The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7889, 3 August 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

1 A Flight of Mas. The girl leant oa a sliprail and IpDked out tin dead, grey trees (tori fort * rague, indefinite atrnos■feete to 'the ®»tai»ce- She was tirand (ten was nothing m the to #re it variety, no Movement or colour anywhere. Her tftt wen Without sparkle, and her ■feougbta cm slowly, and srtic dimly wondared at the eternal samcHRC of Qw scene abont her, and at tta unlit nonoteaj of the life she

feed led since her cradle-days. Had £* world nothing Ijetter to offer a yaung life and young eyes than grey trees and treycr hours ? She laew well that it hut. A voice was calling her to conic away, and, while her lips were red and her palate pure, to taste and

drink, atri be -drunk with the wine "of Hfo that is found in the vine-

yard she was likelier to prove the (rap* from wtttch the win* is expressed titan the drinker of the' trine. She listened to the calling citT, with her ro&dy ears of youth, on her starred blood, rich with deatn, denuded that she should obey, Dm call.

Welt, it sin tell the old selection, Where she had lived for twenty years Od- when her father had "spent fiftf. Teats of Ms lite, she would gain SMra. sard?* t« ga*dea her Gfe, and have tittle t«-U«k sa£k upoa with regret. Would aba leave any thing to (Cgret ? Tke grey (illy tint followed ber like a lap-dog occurred to her ■bid, tat she put tke thought away ■With a smite. She considered within herself that she must be very simple to allow such a tittle thing to trouble her. Then she thought of * the little garden-plot in front of her Window, with rts four rose-bushes. - which dressed themselves with red and wbHe every trammer. Her mind dwelt on all of ttiem, iwt dwelt mostly on the red roGes—perhaps for the reason that her life had been so starved of colour, and stood in such sead of it, and she gave a little laagh, the sound of which made a lizard tarn its bead. She remembered the young selector * Vbo had come from the city three Jean ago. He had tasen up land in 'the vicinity, and bad put his heart and muscle into the working of it, displaying a vim that surprised the tired people round about. He bad been a poet, or an artist of some Sort, and he had strange notions that paided her. He would come over, now and again, and sit by tin fire—sometimes talking happily enough, and sometimes remaining •trangely silent. She noticed that if be did not talk, he always rested his ;',y eye* -on her. Sho noticed, too, that » ■ -when fa* did talk—he talked always •I -the (ptcre-oevtr of tbo past. It I mned 'as if tie past held nothing t if mate-inm happy, and as if every- ' 'Wag wm fair and full of hope lay i -h tba years Mere him. He had a strange habit of taking her into his v confidence, and of asking her advice 9a matters htg which he did not t- aee clearly. ' « ®a*d: 11 1 am going to ji- build • hooae ; witl you come and Mieet a site for It ?" Sh* thought the question carious, • . ®°l she west and helped tjpi to 6* t -, , • spot. If he were an artist or a if®?* ehoold be able to settle thp I" Si"* °* n KkiB 8. that likJ ought to oommend itself to all j » the world. r When the house was finished he *■ 2"".,*? h f r **"*• lnd »t beside the I toy listening to her father's talk. I Jfcww she lifted lier eyes from J- ner. sewing she saw that he was t y»mg her. His gaze, howrvrr, £ M nob agitate her in the least, a. nor mate her blood ran any the fe, taster. He was simply a man who i ««• Rwwo sick of the things she & tTt!!"i? > *l® #«ed to jput i on>y life worth Hving, and jl s to live a life that had no single charm to make it worth while draw- * I°* T" breath. She recalled the 1 ' WCt ttut D%bt fce bad asked for a secoad time, r Its dri not say anything until her H i room ' and "i™ » smiled, and came towards her With a manuscript in his hand. j "It is furniture lor my house—a i wouW like you to look over ■' rt and to suggest any improvement ,< that yoa -think proper." £ She looked up. She thought the tlon strange, and she did notunoersftand tke flush on bis lace. She i«M- as be desired, however, and handed mm lack the list. Afterwards Wey had some talk together. She •jked him concerning the theatres, toe balls, the concerts, and parties Winch be bad seen so much of, and Which she bad never known. Tn spite of bis contempt for city life, be told f to of these things with ample talk. k Perhaps he pitied her empty life, ' y -** d perhaps be did not dream that, • ( every word be said sharpened the , edge of her desire. At the time it > seemed to her that she had not! ■. ten conscious of his leave-taking, : i bat—afterwards, the week following i- -»be remembered the strong grip of , ms hand, and bis figure in the star-' to&t as be stood with lifted arms, j > as though to embrace the night. "y o * Hves in the country," lie said, and rode away. Sbe did not guess that It was she, ;as much as—and, perhaps, more than ! I' ™e green trees, and i earth that brought 1 t Ood to dwell there. * These were her thoughts at the f **P' ra 'j Bjte, and the sun was sink- , «* and they were not at an end. At a movement beside her she turna and saw young selector. *.. C V ae t0 Tour touse," he said; your father told me where I U'oul l i tod fOB," p She did not know why the dead f trees swmed no longer dead or ■ gey. She did not know why it was ' bet, face grew so warm, hh t aaM potbing, however, and he fcant ; U dhow oa the gate-post, ami look,ed down on her. They were silent ♦or a long while, till a flock oi foaellaa flashed down the grey vistas, l | .with a fitter of flung jewels. - -"There," he aaid, pointing to f |j*rroUt, "that is how nature re■deenu terself from sameness." She did not altogether understand 'b» saW umlerstoo(l h,m when

f "See torn they light np the grey '1 £2*-/ ~® s *yes bad an mtcn.sc f »£?* in them, awl they tilled hvr IWltn a strange trouble. ». i *»J mch J 4 thin 8 as a pty Mile, too, be said ; "and, when it is <* yoye Kfc. not all the world will jts samcaess-if one things kcr '' irou Gli ami Jlwojitfu They had a strange power m that quiet evening (i Inc . He juovta closer and bent down ..' Li ."te r einply life," he said, "litI want you to help me oncu ; *k Pwwed, but she did not lift ln-r limffm. 4 house," fm MM u •I WWed **«<• '» twld H. When it was built, 1 came you, and yon told me how to lur- ;«« it. I wwt to tell you that it L at H 's furnished, prt that tt is not a hoinr." Jr lihMu!! atrf P ut an ar m about a ™ »' Ins touch site PMJed towards him, ami lurnvtl hi-r IT** <n his. Wf! TV 00 / wistK; ii *^L ,0 !L help met« Pg» »t a home. Will yo u ■>" J~* "Yes" before she Was SSmbmiW JUt ske hK ' 3mc aw arc, P» woald not recall th e wor(l lol :

T%e freeH* came Jiaclc, Kl ihJj? S3 * Veßues With green ami - in the Sy.l-