THE STOREYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 8 April 1907, Page 4

THE STOREYTELLER.

THE REDEMPTION OF LORD 808. When the Duke of Deltoid was left a widower, with a sou about twenty and two daughters just iu their teens, Society said that he would not have a very enviable life, and that his promising young son would go rapidlv to "the dogs.''

Nor were these kindly prophets far wrong. For two years Lord Robert Seymour had flung himself iuto all manner of dissipation in town, audi when at Delfonl, chose as his boson companion a young fellow named Fenton, who would never have got into respectable, society but for his intimacy with the heir to one of the oldest dukedoms of the country. And so things were, when one mi aimer morning the Duke casually mentioned at breakfast, that a new governess for the girls, a iliss Jlabbel Carew, was to arrive that morning. Aft.'r breakfast, Lord Bob strolled listlessly round the stables, and then, having nothing lietter to do, he lit a eigarjmd walked leisurely in the direction of the station, to see if he could see anything of "(he old crock who was coming to teach the kids." He had got about half way there, when ho mot a girl carrying a portmanteau. To his gruprise, she was young and more than ordinarily pretty. He had raised his large, rather gaudy tweed cap. "Miss Carew?' he said.

"Yes," said the young lady. "How is it that you are so late? I've a great mind to report you to the Duke. Hero is my portmanteau." Mechanically he took it from her, with a dazed look. "Is it usual for his grace's grooms to smoke when on duty?" she asked coldly. There was something in the hauty toss of the little head that caused him to fling his ciger away, and drop behind.

"Good Lord! she takes me for a groom," he muttered. "I'd better not tell her who I am, though, she'd feel a fool." He had an uncomfortable thought that he would, not be altogether immune fiom the feeling himself. He walked along beliind, down the quiet country road, carrying the portmanteau, and admiring the erect carriage and perfect figure of the girl in front of him. "She's a lady, at any rate," he murmured.

At the gates, the lodge-keeper came out, a look of blank astonishment on his face, and, touching his cap, said: "Mr Fenton i 9 waiting for you, my lord." "Let him wait," growled his lordship sullenly. The lodge-keeper retired, and the girl turned round, her face slightly flushed. , "I am afraid I have made a mistake, she said. "You are " "Your most humble servant, Lord Robert Seymour." The girl was not so impressed as Lord Bob thought she wouid have been. She gave a peculiar little laugh, and said, with a smile:

"It was awfully rude of me, but really your, yiur 1 "Yes, I—er know my costume is—er rather—rather vivid, but, you see, we don't care much down here in the country." "Oil!'' said the girl eoolv. -Er—that is when we're not expecting any " . •'lk're is the Duke, with your sisters. The young Lord bent eagerly towards her. "T say, may I ask a favour?" ""What is it?" "Xot a word to the Duke; I should feel such a da —such a fool, you know. I can explain all right." "I will not say anything about it," she said. Lord Bob hurried up to his father. "This is Miss Carew," he said. "I met her on the road and brought her here." "Ixird Seymour was kind enough to carry my portmanteau for me; it was rather heavy," added the girl. "1 am sorry," replied the Duke absently, "I meant to have ordered a carriage lo be sent down to meet you, but I must have forgotten it." "It i - of no consequence, your grace." "Well, my dears, take Miss Carew indoors."

The two girls hurried their new governess across the lawn: they were ing to have hev to themselves. Life at Delfonl had not been over pleasant for the Ladies Seymour. "Robert," said the Duke sharply; "I don't approve of you carrying portmanteaus for mv servants." "•I'm sony pater, I " "And," added the Duke, "I have also heard of some of your doings in town. If you cannot behave yourself better here, you go. Remember, Miss Carew is a lady, but she is here as my servant." Then "turning abruptly upon his heel, the Duke walked away in the direction of the hosuc. "Well I'm—" "I say. Bob, my boy, who 'sas that dueced pretty little girl indoors with the kids?" The question was asked by a rather undersized somewhat effeminate-looking young fellow who had just strolled casually up. "Nothing to do with you," said his lordship, politely. "All right, old chap, but—i—" "Shnt up, Fenton, and come and have a drink."

They went into the smoking room, and sat smoking and drinking for some time. To Mr Fenton's vast astonishment and annoyance, his friend refused to go over to a billiard match that was to be held at his house that night. During that afternoon Lord Jtob managed to find out from the housekeeper that Miss Carew was an orphan, ller mother had died at her birth, and her father, a colonel in the British Army, had recently been killed, and left her almost penniless. She liad obtained the situation at Delford Court through a friend of her late father's, who knew the Duke.

That night his lordship did two unusual things. He dressed for dinner fully half an hour before time, instead of rushing in at the last minute; and, later on, he went to the schoolroom and kissed "the kids" before they went to bed. Miss Carew had been present. "Are you not going to Fenton's tonight?" asked the Duke, as they sat <#ver their wine. ( "No," said .his soli carelessly, as be lit a cigarette. The Duke slightly raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. The thought of having been mistaken for a groom, by such a girl as Miss Care.v, still rankled in Lord "Bob's mind.

The new governess soon settled down at the Court, and things began to go more smoothly. The girls siinplv adored her; the Duke liked and respected her, and his son? —well,bis son avoided Fenton as much as possible, and yet seemed in no hurry to betake himself to the ga7 life of London. About three weeks after her arrival. Lord Bob and Fenton were in the billiard room; Fenton was winning easily. Both players had drank more whisky than was good for them. The door opened, and -Miss Carew entered.

• Oli. T beg your pardon." she said, as she drew back. "I thought that the roam was empty. Tin' Duke asked me to get him n pipe lie left here.'' Kenton slipped in front of the door. "We haven't seen a pipe," lie said: "but I'm going to have a kiss before you leave this room." He steppeil towards her, and tried to Mitch lier wrists. "You brute!'' she cried, and gave him a stinging blow in the face. With an oath the half-drunken young blackguard caught her firmly in his grip, and bent over her. 'Xo one can help you now," he said, with a smile. Like a flash Lord Bob, who lia.l been standing haif-dazed on the other side of the apartment, sprang at him, and, catching him by the throat w.tli one hand, dealt him blow after blow with the other. "You blackguard !" he howled ; "take that, ami that, and that !" He flung the lialf-cOnscious 1-Vnton in a lieap on the floor, and, with a face livid with passion, held the door open, with bowed head, as the governess passed out of the room. Then he turned to Benton, who wan sitting up and gazing about iiim in a dazeil way. ''Clear out," lie said sharply : the excrement had sobered them both. "My dear Hob, don't let a little thing •'Co !" • He held 'the door open and Fcnton walked out, looking pale and frightened; then he followed him, closing tile door behind liiui.

As they went out, the glass doors, which opened from tile billiard room on to the lawn, wore thrown back,- and the Duke entered, n heavy riding whip in his hand. "Thank Heaven he is still a gentleman," he murmured. He has stood the test, though I was nearly before him, with my whip upon that scoundrel. She is a plucky little girl, too. It was unkind to her perhaps to send her here; but if Bob had failed my whip woiilvl not, and 1 think it will turn out for the best." Ami, with a self-satisfied smile, he withdrew to his study. The following morning, Miss Carow was sitting in the park, watching her charges, who were feeding the deer some little distance away, when she heard approaching footsteps, and, turning round, she saw Lord Bob, looking exceedingly miserable and ashamed of himself. He held out his hand, and said, frankly :

"Miss Carew, 1 must apologise for what occurred last night." "Oh, you were very bravo," she mid admiringly ; "I know yon would lane helped me before, but you were " "Drunk," he said bitterly, "Ves, 1 have been a blackguard for ilie last two years. It was pou coming showed what a brute I was, unfit to associate with a true lady. I tried hard to throw off my old habits, and 1. think I haw partially succeeded. W'dl you help to complete the good work thai you have tiegun '!"

"But, I don't——" "Please hear what I have to say." lie cried passionately. "There is only one way that you can help me, and that, is by becoming my wife. 1 love you with a love that is strong enough to yield all for you. Can you learn to love me a little: blackguard as I am!' 1 "You are too hard on yourself," she said with a smile; "but do you think you can give up vour bad, habits if I ?"

"Mabel, I—" j The girl turned towards the children; Bob could see her cheeks were crimson. ''Then I will marry you if your father gives his permission." "Oh, I'll get that at once," cried Lord Bob, springing up with boyish impetuosity, and running towards the house. The Duke was iu his study, and looked up sharply as his son entered. "Pater, I want you to consent to my marriage with Miss Carew. I have just asked her to he my wife." "I will give my consent on condition that you both come and live here; for I have learned to love her as a daughter, and the house would be a desert to both your sisters and myself were she to leave us altogether. Do you agree?" "With all my heart." And then the Duke, with his hand upon his son's shoulder, went down to greet the girl who had wrought so great a channge in the life of both of them. —C.Malcolm Hineks.