MISS PHIPPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18773, 29 July 1924, Page 3

MISS PHIPPS.

BY KATHERINE TYNAN".

{Copyright.)

CHAPTER XVll.—(continued.)

All night there was a little trembling injure that cams into Delia's ro«c-coloured dreams, making a sadness. It was Lossie whimpering for her, or again it was a child and not Lossie, and yet again it was just a crying. But she was sleeping sweetly and soauadly when Rosrf, the blackhaired parloar-maid, woke . her with, " Sorry I am to wake yon from your lovely sleep. Miss Delia, but if I don't your tea will be too strong."

The electric iiglit was on, because it was early and the morning was dark, and when Delia had awakened to full knowledge that the day had come and she was going to make a journey, the memory of her happiness flooded the darkness with a sun greater than summer's, but somehow in the radiance, the bewildering delight, there was a core of anxiety and trouble— the thought of Lossie and what might have been happening to her since the message was sent. She was not one to forget a dog even for a lover, and the message had been urgent. V She came down warm and glowing to the dining-room where Jim awaited her. Mary had not yet made her appearance, but the dishes were on the heaters and the kettle nearly boiling over the spirit lamp, and the room had the cheerful look of breakfast to the young and happy, even if there is to be an early jdurney and a parting.

Delia entered very shyly. She was wearing a green cloth tailor-made, very trim, with an astrakhan collar and cuffs, and a motor bonnet of velvet of the same colour and she was carrying her little fur coat.

" You look as though you were going On your honeymoon," said tha infatuated lover, coming to meet her. " 0 Lord, I wish you were! How am I going to wait ? And now when is it to be ? I warn you I shan't wait long. There will a few things to be done at Groynings i —your rooms got ready, you darling—and I suppose you'll want to get some new clothes, and . . At this stage the kettle boiled over and ; the flame rushed up threatening a conflagration, so he had to release her. [ When he had, with great presence oi mind, wrapped a table-napkin about the spirit-lamp and extinguished it, an Set ion i which she admired very much, they sat down to breakfast without waiting for the hostess. Delia had been very firm about i Jim's sitting the other side of tha table if only he would not keep walking round |to kiss her! He was so absurd talking of the time when they should sit down to breakfast as husband and wife, till she complained pathetically that she was hungry, and he would not allow her to eat, whereupon he desisted, and having remarked that his sole hunger was for kisses proceeded to eat a very good breakfast indeed. A bright frosty sun had risen above a whitened world by the time they were ready to start. At the last moment Mary had a suggestion to make. Why should not she drive Jim to Keswick in the little car, while Delia was sent'off with Morgan, the most reliable of chauffeur?!. She was afraid they had been cutting it rather fine for the longer journey they had proposed. Jim would lose his train. Jim's face made her withdraw her proposal hastily. Perhaps it had not been meant to be taken seriously. Still, might she suggest that Jim should be left at Keswick on the way, instead of going as far as Brown Ghyxl with Delia ? To that Jim consented, unwillingly If they had a breakdown, he said hopefully, he might have to take the later train after all. ft would only entail a night journey to Sussex instead Of getting homo ir time for bed.

In the result he left Delia at Brown 3hyll, having no more time to spare than i second or two in which to ask hastily for lews of Mr. Talboi. "Mr. Talbofc was loin' nicely," Dobbs assured him, but he aad a watery eye as he looked at Delia, saying mo'airnfally: " For sure we're glad to see you home, miss. You do look lovely and bright, and t's wot we need in this vere 'ouse." Of course Dobbs kept the ways of the soldier servant, and while he had attained proficiency in a good many of the butler's duties, would never be a conventional butler.- ; 1 . ' However he vevv quickly " tumbled to it," as he said, himself, when Mr. Lovell, ha\ing disappeared into the housi? with Miss Sarsfield, did not return quit a immediately. , „ "Don't you go for to bo a spoil: sport, old bean," said the Pierpont|S respectable chauffeur, when Dobbs showed signs of following with the luggage. "My giddy aunt!" said Mr. Dobbs; who did not look in the least as though he had ever had a giddy relative, "you've got me all of ft dodder, but they 11 make a nice young couple, an ere s 'ealth' . ' , . - Saying which he made the feint of drinking off an imaginary glass of liquor.

CHAPTER XVIIL , ' THE SICE. DOG. r Jim Lovell came out with an a,ir elaborate unconsciousness —" awipin' off the kisses," murmured Mr. Dobbs mournfully into Mr. Morgan's car. Mr. Morgan responded with a wink, find remarked afterwards several times to himself that that there bloke wa3 a one, so he was. Dobbs scuttled in with _ the luggage, with that queer walk of his, turning out his toes, which always reminded Delia of some sea creature, a seal or walrus perhaps. She was not very sure in her own mind which. "We didn't expec' you quite so early, miss," he said. "Esther is a-gettin' of your room ready. She said as ow you d be sure to come to-day though she adn t 'eard from you.'* Mr. Dobbs spoke in a queer foggy whisper which, he had explained once to Delia, when she had asked him. li ne had a, cold 1 , ms due to his having the frog in the throat, which sounded ratner terrible till ho wsnt on to say with some pride thaili it was in his family, "but wuss for the gas." v . , . • ~ , "Your Httle dog's very sick, miss, he said. "She's a layin' bv the kitching fire. Would you see Miss Phipps, mis 3 1 She 'ave 'aa the vet to 'er. Sho she knew as 'ow it wo'ild be wot you d wish. "Oh, that was very , kind . of Miss Phipps," said Delia, with a warm rush of gratitude. ' ~ » ~ ,? She 'asn't a bad eart, said Dobbs, in the husky whisper. "But, lor ! she do take a gloomy view ! I wouldn t be takin' too much notice of 'er, miss. 'Ihe number o' times she've give'd me over couldn't be counted, yet 'ere I am." Delia ran down the kitchen stairs and saw the cook standing arms akimbo in front of the kitchen fire looking down at something. The cook, a woman, turned as Delia came in. "She's mortal bad, miss," she said. "Poor little soul, she wouldn't lap, not water, this mornin'." Lossie beat a feeble tail at the approach of her mistress. She was lying on her side, panting and snoring, her eyes and nose closed, with matter oozing ; from them. Her silver coat was matted and ; staring. She did look a very bad case ■ indeed! _ Delia dropped down beside Lossie's basket and burst into tears. Lossie began to make some feeble, foolish effort to get to her, but could not rise. The coolc was explaining that the vet. had said "it" was very infectious, so Argus was locked: up in the stable-yard. For the first time Delia became aware of the piteous yelping of the prisoner. Argus had probably heard the motor-car and knew .she had come. *' . :' . V ;<./:■ "Has anything been done for lier ?" Delia asked through her tears. "Miss .Phipps said as she were to be left alone. lib weren't safe to touch her. She went on somethink awful about 'aving the poor mite in the kitching: said she'd pollyute the food an' wanted her moved : ' :• ' • ' • ' • ' • •• ; ; • ' : ' • ••• : ' *

to fhft stable-yard ; I say* 1 * Twomlfi ba as good a-s 'angin' of *er/ She saysi'My good vraxnaring, she's as good a» 'angetf already. You must tbcsk of *mnans/~ 1 says : 'Wumraing yourself I Yoa takes that poor thing from ths warm fireside over my dead body !" 'Fool I' she Bays, an goes away. 1 wouldn't like to be in 'er 'and-;, I wouldn't. Every bit the master's 'ad since she's cooked on 'er gas stove, wouldn't "avo 'irn p*.isoned with that 'orrid dog laying there, she says." _ Dobbs was at Delia's elbow by this ■ time, breathing heavily, as usual. "Miss 'Phipps wishes t<p sea you, miss,'" ho grumbled in Delia's ear. "Says she can't face cook, because she's a lady an' cook's violent, let alone the kitching's poisoned." He glanced apprehensively towards the. kitchen door. "Say it's: distemper, miss," be said, in a more rumbling whisper still. "Say it's distemper an ; you'll nurse >t' through. I'll help. She won't be the first dog I've nursed through distemper." Delia went upstairs. She was at once ) appalled by Miss Phipp's attitude towards Lossie and comforted by the humanity of the servants. Miss Phipps was waiting for her at the head of the kitchen stairs, so closo that Delia wondered how much she had heard of the cook's remarks. It struck her that Miss Phipps had shrunk even in the weeks she had been away. The skin was loose on her face, and the cheekbones stood out mora prominently than usual. She had a wasted look, and, glancing at her, Delia noticed with a reluctant pity that ' her hands, thin as a bird's claws, trembled with a restless motion. "I'm tsorry you've corno homo to such bad news about your little dog, Miss Sars- , field," she said coldjy. ".t was vexed when I found that Esther had taken it upon herself to write. You need hot hare known till it was all over."

"Till what was ell over t" asked Delia,, sharply.

"If you will come in here I will ex j plain," said Miss Phipps with a gesture towards a little room at the head of the kitchen stairs, in which {the kept various medical stores, a few books and some other of her personal belongings. "There are too many prying and impertinent people about his house. Only that Mr. Talbot is too ill to be troubled I should get them dismissed. As they went into the room, which hacl a cold northern aspect, and looked gloorav and uncomfortable., the black cat glided in and sprang on to the table. "Oh, Tiramio. my love," said Miss Phipps, "you should not have come ink> this cold room, with cough too." The cat sprang on to for shoulder and stretched himself like a mff about her thin neck. That living fur, with the bright yellow eyes shining,; made Mils Phipps look smaller and feebler than ever, her hair thinner and dryer, her skin sallower by the sleek vital beauty of th® animal.

"He loves me so much," said Miss Phipps, "that ho will disobey 'when I say hq. is not to follow me. He would creep through a keyhole to'find his missus.," "Now," said Delia, almost roughlv: she had, glanced around the cold rco'm, at the charts on the walls, the medicine bottles, the instruments, with a ehudder of dislike, "what about Lossie?" "I am very sorry indeed to have to tsll you," said Miss Phipps,' in a low, furring voice, "that your Utile dog is doomed. Mr. Sankey, the veterinary surgeon, is going to put her asleep', painlessly. He said he 'Would be here about twelve o'clock, is half-past eleven now.

She looked at the watch on her wrist with a severely professional air. "It is, to be quite accurate, twenty-eight m:iuut6s to twelve," she said. "But, put her asleep! You mean poison her!" ' , Delias voice was unwontedjy shrill. Ifte cat sprang .from Hiss Phions' neck oil to ijie tabk, where he stood, nis hack arched, his tail waving to and *ro likea tiger's in the act to spring, zbgr* mg at Delia. - < "You have frigntened Tirnmie, who is only used to gefatle voices, and he has scratched me," saicl Miss Phipps, dabbing her neck with a handkerchief which had a mourning border. "I've really had a great deal to bear lately. I don't know that I cafi stand it much longer. Ihe rudeness of that cook? and Esther aiding and abetting her! 2 did tell iho cook that in a little while she would be unable to get through fa© kitchen door unless she gave up her beer. She was most impertinent about it. I have never been accustomed to rudo people. She told. me to go out and boil my head— horrid creature!"

(To bo continued daily,)"