SHORT STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14075, 1 June 1909, Page 3

SHORT STORY

v I 6i J f j ' « " EVER LEIGH'S PROMISE.

-The sotting sun shone redly in at tho windows of the low 1 brown farmhouse standing just a little back from the public road, and .filled the large, white-floored kitchen with a sort of lingering summer glory. A girl of 12 was seated at. one of the kitchen , windows, paring apples for supper, and singing softly ,to herself some cheerful roundelay. ( It was easy to see that life went merrily with, her, for the pretty face was bright' as sunshine, and an air of joyousness pervaded everything she did. Suddenly a shadow fell across the bar of sunlight on the floor. • Tho girl ceased her singing, and* looked up from her. work, to see a- dark-faced,; handsomo ' youth, somo tlrreo or four years her senior, standing in the open doorway.

He had stopped to ask shelter, for the night, and Ethel Marston, setting her pan of apples upon the kitchen table, hastened away to call her mother. :

Mrs. Mansion -was a kind, motherly woman, and she mado tho boy welcome iu a way that brought tears of gratitude to his. dark eyes.. - * ' - - <•_- Ethel mado friends with him at once, in her bright, cheerful fashion, so it was 110 wonder the poor lad almost fancied lie had strayed into heaven. . 1 -; . :, . At least ho was sure he had encountered two of its angels, and then the house itself looked so cosy and- homelike- all'through, and even the large, grassy frontyard, and tho deep, shady one back of tho house, where a - good-natured-looking cow stood waiting to lie milked, and the orchard beyond, -with its burden of ripe autumn fruit, fill seemed •to tho tired, homeless boy to bid himwolcomo. •

In the morning Farmer Marston found something for him to do, so it came to pass that Barton Everleigh remained at the hospitable farmhouse . and /.found the happiest homo there that he had ever known.

The long winter evenings came on apace, and then it was that Barton or Bartie, as his new friends affectionately named him, proved a source of delight to the household.

/ Ho possessed a tenor voice of wonderful sweetness, which rendered with fine effect many old-fashiond ballads, as well as some of the popular songs of the day, which better pleased the taste of happy, laugliAer-loving Ethel. '

Evening after evening be trilled his melodious songs, accompanying himself will natural skill 011 the : old organ, which li d stood usee) in the parlour almost sin i Mrs. Marston's wedding-day.,

Ethel was his most appreciative listener. With, her small hands clasped, and her grey eyes shining with delight, she would lean eagerly forward to catch the mellow. notes, watching tho dark, eloquent eyes and the almost gipsyish face of the boy singer light up with tho inward fires of his own genius.

Ono night the little .family concert was broken in upon by a gentleman of wealth and culture from the city, who had sonvo business to talk about with Mr. Marston. Bartie happened to bo singing when; ho, approached the house, and the wonderful quality of bis voice made a strong impression upon his new listener.

" Who is ho?" inquired the visitor, with deep interest, after, Bartio bad modestly given 0110 or two songs at his urgent request. > '' .

Tho farmer gave the youth's name and the manner of his coming to them, adding very kindly : , ;

"I am afraid the poor boy had a rough time of it'before lie settled down with us. It seems that his parents died while he was a baby, and he was brought up by an uncle, who treated him so badly that Bartic ; finally ran away from him, and I can't say that 1 blamo .him ono bit for doing it. He's a good lad. and a fine singer, and we love him as though he were our own." ;

"Yes, yes." assented Mr. Wilson heartily. " A fine voice indeed, for one so young. Tho boy has genius, and it is a pity to waste it in obscurity." * 4>

The upshot of it was that Mr. Wilson took Bartie away with him, to place him under the instruction of the best masters the city could afford.

Bartie was both glad and sorry. He loved his new friends, and when tho parting came the affection between himself and ,Ethel proved much stronger than either of the children> had realised. /4. - > ■ r .«?•

"Oil, Bartie!" sobbed Ethel, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing his dark,' glowing face , with; childish abandon, " what, shall wo do without, you? Oh, how lonesome /will;be never to hear you sing any more! ■ ■: •" ,

" Never mind, Ethel dear," said Bartie, bravely winking back, the tears, " when I do come homo I'll sing better than ever, you know. And then you'll be a grown-up girl, and I'll marry you. Won't that be nice?"'' . r

So, with mnrfy consoling promises, Bartio went away to his new life, while Ethel Bottled down in the brown farmhouse, which, for tho first time, seemed lonely to her, to wait for his letters. Bartie's going was the first shadow that had ever fallen upon her bright young life. \

"Within a richly-furnished room of a New York; hotel sits a young man of such distinguished appearance that few could pass him by without a; second glance.' Tall and finely formed, with a dark face full 'of strong manly beauty, ho was one to be admired and loved. Humming in a low voice full of rich melody some operatic air, r ho is bending scrutinisingly over a picture which ; ho holds so that the light, may strike it strongly. ; Who is he? Not much like the slender, dark-faced youth . 'who'; eight years ago, asked shelter at the Marston farmhouse, and yet the same. . He has spent the greater part of those eight years in Italy, and now ho has returned, a famous tenor, and .0night is to witness the opening triumph in his native land. " , ' • The picture which he examines so earnestly is that of a young girl with a bright, fair face, laughing grey eyes, and rippling light brown hair. . \ " Dear little Ethel," he murmurs, touching his lips softly to the pictured face. " I j think you liavo been the good angel of my life." But at this instant'the door ' swings open, and a lady and gentleman enter, 'who greet the handsome tenor with warmest, effusion. They are Mr. Wilson, hi? generous patron, and Mr. Wilson's daughter. • i. Tho latter is a dark, imperious beauty, at sight. of whom Bartie puts aside Ethel's picture with a little sigh. This proud, beautiful, girl loves him, and ho knows it. They have met-in Italy, and her admiration for - her father's -handsome protege has been" undisguised. V Bartio has been able to repay Mr. Wilson for the money spent upon him,.but, his debt of gratitude is still such that, were it not for Etliei, he might not. find it hard to respond to .Miss Wilson's feelings toward himself. -. " > - She is 'so glad to see him that, ho cannot, help being flattered, and When the interview ends ho has promised to escort her to the opera to-night. Ah, little Ethel! As you sit, unseen, in a corner of your hex, watching with shining eyes the splendid triumph of your boy lover, you have a far more dangerous rival than you know.: Other beautiful eyes are watching him with smiling adoration, and he knows it. . /It is a dangerous hour, for Bartio Everleigh, for tho clamour of one woman's beauty and fascinations was weaving itself about him. while his real love belonged to another. But lio felt himself fast yielding to 1 lie first. - ' ;■ It is only when the last notes of his final number are dying away amid rapturous applause that the lionised.young tenor catches Iho eager glances of thoso radiant grey eyes so well remembered all these years. , A rush of boyish memories thrills his heart, and :; five minutes- later ho is beside her in ■ tho box. . " Ethel, I am so glad. T did not. dream that" you would bo hero to-night. But how you have changed!. Were it not. that I:have .studied your portrait so attentively I would never;have, known- you.".. ' . And there is 11 look of something more than admiration in his eyes, which has; never shone there for any other. A few days later, standing in the sunny ; kitchen of the old brown farmhouse, Bartio Everleigh looks around him at tho old familiar scenes, and says: " Ah, this is home ! Do you remember the promise I made you, Ethel, as I left it*" Ethel's blushes show that she does, - and " she does not say no when Bartie ftells her that his happiness depends upon her wil- 1 lingness to let him keep it.