ON APPEAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8674, 14 July 1906, Page 2

ON APPEAL.

(By W. VWE EipGß in «*» "W* Mail.") The girl looking out of the tbirfcl&ss compartment reggsyrked that to* train seemed a long tiro© making op ft» mind to start; her friends reproached her for excessive anxiety, and she hastened to explain that ehe herself Wk4n no hurry] the remark had been prompted by a consideration for their time. The ladies assured her that the day* having been broken, into, v ft were, by the visit to Waterloo, it could net be regarded as pf««ic<wng an? additional value j at any rate, they did' not propose to make it of farther aef , Qne# thorougfily upset, they remarked with pride, "by anything in the nature of M outing, they were no good for housework during the next four-and-twenty houre. As for the girl's uncle (pointing to an unconsidered man on' the edffl of the small crowd), « day off would have little of novelty for him. ** This time to-morrow, Mary, my dear, you'll be well out on ocean ware. Mind you wrap up.' "Send us a card 6oon as ever yon yet to Cape Town. Give your married Bister our love and ask after her>cold. Don't seem like four year ago^ we saw her off, the same as we're- — ■— , ; J " Qhl how upeet she was, to "be wire; I thought she'd have cried her poor eyes out. By the by, I. lent her some hairpins; you might •remind her. " You'll have plenty of company <m board the boat. You won't be lonely. " If I was you, Mary* «vy dear— bend down and listen— l shook! see whether I couldn't get engaged on the journey out. I should really. You'll hare nothing elise to do." . .. • "Nice fine day you've got for *m start, at any rate. Look at t3»© <uH coming through. Good omen for yon. Cheer up, my girl. Don't giro way IW the last moment, It's all for t&ebesVV " ■ - — BTOK SWEET SOBROW." A railway official begged them trf 6tand back, and they pressed forward tc the footboard to exchange tearful farewells. The train moved; the \offioials shouted. One^half of the numfow M«w kisses to the girl as the train left th* platform ; the others charged thetneelTef with the duty of oalling the railway men jacks in office, end of threatening bo report them. " „ V . "Poor dear eoul!" &ey sobbed, turning when the train had diseppeM* cd. " Hard on a young thing hke tftfti fco have to set out all alone," "SucE a west, too. Dont know when I've felt it «Q much parting *jwm» anyone," * . • . , " She's a Joss, that's what ehe {•«- after you with my hankercher, Mil What-ifi-ife-Jthe pJaoe won't sewn the same without her- Always cheerful and morry and bright and «%?»« at**** *b* boused more uke a ©kylftrk than a«y other bird I can coanpsre her to, . m one can ever take her place. Ire BO* «•» photo, but that can never be quite^-T---rhe aunt, wfco seemed to claim for Mis self the position of chief mouroar, etop* ped ahd pressed her hand agarost he* waist; others rushed forward and drag}ged her to a wooden seat.. .."Neref quite the earned she moaned, "New quite ... ■■" , These who had seen passengers de» part appeared much impressed: the party showed a oertain austerity, .in the presence of flattering attention, explaining some of the facts wiSh. prond reserve. One red-eyed woman in leev- ' Ing remafked that a certain amount ©J fuss she could understand, but in this, as in most matters, it .was possible $9 overdo it. • ■...-.• ;-■■ -. • " Wj* not, all alike," w*orted th» importa-nt group. . ' "So it seems l" •■■ - ■ The aun* was begged to collect herself, but she made no effort to obey until the audience of outside people had gone. Then she admitted her weakness, urging, however, that in Io0» ing her favourite niece «he had Jo*t Jiflj , right hand, 1 a rieht h*4W which fcad ' been at opce> the flower, the helpmeet, and the sunshine of her life. The, others agreed, but pointed out vb*% no rule or regulation or by-law of the railway company made it obligatory wt any person visiting the station to noy about all over the place, requiring the assistance of three ladies, end what they * supposed they must refer to as a man. They went towards iflie barrier, wonder- , ing whether the girl bad yet reached Vauxhall. and proclaiming her attractive qualities. Two consulted in an. undertone, and one went to the unconsidered man of tb,e party, "I told him," she announced, coming back, "or rather I tried to, that the lest time we came 1 here to see slayone off, the gentleman who was witH us took u« all in the refreshment room/ "And what did he-rr-P" The lady replied with tartness. ." Pre* tended the engines made such a none that he couldn't hear w<hat I we* aay? . . ing. of." ' " 1. " She's at Clat>ham Junction by tip time, bless hear!" . ■•-■',' j. .. '"; They were going out of the station by way of the elope in the direction of York Road, when the rain came down and they had to hurry up the steps into shelter. There they bewailed the absence of umbrella*, declaring that if they bad bethought tnemsclvef of bringing these it would never have come on to pour in this manner; they expressed regret tlwtt a desire to- compliment the young passenger for the j Oape had induced them to put on tftewf ; black. Finally, they blamed the m*n of the party for not having had tbe sense, the forethought, the intelligence to warn them of the pebble oeourreoo* of « sharp ahower; his ptea of raaottity to extract secrete from tie future m derided, and he found himself told plainly that he ough* to ha v« known. .•■. Invited to give an estimate of we valnt in the world, he declined, recograeing apparently that prejudice existed. " NOT A NICE DISPOSITION." . Outside, the rain became a watenv fall, and only the cab-drivae looked cheerful. " She's having the laugh of us," -!•».'■ marked one of the women. " Who's having the laugh of uer'* "Young Mary h." "In what way P" " Why, because she's safe off in iM dry." They appeared dispirited by toil view; lips moved silently. The uncle, remarking that he wore nothing which rain could s^oil, called. to mind the fact that once, in returning from South.end, the carriage roof had proved leaky^ but the women declined . to be comforted. w ith the daring statement of opir "-hat it could not last for ever, he £ up the effort and went off to , borrow a match. "I don't wish the girl any harm, but the fact remains that she's got ■> , mackintosh and we haven't." "Thought she seemed amused about something. She's having her sandwiches now." . " What's quite true is," admitted thej aunt, "she mitkis one less mouth to fill. I'm not going U> say a single wcir4 against her, but sue was certainly ft very 'earty eater. I've seen her como twice for pudding, orer and over again. Any signs of it 'saving off ?" Neure was brought that rain mi coming down waree, if anyxning^ thai ever. Someone remarked despairingly that .the girl would get plenty to eat on the voyage ; people had been knows, in the course of a sea trip, to become quite stout from generous feeding. - The enforced delay of their own meal mode them groan. The man of the patty came xribh news that at Southampton fhe weather was reported as brilliant, and 'found himself ordered to put out his pipe instantly, and to make some endeavour to remember that he wo* in the presence of ladies. ' "I used to notice she thought ft food deal of herself, Mary did. She was getting a great deal too big for her boot**

I never said anything about it, being only a distant connection by marriage ; but if she'd been a daughter of mme — "People had allowed ru>r to do too much as r>he liked ; that was the simple truth of the whole matter. Mr Ethel oouldn't stand her, couldn't stand her at any price." . . . , „ . " She hadn't a nice disposition, Vm afraid. I never had any mis-words with the girlj but I defy anybody to fay ■he had a nice disposition. Not, at any rate, what I called a nice disposition." "I always thought she'd got a tetn-

per." "She had got a temper," allowed the aunt. "It's no uee denying M>. When Mary liked to let herself go, she could be as nasty as anyone of our family." • . ' . " You heard about the way she treated that young gentleman wV> lived with hie motSer off' the New Kent RoadP tttf. iWve& you !" • "I'm afrate ■£« was no good to her•elf," said the aunt, " aH eif. was no eood to anyone associated , with her. flat's £he long and short of it. Come on ; it's giving over a bit. "Well " said the man of the party, conducting the way to York R^>a<J and ela'neing at the clock; "she's fairly on her way now and chance, it. He chuckled at the thought that he had selected a perfectly safe comment. " Good ' riddance," remarked the bnorus of ladies emphatically. Eaven .end she don't come back home in a 'any!" '