The Charteris Episode.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1514, 2 May 1902, Page 7

The Charteris Episode.

—•+ (Conclusion.) An undeniably handsome woman, Gertrude found her upon nearer view. Her dark-blue eyes were fringed with long black lashes, and her firm, well-cut mouih was very lightlv shaded at the corners. The ultragolden hair was a mistake, Gertrude decided, while the introduction was going on. It reduced her to the level of a common-place, fast-looking woman, and destroyed what would otherwise have been the rather fine character of her face. But what was her surprise and disgust to see Mr Forrester, when he came up, shake hands with her just as if this were their first meeting, while she greeted him calmly : " Very pleased to renew our acquaintance, Mr Forrester." Gertrude could hardly believe her ears. What duplicity, she thought. If they knew one another very well, and called each other by their Christian names, there was no harm in that, but why should they conceal it and pretend to be almost strangers ? Her heart was full of scorn and indignation, and when she found she had to ta..e Mr Forrester's arm to go to dinner, she touched him as lightly and kept as far away from him as possible, as if he were some revolting reptile who might pos.sibiy sting. He did not, however, appear to notice it. He was very distrait, and not at all like himself. He seemed to be listening anxiously all the time to Miss Charteris' conversation with his uncle, and answered rather at random the few chilly remarks that Bertrude made, more for the sake of keeping up appearances than from any genuine desire to converse. The girl felt as if her food would choke her. So happy as she had been all that afternoon, and now—it seemed as if there was nothing left worth living for. If Gordon Forrester, who, as she had all at once discovered, was her ideal of all that was true-hearted and noble, was really only amusing himself with her while he carried on a secret love affair with this—this painted creature, then then she wished she could go away by herself and cry her eyes out, instead of having to sit there and listen to the old naval chaplain at her other side, who was prosing away about a trial he had seen of a new turbine. Then she pulled herself together and determined to put a good face upon the matter and conceal the blow she had received, which resulted in her listening with such wellstimulated interest, that the old chaplain spoke of her ever after as quite the most intelligent girl he had ever met, and one with whom it was a pleasure to talk. Miss Charteris chattered a good deal, chiefly to her host, and to any one who was not distracted with other matters it would have been a comedy in itself to watch his face. At first all polite and respectful attention to the guest whom he delighted to honour, his countenance grew longer and longer as he heard the most heterodox and audacious sentiments expressed with the greatest freedom. The wit and briilancy for which they were all prepared seemed to have been mislaid that evening, but of daring and assurance there was no lack. She contradicted ' Mr Lowther's most emphatic statements, delivered though ihey were with that air of finality that settled most people, and it was easy to see how he fumed and fretted under his inability to give her—a lady and his guest—the scathing rebiihes he evidently ached to administer. She put his opinions calmly on one side, as matters of no moment, laughed merrily, as if it were a delightful joke when he expressed his abhorrence of women who smoked, and declared that if he would not let her have her modest cigarette with him she would see whether the other ladies were not more tolerant. Gertrude could not see the amusing side of her host's utter discomfiture, for her heart was too sore for mirth, and Gordon Forrester looked anything but happy. Gertrude felt sure that he gave Miss Charteris a warning signal once, for in the midst of one of her liveliest sallies she stopped suddenly, faltered a second, and after that seemed to calm down a little. When the ladies left the table Miss Charteris attached herself to Gertrude in the friendliest manner. She drew the girl on to a seat close beside her, and began talking to her about Malta. Gordon came up on deck on some excuse or other before the rest of the men, and he looked anything but pleased to see the two ladies in such close proximity. " You should come over here, Miss Charteris, and see how pretty the harbour lights :ook," he said. Miss Charteris rose, and Gertrude too, but Gordon had taken the elder lady across and had not seemed to notice her, and she sat down again with the same numb pain at her heart. In the distance she saw the two in whispered converse, Gordon evidently urging something, to which she resolutely refused to listen, and there they remained until the rest oi the party came up. Gertrude wondered what Mrs Forrester thought of it, and how she would like this very brusque and decided person for a. daughter-in-kw. But Mrs Forrester was—in utter contrast to her brother—of a placid, not to say lethargic temperament, and as long as her personal convenience was not interfered with, cared very little about anything else. There was a little music ; Miss Charteris pleaded a cold, but Gertrude sang, and Talbot Lowther gave them a nautical song in a base voice of surprising depth, and at last, to Gertrude's infinite relief, the partybroke up, Miss Charteris departing, accompanied by Talbot, and the chaplain returning to his ship. Gordon Forrester came and stood near Gertrude as she watched their visitors being rapidly rowed away, and she heard him breathe a sigh oi deep relief.

He tuned and looked at her. " Are you not cold, Miss Atherton ? Let , me get you a wrap." His voice had i a tone of protecting tenderness ; in . look and manner he was again the ' Gordon Forrester of the afternoon. I But Gertrude was not to be so : easily mollified. " 'lharik you ; it : isreaily iut worth while.l amjust going io btd. Good night!" And without even a handshake she went ; off, icaving him »' plante la." j It was a restless disturbed night; that Gertrude Atherton passed,, and it left her with such a racking headache, that she was easily persuaded by her maid to have her breakfast brought to her. Ihe girl had plenty to say when she brought it in. " There's been a horful row of s.,me kind going on, miss. Mr Lowtl.er, 'e's' in a towering rage, and 'e'll 'ardly speak to Mr Fouesler. Mr Sims says—that's 'is wallet, you know, miss—that 'e's never.seen 'im in a worser rage all the lime e'sbeen with 'im." Gertrude put a stop to her handmaid's volubility, but she could not help wondering whether Mr Lowther had discovered the engagement if engagement it were—between Koirester and Miss Charteris ; though why she should object to it she could not, imagine. He could not have wanted the lady himself, for he had never seen her till the previous evening, and had not then appeared to be very much taken with her; and surely with all her riches she would have been acceptable to him as a wife for his nephew. Gertrude was still trying to puzzle it out, when her maid reappeared, carrying a beautiful spray of flowers, which she handed to her " with Mr Forrester's compliments." " And 'e must 'ave sent into the market very herly for this, miss, for we weighed hanchor and 'oisted sail long afore seven bells," pursued the girl, who was nothing if not nautical when on board a yacht. All signs of the storm had passed away when Gertrude came up on deck. Mrs Forrester was placidlv knitting, Mr Lowther had taicen the helm, and Gordon Forrester, who was promenading the deck, came up at once and inquired after her headache. His first glance had been for Ins flowers, and his face fell as he sawshe was not wearing them. " You do not care for tea-roses ?" " Oh, yes, thank you ! It was very kind of you. I—l really forgot to put them.on. Is Malta quite out of sight ?" " Oh, yes, long ago ! It's a jolly plate to stop at, isn't it ? I never liked it so well as I did yesterday. There seems to be plenty going on „ ther» just now. My iriend Oarmichael offered me no end of gaiety if I would change my mind and stav.' " It seems rather a pity you didn't," said Gertrude cruelly. Gordon rooked at her reproachfully. He had not thought her so capricious. Had she meant nothing, then, by her encouragement of him the day before ? Was she, after all, just like thet of them ?—the rest of womankind being, invariably cwditei *y a man in love with all .!*• evil qualit-iw, so as to enhance tie superiority of " the " one. Various other overtures on his part met with such a decided snubbing, that his pride was at last aroused, and he left her. It was a dull day altogether, and was followed by many mere such. Everybody seemed more or less out of sorts or out of temper, and the weather turned gloomy and squally, as if in emulation of the social atmosphere. Forrester, who was by nature far from ready to take offence, found his efforts to make way in Miss Atlierton's good graces so unsuccessful that he almost determined to give it up as hopeless, and to leave the yacht at the first Greekport they touched at, and make the best of his way home over-land. One afternoon, when Mr Lowther and his sister were sitting on deck. Gertrude came up to them with a magazine in her hand. " Look," she said, " is not that like Miss Charteris ? It. might really be a portrait of her, it is so like." Mr Lowther rose up stiffly, and began to tramp up and down with a frown on his face. " I have never seen Miss Charteris," he snapped out at last. " Never seen Miss Charteris !" she echoed in amazement. " I mean the lady who came to dine with us when we were at Malta." i " That wasn't Miss Charteris," j he growled, and went off to rate the i unoffending sailing-master. i "There!" cried Mrs Forrester, as soon as he was out of hearing— j " if that isn't exactly like my j brother ! He told me most particu- j larly that no one was to be told about the mischevious trick ny | nephews played, and then he gees ami blurts it out to you himself." " But what is it ?" cried Gertrude, but even as she spoke light I seemed to break in upon her. " WasI n't it really Miss Charteris ?" " No, it wasn't Miss Charteris at all. She had a headache and sent the two boys alone, and that scamp of a Gervase dressed up and personated her, just to ' get a rise out <)'. Uncle Barkington,' as he called it." " Gervase—Gervase ? Oh, I think I see ! Is he ever called ' Gerry ' for short ?" " Yes, always at home. Tom and Gerry they are called. Talbot and Gervase being considered too magnificent for home employment." " But how was the trick discovered ?" " Oh, by an occurrence that might have been easily foreseen. Miss Charteris had her doubts whether the boys would deliver her civil messages properly, so she wrote a note of apology for her non-appear-ance, and directed that it should be delivered the first thing next morning, so that my brother found it as soon as he got up. Oh, what a rage he was in ! And almost as angry with Gordon as with the boys." " Why with Gor—with Mr Forrester?". " Because he didn't enlighten him. But the fact wafi, Gordon did his very best to persuade the boys to own up, but as they dared not, he would not tell on them. Poor boys, they ar? almost entirely dependent

ujjou my brotherjust it was awfully foolish of the risk or displeasing Lhim./ 'Boys, will be boys, J^sujjgosS;;;" can understand"that "G-ordon, knowing how serious my brother's displeasure might be to them, kept the secret, although he didn't like to see' ins uncle made such a fool of. Barklngum would never have known ol t. e deception if it had not been tor tout, unlucky note. Gordon," she cntu, as u-r son appeared in the instance, " I have just been enlightening Mils Atherton aoout what I can ' ti.e Chatteris episode.' " " I should hardly suppose thr.t would interest Miss Atherton," saiu Gordon, whose turn it was to lj sulky now, and he crossed over to the other side, where, However, cvtrtrude speedily followed him. " Indeed, it does interest me, I.r Forrester, because—because 1 Lu'. tpened to overhear a bit of your ce..versation with her, and was ratter surprised to find you on such intimate terms. I heard you call'hei—him, I and I " Gordon turned round and looked hi astonishment into her flushed, agitated face. The idea that the change in the treatment of him had anything to do with the/ incident at Malta had never penetrated the obtuseness of his mere male mind. Something about her sometlui.g he would have found it hard to deu.e —inspired him with a new boldntss. It could not have been in her e\ L s, for they had drooped guiltily icneath his gaze, nor the changing ci. qur in her face, for that, might have been called forth by the salt breeze they were facing. It might have been the flutter of the flimsy Lee she wore at her breast. " You thought I called her ' Gerry,' and therefore you concluded " '' I—l thought, of course, that there was something between yon. I think you might let me go, Mr Forrester." ." Not yet—not till I have got to the bottom of this. You thought there was something between us, and didn't that meet with you approval ?' "Of course not. That painted thing !" "' And was her paint her only objection to the supposed Miss Charteris ?" " I didn't think her—well, nice enough for—for any friend of mine." He turned away, apparently in high dudgeon. . " And, pray, do you know anybody who is-r-well, nice enough for—for that friend of yours ?" " No," she said sadly, " I'm afraid I don't." There was a pause while they both heard the gentle flapping oi a sail in the breeze and the plishplash ,of the water through which .the yacht was cutting her way. And then a very timid voice said, " 1 wish—l wish I wers." " Gertrude !" " Yes, I do, but I'm not, I know." " Well," said Gordon, soothingly, as his arm stole round her, "I'll take my chance of that, my darling, and do my best to put up w'ith you." The End.