Such a Child.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 375, 16 July 1903, Page 7

Such a Child.

' «Ifp jrejyptoToking/ Mm Carter said, looking acrosß the breakfast table at her . - eon. •WhatißP* V -ST/ | * ■/< f. ' Your consin Olivi'o coming now.' You remember her, To m?'..-. 'The little-" red-haired, solemn-Wed" piece of humanity ?* '< L ' * Her hair is rather red, I» believe;'~The truth is, I never got. beyond her dresses, which were horrible.' Mra Carter shuddered. Jlr . • r •.- : Tom glanced ""at the irreproachable morning-drees his "mother word, and smiled. ' Everyone s haen't yeur knack: Why not write her to. postpone her visit.' j 'Too late. Sua wrote, at the. last • moment to say she'd be here today.* 'She'B prompt.- said you invited h ?*£ ol August, and she' arrives <on the ninth. I m not likely to get more than a squint at her, as I'm off for a yachting trip to-morrow.'' - : . \ '-\ "t -.---■ «Tom, you must givethat trip-up.' I'm ,-depending on you.' ."" [ f " « Will it be worth while t". "L '■' ' Perhaps,- not'; still, if you remember, once when you wertf at your uncle's" on a visit Olive was yonr devoted slave.' ! -"T dFm to turn "the c tables—for how 1 long ?' •Afortnight.'. - i .\ ••■'■ Tom yielded with TOry good grade. He | drove to the station to meet his cousin. Fe bad a vision of her as he had seen her 1 last, oyer ten years ago—a little redhaired country girl, in cotton frock and 1 immense eunbonnet He found a tall, slender girl, in simple but becoming ■ travelling coßtume. .-. ....''. ~..' ! * I knewyou'd belere/he saiu as,they ' shook hanus. «I remember what a very reliable young woman youustd to b '

qm'e the opposite *wwK:«WtjU«l» 'Hadn't got that far. Let me attend to your luggage. Now this way, please." "He helped her op to the high B eat of the ..smart trap, and taking bade the i boy holding the house stand aside. Olive held her breath and her hat at one and the eame time as the horse dashed lightly along the firm, Bmooth road. Her eyes Bhona with delight. The tmy curls about her forehead fluttered in pretty, wilful fashion. Tom wondered how anyone coula call that hair red. A a for her dress, what could be better than the dark blue serge skirt and blouse of dark blue silk, dotted with white? Mrs Carter met Olive with warm friendliness, that made her feel at home at once. They had tea in the gardes, Olive watching the waves break on the sho:e below, feeling as if one of her childish dreams of'fairyland bd come true. Liter, when-dinner was over and Tom had brought her ont to Bee the moonlight on the ocean, she fairly trembled with delight. Mrs Carter was playing soft, dreamy music for her hssbaHd's enjoyment. Tom watched Olive as she sat leaning slightly forward, She had wonderful eyes; deep and dark. He would' like to see them ligffted up with passion ; it would be all or nothing with her, he felt. § - :■ ° | I \

i IHe took her fora w4lk oh the sands the i ri'xtmojrning, for a drive in the'afteruoon, Olive's frank delight in everything was 1 rather pleasant, as well as amusing. She seemed bo simple, and trusting—a very ; child in her experience of life. She -talked -Ijttle,.. but listened with brights sympathetic iacevtb -what 3ie <told her about himself. Somehow he found him? ; . eelf led on/in voluntarily,'-to discuss, that most fascinating of topics. Perhaps that I was the reason ho found intercourse with Olive so agreeable. ~ J Jou,, w.pnAt fiud us -.celebrating :tbe : ' ;-Coronation here to any.,great.degree,' he| saicL.asOliveV-earne down to; breakfast on < the morningof that day. ' I suppose you i are all yery patriotic/. „ ~ Olive nodded. * She wore a tiny medal. In her'delicate blouse and fresh "'duck skirt she locked very nice and summery. • I don't .see. anything the matter with her Tom lingered to.epeak to His "mother alone. , . • She dresses' well; I wonder where .'. ' } >got her ideas.' Olive pozzies me, Tom. She's so calm and self-possessed here in such new and strange surroundings.' 'She's so frank .and so straightforward, nothing puts her out. I think I'll drive' -her over -to--town to-night . There'll. be some fireworks and decorations- She'll enjoy them, she's such a child.' Mrs Carter locked a little doubtful, but Olive assented readily when Tom made the proposal: Sae Baid afterwardp, in her pretty way, that after all t\ otigb, the ;;quiet evenings on the moonlit -shore' were jjleasantier,, . :i .■-=.■.-.-<■' . ..■ ;Z- -•a One morning Tom woke up to the fact l!b»ts orily ? two r or three more days remained of-Olive's visit. He wondered if, perhaps, .jhft wasn't rather dreading its - conclusion, too. Once or twice, of late, he had noticed,a. new wistfulness .inner ibrowneyeß.* / £ ; f.f. §*\ ''Look here, 1 -mother,' he said, 'can't yon. get Olive to stay another fojtbigSt. I gavejup;jnyltrip, ydu.know, and awfully dull here, with your .dancing attendance on the .governor, and none of the other people here yet.' ' • •Will it, be wise, Tom ?' Mrs Carter. .asked** * ->* ■ —' i pleasant.' ~~ "' It may come to mean more than that to Olive/ Tom whistled softly as he, stood before v the open window. Olive waeon the lawns! looking but over the shining- water. She held a great trams, beyond, '-.-..- >r--" : /-,<'--?•' : ?^- ; - • I said,-*ona' might 4o: worse.' . " ■'•" ,-.";■-, His mother started* 'Then- you'vel .settled it?' '*;rJ:. '^ :^; ,>;; ; ;~^ • Not at all;; but, as taajr, one might *a% worse/ •'■'/-'•". ']^.'~:.[^-: . v £-.""'-'. . : .* • And better also/. -._,' £ % '-^ ...-.. |gd| ' She's a- steady-going little girl,- with} no nonsense about of new, up-to-date young insist upon her remaihihg, mater mine.'" ; And MrS Carter,, in balling, obeyed, atf she always obeyed he<r son. ■ v -' ; - ' : * r : - - -°"

: . Olive accepted the invitation to prolong hex visit, with undisguised delight. ■' li was wishing you'd ask me, Aunt Margaret } Jjj& lovely here—the ocean, and' beach, and everything. ; Tom's .going to. give m& riding lessons. lean ride how,' 'after being a country -girl. Tom's HSs&a nice cousin, Aunt Margaret.' - : "Mrs no answer. After all, wal worrying without ciuse. more than one girl before' now. As for Olive, she had no thoughts Beyond the good times each day brought. The riding lessons were a great success. Olive-proved an adept pupil, but a subihisalve onaAs.well. _•■*. ' ; ,fcv >?! . '-.-■ M Theyp Hal aJ.)ong' through long, windihg I **couh'try road?/ running between green, well-kept fields at first, but ending at last in a long, stretch of woodland—with only here, and there 1 a bit of cleared space. Tom. was .unusually silent, and after some attempts to rouse him, Olive was content to, ride without : .the. usual pleasant talk between them. There was a new thoughtfulness in her eyes. Suddenly they had turned towards home. Olive's horse started, then sprang forward. • She was- ahead, Tomi having halted to gather some roadside fiowers she had asked. f looking. up at -the sound,' saw the horse dashing along the rough, uneven road. On one side the unbroken mass of trees and underbrush, rose to a considerable height. On the. other the land slop'ad abruptly down into a narrow* winding ravine. ■•*•■* ■ ' ! Tcm's face, was white as he rode after Olive. How bravely she kept her seat with never a cry to frighten further the wildly running horse! Ahead the road turned somewheat, j there was a clearing there with a thatched ■ cottage in the centre. Tom could: have cheered |as Olive turned her horse into the clearing, bringing him to a sudden standstill. . " ~ That night Olive wrote three letters—crie to hermother, telling of' her : engage-' ment to Tom; one to a giil friend, in which, among other things, she said: 'Poor Tom, he's the dearest, stupidest fellow. I've almost despaired about bringing him to the point. -I had to start my horse running, as if running away,, this afternoon, and gave him—Torn I - mean—a good scare before I could make .him speak. He thinks I'm a perfect heroine, if he only knew!' Before writing the third letter, Olive took a ring, from her small assortment of jewellery. II am sending back your ring,' she wrote, ' because I' see how really unfitted I am to 1 be your wife.' It was a pretty, _. depre- ■ eating letter; it brought tears to her own ' eyes. Tom was waiting when Olive went • down in her white gown in the moonlight, ; with the traces of tears still in'her eyes. ~ 'My darling,' Tom said, ' I know I'm not good enough for you. You must take rae for what I am going to be, net for what lam.' * And Olive sauled up at him, content.