THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 250, 27 November 1909, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

fc THE PATENT DYE. "The charges against me, it seems, Bre that 1 have au insufficient income And that 1 dabble in chemistry." Soger Daveutry leaned back and Btretehed out his' long legs to the imminent peril of the row ot bottles tn.it i Stood sentry-like on the littered bench | before him. There was a chalky duster On the floor, and, with the mental üb-' eenec that marks the true man ot Science, Koger-picked it up and wiped the perspiration from his torehead. "And so," he continued, "the old boy forbids me the house, and informs me that I shall oblige by not attempting to see his daughter any more. Well—hullo!" "Ko-gcr! May I come in?" And before he could answer a dainty figure in iWhite muslin had tripped into the laboratory, "Ella!"

"Find me a dean place to ajt on," (Uid the girl, peering distrustfully at the Chemical - stained bench. "And wipe your face. 1 want to talk to you if you are not too absorbed in those dreadful poisons. Has papa been yet?" "Papa been here?" he echoed. "Good gracious, no! What on earth should he Kvant to see me again for? 1 thought be called me everything last night.' "Kow, don t be unforgiving, Koger. lie's not so bad, really, iou forget he doesn't know you very well " "And so he's coming round to cultivate my acquaintance?" Roger's tones Jvere distinctly sarcastic. Ella laughed.

"I'll try to explain. Papa told me Hat he refused his consent because he la afraid that a man who—who does Chemistry is sure to be very unbusinesslike, and—and all that. He was quite Bice after you had gone. "This morning he Aid that he had Half a mind to come and see whether there might be, after all, any extenuating characteristics. Those were his exact words," she added hastily. "Humph!" said Koger. "Very kind, I'm sure."

Miss Maichmont slipped from the tench. "You silly boy! Don't you see thai here's your chance? All you've got to do is to make everything nice and tidy, and —" "And when he comes he'll fall in love With my magnificent method in a shot! jßy Jove!" Roger feemed to be impressed. "Come on!" cried his sweetheart, natty. "We'd better get to work—{here's no telling when he may be here. Where does this funny thing got" picking up a small retort. "Darling!" sighed Roger, hastening to direct her.

In a remarkably short space of time the bottles, perfunctorily dusted, stood in their accustomed places on the shelves. "Oh, darling!" said Soger, wooping a handful of crystals into a paper, "you might just pour that stuff in the big bottle there into the little medicine bottle. That's it—that dark stuff by your hand. I've " "Roger! Here's papa coming up the path! Whatever shall we do!" "My stars! Quick—come into the inner room! Never mind that stuff— I'll see to it. Quick, dear!" And Roger turned a key with the rapidity of des{peration. The bottles clinked. "There!" whispered Ella, hurrying past her lover. "I've put it in all right —without spilling any!" But Koger rudely slammed the door in her face and locked it. He was just in time. A loud "hem!" announced Colonel Marchmont, who stood* in the doorway as if doubtful whether the atmosphere within the laboratory were capable of sustaining life. "Ah, Davenport! I thought I should find you here. Gad, sir, it's as hot as' India!" He mopped his brow vigorously. "Good morning, sir," said Roger. "Kr —by the way, my name is Daventrv— D-a-v "

'Too hot for a spelling lesson," grunted the Colonel. "Got such a thing aA whiskyrand-soda, Davenport?" Roger had; he' kept a decanter in the cupboard for the use of stray visitors.

"Now, Davenport, we'll get to business. That's very good whisky, by the way. I've come tio have a good look round," said the Colonel bluntly. Roger congratulated himself as the old warrior's fierce blue eyes swept the orderly rows of bottles. All the saints bless Ella for that timely warning. "H'm!" The Colonel appeared satisfied. "Yes, Gavenport, I—what the deuce do you mean by coming after my daughter?" he burst out explosively. "Why, sir"—Roger's voice was a mere whisper—f'Ella—Jfiss SLarchtn<ont, that is—l should say, we! " "Quite so," growled the warrior. "But do you know that men who fool with science make disgracefully bad husbands t The wife gets neglected, sirneglected." Roger smiled weakly. "The only thing is," went on the Cblonel, his cigar blazing, "you may be possessed of sufficient talent to discover some new—er, odour, and thereb, increase your very ordinary income. Of course, even if I saw no other objection,' I couldn't dream of letting you marry my child to starve her. Br-r-rh! This, heat!"

"But I haver five hundred a year, sir, Without raising a finger " "Not enough; my boy—not enough. Now, can you invent a new acid, for instance, and make a fortune?" And then an idea—a wild hope—came to Roger, He pointed at the medicine ■bottle which Ella had filled for him. "You see that bottle, sir? That coatains a sample of a new dye which P have recently invented. There's nothing like it on the market at present." "Umph! What does it do?" "It's a facial dye—for—for purposes of disguiae,-you. know, and actors, ana r-and that kind of thing." "Looks more like muddy water to me,"'grunted the Colonel. "Well, what About itt" "Why," said Roger, "its great feature »3 that it can be completely washed oil in an in ■' int. by plain water—without using so [: ;•• eline, or —anything.' Roger ck .. ihroat after the last word. He was not quite sure about it. He bad only recently completed this, his first, bottle of the dye, and, while he (tras fairly conscious that it would do fill he said in the way of coming off, he •—well, he had not yet given it a trial. Before he could «do so he would have to jvait till the mixture had remained forked for -i-n;c hours. Still, he tou.d tiardly resist telling the Colouel, even if he was uncertain. Metaphorically, he "took to the bottle." It was a chance, any way. "What color docs it stain?"

"Deep chocolate,'' said Roger. "But 1 y-I hope to make most other colors. 1 want to get some\ big theatrical company to take it up," he added. Then Colonel Jlarclimont did a most ■Unusual thing. He snatched the fragrant cigar from his mouth and threw it into the fireplace with reckless force. "By gad!" he exclaimed. "By gad! ffjhe very thing!" Soger stared. "I'll let you into the secret," jiuckled the Colonel. "And if your dye (tnswers 111 give my consent on the spot. . Glorious idea, by gad! D'you know, I've been racking my brains for somtJiing original." Roger could not trust himself to say anything. His brain was too full of n issibilities. 1

"I've got an Indian prince coming to -tay with me for -a week, Davenport, v Colonel was dancing about l\;c an overjoyed schoolboy—"your dye v II be the very thing to pay him a neat little compliment. I'd better take the bottle now, I think." "Er—may I ask —-" ''Don't you see?" cried the Colonel, dragging the bottle. "After lunch—on the lawn, by the wa»\ if it's tine—l (hake a Speech of welcome to my oid friend His Highness. Well, to make the thing rather neater, I'm going to fcob down behind the table and smear (ay face with this stuff. Then I bob—er—then I stand up and address the Prince in his native color. In his natl7C color, you understand! It's about the right shad, l ," lie added, glancing carelessly at the bottle. Roger thought of the girl behind the locked door and was silent. The Colonel dropped'the bottle into lis pocket and walked to the outer door. Roger drew a deep breath of relief. "By the way. vnu'd better come to yourself, Davenport. If the s'tulf Jfloe«n't do all you say it does, you'll be rjjandy for me to kick. One o'clock to-

morrow, remember." And before lloger (could fully realise that the bottle was gone, the Colonel was stumping down the garden path. '' Ucl) > de ar, was he very terrible J'' 1 Ella had come cautiously from herl hiding-place. I Punctuated in the usual fashion, ( Roger told her of her father's ollVr. "vion't it be just uenguuui!' she | cried. "The Prince will love it, «ud'■Koger, have you seen my glove'' I—l thought 1 left it on the bench.' j I "1 suppose you dropped h uutsinc, darling,' said Hoger absently. ,s„„„.. how he could not be quite sure a,.«ui| that dye!

Baventry arrived at the Colonel's y magnificent house in a state aoout « equally divided between the two exS tremes of human happiness. He wo:i- - dered-perhaps this was the predominant feeling-whethcr his host uad tried - the dye, and whether he hud oecn rush 1 iu coming. e As it happened, Colonel Marclimout was too much occupied iu ruakiii" his t distinguished guest vomfoi'iuule tu° , MV much heed to ,in,„ w c .j, t . Iio „;/ s '■ spirits were distinctly i„ the aseenua.it '- when he found himself sitting next ,o' I Ella at the luncheon-table on the mini I lawn. The Prince, whose name sounded like I I Sham 11am Sing Uhooah but wasn t ! ' Koger inwardly voted a jolly good ,or ■ bclure many minutes had At last the great moment came. ■ The Colonel, rising, bade His Highness i welcome to -Uarchmoiit Tower., auu as . sured him that ~u (U ie co.ouei', indued to Uo his humble best Lo give lu m a , - "jolly a time as our wretcued enmate nugnt graciously permit." i,„ „a d nad the honor of knowing the Prince for a good many yea is, ana it was not neces-l' sary for him to say that he was one oi the very best, etc., etc. , At this juncture in his speech the 1 Colonel created a mild sensation by dis- I appealing troni view. ; "Long life, all prosperity, and-" he | shouted, reappearing almost immediate- 1 ly. He could not imish the toast just i then owing to the extraordinary out- J burst of laughter which fairly shook Uic'c entire company. Glasses were knocked i oyer, cigars were dropped and one ex- t citable military comrade of the Colonel stood up and deliberately kicked ni» chair across the lawn. i Colonel Marchmont's face was a deep, v shining green! Koger was the only one who did not 11 laugh. Even Ella did-at first. The,, 1 her hand stole under- the tablecloth and grasped her lover's tightly. j The Colonel, highly -gratified by his reception, raised Jus voice iu order to d make himself heard. }, "And everything of the best to His ji Highness during a long and dazzling

a.guuess auring a Jong and dazzlin" career! I don't believe the idiots reamsee it now," lie added under his breath "I'll have to explain it to 'em. Your Highness!" he snouted, ."I could have wished that we might all have worn I your native hue"-he pointed to his 1 face—"but unfortunately there was not' enough-er—unfortunately, it was hardly practicable." And, feeling highk pleased with hinnlelf, (Jolonel .Mjjrch., mont sat down, carefully, so us ™t to > upset the bowl of water which he hud managed to put under the table. Controlling a good deal of his own intense amusement, the Prince rose to! answer him. ' '•11 must thank you first of all," said His Highness, in excellent English, -for, the neatness of the compliment you have paid me by donning my—l cannot sav. native colors, Colonel, for you appear' to have made a mistake in the paint.' But Ido most heartily thank " "Pardon me, Prince," said the Colonel, 1 who had not heard, having vanished be I neath the table again to remove the dye, -'but I must accept your reply as' an Englishman should—in his own I color!" I The laughter this time was not de-l, scribablc in mere words. As it showed 1, no signs of abating, the gallant old. warrior whipped a little mirror from his pocket to take a surreptitiousglance at himself. And then he collapsed as if the Prince had hit him. Heedless of His Highness, heedless of everything and everybody, he snatched up the sponge and "lieariyl succeeded in removing his epidermis with' one frenzied dab. 'lhe green looked a totally different shade on its undercn&c of purple, and the glaring, rolling light- ' blue eyes biased forth from their lurid setting like enormous twin sapphires, i' ''lt's all up," groaned ltoger. "1 might have known the stuff would be a failure. I think I'm off to Africa, darling, to shoot big game." I'

The next day the Colonel called on ,Roger—in a cau. Koger was just off to ! see him, as it happened, for tne Colonel 'had been distinctly dangerous of approach after the happenings of yesterday.

The color had, Roger thought, worn off a little patchily—but the Colonel's temper not at all. ■"ijou ibraintess idiot!" Bie stprined. "Have 1 got to keep within the precincts of my own liouse all the days of my life through your—own " * He choked.

"I assure you, sir," said Roger, with a fearful smile, "it was all a mistakeall owing to my short-sightedness. I thought you took the right color." "High color, you imbecile! The stuff won't come off!" "N-no, I " "Papa!'

Ella had rushed in, breathless. She looked 1 for a moment as if she was suppressing a wild desire to laugh. "Roger! That other bottle!" Daventry started violently. He rushed to the cupboard. "Why!" he cried. "It's—it's ordinaiy house-decorator's paint! Ella! You made a mistake " "I thought I had," whispered Ella, with a sidelong glance at the Colonel. That troubled gentleman was glaring at himself in Roger's mirror. And then, to their indescribable relief and astonishment, lie burst into a hearty fit of laughter. "By gad! I'm hanged if I don't begin to see the humor of things myself! Davenport, show me whether the "other stuff—the stuff you made—works'. Here, hold still—you'll have to take your chance*" And, dabbing a piece of rag over the mouth of the bottle, the Colonel smeared it over Roger's faee before he could raise a linger to save himself. Roger flew to the tap. The dye came off as soon as his moistened hand touched it!, It was a success!

"Get it on the market!" roared tlic| Colonel. "Get it on the market, and] she's yours! By gad," he added' ruefully, "I wish mine would come oil' as] easily." , Ella rushed at him. < "You old darling!" .she cried. Andj added mischievously, "But you didn't] guess 1 was in the next room all the time you were talking to Roger, did yon?" Colonel Marrhmont pulled something from his pocket "I think I know my own daughter's glove when I see it," he said sternly. "What do you say, Davcn " "T-R-Y,"*said Roger with great distinctness.—R. Batchelor.