NELL OF SHORNE MILLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11056, 6 May 1899, Page 3 (Supplement)

NELL OF SHORNE MILLS.

BY CHARLES GARVICE. Author of " Heart for Heart," "Her Heart'! Desire," "By Devious Ways," " Queen Kate," " The Outcast of the Family,". etc., etc., etc.

CHAPTER 111, . j "Lice !". It was a strange name—the name of a woman, of course. Nell wondered whether it was his sister, or sweetheart? Perhaps it was his wife? Klie waited for some minutes, then she woke Molly, and returned to her own room. Drake Vernon was unconscious for some days, and Nell often stole in and stood beside the bed; sometimes she changed the jce bandages, or gave him something to drink. He wandered and talked a great deal, but it was incoherent talk, in which the names of the persons ho whispered or shouted were indistinguishable. On, the fourth day he recovered consciousness, but was terribly weak, and the doctor would not permit .Mrs. Lorton to enter the room. He put his objection very cleverly. "I have to think of you," my dear madame,'' he said. "I don't want two patients on my hands in the same house. Talk him back into delirium!" ha added to himself.

All these days Mrs. Lorton continued to "hush." Nell went about with a grave air of suspense, and Dick— is not given to this historian to describe the state of mind into which incessant repression drove that youth. On the sixth day, bored to death, and somewhat curious, lie strolled into the sickroom. Drake Vernon, propped up by pillows, was partaking of beef tea with every sign of distaste. " How are you getting on, sir?" asked Dick.

The sick man looked at tin boy, and nodded with a faint smile.

"I'm better, thanks; nearly well, I devoutly trust." "'lhats all right," commented Dick, cheerfully. "Thought I'd just look in! Sha n't, upset you, or disturb you, shall I, sir?" ' " Not in the very least,"- was the reply, '• I'm very glad to see you. Won't you sit down? Not there, but some place where ] can see you." Dick sat- on the end of the bed, and leant against the rail, with his hands in his pockets. " I ought to introduce myself, I suppose. I'm what is called in the novels' the soil of the house;' I'm Nell's brother, you know," Mr. Vernon nodded. "So I see. by the likeness." "Rather rough on Nell that, isn't it? I'll tell nor," said Dick, with a spark of mischief in his eye. "Why, she's as black as a coal, and I'm fair." " You are alike, all the same," said the invalid. rather indifferently. "Mv name is Dick Dick as a rule; Richaril when my step-mother is nioro than usually riled with me." " Permit me to call you by the shorter name." said Mr. Vernon. " I'm afraid I've been a terrible nuisance, and must continue to be for some days. The doctor tells me that I can't venture to move yet." "That's all right," responded Dick, cheerfully. "We shall be glad to see you about again, of course: but don't worry yourself on our account, sir. To tell you the truth, we rather enjoy— is, some of us,".lie corrected—" having 'an accident case' in the house. Mamma, for instance, hasn't beon so happy for a long while." "Mrs." Lorton must be extremely goodnatured and charitable," commented Mr. Vernon. Dick looked rather doubtful. "Kr— You see, it's a little change and excitement, and we don't get much of that commodity in Sliorne Mills. So were rather grateful to you than otherwise for pitching yourself at our front gate. If you could have managed to break both arms and a leg, I verily believe that mamma would have wept tears of jov." "I'm afraid I can't say I'm sorry I did not gratify her to that extent," said Mr. Vernon, with a grim smile; but it was a smile; and his dark eyes scanned the boy s handsome face with something approaching interest. " Mrs. Lorton is your stepmother? Did I hear her say so, or did I dream it': n "It's no dream; it's real enough, said Dick, with intense gravity. "My father—" he settled himself more comfortably—" was Lorton and Lorton, the Patent Coll'ee Boaster, you know—perhaps you've heard of it?" Mr. Vernon shook his head. "Ah. well! a great many other people must have done so, for the Roaster made a pile of monev, and mv father was a rich man. Molly, you can take that beef tea downstairs and give it to Snaps. lie won't cat it, because he's a most intelligent dog. Thought I'd get her out of the room, sir. Molly's a good girl, but she's got ears and a tongue." , "So have I," said Drake Vernon, with a faint smile. . . "Oh, I don't mind you. Its only right that you should know something about the people in whose house you are staying. Drake Vernon frowned slightly; for there was the other side of the medal; surely it was only right that the people m whose house he was staying should know something about himself." . "Father made a lot of money over the Roaster; then mv mother died. I was quite a kid when it happened, but Nell just remembers her. Then father married again, and. being rich, I suppose, wanted a fashionable wife. So he married mamma. I daresay that she's told you shes a Wolfer.'

Mr. Vernon nodded. . ITV i . . "There's not much in it. said Dick, with charming candour. " We've never set eyes on anv of her swell connections, and I don t think'she's ever heard from them since the " What smash?" asked Vernon, with onlv faint interest. , . . "Didn't I tell you? Left the par of Hamlet out of the play. Wh) • ' added a Patent Coffee Pot to the Rem* tir, and lost all his money- nearly all. llren he died. And we came here, and 1 ' TOO are. sir; that the story, and the no a is, 'Let well alone,' or 'Be content with your Roaster and touch not the • Sounds like the title of a teetotal tract, doesn't it?" , _ , v,, "And you are at school, I suppose? No, you are tun old for that. , , , " Thanks. I was trying not to. feel offended." said Dick. "Nothing hurts a boy of mv age like telling him he. . nt * man. No; I've left school, and I m sup posed to he educated! hilt it's the b.nncst kind of supposition. I don't fancy they teach you much at most schools. didn't "teach me anything at mine except cricket and football." , ~ ■ "Oxford, Cambridge?" suggested tie invalid. leaning on his elbow, and looking • the boy absently. _. , ~,, " Wouldn't run to it," said Dick, Mamma said I must begin the world— as it it were a loaf of bread or. an orange. 1 should have 'begun it' long ago The difficulty seems to be where to begin. I'm supposed tr. have a taste foi engi ing—once made a steam engine ou o empty meat tin. It didn't work very we , and it blew up and bust the tclien . fi dow ; but that's a detail. So I m ?' like Mr. Micawher, for 'something to tin up' in the engineering line. 1 t! J e 1 > , engineering paper, and answer all n- « vertisements; but nothing comes o • Quite comfortable? Shall I shake up the pillow, sir? I know how to do it, tor I've seen Nell do it for mamma. "No; thanks very much. }"} comfortable. If you really are desirous of taking any trouble, von might ge sheet of notepaper and an envelope. "To say nothing of 11 pen, some ink and blotting paper," said Dick, rising leisurel . He brought them and set them on the bed, and Mr. Drake Vernon wrote a lcttei. " I'm sending for some clothes, • plained. "May I trouble you to post it. Any time will do." _ „ ~ " Post doesn't go out till five, sill , ' "And we've only one post in am.. day. This is the last place Providence thought of, and I don't think it>*oudJhnU mattered much if it bad been forgotten "hTprettv enough too, what I saw of Ohl^it^ 1 " assented Dick, casually; "but it's precious dull. / "What do you find to do? asked the sick man, with an attempt at interest. ■ "Oh, I ride—when I can borrow a toe, and boat and fish—and fish and boat. <•.,

a K)ft' vl^i 6^' 3 vo ' ce > singing in ' the windot ÜbdUCd tone ' rose from below or^wo D t£ he e ™™d ° r ft m ° me '' " Who is that?" " v hat ' s .*5 ell \ caterwauling." Mr. Vernon ™ S1 ® N ° d vo ' ce >" remarked DiclP'wm, S .! Ndl sings very well," assented " Ami «i' J 3l ? ler 8 indifferent patronage. ) ' out " ! " r a ' d *° d ° ! " " Pish' 1 ' l!! 10 , CS '° me >" said Dick. been linn. * co""' *"* *** } '' V 6 oeen here, of course—" He stopped awkwardly. a terrihlp* . Un^el ' stan d- I must have been M. Drat V? ° y ° U - J™ all >" said " I'm very sorry™' S ' Wely and reretfull >'- lieeiHv" 1 '" 1 f" 1 sa y more ' am ' there's no Dick ~i,m 0U ?. sa y. as mucl1 ' sir '" remarked been i h oso l ! ca %' "As I said, you have been a boon and a blessing to the women•nui pit o ") 1,0, v J'ou're getting better '>"<1 can stand a little noise." Mr. Vernon smiled. row v' „ de fi. y°" can make all the imr •?' , El' he sai <>. earnestly. "I'm LI eh , ° bllged to J' o " for looking incoma in when you care to." l,orl s '" l Said , . Dick "Oh, about the 2' i • . 1(1 hlm turned °"t- I don't and he 11 T,' m l' ch; on 'y the hair cut; .... ~" ''Sbt again presently." rlirppi'i 11 i• '° ICilr * needn't say that hreclly he s well enough, you can- Will lift' J* n -t me 4 ' e ' , 'gain?" he broke ott, as if something had occurred to him. :t .S j C , om P! led - and Drake Vernon opened fresh envelope 113 ° ' W °' and l , ' accd a K „, £ llcr ® was a message I had to give you, >"t V? f forgotten it," said Dick, as he took the letter again. "Oil, ah, yes 1 It was lom my sister. She asked me to ask you y° u . d Cilre to have some books. She didn't quite know whether you ought to read yet?" ciV • 1,101136 thank your sister," said Vernon. Anything you fancy? Don't suppose you 11 find Nell's books very lively She's rather i 10 5 011 poetry and the ''Heir of Kerlclyffe kind of literature. I'll bring you some of my own with them. Mamma, 'being a Wolfer, goes in for the 'Fashion Gazette, and the 'Court Circular,' which won t be much in your line, I expect." Not in the least," Mr, Vernon admitted.

"So long, then, till I come back. Sure I there s nothing else I can do for you, sir?" He went downstairs— himself of the invalid's permission to make a noise by whistling "Tommy Atkins" Nell looked in at the French window, as he swept a row of books from the shelf on the siucloard. " Dick, what an awful noiso !" she said, reproachfully, and in the subdued voice which had become natural with all of them. Shut up, Nell; the 'silent period' lias now passed. The interesting invalid has lifted the ban, which was crushing one of us, at least. He thanks you for your oiler of literature, and he has recovered sufficiently to write a note." As he spoke, lie chucked the letter on the table, and Nell took it up and absently lead the address: " Mr. Sparling, 101, St. James' Place," she read aloud. "Rather a swell address, isn't it?" he asked. " Interesting invalid looks rather a swell himself, too. I did him an injustice; there's nothing of the commercial traveller about him, thank goodness! And he's decidedly good-looking, too. But isn't he white and ,'liaky? J wonder who and what h: is. Now I come to think of it, he was about as communicative as an oyster, and left me lo do all the palaver. You'll bo glad to hear that, he admired your voice, and that he inquired bow you passed your time; also that he was shocked when I told him that you wliiled the dragging hours away by dancing the can-can, and playing pitch-and-loss wilh a devoted brother. 1 ' Nell laughed, and blushed faintly. "What books are you taking, Dick? Let me see."

"No you don't! I know the kind of thing you'd send: 'The Lessons of Sickness? or ' Blessings in Disguise,' and the ' Pilgrim's Progress.'" " Don't be an ass, Dick!"

" I'm taking some of my own. Nell, you can post this letter. Yes, —I'll trust you with it. You'll be a good girl and not open it or drop it on tho way," he adjured her. as he climbed upstairs with the books. "Here you are, sir. Hope you'll like the selectionthere's -mv amount of poetry and goody-goodv of Nell's; but I fancy you'll catch on to some of mine. Try ' Hawkshead, the Sioux Chief.' to begin with. It's a stunner, especially if you skip all the descriptions of scenery. As if anybody wanted scenery in a story." Thanks." said Mr. Vernon, gravely. "I've 110 doubt 1 shall enjoy it." But he tool; up one of Nell's books, and absently looked at her name written in the fly-leaf. " Eleanor Lorton." The first name struck him as stiff and ill-suited to the slim and graceful girl whose face he only dimly remembered; " Nell" was better. CHAPTER IV.

He took up one of the books, and read a page or two; but the simple story could not hold him; and lie dropped the volume, and. leaning his head on his sound arm, stared listlessly at the old-fashioned wallpaper. But lie did not see the pattern ; the panorama of his own life s story was passing before him ; and it was not at all a pleasing panoiama. A life of pleasure, of absolute u«elessness, of unthinking selfishness ; what 11 dreary pilgrimage it seemed to him, as he lay in the little bedroom, with the scent of Nell's flowers floating up to him from the garden beneath, with the sound of the sea, flinging itself against tho cliffs, burring like a giant bumble bee in his ears. If anyone had asked him whether his life had been worth living, he would have answered with a decided negative ; and vet he was young, the gods had been exceeding good to him in many ways, almost every way, and there was 110 great sorrow to cast its shadow over him. " Pity I didn't break my neck," he muttered. ""No one would have cared— it were Luce, and perhaps even she, now—" He, broke off the reverie with a short laugh that was more bitter than a sigh, and turned his face to the wall. Doctor Spence, when lie paid his visit later in the day, found him thus, and eyed him curiously. . ~ _ " '\rm's getting on all nght, Mr. Verron." he said, "but the rest of you isn t improving. I think you'd betel get up tomorrow, and go downstairs. Id keep you here, of course; but lying in bed isn a bracing operation, especially when you think: and you think, don you. "When I can't help it, replied Vernon, rather grimly. "I'm glad you have given me permission to get up; though I daresay I should have got up without it. "I daresay," commented the old doctor, "Always have your own way, as a rule, d °" Alwaysassented the patient, listlessly. ..v' es • it's a bad thing for most men; a very bad tiling for you, I should say. By the way if you should go downstairs, you laugh.' "*«' amuse yourself, and don't ""'flunks" said Mr. Vernon. Then, after a pause, he jjded b 1 .-""m Sr but the fact is-well, I'm afraid, doctor, ]ately . all d this ridi|Li- SwW <«■« * ...a.

"&* W '• ■* with the wisdom of age. ma tters. "I"! r?«A. •■*<«. IM, ISp ii; I'll«!»' m ' O,U(n " soon as possible. " remarked Doctor s ;„y lo %vSa»»«" <° h 1'" "So thev s 3 , nonsense, of this morning—hut hm» s $£{&&&&••'* cob to speak to l ®'„ , jj iv itb a smile "Well, M' ss .' ~e s as they scanned twinkling in his dark tendrils of the beautiful face, ljl . oWi beneath her linn* blown acr.o- r eyes i„mng old,sailor haMiyl.lightly

ing patient. He'll come down to-morrow. Don't let him fag himself; and, see Here, ell, try and amuse him." The grey eyes opened still wider, then grew thoughtful and doubtful, and the doctor laughed. "Rather difficult, eh?" he said, reading her thoughts. " Well, I should say it was somewhat of a large order. But you can pay draughts or cat's-cradle with him, or read, or play the piano. That's the kind of thing he wants. There's something on his mind, and that's worse than having a splint on his arm. believe me, Nell." Nell nodded. "I thought, that is, I fancied he looked as if he were in trouble," she said, musinelv. " Poor man!" b ; Oil, I don't know that he wants your pity," remarked the doctor, drily. "As a rule, when a man's got something on his mind, he has put it there himself." "That does not make it any tho better to have," said Nell, absently. True, Queen Solomon!" he retorted, biinteringly. "There's not much oil your mind, I should imagine?" Nell laughed, and her frank eves laughed too, as she met the quizzical", admiring gaze of the sharp old eyes. ° What should there be, Doctor Spence?" she responded. "What, indeed?" ho said. "May it bo many a day before the black ox treads on your foot, my dear!" With a nod, ho sent the cob on again, and Nell continued her climb.

Something on his mind! She wondered what, it was. Had someone he cared for died.' But if that were so, he would be in mourning. Perhaps he had lost his money, as her father had done? Well, auyway, she was sorry for him. It need scarcely be said that Mrs. Lorton did not permit the interesting stranger to move from bedroom to sitting-room without a fuss.' Ihe most elaborate preparations were made by Molly, under her mistress supervision. Tho sofa was wheeled to the window, a blanket was warmed and placed over the sofa, so that the patient might be enfolded in it; a glass of brandv and water was placed on a small table, in case lie should feel faint, and a couplo of huge walking-sticks were ready for the support of the patient—as if ho had broken ms leg as well as his arm. " Now, remember, please, Eleanor, that there must be no noise; absolute quiet, Doctor S])enco insisted on. He was most emphatic about the 'absolute.' Pull down that blind, Molly; nothing is so trying to an invalid than a glare of sunlight; ' and close the window first. There must be no draught, for a chill in such a case as this might prove fatal. Fatal!" I wonder whether it would be better to light a tire '!" " It is very hot, mamma," ventured Nell, win, had viewed the closing of the window with dismay. "It may seom hot to you, who are in robust, not to say vulgar, health; but to one in Mr. Vernon's condition—" At this moment lie was heard coming down the stairs. He walked firmly, though slowly, and it was evident to Nell that he was trying to look as little like an invalid •■is possible. He had dressed himself with the assistance of Dick, who walked behind with a pillow—which he made as if to throw at Nell, who passed quickly through the hall as they descendedand though he looked pale and wan, Mr. Drake Vernon held himself erect like a soldier, and began to make light of- his accident, and succeeded in concealing any sign of the irritation which he fell when Mrs. Lorton fluttered forward with the two sticks and the blankets.

" Thank you— you very much; but I don't, need them. Put it 011? No; I think I'd better not. I'm quite warm." He looked round the carefully-closed room (Dick's complaining "Phew!" was almost audible behind him). "No; I won't havo any brandy, thanks." "Are you sure, quite sure, you do not feel faint? I know what it is to rise from a sick-bed for the first time, Mr. Vernon ; and I can enter into your feelings perfectly." " Not at all—not at all: I mean that I'm not, at all faint," he said, hastily; "and I'm quite strong, quite." " Let me see you comfortably range," said Mrs. Lorton, who was persuaded that she had hit upon a French word for "arranged." "Then 1 will get you some beeftea. I have made it with my own hands." "It's to be hoped not!" said Dick, devoutly, as she fluttered out. " Molly's beeftea is bad enough ; but mamma's— What shall I do with the pillow?" "Well, von might swallow it, my dear liny." said Mr. Vernon, with a short laugh. "Anything but put it under me. flood heavens ! Anyone would think I was dying of consumption. But it is really very kind." "'All right; I'll take it upstairs again," said Dick, cheerfully. But he met Nell in tho passage. There was the sound of a thud, a clear, low voice expostulating, and a girl's light footstep on the stairs, as Nell, smoothing her hair, carried up the pillow. When she came down Mrs. Lorton met her. " f!et some salt, Eleanor, and take it in to Mr. Vernon. And please say, if he should ask for me, that I'm making him some calfs-foot jelly." Nell look in the salt. Mr. Vernon rose from th» sofa 011 which he had seated himself, and bowed with a half-impatient, halfregretful air. I'm too ashamed for words," ho said. "Why did you trouble? Tho beef-tea is all right." "It's no trouble," said Nell. "Are you comfortable?" " —quite," he replied; but for the life of him he could not help glancing at the window. Nell suppressed a smile. " Isn't it rather hot?" she said. "Now you mention it. I—l think it is, rather," lie assented. " I'll open tho window." "No, no," said Nell. "I'll do it; you'll hurt your arm." She opened tho window. '" If— there was a chair," he said, hesitatingly. "I'm not used to a sofaand— I'm afraid you'll think me very ungrateful! Let me get the chair. Thanks, thanks 1" as she swiftly pulled the sofa out of the way, and put an easy-chair in its place. " You see, it will be a change to sit up," he said, apologetically. Nell nodded. She quite understood his dislike of the part of interesting invalid. "And there's really nothing the matter with me, don't you know," lie said, earnestly ; " nothing but this arm, which doesn't exactly lame me. Won't you sit down?" Nell hesitated a moment, then took a chair at the other side of the window. " You've a splendid view, here," ho remarked, staring steadily out of the window, for lie felt rather than saw that the girl was a little shy—not shy, but, rather, tint she scarcely knew what to say, " Oh, yes," she assented, in a voice in which there was certainly no shyness. "There is a good view from all tho windows; we are so high. Won't you have your beef-tea?" "Certainly. I'd forgotten it. Don't get up. I'll—" But Nell had got up before lie could rise. As she brought the tray to him, he glanced up at her. He had been staring at the bedroom wall-paper for some days, and perhaps the contrast offered by Nell's fresh, young loveliness made it seem all the fiesbei and more striking. There was something in the curve of the lips, in the expression of the grey eyes, a " sweet sadness," as the poet puts it, which impressed him. "It's very good to be down again," lie said. She had not gone back to her chair, but leant in the angle of the bay-window, and loked down at the village below. "I seem to have been in bed for ages." She nodded. "I know. I rememoer feeling like that when I got up after the measles, years ago." "Not many years," he suggested, with a faint smile. "It seems a long time ago to me," said Nell. "I remember that for weeks and months after I got well, I hated the sight and smell of beef-tea and arrowroot. And Doctor Spence—your doctor, you knowgave me a glass of ale one day, and stood over me while I drank it. He can be very to when he likes, not to say obstinate." (To be continued.)