SHORT STORY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 11, 13 January 1912, Page 3

SHORT STORY.

THE EiU,

"is that final?" asked Rex Mayiiai'd, his deep voice trembling shght-

Lois nodded, she could not trust lierself to speak, the pain in the man's ,}w>nast, brown face made her feel dangerously near to tears, and turning away, she passed through the gate leading into the paddock adjoining the- golf links, where the game she had been playing with Rex had wound up by his passionate declaration of love.

Once through the gate, however, the girl paused, and looked back with a smile. The hire of that smile, with its flash of white teeth between red curving lips, and arch dimple in the left cheek, was irresistible. Although she had just told Maynard that she did not care to marry him, he was at her side again in a moment. "Well,", lie asked, grimness round his mouth, but yearning in his deep grey eyes. "I only wanted to say that I hoped this would not be the end of our pleasant—" She faltered. "Flirtation," suggested Ilex scathingly. The dimple disappeared, and Lois drew her slim figure, in short navy .skirt >and white golf gersey, uj) to its fail height, not a considerable one beside that of her tall companion. "I never flirt," she returned, ■with all the dignity of her nineteen years; "it is absolutely out of date, and bad form." "Oh!" The interrogation expressed ironical unbelief. "What word were you going to use?" "Friendship," murmured Lois, with one of those upward glances of her soft brown eyes that had been his first undoing. "You must have known I wanted more than that," he spoke, with repressed emotion, and his clean-shaven, pleasant face paled under its tan. "It's such a. pity; you were getting on to well with your golf, j out duvmg v js simply maivellous, and "^our patting, why, I behe>e aou would nave beaten me, >oui teachej to-day, if you h-idn't stopped to—" i>he checked herself, blushing, adoi,iblv through the faint sunburn o( hei fan j>kin "To m.ike a fool of myself, ' supplemented ile\ bitteily She had looked up at him from under those curling,

dark lashes/when they Avere at tlie last putting-green, and, being yoiihg and impulsive, h.6 had been carried awa-y to speak before lie was sure ovfher. "Oh, look, the Emu Kas got out!" oxclaimad Lois, glad, to change the subject. ■ Rex looked, and saw a fine young emu, usually kept in a grassy enclosure, standing not far off in the paddock they were in, watching them with a.ppareno interest. Maynard iuad cauglit it on the plains of his Nationj -when it was a chicken, and sent it to the friend; at whose home, in a, Sydney suburb, he was now stay-' i"g-

"I wonder," continued Miss Allan, "would its run after m« if I pasised it nji my way home ?"' Her home was not far from the links owned by Maynard's friend. "Not unless you ran first," rejoilned Kes, "and then only out of playfulness ; but if you feel nervous I'll see you homo." He had always done so before, but now he spoke as if it were , an irksome duty. "No,; thank you," she replied quickly. "I'm not at all nervous. You'll be at the links to-morrow morning?" she added in a. casual manner. .-•..-..■'..

"Not to-moiTOw, nor ever again, probably. I'm off to my place by the earliest train."

The girl's eyes' darkened with apprehension.

"You said you were not leaving for another week."

"Circumstances have changed my plans," he said coldly. "Good-bye, Miss Allan. Thank you for a delightful three- weesk, and a better knowledge of a woman's .ways." ..

He raided his cap, and strode away through the gate, across the links, and towards the garden-embowered homestead. > . .:

"A better knowledge of woman's ways," repeated Lois to herself. "Oh, you'dear, stupid fellow."

She stood looking after his sturdy figure, and suddenly a feeling of utter forlornness -rushed, upon her. ftox was going away out of her life; in another minute he would disappear round those tall crimson flowering hibiscus hedges. She had been very happy these three weeks since meeting .him, but had ihought she would not be able to endure the loneliness of station life. Now she realised that the greatest loneliness would be passing her life without him.

"Rex," she called softly, but he gave no sign of having heard her, and •silo turned homewards, pride battling with love; then all at once she again oaughfc sight of the emu stariug curiously at her, and remembered the words ; "Not unless you ran first."

Maynard was just rounding the corner of the hedge, when he heard a scream, and looking back, saw Lois* vanning towards him, with the eniu in full pursuit. Shouting to the bird, which stopped at his voice, Rex was beside the girl with a few long strides, i.nd, oh, wonder, she was in his arms, scemmg to derive much comfort from Lis tight clasp. "Don't be afraid, darling; I'll take care of you."

! The words sprang unconsciously to ! his lips. "Always," replied Lois, raising starry eyes'to his Her cap Avas off, I and her fluffy light brown hair was } 'ikt> a, halo round her small, piquant J face.

"Do you really mean it?" Rex f*ould not believe his senses. "And you won't go away to-mor-row?" she continued pleadingly. "You know what my remaining mc>ans?" "That your knowledge of women is not complete, for they sometimes change their minds. No—Rex—you musn't! Somebody might see us!" "There's no one but the emu, bless him," and Ilex kissed her willing lips. She slipped from his embrace, rosy ' and confused. i "It \vasn' a. bit nice having tlmfc big bird running after me," she said ! reproachfully. ■! "Poor little girl! Were yon very frightened ? 1 was a brute to let you go alone." ;He evidently meant to comfort her again, but she raised a restraining hand. | -"Wait till I tell jrou. I could not ■ bear to see you going away. I called, , but you did not hear me." j "Is it possible:- 5" I "Then—well—l couldn't run after you, but—l could run away from the errui." It'was just us well that there was

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no one but that useful bird to see what happened again.—E; C. Moirice, in Sydney Mail.