THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 108, 25 April 1908, Page 3

THE STORYTELLER.

THAT FATEFUL a 9! ( By Max Rittenburg). The morning of February 2Uth dawned grey and gloomy. A vague presentiment of impending doom d'ershadowed the soul of Augustus as he awoke. A* hi* toe touched his icy tub-water lie shivered, and, taking it in the light of an ill-omen, he decided to *pcud a couple of extra hours in bed. Ilib fears were assuredly not without foundation. lie was a bachelor; he *a» well off; he candidly admitted to himself that be was not ill-favored, even though his hair might be getting a little thin ou the top of hi, head. In theh ousc party were Craeie, petite and gay and vivacious—a buterfly, but. he fell sure, a.determined butterth;

Margaret, studious ana serious-minded, and, be knew, determined; and Betty, calm and self-posesscd and slightly cynical, and of widow-like determination! ilow could he escape?

Thus far the perils ot a Leap Year had been evaded by him, more (as he readiily confessed to himself) by sheer luck than by skill, but February 29th' There was an ominous ring of inevitable doom about the very sound of the date lie tried it over in various wav—"Feb nia ry tweujy-uinth," "the twentv-ninth of Jebruary, in the year nineteen hundred and eight," and' February, two eould find no erumb of comfort in any of rU permutation*. Adding up the neon* two nine, one nine oh eight, miss ke found the total to come to 29 also. He tried adding the figures up backwards, but curiously enough, the total came out at the identical number-i!)! He was doomed, ' Unless he could escape! Unlpiag down the remains of his breakfast (the hour was 11.45), h e feverishly rang the bell lor his chauffeur. 'Hubbins," said Augustus as his chauffeur entered, -get th c car out at once. I want you to drive me to I*nds' End."

Sorry, sir," replied Guubins, who md Hot relish a long drive in that Heather. "the triple expansion popetier shaft i ; out of order. 1 can't possiMy get it right nohow before to-morrow."

Augustus sank back in hisc liair with ■ groan as Uubbuu left the room.

,"1 knew it!'- he tried, pressing a handkerchief to his fevered brow. "I knew it!"

Uracie entered the brcaklast room. "Oh, you l»zy man!'' she exclaimed. -Fancy being still at breakfast at li o'clock !"

"It is not twelve o'clock," protested Augustus, looking at his watch. "It s only 11.50. . . . Besides, I liave tini>hed breakfast," he added with a *how of spirit.

-It's all the sJhic," replied Grade. "It's not," said Augustus. "Not at all the same, you women aro so illogical. Mow can 11.51 be twelve o'clock V "You said 11.50 before.'*

"That was only in round numbers. Tie exact time is 11.57. It is only men who appreciate the true value of time, and the necessity of be|ig accurate in stating it.'' "You want a wife to look after you/' said Uracie, irrelevantly. Augustus clutched the back of his chair.

"Someone to keep you in order," went oa Gracie, stirring up the lire reflectively.

Beads of perspiration gathered on the brow of Augustus. One began to trickle gently down the bridge of his note. Ue wiped it away with his handkerchief.

"A girl with plenty of sound commonsense," pursued Oracle, seemingly unconscious of his agony of mind. He found speech with an effort. "I won't!" be gaskml hoarsely. "1 WONT! 1 absolutely decline to!"

"Dedine to what!" "To marry youl" Gracie burst into a peal of happy laughter. "Oh, you dear, delightful man! As if 1 wanted you to marry me! 1 would not marry you for the world!" "Then what did you mean by talking about a wife for met" asked Augustus, ■till on his guard. "I was thing of Margaret, of course.'' Augustus relaxed his grasp of the chair.

"Then shake hands on it," he said, still careful. She shook hands on it Augustus mode a good lunch. He felt morally syi-ngthened by the encouucounter at me morning, and an appetite had sprung up, in spite of the fact that he had decided uot to lake is usual morning dose ot "T'cak a Tunic." Be made a good lunch. Later he smoked a medical cigarette, and had a slight napHe also made~a good tea. It was not until 5.15 that the enemy returned to the assault, and Augustus met it with a quite appreciable auioun'. of calmness.

M if preconcerted bkbfvotir olyilwaui A* il by preconcerted arrangement the others had withdrawn on various excaaes, leaving Margaret and biniselt alone in the drawing room. Augustus took up a strategic position ou the hearthrug, with his bands behind his back. He always felt best able to do himself justice in that was the attitude a John Bull should always lake up, he considered. JSurreptitiouily, he felt bis pulse behind his back. As far as he could judge without a watch, his pulse was but little quicker than normal. "I want to ask you a uuestiou," said Margaret. -What's it about?" said Augustus cautiously. -A pasaage in Plato," said Margaret, bringing to him a dreary-lookng volume in faded morocco and pointing to a passage with' a dainty finger. Augustus took up the book gingerly. True, he had secured a third in Mods. at one epoch of hi» existence, but much water had flowed under the bridge of Lethe since then. -How do you rad it!" asked Marga

get. -It certainly seems obscure to mc also," said Augustus with perfect truth. -I should like time to give tbe matter thorough consideration." Then he added, somewhat incautiously, "1 don't care much for Plato'* philosophy myself.'' -Vou don't like the Platonic philsosophvl I think I can gue»s tbe reason why," said Margaret with as much archnew as a serious-minded girl should decently be capable of. • -What do you mean!' "You are looking for a wife.'' Augustas involuntarily looked about him for some mean* of e«apc. Then lie remembered, and pulled himself together like a man. . ••I'm not!" he'said. •Then you ought to t;. JyvTiy!" "You have arrived at a time of life whan—vou don't mind my tajing it.— when it's your duty to marry. Augustus put lis h»d up to !.«• i> t snot on the top of his head. '"l'm not wold as all that," he ..id. '•You want t» choose a nice, -"-u'lwoman of the world -I wont!" interrupt.-.! j "Don't vou care for liotly, lh--f ' ••Betty*'' Augustus forgot him-elt in | his relief. "Oh, that- a very different matter. I didn't know •Didn't know what!" ••Didn't know to whom vou were referring." -Who el* hut Betty'" said Margaret in surprise. "Shes a widow, and. therefore, a sensible woman of the world— The butler opportunely came >n '" r tbe tea things. Augustus made a pood dinner. After dinner he smoked a medical cigarette (he allowed himself three a day;. and sipped a winegUisfnl of St. StyliteTonk Wine. . It wa» during this indulgence that an idea came to him. It was daring, reckless, perhaps, hut its very daring fasc.nated him. He w " uld art on tt,p nff,n ' " V So he hunted up Hetty, and explained that he wanted to test their relative akill at billiards. Sh,. con-enled. they went to the billinid-room together. Usu.lv -he gave hint twentv -t.-jrt-j n a hundred, hut this time he boMIt insisted on playing level. He felt that he was "on hi* toe"" «i to speak, an. it U to lw recorded he actually won th' jramv. "I want to anticipate a question » vour-. - ' said Aii(ru*tn«. feeling not . little elated at hi-, sue.**-. "Indeed!" repli.t! Betty. "'•"ii ■" very "tire of ynur-elf. .*■< ■' matter • fad. T had no intention of i-Vni-' >■■ a question." , "•On the contrary. i« "•'*•' '••'» -"'" ing an opportunity u'l day '•• ■'-'- " it." rMnrtcd V.1..i1-tn-. t iti-cr m, 1, position on (lie heartlirug. Hetty, amused, sat down. " v i '•» "die replied. "Vim « int to : .-k me if I will iii.iii Uracie."

"Whatever put that notion into your head? N'o. You're wrong." "Then you want me to marry Mar- . garct.'' 'Wrong again!" "Exactly. 1 was onlv trilling," pursued Augustus confidently." "What I rcaiiv meant was that yon want to ask me to marry you. Hut 1 won't!" he added with a determined shake of his head. liutty took out her handkerchief, and buried her face in it. After a little ■-he recovered herself, wiped her eves, and composed her feature, to a serious expression. , "I should never have dreamt of doing .such a thing." .-he said with 'decision. "Why. whatever have you to recommend you a- a husband?"' Augustus experienced a curious revulsion of feeling. There sudenlv swept ' over him the distinctly hu'miliatn-r ; thought that no less than three girls h:.d practically refused the honor of ' his haud that day.

~3, COme ! *"*'• t,lat '* not quite ■air! he , a ,d "I have my good points.' "What are they?" "I am very well off." "Through no effort of vour own Be"de*, to be very well off i, mcvlv vulgar. ''•J* not «, „iu\ I'm not over foriv.< "rortv \ . ,„..„, „ ' sidered' ll,\ v ' .'. "'" l >"'>'»<'," «.n---->-rs -ysVrXtha^;:,:^What other good point* )lilV e vou" Augustus thought hard ami rc,"1,.„„ i

-Well?" ~ueried Betty, tantalisin-lv nhiiT 1 g ° on ' ,raisin ? mvseli," "resa4w with au atUpt * >or what followed I cau offer no exI I'lanat.on l,eyoud that the wine Mis nl :::,r, s, f"' n ™r Wi » c ™""' g'"le to Augustus' head. He clutched her hand with sudden dcernnnatton. ~\ m miwt ~ -cried. "YouML-ST- I abLu e v an afterthought "I've always admired you, you know."

Bcttyf' U y ° n inS ' St " Baid U was „„t until Augustus was between the shets that night that lie rer"d.' ""'' a start tllilt Bp t'v had 101(1 luiu her age was 2'J. That fateful 29!