The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7976, 13 November 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

ANIMAL, VEGLCTAIILE, OR MINERAL. "What a clever gill your dear Mildred is !" said Mrs (iravier. Mrs Warenian suiilid complacently, as one entitled to some credit tor it

"How valuable tor an evening-par-ty lik-e this !" "Yes, indeed," saul Mrs Wan-man. "I wonder what she is going to make us do next. 1 ' She had already taught them three Intellectual games with pencils aud dips of paper. The less intellectual of the company were feeling exhausts *A.

"Y'es," said Mrs W'areman, "Mildred is in very good form this evening." "You ought to be proud of her." "And so I am. I shall Ik- very tonyi to lose her." "Lose her !" said Mrs (iravier "Where is the danger '.'" "There is always danger," sigh»i! Mrs Warcman, with an approving glance in the direction of Tcrtiy bland.

Mrs Gr.ivicr followid the glance. "Oh I see. That kind of dang. r. How interesting. And are tl-ev leally— •-"

".Not yet," said Mrs Waremaii, lowering litr viiitc "Nut. yet, exactly. Hut on? can always ste ttaesi tilings coming i( one looks mil carefully." ''Yes, indeed. ' agreed Mrs Ciravu-r, "ami .Mr island is a un.st eligible young man, is he not ? He is ury well off !" Mrs Warvman waved lin lianil. "In comfortable circumstances," she replied, "in comfortable circuniKtanus. Hut of course ilfii MiMred does i.ol consider Uiat !" "Of course " said Mis (iravici. "Of course. Aid ?.h> is ili- prc',y i_,r, be is speaking (o now '" Mr* Wareman put up lii'i lorgnettes 'Hun followed a sniff. 'Tre'tty, would you say ?"

"Oil, Well, perhaps not particular"Possibly," said Mrs VUrcman, "Ihat lype of tiling imglil In- admired in certain circles,." "Pirhjaps—yc>.—l had not noticed the girl particularly. Yes, now >oii mention it—and nhu may she be'"' "She is a—a kind of niece of my husbands. One has to ask Ini \oii know ; il is an act of charity, hut 1 Icel sure she never appreciates it." "Tncrc is nobody so ungrateful. I always fud, as a poe.r relative. Jin Wareman sighed. "Why d;s lanl relationship should establish a clam I ha\e never yrt been aid.- to discover. We ask tlic girl here for a few diys once a > ear—my tms'.iaud is ostinate en some points—and. Would you believe it, sho actually shows unwillingness to relieve tinnurse occasionally \>\ looking after the children." "You don't sav so." sa.nl Misliiavicr.

"And at this vcr> moment she is disreganl.ii" my vvs-- l.c->— i cm,,,; help thinking wilfully I particularly mentioned «cli'.>n l'«' lu.r in io dinner with that vow.g V.emn, iu.,i I wishal licr to t'nt; riaia h,m d; ring the evening. Anil tlfcre he is sitting, by himself like an ovl—"Awl who is he '' asUvl. rs Gravier.

"Oh, just one ~( th,. D.us iron, the office broiißlit i (l to fill a gap—this is in confidence-. (,( tc r~c .m----dear."

"Ot course. Hou could \<m imagine that I should e.ci '•' "Ob, no. J thought n rather convenient that as we hail her hete ivo B'Rht do a kindness to cup of ihenyoung men whose Matim ■„ i„v docs not permit Hum. as a rule u, enjoy the society uf-of •• 'Vi people oi taste and" refinement. «•" v*!?'i y - And ' " f r,,ur *'- I had Winifred here to keep him from-er-t*«mg to anyone else, it didn't mat-'

ler, you sec." 'Ami now she has been inouopolrsing Mr Wand ever .since the gcntlomen came inlo tin- drawing-room." Mrs Wan-man's mouth hardened into a (Inn line; lint what she meant to say was never known, for Mildred interrupted the conversation. "Well, my dear," said Mrs Wareman, "and what ale we going lo do now .'" There was lire in Mildred's eve. "Mother, I think 1 hear Willie itying in the nursery.', Anil she east a glance of meaning towards Wmiircd anil Mr tlland. ••No, dear, really .' fir—Winifred, my (tar !" This in a loud voic*. heard all over the room. There was a silence. "Yes, aunt."

"1 think I hear Willie crying in the nuiscry. Would yo:i mind going up and seeing what he wanls ''. ' Wmiircd Hushed slightly, «ml rose iiom In r seal beside Mr lilaml. "And—if you wouldn't mind slayng with him for hali an hour—he finds it difficult sometimes to geti lo sleep, and you know how the darki ess terrifies him.'' Winifred faced her aunt 'or ,\ moment with a glare of deliance, but realised at once the necessity for surrender. Her lip trembled, but she controlled h?rsclf, and went out without a word.

It, was a scene ; undoubtedly a regrettable scene. Hut ii might have been worse ; and in any event the girl had lo be taught to know li t i place, Teddy Maud stroked his thin, and looked at his hostess and her charming daughter out oi the corner of his eye. Mildred, triumphant, came up with a winning smile. "Oh, Mr Bland, do you know the game called 'Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral,' "

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Tie rose and looktd at her with an expression she did not quite understand at the moment. Her bttlliance and her loveliness dazzled him. He seemed, for a man in comfortable ciicumsfance.s distinctly dazzled. "No," he said, -was it pari of the game that" your cousin should leavs the room ?'• "Oh, no. Hui wt h.ue allowed the nurse- a little holiday, and—and Winifred always manages the children wWI."

j "I s,e." he said. ■'('iroursi'. she likes lining h,'" "said Viildr.d. ' "Of course, likes do n -i il ' ™id Teddy in agreement.' "Children aie.always delightful at, all hours." "Aren't they .'" Ihe deals !" said .Mildred. "Hut. win a ie \ o u so solemn to-night, ■" "Aid I :" lie replied, cheering up. |"UI US 1* |,i«!l 1.;., us -:lns TVs in Cloves/" | "-ii . Animal. Yigetablc. or Miu;eral.' " i -'llidit . ,im I i„ | it . ,„ ~ •.■■ j "Yes. uiJei.l.- s .,id Mrs Warcman | .-. mrst came Mi'|.---i ;ae.irest, cxpla di ii ;,, Vvervlodv '"' , ""les" s,„d everybody. ""How delightful.

Mi.-lndl t ;) „k ,|„. merlin- under her iv.nig. "H.dl. if s very simple „,„■ j"f us goes outside and thinks ~< j something— " j "And then, comes m i,,i| j s »p'<•-i |fo'd of.'■ said Mr lil,ml. ! She lapped turn plavfuih v.jth 1,,,i fan. | '-Not at all, if |c ls ~[,.,( r | : ,.,..,-,, niate evenho.lv foolish " | "That part Mi a H he mine" ~,-. .claim,,! Mr Hland. "a, K j -. v11 ,. ~./„. /.ns when I come in mj,, •,- "'hy. then w.- ask v„-,i ,e,r>ti,e, '•.winch v„, a , „.;, ,„' - ><■* '-r 'No. till we (nl ,„„ wh.il you tiioiight of-

"Oh, how .-.eaulifel,-- „ ;);( ] (vll '=««>■ "Ves. let M r I-,.,,,,, „,,„„;:, I d.,nt think H ,a,gh| ,„ ;, p M Kland," said Miirir, rl. "I ~„, sun u " 1 '"<■ awfully good at asking ,pn s- ' Oils '.' '

" x "'.,i l)'t Leave that to tho ladies.

"V.by shouldn'; Mr W,i r ,.| „t '' said they. all. ai.d Mildred ' cou'd sue n„ reasf,-,. ,| lm , ? |, st:e f ,., t f stmetivclv that the,.- -.vas ot"lVihaps tw 0 of ,;■; !-...| |,'V, P r „„ '■»! ami think „f s„:i,. ;. ;I: ,g i(jiu;l - she sm;ge:.t(d. -f njll ,- 0 - •'Oh. no." they er:,.l. "then v. In- '»'" •>.- ten bchmd clever ,n„u«,h,n .tsk the ijtiestioe.s- ■«•• "Kb.;, indeed '" ( c;;„ed \] t up...,. ">""« w.ll lea*, ,i,. m i„.,p lc ss ' w ' ' . '•ui- a leader."

MiWit'd av f it U|l . . sh , .. iwt , it Moald not j„ t(1 |, ( , |()0 '" K<> ot.! with hi,,, w.tl.ot.i 'a'ehapernn. '

(To b,. Coiilimi t .d). Al about 7 ..'clock on Wrlnesda* r, ;"'"; Sl " : i' hundred cb-c card's ii us';." ,T' U , ,a , r "' r,! ' pp "' lr " , »" "■< h *' *'-■ "'•" <>n the flu.t road at a point about a quait.-r „i a ■'■ lie •» ibe i.oith of Kaiwarra. Th • slip spread o\ei the road and blocked trallic ior a time, but a gang oi men weie al once set to work In : clear up the thoroughfare sufficiently i for vehicle traffic to use the road.