WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 8 June 1907, Page 13

WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK.

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sto« »5* , shan't witness Mt not so *W»j*r j said. "There \ t HO3 V** 3 . fL ate. Here are ; K-io«I =B tenai - . Iq ',\'K-7 Fawcett.! «**."SSIS - the greatest in CSBSte-<— , an _ Thc-s- mwl I . sStrewa with w ; in this Wlut wiu be the Be nnTOHlb only trifling as cs--sa£*! Are la-y the fasdna- [ 'ST* **» °*Lr"« Urns avenge 'he ggjs -of t_e v oeen indicted wBan? - . . _ _<jns? HB, prions vi£j siid old am afraid such retrf-: lady Be> er -.-. Tgrcike tae wle-ked in j Ijsnoii does **°" l . ria- Pmri r>y expert-' ! ais'" M{ied Se undeserving who pros--, gu. it is amy tog v „ n po^^i jet iß * t -^' t i le game to fail in any [ - m tfe rales f™ - *"*"*•." n_• shall see." he replied. "In "■**""■ always be on? who wins. *•- iss ' ered " " rt mi 7 >■- For my parT - i sh(mi<x I Lady Xancy properly punI nte to s v . , "T. Tit any man can see in her I iri ?'. People call h?r pretty, bat I . lire her. Look at her hair — 1 dffllt days, we used to call It 'carrots." I fc ?t °nahy' hear some love-sick swain * ad . l it as 'biiniisfled sold' the otier riafcnioas nonsense: •hrael Everett did not agree wira .% considered it more dipiomade to I ..-{he sccoect. In common wir.ii tne *~i the world, he knew teat Lady BeyLiad coveted a certain man for a sonSTttSo was head over heels in love- ' beautifai Sancy Fawcett. j TFeu to-m's&t will Be a test of their I I J feelims," Be said "I know teat both .de Dolly Wanpite and Lord ueerinjr •01 be it tie baft at The Towers, and hey were respectively the special friendn , B at each last season- I most say I snail watch ; ■ tte coffise of events with much interest. It' I Wy raroires a rival to see which way the j wind Mews, and I expect both, tte hero ; I and serohie «f my cffinedy will fcTiray them- j I lelves to-daii." ~Aad I daresay yea win be very disI «ppoint£d after an." she said pessimistic- i 1 ally. •"They are both probably tired of I last season's toys - tiey won't take any ; I Eotfee of each other, and will each go to his 1 and her own way. and nlay abo Tit with j I Bjmecce else. Things don't as a rule hap- J I pen as one expects." i *3th I exgect nothing," he declared. "1 j : ;s o only gmfaas to fad some evidence to I ten mc what to expect. Hash! here they; ■ are. Hay have probahly been skating' H together all the afternoon. She loots; jlrnsfied- and happy, and he seems devoted, j BShe plot thickeasi gi Lady Ssi*cy drew her -chair np to the ■ Wafce. "Ok. I hope they vnR soon bring' she cried, "tvannfrrff her pretty feet} Bit Se feoiea' "I want mine badly. E>r» j L;i\oni22d sit aiwn hy mc. Captain. ILenxait.'* j H &t went oc in her wienies "and i H fins mc tiQ it comes. I — ait, who was H -jat!" looking r&and at the sotmd of re?ataaag footstl»ps exossing the nsn I -Q was only old Everett and Lady Bev- [ 5 s?. lam the? na-re gone. £?- :-.- iliisre is a man who bores mc more thajs ; Bjcne- else on the wade earth it is EvII ! Bj Udt Sancy smiierL "He -was talking ■- -4 in a strperlatiTe way, too, the otner .: ar." she said, with an upward glance. . "at ailed yon the greatest flirt in the -: Bdi It is true?" ) BiEhm kughed as he looked down on r . ; E u And Lady Beverly told mc that you ... « tie most finished corruette in es- - Baa. V?aa she ri^ht?" scenes raxiier as if we bad. been E6 ? osr powers an them,-- she answered gjl' la amused tone. "But I have never more than two -wards to Colonel --j SK a try life. I don't like iim." H "isi I caa assure you that I have never to Lady Beveiij. I ahlinr her.'" a cicse ap to hers and sat ||lsra<si it. "Too haven't told mc yet is — truer' iias laajhed Hghtiy. "Ton must find Sswrfcr yourself." she said. "Do yon I«*i I ar: a coQcette?" I:M lia**1 ia ** " s goodness yon are not," he Hfi serionsly. and thai added for a mo"g***- s cany are you H ft ire nig to-oigh.t?*~ % "la." aae said, "it Is no sood deciding' it ||S **■ One doesn't knew wbo wtil be B " think how annoying it wenid I I,met state one nice, and c&oJdn't .:| ■*» 'With him becanse I had promised ..JStaasy to yon." And she looked at him : -3 *x provofcin- way. li% *c frowned. He ■yas not need to . . j ■T2 eourspi" he said stLmy. "Ton <-*" do iS ~" : Only." firmly. "I do not I meed with nnry beca-nse- you ebody you like serrer." his tcac to one ot pexsuai better to fix them up new," 3in Jy shook her head. It U custom to keep her adrack. "X am not going to she said. hm.ely pleased to ' face. ~Tcu will hare to ace with rhe rest." 1L and his cy~? flashed omi that cas* l . I will retire from he said. etntniUij his voice % "I do act care for coaler hasd. and hud it gently "Hon't be cross.-' she said. karmin-- face appealingly to is when w» arrive at the c yon as many as yon want." shall not want many then." ill the more benot find it an easy matter 7 smiled coifidenny. le servants came in with, tea. ests anneared" in the halL so on was" not amrinned. fery seccre in her own power. ten th* WeyUnds' party arlowers, tae ejperienced quite iptain Ecrton only asked her • and that one to come off rar -he evenns. aaie as a blow to ha- selfsh» hid her feelinss snecessied win an added sweetness >rd Dems. who had hurried moment she entered the room, was a keen sense of disap&er heart which grew heavier "Z woe on Almost uncontest nic of Captain Eenton's md ksw exactly with whom And .t seemed to her as if is wia. that roi»d atile- s?na-

__c gM, and presently a raginj jeaiousy toot possession ot Nancy — a fee°*ing sirs _ had never known before. ! _ The stories about >>"tti were quite tn» I | He was aotMng more than a despicable j £_*_ He had s_ply been nr>rr&-n~ bim- j | self with. her at Weylands', because there | j !was ao one else. With iier? He had a.c- 1 ( taally dared to trifle with Nancy Fawcett? E , And she — she had almost been deceived, j 4 j Sh» had liked Mm — siie could not ileny | , I tSat soe liked him — he bad interested her I , mo_ than any man she had ever met. Bui ] t ir was a good t-nin* had found h!_ j ( I out in time. He should see how little! , j she eared for his etoEenction — he should | , . sever think she minded — (of eocrse she j . did not really mind) — he. should realise ? | £_a.t she had only bees trifljag toei. : Tbese and sucii like thouglits raced j through iter mind as Lord Deria_- bore her , I round and round in the mazes of the dane_i. j : Xhe7 made her reckless »r-rf mmataraj She I scare.-ely cared what she said or wHat sne j did. and her partner's hopes were raised j , : as the- had never been besare. Ociy tie glimpse of Dolly Wingate's blue _wn in praxtmiry te> Beaton seemed to set her aflame. The evening dragged its weary course I ' away—had there ever been snei a long z evening since the world began? It was near- . ' ly time for that eiance to come off —chat single eiance that Eeuton had asked for as i : a aiatter of etnty. Did he expect that she ; ' wits going to stay for it? she wondered j . scornfully. : She went up to Lady Weylands. "X am I j so tir^d —so very tired." sue said, "i es- : □ect I skated too much this afternoon. Do r you think I can go home? I shall fail asleep ' if i stay any longer." "Of coarse, dear." said her hostess at * once. ""You can have the brougham, and x rhen ir can come back again. I don't sup- c pose is ready to gra.~ >lajor Braithwaite was staaaing dose by, and o-erfaeard the conversation. "1 wonder . if you won'a be so kind as to drop mc," he said, cctnfng forwarti. "I am staying at tie Eectory, which Ls not very far from the *ev'pyland=' gates. I have to be aS early in , __. m.im.-T... and so do hoc want to szcy , up too late." c Lady Nancy consented at once, thongh < =b« was very anxious to be by herself. But i she could not veiry well refuse. Major ] Braithwaite was one who had loved her ' c I long and in vain. He knew very well that ' t | his -was hopeless She com-*orted herself with the thought that she could pre- 1 tend to be asleep during the eirive, -and tnat * would preclude her from the neicessity of i talking. !' ! It was a bitterly cold night, and snow I was failing fast- The strains of an Inspirit- \ '■ ing valse strueifc Nancy's ears as she stepped • Into the brougham. It was the dance she . had promised to Captain Rentes. I It was rather a loag drive. L it the Kec- j . J tory was at last reached, and Major Braith- j ' j waite was dropped at the gafes^—he would , . not let them drive np zo the honse. "It has J stopped snowing." he said, "and I have a . very little way to walk. Good-aight, and | , thank yon very mneh." j „ j Ha disappeared through the trees, but I . j the erarriagre did nor go on at onces. and j I Nancy put her head out of the wtndow to I know what was can sing the delay. j A tall man <-:mt> forward, brushing the j ; ' _ow off his coat. "May I come w!_a you ! : -I now 3raithwaite has goae:*' he asked, -it I is so cold outside. r i Nancy stared at him inered-n'ausly. "Cap- j I I r-e-n B-anfnti? she crieei. "How did yojz '■ , i come here. I "I came cv the box," he ant- wared. "May '. i •I I come in? It is freezing."" ; ' j She- aaseatted wonderingiy, and he entered ! \ the brongham, and sat dov._ beside ncr, T T L ; and they were driven oS. ' i "Why did yon come away from the ball"?''' * i she queried. Her he=axt was beating ranem- ; | locsiy fast- . | . I "I believe yon promised mc _ eiance; but i as you evidently prefer to sit it out, I am ' | just as happy. Anyhow, my time is yours I for the next quarter of an hour." "Our dance is over Long ago," she said. ' I with a nervous lang'n. "Ton are cutting : yonr next partner." She could feel be was looking at her. but j * ! the moon, who bad now cleared a place ror I • : herself in the heavens, was not Dnght enough to reveal the sndden access of colour which appeared under his gaze. j "Why did yon come away from the ball*?" - 9 _ | he asked after a minute. i _ : "Because I was tired and—and rather j r I bored." she added. jj_! "What? Bored when I>er!ng was dancing j j attendance, and hanging on every word you ; _■ i said? And Braithwaite too.** jealously. '" "Why eiid you allow him to tome home I r -with yon? A prosy man like that—no won- \ ■t ' der you are tired. Wiry, _ can talk of noI thing tart himself." d ; Nancy liked bis e±eprerriat~rre w___&, and j v | smiled to herself. She knew how to deal l with men in r~>i«e raexxL The sleepy sensa-1 c, tion wfcjeih she had declared had over- -! powered ter the first part of the drive no g *-cng_r seemed to affect her. Her great j ; eiark eyes were shining very brightly. x I Sbe eiid not answer hia qne?stic»o_ --"Wl__t j c : has become of Miss vv mgate?*" sbe asked' i; "Has „c gone home, too?" j t j "I am sere I eion't either know or care." | d! be replied testily, and for a few moments' v j neither of them spoke. j She glanced out of ths window. They | 0 \ two seemed to t-e driving through a world : ; of tbeir otm—a -white -world of snow, and i 0 ■ urc_lig_. Uie only sound that broke the t j stillness was the d_de_d "'Klop! Klop!"" j - 1 i of the horses' hoofs on the hard snow, j i T_re se_;i_d something strange about the j ; land-cape. Sbe turned nraitd in a bewilderj "d way. "Where are we. she said. "This ! ', is not the way to Weylands. We are going | '. wrong."' r "It is all rig-fat." Tie gnswered ccoHy. ". ! " | toid him to eirive a long way round." 0 . "But why?" she csked—j"-why7"* | D '; "Because I have so much to say to you." ' °| he answered promptly. He turned round to ! i her suddenry. ""Nancy." he -urged, 'you' - '< have behaved very badly to mc tils even-1 =■ ing- Ton would not promise mc any eiances I c befor-. and then you tried to c__ my! t- ; one ewe lamb. What have yon to say for I i yourself 7 Ton eJon*. want ine to beiSe-ve all I f ■ the tales I have heard about yon. do you?! - ! You eion't want mc to think yo are really ° j a cocraetxe. c He pat his hand over fcsrs, and she did '• * I not take it away. "I—r came away because ! * I —because I thought yoo would not really i >- j care if I were 'there or cot." she faltered, I r; telling the truth almost in spite of ber-1 self. "Ton seemed only to want to eiance I with Doßy Wingate "" ; His grasp on hew hand grew- tLgriter. o "Nancy," he cried, toumnhantly, "I be-1 li_ c you are jealous f" He turned to ber, j and all at occe his voice grew very tender. I -. "Dear." he said. "I love you so—l want' - you so. This evening has been desolate c wi-t*j_t yon. Will you marry mc?" r "Do you waist -o marry a taseraette?" she I - asked. Bat in spite of ber bansering te>n_, ' her voice was a little unsieaeiy. "If y«c are the coquette, I do," ha re- j _ plieei—"more than anything else in the' 3 i world." His arm went ro_d ber, and he i j drew ber towards him in a masterful way. ' v I "Nancy," he whispered, "say 'Yes.' " _' "I suppose I must." she ajeswered, with a : r i Uttle trerrKilous langi. "Too have be?en so _ 1 torrid ail this erveaiing, I am quite afraid s Of TOO." a "Is tha-t your only reason for eoaseafcf ing"— <slo*riy —"ijecanße—y«u ace afraid ot - ms"!" I 1

"Ah," she said, letmbrj her head en bis jaaoMer ta sodden, sweet bm-iemlfT. TJldn't you fcnow you had all my lore—iocs — lons as»r~ "WrfL flriags feave turned <xst very differently from -what we expected," saM Colonel Everett, as he and Lady Beverlysat over the fire the next afternoon. "In. ] nil oar gnesses as to whax would happen: we never dreamed tbat an engagement j would ensue. They have both had their j fling," he declared. •'They mast be tired J of maiinff conqn-ests. I expect they will j settle down, as a model couple. It will almost be a pity,'" he added, regretfully, | "for model couples axe only inter est trig to j themserv es." —MABEL H. ROBLNS. I