THE DRAMA of a LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 14, 18 January 1892, Page 3

THE DRAMA of a LIFE.

By Jean Kate Ludlum.

Author of 'John • Winthrop's Defeat,' • Under a Cloud,' 'Under Oath.'

CHAPTER VI.

a thoughtful attendant. "We are ever behind or beyond or beside Our intrinsic existence. Eorcver at hide And seek with our souls.

Meredith. ' Hello, you fellows ! Here's a windfall!'

'Graham himself,'by Jove ! Whab wind blew you here, pray?' demanded Ned Newton, bringing his feet down from the piazza railing and his chair down upon its four legs with a bang, as he removed his cigar from between his teeth and waved aside a cloud of smoke. ' Nob an ill wind, surely, for we're all in pretty good health —particularly little Phil hero, who has been simply rolling in paint and canvas !' '-_.«<- Ned Newton, who has been discovering the law of gravitation by waiting for the apple of forbune to fall into his hand !' retorted the artist, who was sitting astride of the piazza railing, too indolent even to smoke.

Doctor Graham, still sitting in the saddle, threw one leg across the bow and clasped his hands around his knee, laughing. His horse began nibbling the close-cropped grass of the border, the bridle falling loosely upon his neck.

'I'll wind or good, it is certainly some sorb of cyclone, this voluntary visib of yours, my dear Jack !' exclaimed Lee Price, pausing for a moment in bhe doorway, summoned by bhe sound of his friend's halloo. ' The very sighb of you would cure a fellow ! By George, Phil, brine* out your camera and take his photograph just as he sits ! No one would ever recognise this indolent fellow !'

' Yes !' Newton added. ' Get along with you, Phil, and do the deed before a telephone rings him up to practise! And bring along the rest of the fellows. They'll come if they hear thab Graham is here of his own will!'

Graham laughed. Ib was a new sensation bo him to be idle, but rather a pleasant sensation, after all.

' Why not set up a tenband start a show, charging bo much a head f he suggested, jocularly.

' That's not a bad idea,' said Burnside, striding across the piazza and reaching out from bhe top step to strike hands with the newcomer. "'Jack Graham, tho lea.rnecl physician ! The remarkable effect of indolence upon a man accustomed to an active life! Greatest Living Wonder of the Age !" That would be devilish taking, Graham!'

' And little Phil here would be another " taking " subject!' supplemented Dan Mayhew, from the hall, with striking effect, as the.artist preceded him upon the piazza with his apparatus for taking their visitor's photograph.

' Hear ! Hear !' exclaimed & laughing voice, as Tom Hastings followed Curtis and Mayhew. ' Hello, Graham ! what's bhe row ? Somebhin.g exbraordinary bo see you here!'

.'Thab is evidenbly the opinion of my hprse, Tom,' said bhe doctor, laughing, as he shook hands with tho young men pressing around him. ' He'll have your border shaved clean if you keep him here much longer, Price !',

'He'll have better living than thab, if you'll give us a chance to send him to the stables,' said Price, laughing. 'Come in, old fellow !'

' We'll feed him on milk and honey,' interpolated Curtis, with a graphic gesture. 4 Or the skin and bones of blackfish—which is bhe same thing in I.urnside's estimation !'

'And we'll have little Phil painb a canvas-back for him,' retorted Burnside scornfully, swinging himself airily up on the piazza railing and balancing himself there by twisting his long legs around the carved rods.

' Oh, come now, will you quit your evorlasting haggling of each other ?' protested Morgan, appearing around the north end of the piazza with two or three doga about him. ' It's nothing bub a continual, cutting of diamonds between you two ! Give them an emetic, Doc, and settle them for ever I'

' You'll need an emetic yourself,' replied Burnside, calmly, ' if you haul any more toad-fish off the Old Horse Rook, Mr Morgan. It may be greab fun to feel them pull ab the line, but they're nob specially appetising game.' 'If you fellows will keep Graham in a roar, I shall give up attempting to get a decent picbure of him !' cried the artist in desperation. ' I've spoiled two plates already, and I'll send in the bill to you if I spoil a third, unless you quit !' ' We'll render it to the finance committee of the Greatest Living Wonder,' replied Morgan, airily.. 'Unless you make haste with your picture-taking, Phil, you'll have to fetch a plate to carry the remains of the doctor into the house, for he'll fall off his horse from sheer exhaustion.'

' If some of you don't smother him, I shall give up !' exclaimed Curtis, angrily facing about. 'What, the ghost?'queried his tormentor, with great graviby. Bub before bhe irate arbisb could reply, Burnside reached oub his powerful, arms and .caught the delinquent in a close embrace thab suffocated him into meekest submission, until bhe photographer triumphantly announced that he had finished 'with his subject, who was ab liberty to geb down out of that' if he desired. Graham swung himself easily from the saddle and mounted the Rbeps, while Price drew a silver whistle from his pockob and summoned Jim, bhe ebable-boy, bo lead away bhe horse. ' No, bub, really, boys, all joking aside,' said the young doctor, seating himself in one of the piazza lounging-chairs and sighing with extreme emphasis, ' I've taken a leave of absence from duty—funked—decamped—what you will—for one entire week. Hutchinson has taken my place. I was getting desperate from continued driving, so I skeedaddled. If I hadn't, I should certainly have committed suicide within thieedays.' ' And you confided in us first off ! Good boy !' 6_id Now ton, tapping him pafcronisinglv on the head with a spray of honeysuckle broken from bhe vine beside him, as he arranged himself comfortably upon bhe railing beyond the reach of Burnside's long arms. ' We'll defend you with our lives, and hide you in tho water-bubb if the authorities come searching lor you,' promptly corroborated Mayhew, leaning indolently against one of the pillars, ban talisingly just out of reach of Burnside, who was vainly endeavouring to clioko him inbo silence. ' Well !' said Price, empbabically, from his seat on the arm of a chair beside Graham. ' It is really a secondary matter how i or for what you came, so long as you are hero, Jack. _our horse has gone to the s.uble, and unless you wish to walk back to town you will bo obliged to spend the week with us. What do you say ? We will do our best for you, and make you forget that there were such things in the world as disease and diagnosis.' 'Accept gracefully,' murmured Newton from out of a cloud of cigar smoke. ' You may as well, Graham.' 'For when tho Mogul speaks in that tone there is no denying him,' added Hastings, laughing, although a swift glance passed between him and the guest. 'Ho means business every time when he assumes thab voice.' ' ' Oh, bub—' began the doctor, in quick protestation. ' Tli .1-0 i- uo " but " about it,' interrupted '■Mo.g.n, promptly, while Burnside slid

from the railing and clasped his firm fingers over the physician's mouth —' excepting the water-butt, Jack. Yiold, and we'll allow you the honours of war.' 'Refuse—' added Burnside, dramatically, with a heavy dash in his voice. 'But I hope that ho will not refuse,' sakt Price, with a smile. ■

Graham accepted. It was a pretty good place to visit, this handsome island residence on the outskirts of bho town ; and a better host there could not be than Leo Price; generous, opeif. handed, open-hearted.' Even tho servants of his household were warm in praise of the young master—all but Conyers, the young master's vales. Conyers was clo3emouthed, and said little at the best of times, so they expected no oncomium from him. They certainly received none. Conyers had been with Lee Price for three years, and was faithful to his duties, quieb and obliging. It was as well that ho should be a man of few words, his master said, for many servants and attendants were given to too much loquacity. Volubility did nob always indicate reliability. So long as Conyers remained faithful ti.eCwas no fear of his losing his place. 'A quieb follow—this Convers,' saS_ Jack Graham, indifferently, as he and ._!_ host strolled over the grounds, a croup, of dogs around them, the morning following the young physician's entrance into tho lively bachelor establishment. ' Whore did you pick him up, Price ? There's my , Halleck, as gossipy as a monkey ! Utterly' unlike Conyers. You must have advertised for a jewel to get him.' Lee laughed. One of the dogs leanod about him, and he patted tho broad, sleek head half-mechanically. ' I advertised for a faithful man,' ho answered ; ' perhaps one should call such a jewel nowadays, Graham. Conyer3 suits me pretty well. *Ho isn't likely to cheer a fellow with volatile spirits—like Morgan or Newton .or those—but if you wish to be quiet, you know, you will be quiet, no matter what Conyers may bo doing.'

•'And I should think, if one were ill or nervous or wakeful in bhe night, he would be an excellent person, Lee,' added the doctor, with a careless laugh. ' I think I shall have to steal or bribe him from you to place him in some of my sick-rooms !'

' Bub I couldn't-spare him, you know !' said Lee, quickly. He glanced at his companion half suspiciously. 'He is invaluable to me when I am ill in .lie night, Jack. You remember I told you that sometimes I am ill in the night—'

' Yes,' said Graham, calmly, as Leo paused, noting the colour mounting the broad forehead. 'Ot course, I wouldn'b take him from you for the world, Leo. Aud, of course, he wouldn't go, no matter how much I might try to bribe him. 1 Bupposo he is perfectly willing bo care for you ah such time ?'

' Perfectly,' acquiesced Price, emphatically. 'In fact, I don't even have to aek him, Graham. He seems to know at once what) to do.'

' Remarkable fellow 1' _aid tho doctor, coolly, tossing away the stump of his cigar and snapping his fingers with a call bo one of the dogs.

'Yes,' said Lee, warmly; 'so he is, Jack ! One does not always find so faithful an attendant, Nothing gives me any relief when these attacks come upon me but clear, cold water, or the strongest) coffee, and Conyers will go down to the kitchen for ib ab any hour of tho. night* without a murmur. I often tell him to ring for one of the other servants, bub ho will nob do it. It is no trouble whatever, he says, when I object.' * It is a wonder he didn't die young,' said. Graham, with a careless laugh and shrug of his shoulders. ' " Whom the gods lovo.," you know, Leo I' —- You may ran him if you choose,' said Lee, stoutly, 'and guy me, too, for thab matter, but he is a faithful fellow, Jack.' ' Nob bhe leasb doubb that the figure on the wall yonder ii tho artist. Hello, Phil! Whab is the effect bins morning? Thab cab-boat over easb againsb bho green island would make a charming study of colour. Ia thab whab you're at ?' , ' Yes,' said Curtis, glancing up, a sligho flush on his face. For ho was still sensitive* regarding hi 3 art. 'Ib makes a telling canvas, Graham; The lights are so vivid, you see.' And melting into conversation upon art. the subject of the faithful attendant died away and was forgotten by one of tho two disputants—not by the other. The week passed quickly away, bringing about the day when Doctor Graham must return to his duties and his patients. The young men were crowded upon tho piazza to see him off, for ho was a general favourite, and, all talking at once, ib was impossible to distinguish any special speech or speaker. "'All tho world's a stage," and all tho ;nen and women are puppets in a drama of farewell !' exclaimed Newton, "suddenly turning upon Morgan, who was using a gigantic handkerchief with elaborato impressment and slapping him violently upon the back. 'But cheer up! He'll appear in the next scene, old tellow ; so don't howl too loud—it spoils the effect.'

' __.-pecially as your handkerchief is so disgracefully dry,' added Burnside, shaking his own out bo its full size with extreme care. ' •

The' unabashed delinquent wiped hi_ eyes and then his nose, with tender solicitude. Then, his eyes falling upon the dripping handkerchief in Burnside's hands, he made a sudden and most unexpected dash at bim, exclaiming in excessive scorn:

'Ab leasb my grief is real, Bob Burnside, while yours cries of the waterbutt !' 1 And in bhe midst of the laughter and hubbub following this announcement. Doctor Graham, turning upon the steps aa he was descending to where his. horse was waiting for him, laid one hand affectionately upon tho broad shoulder of his host, as he said, earnestly:

'As you have had none of those attacka since I have been here, I am led to believe that you are recovering from them without tho aid of any physician, my dear fellow !'

An awkward flush touched for an insfanb bhe young man's face. Then ho said, slowly, turning away from the docbor's searching eyes :

' I was ill—so—two nights ago, Jack, and Conyers v/cnb to summon you; but-ho could nob rouse you. Ib really don't mabter, though, for Conyers did all that) was necessary, and it would have been too bad to waken you from so sound a Bieep.'

' The devil it would!' exclaimed the angry doctor, shortly, as his hand dropped from tho other's shoulder, a frown darkening his brows. 'Asl am a remarkably lighb sleeper, Price, ib must have been an equally lighb summons bhab couldn'b rouse me.' «

And springing to the saddle, ho galloped away, without another word or one backward glance at the group upon the cool piazza. {To he Continued.)