TEMPERAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2586, 21 August 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

TEMPERAMENT.

* (By Eleanor Morcoin Kelly, author of “The Girl who Forgot,” “A 7 Friend of Jimmie’s” etc.) ‘‘Lippi ncptt’s Magazine.” (Continued • From Last Week.) The boy, rather dazed from loss of blood and the pain in his side, stood for n moment staring about him. A strong wind blowing from the east kept the worst of the smoke away from them, but it fanned the flames as bellows fan a hearth-fire. Through the long aisles of the forest he saw them coming, leap-

ing forward with a roar of triumph upon each new victim clinging to it as it * writhed and twisted in agony like a sensate thing before it crashed head-

long. The blistering, stifling air was hard to breathe. A rabbit bounded by at his very feet, unafraid because of the greater peril behind; and down the track lie saw other little wild things of the woods, all hurrying towards safety. “Quick!” cried the lady, tugging at his hand. “The clearing may still bo far. W© must run.”

“You are sure everybody else is out?” he asked, with a shuddering memory of liis own moment s despair. “Yes, yes. You see- what a silly little wreck it was, with only cue baggagecar smashed. Stupid!” she stamped her foot at him. “Do you not know this smoke is bad for my voice? Come, instantly, or I leave you.” Even as she spoke, from the pile of wreckage in the ditch a faint moan reached their ears. They stared at each other, paling. Then she glanced over her shoulder, and caught his arm with

a gash. “Look! Mon Dieu, we have already waited too long?” She rvas pointing behind them, to where trie' fire had leaped the track and was tearing down toward them, a solid wall of flame. “Run—l will follow,” muttered the hoy, trying to jerk away from her. But she held to him frantically. ‘What can you do alone?” she wailed. “You are injured, weak, and lam but a woman. W T e have a right to our lives. Tom-mee, I am frightened! Will you not come with me?” “Dear,” said the boy, “how can I?” Her eyes dilated. Suddenly she flung both her arms round his neck, and kissed him full on the lips. “Y r ou are a man, a man!” she exulted. “I love you!” The boy clasped her close for a moment before he put her away. It was the greatest moment of his life. “Now go,” he said. The little moan came again, several times, sounding terribly like the whimper of a child. The boy worked like a madman. Once he paused a moment, panting to ease the pain in his side. “Drink,” said a voice at his elbow, and a cup of water was thrust into his hand.

“You! My God, you!” lie groaned, pushing at her. “Why don’t you go?” “Dear, how can I?” she mocked, very tenderly. For an instant he was .tempted to seize hex' in his ai'ms and run, away from this hell of heat and smoke, down the track to the open fields and safety. But. the little moan came again, close now and very faint. At last they worked together, silently, desperately, tugging with frantic strength at the wreckage of trunks, barrels, boxes, till finally they uncovered a crate which contained the still warm body of a setter dog. Then they turned towards safety.

“Only a little further,” encouraged the woman. “Try, Tom-mee. For my sake, try!’ ’ He staggered on a few stops, her arms about him, befoi'e he fell to his knees. “I can’t!” he sobbed. “I’m played out.” “Dieu!” whispered the .woman; but aloud, she said cheerfully, “And I also. We will rest for a moment, hein?” . He lay his head on her lap, straining his eyes up to her face, with its brave smile. “Did you mean it—when you said you —loved me?” he panted. For answer she bent over and kissed him again. “Ah-h!” he laugher deliriously. “Then we must get out of this. Come!” But she held ' him fast. “Rest a little longer, my Tom-mee! There is time. You are so weak.” “Some day we will laugh at this,” ho babbled. “We’ll come back here, you and I, and build a little cabin in these woods—if there is any left. Shall we —you and I together? Shall we?” “It would be sweet,” she whispered, smoothing his* hair. They only got a little further before he had to rest again. “You did not promise,” he said, when he could get liis breath. “Promise what?” “To marry me.” She smiled at him oddly. “You—you are not married already he cried, in quick fear. “Not at present,” she said demurely. “But such a foolish Tom-mee 1 What is it you love, then—me, or your idea of me?” “I love the woman who mothers sick babies; the woman who does not desert » comrade in danger, who can work side by side with him, like another rnurif to save—’ ’ she cried. “It is as 1 thought.- Thai \n not me! That is mood, impufeOy iemperamenf— what you

“Whatever' ii m, f want to marry lt . ”’.#id ; the hoy .- “Ahd ] the 0% Who eooko and •ft h perhaps an hoivr tkm you wore aftdut? nO marry her.” “Thank' God for that hour/’ m said earnestly: ndw f know that t

would rather die here, like this, with you in my arms.” Suddenly she hid her face on his breast, with a little frightened sob. A think, Tom-mee, that you will have your wish,” she whispered. 'There was no time to rest after that. Flames were reaching after them in great leaps, like hounds that sight the quarry. They fled down the interminable track, stumbling, staggering, the breath whistling through their clenched teeth. Once he slipped to his knees, but she dragged him up again. “Leave me!” he'begged; but che only smiled.

As they stumbled on again, he slipped off the ring he was wearing and gave it to. her. She kissed it and put it on the third finger of her left hand; then, unclasping a bracelet from her wrist, she clasped it about his. The bov’s face was radiant.

Almost at the edge of the clearing, a band-car, spinning to the rescue, came upon a desperate, exhausted woman struggling,to drag a man’s body down the track by its heels. The boy, in a hospital, waited very patiently for his lady to came and find him. Broken ribs and exhausted nerves take a long time to mend, and the days seemed endless. He could send no word to her, for in the stress! of that dreadful night he had never thought to learn her name. There must be many Tommies in Chicago he knew. But he did not worry. She would find him now as she found him then. Love would guide her. Once he thought rather wistfully of the girl at home. How would she hurry to him if she knew! How soothing her quiet voice would be, and the touch of her cool little hands! Her eyes were so sweet and blue, too, like a chilcj’e—but suddenly two very different eyes burned into his, deep, grey eyes of shadow and fire; and the boy, with a passionate gesture, lifted the bracelet he wore to his lips.

At last, as he lay in the twilight, dreaming of his lady, the door burst open and her voice came in to him, borne on a delicious fragrance of flowei'6. “But wliat a gloom, what a darkness! Nurse, quickly make many lights, if you please. Is he not to see me, then? Aha, my Tom-mee!! I arrive. Behold me!” He was speechless, but his face spoke for him., She turned with a jubilant laugh to Zelie behind her, and, seizing masses of roses, violets, and orchids from her arms, she scattered them over the bed. “You see, it is to you I bring the fruits of my harvest, ’ r she cried. “Dieu., what a week! What houses, and liow they rose to me—n’est co .pas, Zelie? Never have I sung as now. It is because I love again. Embrace me! Zelie, go away.” '“I thought you would never get here!” sighed the boy. “And I,” she murmured, regretfully. “So many parties —luncheon, the dinner, the tea-drinking—everybody wanted me, you see. EnfLu, I should run away from these people to tell my Tom-mee good-by.” His heart contracted painfully. “You—you are going away?” he stammered.

“To-night, mon cher. First to fill a second engagement in Paris —at last, at last, to my Paris!” “But what about me?” said the boy dully. “It is for you to get well instantly and follow.” She patted his cheek. “Aha, but we shall amuse ourselves well in that little old Paris!”

“I hadn’t thought of going abroad just now.” He flushed a little. “You see, I couldn’t very well afford it.. I’ve got a position hero. Wouldn’t —wouldn’t you be happy with me in America?”

“I? In America?” she protested. “What a thought! One comes to America to make money, not to be bappy-” \ •

There was a sudden fear in the boy s eyes. “You haven’t forgotten what you said—that night?” He caught her left hand. His ring was still there. “Foolish one!” she chided tenderly. “Of course I remember. How wo kissed and clung, two frightened babes lost in the wood! It was very silly and very sweet. I said—what was it I said, Tom-mee?” “You said that you—loved me.” whispered the boy. “You promised to mari-y me.” She burst out laughing. “No! Is it possible? La, la, la, what an old fool am I! It is true that I love you, my friend. I am quite mad about you. But marry ? No, no, there has been enough marrying. Three husbands, five children—truly I have earned a vacation. Besides’ 7 —she leaned over to stroke his hair—“l love you too much to marry you, my Tom-mee. lam the devil to marry. Ask my husbands!” Chill after chill shook the boy. “You were playing with me, then? You were playing with me?” “Playing? At such a moment?” she reproached him. . “Consider situation, my friend—death approaches, no help to be seen, in my arms a beautiful youth Avbo adores me—ah! Am I a clod, a,stone? No! I am a woman, me, a woman of .temperament.”

The boy struggled to drag her bracelet from his arm. “My God!” he cried. “H—ji temperament!* Presently, through’swimming senses, he became aware that she was bathing his face with a wet cloth. “There, there—you are better now,” she crooned over him. “But what a poor, pallid Tom-mee) I think you must send for the girl who likes to sew and cook. It k possible that she likes also to muse, eh?” She held out towards him the jewelled bracelet lie had filing at her. “Will yon not give her tliis, irorri me, lot a wedding-gift?''

“I would not let her touch it! gasped the boy, shrinking away. “So? I am sorry.” Her voice was like a grieved child’s. I shall keep tho little ring, Tom-mee, because I love you.” He thought she was gone at last; but she put her head in at the door to add wistfully, “And you are just tho look and the years of my favorite son!”