SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15094, 10 September 1912, Page 4

SHORT STORY.

iiUST IN TIME. "Orr, deal', how nice it is to be homo again 1" . ■ Faith Lyndsey tossed her brown straw hat upon a table, and rolling her well-worn kid gloves up into a tiny ball, flung them after

it. • ';,•.. "Mother," she went on, cheerily.. this vacation is just a blessing to met I'm so tired of that dingy old schoolroom, and my almost hopeless task of ' teaching tho young ideas.' etc. There are times when I long to drop everything, and just fly away. ' Oh, had I tho wings of a dove!'" she hummed, while her mother, a, worn, tired-looking woman, with a sweet, gentle face, watched her fondly. I've longed so for the end of the term," Faith continued, ■" and now it is really here I can hardly rcaliso my emancipation. I was so tired of work; and so glad to got back to you, awav from tho dusty city, hero in tho dear old home'" Faith paused for breath. Her mother smiled. ". " Well,' dear," she said quietly, 'go now to your room and dress. Max will be here soon, you know !" v And Faith, blushing prettily, ran oft to her own apartment. When she had closed the door behind her, her smiling face grew grave. Poor old Max!" she said sadly, [ as she leaned her elbow on the window-sill, and rested her chin in one rosy' palm; "how I wish I could help him! He is so truo and good and such a small sum of money would give us everything we desire. Two thousand dollars would 'buy him Dr. Shipton's practice, and then ho would. bo on a fair road to a competency, lit least; and that is the most we dare hope for. But what can I do? I, a poor .school-teacher, toiling from day to day for a bare subsistence, and to help mother the littlo I can. Thank God tho old home is ours; there are only mother and me to worry about, and wo have health, andwell," as a cheery smile stole over. her pretty face, "I don't see but that we have a. great deal to bo thankful for, after all! She sprang to her feet, tho glad smilo still lingering around the dainty mouth; and pulling tho pins from her coil of redbrown hair, let it fall in rebellious ripples all over her shoulders, half covering her petite figure. And as her littlo fingers went busily to work plaiting tho thick, wavy tresses, and making them into the most bewitching braids arid puffs that ever bewildered a man's admiring eyes, her thoughts still flew along. "If only Aunt Patience had .left us her money! She must have been very rich! I was too voting when she died to remember her. She" always intended to make mamma her heir. But the old lady was so eccentric —crazy, I should call it! I should not wonder if sho had buried her money somewhere. For, although a will was found, bequeathing to mamma all her possessions, all the property ever discovered was this littlo liouse and tho grounds around it. But that was a great gift for us, coming as it did just at tho time of dear papa's death, and I too young to be any assistance, and mamma nearly penniless. God has been very good to us." She paused to note tho effect of her coiffure in the small mirror; then, placing a snowy rosebud in one side of the wavy tresses, she unlocked her trunk, and began to turn her dresses over. "I'll wear my black grenadine!" she said at last, decidedly. " Max likes dark colours'." •'■'■•■■ It was easy to see that the young lady was very anxious to please Max Peyton— Dr. Peyton, as lie had a right to bo called. ; now that ho had received his diploma and | was looking about for a practice. But, ah ! tho wearv waiting—for Max was poor, and had little influence. And, there was Dr. Shipton, who was growing too old to work longer at his profession, whose comfortable practice he would dispose of for two thousand dollars—so small a. sum, when the hopes of two young lives are at stake. For Max and Faith had been betrothed for more than a year. Poor, as they both wore, Mrs. Lyndsey'loved them too well to object; though her heart grew heavy as sho thought of their long days of waiting, which stretched before them like an arid desert. And, while I have been telling all Faith's secrets, she has been getting herself up in the pretty grenadine, and at last floated downstairs to meet her lover, with the brightest, face imaginable. Max was a tall, fine-looking < young fellow, with a world of determination in his dark eyes. _ Ho was brave and earnest. To him life was a battle, in which he meant to come off conqueror. And the days flew by on golden wings, bringing nearer the hour when Faith must return to the city and the toil of .the schoolroom. What was her consternation one morning to receive a terse note informingher that tho school board which employed her had determined upon a retrenchment of expenses for tho coming season, and had proceeded to discharge a number of tho teachers, herself among them. Poor Faith ! Though tho confinement of the schoolroom was irksome to her, she. was, nevertheless, dependent upon her situation for a livelihood, and ifc was taking away from her her solo support. _ For a time she was stunned by the intelligence and knew not which way to turn. Then, more trouble came. A small sum which she and' her mother had contrived to save between them was lost by tho failure of tho bank in which it was placed; and it seemed truly " that troubles never como singly," for (and that was the worst of all) Mrs. Lyndsey's health began to suffer, and Faith thought, with a sudden shock of grief and terror, that her mother might bo taken away. nose were dark days to Faith; and had it, not been lor Max—brave, true, patient Max —»ho would, have come near ueap'airmg. it was one evening in early autumn. A bright wood-fire roared and crackled on the broad hearth; for the old house which had belonged to Aunt, i'atienco was built witn great, roomy fireplaces. Mrs. Lyndsey and faith, and Max, who had dropped in for the evening, were gathered around a Jargo table, drawn up before the fireplace, i - .nu strewn with books and work, for Faith's only dependence now was in needlework.

I Times were hard with the young physii cian ; and he had, at last, made up his mind to tear himself from home and all he held dearer, and go out into tho new Western country, and build up a practice. Ho loved Faith too well to willingly subject her to tho hardships and trials ot nis new life. No! He would go forth aloneand work so hard, and strive .so earnestly, that some day he would bo ready for his wife, and Faith, ho knew, would bo true. "But I shall be old and grey by that time 1" smiled Faith, through her tears. " I shall love you just tho same, my darling!" the young man answered; and somehow Faith could not doubt him to save her life! So, sitting there before the bright fire, the three discussed, tho proposed departure; till, at last, Faith dropped her tear-dimmed eyes upon her work, and quiet fell over all. " Mamma," said the young girl suddenly, after a long, fhettghtful silence, " what do you suppose Aunt. Patience did with her money J" Mrs. Lyndsey smiled. " I'm sure 1 have no idea, dear," .«lto answered. " I considered that subject exhausted long ago. It was thought, howover, that, she converted her ready money into jewels. I remember hearing her say that diamonds were the only sate investments which never depreciate, and that stones of value are never drugs in the market." "Imagine Aunt, Patience bedecked with diamonds!" laughed Faith, mischievously. "Max. just, imagine, if you can, the antiquated lady whoso portrait hangs yonder attired in jewels, and a fashionable ball dress!" Faith laughed again, and the others could not resist the contagion. For Faith, with her cheerfulness, bore her crosses with fortitude. " She's only mammy's aunt, you know." interpolated Faith, apologetically. "Did anyone ever .search real, good, oldfashioned search, 1 mean—for Aunt Patience's money?" Her mother smiled sadly.

" Yes, indeed. For years ire could not give up the hope of finding it. Every nook and corner about the old place has 'been carefully examined. No. no, my child. Aunt Patience laid lior money away too safely for any hope of recovery, after all these years. * Don't let such a foolish thought enter your head, my dear; it is but a waste of time 1" Faith reached across the table, and laid one finger on an ancient-looking box. "See, Max." she- cried— here's the old lady's workbox don't believe mamma has ever disturbed its contents. Who knows,"' she cried, with a sudden firo in her brown eyes, " but Aunt Patience may have hidden, her money away in it?" "Vain hope!" said Mrs. Lyndsey;" box has been overhauled and examined over and over again." Faith signed. "Ah, wall!" she said resignedly, "I suppose I must submit to fate's decrees.. But if only we had a little of that- moneythink how much it would accomplish!"

She had taken from the box a ball of wax —such as commonly forms part of the para-

pherhaliai of a workbox, and toyed idly with it as she talked. ' But as sho finished the last sentence her eyes met her lover's gaze, and she blushed rosily at the thought of what her speech implied. . •■'■■*' ' '■ ■?■■ ■'■ .:' ; ■ In confusion sho dropped the ball of wax. It rolled across the rug, at her feet, and right into the blazing wood-fire.

Faith sprang to her feet with a little cry of dismay. "Oh, what a pity!" she cried,. brandishing tho poker" and it's over seventeen years old!" She thrust the implement she held into the flames, and rolled' the melting wax towards the rug. But it was too late to save Tho wax had entirely melted, and lay upon the hearth in a great soft pool and there, before their astonished eves, as though some magician's wand had called it. forth— glowed and sparkled something—shiningscintillating. With a low cry of rapture Mrs. Lyndsey stooped and raised it. "Max— she said brokenly"Aunt Patience's fortune is found at last!" And so it proved. The eccentric old lady had converted all her ready money into one immense diamond. , . How sho had obtained it, no one could conjecture; but she had hidden it away in this odd receptacle; only to bo resurrected after seventeen long years! And Mrs. Lyndsey at law—as well as by tho old lady's will—had no trouble in exchanging the jewel for notes'—a handsome fortune. ' , . Mrs. Lvndsev insisted on purchasing tho practice <>£ I>r." Shipton for her futuro son-in-law— Max accepted the money as a loan. . •' , .' He and Faith were married soon, and with Mrs. Lyndsey went to live in a pretty Gothic cottage just within the city of ltochester. , . . Max is a popular physician now; gossips «say-he-i3 getting rich fast; and the hearts of" the happy trio are ever grateful for tho unhoped-for discovery of the fortune which came just in time. .