good one.