CHECKMATE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2369, 14 June 1892, Page 4

CHECKMATE.

One of the keenest disappointments o: Kilda M'Leod's earlier years of business experience was the communication which he received one morning, while attached t< an influential bank at Edinburgh, instruct ing him to repair at the week end to Red ford to present himself to the managers o the local branch, and hold himself in readi ness to remain in that neighbourhood fo; an indefinite period to come. Normally, Redfold is dark, dismal anc dirty ; and, to its credit be it said, pretend to nothing else. Never before had Kilda M'Leod foum himself in such a gloomy, unromantic, an< depressing town, and it was with feelings o unqualified disgust that he took possessio; of the cheerless apartments bespoken fo: him upon the night of his arrival. Kilda had resided at Redfold just or.: month, in which short space of time tlv factory town had become as dear—aye, an; dearer to him than he could even remembe Edinburgh to have been. The change which had come so sudden! "o'er the nature of his dream" had bcc-i effected by five feet odd of the prettiest <■• summer-washing materials, presided ove by one of those faces for staring at or turn ing round to catch a second glimpse o which the veriest heathen might be par doned; and coming to an end somewhai abruptly above a pair of small feet, which twinkled almost as restlessly as the littlehands which they were designed to match. To speak of Cecilia Carmichael dispassionately would be impossible; suffice it, therefore, to say that, at the period referred to, young M'Leod was only one of very many who had never seen her like before. How and where he first encountered the fair Cecilia is of little moment.

They had met, and if her rare beauty and Irresistible manner had fairly taken Kilda M'Leod by storm, she, for her part, had been no less impressed by his manly bearing and the frank, open nature ol his character.

v For the space of a week Redfold, its factories, its unattractive suburbs, and common surroundings appeared to Kilda M'Leod couleitr de rose.

Scarcely, however, had this rapid transformation been effected, and hardly had Kilda settled down with something more than resignation to his life under its altered circumstances, than an ominous cloud loomed on the horizon of his prospects, and plunged him into a depth of gloom to which not even his depression upon the first night of his arrival could be compared. For Cecilia Carmichael, he was given to understand, already had a suitor. Three months had flown since M'Leod inade the discovery which had threatened lo so completely wreck his new-found happiness. He had boldly encountered his rival upon his own ground, and Aithur Gordon Slade had sustained a signal defeat. That this young man of illustrious descent and brilliant prospects should silently withdraw his claim to the beautiful Cecilia was not to be expected. But, deliberately and emphatically, she had signified her choice, and—it had fallen on Kilda M'Leod, who, reflecting on his rival's discomfiture, and being no without a sense of humour, softly whisperec. in his hearing, " Check." Just a year had elapsed upon the day preceding that on which Kilda M'Leod was tc t>e married to Cecilia Carmichael since the former had come to Redfold.

With elastic step and smiling face he made his way down the central thoroughfare, bent on purchases at a certain jeweller's shop opposite the new gasworks at the west end of the town. On his way thither he encountered Arthur Gordon Slade.

For the lirst time in Kilda's recollection, Slade extended his hand toward him with a smile on his face. , " I really must congratulate you, sir," he said, "if not too late," with an unfeigned attempt at enthusiasm, which, however, proved hardly a success. Kilda, safe in the love of the inestimable Cecilia, felt more kindly disposed towards his old rival than he had ever done before. In possession of it he could appreciate to the full the extent of the loss which Slade had suffered when Cecilia had transferred her affections from that suitor to himself. And with such thoughts in his mind, he spoke more cordially to Slade than he had ever done since his arrival at Kedfold.

£s*Xne latter turned to the right-about; together he and Kilda proceeded down the street. '\v "V " I'm going," said M'Leod, in reply to an inquiry from his companion, "as far as Crouch's, the jeweller; you know, the shop opposite the gasworks.'' "»«eias '"'"-■■ Slade nodded assent, and speaking in a tone of friendliness almost bordering Upon familiarity—much to the surprise of his companion, who had unceasingly regarded the man as his natural enemy—he proposed to accompany him, " for," said he, " I'm bound that way myself." K," Let's go in here for a minute," he continued, as they reached the front door of the " Golden Lion," " that I may have the pleasure of drinking prosperity to your married life." ' Kilda hesitated, but reflecting that something was due to his friend for his kind ad' vances, and seeing how much he was likely to take a refusal to heart, he reluctantly complied. At the bar of the hotel M'Leod encountered more of his acquaintances, all of whom •were loud in tendering their congratulations upon the coming event. Champagne was ordered more than once, and freely circulated. Slade, who seemed to be under the influence of undue excitement—fairly attributable to the good fortune which his whilom rival was so soon to realise—drained his glass again and again, fV.Loth as he was to do so, Kilda M'Leod, hard pressed by his friends, kept them company for over an hour, at the end of which period he made a move to depart. " One more all round, and I'm with you," exclaimed Slade; " we'll stroll down to Crouch's together, for my watch needs a key, and I'll take the opportunity of getting one."

" I want to look," said M'Leod five minutes later, as he stepped up to the counter of the jeweller's shop, "at the bangles you've got in the window —silver and gold. but not those which have mounts." *'*•*.■...

" No, not like this," he continued, as the shopman, as his habit is, produced the very thing his customer had not asked for, " these are mounted—with diamonds, too—out of the question. What; for <sxjE-mp]e, would be the price of such an" article as this ?" he queried, holding up one in bis hand, as the jeweller's head emerged again from the window.

i " That ? Two hundred and fifty," responded the man, with a smile to Slade, an old customer of his, who had just selected his key from a tray on the counter, and was now evincing some interest in his companion's business. M'Leod laughed uproariously. The idea of his investing two hundred and fifty pounds in bangles, even for his dear betrothed, tickled him immensely. Even Slade, to whom hundreds were of as little account as tens to M'Leod, seemed to experience a sense of humour. " Bank clerkships hardly run to that, I fear, eh, M'Leod ? When you are manager (lo he continued.')