NOVELETTE.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 3175, 22 June 1900, Page 2

NOVELETTE.

T'OTHER SIDE 0' TH' BEGK. By Pbbot White., '";.;./ CHAPTER 111. When Mr. Woolgar, proprietor |of the 'Westbeoton Guardian,' was informed by the legal advisers of Mr. Dyke-Dutton of their clients' intention to proceed against him for libel and to claim £5,000 damages, he re-, lieved hia feelings by dismissing his editor. He next consulted his solioitor who shook his head. 'You mustn't' let them take you into court,' said the lawyer. ' Try an ample apology.' ' But what'll Westbecton say ?' 'Of course, it won't like it. But you can explain that the paragraph wouldn't have bean printed unless you had been ' down with influenza.' ' Mr. Woolgar, as advisod, meekly abased himself, but all in vain. His overtures were rejected with scorn by the plaintiff, with derision by Eastbecton. 'By a strange coincidence,' said the ' Weekly .News,' ' the influenza epidemic at the insanitary health resort across the Beck has been accompanied by the appearance of the libel microbe in the columns of a Weßtbecton contemporary. It is estimated that the pages of the obscure print in question can scarcely be disinfected at a lower rate than £6,000.' . In this emergency Mr. Woolgar called on Mr. Pitt- Allen. ♦It isn't fair,' he complained, 'to leave me to do all the fighting and to pay for it too.' ' What do you propose ?' asked Mr. Pitt-Allen. ' It isn't for me to say what's fair,' replied Mr. Woolgar gloomily. • But me and the ' Guardian ' can't stand the expense of this racket. If Dyke Dutton gets his case we shall ' bust up.' That's the ultimatum, of it, aad then Eastbecton can ' sit on you' atmuch as he likes.' Mr. Pitt-Allen took counsel with other members of the Corporation, and it was decided that Mr. Woolgar must be supported. The ' Woolgar Defence Committee ' was formed, funds were subscribed, and the proprietor of the • Guardian ' prepared to fight. Yet, in spite of its defiant front, Weßtbecton was conscious of the weakness of its position, and when the Eostbecton paper published a satirical article on ' The Westbecton Society for the Encouragement of Slander,' it was deemed • more dignified not to reply.' But although the Woolgar Defence Committee ' briefed ' all the leading talent Eaatbecton had left unemployed, and urged counsel to carry the war into the enemy's camp, the judge ignored every argument in extenuation of the defamatory paragraph. With the rivalries of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, his lordship observed, they (the jury) had nothing to do. But would any man, he asked them, buy boots of the firm in whioh Mr. Dyke-Dutton was senior partner if it were believed the soles were made of brown paper? His lordship, in fact, considered the statement to be a malicious as it had been shown to be groundless libel. Andso,T*ifchoutleaving the box, the jury found for the plaintiff, and not even the presence and authority of the judge could silence the burst of applause from Eastbectonians, who had come up by excursion train to be present at their expected triumph. On the following evening the Town Council gave a great dinner to the mayor at the Town Hall as 'an expression of sympathy for the gross outrage on a character whose integrity, generosity, and manliness had been so amply vindicated in a court of law.' *hus Gun's defeat tvas avenged. CHAPTER IV. Mr. Dyke-Dutton had a iron Arthur, a promising young Oxford man in his last year, and a scholar of Biazenknob College. In kis eyes the wrangles of the football teams, the fight of Callett and Gun, and even his father's viotory in the law courts appeared as the battles of the mice and the frogs. It chanced also that Mr. Pitt-Allen had a daughter Bose, who was a student in St." Editha's Hall. Fortune, delighting iv surprises, brought these fair children of the rival mayors together. They met one 'Eights' Week' at a garden party, but because their introducer in both cases omitted the first barrel of their names, neither at first discovered that they were hereditary enemies. But when, as their intimacy grew Dyke-Dutton, junior, learnt at the Brazenknob ball the identity of Miss Rose Pitt-Allen, he thought of the Montagues and Capulets. When the Honours List came out, the name of • Arthur Dyke-Dutton, Brazenknob,' was seen triumphant in the First Class . Dyke-Dutton, senior, proud of his son's success, informed all Eastbecton how his boy, who had taken 'a First in Mods.,' had now won a, 'First in Greats' — * a thing sir,, which very few of our bishops are capable of doing !' This scholastic achievement set the * Eastbecton News ' clucking on the subject of 'the classical attainments of the son of our respected mayor, who is as modest as he is skilled in classic lore. In fact, h6 is a chip of the old block !'

But in the list which contained Arthur's name that of < Rose PittAllen, Editha Hall,' also appeared. This set the ■* Westbecton Guardian '. crowing. ' When the youth and feminine charm of this brilliant lady scholar are taken into court, her triumph must be regarded as one truly remarkable, and we congratulate our respeoted mayor on his 'talented 'daughter.' Mr. Dyke-Dutton, senior, who read the, * Guardian ' in the hope that it might be tempted to libel him again, lighted on this eulogy. 'Hullo! what's this?' he oried, ' Pitt-Allen's daughter taking honours too!' 'I knew she would de well in logic and mathematics/ said his son. 'WhyP What the deuoe d'you know about her ?' < ' I met her at Oxford. She is a moat charming girl.' Now, it annoyed Dyke-Dutton to find that Pitt-Allen's daughter was capable of ' honours ; ' but it annoyed still more to find that his son admired her. 'You will drop the acquaintance, sir,' paid his father. 'You don't seem aware that Pitt- Allen instigated Woolgar in his atrocious libel of me. 1 ♦ Miss Pitt-Allen had nothing to do with it. She thinks these inter-tribal . wrangling s evidence of the want of enlightenment common in undeveloped communities.' 'The deuce she doett' exclaimed Dyke-Dutton, senior ; ' then she'd better teach her father some of her priggishness, and make him apologise to m«. Until he dees that there oan be no friendly relations between my family and his.' Now, Mr. Pitfc-Allen on Ms side of the Beck also read of the success of Ms rival's son. ' Why,' he exclaimed, ' here's that Dyke - Dufc ton's son been taking • honours ' too !' And at onoe the distinction shrunk to mean proportions in his eyes. 'We all expected him to get a First,' said Roie Pitt-Allen. 'He was quite the most promising scholar of his year at Brazenknob.' Pitt - Allen frowned across the breakfast-table. 'What! you surely do not know him ?' ' I know him well. Ho is a friend of our Head, aad comes to her parties. She sayg he is the most accomplished undergraduate at BrazenknoV ♦ Accomplished ! ' retorted her father. ' Why, the Eastbecton paper calls him • a ohip of the old block.' ' ' That is a compliment to his father,' said Miss Pitt- Allen. ' Dyke-Dutton' s an accomplished rogue.' replied the Mayor of Weetbecton. <He is always insulting me.' ' Young Mr. Dyke-Dutton has no sympathy with these silly quarrels,' persisted Miss Pitt- Allen. ♦ Then he should teach his father manners,' said Pitt-Allen, frowning. ' If Dyke-Dutton could contract for a private earthquake to work under Westbecton he'd start one to-morrow. There can b« no friendly communication with a man of that sort.' That evening, however, Miss PittAllen received * cordial letter of congratulation from young Dyke-Dutton and replied to it in a note of counteramanities of equal warmth. In fact the effort of: the rival mayors to •infect their ohildren with, their own animosities produoed a reverse effect, For one morning, regardless of consequence, Arthur steered his boa-t, ' The Busy Be«, towards the forbidden strand, and landing, boldly sauntered along the sunny parade. His good luck being in the ascendant, the third young lady he met was Miss Pitt- Allen, who was all the more pleased to renew the acquaintance because it was forbidden on the most irrational grounds. The young people discussed the •strap ging prejudices of their parents until the state of the tide called for Arthur's return. This meeting was the first of many. But Westbectoo. keeps a censorious eye on its young women, and the astounded Pitt- Allen one morning received a hint that his daughter was in the habit of meeting on die 4 foreshore young Dyke-Dutton, who sailed over from Eastbooton in his lug-sailed ' Busy Bee,' ' etc. And thus it came to pass that when the lovers were sitting under a tamarißk bush, comparing the relative ardour of thair affections, the irate PittAllen burst truculently on the peaceful seen*. ' Hose ! ' he exclaimed, 'what is the meaning of this ?' Then his daughter, whom an advanced system of education and a taste for logic had well prepared to defend • her rights,' turned and faced her father without blenching. ' The meaning,' she said, 'is simple. Mr. Dyke-Dutton has done me the honour to ask me to be his wife, and I have consented. We wei« just discussing what raeaaa might be best suited to overcome the discreditable prejudices of our fathers.' Pitt-Allen's face grew red, and his eyes rolled. ' I would rather,' he cried, ' see my daughter starve than married to a Dyke-Dutton !' ' Nonsense !' said his daughter, ' this isn't a melodrama.' Her© young Dyke-Dutton, who felt like young Lochinvar with a • First- j olass ' instead of a steed to preserve j His dignity, interposed. ' I can, sir,' j he said, ' make allowances for preju- ; dices, .which my father shares.' „ 1 Pitt-Allen's anger increased to and \ them both prepared to pity him as an irresponsible barbarian. j ' I'm no* here, sir, to chop logic, but to put an end to tMs tomfoolery. ' My daughter's of age. If she marries

you the will do bo at her own peril. I mean to be master in my own house, and so long as she resides on my premises she shall " obey my wiah«a. Hose, come with me! I will acquaint this young gentleman's father with my views.' To out short a scene which she thought « vulgar,' Rose left with her father, whilst Arthur, in some pertu*- ! bation of mind, re-embarked on the ■ ' Busy Bee ' and sailed back. He was smoking in the. garden when hia father burst on him, flourishing the letter. 'What d'you mean by making a' fool of yourself, disobeying my order, and disgracing the family? Bead that!'. .. 'Sir,' wrote the Ma>or of Westbeoton, «Your son has had the audacity to propose to my daughter, who has had the madness to docept his preposterous offer. You will understand that the matoh is impossible, and that I resent it with all my might.~Yours obediently, v Jakib Pixt-Am*n.' . ' There's an insult to bring on your father l' oried Ryke-Dutton. ' Mr. Pitt-Allen is imperfectly sane on this matter,' said young DykeDutton, who was unaccustomed to be bullied. 'Miss Pitt-Allen and I intend to be married whether he likes or not. We are both tired of Humouring these ridiculous prejudices.' Then father and son spoke their minds. ' You can cut me out of your will, sir, of course,' said Arthur finally, •but I shall marry Miss Pitt- Allen all the same.' Soon after this little scene Arthur went on a visit to London. Mr. PittAllen had an equally fierce skirmish with, his daughter in consequence of Mr. Dyke-Dutton'a reply. The angry Mayor of Eastbecton wrote to say that no worse fate could befall a Dyise-Dutton than to marry a PittAllen, and that his eon must be an infatuated and deluded lunatio to contemplate it. (To be continued.)