OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 59, 20 February 1911, Page 9

OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

(Continued.) CHAPTER V.

The following afternoon Dechna, with eyes still rather red -and swollen —for the parting with aunt Pauline had been bad. very bad, all the worse for the restraint which the elder woman had imposed on herself, and Decima had cried softly at intervals all through the journey—looked out of the carriage window as the train slowed up at Stretton Wold. She saw a pretty little station with borders of flowers and clematis climbing up the pillars; with a rustic porter and a ruddy-faced stationmaster; but there did not seem to be anyone else on the platform excepting a young man in a Norfolk suit; and Decima’s heart sank rather; for her father had said in bis letter that her brother would meet -her.

The porter opened the door, touched his hat, and enquired if she had any luggage, and she got out and stood looking up and down the station and at the country beyond the station palings. It was very beautiful. the rqad winding through a pine wood which shone redly in the sunlight and scented the air with terebene. She felt a little lonely and a little disappodtmted. Where was her brother ? The young man passed her as the porter came up with her luggage on a truck, and lie glanced at her curiously.

“Where be you gain', miss?’’ asked the porter.

“To’Woodbines,” said Decima.

Evidently the young man heard her for he turned and came up to lier quickly, and with a boyish flush saidt:

“Are you—? Why, great aunt, it » Decima!’’

Deeiana bhiahed in harmony and stared for <a moment, then she exclaimed with a .rush of joy:

“Why, dt is Bobby!” and put her arms around has neck and kissed lum.

Bobby Deane flared a brick-dust red and glanced round half shamefacedly, half furiously at the grinning porter. “And you didn’t know me?” cried Deci ma, bdldsng him by the hand, and devouring him with her greyblue eyes. “You dnddn’t know me, Bobby?”

The boy, for he was only seventeen, notwithstanding hie mannish air, laughed composedly as he put straight the bowler bait which her eudden embrace bad knocked on one aide.

“No, I don’t,” he admitted; “the fact is, I—well, I was looking for u little girl about half your sue.”

Deeima’s low, sweet laugh <wlt ’ musically.

“Anri I was looking for a Jdtrtie boy Bobby, what idiots we ore; we have forgotten that we had grown, and we expected to see each other the same rise as when we parted.” Bobby grinned. “It’s lucky you epoke and mentioned the house, or I should have gone home and told the guv’nor you bad not arrived. Bui, come on; we've provided quite enough circus for the porter. There’s a fly outride.” He led her out and pot her into the craxy vehicle, then sat opposite her and stared at her with a brother's reiluctamt admiration, and riie smiled baric at him.

“WeH, you have grown,” he said at last-. “Who’d have thought you’d have turned out so? Why, I remember you were quite a plain kid—" “I would get up and courtesy, oif I weren’t afraid of falling out of the fly.” said Decima. ther eyes sparklmg, her mouth one big and beautiful smile. “And, Bobby, how you have altered ! Oh, dear! I can scarcely be* Ueve that tihas great follow is the dear little baby brother I used to carry about. And you were so pretty ithen ,” she sadd, with mock -regret—for her heatrt was full of ariani ration for her handsome, wcil-builit brother.

“It would trouble you to carry me now. Decie,” he eaid. “Mind me smoking a cigarette?”

“And it smokes!” exclaimed Deciina, with siimdaited dismay amd amazennent. “You are sure it wont make you ill. Bobby? But tell me all tlhe news.”

“Wjhat news? There isn't any.”

“Father—?”

“Is the same as usual, yesterday, to-day- and for ever ■ lie is always the same. ’ ’

“And w lie—he expecting me? Will 'he be gliad to see me? Tell me. Bobby, dear.”

“I’ll tell you anything I can, if you’G promise not to call me ‘dear,’ k ‘ sand Bobby. Of course hie’W be glad'; anyhow, I am precious glad! Its time some one catme to look after us—some woman, I -mean. You haven’t the least notion how things go 0n.,0r rather, don’t go on. I haven’t been home from school ong—about two months—but those edggbt weeks have wflutened these looks, as . you see. There’s nothing in the wide world the guv’nor doesn’t understand except domestic economy, and consequently the house is run on a ’goes* it cm nlcuno* kind of -Bne, whscfa no doubt makes life a kind of charm for the slaveys, but is eminently unsatisfocadty. for* yodrs truly.” - “Father and the servants were a trouble, and tiaat is one reason why he wanted”®*;” reiA&Bcium**—” “Yeej thait pute it mildly. We change about every other week. We have cooks who would not- recognise a potato if they met it in the street; waiting-meeds who kindly permit us to do eft the waiting whfie they talk with their young men in tlje backkitchen door. We have just got aid of one young lady who looked unto the wine cup too often, amd Wtt found by the unfortunate incfiridual : who addresses you, lying under the kitchen dresser one quarter jaf am hour before dinner tame. We have at present what, I be&eve, is called a ‘de-

mon>-brriker’; she has a pleasant bm sligjhrtjy inconvenient 'habit of crileotall the glass and dhina on a way and slipping up on it. We have nc tumblers left, and only a coffee-cup and a mug. Jibe is under notice, ano I left her in (tears, wailing that she had no mother; if he had, she’d tumble over and break her.” Decima looked half aghast through her daughter. “My dear Bobby!! Mr poor Bobby ! And poor father !” # “I’ll take alt the sympathy, if you please,” sand Bobby. “It would be only wasteing it on the guv’nor, for he dosen/t mind—dosen’t care.” “Doeeav’t mind?”

“No; he is up in the clouds aid the time.” The boy waved his -hand. “Dreaming, inventing things to make his fortune. He doesn’t eat —he only stokes. I’m not sure that he sleeps. At any rate, he’s perfectly indifferent to anything and everything, and the house can go to smithereens so that one room—his laboratory and study—is left standing. See?” Deridtna’s face grew, a little grave and a 'little remorseful.

“Poor Bobby! And all the time I have been living a life of luxury and ease.”

“Oh, that’s all right!” said Bobby, quickly and generously. “You can’t help ilmving a father utterly unlike any other male parent in the world; no more can I. And I’m jolly glad you’ve been, out of it all the time. In fact, I was dead against the gjuv’nor sending for you; but—well he makes up his mind now and again, and when hie does, he makes it up into sudh a jolly stiff parcel that there’s no undoing it.”

“I’m glad>, glad he sent for me,” said Deoiana. “But, Bobby, I—l am afraid. I don’t know munch about house-keeping. ’ ’

“You couldn’t possibly know lees, or make more of a muddle of the show than we are doing,” said Bobby., encouragingly . “But upon my word, I’m sorry for you, Decie! I’m afraid you won't like the change from—liow did you l>ut it ?— a. life of luxury and ease with Lady Pauline, to slaveydriving at Woodbines.” “I shall not mind—l feel glad I’ve come already. I suppose it’s seeding you.” “Thank you—thank you,” said Bobby, rairing his cap. “Excuse these tears—l aim not used to this kind of thing, and I am easily moved.”

“You wicked, mocking boy!” exclaimed Decima, leaning forward and kissing him impulsively. Bobby put up both his fists and wiped his mouth with one. “My good young woman,” he said, severdy, “I am sorry to check the affectionate instincts of your ardent young nature, but I feel bound to inform you that, in this country, a young lady does not embrace a gentleman in public, even though sbe be his rister, and I would like to add, at the'risk of hurting your feelings, that I have an inveterate dislike to being kissed—except by some other fellow’s sister; and therefore I shall fed obliged if for the future you wifll put the brake on your emotions and refrain from—”

“Oh, what a pretty place, Bobby!” exclaimed Decima, as the fly pulled up at a tall iron gate opening on to an old-fashioned garden in front of a red-bricked ivy -covered house.

“Glad you like it. Beheld the Woodbines, the residence of Peter Deane, Esq.; and your home, my dear sister!”

Deed ma jumped out of the fly aaid went up the path. The door of the house was open., and even as she entered the square, old-fashioned hall, the sound of a failing plate and the crash of the breaking thereof were heard.

“Sarath Jane’s welcome to her new mistress!” said Bobby, gravely.

Decima smiled and looked around a little nervously.

“Where is my father?” sihe asked; and tehe moved towards the door of the drawing-room.

“Oh, I’ll take you to him. There’s only one place in which he can possibly be. Follow me and mind the step, and the pail which is .almost sure to be on it, and over which I break my shin with painful frequency.”

He pushed open a baize door, went down a .narrow passage—just here Deeiima. heard the parlour-maid explaining to the cook how sire had dropped tlie plate, “It skipped out o’ my ’and. as if it was a piece o’ 'ot butter; it did, I do -assure you cook” —and knocked at a thin oak door, through which, though it was tightly closed, camo Sunday -and various odours, all of them wondsrousiy strange, amd extraordinarily powerful.

A voice, which sounded to come from a distance, said, impatiently: “Come in.” And Decima and Bobby entered. It was a large, much-lined room, with shelves on which stood, in a gorgeous Utter, •books, retorts, imstruments, plaster casts, models of every descriptaon. A small furnace was Haring aiwuy in one corner; a forge and Lathe were conspicuous in the centre of the room. There was also a carpeater’s bench and a modelling table, an electro-plating bait-

teoy., and in dhort a eofieetkm of toote/TBbdete; general lumber, which would have fitted out a-country-museum er-a work-shop in Bedlam.

Working at the bench stood a man in has shirt-sleeves, his hair long and m, foUfog aver hie huge forehead. He was dressed in a shabby old suit of.« fashion of ten years back,- wore no collar, and stood in a pair xrf thick carpet slippers at least two sizes too large for hmm.

Decimal stared at him, prikand a Ettle tremulous. She remembered him.

“Here’s Decima, father,” said Bobby.

(To be Continued.)