EVELYN MOSSLEY'S LOVER.
A Sketimi, by MRS W. RATTRAY, Author of "The Mystery of Sloan's Cottage," Captain Alten's Torpedo Expedition," &c.
CHAPTER I. " Tiikx let me tell you, sir, that you are a disgrace to the noble name of de Castneys; that I am most bitterly disappointed in you, and," concluded the old man, rising from his chair, and pointing to the door, " that I wish you good-bye." '' Am I to understand from that, sir, that you turn me out of your house." " You can understand what you like, only be very sure you understand perfectly that from henceforth you are no nephew of mine. A man who can betray the confidence reposed in him by an honorable firm, as you have done, forfeits for ever their trust and esteem. Had you chosen to confess all, and throw yourself on my mercy ; though I should have prabably removed you from your position in the firm, I should certainly have exerted my influence once morn to obtain for you some suitable employment. As it is, your obstinate refusal to speak freely to me, or to anyone on this subject compels me to adhere to my determination to renounce you utterly. But wait one moment; you shall not go penniless. Hand ine my cheque-book." Silently the unfortunate young man obeyed, and his uncle wrote out a cheque for £100, which he gave to his nephew with the brief remark : "Be careful; it's the last you will ever have from me. I shall alter my will tomorrow." He pointed to the door, and, without a word, John de Castneys left the presence of the uncle, who, since his parents' death, fifteen years before our story begins, had been to him a stern, though, hitherto, a just guardian. John was cashier in a large and prosperous firm in Sydney; but the unaccountable disappearance of certaiu sums of money—for which he was responsible —coupled with his strange manner of denying that he had taken them ; and his refusal to give any information on the subject, had, naturally enough, caused suspicion to fall on him. " I must go over to New Zealand," he said. " I shall soon find work there. But first, I shall go and say good-bye to Miss Mossley ; surely she will understand my motive in holding my tongue," But a bitter disappointment awaited the young man. Evelyn Mossley had heard full particulars of the disgrace into which de Castneys had fallen, and ahe received him very coldly.
"I am going to make my fortune in New Zealand," ho said, trying to hide the pain he felt at her ehanged manuer, " won't you wish me "boil voyage?"" She looked at him fixedly for a moment, till something sho saw in his face made her drop her eyes and murmur.
" Why do you let them think you did it?"
A sudden radiance spread over his grave face.
" Evelyn" he exclaimed, "if you believe in my innocence, I shall go away happy, I have no right to say anything to you whilst this horrible suspicion hangs over my head, but if ever I am cleared"—he paused, and glanced anxiously at the halfaverted beautiful face of the girl he so fondly loved; and gathering courage from her crimsoning cheeks, wentou—"l shall come straight to you, and ask you the (juestion I dare not venture to put now."
Ho took her unresisting hand in hia ; printed a fervent kiss upon it, and was gone before the girl had time to realise what it all meaut.
Johu cashed hia cheque (which had cost him some stifling of his pride to accept), and having paid a few small debts, took his passage in the U.S.S. Co's boat " Rotomahana" to Auckland. This was one of the best then running, and though John found her .'engines throb uncomfortably, he was glad of the rapid speed which brought him into the beautiful Waitemata harbour, five days after leaving Sydney. And now began the dreary search after suitable employment with which, alas, so many young men are all too familiar. His first idea, was of course, a clerkship or desk-work of some kind. But all his inquiries evoked the same answer; ''we have no room for you."
For three weary months he waited, saying each rooming hopefully, as he droased himself, " Surely to day I shall pet something to do." But tho evening found him footsore and weary, sick at heart of the continual disappointments. Worst of all his money was rapidly melting away. He had taken tho well-known surname of '• Smith," thinking " there is safety in numbers ; no one will caro to ask to what particular branch of Smiths I belong." Several times when he thought ho had a ehaucc of employment the natural question of references broke off the negotiations. At length he resolved to give up the idea of supporting himself by his brains, and determined to try manual labour. Knowing no trade, he applied for a .situation as groom and gardouer. He sueoeedcd in obtaining tho plane, but was terribly non-plusserl the first evening by finding that he was expected to millc the cow. He did not like to confess that he was unable to perform tho first duty that was expected of him, but which the lady had forgotten to mention when she engaged him. lior own man was ill, and she had been too thankful to get a respectable houest-looking man to supply his place for a few days, to object to having no character with him.
Tho cow was a particularly patient, animal, but even her patience, and John's psr»everance, did not produce the desired result ; and, very crestfallen, the new man made his way to the kitchen, where two servant girls were busily engaged discussing his arrival.
"Laws, Mr Smith, how yau frightened me!" cried tho housemaid, darting a coquettish glance at the handsome, though decidedly shabby looking young fellow, who stood somewhat sheepishly before thorn, debating in his own mind the best way to induce one of them to assist him in his dilemma. Finally he addressed the cook :
" Bless me," he exclaimed, with an effective glance of admiration at tho woman's fine proportions ; "you are the very image of Lady Jane whom I used to know in London years ago." The cook simpered and said: " Got along with you ; we don't want nouo of your fine London ladies here," aud she tossed her head in affected disdain ; but John saw that ho had scored a point.
The housemaid fooling herself nclgccted, peeped into the empty milk-pail, and revenged herself by exclaiming: : " He's been so busy a-thinking of bis fine Lady Janes, that ho has forgot to milk the cow."
"No," averred John unblushingly, " but the fact was tho cow and I had not been introduced, and she thought it wasn't manners to have anything to say to me without. Won't you come along and tell her who I am," ho added, with an appealiug look at the cook. After many exaggerated compliments, and adroit flatterings the cook was persuaded to show John the way New Zealand cows were milked, he telling - her with much gravity, that the operation was conducted quite differently where he came from. He also learned all he cared to know about the family which he had entered under such novel—for him — circumstances.
Mr Brown—the father—was frequently away from home, and Mrs Brown managed the hou3e and gardens. She was " awfully particular," and the place was "rather dull," and cook "didn't think she or the other girl should stay if they got a decent pretext to leave."
CHAPTER 11. John found his work of looking after the horses much more congenial than cleaning boots and shoes, and waiting on the cook; especially when the next afternoon he was required to drive out Mrs Brown and her two daughters, one of whom sat in front with him when the buggy stopped to take up a lady friend. They called at the posfcofliue for letters, and Mrs Brown gave a good cry 011 reading hers, " Dear Ted is ill," she explained to her friend ; " Drive straight home, John—l must write to him at once."
Soon after their return; John was sent off on horseback to the Post-office with a letter Me had not ridden for months, and he greatly enjoyed the rapid motion, and temporary sense of freedom. His thoughts naturally reverted to Evelyn Mossley, and the last ride he had had with her, before this eloud of doubt, and suspicion, had overshawowed his fair prospects. " Yet it is for her dear sake," he said, " and, if I could tell her all, she would forgive—nay, love me, for my silence." Tho thought was a very pleasant one, and John de Castney's face wore a happy look, till he was rudely called to his present position by the query. " Say, young fellow," are you Mrs Brown's new groom?" John owned that he had the honour of serving Mrs Brown iu that capacity, amongst others; and discovered to his surprise, that he had arrived at the Post otfice. The man who had addressed him held out a telegram, saying ; " that's for your missus, then," John posted the letter he had brought, and galloped home.
The receipt of the telegram, threw the household into confusion, and dismay. The eldest son, Ted, clerk in a bank in Auckland, was coming home, ill; and begged them to send the trap to meet the evening train. Mrs Brown came out herself to give the order to John, and to see that a sufficient quantity of wraps, and rugs was provided.
" I shall go myself, John," she said. "1 do not think you need" said the groom forgetting his place in pity for her womaad look. " If he is well enough to travel alone by rail, he can easily manage the six miles in a comfortable buggy." Mrs Brown hesitated ; she was not very strong, and she was much upset by the telegram. The questici w.is settled by the appearance of the younger Miss Brown,
dressed in a long, warm coat, and closelyfitting, stylish hat.
" Run iu, mother dear, Ursula is seeing after the domestic arrangements, and I am going to meet Ted."
" But, Jenny, its late—you—" But the young lady had the natural colonial instinct of superiority to elders well developed; and she only laughed. " It's all right, give me the reins, John, I always drive when mother is not in the trap."
Mi3s Jenny displayed much skill in handling the ribbons, and received very graciously an expression of admiration at her skill from her companion. The girl was a born flirt, and though the young man at her side might not be exactly in the same rank of life as herself, yet, she argued there could not be the slightest harm in talking to him as a groom. On his side, John rather enjoyed the situation. The little air of condescention, with which she listened to his remarks, as though she would say: "That's not badly expressed for a man in your position," amused him, and the efforts he had to make to keep back some retort, which would have considerably surprised the young lady, prevented his thoughts from dwelling ou his distant love, and the small chance he had at present of making anything like a fortune. He certainly should, not make it on one pound a week and found, which was his magnificent salary ; and as he bitterly owned, rather more than, in his inexperience, lie Has worth.
At the station, John instinctively got down, and, fastening up the reins, held out his hand to assist Miss Jenny to descend. With the cold remark. " Your business is to attend to the horse, not to me," that young lady recalled him, somewhat sharply to his subordinate position. John felt as if he had received an unmerited slap in the face, and, muttering an inaudible "I beg your pardon," resumed his place.
Perhaps Jenny felt she had been unnecessarily severe ; for it was in a much pleasauter tone that she told him, as she and her brother came off the platform, to fetch the luggage. When they were seated—the two Browns in front, and de Castnoys behind —the sister said,
"I think you are a fraud, Ted. You look so well ! I never saw you with such a colour before."
" 1 can assure yon, I don't feel well, then. I have had a racking headache for the past week ; and all the figures in the books have been dancing before my eyes till I made the most dreadful mistakes. My chief said ho couldn't stand it any longer, and packed me olf home. Hope the mater was not scared by the telegram " Wasn't she though? Sho nearly fainted on the spot! I can't think why hoys should be so much more precious than girls. Now last week I was in bed all one clay with a genuine headache, pnd no one worried about me."
" That's because girls are always indulging in some form of illness. They think they look interesting with a shawl or two tied round their heads for neuralgia, which is another uaine for effect. Drive slowly Jen, I think my head is splitting open."
Ted went to bed immediately they arrived, and was so feverish the next morning that John was sent off with orders to bring the doctor back with him.
That gentleman at once pronounced the illness to be a bad case of typhoid fever. Both servant girls at once announced their immediate departure, and left by the next train for town.
Jenny went to find John and, after tolling him what was the matter with her brother, said, with a little air of disdain, yet with a slight falter in her voice, "I suppose you will think it necessary to run away too He was touched by the trouble she was trying to hide from one, whom, she evidently thought, could have 110 sympathy with her, and quickly answered : "If I can be of the slightest use to your mother, Miss Brown, I shall certainly remain here. She was good enough to tike me without a character." A half smile played round his month as ho said this, which was not unnoticed by Jenny, " aud I feel I owe it to her not to run away, as you kindly suggest, and as my felloe-servants have done."
"Thank you. Will you get the small buggy ready, and go to Dr. Ruth ; and ask him if he knows of a nurse, and, if possible, bring her back with you ? Can you remember this, or shall I write a note ?"
'•You seem to have the lowest possible opinion of me in everyway, Miss Brown," he answered, quickly moving towards the stable. "I can, I believe, manage to remember such an easy order as that."
Jenny retraced her steps to the house in an unusually thoughtful mood.
"I wonder who ou earth he is," she mused. "He has assurance enough for anything, and he is always putting ine in the wrong, which I don't like at all." During the next few weeks John made himself useful in a way that astonished him as much as it amazed and delighted the family. In the sick room he proved an effective help ; watching by Ted with uuweaiied care, and administering his medicine with a regularity that made the nurse declare " she always slept more quietly when she knew that Mr Smith " (as he had somehow come to bo called) " was in charge of her patient."
"I 3ay you know," said Ted feebly on one occasion when John was sitting by him ;" I don't want to pry into your private affairs, but, [of course, I can't help noticing that " things are not what they seem," with you. If I can help you in any way I shall be only too delighted, for it is very evident this is not the sort of life you have been used to."
John"hesitated. " You have all treated me so very kindly that I feel it is only right you should know something about me. Anot her day when you are stronger, I will tell you everything you care to hear." (Tu be continued.)
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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2668, 17 August 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)
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2,710EVELYN MOSSLEY'S LOVER. Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2668, 17 August 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)
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