Over the Traces.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 152, 24 December 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

Over the Traces.

I. 'My dear mother, I don't caro how pretty and amiable a girl may be, when she accepts you, and you don't in the least expect it,tyou can't help feeling that — it's a great blow.' ' Paget, you annoy me. If you did not wish Miss Rogers to accept you, why on earth did you propose to her ?' . ' Because you told me to, mother. 1 However submissive a son of three-and-twenty may be, one cannot box his ears, even for telling the truth ; but the sharpness of Lady Nelson's voice betrayed her irritation : ' And is the heir to a mortgaged estate and a few hundreds a year so muoh to be pitied for marrying a lovely girl of eighteon with a large fortune ?' 4 Spare my proper pride, mamma. I shall be a baronet, and I can ' ' make my lady of her " as her grandfather the tailor might have said. It won't be a very dignified thing — living on my wife's money.' ' It is better to live on one's wife's money than not to be able to live at all, Paget. But I wish to rest a little while. I desire you to leave me.' She had not been ten minutes alone when 1 Mr Clifton ' was announced. • Mr Clifton was a man wellknown about town, well off, thirty-six, and a bachelor. It was a dream of Lady Nelson's that her daughter Leonora, now a rather ' gawky ' hoyden of fifteen, might some day dazzle him with her young freshness. She was delighted to see him ; miserable to hear he must return to town next day : ' You have come at a fortunate moment. Constance Rogers has just made my dear boy happy. You remember how much struok with her he was last season P Well, when we came here and found her and her mother here before us, he nearly went out of his mind. And at last she has rewarded his devotion to her.' ' Your devotion to her fortune,' thought Mr Clifton, who knew how assiduously Lady Nelson had pushed her obedient son forward among Miss Rogers's crowd of needy admirers, and that it was the heiress's presence which had drawn her to this dull little seaside place, whwe love-making might be made so easy and so lucrative a pursuit. 'It is a sweet little place,' she went on, 'quite Arcadian. We 'must plan some excursion for you this afternoon ; the children are to have this room for a romp. Oue of those good-natured girls who are always ready to sacrifice themselves has promised to play for them. A Miss Jones. Suoh a nice, quiet, lady-like little thing. Ah, there she is on the lawn, talking to Paget.' • Dolly Jocelyn, by Jove ! I beg your pardon, Lady Nelson, but do you know that your nice, quiet little Miss Jones is one of our cleverest young actresses in comic opera ?' 'An aotress ! In comic opera ! Oh, Mr. Clifton, you are not in. earnest,' gasped Lady Nelson, turning first red, then white. ' And she has been constantly with us ! What shall I do ! How could I know ! She never said what she was 1 ' The injured lady almost moaned. 'This misfortune certainly would not have happened if she had been carefully labelled,' said Mr. Clifton, gravely. 'It is all right, Lady Nelson,' he went on, laughing, ' I have known her for years, and she is a perfectly good, respectable girl, besides being very clever and better educated than most women.' • You surely must know that if she were as learned as a German professor she could not meet me on equal terms. I will write a note at once to request her not to take the trouble to amuse the children this afternoon.' 'Pray take care, Lady Nelson. Dolly, too, has an inferior sort of pride ! She is an angel when she is pleased, but when she is offended, she is tie reverse.' ' I thought you said she was respectable, and a lady ?' 'So she is. A respectable, lady -like little dcvil — pardon the expression, but a devil all the same.' But no demon has terrors for an angry woman. Half-an-hour -afterwards the treacherous Miss Jones received a note, which she read in tho presence of Mr. Clifton. Then she raised her grey eyes quietly to his face. ' You have just been with Lady Nelson. Perhaps you know something about this note, and her reason for writing it. Now, don't make up, please.' 'My dear Dolly, the silly old lady has just found out that you are on the stage,, and I left her ready to cry with rage.' « Ah ! Well, I'll try to "give her something to cry for," as the nurses say,' Baid Dolly, beginning to build a sand castle with her little hands. And all Mr. Clifton's entreaties only made the little creature smile more sweetly, and build sand castles in a more innocent way than ever. ' Wonder what she'll do, 7 thought he. But that evening he stumbled upon the little actress/ sitting on the beach with Paget by her side. ♦ Don't go in, don't go in,' the latter was saying. ' Here, let me wrap you up in ray overcoat. And you .will really think of me when you are baok on the stage, surrounded, &0., &c.' 'Dolly,' said Mr. Clifton, as he said good-bye next day, 'you will get yourself into a Bcrape.' 'Sure and thin yer honour'll come and git me out again,' she answered, assuming a brogue which was incorrect, but fascinating. 11. A week after this Dolly and her mother returned to London. The following day Paget disappeared. When Lady Nelson read the lame letter which he left behind, informing her that he was tired of idleness and meant to choose a profession for himself^ she passed the rest of the day in violent hysterics, and concocting sensational advertisments. Last of all she rushed up to town, descended upon Mr. Clifton, and, thrusting the letter into his hand, burst into tears. ' " Choose a profession for himself." Well, there is many a worse profession than Dolly Jocelyn's.' ' She will make him marry her !' wailed Lady Nelson. ' Oh, no, not at all likely. What should she do it for ? Dolly could make a dozen better marriages than with your son.' ' You might spare your jests now.' 'You do me injustice. lam telling you the plain truth. She will do your son no harm. He will probably remain perdu until his allowance, which I have no doubt he drew on. arrival in town, is exhausted, and then come back meekly to you in your quiet country home, not a bit the worse for having for once kicked over the traces.' 'But Constance Rogers!' •She will like him all the better for showing a little spirit. And it will do him good socially to have run away from a handsome heiress. Those who don't call him. a fool will make him a hero, and I'll get him into a good club on the strength of it.* One part of the prophecy was fulfilling itself already ; MiBS Rogers bore her humiliation with dignity, but betrayed to Lady Nelson a keener interest than before in her runaway lover. The two ladies had a box together to witness the reappearance on the stage of the wicked Dolly Jocelyn in the comic opera 'The Bolles of Boulogne.' Whon she tripped upon tho stage in her short striped frock, frilled cap, and long gold earrings, with a basket of property mussels on her back and her pretty little hands on her hips, and chucked a • super ' fisherman under the chin in a way that took the stalls by storm, they looked at each other and wondered how they could have been so much deceived as to think her modest. But tho evening's horrors had only just begun for them. Five minutes later there was a pause on the stage, tho prompter's voice was heard, and from out of the rauke Of the choxutf waß pushed by friendly hands

an actor in a blouse and ragged straw hat, who said a few words too quickly to be heard, and retreated among the crowd. Mitts Rogers clung trembling to the front of the box, Lady Nelson fell back in her chair gasping. ' Paget ! Oh, Constance, I shall go mad. To see my eon among those infamous oreatures ! Ho has his arm round one of them. And oh ! — what would his father say ? — He doesn't look a bit like a gentleman !' Miss Rogers had tact as well as feeling : she drew the unhappy mother to the back of the box and was trying to comfort her, when Mr. Clifton, having espied them from the stalls, entered. Lady Nelson was still incoherent from agitation. ' Bring me the manager, let me see the manager ; I insist on his giving my boy up. 1 will proseoute that infamous Miss Jones for decoying my son away under false pretences. I will go behind the scenes. They will not dare to insult v\e. Oh, I shall go mad !' ' Calm yourself, my dear Lady Nelson. I assure you your son is not in such bad company as you suppose.' ' Oh, no,' broke iv Constance, earnestly; ' I went to a meeting of the '• Clergy and Actors' Mutual Improvement Society " the other day, and it is quite wrong to think that chorus and ballet girls are wicked. They support their mothers and go to church, don't they, Mr. Clifton !' ' Yes, certainly,' he answered promptly!! ' And if he does put his arm round Miss Zuleika Vavasour,' whispered she to Lady Nelson, having found out by the programe the sprightly young lady to whom Paget was devoting his attention, ' I dare say it is in his part.' But the young girl's lip quivered. When the elder lady was somewhat calmer, Mr. Clifton left the box and went round to the stage- door, where, not being quite so much a stranger there as he would have Lady Nelson suppose, a message to the wioked manager (with whom he had dined that afternoon) obtained his admittance. He caught sight of Paget, in blouse and ragged hat, sitting at the wings on a fishbasket, with his arm round Miss Zuleika

Vavasour, playing the bones noiselessly with his sabots for her amusement. Miss Vavasour was a*tall, handsome brunette, with fine, much blackened eyes ; dressed as a market girl, in a dress which was very low and very short, and appropriate peachcoloured satin high boots with gilt heels, rold tasnels, and little gold straps down the front. Pagefc jumped up in grotesque confusion on seeing Mr. Clifton. ' Well, how do you like your new profession, Paget P Your performance has made a great impression on two ladies I have just left.' 'My mother ! Well, I'm not going back to leading-strings,' he said sulkily. 'So you had better advise her to leave me alone.' 1 And Miss Rogers ?' ' She is a great deal too good for me,' said the young man in a lower tone. • I believe I should have adored her if my mother had not interfered.' ' It is not too late to go back and adore her now, before you get too much enthralled by— other attractions. 1 'Don't preach, Mr. Clifton. You are in love yourself with Dolly Jocelyn.' ' To be in love with Dolly Jocelyn is one thing, and to be in love with Miss Vavasour is quite another, as you very well know.' 'Look here, Mr. Cliftou, I'll write to my mother. But she must leave me alone. I am of age, and I will be my own master.' And though he doubted the last assertion, Mr. Clifton had to be content with this. Then he went in search of Dolly, who was waiting at the wing for her cue. ' Have you time for a few words P' 'Yes, but be quick, please,' she said nervously. * What did you bring that boy here for ? And why didn't you keep him well in hand?' t 'It isn't so easy,' she answered hurriedly. ' I know I did wrong". I'm sorry now. It is easy enough to start them, but it is not so, eBBy to stop them. Indeed I'm sorry. Ihero's my cue !' And on she went, and he was obliged to leave her without another opportunity of speaking to her. Ho comforted himself, by the thought

that Paget's promised letter to his mother might do wonders. So it did. For next day he found Lady Nelson in a new mood ; in frigid silence she handed him a scrawl in Paget's handwriting. The letter which was to do so muoh ran thus : ' Dear Zu, —Your earring is all right, I found it in my waistcoat pocket. I've just leftDanvers. He says the "Royal," not the " Lotus " ; so if you see Topsy in the morning tell her so, and that she is to meet us at the stage-door at ten past eleven sharp. Excuse blots. My confounded candles have burnt down, and I have to toss off a duty-sorawl before they go out. ' Ever yours, 'Padgy.' This note and the ' duty, scrawl ' had evidently got into wrong envelopes, and Miss Vavaaour must have found out by this time that he looked upon her as a mother. It was characteristic of Lady Nelson that what shocked her most in the letter was the word • confounded.' She was so much cowed by the change in her son which the note indicated, that Mr. Clifton had little difficulty in persuading her to see what a few weeks' negleot would do in bringing him to his senses. 111. Two months later, while the 'Belles of Boulogne ' was still running, though Miaa Jocelyn no longer played in it, a carriage stopped at the stage -door one night just as the performance ended ; not one of the neat little broughams which sometimes lined the street, but a olosed landau with a lady inside. The footman handed the doorkeeper a note which brought out Miss Vavasour, in such a very few minutes that she had not given herself time to tako her make-up off. 'Miss Vavasour, '• said the lady in the carriage, in a sweet, young voice, ' would you mind getting in with me for a few minutes ?' Miss Vavasour complied, murmuring, ' Good Lord 2' as she shut her dress in the door. ' I hope you will not be offended when you hear why I have come to you. A

little while ago a gentleman was acting here under the name of Newton. Now I know ho is not hero, and I am miserable with anxiety about him. lam his sister.' To her surprise tho other began to sob. ' His sister ! Young Newton's sister ! Oh, I don't wonder you are miserable ; so am I. I could have taken just as much care of him as that sneaking thing. He always said I was the^jolliest girl out, and people want cheering' when they are ill.' ' 111 ! Paget ill !' ' Yo— es, awfully ill. I believe he'll — he'll die. And she won't let me come near him. I wish I could pay her out !' ' Dying ! Where is he P Oh, where is he ? Do tell me, I implore you !' Suddenly the other checked her sobs. ' You're his sister, you say. Woll, then of course you have a right to ccc him, and you shall too !' There waß as much spite against the ' sneak ' as sympathy for the sister iv her tone. 'I don't know the address, but I know the house, and I can take you there to-morrow if you like. It's at Brixton ; you meet mo at twelve tomorrow at Victoria, and I'll take you down. You needn't be afraid to trust yourself with me; / know my way about. You dress yourself quietly in black, and so will I.' After some girlish hesitation the other agreed. Miss Vavasour met her at Victoria, dressed in blnck satin glistening- with jet, which set off her handsome figure, gold-brown hair, and raven-black eyelashes. When they got to Brixton and had oomo in sight of the house, Miss Vavnsour stopped. ' You go on without me now,' she said nervously. ' I'll wait outsido, and you will come and tell me how he is, won't you P ' And a tear rolled down the girl's handsome face, leaving the traoe of its course in a long black line. The other girl, on whom Miss Vavasour's daylight appearance had put some restraint, was touched. «Oh, yes, of course I'll como. But why shouldn't you come, too P ' 1 1 know that beastly Dolly and the other cats wouldn't let rat in.' ' Do you mean Miss Jocelyn ? ' cried the other, shrinking, while the blood rushed to

her fair face. •Heis in her house ! Oh, I ought not to have come ; I must go back ! ' • No, it's all right for you. Do you think I should have brought you if it wasn't ? I told you you might trust yourself with me, and I meant it. I shouldn't impose upon you, just because you are so innocent. I mayn't think so much of myself as that stuck-up Jocelyn, but I have my sort of honesty, just as much as she has hers.' And she looked into the fair fresh face before her with eyes as straightforward as they wero bold. 'Dolly is "Miss Jones" down hers, and lives with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and loads a humdrum life, /don't. And, look here: you'll have lots to say to your brother, and won't want to leave him. So, if he's getting on all right, wave your handkerchief out of the window to me. And, mind, don't tell him who you came down with ! ' She turned away, and her companion walked on to Mr. Jones's house. She was trembling from head to foot when, a few minutes later, she stood in Paget's sickroom. The young man started up from hie pillow. ' Constance ! ' 'Forgive me, Paget. I have told Mrs. Jones that I am your sister ; and I will be a sister to you if you will let me. Forgive me!' ' You are too good to me. It is I who ought to ask for forgiveness. I cannot look in your face for shame. I hoped you had forgotten me.' 'Don't say that. Don't make me ashamed of having come. I could not keep away -when I heard you were ill. No one knows I have come.' ' Then my mother didn't bring you ? I wrote to her last night. Dolly told me to.' But while they were still talking Lady Nelson drove up, asked for ' Miss Jones,' and sailed into the small drawing-room, followed by Mr. Clifton, scarcely so easy in his mind or manner as was his wont; She rose majestically when the little aotress entered. ' Miss Jones, I have, come -to thank you for having communicated to my son so much of your own audacity that he dares to date a letter to me from your house.' 'Lady Nelson,' broke in Mr. Clifton,

starting forward angrily. 'Dolly, you don't suppose I came here to insult you. Lady Nelson never told me ahe intended ' 'Pray wait a moment, Mr. Clifton,' said Dolly coldly. ' I can only deal with you one at a time. Lady Neleon, I must trouble you with a little more of my audacity, and auk you to let your son speak for himself ' She led Lady Nelson upstairs, opened the door of the sick room, and left her there without another word. But the double shock of seeing Paget white and haggard from illness, and Constance sitting by his bedside, broke down Lady Nelson's dignity ; and she had the grace to be ashamed of herself as he told them how, after neglect - iug Dolly Jocelyn because she tried to keep him steady, he had been seized with illness, and she and her mother had brought him to her house and nursed him until all danger was over. And then ho begged them to go and thank her, and L ft dy Nelson, whose heart was touched, led Constance downstairs to the little drawing-room. Dolly's pale face was brightened by a flush, which Lady Nelson ascribed to indignation. • Mies Jocelyn,* Bhe began, ' I have come to apologise for the words I have used to you and the thoughts I have had of you. My eon has been telling us how nobly you have treated him.' 'And you ' broke in Constanco Rogers, her face as pale as Dolly's was flushed, ' you have saved him, and you I havo the best right to him.' Dolly began to laugh v^ry prettily. ' It's very good of you ; but I am afruid there is a difficulty in the way of my accepting your Itind present. I am— engaged.' Lady Nolson, in spite of herself, looked much relieved. And phe thought it showed much disintereftednefß in the young actress to have resisted the temptation to wed her son and ohosen some one in her own rank of life. ■ . ' And who is the fortunate young man P she asked blandly. ' He is more fortunate than young, Lady Nelson, and hia name is Algernon Wiioth-

esley Clifton,' said that gentleman, stepping forward from the shelter of the bay-window. Poor Lady Nelson could not refrain from a start of confusion when bhe found that the ' actress in the comic opera ' really was to meet her and her family on equal terms. 'I congratulate you,' she said faintly, looking round for Conßtance. But Miss Rogers had stolen to the window, and gently pushing it up, looked out into the dusk. And as she waved her little white handkerchief, the black figure waiting on the other side of the road moved away into the darkness. — Floeencb Waeden, in Holly Leaves.