The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7930, 20 September 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A SCIENTIFIC WITNESS, Rodger Holden, barrister-al-law, le..t over a brief which had arrived by social (row a celebrated firm of solicitors. It was a> welcome as it was unexpected. Why on earth should Martyn and Sterling intrust such * cause eeleiw as (his to him"/ His chauce at last ! And such a chance, for surely the case ol Thurston v. the Maquis of Strealham could not (ail to be a big thine in the annals el M>« Courts ! There w»» nothing very reniarkabl* in the case, which was one for breach of promise, of marriage, brought ty Miss Veronica Thurston, of the United States, against the Most Honourable the Marquis cf Streatham. And at the reading ol the first lines Holden looked thoughtfully out o( bis dusty window.

What did he know of th? panics concerned ? She was the newest tiring in American heiresses—and beauties, for in the charming person of Miss Veronica Thurston the two great thing.; were united ; and he was the most fashionable thing in aristocracy with pride, and adding lo those qualities the character of a modem lion Juan. Holden went tack to his brt?f. There were responsibilities in the case, but why on earth was it given to him to defend the fair plaintiff ? Why, there were a dozen big lights in the firmament of the Law Courts who would surely suit h.i Utter, llcre was a mystery—an un solvable mystery—aiid—"Come in !" The door opened, and a girl in a simple white muslin awl a tioweiv;r,in.l bat stood in the d. orway, smiling u with her prettiest suilfe, as if toil uncertain ol her welcome. ".Mr llolden 7" she said interrogatively.

Uu:.l;i. liowtil, and wiih.-'ut mire aik) the girl in white muslin came in, s,it herself down in the only com-. for table chair the room boasted—his uivn—aii l turned her eyes oo ihe amazed barrister. "\es, i ste wond.ring whw 1 am awl what I've come for," she sa.d. " viell, my names Tliurslou, ai.d I guess ihut tells its own tale. You have heard from Martin and Speriiiig." lioldiii murmured th.if he had. He felt raiiicr breathless before this io-.ely young v.oman, witii her air of complete assurance ai.d Lcr simple frock. "I kflow ii's unusual," continue;! Miss Thurston, with an a.r or rcsreshnii; tar„:our, "for me to come like tins. I diillu to have v.aitid till ono of those old dry-as-dust gentlemen i«n!d have come with me—Martyn and Sperling, I mean—but I wanted to speak to you, and I always do as I like. So here I am. It's buMttK* ,'r lioilfii, end 1 guess We'll pull tins job through, without any outside assistance. I've l.rard all kHout you

'"rom Kdie Spenc?. I know you're clever, and the man I want." Holdui stalled a little, ho also jlushed. l-idie Spruce ! Ho. thai solved the mystery. i'idie, bless her dear heart ! had done this for him. "I sine, rely buye I shall not disappoint yi.u," he said gravely ; "hut 1 know there are a dozen men at the top o! tin- lite who could do more for you. Miss Thurston." She" lauglictl. It was a delicious sound, and reminded Holden (f the cooing of a dove. Again he stigmatised the al-sent .Strealham as a consummate fool. "I don't agree with you. 1 could have got a bigger man, 1 know ; hut not the man I waul. You see, ('.die gave you a good character. And now as to my ca.se. 1 guess it'll do, th? ' "As far as I ha*e read at present Miss Thurston—ths briei has hut lately reached me—your case seems to me a strong on*. It pnsents one or two rather unusual features. For instance, as to letters ?" "Letters "Yes—well, Streatham was never much oi a penman. There are postcards, and a telegram or two—not much mom. llv wrote badly, but lie could talk when he liked, and made love—oh, quite delightfully !" She smiled—to herself—ami Uolderi cleared his throat. Certainly not only the case, but Miss Thurston presented one or two rather unusual features.

"I understand you claim damages ?" he said briskly. The lair American woke up with animation. In lier eyes, grown aculj and businesslike. Holden thought he could r, cognise her father's spirit shming steadily. Simeon Y. Thurston, the great oil king, was a power in the world, and a self-made one into the bargain. "Damages," she said, "of course ! You understand the situation, Mr Holden ?"

"I thjnk so. The Marquis of Streatham has broken his engagement to you on the slight and insufficient grounds thai—er—the fortune you were to bring " "To rebuild the fortunes of his family and, incidentally, his three country mansions, had ceased to exist," said Miss Thurston briskly. "Just so ! It was r-n insufficient reason, Mr Holden, for ihe very simple reason that the fortune had only vanished temporarily. It. has reappeared again, thanks to the cuteness ,of Simeon Y. Thurston." Holden g«id at the heiress with respect. What a brain must be that of tin- great oil king ! What a personality bis child was ! An,l what a thrice Ik sot led fool young Streaham must be '

Besides all this, 1 ' sip continuc-d swottly, "I don't mind teilng you Mr Holden—an' you can make the most of the fact when ihe case c.inies on in Court— that it wasn't so much the breaking of ;Ire engagement I minded, as the feci that Streatham sermed to look o n me solely and purelv as a financial speculation." .sur.ly." veil!:-!-, I n„: ; f „ ' since the reason for Lord St realham's conduct has \aiosli_-d " Miss Thurston ini.rrupted him fiercely w.ih a vicious little tan o l.cr airy parasol. "Not another wor,l ' Do von thin!only money maicr.-, ? I did not imKdie ,lal WaS ' UUI v ' lW—!lom

Holdcii sinih,|. |.:,i,,- . Tlli , .|„., r He soul , Wny, with In r in (i„. balance nothing ha.l ewr matter. I ji. said so, and Miss Tlmrstn:, sm V n 7'" ! '" t ! * v,v """ man." she said, Wlt b a sn.jle."Now, y, bear li.' 5 |" U r"' USt U!l,U ' rMairJ lliat 1 Dear li;,|y-I m ,. ail s , , malice. Only I ,!,; nk a , sv „ v „,..'.' d do him good, and I , 0 , him one. If hj,. , F'- 1 counsel in Eng'.i,.-| (I ,V,, ~ ' , -J',^ «'S lie proi:a!.|y v.,!i—l'll w ..'i-nwiV him ai.d you with them. My ,Veapens ire dangerous ones." Holdui looked up _sl.arr~.tr "And yet—lnters, which form such I a feature m cases of this kind," he

submitted, "arc conspicuous by their absence."- ! "Ah," murmured Miss Tluirston, in a faraway tone. "Give me credit for something more telling and more up-to-data thau that, Mr Ilolden. lam not Simeon Y. Thurston's daughter for nothing—you may have heard him spoken of as the cutest man in the States. Well, if there arc no letters to cause convulsions of laughter m Court—as the papers say—l have thirty-five phonograph records to produce when the time comes. And you may confront Streatham—poor Billy : —w tli the sound of his own voice !' "Phonograph records !" he said dazedly. And Miss Thurston laughed in her dove-like manner. "Yes. Listen," she said, and bent forward ai.d whispered in his ear. And Holden the •bariistor forgot his maimers, forgot his professional attitude, forgot everything, and—roarc.l. "Hut—you are not serious he said presently. She nodded and got up- "I am quit* serious," she said. "We under stand each other now, Mr Holden. I am playing for a high slake—ch, I will not tell you what that is !—and 1 mean to win. Good-bye !" She tripped down the dusty stairs, and he went back to his brief with sutltlenly illuminul iaco. Here was lv.u cause eelebrs at Last ! The Court was simply packed to its utmost limits. .(To fje Continued).