THE MAILS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8014, 28 December 1905, Page 4

THE MAILS.

IhUBSPAY, DECEMBEII 28.

For Wellington and South per Ro' toiti, it 10.31) a.m.

Parcel mail for Continent of Europe and United Kingdom per Xiwaru from Wellington, at 5 p.m. Due London February 13th. . For Auckland and North per Tatapuna, at 7 p.m. For Samoa, Sandwich Islands, Japan, Fhillipine Islands, United States of America, Canada, West Coast of Bonth America, West Indies, United Kingdom and Continent of Europe, via San Francisco, at 7 p.m. Money order* close at 1 p.m., aud registered letters at 5 p.m. Letter box cleared for late letters at 7.30 p.m. Mail due in London January 27th. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29.

For Auckland and >"orth per Sara wa, at 7 p.m.

For Australian States at 6.15 a.m. Duß.Bydney January 3. For Ceylon, India, China, Straits Settlement, Mauritius and Mediterranean Forts, at 6.16 a.m. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30.

For Auckland and North per Takapona at 7 p.m. For Australian States at 7 p.m., due Sydney about January sth. For South Africa per Wakool from Melbourne at 7 p.m., due Durban about February 4th.

Mails for Chatham Islands per Toroa close at Lyttelton on January 10th at 8 p.m. Mails for ;Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji, per Manapouri, close at Auckland on January 10th at 10.15 a.m. Mails for Raratonga and Tahiti and also Penrhyn Islands, per Taviuni, close at Auckland on January 23rd at 3.45 p.m.

While thin hair and baldnesa an' nadeeirabie (or men, they are tartly mors so for women. Nothing adda more to the adornment of women than rich, heavy, flowing treaiea. The hair is too valuable to allow it to suffer from neglect So just aa aoon aa you notice that your hair la coming ont you ahould use

Two Love Stories. _ When Colonel John Boldera retired to Bedford on half-pay he naturally took with him his three most cherished possessions. These were a son called Tom, a prize bulldog called Cbatney, and a temper called snappy. The house he occupied in De Parys avenue was semi-detached, his neighbour being a widow some fifteen years younger than himtelf. On the afternoon of the Colonel's arrival he went out accompanied by his little son and Chutney to inspect the garden at the back of the house. After a brisk march around, the old soldier's curiosity was satisfied and he finished his cigar on a bench in the middle of the lawn. The boy, however, continued to play about until he presently found himself opposite a break in the hedge, through which he could look into the next garden. Scarcely five yards away from him he saw a little girl of about the same age as himself, sitting upon a basket chair. To his intense roiprits abe suddenly began to call out in a very persuasive voice: "Tom! Toml Come here, I want yon!" The boy stood hesitating for a moment. Bhe could scarcely have seen him, for her chair faced in the opposite direction, and, besides, he had only that moment appeared at the gap in the hedge. But he had heard his name called distinctly, so he passed Into the other garden and walked towards the girl. She turned as he approaohed. " You called for me ? " She shook her pretty little head silently, too shy to apeak. " Oh, but you did 1 I heard you distinctly I " cried die boy. "I only called for Torn." "Well, I'm him." "That doesn't sound right," she answered gravely. "Yon shouldn't say 'l'm bim'; you should say' that's me.' " "Well, they are both right," he protested. " I'm him and that's me." " But yon can't be him and me as well." " Why not ? " "Weil, it's this way. Now, listen very eloiely, please, and don't wriggle. I called him, and him's Tom, and me's I, and I'm Eileen, and you're not either of us," she added triumphantly. " Ye* I am, I'm Tom," he protested. *\ "Is that vour name?" / "Yea,". ; " Oh, I see now. Bat I was calling our eat. See, there he is going down the path." The boy turned round again and saw a magnificent Persian cat trending his way daintily down the garden. A presentiment el evil occurred to him. "Don't let him go through into our garden," he cried. " Chutney would kill him ■traigbt off." "I don't know Chutney." "•v..-?#' " He's dad's bulldog." " Well, he mustn't!" And the child's lips began to quiver, " and you're not a nice boy at aIL Here's mother coming. " I'll tell her I mustn't play with you." Tom stood irresolite u the girl ran to meet her mother. And whilst matters were at this stage there was a sudden hoarse growl iiem Chutney, followed by a snarl from the Persian, and then the latter raced along the garden path into the house, followed by the ungainly form of the bulldog. The lady who had just come out caught her daughter up in her arms and followed the two animals into the house. Ueanwhile the Colonel had been aroused by the noise of the combat and now found ma way through the gap in the hedge into his neighbour's garden. " Tom, what are yon doing here ? What's the matter? Who's hurting Chutney ?" The question wai answered automatically, for the bulldog presently appeared in the kitchen porch, whence he ambled sideways towards his master. He was followed at a respectful distance by a servant girl, who carried a broomstick and looked "as though she would an she dared."

" The hugliest hanimal I hever set heyes upoa," she cried, " Folks as keeps bulldogs needs keepin' theirselves." And she nodded to her own mysterious thoughts. "Straight weskits for man and beast and no queschuns hanked," she mnttered, and then with a Bidden glance at the indignant Colonel, " Was »ou pleased to hown this luvly dog, Br?"

"Pleased and proud," snapped the old nldier. "Have you a message to deliver to me ? II so, deliver it and go away."

What she would have said to thii terrifie insult cannot even be imagined, for at this moment Mrs. Howard herself reappeared and bade Jane return to the house. The Colonel was already hatless, bo he bowed profoundly and then took the war right into the enemy's country, according to his habit. "I regret exceedingly, madam," he began, " that your people should have been allowed to plague and ill-treat my poor dog as they have done. A poor, timid, mild, inoffensive animal that wouldn't hurt anybody " "Afterit bad eaten them," retorted the lady with warmth. " Your dog should be under better control, sir. It is dangerous, especially where there are children."

"Yon are mistaken there, indeed. It wouldn't hart a child for anything." " Yon must allow me to believe my own eyes, air. Eileen, come indoors at once and please remember you are not to play with that hole boy any more." One evening the Colonel took a turn in the garden just after sunset. As he sauntered quietly down the path he took out a cigar and proceeded to cut it. At the same moment be heard the sound of voices whispering. He stopped suddenly and silently, nis first thought being that burglars were hiding, waiting till the early morning before they commenced operations. " Only a few years more," whispered Burglar No. 1, "and then we shall be old enough to marry, and it doesn't matter what they think, because we shall be so happy together." " I hope so," whispered Burglar No. 2, 'but yon can please yourself anyway, because you are a man, Tom, and men always have their own way. I've heard nurse say so, and she said it killed pa, because he'd have lived longer if they'd counterdicted him oftener." The Colonel crept away with a grim smile lnrking about his grizzled moustache. And just as he got to a safe distance he heard the voioe of Jane calling in the sweet accents of Cockaigne :

"Miss Hilleen! Miss Hilleen! Coma here at once! Where have you been you naughty child? " "I've been talking to Tom ever so long," laid the child, happily, " and he's ever such a nice boy, and we're going to make mother and Tom's father be friends, and then we're going to be married. And they won't be lonely, becos we're going to live in Tom's house and bis father will come and take care of mother, and we'll go and see them quite often you know." On the following evening, when the Colonel returned from his customary stroll, he inquired whether Tom had gone to bed. The servant to whom he spoke appeared rather surprised, but said that the boy bad gone out about an boor previously, and had left a note for his father in the drawing room.

I The Colonel hurried along the hall and >oon obtained the important document. It was written in a very straggling fashion, with sundry blots and smudges, but the boy told hit tale with commendable brevity.

' Dere Dad," be wrote, "I'm ranninf may »ith Ileen beoos we are both miserble, and we are going to be married, and Please excuse haste. Your loving son, Ton." 'When the Colonel read this letter twice over he put it into an envelope addressed to Mrs. Howard, and desired that it might be delivered to her at once. Then he set off to find the truants, which was by no means an easy task, lor there were several streets along any of which they might have gone. He soon reached the embankment, and here a fresh terror gripped his heart. He glanced swiftly along the course of the river. With this new source of anxiety, he turned hesitatingly from right to left. Then he decided to cross the river and search the meadows at the other side. But this time he felt hopeless from the first, for the runaways were not likely to have come to such an open place. The rain was still pouring down as he turned a corner, but what cared he ? There before him were the two children 1 Tom sat propped up against a tree with the girl's head resting upon his knee. She had evidently fallen asleep in that position, and he had taken o9 his little jacket and laid it over her shoulders to shelter her from the driving rain. The Colonel eleared hie throat gruffly as he approached. "Tom!" he growled, and then with a sudden change of manner, " stand up, my boy, and put on your coat. I'll carry Eileen." The boy arose end trottered home by bis father's side in silence. Even when they reached the Street and were joined by Mrs. Howard and Jane, he seemed to take but little interest in the meeting. And as for Eileen, she slept soundly until the following morning, when she awakened in her own cot. Tom's unusual silence was explained the next morning. He awakened with a severe cold, which threatened to turn into pneumonia. The doctor shook his head very seriously, gave careful instructions to the housekeeper and went bis way, after promising to call again later in the morning. Meanwhile the boy called unceasingly for his little playmate, until the Colonel at last resolved to sacrifice his pride, and to ask if she might come in. He rang the bell with some misgiving, for the errand be came upoa was not much to bis liking. " Is Mrs. Howard in ? " "No, sir; she went out only half a minute ago ; said she'd be some time." The Colonel groaned audibly. "Which way did she go? Can yon tell me? " " I can't, sir; she left the house by the ride door." " Thank you. I'll call again." As he opened the bedroom door he found, to hiß surprise, that his son was fast asleep, and his breathing was almost normal. Some one rose from a chair by the window, some one whom the Colonel in hiß trouble bad not noticed until then. " I have taken a great liberty," she whispered, "but your boy caught his illness entirejy through the care he took of my little girl', and as I know something of nursing I felt bound to offer my services at any rate." The Colonel grasped her outstretched hand and then with a sudden gesture that sealei their reconciliation be raised it to bis lips. "Ihave been to your house," he whispered, " to beg your forgiveness for my rudeness and to ask if your child could pay a little visit to Tom. They're so fond of each other they've quite mapped out their lives together." He came to a stop as a particular portion of the plan proposed by Eileen occurred to his memory. And Mrs. Howard, looking at him, blushed suddenly and turned toward) the sleeping boy.