How Doris Met Her Pate.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1908, Page 10

How Doris Met Her Pate.

"By Mrs. CaAMPBTiL Pbabd, Author of " The Luck of Louia," eto. "- -" v <All Rights Reserved.)

place in the large dining-room, built out at the back of the house, and panelled with imitation oak to resemble the older part. There the family clans assembled to do honour to the bride-elect and her ebulliently happy groom. Algernon did not, however, show to advantage in evening dress, and cut rather a poor figure beside his new cousin, who with his bronzed clean-cat face, well-knit frame, and ease of bearing, looked, as Mrs. Tom Simmons would have said, "altogether quite-quite." Everybody had tried to rise to the occasion. Miss Cobb, buxom, and beaming with content and goodwill, w.as resplendent in diamonds, having recklessly defied Fate by putting on some of hex wedding presents. Indeed, every woman present was gorgeously apparalled, and the company, including most of the men, was boisterously genial. To be sure, Mr. Tom Simmons's voice was not often heard, even at his own table, but Mrs. Tom — whose magnificent green shot satin and parure of aquamarines vied with the crimson velvet and rubies of Mrs. Joe Simmons— did her best to make up for his deficiencies. So did Brother Joe — from the Birmingham branch — a rubicund gentleman, with glittering shirt-studs, and a rather coarse taste in speech-making. George Gavan had never before breathed such an atmosphere of successful shopkeeping. He had found only one variant note. That was the chamber assigned to him. It was so modest, so refined, so pathetic with its little personal belongings, its collection of books, , in which he read ' the name "Doris Langley';" its evidently cherished photographs j and its hand-em-broidered draperies. He had folded back the white quilt worked in wreaths of , wild-roses,' for it seemed sacrlege that he should lay masculine properties upon that snowy girlish couch. George Gavan lookew now down each side of the dinner-table, bat saw do one whom he could imagine to be Doris Langley. The one thing that seemed to him like her was the decoration of the dinner-table — an elaborate and truly exquisite scheme "in "bridal white and pale green, which called forth rapturous admiration. " It's Doris that has done that !" cried Algernon. " Good old Doris ! See here !" And he pointed to' his and Katie's monogram in white roses and orange blossom on maiden-hair ' fern. "Dear little Doris! This table was her surprise !" put in Katie Cobb. l<l l wish there had been room for her. And she has done the ' menoos,' and worked the candle-shades all herself — orange blossom and white 'eather — look, ain't they sweet?" explained Airs. Tom Simmons, beaming with pride hi her protege. It seemed at first that absent, humble Doris claimed more attention ~tha'u even the splendid bride. Doris was forgotten again, though, until after Brother Joe, in a long and slightly embarrassing oration, had proposed "the young people's health, and Algernon, prompted by Katie, had rather awkwardly responded. Then, to the general surprise, he got on his feet again and began anew. " Dad, mater, and everybody, Katie and me want to give you a toast. It's Doris Langley, and I vote she comes in — I Ifnow she's stowed away somewhere =-ancl- hears us hip, hip, hooray. Look here, maler, I do think you might have squeezed, us up a bit and made her a pla<!e. Ho.weveT, we'll have her in now, but as she's a shy little thing, I'll say what I've got to say before she comes. I ain't like Uncle Joe over there — on the speechifying line. I don't tlake any myself— but juat you all look at this table here, and then you look at the girl herself, and you won't want me Jior Uncle Joe neither to tell you that- she's as pretty as her flowers and every bit as sweet. Not that she's the kind I'd have fancied myself " — this with a sly nudgei of Miss Qob^'s plump shoulder — "but X do say, Katie and me, and the mater and dad, and all of us, we've found her, a reg'lar good sort — kind of thing, once you've got it in the house you wouldn't want to do without it. Shejs darned my socks — yes, she has," as a titter ran among the ladies — " arid Katie's going to darn 'em now." " That I won't,"- from Miss Cobb. "We)l, we'll see — and she's brightened up the place, and greased the wheels every way. Tn fact, from filling a pipe to doing gooseberry for Katie and me when we wanted her, she's been a reg'lar good sort. And what me and Katie would like to wish her is that some day she'll be as happy as we are ourselve* to-night." The young fellow paused with his band on his own bill's shoulder, and at that moment he looked every inch a man. George Gavan applauded the little scone, as did all the rest, and there was a general demand for Doris. So a waiter was sent to fetch Miss Langley, and presently George Gavan saw, standing bewilderingly within the doorway, the most angeliq being he had ever beheld— a slim, lovely girl, with a high-bred, sensitive face, a wild-rose complexion; eyes of heavenly blue, and a halo of soft golden hair. As she stood there in 'her white dress, with a little pearl cross that had been her mother's hanging on a Ihin gold chain on her neck, it seemed to him that she only wings, to have come straight down from another sphere. Algernon and Katie did not wait to make any explanation, but waved their glasses, nodded, and smiled, and Algernon gave the toast, " Doris Langley," accompanied by the sentiment, " and may she soon be as happy as Katie and me !" Everybody stood up and drank the toast, throwing her laughing compliments — except the Honourable George, who merely bowed with a grand air, full of the deepest respect, before he laised his glass to his lips. He had noticed the flush of scarlet, the shrinking pride, the half indignant flash in her blue eyes, then the sweet confusion — for it wasn't in Doris's nature to take oftence at the tribute so kindly meant. A shout arose of " Speech, speech !" and meek Mr. Tom Simmons called out : "Speak up, Doris, my girl. Just thank 'em all, and then 'sit you down and 'aye a glass of fizz yourself !" j Now when Brother Joe hurled a challenge, "Ain't there any bachelor present who'll return thanks Tor Miss Langley, or .must an old married man like me undertake the pleasing duty ?" Doris's wild frightened glance met that of the Honourable George, and seemed ao appeal directed especially to him. He -rose impulsively. " If Miss Langley will allow me," he began, "though I'm a* duffer at speechmaking and a stranger to her and to most of you, I should consider it a privilege to say a few words on her behalf." Relief and gratitude shbno in Doris's eyes. With profound deference he invited her to take his chair, and standing a little to one side, he returned thanks in her name. It was an adroit, manlir little speech. He claimed his family right of championship by a smiling reference to his " Aunt Elizabeth," at which it was difficult to restrain Mrs. Tom Simmons from embarking on the history of " me beautiful sister that shduld have been yiscountess Blayne/' etc. But "me nephew" the Honourable George" made jost the, right remark in 'that connection, and rushed hastily on to the subject of the,. toasWr"-Miss - Doris , Langley : the ' Angel of the Hcuse ' ; the Flower Fairy — might he paraphrase Jean Paul Eich-

Doris Lanfley was the youngest sister place in the large dining-room, built *md the prettiest. The eldest had mar- °f at the back of the house, and pan- . , c * at~ -It, ,^ ™ Trw»-m« elled wlth oak to resemble the ried a man of good family and no means, oWep parfc There famUy claM ag ,who was chief clerk in the great furnish- s^mbled to do honour to the bride-elect ing establishment of Tom Simmons and and her ebulliently happy groom. AlCo and when the girl's father failed in gernon did not, however, show to ad- , . , i_ ji. v a «* o emnii vantage in evening dress, and cut rather business-he had been head of a small & figunj nflw publishing firm— and soon afterwards wno j^ bronzed clean-cat face, died leaving nothing for his children, well-knit frame, and ease of bearing, her brother-in-law had given Doris tern- looked, as Mrs. Tom Simmons would i t> t. 4.v««« w,«o v.« >v.r.Tn have said, "altogether quite-quite." porary asylum. But there .waa.no room Ev<aybody had tQ £ for anotner permanent resident in the occasion. jiig S Cobb, buxom, and beamlittle suburban house at Brockhurst, and ing with content and goodwill, w.as reso Doris had to go the weary round of splendent in diamonds, having recklessly agents who placed nursery-governesses defie^Fat^ by^put ting^ some of hex and useful companions. »emg poorly man present was gorgeous i y apparalled, equipped for earning a livelihood, be- and the including mos t of the yond a few womanly and unprofitable waa boijsteroUß j To be accomplishments, she considered herself g Mr Tom 6immon^. s voice was lad? to be at last engaged as lady-cor- not oftea heard even t tabl panion by Mrs Simmons, the wife of her bufc Tom-whose magnificent green Tt r si W on S eTte r-atr -at Brockhurst *J "Jj" «* f aquamarines xuo ouuimuiaca " ", nanelipH vie( * wltQ the crimson velvet and rubies in a large, I^;^^ ( J' d . oa J? a "S of Mrs. Joe Simmons-did her best to house the lovely grounds ° f h ™? h ma ke up for his deficiencies. So did sloned to the river, oomenow me pic- t> .» t ? ,i i^.., turesqueness of the place had attract- » roth « r Joe-from the Birmingham ed Mrs Tom Simmons, though she was, branch-a. ™bicund gentleman, with incongruously, "of the City/ and very glittering shirt-studs, and a rather coarse "shoppy" at that. In her yoi-th she £»*« ™ speech-making George Gavan had Wen exceedingly pretty, arid had had never before breathed such an athad a still prettier sister, who, by an S° SP u he J e x ° f i 6UC , cessful ehopkeepmg. extraordinary chance, had married into He had found only one variant note, a titled Iribh family. This relative, long That was the chamber assigned to him. dead was' the glory and regret of Mrs. It was so modest, so refined, so pathetic Tom Simmons's existence, and she never with its little personal belongings, its ceased to lament "me beautiful sister, collection of books,, in which he read tho Honourable Mrs. Gavan, who, if she the name "Doris Langley 1 ;" its evidently was alive this day, would be Viscountess cherished photographs j and its hand-em-Blayne, and the pride and credit of broidered draperies. He had folded me 'cart." ■ back the white quilt worked in wreaths Mrs. Simmons was shaky on{her as of , wild-roses,' for it seemed sacrlege pirates, but a worthy soulnofewithstand- that he should lay masculine properties ii n g. *•' " upon that snowy girlish couch. "You'll 'aye a really comfortable George Gavan lookew now down each 'ome, my dear," she said to Doris — side of the dinner-table, bat saw do one '•that is, if you behave nicely &nd do whom he could imagine to be Doris all me and JklE—Simniojis wishes., without Langley. The one thing that seemed to making extra' "trouble in the- J ouse.--And him like her was the decoration of the jFllgive you twenty pounds a year, dinner-table — an elaborate and truly ex"JwJHcn ii~Kandsom*e", "considering it's your quisite scheme " in "bridal white and pale first plifce: Only mmd — no flirting with green, which called forth rapturous adAlgernon." miration. •This emphatic prohibition did nottrou- " it's Doris that has done that !" cried ble Doris, though she winced sensitive- Algernon. " Good old Doris ! See here!" i£ it the warning, for she would have And he pointed to' his and Katie's monoscorned to flirt with Algernon, who was gram in white roses and orange blossom a^commoTX' typeioJ jubTirban.-yputh^ hand-^ on maiden-hair ' fern, some vi a caddish- way, facetious, easy- " Dear little Doris ! This table was gring, 6a S-manne're'cirtKough kind-heart- her surprise!" put in Katie Cobb. Ed, anjßLsboCkteglyila?yi' ' " " ' H I wish there had been room for her. ■£Mr. Tom Simmons, who had started And she has done the 'menoos,' and life on " "hali-a-crbwn-^nd 'earned it — worked the ca**dle-shades all herself — sometimes ventured a meek remonstrance orange blossom and white 'eather — look, on his. junior partner's idle ways. "But, ain't they sweet?" explained Airs. Tom ■bless you .- he woiiTd "add with modest Simmons, beaming with pride in her self-complacency., ■ .!.'Th£te*s~QD' neechfor protege. It seemed at first that absent, him to..grind.,,,His. / dad t has made the humble Doris claimed more attention dibs , he s going to -epe'n'd 'em."*' ~ ' ■ - "thau even the splendid bride. Shrewd .Mrsi .Simmbns remembered, Doris was forgotten again, though, however, the,adage, ."Money goes where until after Brother Joe, in a long and nlpney is" , and feeling that Algernon" slightly embarrassing oration, had pro%vas likely- >bo'- 'decrease, rather, than in- posed "the young people's health, and crease bis already ample income, had Algernon, prompted by Katie, had long decided that he must marry money, rather awkwardly responded. Then, to Hence her uneasiness as., to the introduc- the general surprise, he got on his feet tion of aa attractive girl into her house- again and began anew, hold. "Dad, mater, and everybody, Katie ■ But she "couldn.'tL abide ugly faces," and me want to give you a toast. It's and had taken an immense fancy to Doris Langley, and I vote she comes in Boris. Therefore, foxing elementary in — I Ijnow she's stowed away somewhere her ideas of strategy, she tackled .the =-ancu hears us hip, hip, hooray. Look danger- forthwith by letting her compan- here, maler, Ido think you might have ion know what was,- or rather was not, squeezed, us up a bit and made her a expected oi her:.. ' ..'. " ' ''. ' > pla<!e. However, we'll have her in now, luckily for all concerned, Algernon de- but as she's a shy little thing, I'll say oared at once that she was not his what I've got to say before she comes, form. He admired • 'something a* bit I ain't like Uncle Joe over there — on the more fleshy, with a strong dash of col- speechifying line. I don't take any our. and a more stylish way of doing myself— but juat you all look at this the hair:"'' Whereat his mother re- table here, and then you look at the voiced, rioting that .the description tallied girl herself, and you won't want me Jior vatb. thit, of*' Miss 'Katie 'Cobb, whom Uncle Joe neither to tell you that- she's Mrs. Simmons had secretly selected for as pretty as her flowers and every bit as a daughter-in-law. The Cobbs — also of sweet. Not that she's the kind I'd have ■jhe city — were rich, and Katie- was their fancied myself" — this with a sly nudge anly child Thus, "E&« meets* like," re-; of Miss Co.bb.',s plump shoulder— " but 1 marked Mrs. Simmon^., do say, Katie and me, and the mater This engagement duly took place, after and dad, and all of us, we ye found some -heart-searching compli cations, her, a reg'lar good sort — kind of thing, .which, by the exercise of gentle tact, once you've got it in the house you Doris- helped considerably in smoothing wouldn't want to do without it. Sheja »ver The result was bosom-friendship darned my socks— yes, she has," as a Jior her on the. part of Miss Cobb, and titter ran among the ladies—" arid Warm appreciation on that of Algernon. Katie's going to darn 'em now." "That At the end of six months, Mrs. Tom I wont,'- from Miss Cobb. "Wejl, feimmons. . professed herself fully satis- we'll see— and she's brightened up the fied with her companion , P lace > T and t greased the wheels every "And now that Algernon is going wa V- * n fact, from filling a pipe to lo 'aye a 'ome of his own," she eaid, dom § gooseberry for Katie and me when ','me and Mr. Simmons 'ope you'll live we wanted her, she s been a reg lar the rest of your life with us, dear girl— g ood . , s° rt - , And , ™hzt me and Katie for you are a dear girl, and I'm right- wouU like to wish her is that some day down fond of you.'' SSw 8 "" haPPy &S ™ *** And Doris responded gratefully, but °" |" y sighed a little as she thought of the Qn hi / ow / s £ oulderj and at that rest ot ncr me. moment he looked every inch a man. All this was before me nephew, the Q Gavan applaude / the liitle scone honourable George Gavan came upon as d <f d all ihe^ est and there was a the scene. It should be explained that general demand for Doris. this young man s father, Lord Blayne, So a wailer was sent to {etch Miss married again, after his first wife s death Langley, and presently George Gavan in childbirth, and that for reasons of his saWj stan ding bewilderingly within the own, "me nephew George hai. gone doorway, the most angelic being he had forth in early manhood Jo seek his for- ever beheld— a slim, lovely girl, with a tune in Australia— and, as it happened — high-bred, sensitive face, a wild-rose to find 't; for he came home suddenly, complexion; eyes of heavenly blue, and having sold out during a colonial a na i 0 o f soft golden hair. As she stood "boom." With loud nourish of trumpets there in her white dress, with a little the Honourable George was bidden to pearl cross that had been her mother's the nuptials of Algernon and Katie hanging on a Ihin gold chain on hei Cobb. This was at the last moment, neck, it seemed to him that she only ]\lr. Gavan having landed- only a day wings, to have come straight or two before that fixed 'for the "event. down from another sphere. "'And where I'm to put him, is more Algernon and Katie did not wait to than I know}" - groaned' Mrs. Simmons ; make any explanation, but waved their "Brother Joe and Mrs. Joe having the glasses, nodded, and smiled, and Algerbest spareroom, and the rest being taken non gave the toast, " Doris Langley," up by those I daren't offend. Mrs. accompanied by the sentiment, "and Simmons cogitated deeply, and at last may she soon be as happy as Katie and hit upop a solution of the difficulty. "I me !" Everybody stood up and drank 'aye it ! He can be put into your room, the toast, throwing her laughing comDoris— whijh is nice enough although in plunents— except the Honourable George, *he attics. And it's so pretty with your ff h ° merely bowed with a grand air, knick-knacks and embroideries you've full of the deepest respect, before he done so beautiful, that I ain't ashamed ia^ d . h £ gj*» to &„ lips He had * flvT X hi™ Vrm nan apt vnnv rib noticed the flush of scarlet, the shrinkto offer it him. \ou can get voui s^_ { rfd h h^ { mdi ( flash in hei ter to give you a shahe-down, and of hV > confusion-for course Til send her a card for the re- jt in D u>B nature to take ception. oftence at the tribute so kindly meant. Dons flushed at the tone of patronage. A ghout arose o{ „ g h> J ch „, and [Also, she shrank from having a stran- meek Mr Tom Simmons ca Ued out : ger occupy her 100 m, which she had "s pea k up, Doris, my girl. Just thank made into a b.ttle sanctuary for her- >em aUj and theil slt , you down and > aye self, with her damty needlework and a g i ass o{ fizz yourse if i» relics of her old home. However, she jsow when Brother Joe hurled a chalcould not demur at Mrs. Simmons s plan, lenge, "Ain't there any bachelor present and on the afternoon before the wed- -who'll return thanks for Miss Langley, ding, "me nephew, the Honourable or must an old married man like me 'jGeorge," came and took possession of undertake the pleasing duty ?" Doris's ;iier maiden-chamber. - wild frightened glance met that of the .". 'Tve i -Tiaa»^to-.p££*you. in." the attics," Honourable George, and seemed ao apJsaid Mrs. Tom Simmons, when she re- peal directed especially to him. He Reived him. blood, you -rose impulsively. ";won't mind? It's where my- companion "If Miss Langley will allow me," he sleeps'- I-ve sent her to ler sister's began, "though I'm a* duffer at speecharho's married to a clerk of your Uncle making and a stranger to her and to -Tom's — very Good people, but of course most of you, I should consider it a iot quitej.quitfr!"— which' wa£ TMrs. Sim- privilege to say a few words on her .dons' descrjptive^pJua.se for persons she I^-'' , ,. x , „ . _ . , not consider her social equals. belief and gratitude shpno m Doris s - George Gavah,' who was veiy" well bred eyes. With profound deference he m3n ajfimtfUrop-en-ffir wnT'df Way, stif- vited her to take his chaff, and standing Jened a little uncpmfprtablyr-- a ttle to one slde > he *rt"™ed thanks - P hc sdd y °^nd » wm™" adroit, manlfr little speech. 3ady to incouVemence, he isaid, and H daimed hi fa ' mil £ hfc f£ h >ondertd 'had him to } b smiling reSrence to his ■make himself one of these terrible kins- h Aunt * El ? zabeth >• %t% t which it waE ..folk. And yet he liked being welcomed difficult to restra j n M rs. Tom SimmonE >ith .suck frank good -hearted ness, hay- {rom em b ar king on the history of "me ■jng rubbed , shoulders- with all -sorts- in beautiful sister that sh6uld have been •^Australia, and having sometimes telt yi SCO untess Blayne/' etc. But "me !!he need of kmdnesjdll-.i 1 -!''".- »""-'- -*-' .^ nephew" the Honourable George" made I "Goodness me ! ( the girl don't qbje:fe-," -jost the, right remark in 'that connection, •returned Mrs. Tom' Simmons "cheerfully, and rushed hastily on to the subject oi 3' And any"wa>'; .wh'at>']she.''j£rev Jof?" „ the,. toasWr"-Miss - Doris . Langley : the "" Thatr~Mr:'"G4van"wns"to~learn in the * Angel of the Hcuse ' ; the Flower Fairj evening, when a great banquet took — might he paraphrase Jean Paul Rich

tor, and call her at once their ' Rose- j goddess,' who gave sweetness and beauty to whatever her fingers touched, of which they had an illustration in the floral decorations before them. Indeed, he had already himself divined that the rose was this young lady's favourite emblem, so that Jean Paul's epithet was singularly appropriate." No one there had ever heard of Jean Paul, but that was. no matter. Nor did they discover anything infelicitous in tho orator's comparison of Doris with a wondrous, flower growing alone amid utterly different surroundings — a veritable desert-rose which he had seen blooming " way out back " in the wilds of the Nover-Never Land. . . And he wound up with a hearty endorsement of the bridal pair's desire that on a similar occasion to this, Miss Langley 's happiness might equal theirs, adding his sincere hope that when that fortunate oc casion should arrive he himself might he there to assist at it. " How did it go, do you think? " he asked, as he took the chair which had been pushed in for him by Doris' side. Her eyes were like stars when she thanked him, and conveyed without exactly putting it into words, that he had saved her a bad quarter of an hour in taking upon himself the task " Brother Joe" would otherwise have performed. His pleasant nod of comprehension made her feel that they were going to be friends 'I didn't deserve any of the Dice things you said about me," she went on. "And 1 loved doing the table because Algernon and Katie have been very good to roe. Bnt how could you have guessed that roses ara my favourile flowers?" "I was sure of it," he answered. "Do •you know that when you came in, you j seemed to me like some delicate wild | rose set in a row of garish peonies." JDoris' face went now to peony tint. It was a very plain compliment, yefc, uttered by this man in hi 6 polished I manner that had nevertheless a kind of | rough simplicity, )she could not resent it as she had. resented other broad' compliments paid her by Brockhurst young gentlemen. The Honourable George Gavan seemed anotffer order of man from those. When they got tip from the table, Doris could scarcely realise ! that he was no more than a chance i [ 6tranger. i He had the same thought, ti good deal more emphasised. Afterwards, in the j drawingroom, he found himself watching her continually, as she flitted about, ■ making old ladies comfortable, and starting the younger folk on games and I music. By and by, he got her to himself for a tete-a-tete, in which he learned a good deal and divined more about I his "Eose-Groddees." And when he went [ up to that dainty nest with the snowy hangings and rose-embroidered quilt, a curious sense of sanctity in it all came j over this true-hearted man, from the Bush. Any on© wishing for details of the Algernon Simmons and Katie Cobb wedding has only to turn over a file of illustrated ladies' papers. To Doris, this day was like some beautiful dream day — the very happiest of her young life. It begun early in the morning when George Gavan tound her in the garden before breakfast, and helped her to gather ro&es for the strewing of tho bride's path. And then Doris went away to dress for the wedding, and came back looking, in her pink and white frock, more than ever like a sweet wildrose. Katie Cobb had wished that she should be one of the, bridesmaids, but Mrs. Tom Simmons had objected, saying that she must have Doris free to keep her eye on people, and "mako things go." Now it happened that the Honourable George was free also, all places in the ceremonial having been, ouly allotted before his late arrival. " Such a pity we didn't know you wa* coming 'ome sooner," said Mrs. Tom Simmons, "Algernon would havo liked to have you for his best man. But he'd bespoke young 'Opkins, who should 1 be jp in the job, to be sure, for it's his third time at it this season." Gavan wondered whether young 'Opkins went about as a professional best man, rejoicing in his soul that he had not announced himself sooner to his Aunt Elizabeth, and that therefore he was at liberty to assist Doris in "making things go." He was not let off ail his famuy duties, however, and went manfully through the ordeal of being trotted round by Mrs. Tom Simmons, and introduced' as ''me nephew, the Honourable George Gavan, son of me beautiful sister" — according to formula. Still this did not prevent him from snatching every; possible opportunity to bo at Doris's side, and ministering to the wants of her who ministered to every one else. At last it was all over. Brother Joe had fired off his last speech : the- bride j and bridegroom had driven away amid a shower of rice and old shoes : the gueste had all departed, and tho elders of the family had all retired— the ladies to rest and gossip, the men to smoke and lounge, with the exception of George Gavan, who insisted upon Doris showing him the whole extent of the domain ; and finally, when the sun cast long shadows on the lawn and glorified the sedgy stream to which the turf sloped, he inveigled her into a punt and they went down 6tream together. But only a very little way. Soon the punt-pole was shipped, and the punt fixed beneath the bank under the drooping branches of a tree. The yomiK man sat gazing at the girl, and the girl s blue eyes shyly met those of the man, while two dropped deep into talk which to both seemed all ingThey don't take roundabout tracks love-making In Australia. When a man wants a wife, and sees the girl to whom his heart leaps unerringly, he does not lose time m telling her what he feels. And that was what George Gavan was still endeavouring to explain to Doris, when th 6 sound of the first dinner-bell floating down the water to them, brought his pleading to a satisfactory conclusion. Then, at last, this ardent lover forced the blushing Doris to confess that there had never been any one else in the world whom she could have dreamed of caring for on so short au acquaintance. And that this had seemed the most wonderful thing and unaccountable, except on the theory of Fate. Only it was so extraordinary that he should have had the same feeling about her. How could it be that in less than twenty-four hours he had been able to make up his mind that he wanted her for his wife? "Because there's such a thing as love at first sight," George replied promptly. "And when I got up to return thanks for you last night, something in my heart told me that I was doing it for my own dear bride. So now, my sweet little Wild Rose, let us go straight in and inform Aunt Elizabeth that soon there will be another wedding in the family. Ido not wish to lose any time in making you known to my father, 1 ' he added : "so you must come to Castle Blayne, Doris, and see the home which in the order of nature will one day be yours." "Oh ! — Oh !" cried the girl in dismay. "What will they say? Th it it should be I who will — " "Who will stand — one day — in the place which would have been my mother's, if she had lived," he said, gravely. A deeper note had come into his voice. He took the hand of his fiancee in his, and j kissed it reverentially. "I never knew my mother, Doris," he added, "but her memory has always been very dear to me, and you will make it dearer still." So that was how Doris Langley met her Fate.