OUR SATURDAY STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 18

OUR SATURDAY STORY.

THE SWEEP. (By FLORENCE E. EASTWICK.) Terence Furnivale opened the door gently and looked in. lias wife was sitting lu a low arm-chair; there was something very child-like and appealing in her slender figure, with the fair hair hanging iu two long plaits ami tied with pale blue ribbons to ma-tch those on her loose luce dressinggown. She leant her chin ou her hand in a dejected altitude, aud a novel lay on the floor beside her. face downwards, with its pages all crumpled together. "Hallo! I thought 1 should find you fast asleep by this time.'' he said, and closed the door behin-d hini. "I couldn't gr to sleep. Terry. I was too miserable." Mildred's voice was tragic. "Why. what's the racket':" His handsome, boyish face had turned serious, and he went over quickly tn her. took her face between his hands, and kissed her on the lips. "Now tell us all about it." he added, ai.d sank down on a stool at her feet, pulling out his cigarette case and striking a match. "I've lost twenty ponnds at auction tonight. Terry—isn't it awful?" His wife slipped an entreallng hand round his neck, and he stopped in the middle of lighting his cigarette to kiss the cold little fingers. "Nearly as awful, sweetesi, as my losing thirty quid—thirty-one pound ten. to be correct." he told her, with whimsical gravity. -Oh. Terry. I'm sorry—over fifty pounds in one night—and you didn't want to come. . . . I persuaded yon! You said we should bc ruined if we stayed with thc Starways, and you were quite right. Of course. 1 couldn't settle up with Lady Starway. I told her she should have a cheque to-morrow." Terry shot a quick glance up at thc lovely troubled face above b!m: then, he laughed out encouragingly. "That's all right, old girl—we'll pay it out of t'nele Tom's legacy!" He had married on the strength of "Uncle Tom's legacy." and. moreover, to please Mildred, who had never hud a season Iu they had taken a luxurious flat for some months, and mean: to do themselves well before settling down to countrylife in- the manor wnich constituted part and parcel of tlia-t same legacy. "I didn't waut to play stiiction —I'm no good at it. hut Lady Starway Insisted; said I should prevent the three others from playing and spoil every one's pleasure. SO, of course. I bud to give in." "Who was your partner?" Terry's tone was indulgent. "Major Mou-ntjoy—and he played disgracefully: doubled and redoubled when he hadn't a card worth playing in his hand, and did all sorts of ridiculous things. It really seemed as If he were doing it on purpose, and wanted Lady Starway to win. Mr. Klitz couldn't help noticing it. He said. "Lpon my word, Mountjoy. you're a hit risky, aren't you? It's lucky Mrs. Furnivale has the temper of a saint, or she'd rag you f,,r playing in this way." '* "Humph!" came from Terence. "Monntjoy wasn't taking any risks after you ladies went upstairs; he played a deuced shrewd game with Starway against Klitz and me. Old Klitz is_ t much good at it. you know. Millie, so that's how I ,-ame down. I rather wondered what the old chap meant when he was settling up wilh Mountjoy. lie said. 'You've got back yonr own again, and a bit more.' Now 1 understand." A meditative silence fell upon the yonng couple. Tbe Furn'vales were considered quite thc smartest and best-looking jeunes maires of thc year, and Ijuly Starway had made a point of getting them for her Derby Hay house party. Mildred had been in a whirl of excitement ever since the Invitation .same, and though Terence had demurred about her accepting it. knowing full wpll that Cynthia Starway's name was synonymous with every scheme of social extravagance and folly, yet he yielded to his -wife's pleading, and there they were at Wispers, the luxurious ooirage-nian—on •near the Downs where the Starways entertained their friends en prince. How they mauagetl to do it no one could imagine: Lord Starway was a |nmr man for his position, but then l were rumonrs that her ladyship had her own ways of making money. Mildred had arrived that afternoon will cargo of new frocks, which she knew would pass muster in any assembly, amd Terence had made a promising book for the races, so 1 heir thermometer had touched summer heat. Now it seemed to have sunk to zero! Mildred gave a big sigh after the silence jcuveeii tbcm had endured a few seconds, and Terry clasped the band that caressed his throat aud announced with assumed carelessness. "Never mind, l'ettie! We'll win it all back to-morrow at Epsom. Oh. by the by, 1 forgot to tell you I've booked a couple nf tickets In thc Starways' Sweep on the Derby. Mountjoy spoke to me about It this evening, said he supposed I wanted to join, as every one else in the house was doing so. 1 said, of course, yes, I'd take a ticket for each of us. and theu he told mc coolly it was a liver apiece—so that's another ten pounds gone It's a case of j pay-up all rouud." "Ten pounds! Aud how much could wc win'.'" Mildred asked breathlessly. "I dou't quite know, but old Klitz, who has a great deal more money than is good for him —although he's a real sportsman all the same—remarked that, If I was taking two chances iu the sweep, he'd take ten, aud ho banded over fifty pounds, I expect it won't be less than a hundred pounds lor the lucky chap who draws the winner, and there'll be something for second and third place besides. "Oh, if only 1 could draw the winner!" Mildred sighed. "Well, go to yonr bed now and dream about It," he laughed, throwing the stamp of bis cigarette into the empty fireplace. "Terry, one or other of us must win that money—we will win It." she assnrcd him, wilh shining eyes. This idea was still paramount in her mind the next morning when she took her place at tbe breakfast table next to Joseph Klitz, the genial oil magnate. He complimented her on her fresh and dainty appearance. "None the worse for your beating last night, I see, Mrs Furnivale." "Not a scrap: it was only a fillip before winning the sweep to-day." Mildred laughed. "Oh, but you mustn't count on that; I've taken ten tickets, and I'm a nailer at winning chances." "I dare say. but you won't win the Wlspers Sweepstake, all the same." was her rejoinder, and then she inquired with deep interest when thc sweep was going to be drawn. "Haven't the faintest idea—Monntjoy's running this part of the show: we'll ask him." Which he did forthwith. Major Mountjoy answered in a bored tone. "Ask mc another. Lady Starway manages all that." Her ladyship caught her own name, and called down the table, a trifle sharply, "What's all that I'm supposed to manage?" Monntjoy made no reply, but _Li_, who knew not shyness or reser-, e did not hesitate to enlighten her. "Ladyship, we want to know when this great Wispers Sweepstake

on tbe Derby Is going to be drawn. Here's airs Furnivale as keen as mustard on bag. ging the winner.** Mildred blushed crimson at finding general attention drawn to herself. "Oh! Mr Klitx I only wanted to know how it was done. It's so exciting!" At that moment Lord Starway, who seldom evinced the slightest interest in what was going on around him, suddenly turned to Mildred with lncid explanations. "The way to do it. yon know, is to write the numbers and the names of horses slips of paper, with blanks to 811 up the number of tickets. Theu you put one set o* papers In a hat and shake em all up together, and the slips with the numbers in another hat, and shake them np too. After that you and Mme. de Mervillo, as tha yonngest and prettiest ladies present, draw them out of tbe hats trim about, yon know and that decides it." "You're quite a Daniel come to judgment, Starway." tier ladyship said, with a flicker of contemptuous irony in her dark eyes: her husband ignored the remark aud announced conclusively. "We'll draw ihe sweep after breakfast in the front ball." Accordingly, the whole party assembled there at thc end of the meal, and Mountjoy was busy for some moments under Starwav's direction in cutting ont slips of paper and writing on some of them, while Lady Starway watched the proceedings sulkily in silence. , Then the two hats were well shaken np with great solemnity by Lord Starway. and one was handed with a low hnvr to Mildred and the other presented to the French lady —with a warning to the Htter from Kllti to play fair and show un favour to anyone. "This is something quite new—sort of ceremony. Isn't it?" a young Ouard-man remarked to Lady Starway. -■Oh. Starway's amusing his little self," she answered, with a curl nf the lip Mildred's hat contained :hp numbers, and she drew them out one by one with palpitating excitement, while Madame announced thc result of her part of tbe performance— with comments from the rest of the party. "Six." read out M'.idrcd. "That's mine," said Lord Starway, hopefully, to be followed by "Ition dn tout" from Mme. de Merville in mirthful derision. Then came two more blanks lu succession before a horse was drawn with Xo. p. This was received with a buzz of acclamation. It was Terence Fnrnlvalc's ticket, and he emitted a suppressed warwhoop. which Major Monntjoy snuffed ont scornfully with "Rank outsider." He himself got a blank, and Lady Starway a name which elicited "Very fair chance!" and so it went on. Klitz hud three well-backed horses to his ten rickets. "I told you so!" he declared triumphantly to Mildred. She was trembling now with. I'ellght and apprehension: there were only two slips left in each hat. and the numbers belonged respectively to herself and Starway's youngest brother. Bob'nlo, while the 'favourite's" name was still lying in ambush under Madame's hand. Which of them was to be the lucky owner? Mildred drew again and read "thirteen." It was her own number, nnd there was a hush until the French lady announced "Craganour." Then a shout went up. Klitz wrung Mildreds hand warmly with "congratulaikins." and Bobble shrugged bis shoulders, and said "Beaten by a nose." And then her ladyship peremptorily dis- | persed the gathering, telling every one to i get ready for the ears which were just eon*. ] ing round to take them all to the racecourse. ! The day seemed to Mildred oue breathless spell of waiting until the "Derby" list went up. Terry came and sat beside her. "Either yon or I will get that hundred pounds—my rank outsider may pull it off. Tve hedged heautifulty, so if one of us don't get tl_ sweep we'll cover 'ex's' and have something to the good." Mildred could not speak or listen to him or anyone—the horses were off— a flying riband of flashing colours. "I can't look, Terry," she whispered, with dry lips, when he offered his glasses. A thousand drums seemed beating in her head, mixed with the clamour from many thousands of tongues aronnd her. "Craganour wins!"—"Shogun!"—"Bac_ elor's Weddingl"—"Great Sport!"—"lt'» the Frenchman!" Then she saw them come thundering towards the winning post, and it seemed impossible that Klitz should be saying, "It's the Luck of the Fnrnlvales this time," while Terry was langhlng like a lunatic and telling her, "We've done the trick between us, Mill "kins." And so they had! That evening she played auction at _• same table with Lord Starway. Bobbie, and the French lady. "Ton can afford to lose. Mrs Fnrnivale, but I can't—l've had a rattling had day," Bobbie Starway confided lo her, hut Millie'* vein of ill-luck at cards continued, and she went upstairs again a loser. She conld only hope that Terry was doing belter at bis table, where she left him playing with Lady Starway, Msonntjoy. and old Klitz. The best .They could wish for was that they would carry away their £100 sweep intact. She sat np and waited for Terence, and he came with sotnfbre fury gleaming in hi* eyes. She guessed the worst —but it was different from what she expected. "A pack of swindlers!" he told her. "I paid up all we owed at bridge to Lady Starway; she won again this evening, and Mountjoy was nry partner. You were quite right in your surmises. 1 watched his tactics, and he plays for her to win. I suppose he knows better than to lei her lose! After she had gone I hinted to Mountjoy lhat I'd he glad to have our winnings in tha sweep. What d'you think he told mc?" Mildred shook ber head in non-comprehen-sion. "Told me to ask Lady Starway for tha money—said she aJways holds thc stakes. She'd taken my cheque for the auction, and never said a word, so I knew what to expect. I lust my temper, I'm afra'd. I said lo him, 'Damn it! you're responsible. Didn't vou collect the money?' 'Yes,' he said, with his tongue in his check, "but 1 handed It over to her ladyship, aud you can ask her for It if you choose.' A likely idea, Isn't it, that I can go aud dun my hostess if she doesn't offer to pay up herself." "Perhaps she means to give it to you tomorrow before we leave," Mildred suggested, faintly. ""Sot she! It's a regular plant. When I gave her niy cheque 1 told her I meant to give you a bracelet out of the sweep whea Mountjoy handed it over. She laughed rather qneerly, and said something about Uncle Tom's legacy being very useful. I couldn't make out what slie meant—now I understand. We've been swindled. Millie, between those two —they work together. Mouotjoy's jnst her tool, her creiitnre. We'll leave this house first thing to-morrow morning, and never enter Lady Starway's doors agaiu! A sweep, indeed! A couple oI sweeps! I cal! them, and the woman's tha worst of the two!" But Mildred uttered not a worri, HER PHRASE. A little fellow swallowed a sixpence. Immediately ou getting the information the mother-in-law wrote to her i-ron-in,----law. inquiring, "TTao Ernest g« over in* financial diific—ties yet"r*