THE ENCUMBRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12000, 24 June 1902, Page 3

THE ENCUMBRANCE.

I "Ah, Lionel "V^Z M £ e &**s*& the I y°ung man's h&hJCY' y< L are just I "» time to hear rs* ] * was about to tell 1 I Christine." /- , ' £« mouth t/ n v tVOU i y - u. , • I ' You see 1/ ' ' j v ? been thinking lately that it good for a young girl nke you to haf» 7 ,. mj l society, so—" He Paused.: " ffi™ , night, I asked Mrs Benisher to /1" 36 and sne consented!" lie finished f„' ■ The two/ Kazin £ at h »m in amazement. / . . " Fathe/ exclaimed Christine, ' bewildered./ Ho Pa/ 101 * arm affe ctionately. "Yon/" dear ' anything might happen to/.. yol aw s , from me, and you would /„ ke to th ink I was left alone Some/ you m *? oven be married," he said. F% bravely at the pair. Th A gave a start, and a swift wave ol J.W over her cheek. She caught fcjfface. sleeve and looked searchingly int/ lac e- b J jP-use I understood, dear!" he said a, fe T"i a Slight tromb,e in his voice! "/fee"- know you wouldn't have gone

THE fine autumn afternoon was drawing to* » close, and the first gray shades of the an proaehing evening had settled on the Tittl seaside town of Keddlesea. V ' °X Along tho lonely front, walking with slight limp, yet holding himself pe\f eo fiJ erect, paced the Major. He was a man We » advanced in years, with a thin refincd-Ll ing faoa, his hair white and close „', His clothes were old-fashioned in%t,fi" P1 * dbad evidently been kept with «Sr!»lS care;.the tight-buttoned frock co at « ?'! h.s trim SParSe fig " r0 • p or fctlv -d fi S gpotle.-*. - ' """ wa s A ooastgiiardsman, passing, touched i- . cap respectfully. Everyone in S hls knew the Major and.hi? history ft 12«"?S years ago when Godfrey Everard 7 as . 5 been invalided cut of the service on ,* v,n ff of a leg wound, received hillfe in? m India, nan come amongst them kJ [gwUh him ha little

A major's retrod pa.v is not In. with 110 private money to holn r C ' an( . existence in a snail out-of-the-way fc V Keckllesea was tie only thine- i w had rented Lynlole Cottar a preUv'liJt plaeo on the citskirts of'the S there, with. jjer father as her ' Bn ° pan ion, Christin- Everard pa«ed 11 C ° m " •that had brought her to womanhood" 3 f At the end 0 the front the Major hV .paused, and was gazing seawards' Th> was a certain lok of despondency on 1 ■ •• <lr. . 1... , -4 ?

' la G Wa 'i a . so ' ,r, of quick footsteps, and , /ha rushed out of the house She was ! n,L M ? l and carried in her hand a finfieent bouquet of roses. Mrs. Benisher's servant has just brought /se 'or you, sir!" she gasned. "And She f me something; oh, you don't mean to [y, "V 10 has got you at last!" lhe Major smiled. I iid Y iren^fy. tha ' 1 haV ® surrender «l," he Christine was watching him with the tears istening in her eyes. He drew l. P r

'V i V boy J back again-arrived J denly from Load*. I wonder what he? | come for .< ho nurmureel, reflectively / ; -stood for some noments thinking an'/ era ■ troubled expfaion in his eyes Isent y he roused iimself with an effort/ M Oh Im a jeanus old fool to Se growled. Jf j g Then, Rlanriiißit his watch, he tur.Jid ;5 struck out bnsklj in a homeward diro.n i It was five o'cloc when he reached tint- i tage. and. as he opened the door, hild .servant came outinto the hall and metm ©She Rave a mystdous jerk of her finsr o- ' .■■■;, wards the parloiu ] Hp She's here, si," she whispered. " IV - i ins tea with Mis Christine—a book lid heaps of flowers this time!" she addJ a grin spreading ov-r her homely feature The Major's nouth twitched slicy. * Martha was privileged. I T • "Very kind—ve:y kind indeed of her he Said solemnly. -|- I j I He opened the door of the pajour bay, «ml entered the room. A midde-agcdfdy /with a good-tempered, smiling ace d a wonderful bonnet, rose and teetedliin effusively. | 1 r "My dear Major." she cried, jkspjnjhiin .by the hand. "I just, droppeliii rr a minute to ask if you and Chrifcne buhl -come .up to lunch to-morrow. } c iusted that I should stop to lea and wajfor su." Mrs. Renisker was a widow.] SB had been left with a cheerful house id /comI fortable income, and for the la 10 years she had known the Major and Cfitiic", and been unremitting in her attenhs to the lonely pair. That she frankly hired the Major was no secret, but he, withe recollections of the quiet, delicate man who had been his wife, shrank from (advances of this thoroughly well-ineaninaut somewhat boisterous lady. 1 _ She chatted incessantly, whilghe Major listened with a charming air of fashioned .courtesy. At length, when the smilingkrtha had removed the tea things,, Mrs. Bther stood up and announced her intentijof going. The Major saw her to the doornd returning to the room, sank down his chair, with a sigh of relief. "If only she would not talkjmuch and give me _ things!" he said pathgally. ■• Christine came over to him d dropped on one knee beside him. J !- " The fact is, father, deai| she said, , naively. " We're too fond ofiir own society !" ,/ • | He looked down on the fayoung face for a moment, then bent forwajand kissed her lightly on the forehead. j "Yes, I want nobody but yc my dear," hj said, softly. j "You shall always have m' she said, with a smile, then rising she f her work, and seated herself at the tablnear him. , His gaze for a moment wanded round the neat little room with its hundd evidences of a gentle well-ordered life. He glanced at the delicate outline of thjfirl's sweet face, bent under the lamplight. .'* "We've got ou splendid! together, haven't we, Chris?" he said, sudaly. "We' couldn't do without one anotherow?" There was a pause before b» girl answered. Her head bent a Hie nearer to her work. / " No, dear, of course not,"he answered ia rather a low voice. Then ie raised her head and smiled brightly atim. "You are all I have, and you have dy me!" she added, with the slightest tmble in her voice. ,:*£-," Yes—only you!" he repead with a soft sigh. He picked up his newaper and began to read it. Now and gain his eye would drift over the edge to te quiet figure working so industriously. J a-quarter to seven he rose. On two everigs a week he spent ah hour at the vicaragfln connection with some church accounts, fhristine went with him do the hall and helol him on with his coat. * "| » "I shall be back by eight-we must have our game then," he said agio kissed her. Every evening the two plaid a game of chess. '. I .He limped away on his ourney to the vicarage. The work there was soon got through, and an hour later I was again entering the garden of his cottfe. The night air had struck him as somfrhat cold, and 'seeing the window of the fcrlour open he • crossed the lawn with the iiention of shutting it from the outside. As he put his hand on the framework the iund of a man's voice inside the room caugh his ears. He recognised it at once as thai of Lionel Carruthers, the son of an old frind in the town and as fine a young fellow a could be met. A nameless dread seemed ft clutch at his I heart, and almost unconscpusly his ears i strained for -the words. \ "It's a wonderful chance for me, Christine," he was saying eagerly. "They have i appointed me manager of all heir Canadian • business, with a house in Montreal. I came down at once to tell father, thin to ask you, • dear" \ , The Major put out a hand to steady himself. The thing which he hal dreaded for : years had come at last. I "I know it is asking a lot rf you to leave everything and come with me" went on the voice. "But I know you love me—you have told me to yourself 7 ' There was a pause, then th» old man heard her voice—it was low and troubling. " Yes, I love you, Liorelbut I cant come." I The Major drew in a deep breath. "Oh. don't ask me any more!" continued the girl—there were tears it her voice-now, and the Major felt his eyes smart. "It is breaking my heart to say 10,' but I cannot go! Remember lam all ,hat father has— think how good he has beer, to me, how we nave soent every, minute togetherl can t leave him here alonego abroad, desert him altogether,'' she said with a sob. ihe Major leant against the* window sill: 'the next words passed . him in a confused murmur. When he roused himself he heard i young Lionel's voice again-. • "You are right, dearest," he was saying, hcarsely. "Still, it is very hard! lam goino- now. To-morrow I shall come and say /good-bye,' to your father and yourself. Slowly, with a dazed expression, the Major : turned and limped across the grass, through thy gate and out on to the, road again. He made his way round to the tiny front and "paced its length, his head in a whirl. "At last, it has come—l am the encumbrance," he said, with a groan. ' .For almost an hour he strode up and down, wrestling with the thoughts in his brain. Suddenly he stopped and jerked his shoulders back. „ . " She shan't do it—hang mc if she shall! he exclaimed, fiercely. With an air of resolution he turned, and, crossing the front, walked along the main street. Filially he paused before the door * of a comfortable-looking house at the further ' end of the town. For a moment he stood hesitating, with his hand on the brightlypolished bell-handle. Then, prossing bis lips firmly together, he pulled it. "Is Mrs. Benisher in?" ho inquired ot I the servant who opened the door. jt "Yes, sir; will you come in, please? For ? second the Major paused, then, as I if nerving himself with an effort, he stepped briskly over the threshold, and the door ■closed upon him. j - The next morning he was down a little i. later than usual. Christine met him with a smile. He noticed she was somewhat pale. '/'"Late nights at the vicarage don't agree with you," she said, as she kissed him. <~ They were both rather silent during break--1 fas*. ' Afterwards Christine busied herself *.- with house duties for some time, whilst the Major strolled in the garden in front of the house. Presently she came out to, him. j f •,f - ! "Isn't it a lovely morning, father, dear? | she cried. • ;' Christine, dear," he began, with an atH tempt to impart some gaiety into his tone. ; "I have great news for you. Listen There was a sound of the garden gate t- opening. .Christine pressed his arm warnjngly. He turned and saw young Lionel v Carrutaerc entering the garden. : ■'—' .*■ ■ ; ,

'by it am. kiSSed her ' th6n gras P ed 53 "_Be good to her," he said, softly We caught up the roses, and with • a bright 2£ ? *•» tnrned and lim P*d SB acioss to the house.