Page 4 Advertisements Column 2

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8171, 2 August 1906, Page 4

Mrs. Mansfield: Strategist. T "I hare made a discovery, John," said Mrs. Mansfield, looking up from her knitting. Mr. John Mansfield, retired merchant, alderman, and Major of Pimperne, looked up from his paper. "A discover;, my dear?" he said, asgaming his best magisterial manner. "Pray what is the nature of this remarkable occurrence ?" " I find that Miss Ansom has a photograph Of yourself, which she treasures in secret." " What do you mean, my dear ? " exclaim•d Mr, Mansfield, " This morning," explained Mrs. Mansfield, "I entered Miss Ansom's room, and found her absorbed in the contemplation of tome object which she held. She had evidently not heard my knock, bat the noise of my entrance startled her, and, as she hastily hid something in a drawer, a photograph fell to the floor. She suatched it up, tlung it into the drawer, and closed it, but not before I had recognised it as your photograph. I pretended not t-\ haro noticed the photo, preferring to have an explanation from you." " Mr. Mansfield was a picture of helpless amazement. Miss Ansom, it must be explained, was a bright and cli.inning young lady, whom Mrs. Mansfield had recently engaged as a companion. " I am quite at a low to explain the affair," ■aid Mr. Mansfield, in tones quito unlike those of the Mayor of Pimperne. "Possibly It was given to her by a mutual friend." " Then why should she make a mystery of It, and gloat over it in private?" demanded Mrs. Mansfield grimly. "My dear," said Mr. Minsfield, with a return of dignity, " I do not understand you. If I mistake not, it was something the hid in the drawer which she 'gloated' over, not the photograph." "I am not sure which it was," said Mrs, Mansfield, witbstrained calmness. Now that the first shook of amazement was over, Mr. Mansfield's pomposity returnad rapidly. "Ah, very possibly, my dear, Miss Ansom, whom I have everyreason to think is a young lady of good discernment and sound judgment, has found something in my public life which she has been good enough to admire. Mi3B Ansom has had every opportunity of studying my work for the past three months, and also the general course of municipal life in what, I think, may be regarded as a noble borough. What more natural, then, that this young lady, seeing the portrait of a gentleman, clad in the robes and Insignia of the office of chief magistrate of this borough, displayed in the photographer's window, and, recognising in that gentleman myself, should purchase that photograph 1" Mrs. Mansfield tktened with immovable features. "A very good explanation," she commented, " if it has been one of your ofthi.il photographs. But the one in Miss Ansom's possession is on? of those you had taken about two years ago, before you were elected mayor. We ordered only a few of them, I remember, and I thought we had disposed of them all. The question is—how did Miss Ansom obtain one ? I did not give it to her." Then I can only say that you must be mistaken, my dear," said Mr. Manfield with asperity. "On your own confession, you only saw it for an inßtant. How can you be certain that it was a photograph of myself ? " "If you think my eyes deceive me, perhaps yon will believe your own 1 The photo is still in the drawer ; Miss Ansom has had no opportunity of removing it, for I sent her on an errand. It is in the first drawer of her dressing table, if you wish to satisfy your cariosity." "Mrs. Msnsfield, do yoa think I am going to steal into a lady's room and pry into her private affairs ?" cried the magistrate, lising. " You forgot yourself, madam! " Mr. Mansfield went upstairs in high dudgeon to make some alteration in his dresa prepartory to going out. He wa3 forced to acknowledge himself quite at a loss to account for that photo being in Miss Ansom's possession, which admission was rather extraordinary on his part. Be prided bimself on his keen insight, his •Met impartiality, and his firmness in discharging his magisterial duties. But an exhibition of these qualities was not confined to the Bench. Of the latter he had made a lavish display in his home, >s Mrs. Mansfield found to her cost. It was only twelve months ago that his un> bending will have driven his only son, Jack, to South Africa. Mr. Mansfield had determined that his son shonld marry rank and beauty in the person of a daughter of a local magnate. But handsome Jack Mansfield elected to manage his own matrimonial affairs, and uplet all his father's brilliant plans by falling In love with ft pretty little nobody, whom Mr. Mansfield had never even set eyes on—agoverness in a house where he was visiting. Finding all arguments, persuasions, and commands alike useless. Mr. Mansfield finally told bis eon he must either fall ia with his wishes, or leave his home for ever, and look for no further assistance from himself, Jack chose the latter course, and within a week set sail for South Africa. The lots of her only son was a source of great grief to Mrs. Mansfield. But all her tears, pleadings, and reproaches could not prevail on her husband to relent, aqd as time rolled on her importunities ceased. 11. 3avlng dressed himself to his satisfaction, 4r. Mansfield left the room. Suddenly his progress was checked by the right of a wide-open door. What tempting Send could have left the door of Miss An«om's room so invitingly open, displaying, as it did, the very drawer in which the much discussed photograph was supposed to lie ? Mrs. Mansfield had, as she well knew, struck her husband's weak spot when she mentioned curiosity. " It would be the work of a moment," be reflected, " to take jnst one glance into that drawer to satisfy himself of the truth of Jane's story." With a cautious look round, he noiselessly entered the room, partially closing the door behind him. He opened the drawer boldly and—yes, there it was—the very first thing that caught his eye—his own photograph! It was as his wife had Btated, one of the few he bad bad taken about two years ago. Horror 1 Somebody was coming I A light step on the stairs, and a sweet voice hamming the refrain of a song, heralded the approach of Miss Ansom herself 1 What was to be done ? Could he allow her to find him in her room, prying about like a curious housemaid ? He, Alderman Mansfield, Mayor of Pimperne 1 There was only one thing to be done. Miss Ansom entered and closed the doojf behind her. Mr. Mansfield could bear her moving about the room, still singing lightly to herself. " She is taking off her hat and jacket," he thought. "In a few minutes she will leave tberogpi. Then I can slip out unobserved." Everything, no doubt, would have happened just as he wished, had Tiny—Mrs. Mansfield's darling pug—not followed Jlisj Ansom into the room. The spirit of investigation was strong in Tiny.« In the course of his present explore tions he naturally looked under the bed. ~ He immediately set up an car-splitting

A BOON TO DAIRYMEN A bill Las been patented by a Taraaaki firm, which is far in advance of any other contrivance for securing cows while being milked. It is operated from the back of the cow, and she can ' be bailed up or released with the '. greatest ease by even the smallest milker. Dairymen will find these bails are not only prat time-saver*, but arc reliable, easy to fix, and never get out of repair; in fact, can be fixed with little alteration in any shed in which old bails arc at pre-ent in use. The articles supplied are : —2 screw pulleys 14ft of cord and ring, 1 iron bail; and the cost is only a few shillings. Messrs Robertson and Bond, of Liardet-street, New Plj mouth, arc the patentees and vendors. An illustr ited leaflet, and ; all estimates or particulars, will be ; provided to enquirers free. The follow- ' ing letter just received speaks volumes: ; —Me.'srs. Robertson and Bond, New Plymouth. Dear Sirs, —I haTe pleasure in stating that the new cow bails yon supplied are giving every satisfaction. They are easy to fix, and effect a great saving of time. I firmly believe if t ley were used continually for twelve months they would more than save their first cost. I can confidently recommend them to all dairymen. Wishing you every success, I am, faith- ; fully yours,—Bobibt Clihow, Omata ; Tar&naki. For reliable boots and snocs of all ! sorts at bedrock prices go to Dockrill's j Devon Street Central, who has earned j the reputation for the last 25 years of j selling the above class of boots at the I lowest prices. Postal orders always receive extra attention, as I guarantee so give every satisfaction in fit and style.—Adtt For Colds in the Head and Influenza ■ Woods' Great Feppcrmmt Cuje, Is fj.l and 2s iid per bottle. i Apart from the :('.l big bargains advertised by the Melbourne Clothing Company, the firm announces that there i are besides many hundreds of similar bargains in all departments. Prudent shoppers would do well to investigate. ! —An I. I uas weary and ill at ease; ! But my sadness tied when a soft voice said, j «H«ir«'« vmir fYT. PHNfH Sir i