THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 101, 18 April 1908, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

, A CASILE IH THE AIE

(By M. Creagh Henry).

She was an angel. Uwt people were under the impresUcm that the was a shabby little London typist, quite ordinary, quite commonplace; but Ben ItadforU knew better—te knew »he «ai> an angel. Her same was Kathleen Colwyn. She was (Ball and pale, uith dull, mousecolored hair and a pair of unusually large, pathetic brown eyes—the only noticeable feature in her (ace. She worked in the same firm as lieu Badionl, and from the moment -lie a>ked him tome trivial question connected with her work on the day of her arrival at Veun. Smith, Todd and Son's premises, Ben had loveu her. Whatever Ben did he did thoroughly, and his attachment to Kathleen proved no exception to his rule. Ben Radford was a young nun of character. In spite of hi* eloping »houl del* and narrow chest, there was a certain manliness about him—a courtesy and reveranoe for woman all too rare in her walk of life, which appealed strongly to Kathleen, and their affection became mutual. Ue was a very ordinary-looking youth, bat for Kathleen his reddish liair I mm! honest, grey eyes, held a beauty tugnctaed by anyone save her. ; iy> these two workers in the City managed to tind an Eden even amidst , Nch uncongenial surroundings as were ( afforded by Messrs. Smith, Todd and , Hon'* office* in Mincing Lane. j Every evening, when the day's drud- 3 (try was over, Ben would walk home , with Kathleen to the little house in a Westminster where hhe and her mother lived, and where he was always sure of • warm welcome from Mrs. Colwyn Th; h poor woman had been a hopeless invalid j lor years, and seldom left her sofa. Kathleen was obliged to work—and to ( | work hard—to supplement their tiny in- f come. n

Airs. Colwyn in her long hours of loue lints* had grown strangely wise—not a* the world counts wisdom. Slit' had jcalised she la}' looking out through tke window at the little patch of sk> viable from her cuuch, that riches arc oi little worth; that happiness is low, ■Bd lore U *ll. So, when Kathleen confessed to her Mother that she loved the poor, under naid junng clerk K he loved herj ilr* tolwyn had entered into her daughter a happiness without reserve. The three would sit over the '• rc 0,1 winter evenings and talk of their hope* Ud piano, Ben and Kathleen building castles in the air which Mrs. Lolwyn r— ;i„i at, but always refrained from dectnying with any word of doubt. fc>o, in the dim distance the castle stood. Ben was the master of it, and Kathleen bis bride, while her mother lived with them in luxury and comfort, and—"they •wen happy ever after"! It is wonderful how such dreams will lighten the dreary routine of a day's work. ' It was a secret between the two young Moot/e which Mrs. Colwvn must never pm that there were many difficulties Ud much overwork and underpay at • -the Wfices ot Messrs, Smith, Todd »nd BM> Toting Todd, who practically manag •4 the business in his fathers plac* (Saith existed no longer), was a bumptioM, aggressive young man, who apMred to cherish a wholly unwarrant- ' able dislike to Ben Kadford, and made ki» life in working hours as unpleasant '■? "jo" resented the injustice of his iitatment, and though he instinctively . jUflrad young Todd, he dared not risk " *- u f dismissed. Clerkships were too dificnlt to obtain for Ben to show his nwtmrnti so he perforce had to poe- , ' . <Nt his pride in submission. \ Kathleen shared his antipathy for Mr T«iL and bitterly resented his unjust behaviour, fir more indeed than Ben did !'■ yjpself. She, too, felt a strange re- '*■ 'yqpaa et to the man, though he always

k flatted ber w«ll enough. r Oat e *en Kathleen was later than J"' mil Ben waited, walking up and i torn the «trwt, and wondering what 1, eeli be keeping her so much beyond htr time. They usually met outside S» UM «ffl» shortly after six, and now it jj m half-pat- He grew impatient; renembering that Mr. Todil had !* MM Kathleen to come to his private IBM that afternoon before she left, he 5 nml«il ' she was being kept to type | §oMO important letters; and, having £ Ita Mounted for her lateness, awaited t ter armal more patietnly. . F At last die appeared, but to lien * I-- he saw that she was erying. f gat aeind his arm and hurried home-

£ lj 6b* tanwd htr flushed and tear-sUin-*wcr aw*y. # «ok, Ben, Ben! Mr. Todd—l hate —I lute him!" 1 »he cried vehementTodd! Why, dear, what has be W if'. Kathleen dnng rfoser to Bens arm. If ' "Hfr—he kisaed me, Ben!" she almost " A " d ' oh ' he * aW sucb ?' ; Baa Radford stopped dead and faced V i» that true—he really jt "S, 1 sodded- and the tears fell afresh. l ' U face ww very white and his eye* .. with web a gleam that Kathleen fc UJ > timid hand upon his arm. "Ben, don't look like that, dear ? jet! It's all over now. I'll mq back to the office" , , back!" thundered Ben. "I should Mak yo» wo"' 1 8° hack! , Tl "\ tfca cowardly brute!" The boy bit h;* - Ha; tha color came slowly back to his * Z. "Look here, dear, he said ijuietj )j 1 want yon to go home alone: 1«

Vi vm coins to do!" i do anything S »ball regret, : fear; don't look so scared." He almost A ir"** l at bat look of terror. „ Imm* to your mother, Kit; »hell be anxious. 11l look in to-night.' < Mm she « uld Ben _* l! F - mm. He tamed into a shop, and a „ Sr ■imtw later re-entered the offices t' Of Ba«fth, Todd and Son. He iun.quickIT mwUh* and .topped outside the pnt', mUroom of Mr. Todd, junior. Ho '* tnr"** 1 the.door without ceremony. was standing before a bookV TT „ a railway guide in his hand. Ma tack to the door. . Bea placed yimething hj« carried on a • (Ml and waited into the rwm. <•!'>*• iMMd locking the door l*hind him. S.Todd faced round sharply. "What the blazes do you wants asked. ■YOB." . .. ' "Yon," replied Ben quietly. f -tow dare vou come into my room *oab»olest young dog! What do you ' It

-That will do, Mr. Todd; if there'* t abating to be done, HI do it. -What do you mean by this ™P CMC! 11l teach you. sir! blustered

"Excoae me, but I hire come to teach mbC jaid Ben quietly. *enw to me you're mad. young r .« giid the woner you clear out the b *!^ n I hare said what I've come to nf t fiiill go—not before. ••Really. Mr. Radford." sneered Todd. y«« *»» * " verv , k '^ M to iTll me what you have conic to my, I'm rare it will interest me great-

mav be new* to you. I've come tl jo tell you that you're a cad and a I dare you in-ult me like thi*. t joa fauolenty onng dog! W hat do } t 1 rnlrwn. the lady I'm engaged to-and it j ffiwß.iyVp ri r d r;'- ~Me: tke «me an I'm going to do no ; ; -What are yon talking about. cried the exasperated man, purpl* rage. "What do yon suppwe I want Mir dowdy little typmt. V 0" J"]. control raini-ti'd. He spoke fetween thra J h you within an nt your life!" I "Look lierp. -l-'n t |'l»>

Ami know if thi« i* a -, f mad. but rhoek it--ehnek i» ISrWI in term- «!-h Infn-l-d t<« mullilv a majMK took n- n.'t l-.t a. » • . hire. Mr. To-ll - the tatde within lhem--I -hall ring H<c I"" 1 ' turned nut.'" ' j you in rlwrgi't" . I've .I""*' ■' - ' an r>- '■« ll,f ! Ben pi-'V'" l ,"!• Xlr brought vsith Mini. -** T-ll I.V tl..- "dlar. •T.tk.- tl.it. an-l I >■' • i!) „ 1,,, ti.n-li---! .ml".' 1 ";-- ' 1 ri „r„-.1.-d and k.. U.-l m '' , ' , an ,l «n-.IK l.«> "" and mit-'r-.1-li- '■

I Ben, having worked his will on the i cowardly creature, who whimpered Utl>I*, threw the stick down beside him and, unlocking the door, -trode out of thi oflice and took hi* wav to Westminster.

Jit l found Kathleen alone. anxiousli awaiting him, and told a ll that liai happened. tJh, Ben, it was just like vou. dear >ut have you thought uli.it it means Ito Vmi realise that you have lost vooi -ituatiou;" H<-n laughted. "It was worth while, Kit. I'll »et another Iwrtli. never fear. Kvely imin Of his sort ought to Iv thra-hed, and , •"*>" ""limit! about the thrashing 1 gave him.'' ° Hen Radford proved right. \| r -[odd junior, kept the -ceiie uhich had taken p.aee I >et tli.ui t„ himself, ami neither Kathleen nor I!e» again anneal'hj! at tiit' oflicc. In v.ijd -marched for another >itriatloo. He had no rwVronce to »iw For when a,k«l why he k-ft Smith. Todd iiia Son, how could lin answer that he iad thrashwl his master'* ><m? s *» Ben nought for work in vain. Kathleen was more fortunate. I nrough a fnend she w »s engaged bv a large typewriting firm, so .Mrs. Colwvn still enjoyed the comforts Kathleen's salary was able to afford her. Then an inspiration came to Ken. He would go abroad, and forthwith he l»«>ked a passage for America. With an aching heart ami Miiiling fnee Kathleen said good-bye to hiin. "11l come back wi'lh lot, of money, dear,' he laugheil, though ItU voice v\as unsteady, "and build the cattle for you. vet. I mean to ulake a mmxvs* of life for your sake, Kit, though all the odds I are agaiast me, and w hen one really means to do a thing, one generally manages to, you know.'' These last coniident word? of lien's kept hope awake in Kathleen Colwyn's heart through many weary weeks "and [ months. . . , lien felt rather forlorn, and a good deal lew hopeful than he had pretended to Kit, as the great ship carried him towards the I'nknown. What awaited him in the -trange laud for uiii.-li he

»a- li'iin.lr As IV'ii |ureii the derk one day. alone with lii- thought Hen'- thoughts hud an o<M way uf returning to Kit Colwyn from any line of reflection tliev might lie pur-uing—;i gust of wind suddenly taught the letters a man on the opposite side of the deek wan reading and carried one to Ben Radford". feet. He picked it up and returned it to the man, who eyed him curiously and gave a gruff word of thanks. A- Iten turned away the stranger called him liack. "Vou seem fond of your own com|iany, young man." he observed. "For want of any better," the liov replied.

"I'mph! Bound for Xew York?" "Y^O "<k)in«j to fru»nd** n • \i»: I'm going to lind work." A r-niile passed over the man'> fac*. "Not good enough for England, so you think youH do for America, eh:" lion llu>hed hotly, aud thf* stranger, noting this -miled again. "(Jot into trouble, oh? (ioing to begin again?' 7 "Ye*. l*n» going to bogin again, if I can get the chane*." at prpsent: good resolutions 1 "No. *ir." Ha-ltfd Bin. **l'iu not repentant; Id do what I've done again to-morrow, and take the consequences willingly." The stranger was evidently interested. "Yon enjoyed yourself as much as that, did you? I wonder if 1 might | presume to inquire what your particuI lar indiscretion was "I thrashed my master's son." "The dickens you did!" chuckled this curious gentleman. "May Igo so lar as to ask why?" '*B**caiise he needed it. >ir." ♦Ah!" exclaimed Ben's new friend comprehending!)*. "Then you left without troubling to a*k for a reference, eh V

"Yes—then I b'ft " echoed Ben. "Do you know, young man, 1 rather sympahtise with you. I've felt Aery much inclined to horsewhip some young ■ gentlemen at times, but I haven't, and I rather respect you for doing it. \\ hat firm were you in?" "Smith. Todd and Son, Mincing Lane/ This information produced a peculiar effect on the stranger, lie doubled himcelf up in a paroxism of silent laughter, -topped suddenly, stared at Ben. then went off again iuto renewed tit- <»f laughter. , . Ben thought the man was mad. and would have left him, but he caught the bov bv the arm. "You thrashed young Todd? he a>k * ed, and the tears rolled down his cheek*. "Yes,*' said Ben rather haughtily, seeing the joke. Then tlie stranger seized him by the hand and »hook it violently. "I've wanted to do that to him all mv life. Sit down here and listen."

Pen ol>eyeil. and the strange man toiil how he had liern a snlfordinate iu the firm of Smith. Todd and for >eai*. How. though double tlie young man's age. lie had -ntl cm I young Todd - iu-o-tenee: how. finally, he had liecome manager for the firm in America, and «hil-' there had started a lmsine-s of hi- own

ill New York, which flourished -nrpriinjrlv; and he concluded: "If vou ar«' agreeable, young man - when i've heard the right- of your story and if it -oem- to me satisfactory I can offer vou a good berth in my olhcc. Ben ftasped as -uch a strange outcome of hi' apparently casual eon versa ! ion with this stranger. He stamniercd his thank.-, and having told his story, which apparently pleased Mr. SaviH—as In' found his new friend was called—Ben then and there arranged to enter Ins employment immediately on la"' 1 '".?- Then 'he sat and wrote pages to Nit. and told ber triumphantly that he let sure the foundation stone of their castle had been laid that day.

Ben Radlord had been working in MrSavill's office some three years, when his matter one day entered the room where Ben s»t writing. Thev were already fast friends, tlu>L

Now, instead of speaking -friou-ly about the business of the day. Mr. bat ill went through some contortions he had performed on board the boat when he learnt the name of Ben's firm-he do. v led himself up in fit- »< l-«'r* l,u ' r- ; Ben smiled in ".unpathy, without knowintl the joke. At la-f Mr. Savill '""'They've gone -ma-h, and 1 ve bought

-irT in.|«n«-.l lien. mystified "Smith. Todd »nA Son, ot «° urH, > mvwd s.nill- anil shook once mOT» j 'l'oor old Mr. T<Mld!" murmured Ken. •He's all right." laughed Savill. "lie died liefore thi* smash. . -I- that whv vou're laughing. -11 : •X„ ,„v hoy—that's the beginning of the story; now I come to the poult. Ben waited politely to hear it. -The point'"-Mr. Savill i --tli- point. lad. i- thi-. I'm going to make vou -ole manager of the London I,ranch. Think of Todd j.in.or- ia< ; e when he le-ar- that you reign m hi* stead at Miming bine. haw vuiir revenge now. my ' Hut. -ir, you can't he M>rirtUi! |BM>"Ferfeetlv Radford. l.Ook here, mv l«y. you've worked for me a„o other fellow ha- ever worked, and the more I've known of you. the bett.r I've liked von. I've no son of my own. and-if I bail—well, let that lie. 1 intend to leave you most of my mone\ when 1 die. because I'm certain >o« and that brown-eyed girl ot yours w.ll know how to spend it. Mennwhil

going home t« .„ my partner. yon understand. |, an.l I'm --oming over for tin- '"j?" V (l »- «o—-><>. lad. and don t -If rt thankin- me. liccau-e if, merely * whim t(l p"; a -o invsclf-n-.t you »r >"..r I"' 1 " "tntllvr <»" I-"; "! he caught Mr. Savill"- hand and ~, in silence, choking down -on,--thing which -»und«l very like a - ' • 11 » ■ t™ -Ktsrrat , 11 rl M ili.uk about the «,i*teof t ~n' • ~ tix-iii-ii ii'- -'iff"-"!'" I„.M in lII'- head: whl ''' " |Ui l«Bi!in» tin- mo'i'ent «a-«■; I iie.id on hi-arm, and ei> H • • . ,„ r gratitude a"d ( ■ I ittl- an-el. I'm ".ininj l.:i< k to . .• jtnin" l'''k at T.,-t!" li- wh.-p-red. , tj..7 lit 11" -ilv.r ring I I.*! lii- tin?'". IMi. 1 v ill- < ojivrr ivii. .1 uk. «•••" ' ; ,1 ... -T...!.- ,l "' Strand ■ TV\\ | """' 11. fin "P ■i.■ .1 " !i " n i( - . ... I"' "" ' ...i ,n l N-k-t at the .'-r U-Oko, ... . rt.lill Ul.lllll. l-, 111--" ""''"V. w " l ' h

[a laugh, hammered out a very determined knock. The little .servant who opened the door eye., the stranjro gentleman in silent wonder. *T» Mi.s.s Colwyn at homey*' hi; inquired. It was Saturday afternoon.

"Yes-ir, please, sir, will you step tliiway. sir': anil, full of pride in her liand- [ -"'lie visitor, the little maid scarcely waitel for the "Come in!"' in answer to her knock at the siting-room door, lull burst into the room with the breathless announcement:

I hen, as the gentleman strode past her, she closed the door discreetlv and placed her «-ar to tlic keyhole. Kathleen was alone, sitting at I lie table writing. "Are you forgetting me, Jleu?'' were tin- last words shc° had' written, and the ink was still wet when the visitor disturbed her. lie looked at Kathleen, and she looked at him in a helpless, my-tified way. 1 hen he held out his arms to her, whicli seemed extraordinary behaviour for .1 strange man. and he whispered her name softly: and Kathbyn, instead of ringing lor this forward intruder lo be ' turned out. rose with a little laugh that wa» liall a sob ami ran into his open arms, burying her head 011 his houlder. "lien!" she said at last. "Oh, Ben, is it really you? tlow wonderful it seems!"

"Darling,'' he whispered, as he stooped and ki-cd her tenderly, "the most wonderful part of it j, that our cast lent the air h;is come down to earth; and the sweetest part of it is that 1 will have yon to live with in it. It would never have been built if it hadn't been (op von. dear."

[ ".Mother ami I must hear all alioiil it. Hut yon know, lien, it's only you I want. If it had been a cnlt'age I should lie just as hapjn." ° "1 know. Kit; but, you see, I alwavs promised voti a castle, ami now we'll all three 'live happily ever after'!"