KITTY'S FATHER

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 91, 19 April 1893, Page 7

KITTY'S FATHER

BY FRANK BARRETT.

[a_lkk? hts BESEEVEDj,

CHAPTER X

_ JUN OF I. IS WORD,

c 0Q tbe other side of the curtain 'f E<l came up on the stage from the Im presented a striking contrast. The rjnotyet.sfciate- ; the _!<y and border V hts were still on, They were all on the Le actor a and actresses in their character stole ffith the paint on their faces clusitogether shying hands with the sueLful author laughing and joking amongst Lnselvea and every one in the highest Jritaand best humour possible. A boy ® „_ the sta^e with a basket of real lampaene followed by another with a Ld of champagne glasses ; and the sighb Hhia refreshment gave a fresh fillip to the ral paiery. Cooper let us know thab would be generous when he was able to _ _it Tha corks popped ona after anther the wine frothed in the glasses, and „i, ' m were charged Cooper made anSer little speech, and wo all drank j. life and prosperity to Mr Sber- .!"_' Th 6 n he replied in a few words ffhicli I cannot recall to mind, bub I wow tbat they were .right and . parkwand "eneroue like the champagne thab dreva them out of my memory. To tell the troth we were all prodigiously excited, and I not'much less than fefio rest of the com- . f or though the success of The BlocL c kini» as a fifty had nob thab intoxicating effect upon ny which it naturally exercised noon those whoso ellorts had achieved this tnimphant result, I had an additional Bource of exhilaration in the conviction that my dear Kitty's happiness was now as.ured. And what greater happiness could I wish her than to be united for lire to a youn.e man of a warm and generous disposition, bright, intellect, honest and healthy in mind and body, and a gentleman by birth ? With all the resources of arb ab hand there was not .fl ma on the stage who could mako a face ordure so captivating or assume a char- ! acter 50 lovable as his. As he concluded big reply he turned to Kitty, who stood near, and the radiant bappine?- in their faces when their eyes met 1 j D d lingered led me to believe that he had '' already Dfouiid time to tell her that he loved ■ ' her, and won her consent to be his wife, l That was not my opinion only. Cooper I amine to re-fill my glass, said in a sly j undertone— I 'We owe you a lot, Holderness, bub I you've done a good thing for yourself ab | tha fame time.' It's a case ovor there,' . with a wink and a twitch of the elbow to- •' wards Kitty and Mr Sherridan. -It's a i hundred to one that Sherridan's popped ythe Question already.'

I laughed, and said I hoped ha might find come one more disposed to tako his bet than I was, and then our conversation

turned to business. All were talking about tbe performance each finding some •.point of interest to discuss and laugh over, : and I believe we should have stayed there

an hour engaged on the same topic if tho gas man, seeing no prospect of getting a \glass of champagne for himeelf, had not cut o_'the border lights, and the carpenters

following hia lead bad nob come forward to 1 dear the stage. That obliged us to rise I from the seats we had taken and think of i getf.fng home. The ladies want oil to their ' dressing-rooms, Cooper hooking his arm in j.Mr Sherridan's led him away, and in a few l minutes of all that; mirthful company I 1 was the only one left; on the stage.

) I kmw it would be a good half-hour | before Kitty came down, so I wont out to ' smoke a quieb pipe in ' the fresh air. The Btage entrance was quite blocked up by a [group of gentlemen in lighb racing overj.coats, amongsb whom I recognised Mr . Norris, the London manager, and Mr | Fenton, the playwright and dramatic ' critic They wore asking the doorkeeper ■if Mr Sherridan and Mr Cooper were in the bouse.

, 'Bravo !' said I to myself, aa I worked toy way past them into the street. 'This is good business. These gentlemen havo feen the play and spotted a good thing, as they say. Norris is nob the man to let a 'fine play go dragging aboub the counbry -lien he knows it will fill a London houso for three or four hundred nights. In a little time Kitty's husband will be famous snd earning his thousands a year like other •successful dramati-ta,'

In these and such-like reflections I indulged toy imagination, slowly pacing tho pavement for aboub a hundred yards on each side of the stags door, till turning on my bed for the twentieth time maybe, I perceived the same company of gentlemen in light coats streaming out of the theatre with Mr Sherridan and Mr Cooper. They time on laughing and talking loudly. Mr S'nerridan, who fed with Mr Norris, was so deeply engaged in conversation that he did 20s notice rae when we passed, bub Cooper wta brought up the roar, recognised mo, •and stopping, said 'Come alone, Hoiderne.s, we're going to .« up ab the Albion,' I declined, telling him thab I was going borne with Kitty. 'Take her home and then come on,' said be with a wave of the hand as he joined hi,, companions.

'A pretty return to tho poor girl for all her dovotion,' thoughb I : phe works night and day v.ith heart _md soul, risks the loss of ail her little earnings for the success of ™8 Pay; the play succeeds, and, lo ! wtty can he lelb while we go to the Albion and drink more than is good for us. Urn ! J-he women may well say we're all alike, selfish!'

Urtainly mv reflection, had taken a bitter «m all of B sudden. Tho fact is I felt sore to _ think that Mr Sherridan should * wind j *>. at tho Albion instead of with us. Up ™ that moment I was sure that he had i ™a«9 an offer to Kitty ; bub now I had | "rong doubts on the subject, audi went! t° _a_ as even to questioTi whether he inwnded to keep the promise he had made. ~ man's views change so greatly when Prosperity takes tho place of adversity. presently Kjfcty eamo to the stage door ™ri.paeped fi r _b do the right and then to tfle left.

'Atone !' she said in a tone of surprise | w; e» I went to her. ! , yes, my dear,' said 1 ; 'Mr Sherridan I « gone on with his friends to svind up at ! c"ci Albion.' i

w, r 'jKto°k my arm without a word, and we tim m omewards in siiance for some {rl, rhen, feeling that 1 ought to defend l\:° h. er»dan, I told her that Mr Norris waa of iT- patty' ond suggested the possibility fliso havin Kaome matter of business to -cuss. ' And you know, my dear,' said I, 'conel u _i on 'business must nob he nc'!.ected.' ■ j "lor Wends either,' she retorted sharply. hadu- 6 »»»>*«_ already f hat Kitty tin. Si "h s P'rifc- ' Business !' she con,Uea mdignantly ; ' that is a man's feelin » any act bhafc botrayd a wanfc of 'After all, we did nob fell him that we ejected hi m to take supper with us.' -rip j _ Was one of fcl,oae tllin f- r» that a _»!_ i oca not n^d telling. He must ",Q known that we should like to talk it .° ver quietly by ourselves.' ti_n ••' Baiti !. feeling of exasperalea. ri3 "'S a"am in W breast; 'and to _i.U U8 hke this without over saying good°aiJ> without leaving a message to say he

was sorry ho had to go to the Albion, was confoundly unhandsome, especially considering what we have done for him and Ins play. •

'You haven't breathed a word aboub thab money to him have you, uncle 'Not a syllable.' 'Then how should he know hs is under any obligation ab all to us. Whab we have done has been quibe aa much in our own interests as his. If the play had nob been produced we should both be out. of engagement. It a only natural thab a man should wish now and then to mix with men and exchange ideas upon different things. I should if I were a man.' 'Wei], my dear,' said I, testily, 'I shouidn b have said a word aboub ib "only I though, you felc yourself slighted.' 'Why on earth should I foel slighted' ive no claim upon Mr Sherridan. We are oo.h free to do exactly as we please.' In this way wo disputed all the wav to our lodeings, both under a feeling of irritation and disappointment, and each in turn taking up the cudgels for Mr Sherridan and against him. Neither of us quite _new whab we were driving at, but one thing was perfectly clear to me, Mr Sherridan had made no offer of marriage to I.ibby.

In our sitting-room we found tho supner laid for three, with tha lobster-salad at one end, a gooseberry Die ab the other, and a fine piece of roast beef in the middle. Kitty and I had made preparation for this feast in the morning, and I own that the overthrow of all our pleasant anticipations and the reflection thab we should have that joint of beef before us for tho whole of tho week completely took away the appetite which the sight of these good things created. I hung up my hab on the peg behind the door with a heavy heart, and Kitty sitting clown gazed absently ab the Moor as she slowly drew off her gloves. Seating myself ab tho table I was about to say something disagreeable, feeling unconscionably irritable, when by the light of tho lamp bhab fell on her face I saw a bright tear stealing down Kitty's cheek. That melted me at once, for surely there 13 nothing in the world so touching as the sight of a young girl's tears, and my bettor feelings awaking I thanked God in my hearb t_at I had nob let slip a word or hint about Mr Sherridan's avowed inbenbion bo mako her his wife if hia fortune turned. For, in addition to the disappointment of ail the hopes she mighb have ..uilt upon that possibility, what a biow would ib have been to her faith in the loyalty of mankind to perceive that ho whom she had set up as tho very soul of honour and generosity could abandon his purpeso and forsake her when she ceased to be necessary to his welfare.

' Why, Kitty, dear,' said 1, ' what's this? The reaction is too much for you, eh ?'

' No, no : ib isn't that,' sho faltered, choking down her grief and wiping the tears from her eyes.

' Then what is it. I asked, changing my seat, and slipping my arm round her waist. 'Come, tell me all about it'

She nestled her face in my shoulder with a little hysterical laugh, and squeezing my hand, grateful for sympathy, and replied in broken sentences with a litfcie gulp now aud then to repress a rising sob.

'It isn't reaction, uncle. Excitement •nover upsets me, you know. Ibs the loss of a friend. That's the real trouble.'

'Why dear,' said I, trying to put; the bast face on it, 'you tako this too seriously. Is may be a little thoughtless of Mr Sherridan to leave us like tine to-night, bub you must not think he has abandoned us for good all because of that. 'Oh no, no, no ! That's only a trifling disappointment—nob the real cause at all. We shall forget all about that by to-morrow when be comes to bid us good-bye. But it is the thought that wo shall sco him no more after .hat, or at most from time to t:me like an ordinary acquaintance. He has beon so much more than that _y us. Every day wo have been much to;: or her, and it has seemed so much a part of our lifo that v.-c havo set hardly any store by ir,, have we? But it comes homo to us now that we don'b sco him hero, don't hear his voice, and feel that there is a great gap. Id's no more than wo mighb have expected. Id was the play that threw us togethor— we talked of nothing else hardly—did we? And now tho play is produced, thore is no reason for hia staying with us—ho could nob, could he? It's my own fault Here the tears flowed again in spue of herself. 'I should have prepared myself for this, knowing it must come. Bub instead oi that when the thoughb came I have set >b out of my mind because ib was unpleasant. And now ib comes suddenly like a death, and one i. forced to realise thab a dear friend is gone and cannot be with us any more. And there is no one else to take his place-no one in all the world, I think, is like him. Don't think me ungrateful dear I know I have you. Bub I can't, help it-1 have been so happy- Let mo cry. Ib will do me

'"°Tl4id what. I could to comfort tho poor child and suffered her to weep. Bub in tho midst of her crying she suddenly raisedl hor head, and lifted her hand as she sab with wide'open eyes listening. • if." i)o ' sho cried, starting to her ieet inst as I c'lughb the sound of a brisk, firm kp coming down the street 'He mu_tat tap thab I've been crying, and then .lie. darted upstairs just aa Mr Sherridan s wellknown knock sounded ab tho door ■ A thousand apologies, he said, pan. ng far hreath as I opened the door. i letfc the the-tw with Norn., expecting to get _ ck £ before you were ready to go. Norris had an offer to make for the play, . „ _ matter of more serious importance d?ained»eab the hotel. A strange thing "r happened. I will toll you all about t "1. as wo entered tho sitU>mZT and he found ib empty, ho S^rtoof^mo, 'Where. Xi 'fc Ke.e' sho replied, from the top of the t ,-.; ' ,i the next moment sue joined - Vvin" in that brief space found time lZ S'lT%hlr iJcket and hab, and bathe to take u_ nu £< t[ . e wick f_!.k',pi2n a idtolower-the,hado. "^hSecon^totak^p^hu, <_ ii '_. . sflid. Kiving her hand, jo "!fcer . ' .-a natural thab thoy should IStohSoSlWh they had Parted so

> Ye hub I did nob come for the supper, rs", V^r.ntine as it is,' he replied, still "-;• ' X *As your uncle knows, holding her nanw. j , n m_ s-metl^ginuehmorov^. my-nd; . ndtti?f Ufflw.hand! For whether I laaveeoo tlßl. with 0 brave apper We i**Sh no desire ever to eat IP 1" - d .t .tha "been doubtful whether I r-itt -and i question of all questions is _lwi.lyotmy wife and «ha,;o bho for- ■* , .. i.nlnea me to wm : tune you have he «« in bowi , doriDen t for a She looked acj J cry 0 f joy. she foment, and the', _ t(1 , ftid h , r fh^ herf"\ a roaß t, lifti.* her face to his. And aTthi. point I thought ib advisable to slip out ot tho room.

[To he continued.)