EPILOGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 185, 4 August 1894, Page 9 (Supplement)

EPILOGUE.

IN SMOOTH WATERS,

Qnaville wears once again the aspect of t.he one-time Bachelor's Nest, for Una livoß there no more, but only two quaint, stooping, whito-haired old men, who smoke their pipes and drink their whisky toddy and take their strolls together ; for Washington Larry had resigned station life, has his Knutsford cat, and has cast his lines in with the captain. Since Roland's claim had been legally established by John Tackerline, aud the whole matter comfortably settled within the private circle to which alone Roland's history was known, and they had more than enough to supply their own wants, they were content. The estate was wound up, and the disposition of the portion willed by Jeremiah Goldwin to certain charitable institutions had been attended to; for two years have flown since Roland learned that he waa Jerry's hoir; since the wrong was righted, the crooked made straight; Bince, to use Larry's own word, ' Things wore squared up fine.' The Goolgun doors are thrown open to strangers, for Roland has elected to live elsewhero, being averse to tho old associations ; he and his wife reside in cmite another locality, some distance from Virginia Bay, and intend shortly to visit Knutsford together. There exists a baby Goldwin, too, to rule the houae ; a sweet, dimpled, starry-eyed autocrat of two months, christened Jessie, but better known as 'Mid,' and more ofton than not called 'Princess, 'Queenio,' or 'Sweotost,' by her faithful nurse, Mrs Dripper, who is far happier than she thinks sho^leservoa to be, o,nd who does not cense fco shed a penitent tear and oiFer praise dvor the cradle where nestles ' the sweetest babe that ever crowed for kisses.' She prays alike at the cradle and the grave, a grave not more than half a year old, whore a marblo monument stands, on which is inscribed, ' SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF ISABELLA GELDEN,' over dato and place of death. Only a few know outside the private circle above alluded to that the occupant of the grave was buried at Roland Goldwin's expense, that her tombstone was erected at his order. But those quixotic benevolent tendencies of hi?, to which Mrs Goldwin had so frequently referred with scofling, now protected him from too much comment. 'Heis a millionaire,' said tho few, ' and always did do odd things, you know, things that never harmed anybody, but often did much good.' Gharlio Mountfu had yet to learn much of the movements of his Phillipia friends. After coming to an understanding with Una Pennacovo, he gave up' his vocation at tho shipping firm, and, for diversion, took to commercial travelling; and during his travels within the two years, owing to his will-o'-the-wiap life and flight into the far interior of other colonies, whero few papers found their way, he failed to gather a sequence of those events touching old friends. But he knew of Una's marriage, and having recovered from his disappointment, ho determined to call and see her, to renew the past friendship, as soon as chance offered. Returning to Phillipia. he, to prepare him»elf for this visit, first sought out her old home to chat with her uncle, and glean all information of her surroundings. So ho presented himself one evening at Unaville, and was received with genuine warmth by the Gaptain and his mate, Washington Larry. Seated at the table, just as Larry and Jerry has smoked and talked and sipped co long ago, he found the two and sat down to make a third, while decanters, tumblers, spoons and sugar-bowl, side by side with a hot-water jug full to the brim, its boiling hot contents bedewing the metal cover, were arrayed before them. Over their pipee, and with a glass of excellent sherry at his elbow, Mountfu plied his convivial hosts with questions, Larry only putting in a word hero and i there. i ' So your niece is Mrs Goldwin?' 4 Yes,' from the Captain. ' She forsook her old love, then—the University ? And yet she was as anxious one time for a degree as any politician for a' portfolio,' ' That she was,' responded the Captain again. ' But she is not tho girl to give up anything she sets her heart on, let me tell you. She worked for her degree, and sha got it, too.' •By Jove ! she gob it after all, eh ? Well done.' 1 She did po,' mumbled Larry, as proud of her achievement as the Captain was, and pleased witji Mountfu's • Well done !' He then relapsed into silence, suckinj; hi 3 pipe, and stroking Cicero, curled aad purring across his knees. • And she set her heart on the millionaire, and gob him, too,' said Mountfu, teking.a mouthful of his wine, and looking into the" wineglass. ' What become of the other girl they said Goldwin waa a^ser—Mies Lockstud ?' At this question the Captain, feeling as if ica were trickling down bis spine, was dieconcerted. ' Don't you know ? She's dead—died two years ago, about.' • Dead ! Good heaven ! I never heard of ib. I met her often here, and thowghb her a bonny girl. Whab happened to fc*r ?' ' Jusb family trouble, poor creature 1' Answered the Captain. • Ah, yea; I remember her father's fc*d.

I heard it from you first. Terrible, wasn't it ? And, then/he left bis affairs in such a hopeless muddle.' ' Yes; ib took the life oub of her, sure enough,' asßerted the captain, puffing a cloud of smoke up to the ceiling. 'It nearly upseb Una— they were like Bisters, you sue — and she tended ber to the lasb. She sent for the tribe of sisters and brothers to como to Wondoo and see the last of their eldest sister, and I liked the girl, and was anxious about my Una, too, so I went up to Wondoo myself. Iwon't forget it in a hurry. The poor think was so changed. She flickered for a day or co, nnd they all thought she might come round ; but she didn't, but just went off when they least expected it, quiet and happy like. Lord bleaa my girl, how Una felt ifc, to be sure ! She couldn'b settle to her books for a long time, and if it hadn't been for Rol she would nover have been herself again, I'm sure.' ' It must have been harder on- poor Mrs Lockstud, though, don't you think V said Mounfcfu. ' Well, of course ib was—her troubles came so thick and fast; bub it's a long lanu thab has no turning. The whole family is set up on its feet again, and back at Cecillambda.' ' What, is the rich old aunt gone, too ?' 1 No : but she will go soon, I'm thinking. They hadn't to wait for her death to get hold of her money, because she took them off the raft and set thorn on a weathertight boat. She's a rare old lady, is Mrs Calliport.' The Captain longed to be able to tell his inquiring young friend thab Roland had puo ib into the widow's power to pay off every farthing owing to Theodore Lockstud's creditors—so agreeably astounded— that he had bought Cecillambda, and made it a deed of gifb to Mrs Lockstud,but darod not. 4 Well,' romarked Mountfu, 'that's a salve for past afflictions. And what's become of the handsome dowager, Mrs Goldwin ? Still in England ?' Here Larry took the pipe from his mouth, and was moved to speak, with an irony undetected by the young man : ' Oh, the change done for her; ib upseb bor fine nerves.' ' And is sha dead, too ? Do you moan she is dead ?' Larry cloned his mouth on his pipe-stem and nover replied. So Captain Pennacove answered, with a little shifting of bis eyes : • We gob news of her death about six months ago.' 1 Died abroad ?' ' I don'b exactly remember where,' equivocated the captain. 1 So thab is the news, eh? She was a grand woman in her time.' Larry writhed in his chair. ' And the Lockstuds are back again in their own quarters ? Well, life is a chequered work, isn't it? There was another daughter growing up—rathor a fino girl, too—called Louisa, I think.' 1 Yos,' said the Captain; 'ehe is a fine girl, and young Lannager thinks the is awfully like poor Jessie. I'm not sure bub what she will bo Mrs Frank Lannagor some day.' 1 Well, Lannager isn't a bad sorb,' said Mountfu, after draining his glaß3. ' But for luck Roland Goldwin is really his father's own son. Ib just seems to drop into his hands for the mere holding of them out.' Mountiu was thinking of his success in winning Una. *He doesn't know what disappointment is —he doesn't know much of the hardships of life.' The two old men exchanged meaning glances, and neither made any remark for a few second?. Ib was Larry who broke tho pause at length. •Rol Goldwin,' he said, 'has Jerry's honest blood in his veins, and if ho's gob bis luck too, he'a only got what he deserves ; and that's more than many a man can say.' His tone wasacrgressivo enough to assure Mountfu that he had unwittingly touched, oita sore place, so ho irnmudiatoly prepared a. plaster. 'You're about right there, Mr Larry; let's drink hte health/ Ho helped himself to another glass of sherry. • Here's to Roland Goldwin, the lucky and the deserving !' He raised his glass, and the Captain followed suit; Larry, appeased, did likewise, lifting his hand from Cicero's back. The three glasses clinked, and Mountfu added in all sincerity : 1 May the sun of his prosperity never go down ! May ho share ib all his days with ber whoso price is far above rubios ! May they be rich in 6ons and daughters !' •God bloss thorn!' responded the Captain. Then quoth Larry with a wave of bis pipe: • " All's woll thab ends well," Bays the prophet.' THE END.