Our To Minutes' Story.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 101, 27 April 1912, Page 9

Our To Minutes' Story.

» itt& STORY OF THE SIEGE. -At dinner on the evening after Kitty's arrival for a ' short slay at our new country tome, -we fell to discussing th«, beauty of duMiilage and the inhabitants thereof. Among other things we debated -the merits of Squire Fielding, an old Harrow chum of mine,- whom I had lost -sigjifc ottill. Fate threw us-together again in this old-world village. ~ ■; .'!©% is quite in love with the H>H," said my wife to mc across the rhododendrons. '"She says it's one of the prettiest old: places she's ever seen." '"Perfiaps- she's seen the owner, and perhaps you'd told her before that he was * said , 1,, -throwing at Kitty a look i!hat was entirely, devoid of _ meaning. ■ . . * Frank!" the. tetter exclaimed, as she tried to look indignant, but she was well used' to -my teasing, and in the end the indignation .gave. way to .amusement. -TJut realjy., Kitty," I went on, "there's the "very*.man for you if you want a husband. Fielding's only forty, goodlooking, plenty of money, well-bred, in fact all. a girl in reason could 'hope for. There's only one .thing t&at might spoil yotir chance.""He's a woman-hater." •V.Your-"account of him is distinctly interesting," saW Kitty with affected carelessness. "But why is he a woman-hater?" "He had a disappointment when he was quite young," I explained. "The girl he was going to marry ran away with another" man just a—week or two 'before the' "wedding' was, to have taken place, and ever since then he's had no faith in women in general-rand in young ones in j particular." ' '■"" "How horrtd~of him. to think all "Women., *like," .said Kitty with genuine, indignation, " An. instant later she added in a;tone of banter, 'Td like *;o make .'him fall in love with mc and fhen refuse him—just to punish him for "being so 'horribly mean." "Oh, I know you're an Alexander, always looking round for new -worlds to conquer, but I think you'll find your Waterloo in Fielding,* , I- eaid, ■with a total disregard for mixed metaphors and strict historical accuracy. "They say that all tie girls in the county, and not a few in the other counties, have given themselves the same task, but they've always bean, repulsed in spite of their varied tactics. Siege, storm, -flank movementseven night attacks by moonlight have been futile." "I've a good mind to try," said Kitty. But what plans she was going to adopt she did not even suggest. There was bomething of the -diplomat in Kitty, and she- wasn't going £o show mc the best cards in her hand. ""Do. I said encouragingly. "1 tell you what, Kitty, if you win him within a month I'll give you a dozen pairs of gloves."' The magnanimity of this offer —or was it >. that her husband was showing gambling tendencies— to shock my wife, but responded with . .'"All right, and I'll give you a necktie if I don'ts but you must give mc the chance of seeing him often, and of course I shan't marry .him. I'm only doing it to punish him, you know." "And, of course, if you happen to fall in. love with him yourself, you must still refuse "him;" I put in quietly. ■ "I don't' Intend to fall in love with him," she answered, with a toss of her head. ""Why he's"forty, you say, nearly tweijtar-.yew&.-ol.iifir.thaq.nie. Be .must be quite a patriarch." "Not a 'bit of"it/ , I said warmly. He's a very good sort, and a thorough sporting fellow, isn't he, Agnes?" But by this I didn't mean to imply anything derogatory- to Methuselah* '"The next evening Fielding came to dinner! Charming, as my cousin was. I thought she had very little chance with him, and during the -evening I watched t.hgrft both. - with. no- little interest. I could see that Fielding, was on his, guard against all. her attacks. He seemed almost oblivious' of iKT presence, and I thought that (he hardly paid her all the attention that courtesy demanded. Kitty seemed by no means discouraged by this — think it only made her more determined. Anyhow I could see that she was going in real earnest to put her plan in action: She certainly was a born actress. No one -would nave guessed that to-night she was playing a part. Her bewitching face, merry dark eyes, and captivating smile, combined with her unaffected manner and bright, childish conversation .would -have ±>een enough to take the h££rt of any ordinary man. But Feilding was n<Stf"air/ordinary man. 'He -was not to.be again so easily taken into a woman's we/b of guile, even though that I web was spun ' of the subtlest feminine I charters. But it was not Kitty's nature! te be so -easily put off, and the failure of her. first attempt fey no means disconcerted her. . " .■■■■ '"This is only our first meeting," she &aid to mc when Feilding had gone. I "We'll gee what the next one will do." i ' .The.nest one happened to be the fol-i lowing .night at a. friend's house. When j we heard the Feilding was expected; Kitty glanced at mc with a significant i tittle ismile. > . - I "It is a .pity lie couldn't -come for din-; ncr," our host "was saying, "but h< , lias ' promised to took in- afterwards. I told; him we were, going to have something , i exceptional in the -way of •music, .and that' is a-bait that always lands Feilding, although he's a sedentary old trout as a rule. J .hope yonVe- brought your violin. Miss Ash.ton?" "She. wants- a. lot of pressing, -but T made tier bring it." I said. " and I can i promise you' youTl- think my persuasive j powers- were well spent, for she's a. pro- • di<ry." ■ ! "Oh. Frank, don't be so silly! **. was i all -I -getr-fFeas- Eifcty- for my generous j praise:: . - - - ■ • • | :• 'Then 'you'll please Feildirigf—or ought > toY said" our host innocently, with a j glance, which I passed on to Kitty. ; ■"Wien FeUding arrived tie seemed quieter tian .usual. and I could not help feeling th*6 -lie Was not very pleased at meeting Kitty again • so soon. I saw how carefully 'he avoided her, and I ffelt | that if. sne'Jiad any chance at all with | 4kn ii lay in her music. Although Kitty seemed to have such a butterfly -nature, &be tad as well her serious side, and this showed itself when j she played or listened to music. To-night^! as she pl*yedyshe seemed- to forget every- | thing else except her music, and as the i last notes died a-way she seemed to wake as from sleep, while a delighted- smile lit | up her face when she saw what pleasure her playing had given. A little later Feilding spoke to her for the first time of his own accord. '•I enjoyed your playing so much," I heard him say. "lie violin is -my fav-' ourite instrument, but I don't" often I hear it well -played, though, this has been one of those rare occasions. I hope I shall Seat you play again." * . So Kitty .ihad awakeiied~'.his interest ait last, and Tbeganto think thereinight, be some icjoance. pi her. twinning those liovjes.afjer $.]L ... ..... The _.odd§ .w.ere shortened in my estimation wien."aVfew. days later we were invited to"tKe fiall~witli a special request

Stat B3£ty should take her violin with 1 her. On the d-y -we were 'to - gone,, however, she sprained her toot.'" so' T r asked Feilding to come to us instead—;. and he /Except-that' perhape hi&" manner -was a little more gracious to her, 1 he appeared to be stili unmoved by, Kitty, but, as the evening wore on, I ■ ' often found him watching heir, rather to | my astonishment, ■ • I ■As for EStly/die did not s«*m.;e*eir to, try to exert her powers,w-Big&t, I caje>,say she didn't feel quite up to it with a bad foot, l>ut T thought P"haps there ; chances the last gV 1 a her ■Vs FeOdiH£T shoak hands *^ a when he left, he asked, though the ques lp VbeTi e^WHwinhi m intheend, tUo^^enn^C^^erenight whatever he'd -think, at i"c if J* knew the truth." . . ,__ -I thought u= much.! 1 said. The fact is you've done what you declared yon were proof against— in love with him. and-as you know you won t -be--able to refuse hinrnow\ you're-wonder-ing how you'll tell him the truth. But you needn't let that worry you. 11l km not mistaken Fielding will be more flattered than otherwise that you should 1 have made up your mind to win him, and_ [ I'm sure you'll never be sorry you toot that bet of mine." Kitty -was so overcome by my positive attitude that she sat d&wm in the nearest chair -and- observed- fiat her ankle was the worse "for standing. " """When " we" went' to : tfie ~Ha4I, " Kitty's manner to Fielding' seemed to have changed considerably: She' "was quiet in his presence and showed an unusual nervousness when he .spate" to her, whicfi" he did very oftea. They" seemed to have changed places. It was -Frel4ulg wig, had been quiet and reserved at their first meetings, ■β-aereas now, those ad- : jectives could mors aptly be applied to Kitty than to him. She played when he asked her, and it seemed to mc. that sue played better than I had ever heard her oefore. ■ '" .".„ . "'

Fielding seemed deeply moved;, he never took his eyes off her face, and if I hadn't known before, I should have known then that Kitty's conquest was complete. When she had" pnt her violin away, I thought he seemed rather restless, and -was not surprised when at last he suggested a walk round the garden. It was a warm night and .the grounds were shadowy and altogether delightful in the moonlight.- - -_ .: - ~.zz:~ .- So we eagerly toot up Fielding*! suggestion, and all four went oat Presently my wife said she felt cold and started to go back for a wrap, while I discoVered that the half finished cigar I had left . b ™?e was iecsssar-y- to-my-iappi-ness. So Fielding., and ijuy-iere ?frt alone, and somehow,when my wjfe and they were nowierft,^ inflS 7 "■ ended neit ""WFrank Dennis Esq. ... • - "To Peter Robinson, "tJioTe Department: ■■-■"•- • t 1 do 2. pairs ladies' gloves @ 4//11, £2 iB/y- ■ - ---..- v■■.' t' . — Which ' showed that it must have been the moonlight night attack that did it. And perhaps I'm not sorry. In such a. good cause I can afford the. gloves ana something else later on,-I supple Be-' sides, Kitty's, taste in neckties leaves much to be desired^