LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7764, 16 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A FURTATION. | (Cetuniet.; " V't- tr. iiw, little township «'a s o r -:: I than Sn less sleepj I uh - • •' anted Dorothy la'V> ' . Kat glided alonj river one day. a fortnight or so .m ter Bert's arrival. Atherton • ■ easily, whil.- she was donij? «Jl the steering thut was • wkich was not much. lit '*« *ad sort of boy, is he / , Xo " returned Atherto* l i u ; * ' lazilv.' " He is not (piitc ho lmpresTslbnaWc as ItcKi K he ~> ott member IHck. of c " , , ■V sl'isht colour tinged her cheeks. glancing at hgur. of Bert Allison in 1,10 distance - Dorothy's sharp giu»<?o <aik<l 8 cannol always go by «l>pearances, Mr Atherton. People v.ho are apparently reserved, are so .-oilc" the most impressionable . • ' goaded to.retort. - Meaning me ? ' he si'id ii.un.tlj. but facing her abruptly. It uppends on the source from which the cspression comes. Don t Jou think so. Miss Haldane ? " , •' Perhaps " was the contus-M reply. She had not anticipated this - deliberate thrust ; it was not often she was taken imnvares, and ■ was annoyed with .herself for havin;,' shown her sentiments so pla.nlj. \it . her heart beat a trifle more r a pidl>. l\srtiaps! ? " he repeated, ra'.sin-s his eyefcrows slightly. " X think thai it must be so. Now, confess. on found your darts—your charms, Unit -is less powerful in the cas_- of l!ert than In that of his cousifi. hut it docs not follow that the ilitTerenl result is due to the different nature the one to be impressed. 1 should say that the two yotintf men were much ulike in that respect." . The flu eh deepened 011 Dorotliv s cheeks. She understood that he' was

surreptitiously quizzing her. She rc. aliscd that he knew that she had coquetted with Dick anil had tried th '-' same amusement with Uert. bin had failed. Her vanity was wounded. >lk cast about her for some scheme of retaliation, and she resolved upon thu only one left to her. She would humble tWs hia-n ; t-hcn. if Ik-it Allison remained long enough, .she would attract him once more to her side. It woukl be useless to. throw over John Athertpo nowsand «jiuile upon hi* nephew ; Shef 9 had" cekiuettcd longer with this grave man than with the younger, and -this- would. ;ndetd, be counted a failure ! In the other affair it would be assumed that, she hod not considered him worth powder and shot ! •'Ob, dear," she sighed, with) apparent denaty o; mind, "lam afraid 1 cannot lollow" such learned reasoning, Mr Atherton ! I always get o"t of my depth when 1 attempt to »r----guc, and 1 find myself arguing against my own cause. Let «s talk of something more congenial." From that moment, Dorothy set to work to i educe' AlhVrlon to capitulation ; she usod every artilico to capture Ms heart, anvl, to her great joy, found Aim yielding. He was more cotibtaut than even in his attendance, his tones were more curresaing, his actions more ardent. In the intoxication of access. She cared nothing for th- fact that time was flying and that Uert Allison's stay was nearly over. She did not care for that now she had conquered the man who Had (dialled her and calk 4 her, unsuccessful, when she bad not tried. It was not fair, and she wouhl make him confess Iris injustice. She had at first askvd herself why he had said that; she had puzzled over it, tut his subseyueut acts had elucidated the" mystery, it was the blundering artifice of a man unaccustomed to society ; he had desired to know if she had really cared for others, if her heart were still frve. Had she really responded to his attentions because she wished to have tbein, or was she playing with him ill: order to bring abuut more ardent wooing oi> the puvt of another ? Dorothy '.aughed joyously as this solution presented itself to her—siie laughed again when certain words let tail iiy him had confirmed her of his opinion. She had vaguely wondered—absurd idea ! —if he bad tried to flirt with her for some purpose ; that was so unlike 'grave Jolm Atherton. tf s they were cycling together lo a bicycle meet some ten miles from WycMtam. It, was a glorious di\ and the meet was to be a gran J uifair. The weather was exhilarating, the lidc and the pros[H-ct of pleasure were exciting. Dorothy's eyes sparklid and her breust heaved ; she knew from her experience that n proposal was the mosi probable thing in the wort'.d on such an occasion, and that it might come at any moment. Jnumph was at hand ! fl'he time went by, however, aid no declaration came from the !i| >■- of ISolu) Atherton. 'Jhe meet was- a grand success, and all who took pari appeared to enjoy it tliorouylm, with the possible exception of out. Who, in the usual course ol things, would have derived tlu greatest pleasure from it. Dorothy jjal-dane grow pensive as the hours passed and wondered what had put things out of joint. To make matters worse, Hurt Allison seemed to be having a very goo.l time with a modest lm-lnln-r of the party who was undoubtedly happy to tie with him. There was no mistaking the meaning glances and whispered conversation between the two. Dorothy, bit her lip, and aw'aiuJ for her own cavalier to speuk the words which: she had been expecting to hear. The homeward journey be twilight raised her drooping spiritij. und she became almost hysterically gay w heft Atherton suggested a rest on a ru.-tic i. -bench in a deseited pari of their route, " This has Iwen A plea.Miit d u y Miss HaJdanc ;in j'aei, i have spent several agreeable days lately. 1 am afraid that this will be the last. My nephew goes home to-morrow, ar. l I must ictOrn to my studies. 1 c;rm» out of my scclu"<on in ordvr to prov tret him from danger. but my n.is- ; s;on is ended. 1 think 1 have k.-|>i ■ > him safe." | An icy chill Struck Dorothy's heart, i,■ and she hud hard work to lepress a S moan of pain. Iler face paled, and I • sho was glud ind l: .-,l that it was too S darfc for Atherton to observe it. "You mean ?" she. began. the ' . words coming almost unconsciously from her lips. She hesitated.--"We may as well be plain with one another, Miss Jlaldane." h-< replied, somewhat coldlv. " I am unite i. sure that we understand each other. ■y _ Vou wercjjirtang wrth lSertand | jg^lhadno,.desire to sec htm tMlfer. With a-' 1 with

branch and look Bert's place. He did not like It at first, and X nearlyspoilt llit? plan while twitting \ou whi.e in the 'boat." ••• You flirted with me?" inquired Horothy in a hollow voice. I j Well. I suppose that is what it ' comes to. I did the same m> \our- ' We. were both flirting, you ami | J, and we knew it ; there was never, | any doulit in eitlu-r >our mind. <»r | mine concerning the met. Von will . : not suf'fvf i.i tl;e .*\es of th<* puldie, j for my return 10 seclusion wi".& he regarded as evidence that I have proposed and been iv.iieti I. I do m>i mind, i have provided you with amusement, and I have saved Bert from a hiir k|«artaehe. Silly ullow ! lie was not **pah!e oi grasping l Ui# fact 'ha you (! .! lIIA win.i him. Shall we mourn again now ? 1 Th.y continued their return journey in silfuce, and ilu-y paried yravely outside Mr Hal*\u!. ■ s r. I "i. e. "n tvacliinir l.er room, lHjroihy throw* herself on her hvd' with a jo;, uss

laugh. i So that is how it. K'ls be |llirt;>d with and cast aside," nhf ii i " I dill not know tiut it iwjs f.'j hard to hear ! It is a bitter ; lesson, but 1 deserved it. Only--on-ly lately it was nut i ('i'-*;' lion oil uiy side. 1 know 11' a that it was I ".real." A»d she sobbed nvsteiiea'l;.. ••'lke Hill Janes gone! " ejaculated I John Albert on some iveeks aiter that |bic\Gtc im-et. He had not seen I'oro- ! tky since. He sat in the (hair and looked graver-'than usual. " It was a lesson for her. but 1 wonder No, I cannot think so ; it is altogether unlikely ! 1 fell the effects of that playing with tire myself. Hid .she? I hope nufi, at least. I had no wish, no intention, of inflicting pain on: h»r, although she ha.l done it to others. • No, it is on'.y a. foolishj fancy of mine, so let it pass. lint no more of that dangerous Sport for me, not even ■! o spare my own kith and kin ! "