LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 778, 22 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

V' A WANDERING FORTUNE. r •• Oh, ot course « Everybody is down <m me because 1 didn't choose ,to cringe to ohi grand- " father. A girl mustn't show any "j- ---• dependence of spirit nowadays, cried the girl vehemently, her lip curl- , ■ ing scornfully as she survey «1 her ■ uncle and aunt. is "He was unjust aft the way >' through He wouldn't associate with his own daughter, my motlvor, k because she married the mail shy T : loved ;he was unjust to my father, a ■' fccauito dad—dear old daid—was not rich ; and he was unjust to me, In* v cause he bad mc educated so as to t, _ tecome a worthy heiress to LcxI worih Hall, ami thin he tuts inu <• Ofl!" f: The girl's eyes were flashing. her " bosom heaving; she had drawn herself up to the limit of her medium heigiit, and' her hands •were lightly

i clenched. Mrs Warner, fc?r father's sister, ? ; glanced at the girl and then al her h. own inferior half ; Mr Warner shuttled hid feet uneasily and said nothing. Mrs Wynne, the girl's mother, aat trembling in a corner ; she was c a tiruid little woman, -quite lh? opposite 01 her daughter, and most * "-* people marvelled how such a weak, yielding creature could have so bold * ; and outspoken a daughter. i "It's your own foolishness that has done it," cried Mrs Warner, } 'rather angrily. " You were the heiress to a magnificent property and a handsome rent-roll. You had the thing in your own hands. You , ' , knew that the old gentleman wast ] * " a- crotchety person, and all you had < to do was to put up with his fads < t~ f! ti»'it pleaced Heaven to take him | from this wicked world ! Yet, what 1 'do you do 1 You contradict hiui i and fly in the face of fortune ; he i threatened more than once to cut ' you* off, and this time he sent you *" home. You refused to give in or pre- ' v tend to give in, and he is seized with ' „', -a B£ of apopjexy and dies. U-nfor- I y tunately, he had altered his will, y and the fit took him before lie had """time to repent, so here you aia al- ' most penniless, when you could have ~ avoided it all." "I don't care," retorted the girl defianfjy. '•• He was a tyruimical old man, who simply tried, to force me to do tWngs because lie knew that I didn't want to do than. Itat was aU. Hi- wouldn't let anyone have a mind of her own ; it must be just as he desired. And I couldn't yield to that. So man , should have it in his power to act [ so arbitrarily. There wasn't one person who. had pluck and independence enougfe ta.-cross hint,, eaicept me, and v my nature couldn't, stand it." .. your da'ifehter 'Was brought down on you. Dora," .sneered Mrs 'Warner, turning to her sister-in-law. " You began wrong,, my fool-

ish. brother and you, when you named her Chris; It's a boy's name, audi ■ she has been a boy ever since in reality, and you two encouraged *er. Well, who is to earn the living now ? There Is no more money com- , tag....Will you do it ? " turning to * Chris Wynne, who stilf retained her defiant attitude. "Yes," declared the girl boldly. •ft- fcnow what you arc thinking about, aunt ! Mother has been livf«g witii you, and has been able to pay her own expenses ; but now you ■are afraid that you will be asked lo free of charge. Won't wor- ■ Tyaftout that. We shaft not stop here, and if we cannot earn a living you will not have to support us. Do you know," she added, with a Blischttvious twinkle in her eyes, tiespito the gravity of the situation, ' "-there is at least one thins we can " What's -that ? " demanded Mrs • Wtuner sharply, falling into the trap. " auntie, dear ! " said Chris, with a demure air. She bowwl with mocking, courtesy, but there was a world of determination underlying the words-. Timid Mrs Wynne rose and followed Chris out of -the room, white Mri Warner sniffed contemptuously and tried to smother the uncomfortable feeling that had struct ber somuwhere in t*e region where most people keep a "heart. • " And she'll do it rather than ask us for anything," ventured Mr Warner uneasily. >v Weren't you rather sharp, Louisa ? " " Don't talk nonsense ! " snapped Louisa, trying to smother her own fears by answering shortly. " It's a great pity Uiat she wasn't a hoy. • You sec," she continued, telling liim . the story as if -he were a stranger, "Mr Lexmore was as irascible as '■- * , you can imagine ; he was angry be'l- i cause he had no son. and he crushed the spirit out of his. wife and

daughter. J'd like to sec the man .who wouW do that to me ! " ',' Exactly, my dear,'' ventured Mr ;' Warner aguin. ',' Then why are you so down on Chris." " Don't interrupt with foolish rei marks," said Mrs Warner, glaring at ..__ him. '•' You don't understand. Well. when his daughter grew up, he determined that she should marry a title, and she went and fell in' lovi: with my brother and plucked just enough spirit to deiy the old man jn thad way. 1 am not surprised. lor my brother was as handsome and lovafcle a man as I have ever Wen, * •'" Old Lexinore was furious and cut her off, but when he found that there was" &• probability of having a _ grandson, he came round sufncientSy to see his daughter ami make promises. Then another disappointment fell on him ; the child wasn't a boy but girl who has just gone out of this ivery room. Old Ijexmore was furious and wouldn't have 'anything more lo do with them. VThey decided to name her Chris: that was because her grandfather's name was Christopher, and thety r i;: a girj's name ChrfeUne, and both are often called Chris for short. So they had her chrjsjtencd just ■ Chris.' and they seemed to delight fn developing her independent nature and boyishness. " And then, one day, old Ij'*iuor,.> nearly ran his horse over a girl of six. He growled at her that eli-: should-bare got out of the way, an I the little girl looked fearl<»;sly m him, and boldly told him lii u t In had no right to ride his hors.- iusf how and where he Hkcd, aijd thac! she would call a ploiccman. "The child's nature touched hi'si flinty heart in some unaccountable ma»ner ; he asked her name.' found out that it was his own grandchild and anally took her in hand, thinking that she would carry out hi-. wishes, if her mother didn't ](.. ' wouldn't see the mother or fat hi - r ; and they gave up the little one i,,r ■J her own welfare. Bjt. /* And so it went on. Thoy often |||j|,jt£ferpetledr as she grew up, b'tt it Hgj£U£U|wmtot .all right. lam U r ß :

I it wus a good-thing filing for Dortv alter my brother died. llut this time things went farther thun usual 'and that unfortunate attack of apoplexy spoilt everything. The gld gentleman altered his will, leaving everything to n soil of ail old coUdjje friend, although hb hadn't seen that for years. And Chris has the niorilicat'iun of -knowing that by her •foolishness she had redcred her mother and herself ]>euniless. | " She doesn't c.i i\\ she says. Well, she wlt learn to care. She should j have given way and been nil humility. anU cringed to him, as she call* jit. Jsn't the fortune worth all that? j Confound that man ! - she continu;ed, looking up; "if he hasn't gone , and iefi me talking to the air ! " ' it was perfectly true ; her husband Ilud heard thy story so InJttnv times • that l.e was tired of it, and had ( slipped oiit inobservedi in anotlnr room of the same house ■On is \\ \ line and her mother were • talking grawiy. 'lhe girl had her arm round her motherjs waist, as

if to protect her, and the elder Woman was. glad to lean, figuratively,, on fcer tomboy of her daughter. don't blame you at all ; , my dear, suid All's W\ Hue, in answer to a question from Chris, flf you don't wish to do a thing, say bo, and doirt be hypocritical. Be as true as your father was, Chi'is, dear and jou will iind mo .quite ready to bear the consequences. 2% father's action was unjust,, but w e must not judge others too severely, Chris, as we hope for mercy ourselves. Let US try to forget the past, or the ■disagieeable part of it, aud think ot the future." Chris Kissed the sweet-tempered, iitily woman loVingly,

am jut 4>o much concerned about the mm re, mother," she said. when I was in London three years ago, with grandfather s cousin, Ladv HartheM, she warned ]nQ that something like this mig-iit happen, and said that she would help me, if J wantjed help. She it? poor, us peeresses go, and what is more, X wou'td not impose on her good nature ; but she can assist me materially in getting a post as companion. I am more fitted for that than anything. So I can earn enough to keep us both." " ' ,c S an Mrs Wynne, aim Iben her remonstrance was cut short by a kiss. That very evening Chris wrote to * - v "« n| ield, and she went to be.l to dream many things, prominent aluoug which was the brief love affair ol that .London visit three years-'ago. What had. become of Captain Hamilton ? She had never heard of him since then. She told herself that she had not loved him, and yet why was it that life had not been so bright during those past three years, and why did sho have thai .strange pain at her heart sometimes ? She awoke at that juncture and was angry with herself when she lomul that her eves were wet with tears. (To be Continup.i.l