The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7890, 4 August 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A Piemfe Proposer. Boutong* was ii foil season, and V tl on at the hotels tire visitors : ''„ win taking Utdir ptaoes at the tab- ' le d'hote. Tfaef had mostly bee* in * fee, hotel son* days, and .hey all totic«d at one* tttat a new audition ',' ' ltd 'been nude to Uwir company in H» person of a middle-aged genttei- Man, slight ia Bgura, of military apparanat, with carefully brushed hair, ■o smgit hair bring neglected, ay •Mb wat •( importance, and with a , heavy moustache, curled at tb« ends. lira Spoci, who was sitting Irigh- . «tap the ttbh 0» the opposite snie With her daughter, looked with im■ediatc faTour upon him. She ns a good-tookiflg widow of six-and-tfeuty, who was tatcat upon replactac Spoon. Het daughter, a pretty, tux girl of 17, was kept in the back- - • ground as much as possible, and Heated like a child; but even under these adverse circumstances she exhibited fcrw respectable powers of •irtattoa. Two of Stares British families filial up the table with tteit usual eomplemejrt of children, and a young •Wow, Mrs Bancroft, sat between ttetn witt » young «an beside ber. flka bad a jealousy aad dislike of Hkv Spoaa, as «h» fvoad the annex•J every, newcoasct instead of mournfog Snoot, Sbe a*tfced the new ai-< tital, a*d professed already t« see ;■ ' manoeuvre* on the part of Mrs Spoon [, tor bis conquest,. c" ■ Ii manoeuvres, ttey were ol a very L tttbUe character, «* Mrs Spoon never r , looked towards tee military man, t. Mtt sat eating her «nner to a deit mre, rimph) way, devoting her at- {'■ oention to her daughter. The »*- i wary naui bore himself as mmply «m tj uoaßcctedlT «« *" Spotm herself, // and did not exchange a syllable with L the Toon* lady next him. Miss Ladle 7 arrtingw* ber parents, except one V word of politeness m passing the i sauce. He, however, surveyed toe h eompany from time to time as ta I Wiped!* moustache, and took taat 1? rSnoe toe two widows and Miss 9 BoSTspoon. He admired them all ? . STonceVtos heart was luge, and

i ta bad room lot all. $ At the end of dinner a general I move was made to the etabHssewcnt F" tat everyone looked first at the «- &•■■ EtoK' hook to see *e name ot the F last arriTal. Mrs Spoon looked coml ' ptacently at tbe entry, "Colonel , fe Hartwrong. Curzon street"-a »* I «wer, thought she, ol means. She £• ' regretted sue had not put on ber f rther dress, and deliberated whether fr »be should put on a toque or ber Si fc*t wit" pmk rosea- She looked at IP- herself critically and gave herself a W eomprebensive pud; and with a tan K tad welMKting gloves she led Jtosie K «o the tattle. They aat down on the ft seats in the ball-room next the LadJt- ha, sod after tbe dance was conE- eluded the galbmt colonel, who was g,' fencing with Hiss Ladle, brought ■" - her Hack to ber mother, and was B goon dancing with Mrs Spoon and ber H" -' daughter, and later wiih Mrs Bans' crolt, and conveyed to each she bad g, gifem him a new interest n lileand r «. desire to remain at Boutonge. His |L' discretion was so consummate, that gt- awther suspected Us attention to Br ■ the otter, V, v The days new by—they succeeded K • each other, but resembled each othWU ' «r. In the morning the colonel was B- at the water's edge watching bis fair w>, friends bathing; in tbe afternoon he Kfc- -walked with them in the town, and pf in the evening was indefatigable at v the dance. 'j.' y Their happiness was rudely stratV tered by tbe arrival at tbe hotel of ;'s a newcomer, who, although be did -,'■ 'sot know the colonel except by sight tV titer the manner of many Bri Urns &' pretended he did. ~y "Why," be said" to his neighbour ,'.'■* at the table d'hote, "there is old §- tsutwrong ! Is be here alone ?" S-' "Yea. He is not married, is he?"

I' ■ "Ratbet," be replied. i> was unmarried."

"Cotonei !l Doed be call hignsctf colonel V "Yes. Is he not a colonel ?"

"Well, I believe be is a colonel of volunteers, but be does not go by that designation is London." , The coionel saw with uneasiness r that Hie newcomer's conversation was directed at himself, aid be was *-. therefore not unprepared lor the cbil-, * liaess of lite reception he met with jr- Iran the company when he met tbeni at the etcblissemeat later in the '. evening. Mrs Spoon looked angry, - and be took her into the balcony ov- ~ ertookmg the sea to cool. i Ma Aa* do you ( mean," sbe said, £ "by masquerading as a bachelor, and i asking- me to marry you ?" «,. "I did not want to enter into f' pamml topics," bs replied, "but my $ poor wife baa been ill (or yeans, and * ■ <be doctors only give ber three y- tsontto to live." Mrs Spoon was somewhat mollified f and he led her bacK into ibe ballicCm. Hiss Spoon, with home reluctance, accepted his invitation for • raise- She was very grave, and

? after Ibe dance be took her out to t 4he balcony, a remedy which had P succeeded with her mother. i> ■ "Wtf are you so dull to-night, Miss \ Hosier be asked. L "How can you mix with people in £' a (also character ?" she replied. \. M J*y dear Hiss Rosic, 1 did not t think tbs question of my being mar- % lied, or unmarried would interest \ anybody, but as you have broached IMb subject I am forced to confide to you 'that my unfortunate wife can-: not lire three months." "You ought to be with her, then," replied Rose; "take me track to F ' mamma, please. * |' The colonel, somewhat abashed, re- |, turned her to Mrs Spoon witli a low R bow and crossed the room to ask

C Mrs Bancroft for a dance, during * Which be was submitted to the r , same Interrogatory. He, however, answered her with such feeling and :- such meaning that Mrs Bancroft did not doubt bis intentions after the ', . aad advent should have occurred. He bad still more explanation to make, ;' but be bad got out of the difficulty better tban be deserved. His pretentious as a soldier were destroyed ,' but be explained that he only called Y. himself colonel to prevent people thinking be was ashamed of being in [• the volunteers, and it was remem- *' bered in bis favour that he had not r boasted, after the manner of tabic L d'hote colonels,.of his warlike deeds K The colonel was treated wilh more r ****"*' but oy the time he left he jl, bad reconquered Ms old position, ami t J***? '*'' to WB om he has paid atgi. station felt serene hopes fn the fug.' tare. &'• TbeAugust following the hotel at K Soulonge was again filled with much P 5 *" 18 comDM y '< the colonel was j- in deep mourning, which spread cons, ***f B *Mon amongst ttic expectant fjf. «***• Tbey all agreed it was much |> la excess of tbe occasion, and barred jr all present matrimonial intentions. f He stifl.fhrtwl witb all, but Iris ad- *: irancee were not of a deßnite charI ***J r > *"*• **«« reproaches were I made Of his dilatory proceedings he f .«ew silent attention io tbe hue of L fcfs clotbes. r u?"^' 6 l )al *« nc 8 of »U was vxI Masted wbeo August came round r aMn and the colonel was found ' jwwr tnm wr ; he had even dved *■ Ms moustache to accentuate bis woe. I™,*™ *w* indignant ; the cor lonef deprecating. If he could oblv |'~*I ow , Ws tHfficn ' t y. "e Hiougbt, and l'2i er^. mar jy <mc representative „f 1 ?&%£?*■ l l * fiad «* teens' rirfiS?^?^L te eooM h » Te marfc2£ H*?' "wt as a fJhrisFsZ? £? '!? lM to "*■ w** I -*sa a* to do ?

mi* Urn Trinity wttiog in me in. iUS« T»W * lerteß of actions for i#M<a Of promise were i-nternl Wl . [WM "SpqW ». Hirtwrong," '-Ban.

croft v. Hartwrong," "Ladle v. Hartwong." Alter being mulcted in heavy damages in each case without offering a defence, the gallant colonel lost iiis last illusion—a belief in trial by jury.—W. Ballantine, in M.A.P.