LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7724, 28 January 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

(Continmod.) 5 v Wait a niinßte. Whose?" "Miiio" said the Captain. "Come on," aad he put out a hand to hur-i'-i. ry his Mend. The latter evaded it, however,- and disappeared into the •? bouse., •* Hold on," was all he said. '• My togs," he explained, when he reappeared, waring: a email bag before the eyes of the Captain. '' I don't know what's happening, and I - rather think you're crazy ; but if you are going to get married you r- >, want it done in style. Come on." ■r THe drive was taken in silence. fV< Tile Captain sitting well back in his coinsr, seemed to be lost in \. thought. Watching hiiu Keenly by the intermittent light of the street f lamps, howover. Toward was inl'oriued that he was not as free from emotion as his bodily quiet would - Wen to imply. There weio a dozen things) Towaid burned to know, but, by a mighty effort, he smothered iiis curiosity and interest and kept the questions to himself. When the cariiage stopped, the . Captain sprang out of it without a woid. The minister, uncertain what was expected of. him, sat stiH for a moment, when oertain sounds so wrought upon him that he rose and followed after. The C«pta-!n stood fin thei yard of a large house, throwing l pebbles at a iccond-story window. As Toward lame up, he stooped for a second - mindful of gravel. At the same moment the window opened. '•What in the name of—Captain, is that you ? " 7 e8 > is I," answered the Caplain. 1 y "But what in system —ao you want- ? " • V., We "' Ivo come be married," th f. Captain. If he had had any quakings m the silent rnoditation o{ the carriage, they were still f° W ; He , knew exactly what he wanted, and he took the short cut : ; childish W ' th a Simplicit - V «« u: " v ® eome to be married," he • 1 h * ve 1 Amelia wailing !° d £ goodness knows ! I ® m^larl y SJlfish and hlind, I think, but now that I have my sight again, I want to begin, to 2? "P. for 11 °» soon as ir„i v l.e Tho mmiartor is here. W£U you' call ( Jour daughter?" •acre was silence in the window • '= ii .' " ,ak,ns '""'self small in the - «K° W ?' a , his breath; the point as •-V SLir- ,^° p ' a,n himself had done, . oQcrifl-Andtrton spoke : ■ " 4. ' S ? littlc s "dden, just here at tfte end, but I don't know that - any , [ eas onable objection can be made '' hf tj 1 SC ° re ? ( haste ' '"'ere >s time ,n I U ' B for almost anvone to ► "P b,a mind. I'll s'peak to ' down the wlmlow wme N ± h b ;j cf of waiting: ensued, fceither man spoke. Toward, sit'ing • - l 1'" stcp9 ' with bag 'x'tween hj« knees, l-eaHsed that his thmM.™ L Mpwl and complex ior t ' m l^A on r B " y ' ao S u ag e at his com. inanA ( a fact, he doubted if the F' " invented that .. bo equal to it Tim r.nw , , had no cn « caroer of action. t . TTiey were let in by Sheriff Anders. ■ dressed, apparently, with as much perfection as if he had taken • " EHL £ . Captain brus^ and made his way to the - o^ D °„ th ! r J pcriod °' w a<ting followed, onenll Andertoo, having stirred th* fire and procured from the dining- - room a decanter and some glasses, stood upon the hearthrug, his short - wide apart, and talked common- - places with Toward. He talked in 811 t undertone, as people speak of worldy matters at a funeral. It gave ; . the Captaia a chill between the ahouWera to hear him. The lormer , yop® stiffly beside the chair Amelia ®aa occupied earlier, and kept his - , "Pon the floor. When Lady An--v derton entered, stout, hasUly dressed _ perturbed, he went for- . ,irai<d, shook hands without sjieakfaj, *ed her to a chair, and resum«n Jus .attitude. And then there was a rust); of - shirts in the quiet of the hallway, Ameita. came, urjsied as she tad been earlier in the evening, in a iff crimson house blouse, with a dark " "kirtv As the Captain went forward ' '' • a™ l took her she raised her f".. •yes to bis. "My dear," he said, •' I have sel- : ' nshly kept, you waiting all these ' years, St was because you made me t . So happy i never thought of anyV ™ ln S Are you willing to or- j f ® lve me the humiliation vou must < have suffered, and trust yourself to me now ■? " ■V Her sen'ous lips melted into a ' and she touched his face soft»y with her flnger-tipa. s/ 1 ve teen happy, too-, Fred," ™ and the Captain stood and * er there before them all. Senile turned and led her to the dergjman, standing on the other , tfide of the room in his fine white robes. It seemed as if only then came the meaning to Amelia. The Captain felt ' . her fingers tighten oi» his; and saw the colour rush to her face in a ( Crimson flood, but she stood up l '~ bravely. When they had been married, the ' f Captain kissed his wifa and then he ;<■ kissed her mother. There wa.4 one W ment whan the bride's mother % thought seriously of crying, but she changed her mind and laugh od in- ' with rest, and they drank ,n i yH IB all round and nibbled cakes y ' jtlßCh the 'oride obligingly brought - *"> m the pantiy. And Sheriff Ander- ;'?_ hgl " cd Vho eiensjman out of his I ® ml stdbd-ann-in-arm with ~ wm on the hearthrug, an<*. thoy made - . Jo li e sL everything was joyful. •- wcridi^^L,» ltS the mosl absurd . that ever was," said the at / Dndo. ' h ? VO ago ii* r « ■f ,ad onl . y let Captain, remarked the Sheriff, 'but she always said " " My dear/' cride Lady Andei ton ' Sot r fS e,J ; . bUt tho - ""ending. (It .was coming to j!™ b,t hy as he looked into I ' te ZL ll' Ue ' that a " "KM! : years he had been nothiiy , liole 0 , less tUan a fool ! • kl ?° homc now ' is late," - tillTt' i,Hnpi "» °P- " i'owar.l, we » taj'e Jou d own in , h „ Carria .. j S ,® u . t Amelia-will Amelia go ? " !#•■'" ifMCd Amelia's juorther. * '' JE? Captain turn.d !o his wife . .WHh something very Jike, fright. : ® ur ? ly thc y co «W not keep her now. « xt "id not kciii in him Unit lie f - CO«W livo without her for another 1 hour, now that .'he VVJ-S truly his. 1 He looked back with contempt' upon 1 s the mental condition of his former ' ' tl»t self that had beon conSent withoat a wife for ten l o ng, i empty years. ' < S» You-you will go home with me, 1 - Iteiqlia ? " • Slowjy Amelia looked round the ' p room, at all the old familiar things ' ; Ist her father, at her mother, arid -'J fc*?® Was something very like homc- 1 »clsne» io her eyed; but, coming to i jj; ,fm Captain, who was watching her anxiously like a lotving ',ig tlog, tho look vanished. -V When you're married, vou must luoted, with "an uncertain littto laugh. •• Yes, I will go- -- borne, Fred.". , What about the license?" mk| - fn i e, ' posed Amlerton. i . ; °n. fother can look after that- c ' eHa t0 SUCh thin B s '" said Am- o tie br tlul pair drove ofT I r °J " asuiv i |r «- * l -WW v>y the brirfe s father from a c j.pag in a dork (floset. , ' H!f e k RBet * 1 Mr Toward insisted a •m™. r W °u W n,uch P ref «" to wait— d : - just for the exercise." ]