LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7759, 10 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

SKf. b * contract sealed. W-kL, (Coßtinmcd.) E* -It w Sunday, auvl Franklin ami llgborotfaty were walking hone ictfelh, BSSer froiu morning service. In all im H&fcuoyant life of sound and colour ana sunlight they were strange Mgltr silent. Franklin's eyes wer< KiatturiKPt in iront of him, and then K§Mre stiff, severe lines upon his face Hfet* had giown white and a HttU Rfyorn during the last few wrecks, sc ■KJthat the sharp, fine outlines of il sharper thar« usual. There was Hf. something very child-like and grav< pfe about Dorothy's Kps. Her face al Upmost equalled his in seriousness, ex Sp eept ihit her eyes seemed to smile Si, Franklin was bitterly reviewing Uu jgf'-'post month. He had gone into thi |F "thins solily for her sake, to maki g" Prosper jealous, and now, what wa: Sr the outcome? That he had succeed i-" ed only too well he was perfectl; •ware; for instead of making Pros * ».r Jealous, and through that jeal i ouily more devoted ; instead of draw $. log Prosser's affections nioro strong Ply to her, as he had meant to dc |T had he not succeeded only in draw gsj; tag them from her ? For Pros.-ei j|!Pt once wet roused, once well jealous IS - had completely dropped Dorothy an £' was now apparently consoling hiui jjL.'weM with the charms of Edith llai JET -day. a pretty little pink-and-whit pf, girl of a type that Franklin secret <Kspised. K2 In the midst, of the* thoughts 1 BT was conscious that Dorothy wa Ht bowing to someone. He was just i time to catch Edith Barclay'ii radi«pj=_' ant smile and nod, and to see ProsUi£. apr's rather stiff tow as they l-rushi-%r,. Ed past him and.Dorothy. He bit »V- Ws upper Up fiercely and glanced !&£ down at his companion. A htnuift. ■j. miserable thrill came, over Franklin K and stopped,and stuck with a dull \ little ache at his.throat. Hia h-ait P* teat heavily. E' What a miserable affair it all was! And to think that he had been the S- means of bringing unhtappiness to %,.- her (or whose least happiness he felt g be would gladly lay down bis life. |S She never spoke to him nowadays of Qu Tern Proaser ! His (ace stiffened and &?"'~ the lines deepened about his mouth, fr There came to him with intense bitfcr temess the thought that she was Bj\ wasting her love on a man tickle enjjk, ough to transfer his affections, alBF most at a moment's notice, to a ig .girt. >a no wise her equal, and for K^ } mere jealousy's sake. He noticed, HE" with the same dull ache at his Eg" throat, the, absent smile with which K, she greeted his occasional remarks. jfe Vor her very pride's sake he dared Bsjj not sympathise or speak to her of is-, it. He walked beside her, realising that in that month be had learnt to Ipf, love more dearly than he had ever K." loved before, than he would evor love Wu again. They had reached her home. He El; want slowly up the steps behind her fist, and followed her into the library. BSi , The. hbrary had grown to be such Be 1 a> familiar, dear place to him. It Kg ,' was so natural for him to be there Up' with her. She stood idly, by a great R," mahogany table, pulling off her glovBiv -ea. He stood beside her, looking at g-j.'v.'her absently. She removed'her hat m>i and ran the hat pins through it. Ijfe " Deadly weapons ! " the said BJjJ- -Hghtlyi, drawing out one and runsSkls'- Bing it back again, lie held out his E*- hand, sot noticing. HI " " 1 suppose I must say good-bye?" Egi, " well, o»" course, the month is Ec Up," she said, withoul taking his &- handV P;, " Yes, thank Hcavcu ! " he anjfc.ewered. t" She raised her brows slightly, and pa turned her head with a pretty birdBjC like movement which brought buu SIT- quickly to hie senses. U? "You know perfectly I 5£ am glad," he said doggedly. SJE- " No, I don't," she said lightly ; |f " but, at any rate, it is hopelessly E* ungracious of you. During the month &■*',: under my training you really ought f*'"' to have learnt some tact'. 1 am af- &>. raid the month has been of no use'." sj£. " Ton. know I can't help saying what I mean," almost under his ; " oifiy this time you have E> • said it for me. You are righft, the gSC month has been of no use." Ipvi She coloured <quickly up to the W& • soft brown hair lying close to her 5K temples. Wa} . " Yes," he hurried on ; '•• you've got to lei me speak, of it. I know BP I've only hindered, not helped you. EX- I know I've only brought grief to g|L ,you, whom' to spait- the slajhtesl grief—you know what I mean. Do H? PA try to misunderstand me " for R. her eyes were wide and herjips op-Wsr--*ae& sfight I !}'. ••• I have made him |||£- jealous just as you wanted-1 should." Kg?"'' " Yea? " she said as though waitbig for him to continue. Hii > • , '" *'*»r and you know what I ih,an BSZr~y<>v know just what a mess I've of it. I've overdone it; it has Hfeii-gone too far. And I didn't have ti c Bag. honest decency to get out of it long I " fet , v Wllat *> y° u tneah ? " she said *«<y gentiy, still running the hat pin in and out. f|l ' ."Oh, you will make me say it, Wf will you ?" he said fiercely, and jg - gaining courage now that her eyes I'k* were h»werid. ■" Well, I've made him ', too jealous, and now, like the fool he is, he doesn't care a fig for you." [. ~ She raised, her eyes, glanced r- thoughtfully about the room from ? ode thing, to another, and then a t sc j last her. glance found his, and she <&■„ smiled. f. f " Why, of course he doesn't," she ~ said gently, •■■ and I am glad. That is justit." B LP*' }OM bravc liltle thin ß ! " lie Wr -■*"*' wiUl tt tw*" l of pity in his g_' voice. He bad a strong impulse to and foW her in bis arms. "Do ■P f ""**?"' kBOW holr ' brave i'ou arc ! 5~ ~~ eat l seen you trying ! But my * j ™f ar ' a man—you can't deceive a ma n £;- tn my experience." f* l - U f ee J! ow what y° u aean," she |£f' J*~_™ on Bntfal8 ntfall yr after n long pause. K"' w™ 1 ? J° U reaHy "wgW I loved % ""' reaJßy thought Ms wan-fcl-^J.o^*? 8 broaki "B my heart?" I iifr s * t * ,wn °» the arm of a lit- % «« tow then she looted up fc ..Z£ bn « Ml y and continued • m_i -rL. < ! on ' t you knott - if I wantR"- S.^™* 9 lov L now - IC would take fe- <«i, perhaps fifteen minutes to get |K " hack. That to just why l a shcd &" jour hclp-*ecause I did not love W' nec^T?"?, l d 0 not '»«'- %,<■ necanse I—l love someone else You £ ' ?tJ^»h OW i-f S easily •» Possible. I knew the best way to do that wjis & £.£"* ta Wto» to rouse te j P„ L? mabe J"* 1 jealous - I b »vc ghw beard him sayJie considered it be- ¥' Sffc ""Pv 8 d W nit y to fight chances fe ' 2?, vu>tber matt f o>" love. He does Bj- -aot love me now • no, oif course notW *"» »>e suffer; that is l better «,' She paused. Ji m Franklin was ;' K down at hcr w Uh a peculiar half dazed look. She laughed lightI ■. " II *L so funny - ! And S' OU thought ' ' L Want ~ J' o " to help me to make Him jealous so that he should love me more. Ah, but that would J»ve & been so superfluous, for at that time Bf*j—and eternal love, you know." i -'_- Jim did not answer ; he did not ►,-- even see the,tunny side of it at , all, nor smile He had dropped down i, into a big armchair, and sut with f his head bentl When he looked up ■- Ws face was white and tired. >I see," be said slowly.; "1 urn t a tool- I» m « tad J was s0 niistakt em I eati't imagine how I ever *■''"■ tfibugtat you need try to win nny r, man's love. But it doesn't much jfc-'- matter. Things are no bettor as ," they are. And after all, the mouth t, 'has been of no use- to me, at least. '?s You have accompHahed your porr£. pose, and—you love someone else;, K. and I—y o u know what I mean. I &,. h»ve no purpose now the month is Sr-. up. You know—you have known I'""; since the night of the Cavendishes' |" ball. In helping let anoth.-r fellow t»- down easily, I've cut myself pretty fe." badly, that's all. Don't say any* F„ thing please ! "—as she began tot pv,: speak. "I won't permit you to say., I won't make it hard jSVjor you. I know it would pain you gi&'to hurt a fly. If you were anxious ||r to let down easily a man who could [H forget you like that, I won't bother |3|you with myseM. Good-bye ! You eJLmust not thinE I suffci' so much. yet "—he folded hcr hand in £f both his—" and yet t . Dorothy, you know thut I can't nvJ|) suffsrki mg[ deeply. I can stand it—just lor |jg.tbß sake of loving you. Don't worry a fellow like me. Good-bye, He stooped and prdiscd his Enipeto her hand and 'lvft her. g-5* Astonished and dismayed, she stooil si with the colour dying out of. hti hot, cheeks. For an instant only she was Ktflttt as with bent head he- was s/c|>laJpßg- into the ball, and with a<|uiek impuLo took his hand and led Hgpm hack into the library. shouldn't have blundered so

'course, not to see, but I don't mind. I I've not given you the contract yet; ■ and you must have that bock before you go." | Her perfect self-control seemed leaving her. It was he who was perfectly calm mow. She sat down nt the escritoire and unlocked the draw- , er, and took from it the paper. . • " You were lo 'be released to-day." I ' She was signing her name hurried- ■ !y «, t "' There is no use releasing me. 1 > understand—l know 1 am no longer needed." Taking tih'e paper she hand- . Ed to him, he began stou'lv to tear ; h. " Oh. don't ! " she pleaded, stopJ ping him. " Head it over first." , " And be released, and then try to . forget everything," he said bitterly, i He opened the paper and glanced ' over it. j " Lent : To Dorothy Marshall for ; a period of one month, beginning on s May Day, the undivided affection of s James R. Franklin. Which is here- i _ with returned.—" Dorothy Marshall 1 ." " Ah. Dorothy," he said, turning | '_ to her passionately, "what need of _ releasing me ! For I shall never be _ free again ! Yet for your happiness I snail never forget. But at my years—and a man of my " - ~',' <>h '" Khc K as P«l. half laughing, but don t you see ? Oh,, vou arc ' stupid. Don't you see ? " * aI 7, wore toars in "or voice. _ I He glanced over the paper „ 10 re ._ carefully, then keenly at her an inslant. The tears had fcJKowed swift- ;*• ly into her eyes. " I Then a sudden light came into his o i . ku ni hc took her in nis arms. I Oh, Dorothy !" he sak«, Kissing * her many times. -