JOHN'S WIFE, Or, NINA'S LITTIE JOKE.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1033, 15 May 1902, Page 3

JOHN'S WIFE, Or, NINA'S LITTIE JOKE.

A. Complete Story. IT was Christmas at Drainham—an orthodox sort of Christmas, bright frosty weather, with snow and nothing but snow to ha seen, look where one would. The morning was clear and still, and the sun shone upon the wide-spreading beeches, the whitened hills, and the frozen lake that lay in front of the red stone ivycovered old Manor House, where a party had assembled to celebrate the festive season. Mrs. Denistoun, the mistress of the mansion, had resolved that nothing should be wanting to ensure its being a merry one. Not that she was ot « very joyous nature herself; but wished for two more cogent reason? to make it so for her gaests, and for ire sake of John Denistoun, her only so the master and owner of the place. Mrs. Denistoun had been left a widow when her boy wasbarely twelve years old. She found her husband's affairs hardly in the satisfactory state she had expected ; and for the first few years after his death they were still further impoverkhed:by her lawyer having involved her in a protracted law-suit with a near relative, who claimed certain moneys from the estate, to which she was told he was not entitled. At last a friend counselled a compromise. Mrs. Denistoun being only too willing to be advised in accordance with her own inclinations, she took up her pen, and wrote, not through the medium of her representatives at Lincoln's Inn, but straight to her opponent himself, who responded so satisfactorily that in a short time everything was amicably arranged. John Denistoun was at Harrow while the affair was proceeding. Soon after its settlement he went to Oxford, where he read a little, rode a great deal, and contrived to get through an amount of money which rather startled his mother. However, he would be wiser by-and-bye, she argued. The reins must not be held too tightly. So the debts were paid; and Master John rejoiced in unlimited credit, if not in unlimited cash, which did not grow plentif"' at Drainham as time went on. Mrs. Denistoun had fondly hoped, when the "Chancery affair" was over, that she would have nothing further to ruffle the even tenor of her life; but her real anxieties only seemed to begin when her son grew up. Not that he was a bad son—on the contrary, he was all that she could desire as far as affection and consideration for her went—he was a tall handsome lad too—the apple of her eye; but he was not only extremely extravagant, but very self-willed. After he left Oxford he decided on entering the Army, an intention his mother did not attempt to combat. She undertook to look after his interests at Drainham, while he bade her adieu, and started with his regiment for India, leaving his responsibilities behind him. He had been absent for six years; and now he had come home, changed from the tall stripling into a bronzed stalwart man—a son to be proud of, Mrs. Denistoun told herself as she gazed at him in silent admiration. She had been a faithful steward in his absence. The revenues of Drainham were once more unencumbered; and, if John would only be a little more careful, things could scarcely go wrong again. He had come back for good now. Not that he was tired of soldiering, but maturer years had shown him that his duty lay at home; and no sooner was lie certain of this than he resolved to return—as usual, acting up to his conviction with the promptness natural to him. And now another terrible anxiety opptessed his mother. Whom was he to marry ? She mentally reviewed all the marriageable young ladies in the neighbourhood ; but they all fell far short of what she conceived John's wife ought to be. Consequently Mrs. Denistoun began to look farther from home for the lucky individual who was to be John's partner for life. One morning she received a letter from Miss Ruthven, the daughter of an old friend of hers, asking her if she might come to see her at Drainham, as she happened to be about to visit that part of the country. Miss Ruthven added if she came she must) ask Mrs. Denistoun to let her bring her cousin and constant companion with her.

Mrs. Denistoun had often built castles in the air with regard to her son and this very Maude Ruthven; for the young lady possessed a considerable fortune in her own right, and, as regarded family connections, was everything that could be desired. Whether she was pretty or not Mrs. Denistoun did not know. However, she at once wrote to say how pleased she would be to welcome the daughter of her old friend, and assured the cousin of a similarly cordial reception. ■Consequently the Christmas party was really mainly got up for the entertainment of Miss Maude Ruthven, who, •with her cousin, was expected to arrive on Christmas Eve. f * Mrs. Denistoun was a bad politician; for, instead of leaving the young lady's possible charms to subjugate John's rather obstinate heart, she proceeded to impress upoD him the great desirability oi looking favourable upon the ■heiress. 'She has a hundred thousand

pounds John; I hear she has been most carefully brought up; and I am certain Helen Ruthven's daughter must make an excellent wife.' ' I don't care what she has,' replied John. 'I am not going to tie myself to an heiress.' ' Oh, my dear boy, don't be headstrong ! I have a presentiment that you will be delighted with her. At all events, for my sake, pay her some little attention.' But John's reply was far from promising. However, Mrs. Denistoun determined to do her best to help on an alliance which she felt sure would not only be for her son's happiness, but greatly improve the Drainham exchequer. Mrs. Denistoun's heart beat quickly when her ears caught the muffled sound of horses' feet as they turned rapidly round on the snow-covered ground before the hall door. Presently she distinguished a clear ringing voice; and then the drawing-room doors were thrown open, and the Misses Ruthven were announced. ' This is Maude,' said Mrs. Denisi tt-'-i, as she advanced to the taller of i t;i'' two, a dark-eyed sparkling girl of , :r;t twenty, dressed in black velvet . trimmed with sables, with a hat to correspond above,her shining black hiir. 1 1 should have known you at once, 9 murmured Mrs. Denistoun ; ' you are so like your dear mother.' •Am I?' smiled Maude, adding, 'This is my .cousin'—presenting her companion, who was, as Mrs. Denistoun joyfully observed, not by any means so handsome as the heiress. But she had a sweet face, with large soft eyes shaded by very dark lashes, and a charming smile too. Mrs. Denistoun greeted her kindly; but all the warmth, all the attention was for Maude; and Maude evidently thoroughly enjoyed being made so much of. Seeing her through the medium of her hundred thousand pounds, Mrs. Denistoun thought her charming—so vivacious, so handsome, so attractive in every way; John must be delighted with her. If Miss Maude Ruthven had looked handsome in her travelling-dress, she looked a thousand times more so when she descended dressed for dinner in the most becoming of pale-yellow dresses, with scarlet holly berries nestling in her shining hair, while her cousin Nina followed her in the simplest of white muslins. Beautiful as Maude undoubtedly was, the obdurate John showed no signs of admiration. On the contrary, the more she smiled upon him the more stolid he seemed to become; and, to the horror of his mother, as the days went by, he devoted himself chiefly to the quiet and unassuming Nina, who was, Mrs. Denistoun discovered, wholly dependent upon her cousin Maude for even the very clothes she wore.

There were skatmg-parties, in the evening, every sort of amusement anxious Mrs. Denistoun could think of; and at each of them there was Maude, perfectly dressed, looking the personification of youth and good looks, evidently willing to favour John, while he, alas, headstrong once more, steadily paid marked attention to Nina, who received his advances with a quiet dignity which was infinitely provoking to his disappointed and angry mother. The two girls had been a fortnight at Drainham, and Miss Ruthven began to talk of returning home. 1 We have been away nearly thice months,' she said, addressing Nina, who coloured visibly as she spoke. ' Don't you think we ought to be on the wing ?' ' I think so,' replied Nina. Mis. Denistoun, feeling hopeless about the heiress, offered no great opposition. Her other guests had departed. The party had been a great success ; and the only failure was her plan, which she realised now was quite frustrated, simply, as she believed, through the unwelcome presence of Nina. Nina, however, seemed totally unconscious of her crime. She stitched away at her embroidery while John sat by, thinking that the place woyld not look the same when her sweet face and graceful figure had departed. Maude evidently did not mean to wear the willow for the master of Drainham's sake. She was surrounded by admirers when the party went to the great county ball, and, had she chosen, might have made the Earl of Elton's heir-apparent glad by bestowing her handsome self and her thousands upon his imptcunious lordship, a fact duly commented upon by Mrs. Denistoun to her infatuated son. John's mind was made up. He meant to ask Nina to be his wife; and he told his mother plainly. ' You have always taken your own way, John,' she said—' and I dare say you will take it now ; but I would counsel you most strongly not to be in too great a hurry to commit yourself. Think the matter well over. Remember, marriage is the most serious step a man can take, therefore not to be lightly entered upon. If you will be advised by me, you will say nothing to Nina at present. If, after a month or so, you find you are still thinking of her, you can very easily write and tell her so; and she also will have a better idea as to whether she likes you sufficiently well to become your wife, though honestly I have no doubts on that score.' So the mother argued ; and John listened, silent, but not convinced, anxious, in his way, to please his mother, yet certain that he would not allow Nina to leave Drainham until she had pronounced the " Yes " that was to ensure her return to it as its mistress. It was the girls' last night at Drainham. Maude was merrier than ever; but Nina bad a nervous, restless air.

I a look of anxiety in her eyes wbicß | John Denistoun was quick to notice. Was she sorry to be leaving them ? He hoped so ; but, when he ventured upon debatable gr.mnd, she looked more nervous still; and, when he pressed for the cause of her agitation, her manner was so strange that he felt chilled in spite of his love for her. She would not let him into her confidence ; she kept close by Maude's side, evidently bent upon preventing the possibility of a tete-a-tete. But John Denistoun was much *oo determined to let his love be baulked by any nervousness on her part. He proposed that they should go into the hall to'see the last of the Christmas decorations taken down. There Nina was promptly separated from her protecting patroness and forced to listen to a very distinct announcement that he wished to make her his wife. Nina's embarrassment seemed redoubled. She had never dreamt of such a thing, she said. But her hesitation only made John the more ardent. Would she marry him, or would she not ? ' Do you know your own mind ?' she asked. ' Yes,' he replied, ' the only girl I could ever care for is no other than Nina Ruthven.' ' Penniless ?' queried Nina shyly. 1 Not an heiress, remember.' 'So much the better,' responded John. ' I hate heiresses. I have always declared I would never marry one.' ' Even after you saw—Maude ?' John's reply was not complimentary to the brilliant Miss Ruthven, who, with dancing mischievous eyes, was slyly laughing at her cousin, little caring whether Captain Denistoun liked her or not, 'What would Mrs. Denistoun say?' once more asked Nina. 'She will welcome any one who will make me happyand once more Tohn pressed her for an answer to his momentous question. ' You must first hear my story,' said Nina. ' 1 should not like to deceive you.' Captain Denistoun felt rather nervous as to what might be coming; but one glance into the sweet eyes shyly raised to his reassured him. 'Tell me the story,' he requested. 'I hardly know how to begin,' she said; ' but I had better tell you the worst first. My cousin and I are both thorough impostors; in a moment of thoughtlessness we did something which, though 1 do not now regret it, has placed us in a very awkward predicament on several occasions since we have been here. You know we were staying with Mrs. Percival before we came to Drainham ; and in the course of conversation she confided to my cousin that she had heard from your mother how much she ' Here Nina paused, and John finished the sentence. ' Wished me to marry the heiress ?' ' Yes, that was it. And, as we came here, we were both laughing at the idea, and my cousin jokingly proposed that for the few days we intended to remain she should personate me.' 'You!' stammered John, thoroughly taken aback. ' Yes, 1 she continued; 'and Mrs. Denistoun quite unconsciously aided in the deception by at once concluding that my cousin was the daughter of her old friend. After we had committed ourselves, we did not like to rectify the mistake. To my cousin it has been great fun, but to me not quite so entertaining; and it has necessitated confession from me at last. Are you very angry, Captain Denistoun ?' ' How could 1 be angry with you ?' responded he. 4 And do you still hate heiresses ?' she asked. John's reply was unmistakable; and so was Mrs. Denistoun's satisfaction when she discovered that, after all, John's wife was the girl she had so much desired him to choose. Captain Denistoun was married before the June roses were in bloom ; and on his wedding-day he seemed to have left all his headstrong extravagant ways behind him ; for he had gained a griod wife. Mrs. John Denistoun was a wise woman. The happiness that she brought to Drainham would have justified her husband's choice had she indeed been the penniless girl he imagined her to be. And she was happy too ; her life was full of sunshine. The secret lay with herself; for she carried out and acted up to Pope's description of what a wife should be—- " She who ne'er answers till her husband cools, Or, if she rules him, never shows she rules; Charms by aeeepting, by submitting sways, Yet has her humour most when she obeys."