CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2917, 26 March 1891, Page 4

CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

BY Mi: S IJ. I'ItOMI Rattkay (Antlmr »f " Kn-tuncJell.") CHAPTER XII. (Ooniinui:l>). " Stanley, is it yon 'I What made you frighten nie so dreadfully ?'' " DM T, darling I I was so glad !'' "Why.' " Because," lit; answered, giving her a lieartv kiss between each word, "because you are the cleverest and best little wifi; in fho world." " What have I done ? Made up tlio butter, is that it ! Does it not look met! '! You ean't think how proud of it, T am.'' " Not one quarter as proud as I am, though.'' " But VOU an: not looking at it at all, Stanley," with a attempt at a frown, which died away in a happy smile. " You are looking at nie ! " Could 1 have anything nicer to look at V Cainelhvs eyes spoke the intense appreciation she felt at his hearty words, which as she knew were no empty compliment, hut the genuine expression of his feelings. She forgot Hetty, and her unkind speeches, forgot all else but that he lowd her. " How beautiful you are, this morning, Ella. What have you been doing to yourself,'' he asked at length, holding her from him to contemplate her better. " L think it must be that butter in good for the complexion, ' she answerod. "Suppose 1 have made a discovery of a valuable cosmetic." No, I rather think butter would have a greasy, yellowing efleet. 1 have seen my cousins make up butter numbers of times, but it never appeared to have a beautifying elFect on them." " Not in your eyes, perhaps," '• Talking of the Kamlevs reminds me, Ella that we are to go there to dinner on Sunday. It is a fad of uncle's to have it in the middle of the day once a week." " How about Church." " We cau drive there first, and take uncle on the way back. I say. Ella, have you soon our buggy T' " Did we not drive up in it on Wednesday ?" " No, that was uncle's, hired for the occasion. I am afraid ours is terribly shabby. If you have finished your butter, come arid have ft peep at it." " There is one put. on tlio floor, what shall I do with it." " 1 won't tell, as Boyd would say. Here, Burr, come and oat this." He whistled to a handsome collie, lazily reposing in the shade of a line puriri tree. Burr, made short work of the half pouud of butter. " How frightfully extravagant of you, Stanley," remonstrated Cauiella as she pulled her sleeves down, and followed her husband to the coachhouse. " It only wants a coat of paint," said she critically. "And new cushions, and new wheels, and all the rest," added Stanley, " If it were well washed." began Camella, but the furious ringing of a bell warned them tint lunch was ready. " Sounds as if Mrs I'ritt had rung that bell once or twice, without our hearing' it, ' remarked Stanley. " Come, hurry in, Ella, or she will take the things off the table again. " Did she ever do such a thing !' " She actually did. Tt was this way. Ta I lot and T, and some other fellow, —1 forget who it was just now—were sitting on the verandah, yarnii'ir, and she rang the bell. The other fellow was in the midst of a tirst-rate story, aud I didn't like to interrupt him. It wasn't his place to offer to go indoors, or he was shy ; anyhow, he went on with his tale through three separate summonses to dinner. At last, he linished, and wo went into the dining-room. If that old, short-tempo ed woman hadn't cleared the dishes.and she and the man were beinniug on them in the kilehen !'' " Did you get .my dinner .' You really did not deserve any '!' " Why. Ella, you ought always tal;o my part. Yes, we gotsouie after bit." " .!. wonder you kept her." " Have you not discovered that a man will put up with almost anything sooner than tell a woman she must go Camella laughed. " Mr Tallot does not soeiu afraid of her ; why could you not have deputed him to dismiss her f " Tallot ? He knows when his dinner is well cooked, and MrsPritt can cool: ; I will say that for her. Do you know, there is a man in Auckland, an unhappy bachelor, who got a friend to engage him a housekeeper. The first night, she sat down to dinner with him, and tried to entertain him by a stream of chatter. He got through the meal, but without a word toher, went out directly it was over, to his sister's house, about a mile off. He sat down in her drawing-rooui, and said she must go at once and get " that thing," out of his house, as he should never enter the door whilst she remained in the place." '• What became, ot him V '• He sold his house, ai,d went into lodgings.', Mr Tallot here joined them in the dining-room, aud asked Camella if she was still sleepy '! " Not in the least. 1 am afraid you have rather a bad opinion of niv somnolent inclination. 1 find the delightful air make-: ee 1 drowsy." " 1 heard Mrs Pritt say you had a visitor, Ella, who was it, may 1 he permitted tons];*;" " It, wns little I'.oyd. lie is tie' most advanced and delightfully im pudent youngster I have ever en countered. Ts thai a fair type ol the ladi round here, Stanley " They nre all pretty wide awake It's the fashion for the boys of tin present day to know a great ilea inore than their elder::. I ■ honli

imagine iioyd would prove a perfect miuf! of information for you, Ella. ' "lln is altogether too much for me,'' she rejoined. "We are to the hush to morrow to father (lowers to send homo to uncle. He will he mo'lilied, perhaps, hy the little attention. Besides, I promised to do what I could for him, iu that direction/' " A re you going to walk ?" "Yes, Boyd .says horses would only he a nuisance." " [ wish 1 could spare the time to come with you, but there is no danger, and Boyd is a wonderfully sharp infant." "Do not lose your way. Mrs TafFerson," said Mr Tallot. "" New chums invariably get fogged in the bush." " Old ones too, for that matlor," said Stanley. But I will tell Boyd just where to go. and then you will he quite safe. " lint I should not wonder if ho knows the tracks a great deal better than I do ; it's a very long time since I was up there." " Are you very busy this afternoon, Stanley !" "Tolerably; why;'"' " I wanted to get the piano opened.' "I am awfully sorry, Ella, but I really cannot do it." Then, as he saw her disappointment, he added, " You can have Tallot. Ho is not, fit for very hard out-door work yet, but he could knock about a drawing room very well.'' Camella turned to that gentlemen with a little laugh. " How do you like being so summarily disposed off " [am only too happy to be of use. Still, I must warn you I am not much of a carpet knight." " Ah," returned Camella, bright ly, "but we have only Indian matting to put down. I suppose we shall have to do it?" " I am afraid there is no one. else. But look here, Ella, you leave all that until to-night, and Tallot and J will fix the room up in no time.' " I wonder what it would look like!" " Well, we arranged this one," ho said, as ho looked complacently around. "It has that appearance," said Camella. ".1 have hitherto refrained from touching anything for fear of hurting your feelings, but, if you do up my drawing-room, I shall certainly made some improvements in your dining-room." "What fads women have for altering furniture ! The are all radicals at heart." "Not necessarily," replied Camella. "We only like to keep pace with the advance of high art, and general cultivation. Were it not for us, you men would always remain a century or two behind." " Excuse inc, Mrs Tatlerson, but if every man was a century or two behind, I fancy a good many women would elect to remain with them." " Then we enterprising ones rule the world, because, there are really very few people r.ow-a-days who do not strive to keep up with the fashion." " Fashion," growled Stanley, • that s just the trouble. It you believed all the 'cult' nonsense you talk, or liked some of the absurdities you follow, just because it is the fashion, I would not mind so much. But how a sensible woman like you ran shut your eyes, and blindly stick a heap of plates or hang up a. lot oi rags iu your drawing-room, just.

because sonic one says every one does if," f can not ini=>•_;:ne."" " Philistine !" said Oanielia. "lint you an; condemning my clrawingroom unseen. Wait until to-night." " Well, you wait too, and don't Urn yourself to death, because you want to show Skid ton people how much further advanced you ar; than they, on the road to —well, goodness only knows where wo shall find it has led us !'' " Are you as dreadfully conservative as my husband, Mr Tallot ?" asked Cauiella, "because if you are, we shall spend the afternoon, in useless dissension." "I am only a guileless youth," Iks answered. "My mind, or I should say, the artistic portion of me, whereever situated, is lying dormant, waiting, like newly ploughed laud, to he sown with what you will."' "You have been pretty quiet on art .subjects, here-to-fure, certainly, said Stanley. " Are we to understand that this conversation lias ploughed you up.'' "If we talk any more, we shall get nothing done," said Cauiella. " I'm off," said Stanley. '" Ella, my dear, deal gently with that poor boy, and dou't teach hiua too much at once." " What pretty matting," observed Tallot, as he and Cauiella spread it out. " Shall wo cut it into lengths"?" "We must first measure the room, and then the matting," practically declared the lady, " we don't know now far it will go. Who stained round the floor ?" " I did. I thought, if you had a carpet to cover the room—which Stanley does not like—it would not matter underneath, and if you had only a square it would save a lot of trouble to have it ready." " It's splendid, we could not have tlono anything without that. Where is ii. yard measure '.'" The two worked very hard, and in the evening Stanley put up a couple of brackets and two shelves, which Cauiella covered with some art fabric, bought by Mrs Nonsent's advice, as sure lo be useful for corners. " Well, Stanley, and how do you like my runui .'" nnked Canielia, sinking exhaustedly into an easy chnir. " It's like yourself," he. answered, " perfect." " Con.lnight,'' said 'Pallit. "it's h-ilf pnsl eleven.'" f 7 1 ../»...;,/■•«.■■■./.;