SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15662, 16 July 1914, Page 4

SHORT STORY.

A LITTLE HERO-WORSHIP.

"Blessed are the weak," Miss Baird quoted with a mocking laugh. "Do you always turn the unsmitten cheek for a second slap, Mr. Trevor?" Mr. Trevor looked at her inquiringly.

"I happened to bo on the pier when you encountered that mendicant person," she explained. "You aren't very charitable, Mr. Trevor."

"Oh!" said he, understanding now what she meant.

A little while before, as he approached the pier, he was accosted by a vagrant who had managed somehow to elude the vigilance of the officers appointed to keep that sort of person out of the place.

The man was dirty and ragged, repulsive, disreputable, and dangerous. But he was old and feeble, and he had been deprived of ono arm.

He stretched out one grimy, .shaking hand and begged servilely for a nickel.

" I will take you to the coffee-stand over yonder and pay for all you can cat," said Trevor.

The beggar did not want food; ho could always get plenty of that. But he was desperately athirst—and ho did not want coffee, eithor.

He did not get the nickel, and i:i his vicious wrath he struck Trevor a stinging blow on ono cheek.

The younger man merely looked at him. But it was a look before which he quailed, and ' with an humble apology he slunk away as fast as his strengthless old legs could carry him.

It was impossible for Trevor to retaliate with a blow for a blow when bin assailant was old and feeble and '■• cripple. And he had acted conscientiously in denying money to tho vagrant, who had evidently spent too many nickels already that morning.

But Paget Trevor dTd not choose to ex plain his actions and motives.

"Jf ycu had been nearer," he replied to Miss Baird's harsh query, "you might not accuse me of lacking charity and courage.'

"Oh, well," eho said, with a flippant little laugh, "girls have a weakness for heroes, don't you know. And I suppose we get a little critical and unjust to others when wo recall the- grand daring of such men as—as Algernon Fitzroy." "What has Fitzroy ever done to distinguish himself specially?" Trevor asked with an amazed look.

"Why, when ho was in the. Philippines ho walked up to the very muzzles of the Tagalog guns," she answered, "and carried a comrade bodily back to safety. He was with a scouting party which marched straight into a dreadful ambush, and the other man got separated from them, don't you know! And you needn't look so sarcastic, either.'

•' Did Fitzroy tell you the story?" he inquired. " No, indeed," alio replied, indignantly; "ho glorifies his valour by his modesty. Ho doesn't like us to mention it in his presence, even." "I wonder he doesn't deny it altogether," Mr. Trevor rejoined, quietly. "Ah, now you are sarcastic again. If you had ever done such a brave, splendid deed, Mr. Trevor, wouldn't you get a bit wrathy • if some envious person should be sarcastic about it?" she said in her sweetest, politest, and most malicious voice.

The girl's pet pastime, seemingly, was. to torment Mr. Trevor. She sneered at him, mocked him, belittled him. But if he ever felt hurt or offended, he never betrayed any sign of it. He ignored all her little thrusts and stings. ' I wonder if ho has any feelings," she stormed mentally. "I can't irritate him ncr even ruffle him, no matter what I do. It's too perplexing. He's like an image of wood." • •

He was a serious, dignified man, with a tall, lean frame- and a strong, homely face, In Alicia Baud's opinion, ho was not in the least like a hero—especially when compared with 'Algernon Fitzroy. Naturally she- felt honoured when Mr. Fitzroy began to manifest a decided preference for her fair self. And yet his devotion did not content her.

Sho was unsatisfied aria miserable because she lacked the power to tease and distract Paget Trevor. One morning she was walking along the beach, which was almost deserted. A few people were strolling here and there on the sand, and a .few others were in the water; but it was too early for the usual throng. ' She was near a row of those little wooden houses erected for the convenience of bathers, when she espied a man skulking behind one of the buildings. There had been several thefts there during the last fortnight, and she became suspicious of the man at once. As ho sneaked inside she knew that be must be tile mysterious prowler who had rifled the houses before, and she looked around instinctively for help. At that, moment she beheld Algernon Fitzroy sauntering down the broad walk from the hotel, and a little behind him was Mr. Trevor with a couple of soldierlylooking gentlemen who were strangers to her.

" Oh, Mr, Fitzroy, I believe we can capture that dreadful thief who has been stealing watches and things," Miss Baird began excitedly. "He's over there now in tho last one of the row, where that overdressed Mrs. Runcle has just left ft lot of jewellery while,, she's bathing. Do hurry before he can get away." "My dear girl, those gentry always carry knives and revolvers, and I might get killed if I should attempt to meddle with him," Mr. Fitzroy replied, with a hasty, backward movement. " Would you let a thief walk away with his plunder before your very eyes?" she demanded, amazedly. "But—but—" ho stammered in almost a whimper, "such a, follow would bo desperate enough for murder, and you don't want me to get hurt, do you? It's toe—too—"

His stammering excuses were interrupted by Use quiet voice of Paget Trevor, who had approached unnoticed by cither Fitzroy or the girl. <» "We'll nab your thief, Miss Baird," he said, cheerfully. " Come •on, boys, if you want a share of the fun."

The "boys" .wore two young army officers, and they followed Trevor, with 'Miss Baird between them.

Trevor was within a few paces of the littlo building when the thief became alarmed and dashed through the door like a frantic wild beast.

But lie was too late. He was barely oat/sjclo when Trevor grabbed him by tho collar. Do jerked forth his revolver, but he dropped it with a cureo as Trevor's fingers tightened around his arm, and then, despite his desperate resistance, his captor threw him to the ground and bound him hand and foot.

"Major Trevor knows how to master that sort of cattle," one of the army men said to Miss Baird. "Did Fitzroy ever tell you how Paget saved his lifo out in the Philippines?"

She only shook her hoad, her lovely eyes wide with wonder.

•'Jove! but, it waa the coolest'thing," said tho army officer. "The boys wore scouting and stumbled into an ambush, and Fitzroy got separated from the others. Algy wasn't noted for grit, and when he found himself facing a hundred or so guns he was too scared to stir. He just dropped on his knees and yelled. But Paget walked past thoso yawning muzzles without a tremour, and lugged Fitzroy back to us."

" Gad! but those Tagalogs can appreciate a brave deed," said the other army man. "They saluted Trevor and not a man of them fired a shot."

• Miss Baird lifted her eyes timidly to Trevor's face; her own was crimson "with mortification.

Paget laughed and kissed her. "1 suspected there was some heroworship at the bottom of it all," he aaid.