LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7751, 1 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

(A BOHKG DAY ROMANCE, (Coatinaed.) • You will stay to lunch, of j tine V " she "added, as- the domest intend. " Uosalind is enlisting ' eryone to help her in decorating t house Tor to-morrow.". Card did njl. enjoy the recherche ' Ml that followed. He wots vexed th his hostess for having demand- ' such an awkward sen-ice of him, \ id aniK>jt<J with hiuiseli for hav- : j tacitly agreed to perform it. He t n»Wn<jsj Ila'bic and lugubrious as MaHod chattered brightly to ToniY Praed—whoin Lady Chacemere d also bidd.n to lunch—and was jr snot aa useful a a the " hundy man " SSJISoOKht to have bitn wh.ib, under Miss !§■; Chaceuiere's superintendence, the two and to susjicnd bough:; of hoi- - fjty and mistvl.oc over pictures and '..3 mirrors. 2 ~' Coord did not feel in the mood to -. "enact the part of " gooseuvry ' to his cousin ami her devoted swain, so, ; y when Lady Chacemere ceased her criticisins ou their artistic efforts and »announced her pending pilgrimage to .;-- - the village with packets of minceSi . pies, the sailor promptly made nis ;S* adieus. ! S$- He was surprised when Praed over'•fSti *°° k **ni before his motor had anblAat rt out °' **• nine-covered gates. He *7~ ■"•• moved to offer the youth a lift. • '■ "I only heard the other day that _ you were a first cousin of Lady .J Chacemere's," casually remarked Praaefc presenuly. " Lucky beggar."- - " You tfcak it is a" position which '. demands congratulations ?" asked - . Chard, dryly. ... . a - .'•'Hats! But it -makes "you a second cousin to Kos—to Miss Chacof - mere, don't you know. I daresay she J'" u guJte civil to you when you suggest getting her theatre tickets or - !S?l_? er P re * ntii * Bttt > Great Scot ! Doesn't she snub me ! " concluded the suloaltern, ruefuHy, " She seemed pleasant enough to '■ , you this afternoon." ;- v Some days she is more decent to me than other times," Prowl admitted. •• fly Jove, I can't make up i. my nrind whether she likes me or r act. And it she doesn't,! "- He f; ohocked down his emotion. " Look *, here. Chard ; you are such a rattling f-' f??* sort " and Mlss Cbaqemerc -; thinks a h.ap of you, I wonder if y you would do mo a good turn ? Just put a word for me with her. £. And if I ever can help you—well, if j." you will scratch my back I will 5 scratch yours, as the Arabs say," * wound up Tommy, ingeniously. <■ Chard hesitated an instant. Then, - ■ as he slowed down the motor— Praed's house was in sight—he laugh. \ ed._ , . i I- "AH right, Pracd ; I will hint at j," your many-virtues- as delicately as I can—no hunf«jg, old man, lam on ' s your side—when next I see an opjr" portunity. I dine with a great-aunt :■ at Norwood to-morrow, so I shall ? not be at The Turrets again till t > Monday." j " Then bye-bye for the present." \ ,_, Praed wrung Chard's hand grate-1 t- fully and dismounted. L _ And as Chard swung swiftly Lon- I donwards his reflection on the faumi.- our of the situation effected a, rise , in bis spirtis. j ► • • • • J, Lady Chacemere always celebrated : Boxing Day with some entertaini. nwAt '• and this time it was to be >r a fancy dress baK. I ■*-- Snow lay thickly on the ground f as the carriages paused before the -,' portals of The Turrets ; and Chard l_ shivered slightly as he emerged from £ hi wraps in the cool costume of a Jap. /He was late ;he was not a f, • devotee of dancing, imagining himself to be a bad exponent of the art. Ignoring the complete emptiness of his programme, he was discoursing u_ ~S Dow »K"- Lady Myle-Moore, . when RoaaKnd and her partner stops *•!«**' almost at his elbow. Stanley, you are a deserter i The - seen her yet ? There she is-dressed * ?.fi 5T* P , ? betß - Isnt jt « awI S^SS* 1 *<»-lloHir Tubb and the .. Someone must dance ;. with them, or Mrs Smithki„son will V my such dreadful things about us r- to-morrow." Hoealind was radiant and a little out of. breath ; her partner had been nn ancient and heavy-footed M.P., who had sunk with obvious relief mto a chair beside Lady Myle-Moore. with her powdered hair and quaintly hooped blue satin skirts—copied from the portrait of her great-great-graodmotheiv-Miss Chacemere was lovely enough to enthral a much less impressionable man than Praed, who joined the group, looking senti- ■■' mental and rather ridiculous as a t ; perambuteAing " Toilet Tabic. *i p Rosalind airily allotted him a coupp- le ofgances, and turned away on r. Chard's arm. r "I am ready to do my duty by Smithkinsons and Co. ; but. am I to have no reward, cousin Bosalind 7 " Misa Chacemere glanced at him demurely under her long eyelashes. * You are improving, Stanley. When you have toM me, as of course you •re going to do, how nice 71 look. I shaM hegin to think you are quite human alter all ! As old MacSturnet has nearly Killed me you can sit out the next dance with me, of you t , like." Five minutes later, leaving the now dated Mis Tubb and her cousins, Bosahnf piloted Captain Chard to a cosy corner, in the transfaormed and flower-decked hall,' where a spoony couple were already in gossession of another snug corner. " Tha* rigrout is a. jolly or'iginall * Hea of Praed's," Chard remarked, irrelevantly, as he unfurled Rosalind's fan. "He is a smart sort of chap altogether, and steady going, too. 1 met a. fellow the other day who knew him at Woolwich, and ha eaid " Did you bring me here to lecture - on Mr. Praed ? "• Miss Chacemere asked, assuming an expression of indignation. l| " You brought me here," Chard ' corrected!, gently. "''-But 160 want [ to talk to you about Tommy Praed. | In fact, I have promised to do so ; ! and I want to got it off my chest." j Rosalind leaned back and shrugged j her pretty shoulders. Her rod lips relaxed into a smile. " You are rather a goose, I am afraid, Stanley. Never mind ; go on. By the way, are you the mater's ambassador or Mr Praed's ? " " Both."- Chard confessed, and irrepressible Uibbles of laughter broke from Rosalind as that astute damsel extracted an accurate and detailed account of Chard't interviews with Lady Chacemere and Tommy. " Praed is a capital fellow, right enough," he reiterated at the son- ' elusion of his recital. "It secma im- j posuible that your mother could have anything serious against him. Hut . ladies have such odd prejudices ! " { " Oh, mother knows what she is ' about! "- Rosalind assured him. ' •'•' Don't you see—her efforts to rub . in the merits of various rich men ' having proved so disastrous;, she is trying the effect of opposition. I fear I am inclined to be a bit perTerse. Father was not exactly as meek as the proverbial lamb, either! i It was very clever of her ; but the r. best-laid plans, etc." 1, v Then you arc not going to mar- c ry Pracd ? " said Chard, his puzzled o

eyes on the girl's oxcited face. She rose and flashed out at Win. *' How dare yoifc,ask me that! You —you of nil people ! " She was fedling tremulously in the dim light for the long white cloak that had fallen from her shoulders. Her gloved -hand touched Ohard's accidentally, and he caught and held it in a masterful grasp. <' Do you mean, cousin Rosalind ; do you mean " " Yes, I do, - '' saiid Miss Chacemere, softly. " And it was frightfully douse of you, Stanley, not to have suen that L meant it long ago ! "