The Story Teller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 43, 11 July 1914, Page 8

The Story Teller.

THE SEVENTH LAMP. My dailies Keen. -Mr. I!n]]il, Ernest Pmrnhum. a H, li man's son. fair-haired mid iwcni y-twu silt at. 11 window of his bungalow at five '(clock on a summer's imu liiilu where hi' Imd li c.iini-nbste view of seven slice) lamp.. He 'had thoroughly made ii|> hi.,- mind tn send his soul a winding („ an unknown bourne with the of the *''Vcntk lamp. Hardly neccssaYv is it, t'> siy that he had pro,.osed. had ben promptly refused, and- hnnicdiatelv emi- | eluded there was nothing left to live for. Si), wishing ((> bo -tlitfori-iif." even in self-imposed death. ]„, lm<l evolved' an cirOrely original stage setting for ),i s ii n:il shiijl'lc. I Promptly at j o'clock the lamp-lighter I -now (he hunp extinguisher— walked up to number imp lamp mi 11 comer opposke -Mr Hurnham's bungalow, shoved a short, stick against 11. trigger-like arrangement hi the lamp, and the light, went, out. looting Blirnham drew a deep breath, opened 11 drawer in a table by his side «»<! Cancel lit a steel-blue revolver reposing there. | Then li,. 100k,.,! ~t 1,;,, w , lU , h u w . ls | two ninnites )iiist five o'clock, lie had tlnrteen more minutes to live. The morning before l, ( > i, Jl( j ]lelA ~ i(xrnt n ,_ hoarsal at, the window, and found that 't took the lamp-lighter exactly fifteen »iunites to extinguish the seven lights visible from the bedroom window. Lamp N' umber Two suddenlv faded out as he sat, thinking. Then Air Burnham with a steady hand took the revolver t i-oni the drawer and placed it on the table. , * He hud allowed his thoughts to revert buck to the girl whom he blamed for the folly he was about to commit, and was conjuring up a mental picture of lier loveliness when the light from Lomp Number Three was snuffed out. Mr Hm-nham reached if trifle nervously tor his cigarette ease, opened it, closed again «nd put it back in bis pocket. 11 in gaze way fixed on Light Number Four as il, too, disappeared, lie was last becoming fascinated at the deadly prccisio., with which each puie. yellow (ticker was being obliterated from his' view, and although the montiim- ;,;,. was , delightfully cool little beads of perspiration were, beginning lo appear on his I smooth boyish forehead, 1 Number live went out just ns he reached for the revolver. He allowed his hand to rest on it while he watched teuselv 1 for Number Six to go out. When ii laded out. he raised the pistol to his right temple, clenched his teeth, and ~n( perfectly still. Hut Lamp Ximvber Seven did not go out. -Mr Ilnrtihum waited as patieiitlv as he could lie concluded that the sccminglv longer interval between the extinguishing of the last two lights might simply be a. freak of strained imagination' l . The hand hoJding the wuajmn commenced to tremble slightly. The strain was beginning to fell on his nerves. Of cour-c—----the la.mp-lighter must have stopped to light his pipe. That, was it. Confound liiiih why couldn't Ire hurry? Hut Lamp Number Seven'continued to shine, and Burnham at last allowed himself a, quick glance at his watch. Twciitv mimifcos- past five! He stared again at the Jiglut three, 'blocks distant. The lamp-post itself was entirely- hidden by tree branches, but a, little open space iii the foliage gave him <a. clear view of the light. Suddenly lid saw gotucit.bin.g swioop down from; the sky like a huge bird, and land bebiml the trc*. where the lump was. A moment, afterwards a man came running down the .street towards the bungalow. Then Mr Kurnham made up his mindi to shoot anywuv, but. as Vtried, to pull the ( rigger' his strength failed, the light, street; and room *wam I m a «kiTk mist before him, and he fell I Kick fainting in the chair. The thing that, had come from the sky was an aeroplane, and the man riinnin'" along my nt.rcot -was my friend anil partner Curtis, professional aviator, who possessed the enviable habit of ahvavs doing the right thing at the right time'. K.'urti.s and I had watched Buriikam' courtship of Miss Evelyn Harkness with considerable curiosity. The.v had been introduced but, three weeks before a-|. (he aerodrome enclosure, and np to three days after Biimham'* rejection he hud been a constant visitor to the track. Mie had refused him. she said, for several reasons. Chiefly bea.use she had reasoned he was too young to know his own mind in. the short time of their ac ipiaintance. ami she was also certain that his family would never consent to their marrying. Of her past., si,,, told us a. little, mentioning that she had been 11 trick bicycle rider, forced into the business by the loss of a father ami mother. She had told P.urnham all of this, but he had declared, as she knew he would that none of it -mattered. '■And why d»> you Ml us all of this? asked Curtis, "voii'vo refused him. and that's an end of it." "Bui." said Idle girl quickly and an xiouslv. "he has tiluvatcncd to kill himself. I know it's silly of me. but I ar afraid he might do something rash." ■•Supposing he did." said Curtis pre tending n#l to notice the girl's agita tinn at his remark, "the world wou'hlu' slop -moving. I expect he's a lc-ch-*

kind of iu.livul'ii-.v.1. anyway." "f won't Ileal" \ou sav nn\ 1 'liiiy against MV llnnrliain/'viiod the' K irl," licr cy snappum; iinwilv. "In''- prrl'cidlv liin' anil iils',, lio\ aVinMeiiian." With tlii pari int.' i-.lml she hinird and stroll.' airav 'to lii'i' liairjar mi 1111- ,-d»v of (!i li.-lil. Curtis lamdird and tnrniil to in.'. '•T kn.'W it." he said: "lir's in lovr Willi liini." Two iliik wan! l.v w.it.li Imlli of us >o l.n-v wir.ii nuis and I Is. and trial Mint \vi' llioiiu-li! lii.tli' aluiiii llimdiam ami M- lovr all'iiv. lint on tin- morning of tin. lliii-d day. ju-f as I In. isirly, uiv j li;r!it wa- i-i-i'cpiii"-. niidw- tlir door of oil on Ih,. door. Curtis 1...11,>\v,m1 an ani'ty ,|iii'rv. and *■> hoard a woman's voir' !i,-li.n,-alh raliino- ,Vr n,. I riKln'd i.. llhml,.or anil throw it onni. M'.*-, Ihnkimss InltiTi'il insiili'. and

miv :i IViuliimi'il f;ii'i- nir^niii'i-!mi' !><■ h. 1.. l„.r. I'nrl.is tm,k n ii..(c ilml •;!:.- li.'M ,ml i.i .Mm. vi-a.l it. ;iml lian'.•■! )..; in,'. I- »;h I'li-iii liiirnliJ-ii. W 1,.;i!',i,.,| nfi-nviU-.U !»' liml -iv.'i, i« I hU \iili-1 will) llic "I'cli'V -'i-i'inl it ->'i"'i;il Ki> till. Ili.h- WUlll'l I'l'il.'ll \lis-i llil.'mi.x ■,.U<v,u im„ linm- m'l.'i' li,'n -iiiri,]... Unl); Hi.- v.'i'.'i lin.l mi-l.ik.-n llic <ri!i'v in in.'-M, ". M .,,'i i ,! mi'ssrni;.-!'." ami liml ,\U |,;it ( .lir,! it ii,'."nrilin-h-. I'.iinilr.im. in (lie nol'.v ilr-ni1,,.,! ~hi,, i.rnl.-h- lih i.l.iii fur -I'lf-iiiiii'ili'i'. Irlliii ill! .'lli.illl ill" I:lllip-=. illl' Umi.-li'Jll.T ;,,„! pnli.'ii'i.i' 1 -. Hie li lie liml K'.-iin). 11i.'.l liim.-i'lf In <li.-. - 'l'll.' uil'l. Wivft. ilf -pi'ivll. W.K fivnli p.-ilh- I'lul.-liiii.- CiiHi-V (i mi. >lv iri.'iil looked :it our alarm cliiek. It was ox i nctly five. The first lump luul out