The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7856, 23 June 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

\ „ A CONFIDENT CTlHlij §*k«.«- , , , , , T*"*niere was once a girl 1 be-

W* ".Pardon me. Keggie," interposed BtWr ladyship. "There Wis always SEDOcn a gnl—from Kden downwards. always will 1)9 a girlj in any grstory Worth ropenting;" IF- girl was u little out oi tho W orttinarj, sait* 1. "That, was why P" 1 particularised her. She hud an air of tk being conudent," I waited a moment. KVAS you know all girls are conceits' «d , out the most vt tliean don't let <? thutr natuial arrogance appear until jj£ alter marriage." £ ".'And then it is soon ,/trusbod out £ a ol them." iz\ • "Indeed?" I msroired. '-'my HtE', tie knowledge of the sex goes to IkproW the contrary. I see poor niar[a|jried men become 3o noal. so orderly glffuni spiritless, as to Ik loUilly unlit py fpr the fxjeiety oi-'any Bohemian. L2-Thoy will arrive jpunctsuoUy.'in tiie Kaoniiiie, anfl go home by,the first SJptS&in after leaving, their oflices. On §&3sturda> one may sec thorn carrying floppy plants and prickly roscjsgoushes irom the city ;or bags oi BFijulbs— or wore than suspicious fishBt"Dear me, how experienced we

I isn't absolutely necessary to >y experience," said I, "That usual course with some folk, t I am taught by strenuous Uon of the powers of obseiTo return to my girl. I rotat she was. out of the usual, in'ti pretend a bit. All the o vices were openly in her '. and in her attitude towards d. She simply didn't care," s she—good-looking 1 " t's the unfortunate part She ctromcly good-looking. She had >ld hair—a lot of it. And »ft eyes. 'And a moutli that seemed to be asking you to She know how to dress \ •w ts walk. Most girls wadfcnphaticairy -.deVy it?" deKitty. in you don't observo ! " I i. " What a Pity np.t to use eyes.! . This confident girl's »as fitting. It was Althea." plaint" commat'Ued Kitty, suasion," I replied. " That re meaning of Althea'« name—r charm. She persuaded one ; one's better judgment. I'll cup more tea, please." j can'Wt's all cold. I'll ring ftUS '■' n't. I really didn't want it. hought of Althea made me ddenly faint. Amongst many she treated me very bodly ; won't speak of I will ite in another way. I am gotoll you about the man Allarried." en, notwithstanding her manic did contrive " qJUite a brutal way she took ersclf a husband," I owned, it's, perfectly true. I don't that, at the start stie cared min tho right degree. But she diseovered tha't there . was r girl—her confidence'was up », if.l may apply such h Kir. I must tell you that Alras the sort of girl that al»on prizes at school." r good conduct ? " , dear me, no ! That would teen far too ordinary for her. for dressmaking; and for f home-letters; and for alerleneraHy. Tins man Drat knew when she was a small th'ng rt frocßa. Then he became a man in an offta; and was to ignore all girls. He passed h the cigarette and fancyi age—and again met Althea. at a dance." understood men didn't danco, »j-B ■> " is w-as in tiie years ago ; long these present days of halfpen.spapcrs and widespread brain r I told Kitty. "This man icortiing a pleasant, throoughly kind of cousin : to whom he I, was supposed to be paying attention. J* Hia people, or hers, had arranged it f " She wasn't—pretty ?** j? '" Sho was very worthy," said I. < This cousin, while having jft no worldly pride, Had plenty of S;Xoria(t Jneiind. The man was doing &;his duty. Everyiiody would have piensed if he had married the However." AHhea deigned to fe'jtotiee the man ; and,. incidentally, consin. He asked Althca for a Bance, and she declared that her Fr"j«rograinme was full—but there might an extra. He answered tliat his Ktcousin took all extras." *i v What' an idiotic remark ! '2 K;* Was the fact," I announced. Ip "'Althca instantly determined that occasion should 3>e the exception gj'Ahat proved the rule. She put him g( f down for tho extra, herself ; and a«almly walked over to him when the pjHimo' came. ' Bobbie's such an old g/rienrf,' she explained to the cousin. If, * I simply must havo a chat with Shim again. You don't mind, do you? &>fio good of youj! ' And the next inthe two were sailting round S» J&to room, the admiration and de'?i ljgprt'of all bch,oiders." . ■" Excepting: .the cousin." p '' Tliat was IQI9 actual liccfinning of ['H. Thereafter, Althea deliberately out to steal Bobbie. He didn.t require much siealing, I may say—- "* -w» weak is man when a mou'lh like Althea's k» doing tho rcMuading! i,; 'Tiio cousin was ont-flanked, out-gen-fJ eralled, left hopelessly- beaten—and £j in fiill flight. Then of course, Bobj.bie proposed to Althea." p" V Poor littte cousin. What wret;hJ ? ea men are 1 a F " Oh, she did all right. She fled into the arms of an imaganative, but 'm somewhat impecunious actdr-mana--j ger. Of their amazing marriage I f'Will speak on some ether occasion. Bobbie proposed—awkwardly, no doubt, to Althca She, with great ■■affectation of surprise, opened her ' Bark eyes to their widest extent, lightly parted her disdainful kiss- • alile lips— and said she was sorry, but she didn't oare for him in that .■way." *' Poor BobUie ! " " That's more like it. Always bostow y»ur sympathy judiciously. He ■was heartbroken—for <juit"c a long time.' Then, brooding over this xnUMooded refusal, and hearing casual'ly of the actor-manager. Bobbio became considerably annoyed. He argnr _ ed with Althea. and she turned up | her pretty little nose. He coaxed—b and she grew moi'e overbearingly 5 confident than ever. He threatened. g. She laughed ; ana sent his letters E* fc'ack."rv " Tell me, Reggie—what do men do t- when that happens ? I have so often j> "It's-a sort of freemasons' secivt, ?," If you were a man. you would know.

II 4han-t tell you," 1 said Althea l*it*not foi long Bobljte K"\ ill—\ L -ij ill , and all his creditors b jyn to tear the woist Day after daj 1 , on Ins bed ol sicmilSw. cla\ by ho gitw ilunnei His wasted fi'ohie could scarcely Contain much longer his lacerated" -soul. He saw no one,*' I paused. "" It was measles hy the way,," I added. " How unroinantic ! " commented K;tty. " Just when I was getting my handkerchief ready, tao."

•• He recovered ; and one line .spring morning, when, convalescent, he was taking a feeble little walk in St Park, he encountered AlthJ"- The lich Wood mantled his cft?eks--I beg pardon, I'm sure. That phmsefcs copyright He took off his hat, and bowed distantly ■Are you quite safe ? ' inquired Althea, nervously. Bobbie, with diimi'?„u d: ' The Vavk-koepev let me in Althea md ; ' I'm glad it was not any worse ' :( which enraged Bob,u . Such an ex traor<linarv extent that he left her." '

k< I don t se e why," puzzled Kittv ■ He cut her dead next morning. shl T% ltended t0 " Somehow, she wouldnt be cut. She was too conhden. to give hln. the change. She positively made a fuss of him. They '•■et again and Bobbie determined to have h, s ,vv cng e. fie said. JS |thev were sitting at opposite ends of a seat in the park-because she was still rather afraid : 'Do you know, Allhen that my consolation while I was ill, was in the knowledge that 1 had no ties. I am glad you refused me. "And she ? "

"She sai-J that she was) glad he was glad—it made matters so jolly, dad nt it? '.I wouldn't marry you for thousands of pounds,' concluded Bobbie. ' I'm not going to even offer you a penny,' retorted Althea. 'The man who wants me to low him will have to do something Mg.' Bobbie turned on her like lightning. 'Did 1 not have the measles ? ' he cried, triumphantly."

" Proof positive," said Kitty. "Apd the end of it all.' " H must have' been the measles," I decided. "Evidently ihey convinced Althea. For she 'married him—within the year. And she was kirn"! to him, at first. Then her old failing returned. They weren't getting on last enough, if yoii please. Althea wanted to begin married life wlwre h e r father and mother left off. She bought all soirts of horrid sum books, and made Bobbie study three evenings a a week. She drove away all his friends: and didn't let them return until Ilobbic had passed I some terrific exams."

" What a lucky Bobbie to 'have such a wife ! "

"It was awful, you know. She perpetually goaded, until he caught the disease. I don't know a more confident man than Bobbie. He passed 'everything, mostly with honours: He ;» a Fellow of this, and of that—and has an alphabet after his name He makes a fortune every year—be cause he happons to be practical a s well as theoretical. Those two attainments so seldom go togcthei trtet when a man has tluftn—and . a wife like Althea—well, there's no holding him. Look at the house he lives in! It's four times as gran'l jas th' actor-manager's wife's. Pool old Bobbie—poor old chap I " " Hut why ? '"

"He must be always at work. What n horrid travesty of a life ! Moreover— Bobbie's getting- stout, and becoming increasingly important every minute. And Althca's the best dresse.l woman in London '' " Stopjright there, Reginald," commanded her ladyship. '•' 1 have a new gown fot' the next Drawing Room. ■T am presenting Nora. You will have to admit that your Althea isn't in it. That is, if you have any taste ! "