The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7888, 2 August 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

Bobinetia Crusoe. "Yibart's story is curious in many ways," 1 began. "I ought to call it 'Robmetta Crusoe'—and send it to j Duly "to- However, you must »jetur» Vibart 6* board the good j Ship Kais«4-tted, a trading vessel ImVwmi Colombo and Zanzibar. He kad en haul, besides business, a delimta coauntniOß. He was escorting to th» juaior fcm ot Vi'itert, Williams *ui Co., of Cape Town, a valuable piece trf merchandise. Her tame wis—and is—Robinetta." "But that iba'l Mrs Yibart's ynif " "I must request yon not to interrupt. I.prefer to t*ink of "if lady as RoMaetta. It's mora fitting. I imagine Robinson Crusoe was a s-asittiucklent-, everbearing, masterful sort of ereature. Similarly Robinetta, Ia events will convince you was swasbbuclkerhg in the highest degree. You must bear in mind tint there was u eagagement with Williams—ot the Ob. Vibart was simply btiaging kef eat, with a large consignment ef .Cbjlob tea. "When the Kateer-i-hied wis near

the MaKiie fsi Mis," I went en valiantly, **a nuasam, et a typhoon —or sametbt&c—sprang up. II raged with aMsideraife energy (or quite a fe»g tiaje. Un> sky became black as ■fk, the sea like boiitag water; and the sua, mean, aid stars took a holiday. The wM Maw a million pounds to the i«d>; and, m about three seconds, the Kaiser-i-hind, Vitftrt, Robinetta, and the Oeyloa tea seemed u good as gpners. The masts aad riggiitj of the ship went ctashingly before the full strength of the hurricane was attained. The illfated vessel scudded shamefully through the frothing inkiticss. Suddenly she was checked, gripped as if the teeth of some submarine monster, An appalling rending cry sounded above the desperate roaring of the elements. The Kaiser-i-hind piteously moved onward once more. She shuddered continially ; growing weaker every instant; listing rapidly j to port, Another sudden pause ; again that horrid death rattle of her timbers—long drawn out. Then the end." "But it wasn't the real end of course ?" "The end of the typhoon," 1 explained. ''And, practically, the end of the Kjiser-i-hind. They got out the boats, and did their test. The crew was composed chiefly of Lasers—and you can't trust Lascar's. Thr,re was trouble. Fortunatelyi the wind chose to depart as violently as it bad come ; and three little boafs bobbed up and down throughout that long night in comparative safety. They reached land at about four in the morning. It was a miraculous escape, said Vibart. But Robinetta didn't say anything at all." "How could she, poor thing ?" "Kvea at that moment she must tare hm making her * plans. Why did she select Vrfearl's boat, when there were- two others ? Why did she allow him to wrap her up in tarpaulins, and generally fuss round her ? She belonged to Williams—or the Co., and ought to have gone with tne Lascars, if she had any sense of ettiquelte. She flopped into Vtbart's arms quite naturally, iioweTei, and allowed him to carry .bee to the shore. Then she collapswd." "Didn't she rather enjoy it ?" asked Kitty. "Vibart has never expressed him«etf to me tnlly on the point," I said. "Anyway, there they were on a sttange shore, wet through and through--unarmed, and with a crowd of uncouth brown men gibbering txiund them. In all, a baker's dozen of white people—as against fifty Lasears. Those were anxious moments." "Terrible !" "So why did Robinetta make them / worse by collapsing? I pause for a reply; and finding none, declare, unhesitatingly, that Robmetta did it on purpose to put poor old Yibart in a false position. He had to comfort her and keep his arm about the wretched tarpaulins in which she was wrapped." "Aad in the morning ?" "They found themselves on an island A mere coral reef of the Maldives. Plenty, ot vegetation—and f, ants. But nothing else. S "Reggie, are you sure—" E "Nothing else on the island. But, joy of joys, out there, amidst the rocks left bare by the ebb of the tide, skewed up almost on end, was the wreck of the Kaiser-i-bind. Vibart and the rest of the whites padtiled out to it with despatch They i recovered possession of their rcvolf vers and cartridges. They called F the Lascars back to their work—- | with fine vigour. Salavage opera's ticms were commenced." ? "And Robinetta*" "Within ten minutes had become the despotic ruler of the whole company. There were three other r women, but Robinetta didn't give them time to think. She saw that J,. Vibart was going to be boss, and so t annexed him. They moved their belongings to the shore, and started r to buiM a camp." P "But how could they build a camp L when there was only vegetation ?" R "They broke up the Kaiser-i-hind, i and used her timbers for the framer Work of their several huts. The cocoanut trees—" "Palms, Reggie." : "Thank you. The palms did the rest. By nightfall a very presentable ' Earl's Court native village had been created. The best hut was Robinetta's. It had a toilet table and a S brush anh comb—and curliing-tongs. Vitart had dived into her cabin, which was partly submerged, to res- ' Cue these feminine essentials—little dreaming that they were going to be f treacberoulsy used against him." I "But didn't Robinetta love Mr L Williams, then ?" i "I d<ji't think she loved anylW-iy •—for the first day or two on' Him Wand. When onKs hair is all in tails, and One's clothes are a mass of creases and mud—one's attention i 1?, tat s el J r : occupied with home afs burs. Besides, this projected mar- ' 12® 6 TOlliams—or the Co., was I w outcome of a boy and girl busiI wess -begub in the long ago. A corJ. res ponden ce and photograph courts', j. »Wp. Vthart had promised to es- ' «®rt her to Cape Town, via Zanzip bar. He • had never seen her before tn f Us life, until she stepped on board *t Colombo." F "Was she a Cingafee ?" 6 "'My sweet Kate, Cingakvs are ;.»rown. Robinetta is Knglish t-o the ; .last stitch of her garments. But we -•must proceed. After a week of it • we isfand, became too small fo hold , tte whites and the Lascars. So Vi4*art decided Hmt one or the otlivr go. He took a reading or the : iron, and consulted the ship's chart. '.Then he called the company togethAnd announced tirat they were ■on one of the least frequented tolls jn the ftfaidivc Archiucla-

r ■ "Atolls, Reggie ?" f " 'Atolls—islands. It's the correct ; *ord. The Maldives are sometimes jWW the Thousand Isles. 4 Tlier ,»? by a sultan, who acknow•JJW our gracious Kinp as overl - This sultan joiirnevs every, ■gw to pay tribute. He is a Mn[Maroedan and wears a fez, arid reI.T™ 6 * Makr. the chief village ii» K* f®« isUnd. The exports of IN* ■gwalvwi ar» breadfruit, cncoanulsK' im - Rp «^' e M»r I ask-' Bk """ . w y •><*• I shall never «>t WjOßg «t •this ra(e—aid I had much g; *" TOiwrniiDr tbe iniquities of Viharf suKßcsfert ( |, at t*aea/5 shnnM t«I« t, wn n f t ) 1(> BPBU, «*» attempt to reaeh Male W* I" tell thr Sultan of ■ROnsM of the rmf." »■"" g"Ah. why didn't Ihef ' Ca„ i vnn ~®' Robiucda hail decided all ■?" S* wouldn't go in He boats W more. One night of it bad bwm

ample. s?be said stie would rather die. .She made Yibart export the Lascars l —for suislry reasons. Kor one thing—there wasn't much food left in the derelict KaiseH-hind and the water barrels were low. The Lascars went. Another week passed, and still no sign came from the great world without. Provisions began to run short. Yibart held a second council. "Since tin Lascars hadn't come back,'' remarked Kitty sagely, "suie ly it was evident that they hadreached Male "You forget the sharks," said I with meaning. "How.dreadful !"

"Eventually it was agreed that, harks or no sharks, the third boat should put to sea. There was only one dissentient—Robiiretia. When the fatal moment of embarkation arrived she disappeared." "Disappeared "Like snow on the desert's face" -aid I. "It was extremely awkward. They bad come to the last .larrel of water, and dared not wait mother hour. Westward there was iaird—maybe perhaps another and letter atoll. They had to risk it. Vibart found Robinetta's hat and ihoes on the beach, and the comiany promptly ielt for the handkerchiefs. 'l'm going to stay, 1 said Vibart determinedly. 'lt will be one .nouth the less. Go on, all of you, and get help. The sad-faced men and woman raised a cheer."

"But they didn't go ?" "1 don't quite know how it happened that Yibart and Robinetta •arue to be left alnne on the reef," said I hurriedly "But it certainly wias the fact. Of course, he found ier hiding behind a palm, or something—as soon as the boat had passed from view. She toW him she aad made an important discovery—and so she had. Hidden equally benmd the palm tree were three kegs of fresh water and a quantity of provisions. .The Lascars had concealed these '

"Against a rainy day ?" "Against a too long series of dry lays," I corrected Kitty. "One can never trust Lascars. This little find .amt in very handy for Vibart and Robinetta. Manlike, lie was profusely grateful—until he discovered that ihe had been aware of this small Eldorado for a week past. "Why ever didn't you let us know V cried Vibart, astonished. "They wouldn't have gone far with all that lot,' ieiilied Robinetta, with cheerful thankfulness. 'Besides I—guessed you would oimc and search for me.' She blushd, for the only time in her life." "I wonder," murmured her ladv>hip, "where, in this story, truth lift iff and fiction began ? Really, Reg gie, I do think you're becoming very talented." "It was aliTiul then." said I, "that Vibart wished for a ot a town-crier, or a tralloo.'i. The I*ll(l'Agency would have saved Vibart—could lie but have paid ii three guineas. He would have been immediately Discovered—and, consequently, a happy bachelor at. this present moment. Advertisement is the iudispcnsible thing in life nowadays. I need hardly chronicle the rest. They were aloire on a coral reef, and she had her looking-glass ami cur!iiig-tongs—ami had rescue! one of her summer diesses front the derelict. She brewed him a cup o: beautiful Ceylon tea. When, a fortnight later, they yerc taken of! the little island, Robinetta and Yibart were engagedi She had thrown over Williams—and the Co.—and had most unselfishly confiscated the senior partner instead. As you know, they are now married." "And exceedingly happy," added Kitty. "That is—if appearances go for anything !''