THE NIGHT OWL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2197, 7 August 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE NIGHT OWL.

1 1 tell you I consider it a horrid shame that I have to come back, now that I am nearly eighteen, and Jack thinks so, too, for he told me so, and. he also confided to me that men hate blue-stockings, so I do not mean to be one V * Men are so ignorant themselves, generally, that they hardly care to air their lack of wisdom before a critical and clever young lady,' was the quiet response made by the younger ot the two gills who, sitting idly in the low window-seat of a now des~erted school room, were con filling to each other all sorts of interesting secrets and anecdotes connected with the vacation, which was just over. 4 How horrid you are, Flo ; how dare you think Jack Clinton is not clever 1 Why, papa, who took a double first at Oxford, says he is a most remarkably clever young mau, and I quite agree with him.' Leila Finch was standing now, looking down at the plain, little brown girl she had chosen for confidante and friend, with an expression of indignant scorn, which was not softened on hearing Flo's careless laugh. A wonderfully pretty girl was Leila Finch, with sunny blue eyes and masses wavy yellow hair ; a little supple figure, and a smile which was simply entrancing in its bewitching sweetness. That Leila had many friends was also self-evident ; that she had one particular friend was the secret she was confiding to Flo, who was so piovokingly cool abcut it all ; but, of course, it was because she had no Jack Clinton to spend all the idle summer days with as she had ; always at her right hand, ready to prove the strength of his fervent devotion by a thousand and one small attentions, given and taken with such apparent thoughtlessness, as if they had been pregnant with a deeper significance. No, poor Flo had no Jack ! 'Jack calls old Miss Briscoe Noah's wife,' went on Leila, forgetting her words, of a moment before, * because he says when he meets us in the lanes walking two and two, he cannot help thinking we are being conducted into the ark, by Noah's old wife !' •He is not too polite, I must say, to insinuate you are only a beast,' was Flo's retort, spoken in not too amiable a tone, but it may be she grudged Jack the possession of her sweet friend's heart. Leila said nothing for a moment, but looked out of the window, with a glad light shining in her eyes, as if past memories were wonderfully vivid, and strangely sweet ; then with girlish impulsiveness she knelt down by Flo's side, letting her flaxen headiest jvery closely to the dark, neatly-plated hair of her friend, and whispered — 1 Flo, dear old Flo, do help me now, for that you really can. I ask you rather than auy of the others, because I love you, and \ou said you liked me : please help me now, and do not let n»o act into a row with Noah's wife — I mean Miss. Briscoe— to-night ; say you will, swer>t, dear Flo, and when I am quite grown up I will ' * But whatever are you going to do ?' gasped Flo, lookim? up in astonishment A light soft laugh, and u happy sparkle of the blue eyes, told tue tale almost as plainly as words. 'Jack — never mind how — sent me a little noae, a few lines about some songs he forgot to tell me about last week, and then he said bow happy I bad made his vacation, and how sorry he had been to leave us all to ga back to S. Ishmael's, which he would wish, with all other Theologic 1 Colleges, was at the bottom of the sea, if it did not happen to bu ia rather close proximity to Noah's Ark ; and Flo, cannot you guess what is coming? He} wants me just, to sec him, and I—lI — I want to go so awfully, that, dearest Flo. I have told you, and I know you will help me, just for one half- hour to get away from this prison to see my own dear Jack again. You see,' she continued, 'it will be so easy this evening to slip unnoticed through the garden and meadow, and get down to the stream, where I can stay behind the trees till he come* --but, of course, he will be first there ' Pooi Flo did not know what to say ; she ti-lt she could not disappoint the bright young girl, who was kneeling at ncr side, with the happy lovelight in her eyes, and a mute expressive appeal in every motion of the whitb iiuu Is, clasped so tenderly around her neck, but she wished Lelia had chosen some oth«;r friend at this time, and her sense or right and wrong was nor ini[i<uted. when a soft whisper told her. ' You know Miss Briscoe believes every word you say, so it will be so simple.' But smiles, sweet entreaties, and the tenderest of caresses did their work successfully, aud with a sigh the words were uttered, by which Flo promised to help her friend, And the sigh was heard by Lelia,, who, mistaking the feeling which prompted it said to herself, with genuine sorrow, * Poor Flo, she has no Jack 3' The summer day was drawing to a close, and the burden and heat of the long hours were forgotten in soft stillness of the quiet eventide. The far west was still aglow with the last faint remnants of sunset glories, but the lengthening shadows and deepening dusk told that night was not far off. The soft air murmured gently amonsr the branches oj the trees, which grew on each side of the rippling silver rivulets called, out of courtesy, a river, but its whisper of hope or warning was utterly unheeded by the youth who was idly standing on the bank, looking anxiously in the direction of a white gate, which he knew only too well must be opened soon, it the pretty Lelia choose to respond to . his call. | At last the, young man grew evidently

weary of dreaming, even of the charms of his lady-love, and he walked up and down by the side of the rivulet, till he almost grew vexed with its merry rippling, because it seemed to be laughing at his foolishness. Then he leaned calmly against an old beech-tree, and resolved to wait patiently for half-an-hour longer, and meanwhile to think over the interesting lecture he had heard that day from the learned Dr. Jeremiah Mulbrane, but somehow or other the lecturer of S. Ishmael's failed this time, for a sweet girlish vision would oome between him and the student, till the old man was forgotten, and the maiden supreme. The dusk was deepening, and the young man's patience was becoming exhausted. Was Lelia not cor *%? Had that horrible old Miss Briscoe, w^th her spectacles, and her accumulated wisdom of fifty years, managed to see into the secret recesseß of Lelia's young heart, and give commands accordingly. Jack drew himself up, as though tryins: to lengthen his six feet into seven, shook his brown curls, and with a gathering frown on his handsome face, resolved to wait only five minutes longer, and to spend that time most profitably by thinking of lectures, sermons, and Lelia. The dvulet went laughing by, the night wind still whispered to him to leave the trysting place, for no sweet maid would meet him there, when, with a stifled cry of delight, Jack saw the white gate open and shut, and a well-known form come slowly clown the field. How lie longea to leave the shelter of the trees, and meet her, but he dared not emerge into the open field, lest some Argus-eyed^ watcher might become aware of his presence. There was no frown now on his bright boyish face, and his eyes followed eageily the dark figure, which seemed to advance so very alowlv. His satisfaction knew no bounds, as he watohed his iady love come down the meadow ; he praised her forthought in covering dress, fair hair, and dainty figure in a black all -concealing cloak ; he wven inwardly commendtd her caution in waiting until it was. so dubky before she quitted Miss Bri&coe's domicile, and he i torgot all the weaiy hourjof waiting when lie heard a low \usper close beside him, of— ' Are you there, dear ?' 'I am, my owl durhn e ',' was ri-e DiOmpt 1 espouse, a,id the little ditkclodked figure v. a.s safe in Jack's arms : held in a long, feiieut embrace, w tiile the young man's heait beat high with tender joy, in thus claiming for his especial treasure the winsome httie lady who, at this moment, seemed all in all to him. The silence ot this delicious moment w.is broken by the little lady Mho, leaning somewhat heavily on the devoted Jack, «aid, in a voice tremulous with tender emotion — ' Jeremiah, my own Jeremiah ?' With a start, Jack's arms fell to his side, and a cry, which told of mingled rage, pain, and horror, succeeded the penetiating glance, which revealed to him the extraordinary truth, that he had, in the exuberance of his boyish feelings, held Miss Briscoe -spectacles, and curls— in an all too close embrace ! But Jack did not stay for explanations, or to see w luiu effect his caresses had on the worthy schoolmistress., for, with one bound, he quitted the sc^ne, and was speeding m the direction of B. lshmac-l's as fast as his long legs could carry lhm, clearing every obstacle, as though it was a hurdle race he was engaged in, and looking round e\ery now and tnen, as though expecting to see Miss Briscoe at his heels. Once on the high road, he felt tolerably safe, and proceeded at a more reasonable pace, endeavouring to be as. calm aud collected as usual, even whistling now .and then, as if especially gay at heart. He had not gone far before he met the learned lecturer, Dv. Jeremiah Mulbrane, who was beginning to scan the heavens through his goggle spectacles, while with one hand he Inuudished an old butterflynet, which was an almost invariable companion of his. Jack thought to slip pass unnoticed, but this was not to be, as Dr. Mulbrano stopped him. 'Is that you, Clinton ? Beon to town, I snppo>e ?' •Yes,' answcied Jack, somewhat evasively, and looked at Dr. Jeremiah, who, -with his grey heard floating about in the evening vii, aud his eAtiaordiiirii v weapon, looked sonrjuhat uncanny in thu diibk. 'Scientific p'liSM [ft, 5 w-fiw on tl lt , leettmr, t.ipnhu „ hit 1^ 'j a I o . : U p 1 I his arm, 'law c lupil'id un ;o n; . out; f-citali. ■■>.!. ..... M mosh which hk\L :o_ x.32aped ai v obi< - viti^i. v. ;u>, lU t , Ii tvt, ■uiLce^.Uil.' 1 ' a\oi.i tl my net .ujjeiLo, wui, It:, i be added to mv «'ol M et<un, rind [ ivn ,i\~ . cio^elv watching the h.il.ils o[ u \civ peculiar kind ot I.l^'it owl. in .jXvX-o-i)}«ly iutprorli 1 q . w .' •Pi.iy allow m, to accompany you, said J, Mr, with .1 merry twinkle in lib eyes, 'you cannot think what a pleasure you would pive me iv allowing me to a^si-t you in oipturing this ni«rht owl, and di-fovprinjr the" h.iunN of thu-u moth,-. It is exactly the -sort of thiujr I am most criven to my-elf, *o any aj^i^tanee is in my power "i would irivc with But Dr. Mulbr'ine w-mld nofc have it si, and with oininou* irlittor loouu;i«r bc'jind tlii' hig t k lf^ he fuibislicd up from th-- 1 docpe-t u'c^s^o^ ofhi» lc'in* it brain lein.ukcib'c .strnnsr md cn^i p 1 rjay ni", why it n:b arlv^'ihlo ho should pm suv tilf'in? riio-^e stiVn^o ncifur'N which, in the intcie^fc of it wiv his duty to captnrp. So Jd^k on amno to S. Is'T)oh"''s, merry nt hp'^rf, in spite ot the ill luck, ""liich >'i.l not scorn altogether snob b-id in^k, wiimi one d,»y — S. lOiia.a'lV and Misss Bn»ooi» being 1 t hin ir- o!- tho pa^t — he was alone with swoet Lmla Finch, -tnd told her of his adventure with the worthy tsehoolniih-tre-s How L-Mla la'i^rhed at him, pretending hhe had ahv iy- t\ir»-,ijjht she had a penchant, tor Mi « Bn^cje, and somehow ..r otn.M, while -he was expkipinjr why it was &he u a-^ not able to mecf hi-n tii it s um m • r eveuniir, she found h^r- It in .1 ick s arms held close to his loving heait, and was ]i*t<>iiinsr to .ill s^rts. of rend' r w uds. •-> which 'h<-> m*de no ope?. oKji-oii.M, - hilo binding her vory <■ we.-tost smile, as if die wete eueour.i^in^ him. And it stem<>d jo L>>ili as if lhe glorious polden sunshine of thtt morning hud come riuht down into h' j r eivn he-irt, so blight and w n-<u \: sceuMnl in tbf> hrtppint-ss of hm- sweet L,ve Tor her owa Ja.-lc.' If vny words :u f Q needeA in cjuclusiok, it miy ne adii» y d that the n\^i)t-owl «-!,s nio^t *uooe»*f»ily raptured, aud placed iti that stviiume inddiauy museum, v»'h\ch Dr. Jevemi-vh Mullbrvviie called his home. 1 Tkk Tilbiuy Docks, London, were formally opened [he other day, after having boon three years in couise of coiihtruction. Dunns.' that time the loss of life among those who have been employed is truly ast muding No le<s than 900 men have been killed, and 2000 have been seriously injured. It is repotted tint a great sensat&ln has b'.-en ams-'d m Vienna -ociety by tl c announceiiu-nt that Her Johann Straus-,, the famous Viennese composer, has become a coin ei^ to f'rotestanism, havinp hither.' o '>een a Hunan Catholic. At t • B»iiip i •'" •" kin Q ' nprq !< 8 naturalised Uynnaa tiuujecc,