The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7941, 3 October 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

HIS HEART'S DESIRE. (Continued.) He called one August evening at "Kavenswood." Mr Chippei field and bis daughter had just finished dinner, and were in tltc garden. There Travers joined them. He was a great favourite with Silas ChipperfieHl, whom Dame Fortune ' bad blessed witii worldly Wealth. The obi man greeted Jefirey Travers heartily. In him lie saw for his daughter, whom and by whom he greatly and was greatly loved, a splendid watch, tor Jeffrey Travers was ol good descent, of apparently ample means (how wrong he w?s in this supposition only Travers himself and his sister Kniinie knew), was in the eyes of Mr Chippeifield, distinctly an eligible. So it was not long before Doris and Travers were alone in the garden together. The evening was a delicious one, suggestive of poetic sayings and sweet words. An ideal evening on which to propose, witn ideal surroundings. They were silling on garden-seats under the sycamore Inc. For a while there had been silence between them. for Doris was thinking of a precious episode (hit had occurred under the very same trie, a ud Travers was busy with his own thoughts. An unlucky coincidence it was for him that he should break the ticnd of Doris' thoughts with : "Miss ChippcrficM, have you reconsidered your decision '.' Do you not sec thai you and I wouhl ho happy together in marriage •> Will vou not consent at last to be mv wife Doris lost all control of hcrscli. She had thought dial. Travers would pester her no longer wiih his proposals ; the revelation that her surmise was iucorrecl was 100 iinplcasand a mailer to lie borne lightly. "It i.s most ungen'.lemanlv, Mr Travers," she tried, "to worry me like this. Why don't you take .your answer like a man, and go '.' It's only the money I shall inherit you . love, not me ! Money—what a curse

il is ! A few weeks ago it lost me .1 UCCdi-ll lovct'. HOW II has bl'Ollglll me a snpeilluoiis i.iii' ' This is your answei, once and nil all—l half you J Now go, please :" Jefirey Travels rose, .iiul. slatuling in front i)i her, spoke in a voice over which In- hail complete mastery. It was cold anil har.l—Hie voice cl judgment awl revenge. "You haw slighted mi- thiicv, Miss Cliipp.rli.lil I will .s.r thai you do not do n again. The next time 1 ask you ;o in.srtv me, von wll conM'iit ' (io.d-cvcinng !" Itoiis look no he.il of In, threat; she thought it was oi.lv n.e nalinai lesult of Ins mollification. Once more she settlUH .low,, 1,, her thought „i Hoiialil : when, laler, her father iouii.l her still ~( i the seat asleep, dreaming oi him Ml Chippcrl'icld v.as sealed, a I'ortlilglu laiti. m his hi.raiy, v:h.-.i suddenly Jetiicy Travels entered the 1.-oiii. 'il.e i.LtT. l had lately I.come verv intimate with the older man, and' had gained his confidence e.nd tl'llsl. "(iy<il evening, Mr Chippc'dcld :" said lie. '1 have just come iiom the Cnv. white, oi confidence, an influential" sti.chtdokei told me a piece of news thai might interest you. He says lliat it. thiie days ihe Veld Gold Company will go smash.'' •The Veld (odd Company :" gasped Silas Chippeifield. "Why all my money is in thai '" "I uiiilevnun.il so. Thai's iwhy I've haslewd lo inform you of what I've , just leaint. Il is sound advice, 1 ' feel sure. 1 should advise you to sell out at once and le-iuvcsl ; n you' do not. the whole oi youi money will lie inevitable lost." "Hut why" should the Ycld Company so suddenly tuiasli '.'" ) "There are. I understand, various reasons, the details of which 1 can't exactly explain, as I don't know them. One thing is certain, that the Yeld Company is certain to go. Everybody now i.s investing their money in the new concern, which promises to be a huge success. 1 have put all the money at my'disposal in it. Why don't vou do the same "Really. .loflrey, I haven't followed Ihe Stock Exchange notices for so long, thai I don't know what's on the hoards. What is the new coneuii you seem so enthusiastic over'.'" "The Dcwsdrop Mine .Syndicate. It is being run by influential men. and has the best of prospects." Travels lor a long time told the eager tars of Silas Chippei field Ihe golden harvest that he would reap , were he to invest in the "DcWsdrop Mine Syndicate." Finally, he won '"is point. The old man was fired with ihe prospects oi huge dividends and In- K ..i as enthusiastic over it as travels himself appeared to he In Hie ei.d, he pressed Travels to arrange all details of Ihe iransactioi for him. as he was getiing to,, „| ( | to do so Tin. star of the schemer i was ii, the ascendant. . Jeffrey Ti.ucis le.t ••Ravenswood" that night exultant. "Do-.i.t ,„,,j old i.lio, •" ]1( . chlK . k . led- " His ruin M iall l,e ■•oniplcie Mis chi; of a daughter shall stifler ■ equally as much in seeing the degradation ,/; l,ei laihi-i. I„ siv months the new "Dews-drop Mine Syndicate' J shall go fo smash, ~i,il, if luck is I With me, 1 ..hall he a lew thousand |Pounds and a line revenge tin- rich--ler." A d,irl.e:.e.l loon, a i "liaveiiswood." An old u...ii dill;.;, ,l;.ei,eii v.i:' grief. A young girl crying Ijv his bed-side. Silas t'hippelfi. 1.1 was speaking his lan earthly words : ■ "He shall die. and shall t.ii.e with him Ins ill-gotten gains. Hut vou, ' my de/r child, shall n.,t sutler." I • can see ihe future as far as thai all looks i,,, K bi ;„.;| happy. !),,„., „„ -you and :or in,- : (or.l—hless vou kiood-bye'' ' I And so passed the soul of Silas

Cliippcilield—kind, but a too trusting man '. Every penny, practically, lie had possessed, was gone. Jeffrey Travels had so far played his cards in the game of .revenge well. A week after Mr Cliipperfleld's funeral, Tracers called at "Ravens: wood," following a letter lie had sent to Doris offering pecuniary help. She refused to see him. notwithstanding thai she possessed scarcely, fifty pounds in the World. Doris decided to obtain a situation in some good family as lady's companion. Lady Tempest offered her ihe very position she required. But her pride was 100 great to bear the many slights she received. To lie treated as a servant when previously she had ruled, and where she iften met former acquaintances, was 100 much for her. Besides, Lady Tempest was none 100 amiable a person to live with. When Doris had been in Lady Tempest's employ a couple oi months, they journeyed to Hie Riveria. By now Doris' work had become intolerably irksome to her, and at Nice she decided thai she would not return to England with Lady Tempest. She liked Nice ; she thought she would remain there, if she possibly could. She was lucky enought to discover .a large English florist's shop, of which the position oi manageress was vacant. Through the influence of Lady Tempest, this position was acquired for her. She was happy in it, (or she was liberally paid, and she became acquainted and friendly wilh another 1.',,,.1,. i, ~i,i ;„ ,;.',,,i..,. ~;, i.,„

ITS. lii this way, six iimnlhs or so pass•il. Then an even! (if iiiurli impnrtancc occurtcdj Up tin' streel 'in which was this Knglish florist's simp strnllul a young, upright, sun fanned lOnctislimaii. As lie reached it, he heard a sweet voice singiiif; softly : "liny iny Knglish posies. Kent ami Surrey may ; Voilels iif tile iiiidcicliff. Wet with Channel spray. Cowslips from a Devon conilie, Midland furze a lire ; Buy my Knglish posies. And I'M sell your heart's desire." The young man slopped, amazid. Tlie voice, the song, carried him hack to lln- afternoon he had long Hied lo forget. "liy Jove '" lie muilend, "II runnot he ! And vet it is. \,> other nirl could .sine, like thai !'' Willi a quick slop he hasuned info the shop. A girl was silting arranging a hoii(|iiet of lovely Kii"lish flowers. She looked up. "Ronald'" That one exclamation was a rcvelalion 10 the, man. II told him volumes ; the depth of t| K . voire earned with ii ihc explanation Unit he had misjudged u,,. ultcrcr :',"" ns '" m Ihe shop, was empu ol eust ,is N'Hie ol ihc assistants were ahoul In a second she was in his arms Then she suddenly rememhered K,,,. "'»•. I'raveis. She released hers; I. hurriedly, and indignantly assert : "What do you mean, sir'' Where is | your wife ?"' "My wile .'- s. U( | Rim;a(l ,„ ~,.„.,. ■astonishment. "Yes, Kmniie Travels, will, whom you eloped. ' Tins was a staggerer. !„ ~ ~„■ words. Doris ,old „ f (tll , ,|i--t-.,v,.|-.-l note.

Ronald asseried Unit he had „,v.-, win ten ii. He i„|,| i lrl limv ,„, )ni , wandered all over tin- woild since last ihev met. curving with him ihe lew hundred pounds lie possessed and •a>-''"'K Ins existence l,y willing as '"■ ""I- In America he had suecccd- .•=< *c,.v well. He had never heard Horn l-.ngland since he leii and lie was now on his way hack |o his „.,- lie cou 111ry. Doria then (old h M „ |„. r u \,. ,„■ woe of Travel's scheming, of lirr father s death— murdered. Ronalds indignation Uw no hounds. He swore revenue on Travel's. Hut a greater hand than his had already meted ii out. ~\l the modest hotel in which he was slaving Ronald picked up the Morning Post In it were two announcements of direct interest lo Ihe characters connected with this story. This was Ihc |jrs(. —Shocking Kite in the Wcsl Kiid.— I.alc last night. No. :W Canlrlupc Road. West Kensington, was coinclelcly destroyed hy lire, ll was the residence of Mr Jefiivy Travels, who, we are sorry lo say, sustained such fearful injuries that il is unlikelv he will live. This was the second, in Ihc "Agony Column" : —A Legacy Unclaimed.— If Mr Ronald Hammond, w' '.vheicalioiits ale unknown, will communicate wilh Messrs. Uriel and 'Briefer, Solicitors, of Victoria St., K.C., he will hear something greatly lo Ins advantaegc. In hot haste, Ronald telegraphed his address to the solicitors. Thru he went to Doris and told her the' news. In a few days he received a letter from London, telling him that lie had not hecn disinherited hy his uncle Henry as he had supposed, and thai lie was | In' possessor of a considerable fortune. In sunny Nice, lie again asked Doris lo he his wife. This lime she, wilh tears of joy in her eyes, consented. They relumed to London together and were married. One mystery only remained lo lie cleared up—the mvslerv of the elopement note. Shortly alter Doris Chipnerneld had Income Mrs Ronald Hammond, she received a visit from Kmm.e Travels, grief-slrieken at i the duel death of her hiotliei. Krom I'rr, she ! ( ..inn the whole truth of tin: deception