The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7825, 18 May 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

——— .1 • I * " THE-MAN FItOH NEW YORK. (Continued). 1 *■' No ; cold's good enough for me." \ 7be young man hastily threw o(I his ■. * oont. "■ Apologise for me to the ladies, and say I'll, be with them in mlntotea."fc After Gilchrist was gone, the young iqapramovad the signs of travel from Ms clothes. " She's the beauty of Jtbe. world,"- he said, sauntering t downstairs. " The beauty of the <•? 'world! Laya over everything I ever J." .mvt —anywhere. ' I had thought of *f fladie Hawkins, but 111 not go en f :thUtfcing. ' Edith,' the old lady callher. Wish I had the privilege of £ old age." W" It was a protracted lunch. Uaual- * Jy old lady Polperrow had no appeal, tits,; but on this occasion 1 the Man F* Jrom New York seasoned the repast g v r " with anecdote, and she ate heartily. -iHe assured BMith that she was miff *k V k * l Wilen ima ff in «l that the jk?., /American girl usually opened the conipff JWTStttioH with an eqigram. The onlyIk'- -fault to to-found with the American • eg* girl'was ; her readiness to become an | duchess at a moment's noft". ■ ttco. This put a strain upon her, fe.' -prevented her from being natural ; 2*"< lor all the time sko was trying to SO U*o up to a station' which might one day be there, and it told upon her pi Uerws. . " That's all very well," said Lady K* Polporrow ; " but why doesn't the ? American girl stay at home and mar--*y the American man ? Why does she annex' English dukes, when, there fcg - aren t enough' for - homo comsump§r\. tton?" g." "I reckon it's this way," rcturn--5,J, /ed Mr Howard P. Martin, reflective- §}" ir- " The American girl is full ot jp: the missionary spirit. It's her misfit aion. to |fO forth and marry manjsb&'f. But why docs she always begin Kf* at.the top?'' asked Edith. « - " It's easier to spread downwards. replied "the unabashed Mr Martin. Hierc's always room at the top," \ " And you ? Without seeming inquieltive, juSy I ask what you are doing over here?" inquired Lady p v f Polperrow, " Just travelling," said Mr ■ HowW~~ aril P. Martin slowly. " Just tra- ■ veiling. It was Pop's idea.:' fc " 1 Pop's What is a 'Pop' ? " *« ■ " °? 1, it s a man "'i'l l « family," - Sir. Martin. " Pop's one of those fellows who has made money, jf" IBs great idea is to have" his family a" treo put right, just to let those ©j knickerbockers in New York see how modern they are." p I«dy Polperrow was confused. ■S Z" Knickbockers ! What have knickp-' frbockers to do with it ? " Edith came to the rescue. " Thev £•-, ■*» not things to wear, but old American families," she said hastily. f. --"I did not know that they had g. any old—really old—families in Am•jr* 'erica;" rejoined Lady Polperrow." <jak- " Pop's idea," explained Mr How- 1 S." ard Martin, "it to get the famify lf' r pedigree straightened out, show his & «»«ent in the direct line, and then _ have it painted on the front door. *• I've tried to slop him, but he's ob- ; atlnate. When Pop's obstinate, whv, Sft h»-he slays firm; and that's all £.* tfbout it." fV " Painted on the front door?" 5 " laughed Edith. pj. " Vep, for a month—just to lower 5 - f ~- pride of the Knickerbockers. V sr® 0 ' asserted himself as the ft ' lineal descendant of an English nob- * ianan, he's going to paint his AmeSts*- erf can arms on the door and wipe nil the pedigree." " His American arms ? What are '£- ™?'„ 7 " askcd the astonished Eo'th. "Same as his trade mark—a pg I tampant on a greea field. Pop's in i- Pork. It isn't romantic, but it's jJ:-' money.'' And—and what arc you going to be,in—in pork?" qulried the old lady. fi m- s . declared young *r Martin. l> o p' s done all " that karf of thing for me. I d like to - make money for myself, but Pep will not hear of it ; and when I go down into the pit " "?Into the pit ? " "Yes, the wheat pit, or pork, or anything ; Pop's so friendly with all ~v. Us® fellows that they want to give me pointers." Pointers ! " echoed the old lady. " Can't you buy your own dogs? " Edith came to the rescue again. Information—tips, auntie," ' shi said, ho eyes dancing with dc- . light. "Mr Martin means that lie gets an unfair advantage over other jjeople, and that he doesn't think It sportsmanlike." it," heartily agreed Mr MsrtSn. " How quickly you grasp the point." " Come and sit under the chestnut tree and have your coffee there," said the old lady. " I want to hear " some more about America. Edith you'd better go down to the ulms- ' house. Come, Mr Martin." " It's a large subject, Lady Polperrow."- But he got up and gave her ,i his arm. And the vivacity which had hitherto merited young Air Howard Martin's manner quickly vanished. Me " v . asked permission to write a cablei gram, and sent it down to Iligli i .. Bantct for immediate transmission ffto America. Then lie Ijegan to talk to Lady Polperrow about America but in such level monotonous tones, * fthat, after vainly struggling to keep j her eyes open, she sxidtlenly went ' r ." : ,■ td sleep, and left the young man centinuing to drone, s Directly Lady Tolperrow was fast asleep, Mr Howard Martin softly got ' W and made his way to the liouso came out. She was beconir " '"Fir dressed in white, with deft' sugx' fflfstions of pink here and there. Mr i - Martin seemed to find the cnrn-flow-t ®Jr b,uc '>er eyes very attractive. t ; H <^on know the eti(|iictte in this S. . country," ho said, irresolutely "or htm, " but Lady Polperrow's asleep, and I don't like to call upon my ancestor in the tdiureh without tomeaae to introduce me. Seems too solemn a thing to face him without 6 < someone to speak for'me." fjjjf- "W l . I will introduce you to Sir "ovarii with pleasure." Edith came down the path. " Auntie nl?^T" ,0r a CoUple °' ho,lrs ". Thpr <-' are - many great institiiS^s!? 8 ,i n En S land ; and that's ono of ] HPW I " somewhat irrelevantly remnrk*tr Howard Martin, sauntering i hsr side. "I siippos; this i" Howard de Martyne was a his day?" Crusader, wasn't but I don't follow j'ou/* I HB»S||f..wnv presently," remarked the New York. "When he he generally took it, so." great institution in too," ltd more irreWant- 1 ■■pi -young Mr Martin. Tor (

so resolute a man lie was becoming almost dreamy. Edith leJ the way into the oil church. There was a stately simplicity about it wlvch went straight to . the young man's heart. Hitherto l.'j had never concealed his pride at be-. i ing an American. Hut, alter, all, what was an American ? Someone whose ancestors came out from England, cast off the hidebound traditions of the past, and blossomed out into that jwrfect product of a somewhat hasty iqivilsation, the American citizen. " Now I know why," 'he said, hat in hand, as they came to* the effigy of old Sir Howard —"now I know why you English are bound to lick the world."