QUEER GIRL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17348, 20 December 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

QUEER GIRL.

BY BESSIE NINA WATTY. "

' It was a Eomney blue sky. > Not so far off was a blur of green against white walls and red roofs.' Creepers flaunted their brilliance Upward to' the burning, sun' and in the close-set thickets beating wings of insects and their drowsy murmurs made summer sounds upon the air. Looking to the left from the balcony of the Grand Hotel, one could see the glittering,»Waitemata, a million '»■ facets setting it to a vast expanse of sparkling jewels. Upon its face' the ferries gaily, crossed, destined to the many lovely bays lying like faint pearl and fainter blue against the grey of the land. Suddenly, a seaplane from the Kohimarama Flying School floated into view, skimming the water easily, like a giant swallow, then rising gracefully and easily as any winged creature of the air. A man, leaning slightly over the balcony of the - hotel, .watched with appreciation the wide panorama stretching out before him, turning, half unwillingly, at the soft voice of his companion. " Decima is a failure. She has had three seasons and several offers of marriage— good, and one quite brilliantso far as • the Dominion goes . . . now what do you think of . a daughter 6uch as she? But then, of course, Decima was always queer." Lady Llumden looked vexedly out over towards the housetops opposite. "I should say, Lady Llumden," replied the man with a humourous .twinkle of

mirth in his steady brown' eyes, "that your daughter deserves to besmacked . . . and I await an introduction with curiosity. ..." Captain Humphrey Blair-Sturgess, D.5.0., returned from serving in His Majesty's Australian Expeditionary Force, now recuperating after his discharge, looked steadily into her ladyship's hard blue eyes, discovering there the businesslike outlook upon life which she possessed, and the lady being wife of a newly created Knight of Victoria, was ' doing' New Zealand 4 accompanied by her only daughter Decima As he clipped his last word short, the firl herself flashed into view. She stood etween one of the French windows and the balcony. Tall and etherel, darkhaired and ehe smiled into the pallid eyes of her irate parent, at whose introduction she held out a slim hand. •

" Oh," she exclaimed with youthful laughter, "so you are one,of the men who has. distinguished himself at the world's scrap? And, also, you are the owner of 200,000 broad acres in Brisbane, is not that so?;- ' .

"Decimal" It was her mother's voice whipping the calm air.

" It's all right, dearest. , Captain Sturgess . . understands . . . ." Imps of mischief flashed in her golden eyes setting the man inwardly chuckling. '" You are correct in your surmises, Miss Llumden. I had the luck at the front to have an act witnessed by one of the senior officers, whiqji many another man had not. I am also the owner of 200,000 acres in Brisbane." His fine eyes and his generously moulded mouth beneath the neat moustaches appealed to her. She liked his clean, athletic build. " And so now you hold a dear little decoration, Captain Sturgess, presented by His Majesty himself for ' doing your duty to your King and Country' . . ." I—do. Miss Llumden!" " How very nice." "Yes . . ." The man's voice had changed swiitly from its pleasant tone of raillery to something and hard. j*Perhaps"-lie'Wa6' yisioriing r scenes .: . J 'but there . . faces ; of comrades who side by side had fought with him . . .lads who had kissed the lips of Death with smiling eyes and given back 'for keeps' the little states and kingdoms as their own 'again, since through only suffering and death may such things be . J ' V ?; ' , He continued, his expression changing once again to its former brightness: " Your mother tells me ..." Has mother . . ."she interrupted, looking at Lady Llumden. " Yes, I have," replied her ladyship, withering her tall daughter with a glance. . Dscima turned upon her heel and passed . through the French window into the drawingroom. Sturgess followed, inwardly laughing at the little pink ears and the haughty carriage of the girl. In the drawingroom, she turned and faced him, liking greatly the appearance of him. To the rapid reasoning of her alert brain, she knew in three seconds scrutiny that this man was clean-living, fresh-air loving, holding staunchly to the old-fashioned principles of honour and integrity. Sturgess, standing mutely during those three seconds, accepted the fact of her pure white skin and the scarlet mobile mouth with the up-tilted, corners, the rather inconsequent little nose, but most of all the superb finish of her . . -. the delicate cachet that lifts one woman above a thousand others ... "Captain Sturgess," she said, with a flash of fire in her limpid eyes, " so mother has been talking to you of mv . . . private affairs . . . you, who are a complete stranger , . . merely anhotel acquaintance . . ." She gathered, unconsciously, a handful of fallen rose petals from the small- table against which she leaned, and tossed them like flaming flakes upon the floor. " I am really sorry, Miss Llumden, but you see you can scarcely call me merely 'an hotel acquaintance' . . . for it seems that your mother and mine were at school together in England . . ." " Pray, what has that to do with it ? Nothing. My private affairs are my own entirely. And I detest them being discussed. And let me add, too, that each one of those men whom she wished me to marry, was the club-loving, card-playing, whisky-soaked type that I abhor . . ."

"I. admit,. Miss Llumden, the; truth of your reasoning. But think how many I more there are who love their home, the ! clean, fresh air and the shining heights,. . . . Now, please, ■ won't - you try and forget all this annoyance . '. . 1 And remember, will you, that I am all on my own here . . • . a new country . .- . and how beastly slow it is for a chap like me. ... Would you, I wonder, do me so much honour as to stroll into the city, with . . . perhaps tea . . . and a study later of the windows in all their Christmas finery . . .?" She thought he deemed terribly earnest standing there . . . quite like a pleading school boy ... "I'll come," she cried, " and you might tell mother whilst I get into my out-of-door things. . . ."

There was the atmosphere of Christmas in the big tearoom, every table filled with chattering, laughing folk. An animated scene. The dainty , curtains moved rhythmically with the pulsing of the vagrant breezes stealing m through the French windows. There were pink roses on the tables. And in the air were faint fragrances of perfumes used by the women. Beneath a window, a girl played a violin solo with exquisite sympathy. The clink of . fine china, a ripple of light laughter, the" sweet highpitched voice of a girl talking excitedly . . . and without, the incessant beating of the city ...

For a whole fortnight they had been companions, sometimes accompanied by Lady Llumden, frequently Sight seeing quite on their own. To Decima the two weeks had been delightfully interesting and happy, to the man they had meant his life.

This morning under a scorching sun with a warm breeze whimpering in from the sea, they were seated on the sea beach talking of quite impersonal things. Suddenly, the breeze caught the flimsy sleeve of Decima's frock, exposing t toview a silver bracelet. It instantly caught Sturgess's eye, and with the knowledge, of his gaze, Decima's eyes drooped. " Well 1" she said, half tremulously. " I want you to tell me about it . . ." " Oh, it's quite a long time ago," she replied sadly, and the wind played with her soft hair and the folds of her summery skirt. " How old are you?" inquired the man, I abruptly. " Iwenty-two," she answered, hardly j realising his brusqueness. I "How young! How very young!" ! " And you ? asked Decima. " Thirty-two," with a sigh. " How . . . old! How very old!" cruelly. " No—not so very," almost apologising for his years. '"No—perhaps not, really,, . . . anyway, I suppose one has an amount of sense at such an age . . ." "But to return to the bracelet."

" Would it interest you, truly ? . . ." " Yes ... of course, And I daresay it's all about a . .romance . . .' " Yes . . . oh, yes, I suppose you'd call it that," she answered. "It all happened years ago . . . just after I left school and grew up." "Mother sent me down to visit Aunt Delia in Melbourne and Derrick Le Breton I was there too. He was the son of an old-chum of my aunt's. Well, we had not much to do, except to wander around by ourse'ves and amuse each other. Then, when he left on his ship, we were engaged. I was only seventeen, and he was twentythree. I knew there would be trouble if mother heard of the engagement, so we decided to keep it secret, and as Derrick was quite poor with only his. pay, he would not be in a position to marry for .-■•■<;.„.>...-. i v.* ■. -■ .-:■.---■■svj■:.-,--.- •- ■ . " I had letters from him through the first year, oh, sheaves of them, and then suddenly, they ceased. For four years there has been a long silence. He may be dead ... or he may be false, -l do not know, but I am bound to be true to him until I know for certain . .• ." Her, voice had grown tender. - For the •moment she was back in those days of romance that are so delightful when one has just left school. • "But you have not told me the secret of the bracelet,'.' said Sturgess, gent y: "The bracelet! Oh, I forgot. 'Well. Derrick fastened it on my arm the day he left, and I swore to wear it until his return . . . does one break an oath . . . lightly?" " Sometimes, it is wise . . . 'dear!" The last word slipped from his lips unconsciously, and neither seemed to notice it. Sturgess rose and sauntered up and down in front of the girl. There was a curious fascination about Decima Llumden. And Sturgess, artistic to his fingertips, thrilled with pleasure at her supp"e grace. . Apparently, the girl was not free, nor was she, he knew, easily impressed. And from their comradeship of the . last two weeks he had learned that she expected fine things of men and women. . It was her sense of .fineness that he had so admired from the first.

" I suppose you will be soon returning home she inquired. "I - don't . know, There's no special hurry. When do .you return?" " Thisiday week,' but mother may change her mind. I r am, never sure of our movements."

To-day there was a wistfulness about her. A delicate tenderness that was irresistible. The short, proud nose, the ears, the curves of her rich, full mouth, and the graceful sway of her young body as she walked beside him, filled him with hopelessness from which he could see no way of escape. i Decima engaged ! Decima so near him, yet with an impassable barrier between that must for ever perhaps keep them apart. For once in his life Sturgess felt cheerless. And to-day he felt that the earlier vows which Decima in her extreme youth had made were not worth the better thoughts of honour. If Le Breton had thought fit to break his vows without acquainting Decima, surely she

might feel she was entitled to break" hers. For that Le Breton had forgotten her, Sturges's was assured; But he knew the not be easily broken. * She would always girl's mettle;' Vows With Decima -trould Bold them Sacred and finding. - Everywhere amongst his friends and acquaintances he could find girls with stricter 'clairmft to: beauty than Decima, but they had not the power to attract and hold him as she had.. He knew it was her fine sense of , tilings that had at the beginning appealed so strongly to him. Her beauty had not really struck him until! later. He looked at her now sideways, and caught the beauty of contour, the daintiness which '•■ characterised her. She was'standing with her face in profile, looking out to sea. Her thoughts were evidently far away, for she seemed at the moment hardly conscious of the man be-' side her. ' • Suddenly, he exclaimed: "Oh, if you had married, him then '." " But'., . : . I didn't!" she cried out, half in laughter, half in tears. "I said . . .if!" he said, as his eyes held her to him. "Pugh! If!" as she quoted lightly: If the butterfly courted the bee, And the owl the porcupine; If churches were built- in the sea. And three times one were nine;

If the pony rode his roaster. If the buttercups ate the cows. If the. cat had the dire disaster *!*> be worried, sir, by the mouse; If mama, sir. sold, the baby * To a gipsy for . half-a-crown ; • If a gentleman, sir, was a lady The world would be Upside-Down!

If any of all these wonders Should ever come about, I should not consider them blunders. For I should be Inside-Out

At that he, too, laughed outright,' tossing his cap into the summer air. " It's time for luncheon," she exclaimed gaily, and mother will be on the watch . . • ."

Sturgess was sitting under the shelter of a big rock on one of their favourite beaches. The wind to-day was cod and boisterous. The water tossed and sighed. To-morrow Decima was returning home. To-morrow loomed forth in cold despair. The beaches, the rock, walks without* presented a black contrast to the exquisite beauty they had possessed before, f. Since that day when she had con-

fided her poor little secret -to him, he had I beeriCin constant attendance upon her. Even the guests in the hotel were whispering. 'And Lady Llumden looked expectant and eager. He laughed when he thought of her disappointment. If only she knew what would life be worth to Decima? It came to him as a curious freak of nature that a girl of Decima's type should be the child of such a, mother. Sturgess viewed the scene before him idly. There were parents with their youngsters enjoying the wind and the sun. He was seeing things in kaleidoscopic fashion, idly, uncaringly, yet he retained the acuteness of h : s mental depression. Suddenly, out of the greyness of his thoughts, the s'im form of Decima sprang into view. Slowly and deliberately she was coming towards him. The wind was tossing her skirts, billow fashion, about her feet. Every now and again she had to stoop and cling to the rocks, to keep herself from being carried off her feet with the increasing'.intensity of the wind. When she reached his side her face was aglow with the roses: stung ; there by the buffeting storm. ','' ' - Sturgess . instantly stood up and -together theyt strolled along the beach. It seemed to Sturgess that she was elated and extraordinarily happy. . ."' " How v jolly nappy you look ! he flung at her on' a moment of unrestrained

misery. ... ' «Wh—what I" * . . her fingers in her little ears. , "Pardon me—l apologise, but you re full of some good news, -I can tell with half a blessed eye, and I'm »' . . I'm full xof dull' old misery" . . *" He stood and faced her. ' " Tell me at once. << «' .* . " Well, I will, but : please don't-strike that attitude of inward rage. Now, just out of . curiosity, what do you think my news is?" '" * ■'"' *'" v "* * " You've had a letter from—him . . . "Don't fool." he exclaimed, " tell me." She laughed lightly and sat down on a tuft of rock and tussock, spreading out upon her knees a crumpled letter. " How slow you are . . ."he cried angrily, withering her with darting eyes. ■?' I know. It is a fault mother has told me of so often. It's because I'm slow lam still Decima Llumden. But, oh, I am glad Tm slow. I'm glad I am only Decima Llumden, spinster, and full of queerness . . . and that I've had a letter to-day !" "Oh ! Decima '." The word fell from his lips unconsciously. His heart beat to suffocation. How strange she looked, how gloriously, insanely happy. " Why don't you tell —please?" he pleaded as he wiped moisture from his brow. " Well," she said slowly, " it's a letter from . . . Aunt Delia, and . . ." " Only Aunt Delia . . ." he repeat> ed dully. , , " Yes, hut don't interrupt, please." It s quite a long letter and on page four she remarks quite casually that Derrick has been married for the last three years . . . He married the only daughter of a wealthy merchant in the West Indies, and ..." ( " You're not cut up . . .?' "■Oh, no, not at all," "I thought you cared for him," he said.

" I did once—in a silly schoolgirl fashion."

She; put the/ letter back in her waistbelt, and pulled the wide-brimmed flopping hat down over her eyes, so that the man could only see the lower part of the charming face. On a sudden, Sturgess took her wrist, holding it in his left hand, while swiftly he ripped up the nobbly buttons of her sleeve and laid the arm bare to the dimpled elbow. Then'he unfastened with lightning speed the shining circlet which clasped the soft flash, holding it. in midair.

" What shall I do with it?" he asked.

" Throw it out," she answered, quietly, " far out into the Waitemata."

There was a silvery glint, a splash as the circlet touched the face of the surging waters, and the old romance was buried. Then the man turned to her. "And now?" he asked, softly. Well, there are all the other lovely old to-morrows," she replied more softly still. " oh. you wonderful D.S.O I"