THESTORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 836, 27 October 1877, Page 4

T H E STORY- TELLER.

B<j the author of ".Bora TnoaNt," J « On . Hrit mimx&Wri&M HCRW) 1 deemed »r LovjC.lAWomah's War," Ac 40. T was tbe close of &H autumn day, d Br Stephen .I^fedm'had l&feftK] standing 'tor sometime aVliis'witi* dow watching the suii^o down. It faded sjpwtyout of^e w^p. $g v Thexe had been. a .golden Anak with the sunset whicfr cham^ediato 'prim-' son/the^ H futo : V p«^ a^fi^Ujr into dull grey , -tints i^hafc^r^'torer runners of i the -shades d of onigh.t; Doctor Stephett'^etsbm'haa^vatehea ir with sad. tnoftfch&ul ejres^ " The leaves on tho trees had seemipp, he dyed first m red, ev and x then J to purple. The chT^antpWmiitHs changed colour with^W^hW|of; the sunset; there wfis'^fe^Heil autumn .wind .^s thoug^,^, trees, and , floww«^ r w«(!B':jn|onjning'.iO«eß: their comi»&;fete^^erema*Bo^ thine of sadness m the Whole' aspect of nature.' .. -j .«■ -• -' J uav - ' . Tbe $ocjor evidently .sbarecMito The face * looking, from tfheVwindow was .anything'^ * W®*M l Mif Perhaps ii was -not -the mi *t Judicious manner^ wMdlr y We. $$(%>\ could ,, Have", s]ifen| " fife type^ab&w: all, 'it be wished' tOigi^BEpeopleati im pre&iani Jthat. he>had <«idarstf 'pYaV tice. But Dr Lestom had ceasedW' hi- tmrncuiar in Tfi^mattvr of hj»-p.-urancos. :i tifiht\r intent* Hid j .urposf-8- a d 'wppi rorrrrTnTnYr Years, before, wjie<> his jeyes > ypnhi ijrht' 'with the' tire of youth, a. d hope wasstipDg. injhis beaiit/vtelh.id invested such money-as he possessed m the pnrchase ; ,of tf , TftßP& V Cstledene, aiirj 'it M^m^ fa a failureY-vrJi^r flo,) <pne little toyns in*!)Ken^ ImlKama^et^hw^^e^ market, and the remains of a fine old cnstle ; .but itMwaauprjlficipallyidis- > inauished -fpr ; -its I 'Wees,- A 1 yearly' of visitors tip the; town. It was half buried m : . fpjiage, grounded by dense woods and green hills, with a e'ear swift riyer running by. The inhabitants were ! divided into three distinct clas3e? ~- the f whp pained a scanty livelihoda'in worlti ng m the fields) theshopkeepef^iarji'd ihe gentry, the'lati^'rcla^^nsis^ng j ump jpall y of oicj maijdsJncl m&oWi Indies of .unblemished gentilivy;bnt limiteotmeans.^ ■ -''• *•£ ,} » ,: ■'&'*■»)> Amongst the latter Dpctlo'r'^storn j was not popular. , lip .^ad^an un-j pleasant fashion ,of (^lUng^erythingj by its right riamei If a lady would! take a little more stimulant than ! was good for her, he could not be: persuaded to call her .complaint " nervousness ;"• wheri* idleness and; ennui, preyed upon a languid frame,' he had a starilipgi habit; , of rousing the patient by iß>.i mental.; caiiteryj Tbe poor idolised him, but the ladies pronounced him '^arse^.'ajp^upt/'unt pleasing ; and,j the/ladies decide against a doctor,; fate ii Owns upon him. . \ How waav he to gefj on m the world \ Twenty years ;_ .before, he had thought less of getting oh than of the iriteresfs of s6ien^ or of doing good ; now those ideas, vere, gradually leaving him—life^lia^becomiß a stern 'hend-tp-harid [fight withhard neceskiiy.' The j- dor seemed to be 1 growing poorer the difficulty of • getting a 'fee becamel greater-r|tlie' ladies seemed more and mora determined to show their dislike and .... ,< -. i aversion. Matters wPre gtpmtig deflperarf, 1 bought Dr .Lestom qn this atiturnn night, us he stood watching thf chrysanthemums V and o ihe fading light m the western aky. : .-, Jrl;oney whs becoming a ; rare .. s ; commodity with him. His housekeeper, nlfs Galbraith, had long been evihcin» signs of; great discpntept She had not enough: for her ije^iiirenjigntST 1 - she wanted r monoy for a hundred different things, and the Doctor hs^d none to rive lier.: Tpjie curtains were worn and shpbby, the carpets full jof holes, the furniture, though' clean and well preserved, i was 'totally insufficient.^ ;;In vain /the Doctor assured Jier ha had not the means ; after the -fashion of weak-minded-women, r she gramble|d ( y incessantly. On this' night he felt overWilielmed with cares*.;, Therenfdue the preceding June had not been paid ; the gas and coal accounts were still unsettled.; the batcher had sent m his "little bill ;'' the baker had looked anything ibut pleasant at the non-J paymeut of his. The Doctor sadly wanted a now hat — and he had hardly' money enough' in hanr| for the week's eipehses. What Vas^to be done ?, ,. f " - „r i Mrs Galbraith had reti'^dtc^rest m a ver^ag^neyed State d^mjiftd/ and the ; floctor atppd; ; watching, thtS' stari, as. they came out one by- one m the darkening sky.' He^yas almost' tirod of the struggle'; life had not been a grand success .with him, he had wprke ( d hard, vet not hing. had' peemed to, prosper;; In lu'a early youth, he, had loved! a bright, pretty, jfirl, who jh»d looked forward to;ljecqming his wife ; but lie. never marrried, siniply^becatjße! lie Ind not had the means, and jthe pretty girl Saddled a' sad,/ fc Pointed/wprriiQi,: Now, as he^atchedl. the stars, lie . on her grave ,h e fancied the gfafes^ waving ahp^hi^Jjettr], solopg and studded with large wtite' , ria . ,s,p «r r «^hewi B l,edthathew^^^ i l v,n 8 j »yr ire, n a nd at rept. : -Strong man as he fas,

"his lips tremblfd with a deep-drawn iaitt^ivaobj-- - ' - ■•■.--.— -- - - - .'.—,* , He was fcm»airig away,' with n feeling | of contempt for his- own weakness, when PM >wi*a ' by the 'sound of a vehicle driven furi'.UHiy down^GagtlevSJreet..; i Whatcvehidle; ; |Cou)d it be at that hour of the night — neaffy'eleveri? Stephen Letsom stopd's'til I anoV watched. He saw a .tr-juyelling carriage with two horses 'driven rapidly up to the dopr of the principal Jhptel— the 'f Castle Arms" — and there stand tor some few minutes. It was too dark for him to j«eei if any one alighted from it, or >vhat; -tppk, place ; but, aftei a time, the notifies' heads: were turned ; and : tfaen, lJ like' a 'roll of thunder, came : the noise of the carriage-wheels. trfi^ 1 v , eh r icle'\'drew' up before his 'dti))f, OaH0 aHS t W t LVdo^rJi' stood for a few 'inprnents as though paralysed. Then paine- a. violent peal/of the doorbell ; WdJie,' knowing that Mrs Galbraith lhad.>rejir.ed m, the , [evening, went to Answer it. There indeed, m the *starlightj? we're the handsome, tra'vek 'lir^g t*rriag*v the pair of grey horses, and the postilion. ' Stephen -vL^taom lo^fce(J r about h^ like one in 1 a •dream." He had been -twenty •yiars m the place^yet no carriage >had ever stopped at \liis door. » | He heard a J quicb,'ini|idtivnt voice slyiug, '_ „"_ 4 r«; ; . you "Hie , doctor — rioq^y/Lptppm.?' '"'- K ' : ''',. r - | tobkHngWn 'the direction of the (J s6und, the D ctor .saw a tall, distniguislietlUoo^iivg ni:\i\; (wrapper! m . i M | ftva.ve/lliugv^c'.oak^a _m.in-_; whose fjice and:-m:u;ti''r vindicated at once, i thaV ! - -he' •hv'lon-rcd-- ; nV' the upper-„.;V-.ks 1 1 5 r fo\-\*'k\ /- • ; iPi « 'V;r St< phen l|ji*!Wni rfs^:;* :, qiii^k-ftu : 'ivco^ni^e that tufosi- i:o< " ,::j ""- : ■• ■•■; ..•."' | "I am ihe ppp-iur," lie r*epS iecl quietly^ ;»:■!.-:■■:•■. - ; • /.- . i " Then,' foi- 'Heaven'.s sake, help inesfebil^m almosiVmad. ,My wife '" hasabeen- 1 suddenly^ taken 'ill, and I liiiTel^eeritb^the ; hotel, inhere they : telF me 'they "^y^iiot'-^ii'.'^nl in ,: r ,t_h^ey,_,can lodgp'her, The.thing is^^nc^jßiaible^^^t^Yqii must ,i)e)p nie.? | '" rw'ilr'do all I 'can," returned itfcp Emptor."; ;/ -.:■ „-:■■. ...... v - j Had fortune indeed knocked at a ;hiß^daOr>afc last? ' :■■'■ 9 j He went lo the carriage-door, and, 'looking, >ins|d^(. saw i a lady, -young land beautiful, who,stretched out her 'arms to him, j as, though appealing for help, - ,( I- am very ill," she moaned 'feebly [■> -,y » .■ [ Dr Letsom guessed so much from Irerrrjallid face and shadowed eyes. * ' "*"« , What is the < matter with your [ ; wife ?" he asked of the strange genj tlem*rij- who n lben.t;- down' and whisj 4^ere4 (.something • that -made Doctor 'I Letsom himself look anxious. f.ii^jjlV.owvDootor,'' said the traveller, : || *" it ' ?is ! bseless'to raise objestiqns. j fYou' 'see .bp>w the matter stands ; 'j Im^^ifeinnsr: stop heie.; The hotel j *• !.is Vfqli /of yisitors-^rpepple who. are _ J; there for the races.' There is Nowhere • -else-.fori her tb go— -she must stay; J here." -'*""" '"• '• ' '. "At my, house ?". interrogated ? the Doctor/ " It is impossible." 8 "Why?" asked the stranger, " quickly. . ;.i ; ? YUM-'. ■■; f —"Because I am not married— l f have «o 'wife, -ho sister." ! " But you- have women-servants* surely rwas . the h isty rejoinder. 3 " Only one, .and 'she is not over- > YoV'ca'n^ get more. My wife must have Jfelji* "^ Send all oyer the ? place— get the- best nurses, the beat | ( ihelp^.-possi^je.- „,Do not study ex- ' fl ,pense. ;,!. will make you a rich nfhn i for life 5 if you will only help me now. » ■ . [■• " I will help you," said Doctor Letsom. . Fpria moment his thoughts flew » to the green grave under the stars. 1 Hiches would come too late after all; ' they could not bring buck lite to the dead. s " Wait one _; moment," said the 'Doctor ; ad he , liasiened to rouse 1 his housekeepsr who, curious and int.eres.ted. ; i,exe«'ted,hirse.f so as to satisfy even ihe stranger. . ' i --Jiir be Continued..