THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 72, 4 July 1910, Page 6

THE STORYTELLER.

A MATTER OP SENTIMENT

It is the easiest tiling in the world to catch a heart on the rebound, for when a youth is smarting under the indifference the only girl "has shown towards his manifold good qualities and desirability, he is very apt to fall in love—or at least to fancy himself in that condition—with the first fair lady who affects an interest in him.

When Elaine Mortimer-told Hugh Ogilvic, after many years of patient worship, that she was still ''in maiden meditation, fancy free,'' and in no mood to marry yet, he came to the conclusion that life was a dreary blank, and even went so far as to contemplate suicide in a disinterested fashion. An older man would doubtless have eonsoled himself, with a whisky-and-soda and the satisfying thought that there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it. or, if of a (persevering disposition, would have remembered the old saying about the citadel which may be captured by lengthy siege when ni shinetactics fail; but Hugh was younjr took it badly.

Probably he would have gone 6n moping indefinitely, hut Fate willed it otherwise; and when Maud Delamere, with her flashing black eyes, faultless figure, and bewitching manner, came upon the scene, he surrendered at once. Elaine was pretty in the quiet English style, with copper red hair, and a peach-and-•cream complexion, but beside the newcomer in her glorious Southern beauty she looked like a bumble linnet as compared with the splendid goldfinch. In two days Hugh was her devoted slave, and, while the whole regiment looked on in wonderment, Maud accepted his attentions, and in fact seemed to find a considerable amount of pleasure in the boy's society.

''Can't see what her game is," remarked the senior major as he got stiffly off his polo pony and with coldly disapproving eye watched Hugh, as he sat in eager converse with the dark beauty, while Elaine, with a brave show of indifference, was endeavoring to keep up a flow of small-talk with a prosy retired colonel. "It can't be money," replied the Adjutant. "Young Ogilvie's only got £4OO beside his pay, and though it's enough for some women, it wouldn't pay trie haughty Maud's dress-making bills. Perhaps she's in love with him." "With a boy like that?" snorted the Major. "Don't ta'l'k rot, man. After refusing men like Courtenay, Lascelles and Ashburton, you surely don't want me to believe that she's going to lose her well-trained heart to a boy of twenty-. five with down on his upper lip." "Perhaps she's only playing with him for amusement," suggested the Adjutant. "Hugh's a nice boy " 'Kice boy," grunted the Major . "Of j course he's a nice boy, but d'you think a woman of this world can derive any amusement from a baby of his age? Depend upon it, Compton, she's got some reason for it, but what it I can't say." j "Pity," soliloquised the Adjutant, as ■ he walked to the stables. "Young O'gil-1 vies going it strong, and hell take it bad when lie's thrown over like an old glove shortly. Wonder what the hitch was between him and the little Mortiber girl. Hush was head over heels in love in that direction at one time," and with a, sigh of relief that so far the pangs of love had not entered his heart, he mounted his pony and galloped out i on to the ground. "Don't you play polo?" asked Maud, throwing a glance out of the corner of her eyes that made Hugh catch Til*' breath. I

"Er —yes —a bit," he stammered awkwardly, "but both my ponies are lame, so I'm out of it to-day." He' did not add that the lameness existed solely in his own imagination, to enable him to have a quiet afternoon by her side without being frequently interrupted to play chukkas.

"I've heard that you're good all round at sports," said Maud, lazily fanning herself.

"Oh, I don't know about that," replied Hugh, blushing, but with an inward feeling of elation that his doings should meet with her interest. "I play Rugger a bit, and racquets, and cricket." "Anything else?" asked Maud, with another sidelong glance. "No; I don't think so," said Hugh delightedly. "I knock a ball about at tennis a little, and I hunt and shoot, but I don't think I'm much of a shot."

: "Do you box?" asked Maud suddenly,! • and, turning, looked him full in the face. ;' "I did a little at school and Sand-, '' hurst," replied Hugh, "hut I've hardly : touched the g!ove9 since I joined' the ' regiment." "Don't you think it rather a pity to give it up? You are very big, and I should think very strong," said Maud earnestly. "H I were a man I'd like to be ] good at boxing." j "I should like to go in for it myself, ' Miss Delamere," explained Hugh, with an inward resolve to have the gloves on i with someone that very evening, "but it's so seldom you can find anyone to box with. An officer doesn't get much . chance of taking it up seriously." "There are the Army and Navy boxing competitions. Why not go in for them?" "I will if you ask me." "I shouldn't have thought it necessary to be asked," said Maud, a trifle coldly. * "No —no, of course not," broke in Hugh awkwardly, "but if I thought it would —you would Ibe interested in me—l'd 1 go in for it like a shot." "You will?" said Maud eagerly. "You will go in for the heavy-weights?" "That's all I could enter for. I weigh thirteen stone, you see. And now that I know you will be interested I will do my best to win." He was about to add something anent knights-errant and (ladies fair, but at that moment there j was a general stir amongst the onlooki ers, and, finding that polo was over for j the afternoon, Maud rose and offered '. him her hand.

"I'm so glad I've made you keen about boxing/' she said earnestly, "and I do hope you'll think you will," and before Hugh could think of an appropriate reply, she had seated herself in the

car by her mother's side and was wnn-led away.

On Ms way back to barracks Hugh endeavored to the best of his ability to review the whole of his conversation with the fascinating Miss Delamere, and was forced to the conclusion that she took a more than ordinary interest in him. This was putting the matter in the most unfavorable light, and he felt that he had every justification for believing that she entertained a tender regard for him.

"Of course," he soliloquised, "it's a| hr.gv! order to take on the Officers' Heavy-weights at short notice like this, but 'faint heart never won fair lady.' I must see what Sergeant Boxhall has to say on the matter. He should be as good a" judge as.any of what 1 can d»." ■Sergeant Boxall. the Army's heavyweight champion, was none too sanguine when Hugh put the question to him.

"You know 7 , sir, I've always been trying to persuade you to go in for boxing." he said in an ill-used voiced. "What I said, if I remember rightly, was that if you took it up seriously there was nothing' to prevent you winning the heavyweights; but to come and ask me three weeks before the show to put yon in the way to lick Captain Maxwell is a tali order."

"Maxwell— I"P' asked Hugh. "Belongs to tho■flu-Sis," replied Boxall, "and a pret'; man. Scale? about twelve sior-. and has won the heavy-weights for the lest three years. He's the only nrn io consider, iii t*he contest—the 'others r.ay be triers, -but he'ill finish any rran )<* meets in the first round. 2vow, a."' for ;, ou, weighing close on fourteen stor.e, and all muscle and bone, why, if you'd placed yourself in my hands six months ago, I might Ijive done it, but now—well, what can I teach you in three weeks? I've brought the gloves up with me, so we'll try a couple of rounds if you'll clear the room a bit,"

Hugh triecl the couple of rounds, and eat down Mowing heavily at the end, fueling rather pleased with himself. "What do you think of me?" he saic] between his gasps. "To tell you the truth, sir," replied Boxall, with unkind frankness, ''you've only one punch in your whole bag o' tricks, and that's your right swing. If you get that in in the right plaice you'll win, but it's your only chance. Your left's like a broomstick, and a"s for defence and footwork, you're almost too slow for a funeral. You'll excuse me speaking plainly, sir, but I'm ta'llong to you like aa if you were an ordinary pupil and not an officer." "Then what are my chances?" asked Hugh, in a disappointed tone. "It's about ten to one against you," replied Boxall. "Maxwell will beat you hands down on points, and your onlyi chance is fetching that right swing! across for the knock-out. 'lf you don't I bring it off, he has you beaten on points as easily as kiss-me-hand, if he don't put yon to sleep. Now you know exactly how it stands. I'll bring up one or two nippy middle-weights for you to try with to quicken you up a bit, but I you've left it too late, sir. It's a thousand pities," and half tearfuly he went back to the sergeants' mess, thinking 011 the magnificent opportunity that had been missed through Hugh's dilatoriness. For the next three weeks Hugh trained assiduously till even Boxall was forced to admit that he made progress; but he still sternly refused to allow Hugh a more than five to once chance. Maud had shown the greatest interest in Hugh's training, and as the boy calledupon her regularly three times a week; she had every opportunity of learning how he had progressed.

"To-morrow is the great day," she said, when Hugh presented himself for the last time before leaving for Aldershot. "You'll meet Lieutenant Harford of the Navy in the first heat, I see." "Yes,"' said Hugh. "I don't know much of him, but Sergeant Boxall says i ought to beat him." "Then in the final you'll meet the winner of the second heat, and that'H be Captain and as she mentioned the name an observant person would have noticed the hardness that crept into her voice.

"Maxwell —yes. I suppose he's sure to win his heat," said Hugh carelessly. "Sure to," replied 'Maud, her eyes nar rowing and. her breath coming a trilie faster, "and you must beat him. Do you understand—you must beat him!" she went on fiercely. ''He's clever, I know, but with your strength you 'must knock him out —you can do it—and must." "I will <io- my very best, of course," said Hugh, mystified at her outburst, "but it's only a sport when all's said and done. I shall try to win for your—oecauseyou want me to, don't you?" "I do!" said Maud passionately; "and I wafffc you to thrash Captain Maxwell within' an inch of his life." "But why?" asked Hugh.

"Because I hate him!" burst out Maud —"Kate him worse than anything in this world; and if you will beat him—hurt him physically, and also through his •iride in his strength and skill, I'll " ' "What will you do?" said Hugh eagerly. "Will you marry me if I win?" For a moment Miss Delamere looked startled and glanced at the eager, flushed face °f the boy in surprise. Then, leaning forward, with sparkling eyes, she said, with suppressed passion in her voice:

"If you do as I have told you, I will j marry you, but not unless. Now go) bae'K to barracks and rest till your train, goes. You will need all your strength*! and'courage for to-morrow" —and, great-; ly mystified, Hugh was forced to take' liis dismissal. -

It was rather har<l to be sent away as a casual acquaintance when one was practically the accepted suitor of the most .beautiful girl in the district, but one of Miss Delamere's chief charms was the fact that she never behaved quite as an- ordinary individual, and Hugh felt justly elated that he had almost won Iter:

Of course, the successful termination of his fight with Captain Maxwell would really •determine his engagement with. Miss Delamere, but with such an incentive, he argued, how could he do otherwise than win? "Strange how she hates the man," he said to himself. "Still, I suppose she has a very good reason. Probably jilted her sister* or served her brother a dirty

trick"—and, with a careless shug of her shoulders, he dismissed the matter from his mind, only remembering that it was Maud's desire that he should beat Captain Maxwell in the competition. During the last three weeks Hugh had seen but little of Elaine—had, in fact, avoided her on the few occasions they had met at social functions, for, to tell the truth, his heart still smarted, at times from the wound she had given it. On his way to the station that evening, however, he met her coming towards him. and was about to pass by with a perfunctory raising of his cap when she stopped and held out her hand. "I hear you are going in for the Army boxing competition, Mr. Qgilvie?" she said, with a winning smile. "I do hope you'll win!" '•Thanks very much, Miss Mortimer!" replied Hugh, 'noting, with renewed interest, the pretty, piquant face that he had almost forgotten when gazing into Maud's more brilliant charms-. "I'm going to do my best, but I believe I shall have a hard job to win." "Anyway, you have my best wishes, and if you lose—well, it's'the fortune of war, and it can't be helped, I shall think of you to-morrow"—and, with a bright smile and a nod of the head, she passed on, leaving Jack's brain in a whirl.

"I wish I hadn't met her!" he growled to himself a? he took his seat in the railway carriage. "When a chap's been in love with a girl for four years, he (doesn't get over it so quickly as he thinks he can. Of course/' lie added, re■p.ssuringly, "she's not a patch on Maud as regards looks; but " And here he broke off and gazed out of the window with a troubled look on his face. As Hugh had expected, he beat Lieutenant Harford in the first round, with a knock-out, and was thus quite fresh vhen, on the bnrd day he stepped into the rim; to meet Captain Maxwell, the holder of the championship. j

■As Hugh sat in his corner listening to the final advice of Sergeant Boxall, who was acting as one of his seconds, he gazed with interest across the ring at the man he had set himself to beat. His opponent was a big man, as tall as himself but lighter built, and every inch of him showed the born fighter. Hugh noted with inward foreboding the ripple of muscle that showed beneathWthe other's skin whenever he moved, and he began to realise that the task he had undertaken was no light one. Maxwell was surveying him with a slight smile of confidence, not to say contempt, and Hugh took an instinctive dislike to him on the spot. There was a sardonic look in- his eyes and a sarcastic expression on the ill-tempered | mouth; and as he looked Hugh remembered Mitud's passionate words: "I hate him—hate Sim worse than anything in the world'!'" Judging from his face, Captain; Maxwell was a man who might Inspire any woman with hatred. Hugh: was awakened from his reverie by the timekeeper's voice: "Seconds out of the ring—time!" and next moment he found himself shaking hands wit* Maxwell'. Remembering Boxall's injunctions, lie ran 1 in at Maxwell, forcing the pace for all he was worth, and for the first half of the round the Guardsman was forced to retreat before the superior weight of his impetuous antagonist. The Guardsman was beginning to show signs of the rough usage he was receiving, when a lucky left landed above Hugh's eye, cutting the flesh to uie bone.

The light of desperation shone in Hugh's eyes as he stood up for the last round, and, rushing in again, he forced the smiling Guardsman, to the ropes. Later Hugh had the Guardsman at his mercy—the man was beaten, hopelessly weak, almost pitiful, how could he hammer him back to the board again?

The timekeeper started to coun r ., and s'.'uwly called out the nT v'i-.s—hirr -*slie '.cached "eight" the <3 icf fcujuled, and Captain MnVveil. skv-» by •'Time, - ' was declared 1 the- winnerr am points.

"So you lost?" said Maud, through ker teeth, when Hugh,, with battered fece, call*/ on her the following day. "Yes, I lost," replied Hugh humbly; "tout, Maud, won't you re-consider your decision? Why should our- happiness rest solely on the result of a boxing competition ?" Maud, gave a short, hard' laugh. "Our happiness?" she sneered. surely don't think I ever cared' for you? I merely offered you myself as a bribe to thrash Captain' Maxwell. I shouldn't hare re-considered my decision: if you'd been hopelessly beaten, but as it is I despise you. I've read the accounts, and I know you could have beaten him —could have thrashed him as I wished you to thrash him; but you cared so little for me that you let him off —allowed him to win when one blow would have settled it. I suppose you did it from so-called honorable motives, but do you think that man knows what the word 'honor' means? Go —I never wish to see you again!" And as Hugh groped blindly to the door, she threw herself into a chair and burst into a torrent of sobs.

Hugh walked home, turning the matter over in his mind, and, to his surprise, fie found that his treatment at Maud's hands did not cause him such anguish a 9 might have been expected. , "I don't believe I can have loved her," he argued to himself. "I was only dazzled by her brilliance. Of course, as I've since discovered, the fact that Maxwell jilted her may be some excuse for her strange behaviour, -but to tMhk of marrying a cold-blooded, revengeful creature like that! Ton my ward, I believe I'd be heartily glad that the whole thing's turned out as it has, if only " "Oh, Mr. Ogilvie," saicf a voice behind him, "I'm so awfully sorry you lost, but I think it was splendid the way you let poor Captain Maxwell off! The papers say you could have won easily, but refraiiied from striking a beaten man."

"Most people seem to think I've been a sentimental fool, Mrs Mortimer," replied Hu<»h ruefully, fit's rather a relief to find someone wfto has a different opinion.""

"I alwaj-s had a good opinion of you, Hugh," said Elaine shyly, "and, if possible, this has strengthened it." "Sufficiently to make you change your mind?"'asked Hugh, eagerly taking her hand.

"It didn't need that" murmured Elaine, glancing round to see if there were anyone in sight. "You had only to ask me again, Hugh; but even that isn't necessary now."