THE GIRL AND THE GUN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 16 November 1907, Page 4

THE GIRL AND THE GUN.

"I've a great surprise," repeated Marjorie impressively. •■Well," said Harburton somewhat impatiently, "what is it?" He was sprawled out in the largest .uid mo-t comfortable chair in the library with a cigarette l>etween his lips, 1 ut he was not in his usual good humor. A bad day's sport had preyed on his ii'ind whilst dressing for dinner, and he ga-hed his cheek rather badly when -having. Marjorie stood over hira with her 1 Ji tihN behind her back. 'Something for me?" hazarded HarIprton lazily. "Xo; gui*"- again." To please her Harburton assumed n r.editative frown, pufling steadily at his cigarette. •f.'ive it up?" queried the the girl. "Yes." replied the man promptly. 'Tin coming with von to-morrow." anncuneed Marjorie with due solemnity. Harburton glanced at her sharply, and then laughed. -\Vby. of eonrse. little girl, it was all arranged at breakfast thi- morning, you h.flit- are jM'ing to motor l<> the moor 3 j and join u« at lunch. You see. we' can't do without you for a day, even wl fn out with our guns." ••I'm rowing wiih the gun?." flarburtoiiV faee ilonded. "Hut *' I "I've learned to shoot/' interrupted

Marjorie quickly. "Uncle taught mo v.'lien I was staying down there last month." "But "

"He says I'm a very good shot," declared the girl proudly. Harburton got out of the chair and threw his unfinished cigarette into the (ireplace.

"You know my views upon the subject of women taking part in sports that essentially belong to man," he said coldly-

The girl was silent, but her pretty face flushed slightly. The silence added to Harburton's illhumor.

"Perhaps this is the first stop towards becoming a Suffragette," he suggested ' v '' ■ 1 a slight sneer. '"lt's certainly a urprise."

The girl turned upon him angrily, the jlue eyes were flashing defiance now. "Why should not a girl onjoy a day's iport as well as a man?" she demanded

holly. "'There's nothing unwomanly in it. You don't think a woman a budding Suffragette bcca.use she rides to hounds. It's simply a fad of yours. Ronnie; but you wouldn't be so silly ot so selfish to want to disappoint me toir.trrow? I've been looking forward to i' us a great surprise for weeks." ''l forbid vou to go,'' said llarburlon, shortly, an" the next instant he couH bitten off his tong'le. "Vou forbid me to go?" echoed the gil 1 slowly, '-you forbid me to go"!" then with startling suddenness her tone changed, her evos were filled with tears or anger and her face wis searlet. "By whit right do you forbid me to go, Mr Ifarburton?" she asked scornfully. "I

have yet to learn that I must ask your permission before doing anything I wish t-». If that is your idea of an engagement, I think the sooner it is over the better."

Before the man realised what she was Icing she had torn off a tiny diamond ills and laid it on the table.

"Captain Desmond will be pleased 'to look after me to-morrow," was her parting shot as she gained the door. '"Desmond's a. silly fool," growled I/arburton—he was staring dazedly at the ring on the table, then he darted towards the girl. '"Marjorie," he cried anxiously, "you're i'ot going to " But tlie door closed sharply in his i face. |

ITarburton- placed tlie ring carelessly in his waistcoat poclcct, applied the sam.i Ifnn to himself as he had to the galla it Obtain Desmond,and strode moodily off to the billiard-room.

"I say, Harburton," said his host at. dinner, "you're not looking up to the mark."

"Oh, I'm all right, thanks," he replied somewhat harshly. Marjorie Cniden's chair was empty; she had complained of a severe headache, and was having dinner in her own room.

Daylight the next morning was a relic! to Uarburton; be had passed si sleepless night wondering how he was to make it up with Alarjorie, and curing himself lor letting his temper and 'l'ejudice land him in such a hole.

"The little beggar was keen on it, [ should have encouraged her and then gradually have dialled the idea out of l.er head later on. Mow she'll think uie a beastly tyrant and " He dropped off into a moody chain of thought, tossing about restlessly on the bed, until at last, feeling that he could stand inaction no longer, he looked at his watch and found the time was half-

pi-st seven. Breakfast was not until nine, lie reflected, lie had an hour and a half before lie would have an opportunity of seeing tile girl. Bed was impossible, there was nothing to do in the house except read, and reading in his present frame of mini was out of tTie question. "I have it," lie cried suddenly, leaping out of bed, "I'll go down to the river and pot at wildfowl for an hour or

He did not wait for his usual tub, but quickly got into his shooting suit, pulled on a pair of_boots, and made his wa/ quietly, downstairs.

He got hie gun from the gun-room and was out in the drive without seeing anyone save two or three servants making preparations for breakfast. The mile walk across the meadows to the river did him good, tile cold, liraciug, early morning air steadied hie i-crvos and made him take a more cheerful outlook upon life. As lie climbed over the gate tint led on to the marshes, he heard the report 01" a gun, and turning his head hastilv in the direction from which the sound lad come, lie saw a girl with a stili smoking guu in .her hands and a man landing b\ her.

Something about the n»it figure standing on the bank caus<M his heart to beat cjuiekly. lie was over the gate in an ii'stant, making his way rapidly towards them.

Yes, there could be no doubt of the girl's identity now, the girl with the gun was Marjorie, and, even in his excitement, llarburton thought she looked very well in a neatly-made brown shooting costume and tamo' filianter. He was scowling at tiie man as he advanced, then he suddenly stopped and struck off abruptly for a point higher up the river. He had recognised Marjorie's companion as Tom lfoylo, ,oic under-keeper; the fact gave him both pleasure and reg;et—pleasure insomuch that the girl v.\ar ; not with a possible rival, regret flat lie could not go and speak to her n.-i he wanted to speak before a servant and that the peace proposals must be delaved.

He did not know whether she had seen him or not, her back had been turned to him; but Hovle had touched his cap and, he conjectured, lold the girl of his approach. He loaded his gun, and the instant lie iiad done eo some wild duck rose about thirty yards away. Hang! hang! He was a good shot; several birds fell. He loaded quickly and fired off both barlclls in rapid succession, forgetting his troubles in the excitement—a sure remedy for ennui in an Englishman is for him to go out and kill something. lie was about to wade out into shal)ru water among the needs anil recover tin- birds when he heard the report of a gun a little lower down the river, then suddenly felt a sharp stinging pain in I lie left leg, followed immediately by a ii y of alarm. llarburton set his teeth in his lower |||| and struggled hard to stand; but the i aiiil/ing pain in his leg was too great, lie felt lumself going dizzy, and went down in a heap, oil the damp glass by I the river's bank.

The iH'Xt instant Marjorie'ran up. ful•wed sheepishly by Hoyle, the under coper.

"Uh, Konnie/' she cried penitently, irking oil her knees bunide him, "can (iu forgive nit 1 ?"

llarburton tried to collect his w;ui-1 ering wits and say something suitable < r ilii* moment, I.ut his head was in ai >hirl with relief, excitement and pain. "That's all right/' he said prosaically, '?id then closed his eyes, as it looked '.•ell, and gave him time to think, So Iloyle procured a hurdle from a neighboring form, and he and the girl •i'lned the injured man to the house. In lie drive the whole house party were .writing anxiously. "Poor chap," said Loi'l Ashley,' the liost; "a shot in the leg U not cheery. ['ll send over for Matthews, he'll soon lave tUe shotn out.''

But while he spoke thus campassioudcly, he could have sworn the "poor •hap'-" deliberately winked at him. Bv eleven o'clock Dr. Matthews had

extracted the dozen or so shots that had buried themselves ill TlarburtonV calf, and that gentleman sat with his injured limb propped up in front of him before the fire in the library with Marjofie C'ruden by his side. •She had just come in, and there was an awkward silence.

"Was your gun out'of order?" asked Karburton awkwardly. "I've neve** }'e;>rd of an "

"It wasn't an accident/'' interrupted the girl in a low voice. "Xot an accident!' ITnrburton would h.'.vo sprung to the Door, but remembered the doctoiV order* just in time. •i)o you mean to tell me you deliberate! v tried to shoot me and ?"

"Jionniof' interrupted the girl re- I uvachfully, ''how can you think of such a thing? Of course I didn't try to -d:oot you, but T—l thought T would -1 ow you what a good shot T was by liring past you at a heron further along the bank b—but T bit you." she added j n.ther hysterically. I TTarburton wa< feeling in In* pocket. '•Look here. Marjorie" he paid *ei \erelv, ,s you shot me: I'm bagged, so to speak, and now you've got to look after me."

$C Y—yes," said the girl. The reconciliation was not so romantic as she had pictured it l>eing on the previous evening, nut it was rather amusing. "Well, don't vou think you had better take the ring back If"

"Y—ycti," said the girl ng;un,

When Lady Ashley came in with some food for the invalid she came to the conclusion that he did not require it, and rttreated precipitately.

So it all ended happily.—C. Malcolm Hincks, in M.A.P.