COMPLETE TALES

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 13

COMPLETE TALES

TEN o'clock. Mr. Herbert Van Slater sat in his office, a stenographer on each side of him, a telephone at his elbow, a stock ticker in ... rear clicking nervously, and a pile fmail on his desk that he was slicingwith extraordinary skill and celerjSnduced by long practice. Mr. Herbert Van Slater was doing Vint all the things at once that a man * ,j 0 . He was dictating alternately § each stenographer. He was talking C ver the wire. He was reading his maiL (Vcaaonallj- he would stop to tear open telegram that a boy brought in. Withal, he was outwardly calm. His jjoretnents were rapid but precise. He j-teted no words nor energy. It fiS evident that he was in his element. Ha $ras doing the thing that he had trained himself to do, and he was projjjUy doing it better than any other type of man in the world could do it. i,j Tford, Mr. Herbert Van Slater was w American and a hustler. sjs office was luxuriously furnished. % solid mahogany desk and tables, several antique rugs, dark exquisitely lined juifcern walls relieved by two costly oil paintings of a famous yacht and a still jnore famous horse, all served to proslice an artistic harmony that was a relief to the eye, after tho garish effects ;o common to a majority of American (Sees. "I pass one-third of my life in my jfgee," said Mr. Van Slater, "and there' is no reason why it shouldn't be as dejent a spot as my home." Ihe door opened noiselessly and there •ntered Mr. Harry Penton, Van Slater's jaost intimate friend. Mr. Penton was entirely different. He jsrouc a stick nonchalantly in his hand. His clothes had been put on carefully. In Ms face there seemed to be much loom for that weariness that idleness fosters, but none for anxiety. Mr Harry Penton was a-man about town. He lived en hi? money. He had nothing else to do.' "Hello! Harry.'" chipped out Van Slater. "Glad to sen you. Sit down. Ep time to stop. What's up? Make Tonrsclf at home. Talk right ahead. Don't mind mc." Penton sank into a chair. ,: Gad! : ' he exclaimed. ''This is the ealy office I com? to that I feel at ease I in. simply because you don't, stop. I hate like the lnisehiof to bore my friends. Glad you feel you don't nave to let up. Keep right on. Busy?"

"Am I busy!" exclaimed Van Slater. ''Sever was so busy. (Hello, hello! Who is it? This you, Cortright? Yes. I see. Go ahead. Forty-one and five-eighths. Yes. Good. All right. Good-bye.) It's something fiero?! Can't let up a moment. (Miss Smith, get that wire off to Chicago at once.) No time for anything but work. Seen anybody lately? Anything doing? (Mi=s Birdseye, look at the tape and see what Copper is,doing.) Haven't seen a soul myself. Too much rushed."

Penton crossed his legs and lighted a cigarette.

?Saw Kilty Clayton yesterday," he bid. ;i She's off for Europe."'

"The devil!" Tan Slater stopped opening envelopes >nd swnng squarely nmund.

"What's that!" he exclaimed. '"'Off to Europe? Mustn't go! Can't go! Hat's a nice thing to do. isn't it?" He made a familiar gesture to his two stenographers, anrl silently they disappeared, leaving him and his friend alone. ''Look here, Harry, is it true? Are pou sure?" "Oh, yes—positive! She's going for » rest. 'Why. I didn't think that would make any difference to you.' 3 iVan Slater went on with the mail. ■"Well, it does —heaps. I'm in love ritn that girl. Bound to get her— tome time. Too busy now to do anything. Been keeping as much of an Ijz on her as possible"' 'Well, she's busy. too. She does % little of everything. Literary, social, wt, business—for 1 hear she runs her wn estate herself."

"res, yes—l know. That's my saltation. You see. she's like mc. Too busy to be made love to. That's why J haven't be«n afraid of anyone else. I've kept an eye ou her. hoping that things would let up a little so that I could get time to, to. well —marry het. But now if she gets to travelling 'around Europe, what <may happen? Why, she may pick up a Duke, or some Sing in reduced circumstances. It will toer do. I must head her off."

_ Where did you meet her, anyway, rathe first place? Where in the world did you ever find time to fall iv love isrith herf

'Too busy "before to tell you about «*• Met her last year in Florida. Saw aer for three days (onunuously. Golf. Walks. First day 1 fell in love with her. Second day" I made plans to get J-er. Third day 1 would have gotten »er, when a wire came that the wheat forner was busted, and I had to hurry Kick. Since then I've just been waiting,, waiting. But there's been no to see her. She's as busy as I B w. You can't make love to a girl *ben she's leading a German. You •f 11 '* propose to her through a megaphone at the horse show or opera. You Cl «it s t an( j in line night after night ta hopes all the rest will leave, when " cr y single night there's some literSr 7 or art stunt in progress. Oh. it's ii eree! - r '" But," said Penton, "mv dear boy, '/yon ure really so i?one on Kitty Clayfn. ,v!- v not take .--/ week or so off and if things slide ion<; encusrh to jr e t

Vvhat! and let co at a critical time S? U'is with a shaky market? Can't -iv ean '' t do it -" _ !«n, it's alwawi a critical time. |P t you—-•-• I f oaTld oßfc she had a couple an , ° ars to spare the other morning, o took her out iv mv scoot cart. And jjg do yon suppose" happened? Of l ran the machine myself — toad f * Dice strai S ht road—just the ? to propose in. and iust as I was j™ing ready to lead up to what I had nJ ,y ' , the con founded accelerator got Y*»*d and we stopped short. Well, \J£*f **"* swore for half an hour 11~? I f °ond the trouble. And then we at the opening. Came near Rested—and that's the way it ftts v VC thafc S ki ,0 deattu (He llol lg loii don't say! Well, throw i* .-' 'Vtufs iimti Nonsense. Ail

•right. I'll do it. Good-bye.) Why between telephone calls and 1 sit here and think of nothing else but her. And I believe she would marry mc if—why she'd just have to many mc. that's aIL But every time something happens. If I get an hour off, she s doing something, and when she isu-t, I can leave. Now, she's going to Europe. She's lost, lostl' (No, John I can't see any one just now.) When , does she sanr" "To-morrowr" '-To-morrow! And I not known anything about it. Why, this is something terrible. What can be done? She must be stopped. I won't be easy for a moment. It will interfere with "business to have that girl out of reach, floating around with a lot of foreign duffers at her heels. That's just the time when a girl is bound to throw herself away—when all she has to do is to look pleasant. She was safe as long as she was rushed all the time.' "We never make mistakes when we'rt busy. Come, now, what are you sitting there for? Haven't you anything to suggest? Help mc out, old chap—can't you?"

Van Slater got up and paced the floor. Every time he passed the ticker he stopped and looked mechanically at the tape.

"And Copper," he muttered to himself, "down to 67."

"There's only one thing I can think of," said Penton, tapping his stick decisively on the arm of his chair. "If that girl gets away, you'll lose her, sure pop. You're dead right about that. I've seen 'em before. The ocean steamers are regular matrimonial traps, to say nothing of the Alps, and the Rlune and the Riviera. As you say, there's no time to lose. You must reach Kitty at once." "But how V ' '"Over the telephone." •* "Whatl! I do when I get her?" "Why. fix it up between you, of co irse. Settle matters. Make arrangements. Get busy. Good heavens, man, this isn't the middle ages! We. are not trailing around iv Sedan chairs. Courtships are not serial stories to be con--1 inued in our next. They're paragraphs. The world moves. Why, any ambitious person can get married half a dozen times now, while the old fogie o of bygone days were cooling their heels in the front parlour night after night. Get a move on!"

"But great Caesar! You don't expect mc to propose to that girl over the 'phone with all New York listening. Y"ou must be crazy. Why, every central girl in town would be sitting on the wire drinking it in. Besides, Kitty would shut mc off quick enough."

Harry Penton grabbed his friend by the arm.

Look here, my boy! You're a sport, and so am I. There's nothing else to do. You'll lose that girl sure if you don't. And you can't stop her from getting away unless you do something decisive. Now let ine tell you something that's strictly on the level. If you talk right, Kitty will understand you. Hasn't she been managing her own affairs since her father died? Didn't she go into the stock market six months ago and make 80.000 dollars in Smelters in ten days? Isn't she up to her ears in art and books and charitable stunts? Why, she's as busy as you are—you admit that. If you haven't had time or opportunity to woo her, isn't she as much to blame as you? Where could you find her alone? You never can trust a.n auto, anyway, when you are making love. Why, I have had a. tire burst on mc. or a grounded wire or hot bearings, half a dozen times just as I was going to kiss a girl. Now, you get Kitty on the wire and put the situation fairly and squarely, and if she doesn't understand—well, then you can afford to lose her, anyway."

Herbert grabbed the telephone book. "I believe you're right," he exclaimed. '■"Do you want mc to go out?' 5 "No." no! Guard the door while I'm talking. I see the point. It's the only thing to do."

As if by magis his nervousness -vanished. He had been in tight places before. A crisis only made him calm. He located Miss Clayton in 15 minutes at the Woman's Club.

"Hello! Is this Miss Clayton? This you. Miss Clayton? Don't you know mc? Herbert —yes,"Van Slater. How arc you? Say. are you goiDg to sail to-morrow? Y"es? Why didn't you let mc know? I know: but how could you do such a thing? You thought. Nonsense. But you "can't go. No, you can't go. Hello! I—-Central, for heaven's sake, stop that buzzing! Hello! they cut us off. I say you can't go, because I won't let you. Why, don't you understand? I kuow, but'just listen. Don't you see it's your fault? Why. because I haven't been able to sec you. Yes; but hasn't there been someone aronnd? Always! Yes—always. That's all right. Busy? Oh, yes, I'm terribly busy. You know what this market is But l"m going to be relieved. Yes, relieved. Hello! Central, keep off that wire, will you? Yes. I said Telie-ccL— that is. I hope so—new partner, uuess. Well I'll tell you when you come back. But really. now. you mustn't go until you see mc. Engagements all to-day? Nonsense. But seriously, don't you see.? Kitty, you do see, dont you? But this isn't—no. it isn't—honest. Only you can't go. I want yon- Mine? Oh yes Why. you ought to ha.ye known it. But bow" could I," when—of course. VVhere win you be? But tbe market, Kitty, the market. To-night, I—wait a minute " Penton was nudging him by the elbow. "Get her to come down here," he whispered. "Don't you see? Don't you understand? This is the only place where you can be sure of seeing her alone. 1 ' -Hello' "Yes. here 1 am. Well, I simply must see you alone-alone, you understand. Your house is crowded? Of course. Then come down here. •IU «end for you. You must-r-you must. Never mind. Will you promise to wait thca-e for thirty minutes? Yes. All right. Don't fail. Remember. Au revoir." Van Slater turned.

"Of course, 1 couldn't hlurt it out," he cried, "but I think Kitty was going away because—well— she didn't understand just how busy she had been, and I didn't quite understand just how busy I had been—that is, in regard to her. Vow, old man, my machine «3 down below. l?et*h her teflf? .*&« Jvd-

FAVOURITE ' sflj

KITTY ON THE WIRE,

dress. Yon know her. Explain and hurry. I can't leave the ticker." Penton dropped his stick and started for the door. "What will you do when you get Kitty here?" he asked as he stood on the threshold. "Make up for lost time." "Well, expect us back inside of an hour." Van Slater took another look at the ticker. "Copper at 65," he muttered. "But I know it was all right by the tone of her voice. Why didn't I do it before? That girl loves mc, I know. And to tbink she "was so busy—and I was so busy. Well, this is a great age we're living in.'-'

Once more he looked in the telephone book and got a certain number. "Hello 1 Is the Reverend Mr Burton in? Yes. This Mr Burton? This is Mr Van Slater. How are you? No. Busy? Say, will you do mc a favour? Yes. Come to my office at once. Now. Yes. To marry mc. I said, to marry mc. Yes. That's right. Too busy to leave. Sure thing. Well, I hope so. Not absolutely certain, of course, but I want you to be here; want you on hand in case I need you. All right. Explain later. Thanks. Good-by."

Van Slater rang the bell for his two stenographers. They appeared almost instantly. "Girls, I'm going to do an unusual thing. You can take the afternoon off." Then he turned once more to the ticker. It seemed a long time to wait, but in reality it was only an hour and five minutes. She came in with a sweep. Harry Penton waited outside. "Herbert Van Slater, what do" you mean by bringing mc down here in this unseemly manner?" "Awfully sorry. No other place to see you alone. Thought you were safe, anyway. Didn't dream you'd skip off to Europe with a market like this." He looked at her fixedly, with a new look in his eyes. He spoke more slowly. "Didn't you know,' Kitty," he said, "that I loved you.'' She shook her head. "Why, don't you remember that day in the automobile That was as near as I got. Somehow you were always busy, and I was always busy, and I couid never see you alone. (Hello there, Central! Say! Don't you ring my bell again, understand! Don't want to be disturbed. Never mind what happens.) I want to know, Kitty, if you don't love mc just a little?" "No, sir! I positively refuse to let you kiss mc!" "Well, at least let mc take your hand. Don ? t you now, honest?" "Perhaps. But you neglected me— shamefully." "But, dearest. I didn't know you were going away. I couldnt let you do that, you know. It seemed all right, while you wera is. until the market got normal. You understand, don't you? But. of course, when I heard you were going, that was different. I couldn't let you go." She raised her face to his. "I understand," she said. "The faalt is not yours, my dear. It is the time and place we are living in. That is the reason why I couldn't go without letting you know." Van Slater looked at her wonderingly as she stepped back near the ticker, where they could not be seen from the street, and he put his arm round her. "Let mc know," he repeated. "Why, how did you let mc knowT' She smiled. "Will you forgive mc?" she said. "This morning I sent Harry Penton down to tell you."—By Addison Pox, Jr., in "Life."