SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14806, 9 October 1911, Page 4

SHORT STORY.

BY EVELYN EVERETT-GREEN,

INTIMATE ENEMIES. ■ ■ I • .V- '>■ .. _

* (Copyright.) Bessie tan lived on one ' side of the stream, Leonard . Hastings upon the other. For a great many years they saw one another almost, every day, and often held conversation together. They ought, to have been intimate friends; but circumstances had made of them intimate enemies instead. Captain Ryan, who was a retired sea captain, a widower, with only this one daughter, was a man of violent prejudices and a very hot temper. Ho had been mightily feared by his officers at sea, and when ho had early retired owing to the death of his wife, and an accident to his foot, which criimled him for active service, ho set about ruling his small property 011 the banks of the Lyfwyn much as ho had ruled his ship ■when ho commanded there. Mr. Hastings hail been one of the small landowners of the district. Ho died five years after the arrival of the Ryaiv>three years from the date of the events chronicled by this tale. He had been ready to hold out the hand of friendship to Captain Ryan; but almost immediately friction arose with regard to fishing rights; and once the gage of battle had been thrown down, the choleric Irishman found cause of offence in everything his neighbour did or left undone, so there were unpleasant and unwelcome scenes when the two met in public; there were petty and irritating actions at law, in which the aggressor seldom gained his case, but which involved his neighbour in that vexatious litigation which his soul abhorred.

Almost all the neighbours sided with Mr. Hastings. The Ryans made lew friends. This, of oourse, was -put down to the malicious tongues of inhospitable neighbours, and so the feud grow and prospered. Bessie adored her father, and was the only person not afraid of him. Whatever ho said was gospel truth to her; and she regarded the Hastings—father and sonas the very dregs and off-scourings of the earth I She had been 12 when they came to live in the little stono houso by the stream — wild little puss, with tawny curls, big grey Irish eyes that could flash with anger, light, and mirth, or grow soft and . tender at "sight of suffering in the dumb creation. She was also possessed of a tongue that could never long be still. And so it came about that when she saw tho big boy on the other side of the stream, fishing it may bo, or disporting himself with his pony or his dogs, she must needs enter into conversation with him, if it were only to abuse and vilify him. For in this way she could kill two birds with one stoneenliven her own solitude and get in as many home truths launched at tho enemy, as her brilliant imagination could compass at that moment.

As for Leonard, he took her assaults with great equanimity. He liked the sight of the little maid flying along her side of the brook, tossing curls, flashing eyes, and a musical Voice that rippled into laughter often in the. midst of her fiercest tirades. Sometimes he leaped or waded the stream and joined battle with her. Sometimes he coaxed her across the stepping-stones or rustic bridge, and a truce was called whilst she came to view a new batch of puppies, or a pair of twin lambs, or more occasionally a new horse added to the limited supply which Mr. Hnstiugs kept for farm or pleaeuro purposes. A rough pony lived at the stone house, and Bessio would ride and drive it at her own sweet will. Leonard sometimes joined her on his bettor-groomed mount. Sometimes • saddles would bo changed, and the girl would delight herself upon the" taller horse her enemy bestrode. So that intimacy flourished betwixt the young things, albeit the fathers were' always more or less at open warfare; and though Bessie would never for a moment admit that Leonard was her friend, he certainly would claim the distinction of that rather unique relationship— intimate enemy.

But death had suddenly claimed Mr. llastinsrs. - Leonard,_ just come of age, went abroad with his invalid mother, whom Bessie had never seen, because she never kit the house. .-.Two years later , the news of her death reached the dwellers in the little stone house. Bessie wondered whether Leonard would come back. Her father had taken advantage of the absence of . the enemy to make many encroachments upon the "fishing. He had established hatcheries, and was making them pay. He had deepened the water along his own bank, to the detriment of that on the other. Be had done all he could think of to strengthen and improve his own position. But to Bessie the zest of it all was spoilt because there was no enemy opposite to dispute with, and to fight over debatable ground. A glorious May morning arrived in due course; and the girl ran bare-headed out ot the house, filled to the brim with the glory and gladness which -comes to all young things with the advent of each blithe and sunny spring. f . "Hullo, Betty t That you?" Only one person!" in the world culled her Betty, and tnat was Leonard. She gave a big jump, and her laughing eyes lighted. There he was, by the gnarleu old willow on the opposite bank—the same Leonard—only with a difference, for he had gone away a stripling—he had come back a bronzed, handsome man. To be sure he was barely four and twenty, but thai was a manly age in Bessie's eyes, who had only' just passed .her twentieth birthday. His . air impressed her; but she was not going to let him see that on any account. What lino was ho going to take up, she wondered? And what, line was her father going to adopt towards the son of his old-time enemy? That was the crucial point, for Bessie was nothing if not loyal, and whatever her father did she invariably declared to be right in her eyes—whatever her private opinion might be! ' "Oh, so you've come back have you— absentee landlord 1" There was a fine note of scorn in the last words, and Leonard laughed. 1 "Guess Captain Ryan has enjoyed the absentee business ! Ho seems to have been pretty busy in my stream "Yours, indeed! I like that!" "I know you like it, Betty; so docs the captain— too well. lie seems to liavo forgotten the ruling of the court when the title deeds were examined and tho case settled."

Bessie's loss of the head was a triumph of insolence. " And do you think that we •would be caring for what your blackguardly English lawyers will say?" " I think you will have to submit to their rulings, Betty, if I take it into my head to require the removal of those hatcheries She flushed hotly; fire leaped from her eyes. She looked a very splendid littilo Amazon there opposite him with the tumbling water between. "Sure hut you wouldn't be doing that, Leonard Hastings. Isn't the water as much ours as yours? Would you he daring to meddle with our hatcheries? You'd better not! I'll not bo saying what it is my father would do; but 'tis something as vou'll not be liking, once you stir up the hot blood in 'im!" Leonard's laugh rang out; at that. "Betty, Betty, is that hot blood of his ever at anything but boiling-point?" " Sure and it is when he's let alone in peace. 'It's the fault of those as will be for ever interfering and making trouble for him ! Hark, he's calling' me now. He'll have been seeing us talking down hero! It's mcsclf as will catch it now, Leonard. For he's always for saying that he'll have nought to do with the son of his enemy, nor let me have aught to do with him neither."

Bessie fled away, leaving . Leonard looking after her with a laughing light in his eyes. . "I'll win Iter yet, the.little spitfire!" lie said, and, turning 011 his heel, walked towards his house. But that was easier said than done. Captain Ryan was in a highlysuspicious condition of mind, as most men are who know that their own conduct has been doubtful, and open to criticism and opposition. Some might have eagerly sought to propitiate the injured party, and wave the flag of truce. But not so the choleric old sea captain. ' He openly flouted Leonard, as he had flouted his father before him. He ordered Bessie to hold 110 communication with the enemy; but Bessie was not one to bo entirely coerced. It was amusing to hold mimic battles with Leonard across the stream, where they both loved to wander on summer evenings or in the golden hours ' which • followed upon the dawn. She liked to tell him her frank opinion of some of his actions. It was fun to toss the word of contention back and forth. His thrust and parry were keen and quick; but she generally carried off the honours of the day—in her own estimation at least. Intimate enemies they had been in the past; the words best described their present relations. Would anything ever come to change this enmity to something else? Whatever Leonard attempted seemed onlv to end in disaster.

So the summer waned, and autumn came stealing upon the land, with its soft, dark .nLizlits and .glowing red ami-waLdoi days. ;

But, surely liorc was a night of rod and gold i . Leonard started up wide awake in bed. He slept with raised blind that ho might watch the moonlight or the dawn shimmering in tho, branches of the larch trees outside. But this was no light either of sun or of moon. It was a great palpitating ruddy glare; and in three minutes tho young man was up and dressed, tearing down to the swollen brook, which he cleared at a mighty bound. ' 1 For it was the stone house which was in flamesred masses of fire and volumes of blinding smoke poured out of the upper windows; whilst above the roar and crackle of tho cruel flames, ho heard a wild voico calling: Leonard Leonard! Leonard!" "I'm here, Betty, I'm here! Where are you? What can I do? Where are you? Call again !" " Here, Leonard, hereround at the back! I have dragged father out. of his room, where tho tire began. But I can't lift him to the window, and the stairs aro all on fire. Tho oil ran down, and has set them in a blaze!" "I'm coming, Betty, I'm coming!" Others were coming, too. Hasty steps came running Tip from different points. But. Leonard was the first, and he had seized a ladder leaning against an outbuilding, and was swarming up to tho window where Betty stood. . The firo had not penetrated yet to tho back, but the whole house seemed like a cauldron, and there was a lurid glow behind her.

Leonard came swarming up, and there lay the prostrate form of Captain Ryan, where Betty had dragged him out of flame and reek, but was unable to do more—and how fast the-firo was spreading! Leonard's strong arms wore round tho prostrate body. Already a sort of faint spluttering as of indignation or remonstrance was feebly breaking from his lips. Dear father, let. Leonard help you. There is no time to lose. You upset the great tin of paraffin in your room, and the lamp was knocked over, and in a minute tho house was all in a blaze. The wainscotting is very ole, and dry. I dragged you out of your room; and now Leonard is hero to help. Oh, bo quick, bo quick! Look how the rafters have caught!" " Get down the ladder, Betty, as quick as you can. Send ono of tho men up to help me." She obeyed, and the farm hands camo swarming up, just in time to receive the helpless form from Leonard's strong grip, and get him down into safety. Leonard followed, a singed and scorched figure, but Bottv saw ' nothing but her father's deliverer, and flinging her arms about- his neck she kissed him passionately in her gratitude before her father's blinking ■ ana astonished eyes. Well, they had to let Leonard take them home, for the stono house was gutted, and onlv the stono and slate shell remained.

"Why trouble to build it up?" asked Leonard three days later, sitting by tho captain's side, and hearing his long-winded explanation as to how tho firo had occurred— blame being attachable _to himself ; "Betty is coining hero to live with me, and we'd like you to make a homo with us. if you will. You'd be lost without Betty, and I'm not a dog in the manger. I can't spare her. of course, to go away from here; but if you'll stay hero with —" It was useless to splutter or anathematise. The old man knew when he was beaten. Ho simply stared first at the speaker, then at his daughter, and Bossie, with a saucy toss of her head, took up the word: " Sure, father, dear, and I had to be giving him what he was asking, when he'd saved the life of us both, I'd never have loft you lying there to frizzle in the fire. But you'll see how haunv it will be making all of us soon. Leonard and I will bo husband and wife, and Leonard'and you can go on playing intimate enemies to the end of the chapter!"