The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7895, 10 August 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

The Triuaph *f tn Dgly Girl! The BasMords of Cooper County Were an ugly race. From some remote ancestor they had inherited the Mch cbreX tones, the low forehead, Ud the swarthy complexion that •ere tbe fasr.ly ckaracteristics. Although intermarriage with otter families bad MHewtaat softened their Hr»h features, it had. «evtr wholly dunged Utem. And m the nert generation tkey were sura to reappear, Stronger thin ever. In that county, lamed for its beautiful women, to bo "ugly as a Bashford" was counted a dUgrace. Accordingly, the girls of the family to whom fate had been less unkind were bin to accept tbe irst oder of marriage for fear of joining the fares and evtr-wrvasiirg •amber 01 Bashford spißSters. Kfcen Robert Bashford, uniformly to he the best looking of us family, married sweet Lucy Winsto*, every bed? else thought that to ghost Which had haunted the faually for so long would leave them ft* peace At last-. So it happened that tba two beat, lovingly over tbe cradle oi their fitst-hera atd scanned the roeeieai lace. '■Sie is g Bashhrd," Luc; said «ith a a>g)t, as she reTuctahtly ad■ltiod that the wee daughter for whom «iie had Input bt> much had family featnoeq. "Yes," said Robert slowly, "I (tank sbe is." And when, Ave years later, g«nlle Lucy BtsMord closed ber eyes for ever upon this workl, tt seemed to tbe father that tbe motherless little girl was tbe very star of hope (eat to guide him out of the Mack night of grief. What mattered it to him that she was not a pretty child —that tbe family characteristics were intensified ia her ? Tire plain littie tare had a never-failing charm for ton, for bad sho not Liter's smile. She had, too, her mother'* sweet, friendly maimers, so that, as she (tew older, people begaa to say that the ugly Mtae Basbfbrd was realty • charming girt, after all. She was not unpopular » society. Her e*quisite teste in dress, her rradoua way, and, ajove all, the smile which really seemed to transform tbe plain tittle face and make it almost pretty, made her a delightful companion So it was whispered about that "Hie little Bashford girl was lots of fun, even if she was ugly." Yet the years went bf, and Hope Bashford ino still her father's housekeeper. It b true that rumour had often limes couphd fan- name with ffyokff Beyi*ads,) a rising 'ycftitag pbfwctM, and a nephew of the judge aad there were ponple who believed ttom eogpged. Perhaps they would have been had not Marguerite Reynolds, ttu judge's only daughter, come home from the Hast tn time t« atteofl the armoury ball. lUdiaot in hor girlish beauty, she ■Ms soon tbe centre of an animated little group. One by one Hope's admirers left her for this new star, and, with a feeling akm to pain, she law Stanley eagerly making his way towards his cousin. Instantly shq began to make excuses for him. It was only natural that be should wish to dance with his cousin. Yet, surely be would not forget Jhe waltzes he had asked her to savfl for him. She danced them, one by one, with other men, and still lie did not come.

At last she saw Marguerite lay her little hand on tbe doctor's arm ar.J let Mm lead her to the supper-room. Tbe stripling at Hope's side said 'something in a perfunctory tone, and they followed m the same direction. "What is this I have heard about you, cousin ?" asked Marguerite, in ber high, clear voice. "Is it really true that you are engaged to tie ugly Miss Bashford ?"

*'N—a," said the doctor, slowly, "I'll admit that I came desperaiily •car falling » love witb ber, but when I thought of silliog opposite, Iwt every morning at breakfast, why, 1 could not make up my mind to

'■' l should tiiiok sot,".Marguerite ■aid, with a sarcastic laugh. Hope Basfclord, m ber earner.. beard every word, and turniog to her companion, i>he said, wearily, "WiH you ■take me home, please ? I —I don't care to dance anv more." "There is nothing left tut "to croAet ice-wool shawls, like Aunt Marta, and make up my mind to be ugly W*s BasMord all |ny lift," she nid, bitterly.

Yet one must do something, and at twenty-three it is not easy to sit calmly down and wait for the 1 peace which the slow years bring, i So Hope found, and after a week or I two of very Industrious housekeepshe realised that she must have ' something to do to take up her time i apd attention. In her college days she had been an enthusiastic geologist, and now she took up the siudv with renewed interest. One of her walks led her to the Win which rises above the Cedar River. As she followed the wiudinn path among 11b boulders, she saw to her surprise, that someone had preceded ber. She believed herself to be the only person who extforcd the rocks, and she had come to look upon U*ro as her own special property, But when she found a bac of sperms and a small steel hamper. she decided that the slran-er wtoever he might be, was, like herself, a geologist. Ca X e cpon » notebook on the pathway. As she rtooped to pick it up she read ih c name, Carl Maitland, on the fly- • kJTS "A P ass< «< ! «wt thy diM. «- gmshed Professor Mai Hand was bencher cliff? Ever since that dav in «* '<**s. *S» when she read ' his ' books, she bad treasured a wish that SFi nnght some time meet him ami Wl him how much she tratl enjoyed I them. As she walked on she tri- j !?ni«S?®£ , * e . b ? W ** Would 1-X'k- ' tall, like l»r father, with hair thick- j

It sprinkled with silver, she fancied. A sharp turn in the pathway, brought ber face to face with a stranger, and she saw, not the whitebailed scientist she had eipecttd to find, but a man who scaucd not very many years older than herself. He was leaning against a huj>,c rock aflJ looking ruefully at a clumsily bamtagid ankle. iiis forehead was drawn with lines of pain. Hope's eyes were full of sympathy and her voice very gentle as she said :

"I am afraid you have had an accident. Can I be of any assistance!"

The stranger eyed the slight figure in silence, then lie said, rattier gruffly :

"I don't see how you can, unless you can level these confounded boulders and drag a carriage up here." Then lie added hastily, "L beg your pardon. I did not mean to 1a; rude, but it seems so absurd to spend 'the summer climbing the Swiss mountains, and then to come home an! slip on the first hillside that —ah—" He broke off hastily as a sharp twinge of pain seized turn.

"Does it hurt you very much ?" Hope aski.l sympathetically. "I'm afraid it's broken," he replied, as, faint with pain, he.kraneil back against a rock. , "Where is your companion ?" asked Hope. "Surely be can help you. [Has he gone oh to the summit It [is very steep, and almost inaccessible to one of the professor's [years."

"My companion he repeated. "1 do not understai.d. I am alone." "But Professor Maitland," stammered Hope. "1 found bis note licok. I thought be was with you." "He is,'' said the strtinger, laughing in spite of his pain, "and quite agrees with you that he is too clumsy to attempt to go any further. I am Professor Maitland," he aided, seeing the confusion on Hope's face. "Are you disappointed ?" "No, not disappointed, though very much surprised," she replied. "But," she continued hastily, "It is almost sunset, and you cannot slay here all night. Do you think that with your stick and—and my shoulder, you could reach the foot of the hill ? I have a carriage there, and it is only a short distance home. Papa would fcj dehgbted to have you visit us." "Thank you. You arc very kind," ho returned, taking the arm she offered ; and so they slowly mado their way down the hillside. The broken ankle mended very rapidly, but Professor Maitland did cot seem to be at all in a hurry. One jday he '.came into the room i,hcre Hope sat sewing, with an open letter in his hand. "Miss Bashford," he tfgan, "I have fj«n oCercd the chair of geology i» the university at Berne. Would you advise me to accept it 7" "It is a splendid position, and one worihy of you," slic said thoughtfully, "but " she hesitated.

"But what V queried the professor. "It is a long way away," she faltered. "A very long way away," lie repeated softly, "but I intend to take my wife with nw." "Your wife ?" "Yes, if she will come." He sat down on the couch beside her, and took her slim right hand in bis, "Sly Hope," lie said, tenderly. "When I lay alone among the rocks she found; me, and looking into- ftfr eyes, I saw something there that 1 never saw in a woman's face |.k'forc. Since then I have realised that .the world would be but a dreary 'desert to me unless, in exchange for [the heart I gave her then, she rives me hers. Will she ?"

Her answer was a word so low that he might have ihouglrt he dreamed it, save that he read "Yes" in her eyes.