The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7853, 20 June 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

lUDOW'S DILEMMA. | wajs twenty-six, de- J and unmarried. Moreover received a prolitifa Mr?, Spillsbury. bulled tho black wickworld and. the brutal ipankmd- ' mi, Kate, il you don t 1 ltoSe- , t, be irritating, |Us'.',". sbury, trying vainly t 0 imp loc» jßto a frown, tni toave only just ar>Bote.idea < l yf chawing weeks until my devotmeWbeck. Don't begin iting." i Ciko aiMjato it medi-->ghe tiraplf. another cup ii," she sand. agrocd Mrs Spillsept Jack, that is." i)c on the wholo I should ■ -darling !" cried Mrs impingi up arid erobraovely. "I can't imagine : n't had lots. (With all 1 -those i)ig brown eyes nrtion other -things,. I thotfght'haH the ■ men it wauM have been at JhVfcut I'm forgetting. ■<«, you kaow. Rose.. g». You have juas Said l't marry," Rose exr.v" 1 Should '111& a pro>r the'" jrteaaure. ol 'fefu's--1113 understood. , Row it' *slKTwi'Wm f up.' whoever, is this Colours." ■ .i";., him htime, wherever it • be, tail beifl.'a sadder antt■wiser i Rose ." another ' cake. Disapid not» spoilt her.appegurgled Mrs Spills-. - wish we could arrange lovely. But the fact 10 superior, Rose ; too standoffish." •I" am," said Hose du'you are. Now I never fisil, I'm 'Six months ■you, and I've been mariT9—and Jack will be South -'' Afrtea' in six pt be has anything to she added with a blight love Jaqit," murmured ;r'breath-. ■ ■ sarcaStic. Rose ; I quite 3U that ail the others. But all the same' yrju adoffish. I don't «]Uite e're to •do. Oh-—I" jry gnre h shriek and room fast as a figisuited for such, exercise ing'HoSe 'dmiewha t nsler Sudden r exit, lea,she explained' on, dt gTeat/glorious liUe a l>ook~." siaid tobject which ■ >; -was waving iin. tri'ooks just like one- of 9 Spillsbury admitted it sta'&t dowa iaild iiegaP r the pages is grcsjt cxlilKt Bdse watched" her sintorest- - is !" cried •' Mrs Spilfefound it.' I knew it was • HUre,tit it'. "'Pickwick i: Papers,' " sj>d Rose ment. ' ebow, I'm iure." >5. Rose. Ijstcn to tbis. dersj is married than, '.gcuffiy remarked Mr d ;at her com-, petoss amazement. ; ury rose and pointed at ortaotfous forefinger, . 1 was right, Rose—quite widow, And you shall oppsal within a month. 1 it/' •bt&k.-iit bglpless laughSpiUsbury was not ", to Kos« must be a widow!, idr being a widow wbuly | 18 efliort ot her unfortuniddks. Widows prowkrbi- , standoffish ; and iljthey , it must b® a ray 'the suiters wpuld not a: widow," weakly . t be- tantalising, Rose, ft a glorious opportunm're alone in the worM; you'w staying: witU me 1; and, to crown all.nor, iveai the maids—knows ir«t.. Why, if«, lovely ! port. %ou must, shall, a-widow -You shall jiave i>, and then—revengfe !" 'iUsbury struck an attilato lo the idea, began Hose. > further. Just then the rows. open. Mr Everstounced. ■ . rence," said Mrs Spillsnewcomer. in a r a ther " Sor" glad: you called, ap. opportunity of mlroto my frijend, Mrs—cr—>—Mr Eversfield, who was a ither good-lopkipg man, rith a slight inclination , She swept from the fling," expliihpd ' Hi s i'a' voice ■ trampling with sband lost at sea, Lau r we" have kpen talking ow, at on? fell swoop, was rushed into it of it agalll. The pro- • upset her bit; I lot for' some Consioi-r r fter tho visitor's deparmaxle'her roapjx;aranco. 'ajM*;- f " How could ; you lie so foolish, Kate ? *■ she with some indigjMrtion. fd*. '" My dear'girl, I absojutely could resist iV" explained Mrs : SpiilsJg?}. bury. /' Mosides.rt yiks an inspiratioc, to stroke, of genius. And, oh," s~ Bose, how lucky it' was ypu were wettr ' a "blacic diteSfi' witii ouli" 4 Sgf touch or two of' white, in it.' s ! " " Anyhow you might have given gt> * -me a more distinguished name thfin " Brown," grumbled Rose, h a lf apjioasSV 46:8 Spillsbury. ' explained that bi'V Brofcn was the first name that ocp » cdrred to ihbr.' " I Hadn't mitrh time to think,'.' she pointed out. VeT well," suid Rose, "I forf'J give you—only don't: do it again." Not do it' again ! " geis|)ed Mrs K!>r Spilisbiury. '■ Why, Kose, what do

✓ you mean ? " J. " Surely ybu d o n t ( think I'm gofkv ffIST on with Ifiiis ridiculous decention r i. ft'* " Bwng on with it ?Of course &V i'ou are. You must. I've tpkj LuuBL~> raws Evcretield, for one.' Mis Crainpton called just now. She's a converfflS.t, and I've told her. I've Mlf to® Uio maids—by tha'way, wliat u of luck you, didn't bring yours. 'there's iro' lfelp fob it,' Jftse you HSjfr ««wt SO on with itMi'iid, oh", how flrW/fahSpills2S&M&& «Hth M oii ftfiSgjftion. SeW/. P 0 . 30 sank back into her chair in ||jpJSßepuine consteiimtion. jipjv "Do you Kally moan I've got be a .watow for six weeks ? " Certain,y," said Mrs Spilki>urv ®t,i«Waer<u]lji. Hjat's exactly what ' -I »hay iaugh arii joet, but I feel «"®o that Laurence, pversfii'ld—well, .OTfe.^SW.'.M ß face when. Wx3 J ,toH UisMjpf fviSM. a widow, A gggr-look. passed Savor »ti Uiat spoke* Poln BS; Don't be aliSurd.'' KBife'' not Bljsurd.: 3t's imei'ely anor prescntimenjt, or, "what■KßggM&jrou colt ft, tbat'Laurence Evcrs-

field will ,be the man. You smile. Wait ami see. Mark my woi'ths, he will' propose within six weeks. I'm morally sure of it. it'll bet yois a dozen pairs of' gluves on it, Hose." '• Done," said Rose. * "But you must play fair. You must gi\u tne poor man a chance. And tnen, \viia.i he proposes (as he juu.it i.n.. shall), ihencou.es revenge. I can picture the scene. Laurence EversfieiJ kneeling on the hearthrug \vit(a hiri troUK i.s slightly hitched up vo ' satis . l.Jc-. —he s very v.cii dressed, Rose—treonibling, cowed, penitent. ion. standing very erect, with your chin even more in the air than usual ai»d " " Don't be so absurd,"' protested Rose again. ■ 1 " But, honestly., Rose, I should like*-you to spurn—spupn is the right word, isn't it ?—Laurence Everstield, I'm almost sure I d|on't like him. I. hate men that look a t you as ii you ~wei'e the only funny thing they had seen in their lives, but thlat they couldn't <[uke summon up p 'ic to smile at you. LaurenCe is that Idind of man. He is a great friend Of' Jack's. too. I don't. think hus'bands ouglit to have great friends, do you? 1 say, do you think he is good-look'ing, Hose ? " Three weeks ■ passed, and with every week Mrs Salisbury became more elat©J. She assume an air of omniscience which would ijave done credit to a lady palmist. Laurence Eversfield again and again; and before Hose's advent he had not been a Irjquont caller. Besides, he had sent flowers, and he had left theatre tickets. Yoju're doing it beautifully," Sjid Mrs Spillsbury oho day. " You're leading: ihini on." " I'm not," said Kose, lyWell; if you are not leading, he is following, an.l it. conies toiriuclii the same thing," said Mrs Spillsl/.iry, with' a ripple of laughter u t he* own humour. ■ " He is a follower, Rose. ■ There isn't a doubt of it. Don't look too disgusted dear." ' "By the way," said Host:, .ignoring the sally, "I don't like to be inquisitive, but who .was mjr husband? His name was Brown, I know, and that's all I do know. It isn't much to, know about one's own husband." It certainly wasn't much, but Mrs Spillsbury could (as she put it) refresh her memory. Hose's husband] was one—James Brown. |lc was interested in South African mining. The ship he was on foundered in the Pacific. The passengersi and. crew took to the boats a;nd were rescued by a passing ship. But not all were saved. Among the missing was poor James Brown. All this happened two years iago," concluded Mrs ■Spillsfiiiry.- " IlSiven't I settled • it all beautifully •> By the way, James Brown had a rooted objection to hetivy niounriug, that's why you do hot wear it." "It was, soon after this that Mrs Spillsbury Jrogan to iioti-;ci, a change in her friend. Kose' seemed to be ,abandoning the attitude of amused indifference which • j>hc has been accustomed to present to society in ■general. (To be continued). •