THE DEADLY INSULT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 245, 16 October 1922, Page 10

THE DEADLY INSULT.

(By DAHLIA GORDON.)

(CO.UPLETK STORY.)

I There were often times when Barrett I Dcnvling's intlatod banking account had the .-aine plTivt upon him as our overdraft has upon you and mc. It depressed this :>br.ormal!y weakhy J oung I man. He joamed to prove that generI OMty i> not necessarily synonymous 'J here are but two conditions of men who can entt a feminine store with any degree of p.ejsure-- the guilty benedict, «hn seekii something wherewith 10 appea-o a tu-ipioioua spouse; and the enamoured hacucior. wiiot-e Dulcinea has declared Life incomplete without a yard of pink riblion, or a pair of silk corset laces. Barrett's present , ? in ('ay's Emporium had no deeper sr-fTiilicamv than a desire to pk'iisi , a maiden aunt 'ay accompanying her to buy gloves. When his relative 'organ t.i di cut*.- - iviiKli'er iir.l ■buckskin -.-, it ii tin , so'.uiTiin'His lady behind the counter, Barrett know the next half hour u.i- hit, own. Sneculativeiy. he wandered fa-t one 'or two depai tnient*. ami ho ivoml rod I what wore "li'.-orj.'tto I'nmi-oltW Then h • roilected that ivr.mnn is indeed a raystow <-)oHiorl in mystery! Br fore a di-p'.ay r.i jewelled garters he halted.- Not that jwrti-rs appealed to r,im he -va ■• r. t t'.iat «o t. But his attention i-a.! been avro-te 1 Wy a spirited di>--u.---i.->n ber.veen two young women at the stork im: counter. -. an you bent it V said one. S':ie had a pi'iuant fan , and hair naturally tHe j colour that dowager* give hall their in- i come to acquire. "Siir.p'v 'cause S ' lC ; can sfi.ird two guineas for h •;• sto-.-kinps. =!ie tre.ats the poor devil \.\ two and elevenpennies who serves her as if whs dirt? All? Thi-*e folk with money— ! they make mc tired:' , J fe:":';i"es are cit =—money, flnr.'t make mu.-h difTerence," tho other , replied. j "liet on: -Tti.-t ?ee them with thoir motor ears, and their mode! giwns, and their trips to Paris'. Never <>:ve a thought to anyone but lhem*e!vea. they ; don't!" . i "Women, that is—not wealth. The men a:-n't so bad.' , | '■■Don't you .believe it: \Vh«n a wealthy man takes you out. unloe . you're a mug. you know what to ex- j pen." I Barrett'* fa's turned pink. How j awful it wft* that this younjr. innocent ] girl 'hoiild have learned in the Sohool ! of Life to roietru-t the moneyed man! j If only he could prove to her!— Suddenly he Rwunn- resolutely round upon j his heel, and walked up to the counter. "I want some silk stockings at two guineas." 'he said addressing himself to his antagonist. She lifted a dimpled chin and "surveyed him. '•In black. sir?" she questioned. "Kr! Eh! Ve«—that is—do you think: ■black is nicest for a lady?" j She turned away to lift down a ■ drawer full of expensive thriftlossness. : ''Black is mo.-tly worn," *he com- j mented. '•Good! Then black by. all means. ' ; The girl slipped her hand down the cobwebby log of the stocking to show, it to the best advantage. Barrett leant across the counter with the inscrutable j look man wears when faced with a subject he does not understand. ■' "Yes—do you think these are al] ri»ht? Well, 'half-a-dozen pairs please. "Barrett di-eussed the weather as she made out the bill, then suddenly lie said: ~ , "Daresay you pet some customers that are a bit inconsiderate sometimes, eh? j -.■=ometime.s," she said, with a slowsmile. "B«t then other; are so considerate." ... ~ "I see." Barrett said thoughtfu.lv. "You must b<! tired after the day's work. Let mc sec, how long are your hours? | "I leave liere at 0.30. sir."' , She raieed her eyes to hie. They wvre not absolutely guiltless of coquetry. '•I see." Barrett repeated thoughtfully. | He watched her as she wrapped up the j parcel, and sentimentalised upon the nar- j rownese of this girl's '.ifc. He took the chanse from her, and slipped it, un-, counted, into his pocket. Then, aa she handed the parcel, ho turned away witlf a chivalrous little bow._ 'I want you to honour me—by accepting these," he said. Barrett, in his simplicity, did not know that several of the girls pouring . out of Gay's that evening nudged each I other as they passed him by. j "Got off all right, shw has!" one said,! glancing at him. But he knew not of . what she spoke. I At length the little figure he awaited came through the door, and a cleverer ( man that h« could not have recognised, in her demure start of surprise, a gesture | rehearsed through the afternoon. I "I hope you will excuse mc! —That ie—l —" hv; stammered. The situation was more difficult to deal with than he had thouaht. She smiled with trusting calm. "I'm g'.ad you've come," she eaid sim- j ply. "I wanted to thank you for the present you made mc this morning. I am going to accept it in the spirit I feel sure that you gave it."' | Her candour was charming. Barrett drew a card from his pocket. "May I introduce myself?" She read the name, and, for an impalpable second, sh« started. His millions were more renowned than be knew. "My name is Ellen Manners," she said. "Will you, I wonder, honour mc fur- [ thvr by dining with mc to-night, Miss Manners?" She he«itated a brief instant as disi criminating -wmnen do, even when already their minds are made up. "It's unusual," she began. "Won't you mak« an exception?— Please!" he pleaded. She looked at him a little pathetically. "I would like to. so much! But Well! Very well, I will." His car was waiting near by. and aa j he watchud the trusting simplicity with ; which the girl entered it, his 'kindly '. heart felt elation. He was going to change this poor child's bitter opinion of the plutocrat! I "Savoy," be commanded the chauffeur, | as he followed her into the ear. Not till coffee and liqueurs were on the ! table did Barrett opwn the subject near- i est his' Heart. "What would you do if you had plenty of money?' , he asked. Ellen considered her coffee pensiwlv. "Have a good time—go to Paris for "a month, gee the boulevards and the ree- j taurantß, the emart women and the night clubs and the theatres." She leaned her ' elbow on the table and looked across at j I him. "But I am not likely ever to be rich, so what's the use of wishing?" i Barrett bent towards her. ° | "Will you let mc take you there?" he said. She leaned back again and surveyed [ him dreamily. The suggestion was not' ! a surprise; indeed, it was to her the i

natural climax to a meeting such as this. Barrett was not so handsome as a hero ought to be—indeed, penniless, h's appearance might have been thought unprepossessing. But, when an unattractive man is worth a million or so, the first thing a woman asks herself is, "Could I get fond of him?' , ~ The answer is invariably in the affirmative. 'Do you mean that" she asked at length. 'I do—honestly." he said. Ellen's mouth widened the fraction of an inch, for the fervent stress he laid upon the final word cut no ice with her. Shs> had her own opinion about that. Still, millionaires were not an everyday "I wonder?" she said, reflectively. ''1 mean it absolutely," lie said. ''I ■want to make you happy—to bring a little brightness into your life." "But supposing 1 did go for a month? I should lose my job," ahe said, with an affected pout. "I'll see to all that," he assured her. "11l fix up about your place being kept C[>pn." She put her head on one side archly. ''And what about my reputation V Barrett, deaf to the burlesque in her tone, was only charmed by her very natnrn! fears. He paited her hand kindly. "If people arc wicked enough to think badly of innocent pleasured, need the innocent (rouble about it? Conscience is t}:o only judfrp that one need fear." "True,' , she said, and there was not the ln.'ist conviction in her tom\ ''But. evrn so. how can I go? f haven't any e'oHiPs! Look at mc now! And this is my best dress!"

Barrett smiled,' and drew a fountainpon from his pocket. "'And do you think that an insuperable barrier?" he asketl. A minute luUt he pushed a slip of paper towards her. It was a cheque for a hundred pounds. A queen—or even a chorus girl—could not have lived more luxuriously than Ellen did that month in Paris. They put up at the most expensive hotel, where j every woman looks like a mannequin. I But, even so, Ellen, in the model hats I find gowjis that Barrett gave her, never folt the pleasure-crushing pangs of the woman who is not dressed up to her surroundings. j He took her driving in the Champs. he i showed her the Louvre and the Pan- ' theon. but Ellen preferred the Moulin i Rouge and the ni!»lit clubs. ! Barrett himself questioned the I r:<»hteoU3ness of such proceedings, butt he ■ made it a point of honour to refuse nothI ing she asked. They returned by a»i afternoon boat. and travelled from Folkestone in n luxurious Pullman. At Victoria. Barrett himself superintended the transference of her luggage (considerably augmented), to a waiting taxi-cab. Ifp gave the driver the address and paid him in ; advance. j "Well, good-bye, my child.'' he said. I"I hope you have enjoyed it." ! He watched the taxi drive out of the ' station with that <;lad liprlit in his eye.s j with which an uncle (fictional) surveys the niece on whom he has just bestowed a substantial cheque. 1 After all, it was fine to do little disinterested acts of kindness. j And something more than that this had been. Had he not created in this girl's soul a belief in man's integrity? i Things are not always what they seem. In the taxi-cab Ellen sat staring straight, ahead of her and her eyes glittered with a cold fury. ; "Of all the insulting beasts. , " she muttered between her teeth. "Takes a pretty girl like m c to Pnris for a month. I and doesn't even—doesn't even try to make love to mc!" —"London Opinion."