CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2916, 24 March 1891, Page 4

CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

11 v Mus h. Fuos-r Kattkay (Author of " l'.rntoii(]yll."i CHAPTER XII.— Uoyu'* HkkakKAST. '• Mr Tallot, will you tell Mr Tiifferson thiit J am tired, and shall not leavo my room again toni<dit"" •• Indeed I >vill. I hope you wiil 1. •. rcstfd in ill*' mornin". - ' Tiiat was all ho ventured on Haying, though ho longed to utter some, words of Kinypathy. Stanley was seeing his uncle and

cousin off, and when he entered Camella's room, she feigned sleep, and he went out, softly closing the door behind hiui. The next morning, Mrs Pritt was very indignant u/betold that Mrs Tafl'erson was Hleeping so soundly, she was not to bo roused. So the two gentlemen had their early breakfast and then wont off to the various duties awaiting them. At half-past-eight, Mrs Pritt's patience could hold out no longer, and she was jnst going to drop the tows !>'' incident, outside, Camella's door, when she, saw i'oyd llamley riding up on his pony. " Plenty of them always aboul," she muttered, " what does ho want?' The bov swung himself of! his pony, and"fastening it up toa post, entered the kitchen. " I say. Mrs Pritt, whore's cousin Stanley f " I'm sure 1 don't know. Look nere, P.oyd, you are a stupid, you're hitting on tho '.mtter.' '• No, I in not. T only put my hand on it by mistake M'' s Trilt, ' and lie lowered his voice, " Mrs Tall'erson i; In bed and asleep. "11on11 y ' she sick '• Not that I know of, but sir a line lady and not used to early rising, I expect." ; " Hut isn't it time she got up? asked little Boyd, visions of a nice hot breakfast with. Oamella floating across his hungry imagination. Mrs Pritt would warm nothing up _ for him. but what savory morsel might j she not eonooct for the mistress ! | " Well, I was just thinking of j knocking at her door myself. 1 can get no work done, with her breakfast hanging about this way. Boyd (juietly left tho kitchen, and made his way to Camella's room lie went in gently and stood by the Led. Even to his youthful gaze. Cuinella looked very sweet and pretty. The delicate complexion was relieved by the red lips, and pink chocks. Her long dark lashes almost made the boy fancy she had her eyes open, and her fair hair lying in soft profusion over the pillow was like a halo he thought. This was no creature to rouse into everv-day life by the application of a spongeful of (cold water, and Lloyd was quick jto realize that his favourite plan was inadmissable in this case and decidedly inappropriate. Besides might not Stanley " give it" him, if ('ainulla saw tit to inform him of the

trick 'I A happy thought came to him. lie leaned over, and just managed to roach the cheek nearest to him. With a smile, the young wife awoke, but the smile, vanished as she saw Boyd. " Who are you,'and where do you come from t" she nsk.'d. " I'm you cousin," he said stoutly. " Well, which are you, Boyd or .1 lerbert ?"' " Couldn't, you see time I am not a little whipper-snapper of five? Why I'm eight years old," drawing liimnp in injured dignity. " x,.if roin-'ie; 1 never thought, vou were live, bill, did not remember whether if. w:w Herbert that was eic;l)t or yon.'' •'Pon t vou want your breakfast' asked P.nyd, rel urniii'.i to what was really a rr.onf in'■.">■«■*i subject for a henHliv. i. >y I I- r! uu; \ -in'!, wli n I am ibw-il." ■ I 1'.,, i 111'; s!; ii v. oil Id bp a v.-i . ui |.1:111 'o lell ,\l is Pritt to 11.. v.■ i' r. iil , i'"r you ? How long do \ I i !;<•• to dress •(' ■■ About half an hour. •• '.rin- girls iiiv quicker than iliat when there's no one buying in the house, and they haven't to 11 x up their hair. Could not you lease voui'3 to do afterwards.

•' Poor boy. are you really so hungry ?" asked Camella merrily. " Hun along to Mrs Pritt mid tell lier. I'll bo iu the dining-room at jiinc o'clock, and ask her where the gentlemen are ?" "Nino o'clock ' Oil that won't do at all. It will give mo no time, for eating anything more than porridge, and I get thai every day.'' '' Wliy, where are you yuiug ' " To school, or course, autl 1 inuot bo thero sharp at half past nine." " Well, you run away, and I be with you iu live minutes. Will that do •'Grand'/1 suy what shall I order ?" " Mis Prilfc will give, us what over she lias saved. 1, at least, do not deserve anything, do I

" Doesn't Mrs I'rit.t let you do as you like ! Hetty said slio was sure you would order her about finely," " If you stay chatting here, I shall never coine to breakfast at all, how would you lilco that?'' Cauiella asked gaily, though she heartly wished that Iluttv would refrain from making remarks about other poopleboforfi this communicative small brothor.

Camolla vrrs in tlio dining-room in less than tlio stipulated time, clad in a pale blue sateen wrapper, with a cascade of lace down the front. 81xo had twisted her wealth of hair lightly round her head. ii My, how swell you are!" was Hoyd's greeting, why the girls would wear that dress to a big party." " How do you know anything nbout dresses, Boyd?" asked Cm. e! : ;i n,uch amused at the young colonial.

" Oil, they ;irc always talking about tlwm at homo. I say, Hetty thinks you're very ->!r*bt.'y because you won In t show In-r aM you vogot. An: you rf.iily |ifr;iid they will make their things like them !' " Now, JBoyd, sat your breakfast, and tell me when vju will liavo a holiday T " Why, Hetty's light, you cloti t know anything. Tomorrow, of course." " Well, do you know where lliere are any nice plants in the, bush ?' " L should think I did. Do you want some ? " Very much indeed. 'Jan you come to morrow and show where

thev are f "All right I'll come. I say. lets take our lunch and eat it up at the spring," •'ls that very far .' " Oh, yes. "I can walk a longdistance,'' said Oamella hastily, fearful of falling still lower in this urchin's good opinion. "(I think, remarked Boyd "that you had better not tell Stanley. " Why not .'' "He mightn't let you go," " Why should ho not !" inquired the wife, greatly amused at the idea of any one forbidding her to take a walk. " Susan says that if it absolut'-lv riduculous the care he takes of you. " I wish von would not tell me what your sisters s iy," exclaimed the much tormented Cainella. '• Don't you like it 1 "Not at all. Besides it is very wrong to repeat anything you may happen to hear. " Is it ? Why, when 1 get home the girls will make me tell every thing you said and did. "Then don't tell them." '■ It 1 promise 1 won t what II you

give me ?" " Boyd exclaimed the liuly, '"what ever do you mcnn ? •Sni'i'ly you will do it if 1 juyt |is k yOU. " I'.ul that sso hard on a fehow who is always short of tin. You sec, Hetty will od'er men penny—it' 1 stick out I'or it— to toll her all about you, and what you had on. and that you were so lazy. I mean you were asleep. I might even make two out of them, if I managed pioperly." ".But this is perfectly awful! Are you an ordinary hoy, or are you an extra bad one This rather offended the lad, who beau to see that the candour which was cultivated at home, was not appreciated hero. ".[must ge liuw. Iris :id, t'i:;injr from the table. 1 hen peiveiving that his liotess had ma.de little or no progress with her repast, he .said confidentially. "Do you find the chops tough I did, so I ate them up, and went for the bauon. You'd better try that, too.' 1 Uuuicll:i laughed, and told him to be sure and come over to breakfast the next morning, and they would start early for their ramble. "Call it a scramble," returned Boyd, "and you'll just about hit it. But I wouidn t go in that dress, if I was you.' 1 " Thank you for the warning, and ] will certainly dress more suitably.' Oamella watched her visitor ofl, them laughed heartily. '' I must not mind what Hetty says, they none of them know any better, apparently. And as for poor Stanley, t expect he will tind it hard work to be polite to them and yet not offend me. So I will meet him as if nothing had vexed me.' She presently made her way to the drawing-room, and looked in dismay at the still pneked. up furniture. When her eyes, rested on the piano, she felt a sudden longing for some music, and, crossing the room,

examined the wooden trying each side to find out the method to be pursued in order to release it from it's fastening. " Mrs I'ritt,' she called, have you a hammer .'' '•There she is again," said Mrs Pritt, l: l wonder what she wants now. She's as much trouble as a baby." Oaiuella entered (he kitchen. '■ Is there sueh a thing as a hammer anywhere '?"

" 1 don't know. .Mrs Taflerson. I'm all behind this morning and the butter to make up and everyUling. ' •• fan I do the butler !" asked Camella anxious to conciliate the housekeeper " You ? I expect it would take far longer to show you than to do it all myself. Ever made up any before?"'" "No,"said her mistress, meekly, " but I can try, I am very (juiek,' oho added, as Mrs Pritt turned away. 11 Well, perhaps you'd bettor learn. But you'll want a large apron." " 1 have, one iu my box,'' answered Mrs Taller.son, thinking of Ivate s laughing remark as she gave it to her ; " You will look so smart with this on, and your sleeves tucked up, and your face ar.d hands smothered in flour." The apron took a good deal of hunting for, being, of course, at the bottom of the third trunk which (Jauiolia dived into. " Now, ill's Pritt, 1 am quite, ready, where is the. butter ? ' '• Ln the dairy, Mrs Tatl'ersou. you don't suppose I'd keep it iu the hot kitchen '!" "What a bad temper she has," thought Cauielln,"' as she followed her to thu cool, clean dairy, " and I wonder why she does not call me, Ma'am. : '

.But the mistress did not venture to suggest the change. " This butter would not come, that's why it's about now," said Mrs I'ritt. " Camolla wondered what she meant, for she had no experience of butter in any state but in little ornamental balls or pats, ready for immediate eonsnmption. Mrs Pritt had left, and Caniella, thoroughly initiated into the my si-cries of the butter proeess in it's lust stage, was working busiiv away, singing a few snatches of opera music to herself, when Stanley pas sed the open door. She was far too

busy to notice that any one was thoro, and he stoolc nn<l watched the pretty picture she rnado, in great delight. But it was not only the quick, deft movements of the •shapely hands, nor the bare white armsl nor even the little flush of excitement 111 her cheeks, she, wan so anxious to ae<|uit herself well, in this her first house wifely work it w.i; ohiellv the thought that his <|urenly darling was justifying his choice of her/ She was adapting herself to her new position with all the gentle dignity of noblesse ohlhjc. Ah, now, hi; could laugh at those who had declared that Cainella was only fit for books and professors. He gazed, enraptured, thou rushed in, and Hung his arms round her. The fleshly printed pat of flutter that Cainella was just going to place on the dish, dropped on the concreted floor, and the wife shrieked for help.