SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13691, 6 March 1908, Page 3

SHORT STORY.

GOING TO THE MOUNTAIN. EtTHEKLV sat on the bank of the silvery river that threaded its way through his estate. It was a very warm afternoon; too warm, he decided, to do anything but lie flat on his back and gaze up at the cloud-fleeced sky.. When his eyes finally strayed earthward again they took in the brick wall as high as . a fortress at his left. On the other side of this wall were the grounds of Misa Letty Burton's house.

"It's a. shame," he mused, "that she should let her anger descend even, unto the third generation, just because her mother and my grandfather quarrelled over that hackneyed subject, a boundary line. It is no reason for her treating me like a common enemy."

The state of affairs existing between the two families had hitherto only amused Rex Hetherly, and the reason for his present state of aggrievement was due to the ftct that one of Miss Burton's nieces was visiting her.

Every summer she was visited by ono of her nieces, who were nice-appearinjf, proper girls; but this" one was of a different type. On two occasions . she had passed the house when he was near the walk. Miss Letty, of course, was on the inside of tho walk, but the niece had fallen back a step or two and had bestowed 'on Hctherly a mischievous, comprehending glance from a pair of dancing bluo eyes. He was interrupted in his reflections upon Miss Burton's unreasonable conduct by a musical voice calling: First aid to the injured • He sprang to his feet. . There on a dilapidated old raft was the' niece trying to polo to shore.

" Reach me the pole," he said. "No; I am making it," was the reply. "I am Christopher Columbus on a voyage of discovery," she. said merrily. "And you find the natives at home," he replied. , ... .. , " I*' will tell "you' truly who I am," sho replied ■ more seriously. "I am June Wilbur, the niece of your next-door neighbour, and I think it too ridiculous for anything that all communications should be cut off. 'As the mountain could not come to Mahomet,' you know." ' I ' "I am very glad that you have opened communication,' ho replied. "Of course, you know I arn Rex Hetherly. Let's sit down here under this tree and talk over the family troubles." "I really felt as >if I knew you," she said, as she seated herself beside him. , ; The girls, my cousins, have told me of seeing you afar, and I made up my mind : that when I came I would 'cross the line.' I expected to have to scale the wall, but when I came down to our landing I spied this piece of a raft, and -1 thought I'd come by sea." : 1 _ "Where is your grenadier aunt!" ho asked.

" She has gone to pay a visit. I pleaded fatigue." • After some little conversation, ho asked her to let him show her over the grounds and come up to the house. "Not this time," sho laughed. I must go back to tho house. But. look at this beautiful cat coming through the grass." . Having made friends with the big tiger cat, she took her departure by raft. Tiptop sprang up a tree at the end of the wall and came down on the Burton side.

"That's where Tiptop has the advantage over us," she laughed, as she landed. " Not at all," he protested, scrambling up the tree and coining down. "You must go back," she commanded. "Aunt may come." "I will, if you will, promise to como again soon." "To-morrow, at about one-thirty. Some old ladies' club meets at Aunt Letty's, and no outsiders are admitted, so I have an afternoon off."- *

When Miss Burton returned her niece was languidly reclining in the hammock. " What will you do this afternoon, June?" she asked the next day. " Oh, it's so warm I don't care to go anywhere. I'll take a book and go on tho river-bank," she replied carelessly. This quite met Miss Burton's ideas of ladylike deportment, so at one-thirty June started rivcrward. It was nearly two, however, before she joined tho impatient Rex.

"What made you so late?" he demanded.

"Your cat. When we were assembled in the library, and I was thinking of making my escape, in darted Tiptop, racing about with something fluffy in his mouth. I declared it to be the rat, and the old ladies screamed and jumped up on the chairs, while I caught Tiptop. " That rat was a bird from an old lady's bonnet. I hardly dared to go up to Aunt Letty's room, but I did, and found your game cat had ripped all the bonnets to tatters. I sewed and pinned and adjusted things, and I told them only one bonnet had been demolished." They had reached tho vicinity of the two houses when from the other side of tho wall issued shrieks of terror. "Go in the summer-house, and wait until I find out what's tho matter," commanded Rex*, as ho fetched a ladder and scaled the wall. Presently he returned, flushed, laughing, and triumphant.

•' 1 have been commissioned," ho said, " to go down on the river bank, find you, and introduce myself and bring you home. So we'll have to go back down to the river and come up through your grounds."

"How did it happen, and what was tho matter?" she asked, amazed. .

" The shrieks increased, and I bolted right in through the window that led on to the porch. On chairs and tables stood dancing, screaming little ladies, while a rat madly raced about seeking escape. I found a poker by the fireplace, and disposed of Mr. Rat. " When I had borne away the remains, and the ladies had partially calmed, 1 apologised to your aunt-for my intrusion, and told her that, when I heard the cries 1 felt that 1 must come to the . rescue at, the risk of her displeasure. She was v<?ry affable, and said the quarrel had years ago simmered down- to the. point of who should bo tho first to cross the line, and as I have done so, and been so brave ii the rescue, she would declare the feud closed, and that I might go arid make your acquaintance. 1 didn't tell her, of course, that it was a Burton who crossed the line first." When they reached the house, all the little old ladies had departed, and Aunt Letty was fondling Tiptop. "I hope this is a stray cat. 1 must have him!" she • exclaimed.

"Ho was our cat, but is now yours, if you will accept him, Miss Burton." Miss Burton did. She also, some weeks later, accepted Rex as her nephew.