A PRESENT FROM PETER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2128, 29 February 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

A PRESENT FROM PETER.

(By Anne Story Allen.)

Peter wrapped the bracelet in a bit of tissue-paper and threw tlio box info the waste-basket. It was characteristic of Peter that he threw away the hex —a velvet-covered, satinlined affair. Later, the housemaid, finding it, extracted it from the wastebasket, and laid upon its satin lining her own gilt to -the butler. Still later, the butler, loftily accepting the gift, smiled covertly .at the name in the box —and understood.

But all this lias nothing to do with Peter, who, with the bracelet in his pocket, put on his coat, hat, and gloves, and, joyously banging the outside dour, strode through the pinetree lane that led straight across from his house to the Billy Greys’. The Billy Greys were giving a dinner and a Christmas-tree. The tree was for William, their little son ,• the dinner was for the family—and Peter. Peter was a near neighbor; he had been Billy Grey’s best man; lie was William Grey’s godfather; lie was true and loyal friend to Alls Billy Grey; and he loved, with all his heart and soul, Sylvia Grey, who was Billy’s sister. Sylvia Grey had been a slim, longlegged schoolgirl when her brother Billy married. No one had taken much notice of her at the wedding, except that she had soemed rather in the way. She had clung pathetically to Billy when he started on hishoneymoon. Peter had led her, with streaming eyes and a highly colored nose, back to the house, where she had raced stormily up the stairs and disappeared in the direction of her own room. Afterward she went Pack to her convent school, and Peter took his trip around the world. That was the only glimpse lie had over had of Sylvia—that tearful, rednosed one—till the day when lie stood as William’s godfather, anil found that a beautiful, slender creature, who boro the musical name of iSylv'a, was to bo godmother to the infant

that was weeping in Billy Grey's arms. They all went home in the t-'g carriage together; and during the short drive, Peter fell in love with. Sylvia, and sat beside (hint. “I haven’t seen you since their wedding,” said Peter by way of conversation.

Sylvia agreed rather shortly, and -with heightened color, because she remembered what a spectacle she -had made of herself that day, and had always felt ashamed of it. Billy and Mrs Billy were absorbed in the crowing William. “Didn’t he -behave well?” asked Mama Kathleen. “And wasn’t he a brick?” asked Papa Billy. Then, for the fortieth time, they had to explain why they had postponed the christening so long—they wanted both Sylvia and Peter, and one or the other liad been unavailable till now. y

“Now you’re going to stay at home, Peter, aren’t you?” asked Billy. And Peter, looking at Sylvia, -answered fervently that- lie was. “Sylvia’s home to stay, too,” said Billy’s wife; -and Peter looked almost foolish in his delight at hearing it. With the lack of wisdom that- some-

times accompanies a- very direct JTature, Peter went about his love-mak-ing without -preliminaries. Sylvia was a woman, therefore to be -wo:: won by him, lie hoped. There should be no doubt- in lier mind -as to Ws feelings toward her. As die bad thrown away -the little velvet casket that held -liis Christmas gift for be.;, so he cast aside the envelope of friendship which might have kept safe the love .that came to him so suddenly. It is probable that Sylvia’s hear t would have gone at least half of ti e way toward Peter’js if he had be- i even moderate in his wooing, for Peter was a fine fellow. But inside c 2 three days she knew that Peter w.-s in love with her; in about ten da; a slie was sure that he was going to a: k her to marry him; -and in two wer.Vs slie had fairly to escape from him, lest an acceptance or -a refusal shou.’d be the only -alternative.

“Peter’s going it pretty fast,” said Billy to liis wife. “What can we do?” almost wept Mrs Billy. “He makes me think < f some of those men you read about, who lived ages ago, and who captured tlveir Wives with clubs.” “Only Peter doesn’t use a club,” protested 1 ißilly. “He is a gentleman.” “Of course he’s a gentleman,” agreed Mrs Billy,' “but that makes it all .the worse.” Peter was a gentleman, hut he had only one idea, and tlie one idea -was Sylvia ; she dwarfed everything else to the vanishing point. Sylvia was very uncomfortable. She liked Peter; she was as fond of him as a nature like hers could he, when it finds itself suddenly on the defensive. But, she asked herself, why should she have to love everybody yet? Wily shouldn’t her life go on a little while longer with Billy and Kathleen and darling William? Why should she be domineered by this big, handsome, ever-present person known as Peter Strong? She wanted Billy; she wanted her home with her brother; she wanted to be free.’ She wanted Peter, too —a little. It war. only, a year ago that she had left the convent. Peter would mean an end to all the dreaming, all the fancies. There had been no time to dream about Peter. She knew—all in a 'minute, it seemed. Then Sylvia began to avoid him. and 'the Billy Greys took anxious counsel together at night in the privacy of their own rooms.

But Peter, blissfully unconscious, kept up bis mad pace. Ho was as. the Billy Greys’ house morning, noon, and night. His handsome face beamed at 'them through their breakfastroom window as .they sat late at their coffee; his tall figure strode up the path to their-front door at luncheontime, either to beg a bite from their buffet, or to coax them over to some .specially good thing bis cook bad prepared. At five o’clock Sylvia or Mrs Billy poured tea for him, and he dined with them, or they with him, five nights out of the week. In and of itself this was all pleasing to the Billy Greys and to Sylvia. Billy’s friendship for Peter was one of thoso strong, deep feelings that come only too seldom into a man's life; and Mns Billy could think of no better match for Sylvia. Nowhere in the wide world, she was firmly convinced, was there so good and true and handsome a fellow as Peter, always excepting Billy. “What is he thinking of?” she almost wept one night, when Peter’s eyes hid scarcely left Sylvia’s face. “Sylvia,” answered her husband laconically. “She’ll never have him in the world,” wailed Mrs ißilly, “if be goes on like this!”

“X —h On Christmas Eve> Potor strode gallantly throu'gliythe to the homo that held liis sweetheart. The bracelet, with its jade inßets, was sure To please Sylvia. (She had told him how she loved -the beautiful green of the jade, and 'he had driven three jewellers nearly crazy before ho found the exact green .which Sylvia, had described as being most beautiful. Ho felt in liis pocket, to be sure it was really there. Yes, -thejnssue- • paper rattled. When lie reached the Billy -Greys’ side entrance, a eerv-aut was just about to close the door on a departing messenger. Peter stepped in.

“The ladies arc in the musicroom,” Peter was told. The music-room was a lovely place, where Mrs Billy’s piano stood, where Sylvia’s embroidery table had its little niche, and where Billy himself was wont to sit with his womenfolk to smoke his pine and read the news of the day. Peter went into this room. He found Billy’s chair vacant, -a newspaper on the floor by it. -Sylvia’s little work-table was neatly cleared, the last Christmas stitches had ibeen taken days before. Mrs Billy, at the piano, was improvising a soft bit of something. She turned as he came in.

She changed color -as she saw him, then -rose -and held out her hand.

“Peter!” she cried. Then, as if recovering herself, she went on quickly : “Everything’s gone finely. The tree is simply beautiful, -and the baby is taking -a little nap so that he’ll be able to live -through the excitement of it. Why, where is Billy ? He was here a minute ago. -I’ll find him and Sylvia. Sit over there by the fire, Peter.” With somewhat undignified haste she escaxied from the-room and ran upstairs. o

“Billy!” She opened the door of her husband’s dressing-room. “Are you here? Oh, what shall we tell him? He hasn’t-got the note. 'He’s here. He’s down-stairs. And Sylvia 1”

“Confound it 1” Billy wrestled with a collar-stud. “Confound di£a! Why did it have to happen ? I cail’t tell my best friend he can’t dine with us. T can’t'send Sylvia to bed, can wouldn’t go down if be was here. I?”

“Yes; bat, Billy, she said she She says we’re in league with him—that we’re throwing them together 1 She’s just taken the bit in her -teeth. Now you- must talk to her, Billy. Tell her we sent him a note that we thought wo’d dine quietly because Sylvia was ill. Goodness knows it’s the truth- -Tie’s raged herself into a headache!” “I can’t talk to her,” growled Billy; “she’s beyond me. Why, Kathleen, she ragged us awfully. Poor old Peter!”

“Poor o’d Peter! It’s his own fault! Thank -goodness I wasn’t brought up in a convent! I -knew men from the" time I was ten—hoys and then men, I mean. I could have handled Peter.” “Then maybe you’ll handle Sylvia,” returned her husband. “Hush!” cautioned his wife. “Hush! She’s going ■ down-stairs. She, doesn’t know he’s there. Oh, my! 'lt’s tjo late!” She ran to the door, opened it cautiously, peered down the had, and_ then tiptoed, across to the staircase and looked over the rail. Sylvia was just entering, the music-room. Airs Billy, flew back. T: Slie’s gone ini” slie cried ill a loud whisper. “Let lier go,” hissed Billy. “I’m sick of the whole thing!”'“I feel faint,” announced Kathleen. “They’ll break it all off, and everything will be horrid, and then Peter will slmt up his house and away.” ’ “Come, Kitty, let them figlit it out themselves. Let’s go and see if -the boy’s -awake.” . He got himself into his coat, lifted his wife from her chair, kissed her, and with tlieir arms -about each other they started for the nursery.

111. In Billy’s big cliair by the fire sat Peter. Truth to tell, Peter was asleep. Now Peter in his sleep looked rather different from Peter awake. Ho looked quieter, of course —most people do. But lie also looked, some* : liow, as if he needed protection. I There was nothing aggressive about him. He was very tired, because, !. since he had loved Sylvia, he hadn’t ! slept half enough. He had been so | busy planning things 'and carrying them out, that it hadn’t left hint much time- ta__ rest. The warmth of the fire, the easy offiai.the peaceful quiet, the odor of the flowers licm the little sun-parlor off the music- *t room, all stole over Peter’s senses. His head fell back against 'Billy’s leather head-cushion, his body relaxed, and the slumber goddess herself pressed his eyelids- down and sealed them. Sleeping, he dreamed of. 'Sylvia. Oddly enough, lie wasn’t doing anything for her. She was doing something for him. She was smoothing bis hair from his forehead. It seemed a wonderful thing for Sylvia to do. And Peter smiled a little in his sleep, he was so grateful.

IV. When Sylvia discovered that it was Peter and not Billy in the big cliair by the fire, her first impulse was to get out of tlie room as quickly as •possible. Then a sudden courage possessed her —a courage like wliat she had felt in tlie morning when she demanded that Peter should be excluded from the family dinner and that she should bo left in peace. Now she would have it out with Peter himself; here was the opportunity. V hen a non-aggressive person finds himself suddenly possessed by a determination to fight, lie takes his opportunity by surprise; for another, there is ail exhilaration, a sudden setting free of unexpected power, that carries him over tlie crest of the wave and leaves tlie vanquished enemy floundered in a sea of doubt as to bow it all happened. Sylvia, with slightly tightened lips and brilliant, eyes, and with her skirts trailing softly behind her, swept across to Peter’s chair. If Peter had been .awake, it is probable* that lie would shortly have wended bis sorrowful way back through tile* a pine-tree lane and have dined in soli-, > tarv misery, if indeed he dined at all,. But Peter still slept. .. You cannot awaken a sleeping man and tell him that he must stop monopolizing you. You can’t shake him by the shoulder and. say: “I don’t want you .to : make love to me; it annoys me.” Sylvia sat down and looked at Peter, She didn’t know why, but lie.

looked at ,liim a long time. She "aw Peter’s face in repose, his form relaved. There was a boyish look about Bfifijjf. di.o didn’t seem to be tlie man ' marry Jier. He \\:.r, 'some one to bo looked out for. Tin. ;' ought to bo somebody to look out for. There ought to bo somobody to look out for him—-and Peter was all alone! Sylvia’s face softened. Her glance of disapproval faded away. She rose noiselessly, and pulled a, curtain closer; there was always a draft at that window, Then she sat down again. RPetor sighed in his sleep. Sylvia sighed in sympathy. She looked anxiously about. Then slio screened a lamp on the piano, and crept back to lier chair, which she pulled a little nearer to Peter’s. A lock of hair had fallen across his forehead. She looked about the room; there was no ono to seo. She reached forward, and. with fairy lingers, gently brushed bis forehead.She wished there was something she could do for him, She breathed \erv softly. Of a sudden sin* remembered she bad not wanted him to r one to dinner. A pang went through Herat the remembrance, then a feed lg of gratitude to Billy and bis wife that they had taken no notice of her wild and foolish words. All was still for a long rme. A lump of coal fell from tig; grate. Sylvia frowned at it. .In the distance a bell rang; she winced. Then slie sat, silent and happy, and watched by Poter. After a while ho stirred, lie did notquito know where ho was, our he knew Sylvia. “Sylvia,” he whispered softly, not moving. “Did I wake youi” Sylvia whispered back. “No dear.” Then lie reached tit his hand and slio put- hers .u it “I brought you a bracelet,” lie saM. The two chairs being very near together, Sylvia leaned over tin am of Peter’s. '• His eyes looked r. fl’erent—dreamy, .tender, a l :king, lilfbelieving, half-doubting. “Am I awake,” asked Peter. “You’ro awake, dear,” said 3_> • ia. Then ho was awake. His h.v ds held Sylvia’s tight; but Sylvia did rot mind. He looked straight into S;%l- - eves; and she looked srraig’ z into his. “I need you,” bo said. “Yes,” said Sylvia. Peter slipped tho bracelet on l or wrist, kissing her slender white lingers; and Sylvia kissed tho brae A d. When Billy Grey recounoitered, an hour later—the cook having reported that dinner was getting spoiled— ho saw, by tlie light of a screened lamp and tho flickering fire, bis friend Peter and his sister Sylvia. They still occupied -two chairs that were very close together. Sylvia heard him. “Oh, Billy!” she called. “Billy! Come here and sec. this lovely bracelet Peter has given me!” “Come along,” called Peter. “Got something to tell you.” Billy gasped. “Wait,” lie managed to call back. “Wait till I get Kathleen!”