THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 393, 19 May 1910, Page 6

THE STORYTELLER.

A MAN'S COMFORT. ' Mrs. Garth heard 'him locking up. The bolts grated as he pushed them into ; their sockets; then his feet sounded nearer. j .She held her breath slightly; but lie ■ (lid not come in. Through the windowed ; panels of the -door leading into the ■shop she cauu'iit a glimpse of him. stand- , iug with head bent, lie was thinking, i Mrs. Garth went on wuti her sewj ing. j Her husband woke from his reverie • flnd began to put into their 'places goods ! that 'h'rt'd become disarranged during the | business of the dsiy. ' It was purely a ! mechanical operation, j It was an ironmonger's shop, and most of the things be tout-lied seemed to clatI ter as if in protest. As die was pushing | bis way behind the counter, bis shoulder I caught a stand containing a variety of saucepans, and over it went headlong. Mrs. Garth got up from her seat and went out to mm. "All right,'' he muttered, in >a stoopI ing position. 'She stood watching him as lie set the stand on its feet and replaced the .saucepans on it. Then, as lie seemed disinclined to talk, she returned to their liv-ing-room. She heard him 'pottering about for a "while, after which came a silence—a •long, peculiar, misery-laden silence. Tiptoeing, she approached the door and peered through the glass. He was bent, his elbows resting on the counter, his face concealed by his hands. She. opened tile door, an entreaty on her lips; but at the sound he straightened. That he might think she had not seen •him, she said: "Don't you want your supper? Ft been on the table half-an-hour." "In a minute/' he said, apparently busy again. -She waited a moment. "I wish you would," she pleaded. His back was burned towards her and he was reaching to put something on a shelf. "1 will in a minute," he said again. Sbe went back ia,ncl sat down again, the baby in the cradle near Iter feet fought some imaginary monster with his tiny fists and awoxe -crying. •She watc'hed 'him with curious eyes, as-if he were something she had never seen before. And she let him cry. He seemed the only one of them who could give expression to feeling. The cry became angry—resentful of her callous indifference to his complaint, and suddenly she caught the baby up •and strained it to 'her breast. Rocking gently, she soothed it to sleep again. Some subtle change took place in. 'her mind as the result of this incident, and still carrying- the biaby, she went into the shop again. "Come along," she said brightly; "there surely can't be anything else to do." He looked at them both and then turned his eyes away quickly. Without speaking he obeyed, and following her in sat down at the table. The meal proceeded in silence. She •watched him furtively as he ate. He <waa. chewing slowly and awkwardly, as if his mouth were bone-dry. if only he would say something, utter some complaint against (his lot, as their baby had done! He had been like this for weeks, iris j depression going from bad to worse, as the trade of their little shop dwindled and dwindled. He moved from the table to his armchair and took'wpibooSr. Suppressing a sigh, she picked up her sewing again. It iwias to be another night of gloom. The silence became oppressive. He .began to speak at last, in a low retrospective tone, curiously free from emotion. '■' Eight years it took me to save up' ■the money for this. Eight years! And every sovereign made me, happier because it brought me a bit nearer to you. I told you I wouldn't marry you until I'd set up on my own; and you waited ifor me. You knew it was because I was ■9O proud to love you that I wanted to ■be my own master. Eight years to make "ready—and -eighteen months to smash things to'smithereens." He wa,s still staring at the fire, and she was intently watching liini, her babysleeping in her lap. "J don't think." 'lie went 011 quietly, "I don't think there's another man in England who's hoped and tried as I have done. I've striven and schemed, worked my body and brain to the raw, a.nci failure has 'hounded me in every step I've taken." He looked at her. "How is it?" 'lie asked. She s'hook her head helplessly. S'he had tried both argument and ■hopefulness before, and now she knew that either would sound a hollow mockery. "If I'd shirked it," he said, "I could understand. Or if I'd worked with some unworthy motive in my mind. But all I've desired is a fair reward for effort, so as to look after you land—and " ''God!" he exclaimed in sudden resperation. "I only want what's fair!" .She made no move, though she was ae'hing to go over and comfort him. •What was the good? That would not increase the turnover of his business and (help to keep at -nay the creditors who were besieging them more closely day by day. ' "All day long," lie continued more calmly, "I keep thinking of when we first came in. How wonderful we thought it all was! And then how wc used to count up the takings eacdi day and calculate how ■much we'd made and what a great deal more we were going to make when our connection was worked up. We didn't keep that pretty game going very long, did Ave?" "What good does it do to talk about that?" she asked patiently. "None," .he replied, without bitterness; "only that it's a queer sort of problem why' we should be the sport of c-hance. One would have thought the Power that

directs things would liave been a bit above being jealous of 11s." "Oh, it can't go on for always," s'he .said. "Something's bound to turn up if we can only manage to keep on a little longer." He sighed. "How many times have we said that, I wonder? How many small tradesmen -are there in the country who hang 011, hoping against hope, for the precious something to turn up? What can turn up? For -us, if we go on, it means bankruptcy, and by heaven"—'lie rose suddenly, convulsed with feeling—"l won't bring disgrace on you." He thrust his 'hands deep in his pockets, and his shoulders heaved as lie fought to control 'himself. The tears were also in her eves, but she blinked them back. "It's the being .beaten that's the nvorst," he said through shut teeth. "To have to give in,'to throw up the sponge. If there's one thing a man can't endure it's that!" She looked at him and smiled bravely. "You're not beaten," she said. "You hate failure too much for that, it's only ■people who .are content to be failures that become them. Besides, you've got me." At the last remark he looked long at her, and his face cleared momentarily. "It seems that you've got all the pluck," ihe said. She gave -a little wise shake of her head. "'lt's because you worry so much about me," she said, "that sometimes you're a bit hopeless. But you shouldn't, you know. It makes me miserable, too, because then I think if it were not for me you .would: get along better." "No!' he exclaimed hoarsely, and'bent over and kissed her. "You must never ■think this. It's cruel, cruel to you and me. If I hadn't got you t'nere would be nothing worth fighting for in life." She smiled at -him as s'he used to do in the old courting days, but there was more .sweetness in her face now than there had ever been .before, for there was the beauty of sorrow for him and infinite .sympathy. lie looked at her wua new interest, she was worth possessing. "I do my best," she said, "but it isn't much. Why can't a woman work like a nua.n? Why can't she help him to make money? All Ido is to save odd pence in housekeeping." "That's not all you do," ! he answered. "You keep me fighting. It it were not for you I'd give in." He put his arm round her nek and dreAv liter face against his own. A tear came rolling do;win her cheek, a woman's tear, (half due to gladness that she had this man's love, ibalf due to sorrow at lier helplessness to assist him. The tear felt cold as it touched his c'heek, and his own eyes began to smart. He was beginning to find the salvation of expression to the feelings that held him. For a little while they remained with their cheeks touching; then he returned to his chair and filled his pipe. Neither cared quite so much about the impending failure now. "Well, if it come.3 to it," he said presently, in a strictly cheerful tone, 1 shall ilnave to go back to being an assistant. I'd do that rather than have my name in Stubbs', among the bankrupts. We won't make a failure of that sort, will we? And then we'll save up and -have another tilt at fortune. She's not impregnable, you know, if you keep going for her." "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I am glad to hear you talk like that again. I'm sure it's' only ia question of keeping cheerful, and things are bound to come right." In which decision they did not show much originality, but tliey were nonei the farther from the truth because of ■that. Three months later the only noticeable changes within the same room were the increased size of Garth's son and heir and the expression 011 the faces ot the prowd parents. They were not free from anxiety yet, but the business showed signs of flourishing better, and at least they had the .gratification' of knowing they were making a good fight for it. "11l tell you what," said Mrs. Garth, "if we hadn't this trouble there'd be something else. We would have the baby ill; 01" perhaps you'd take JtO' drink." "Which means," said Garth, lifting his glass anil admiring the amber of its j contents, "that there's always something [ to be' grateful far."