NECK OR NOTHING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 4292, 23 February 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

NECK OR NOTHING.

[By HEDJN W. PIEKSON.]

The night was a.silent, ,t>aliny one in, early autumn—not too warm"?of lights, and eminently adapted for literary work. Mr Hugh Sothern, a gentleman who was rich enough to indulge in any whim—a sort of dilettante in literature—was engaged in ndding a page or two to his great work on ".Rational Progress." Being so happily endowed by fortune, he was haunted by no fiend demanding copy. Ho could wait for fleeting moods and the glow of inspiration ; so that ho thoroughly onjoyed his work. By tho light of tho Argand burner, ho was soon to be a well-preserved man of fifty, with a bald hoad, kindly eyes, and a bonovolent expression. There was hardly a sound to be heard, savo now and then when an over-ripe apple plumped upon tho grass, or a light step moved overhead. " 1 wonder if .lean feels bored in this vory quiet, placo ?" Mr Sothern thought, us ho hoard a stop in ono of his pauses. " She is thinking of that adventuror, I'll be bound. No, no, my girl; I can't give you and your hundred thousand to a fortuno hunter. Your poor father thought of this when he put you in my charge, and made it one of the conditions of tho will that you could notmany without my consent till you were twenty-five. Only eighteen yet, my dear, and too full of romance to make a wise choice. I won't listen to it—l won't havo him coining here. I've never seen him, but I know what ho is. If he'll servo seven years for her she can do as she likes, but till then " The gentleman became absorbed in his writing again for a while. "Thore! I'vo demonstrated that!" he said, with satisfaction. "No ono can ask, 'Am Imy brother's keeper ?' AYe are .all brothers :we all hold in charge. Hello ' what's that!" A decided crash in one. of the. trees near the window had arrested Mr Sothern's attention. "Ha! thi't's my Newton pippin. Now, why in the deuco couldn't the thief have contented himself with Baldwins? There are plenty of them, and why does he break my trees ?" Another splintering of a bough is heard. "Jerusalem! I can't stand this!" cried the gentleman, throwing down his pen ; " 1 don't begrudge an apple to any one, but such wilful destruction of property -" Mr Sothern opened his door and looked

out. The moonlight foil full upon tho aeenc, md he started forward with ;i cry. There

wa.-< a rope fastened to tho branch of a tn* find suspended to i!ie roj>o—;.'ood heavens Our phil.'uithropi.'t did not lie^itale a

moment. In a flash be hlid f:ut down a strange sort of fruit from this- tree 6f Nuwton pippins—a young man who had apparently gone very much to seed.

" Hello !" he cried, as the young man tumbled against him, "what do you moan by hanpaj voiirsclf right at my very door-

step? It's a liberty, sir—l won't have it

it injures tho fives!" Tho young raun marie no answer.

" Well, tl.i- is n pretty predicament •" fumed Mr bothorn. " I hope uiy wife or •10.-in may not hear Rnythinf—perhaps he's dcaci. How horrible for the public to be coming here to die at my door ! I'm a philanthropist, hut T don't want to havo funemU for cvoryiiody. Young man, see here, speak; my something. While sayin" thi.«, the embnrnmscd philanthropic dragirail tho .'wTiiindy innnimiita form of tho young man into his lighted room, and dropped him into tlie nearest armchair. "He don't move ! Good hcavons ' Here s a go. It.'s -iio light matter to have n murdered man in one's house: I'll take the rop..i oil his neck, at any rate." lMr Sothern aceordinglydid *o with hands that shook ana a heart that beat vorv ropidly. " Why hore.'s :, queer thing ! Tho rope hasn t left even a mark on his ner:k ! Well I suppose the poor wretch uovorhußg himsolf before and so marie a bungle of it. I dare say even in hanging practice makes perfect. So he isn't dead, at any rate ; I'll throw Rome water in hi.n facu." Looking about him Mr Sothern could nee nothing but a bouquet which - stood in a glass of water on the toblo. Ho dashed that at once in the face of the still inotionle6H figure k> the chair. Tho remedy proved effectual. Tho young man starts, dashes some long wet locks from his forehead, and moans : " Where am I?" "Where you have no right to be," said Mr Sothern sternly. " What do you mean BJr, by trespassing ?" "Oh !" oxclaimed tho young man, angrily ; " I sec, you cut mo down." " 1 did, sir." " And what right had you to interfere?" Mr Sothern was transfixed by this view of the caso. " ltight, sir '.'" he faltered. "I had good reasons for dying, sir I" exclaimed tho young man, rising and looking luncmly at his preserver. " 1 had finished with life, lovo, hope, fortuno—all gone— and you daro to interfere ! You bring mo back to a world to which I havo said goodbye. What do you intond to do now, sir?" "Nothing I" exclaimed Mr Sothern. _ "What! you give mo back my life and intend to do nothing for mo ! Why, I am yours—my Hfo is yours—it is your gift. You are bound to givo mo happiness— everything I" " Oh, that's too largo a contract!" cxclaimod MrSothorn, shrinking away with tho sensation that ho had to deal with a vory peculiar person. 1 Oh no ! You havo heard of Frankenstein—beware ! You have created me ! But I know you will not shirk tho consequences of your action. You will make me happy. You havo recalled me to this world that I may taste that olUir called happiness for which I hare thirsted all my life. Oh ! my preserver 1" He rushes at Sothern, and nearly strangles him in an embrace. He is extremely needy and unkempt. There ia an amount of garden mould on his clothing, as woll as various other blotches that suggest beer. He had evidently not been shaved for several years. '• Keep off, sir," cries Mr Sothern, repulsing him. "I must. How can I help it when I think of what you have dono and what you are going to do—" " What I am going to do—" " Of course ; to rehabilitate me, to mako me a new man. lam a new man from this hour—now fortune, now love* Have you a daughter, sir?" " No, I havo not t" (rery decidedly and thankfully). "If you had—oh, if you had I" cried the young man with kindling eyes, "I would say, ' Oh, child of my deliverer, take me ! mylifebolongs to him, consequently to you. Oh, let mo immolate myHolf for you.' " "Tho man is clean daft," thought Mr Sothorn, looking uneasily at the boll rope. "I must deal gently -with him. I made a groat mistake in cutting him down. If I ■woro not a philnnthropiHt I phould say lot him hang, and be hanged to him."

Then Mr Sothern recalled with an uncomfortable feeling the last pages of- his great work, and his grand plans for tHe amelioration of humanity at arge. Howmuch easier it was to be benevolent to a world at large than to this creature who was also a man and a brother. ■■•

"If he were only at large, I might consider his case ; but he's too near, decidedly too near," thought the philanthropist, who saw the young man preparing for another embrace. "He is .a pleasing in giving "me so rare an opportunity, I suppose ; but how ho would brighten if he would only take his flight."

"My deliverer I" criod the young man, with a new access of enthusiasm. ■' " Tell •lie yonr name, that 1 may put it first in my prayers."

"Oh, don't trouble yourself," Mr Sothern exclaimed; "but' here is my. card."

" Ah," cried the other with a grateful gasp ; " in my orisons it shall be—but. you must know mine." .

" Not the least consequence." " True; of what am I thinking ? My old self dead—my old name also. You shall name me now ; I will never put a single fetter of that old life on mo again. Anything you like, my dear friend ; only as the vorld is all before us whence to choose we might as well take a fine name. What an improvement if the whole thing were arranged in this way—to choose for ourselves when we arrive at years of discretion ! Now, what shall it be?" .

' What the devil do I care?"

"I incline to Howard—a noble, sonorous ring to it: 'Mot all the blood of all the Howards.' Percy Howard! how would that do?"

" As well as anything."

"Mrs Percy Howard ! if you had a' daughter—but you haven't ; perhaps a niece ?" " No." "If there could be anything to cement more closely the bond that unites us it would be "

" But didn't you speak of a lost lovp.?" suggested Mr Sothern, hoping to turn the fellow's thoughts to some potept spell of the past.

" Don't mentio» it ! All thatis over now. SI)*: was false—she had black hair ; now I shall find a gelden-haired girl witfi a true heart. Do you happen to know a goldenhaired girl with a true heart?"

" Heavens ! —if he should see Jean," thought Mr Sothern, with a«old ckll striking his veins,

And at that moment the sound of a little trill, soft and sweet as the- waking note of a woodland bird, was heard on the stairs. Then the door opened suddenly, and a radiant vision appeared—a young girl in one of the most ravishing pale-blue crepe tea-gowns—with billows of creamy laGe all over it, a petticoat of wing-hued brocado, beneath which little feet in high-heeled slippers and pale-blue silk stockings—"like little mice crept in and out."

But Percy Howard, as he called himself, did not regard the feet; his eyes were fixed upon the aureole of golden hair that floated about the fresh young face. "It is she—my soul's idol !" he cried, clasping his hands. "I mean she will bo my soul's idol!"

Jean stopped—flushed, and stepped back a little.

"Oh ! I did not know you had com pany," she said.

'' No —ha—is not," exclaimed Mr Sothern, hesitating. " Allow me," the young man said, hastily. "lam Percy Howard, and I hope we shall be bettor friends in time.' This gentleman is my guardian, and so I am not company, but one of the family." "His guardian !" cried Jean; "how nice !—why, now I shall "not be so" lonely, guardy dear." "By' Jove!" said Mr Scthern, below his breath ; "the girl's going daft, too, and the fellow is really good-looking, when he gets rid of his hangdog expression." "My dear," ho said, clearing his throat, " the young man is good enough to wish mo to assume relations which I really must decline. He is, as you see, quite old enough to be his own master, and so "

"But you see there is no other course,' exclaimed Tercy Howard, in a calm tone. You cannot put me back into the state of mind in which you found me. I had no hope—life was a desert—now it blossoms as the rose" (with a rapturous look at Jean) ; "so, of course, you cannot rationally expect that I should hang myself again." Jean uttered a piteous little cry, and Mr Sothern an oath. "Well, well," he said, reading in the bluo eyes the pity which is said to be so dangerously akin to love, "I will think it over, and if you prove fit for anything—only—l am not ablo to arrange anything just now."

"I feel very weary myself," answered the young man ; " it's a good deal to go through in one evening—bidding adieu to the world and taking a dissolving view from an applebough ; so if you will ring for a servant to show me a room, I'll say ta-ta for the present."

•" began Mr Sothern, in a furious

"My dear young lady," Howard went on, "I did not know such angols as you were in the world, or I neror would have wished to leave it,"

Jean should have looked at this presuming young man with a frown of offended dignity; but strange to say, she smiled sweetly.

" What has got into the girl?" thought her guardian, " I must get the fellow out of the way ; there is a certain eloquence about him, and hb ia hot destitute of manner. I did not notice it while ho had the noose on his neck, "but I suppose a Chesterfiold would fail to impress me in that situation."

So with the best grace he aould ho showed the stranger into a room, and then stopped to say ft word of warning to his ward. "I think the fellow is a sort of crank," he said to her, confidentially;" so if he .stays here for a day or two you had better keep out of the way ; I don't want to cast him out on the world without a chance—l could never write another page of Rational Progress 'if I did; but it is an embarrassing case!" "Arid \vas he really hanging himself?" asked" Jean, with intense, compassion. " How .very, very miserable the poor fellow must have been !"

"Deuce take it," thought Mr Sothern, " there is a strange sympathy for criminals in every woman's heart. This would be worse —much worse than that penniless advocate—for I suppose he is at least sane. My dear child," he said, kindly, "do not cherish any illusions about this individual. He probably deserves all the misery ho has ■—and more."

" But, oh, guardy, did you notice his eyes ?"

" Well—not particularly." " They are so pathetic," exclaimed Jean, with a little sigh, and then she vanished up stairs, leaving her guardian in a very unenviable frame of mind.

When Mrs Sothern, a few days after, surprised Jean in the act pinning v rosebud in Mr Howard's buttoofpi she came to her husband in considerable trepidation. "When do you intend to get rid of that incubus?" she said, impatiently. . " My dear, I am looking about for a situaI ion for him," her husband answered. •' I can't exactly feirn him out iin the street.

You see he tells me that if I had not interfered he would have been provided for without any further trouble to himseli, and so I am bound—-"

"Oh ! ye?, I heard; all that before," exclaimed his wife, impatiently, •' but when I see Jean making loytsto him under my very eyies——"■' . ,j& ~-... •-.-.' . .._

" Ah, that's all owing to the inconstancy of your sex, my dear," answered Mr Sothern. "Only a month ago she was pining for oriotljer penniless ad"ventuier —perhaps another lunaticmight oust this one, but then I don't want to turn my house into a lunatic asylum, I must reason with the girl." . "I'm afraid, Jean, you're letting your sympathy carry you top far," he said, when he had the opportunity.'

Jean was charming in a smoko-tinted satin with plush trimming. She had a bewitching capote of the same tint and a long mist-hue feather that dropped over her fresh young face. She was going for a walk. *• Why, how do yon mean ?" she asked. " Yon are getting interested in this fellow who has billeted himself on us." "Billeted? Oh, how cruel!" cried the girl her eyes kindling. " You snatched him back from death-^wherehe would have been so comfortable, and now you want to fling him out on a cold world."

"See here, young woman, what was the name of a certain young aspirant to your hand, whose offer I cruelly declined, and to whom you vowed eternal fealty '!" ■ "Oh, suppose you are thinking of Russel Gay," the girl replied with a pout. ' There's no use digging up the past, as Percy says ; 'Life has glorious possibilitiesinthefuture.' "

"And one of those glorious possibilities for that,fellow is to get you and your fortune into his hands. I shall put him out neck and crop. I shall call the police." " Oh, no, guardy. You won't. It would ruin your reputation as a philanthropist. Why, think of the chance you have ; here is a human soul—a free, untrammelled human soul; he has no duties, he owes no allegiance to any one, he lias no ties, he is :yours—- a clean, white page for you to write on."

"Oh ! I'm not so certain about that clean, white page," growled Mr Sothern.

" Yon can make him what you will—you can experiment on his, plastic soul," said Jean with a laugh. "Imbnehim with your doctrines, let him lecture on your views, exemplify your theories of the perfectibility of man under certain influences. Give him those influences and you will see how his soul will expand—like a sunflower in the sun."

"That will do,'' grumbled Mr Sothern. " I recognise the fellow in your eloquence. Go and take your walk.'' "^'^StL^-'^S While they were gone, the guardian wrote the following letter : Ilussel Gay, Esq. —Dear Sir : Upon reflection I feel that I treated your proposal for the hand of my ward, Miss Jean Devereux, with too decided a negative. I would be glad to make your acquaintance, and if I find you worthy, I shall place no further obstacles in your way. Let mo know when you will find it convenient to visit us. Yours truly, Hugh Sothern. There was a subdued triumph in Mr Sothern's eyes as he met the young couple on their return. But he noted a new look of happiness in Jean's radiant face, and he feared that he was too late.

" My dear, I've just been writing to an old friend of yours. I hope, Mr Howard, you wont mind posting this, as I want it to go by the first mail." "Certainly," exclaimed that young gentleman with alacrity. "You know you have only to command me. ' Am I not yours?—a sort of flotsam and jetsam,' snatched from the billows of that sea that surrounds .all living.". "An old friend ';" exclaimed Jean ; " well, I don't know——" But Mr. Howard had the letter in his hand, and, to the amazement of all, tore it open. "By George ! this is too much," cried Mr Sothern, in great wrath: "you impudent puppy ! By what pretence do you open my letters ?"

■ " I am opening my letters,"answered the young man, coolfy, " and lam very gratefull for your invitation. You see all moans are fair in love and war. Confess now it was ingenious."

Jean began to laugh, but her guardian did not quite uppreciate the joke. " IJou you mean to say you are " '•Yes, I am—Russel Gay at your service. If you inquire into my record you will find lam not a bad fellow. Positively I could not bear the exile from my dear girl any longer. I was ready to hang myself in earnest rather than live without her."

"And I suppose she is equally persuaded that she cannot live without you!" asked the guardian grimly. Jean blushed and was silent for a moment, but her hand had stolen into her lover's, and her look was more eloquent than speech. " Well, I must say I have a better opinion of you than I had an hour ago," said her guardian.

" Then I thought you were a fickle little baggage whose heart could not be worth much to any one. Now, we'll see. Let Mr. Gay give me a chance to know him, and if all ia satisfactory I shall not make him serve seven years. I shall be rather glad to transfer to him my fearful responsibility." The fearful responsibility gave her guardian a rapturous little kiss, and her lover whispered softly ;

There comes a Bound of marriage bells.' Smwton's Story Teller.