BROTHERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21326, 29 October 1932, Page 13 (Supplement)

BROTHERS

By E. R. GARD'NER

Lew Winton, 6louched in his saddle *nd letting his bay mare make her own pace homeward, was roused from his unpleasant reverie by the .approach of another horse. It was a lanky brown beast, to which the mai-3 whinnied a welcome, quickening her pace. A faintly .malicious grin overspread Lew's equiline features. . " Hullo," he said, as his mare stopped, extending a dark muzzle in equine greeting. "Hullo! Whero d'you think you're ■off to?" "Mind your own—business! Pity you can't attend to it properly," growled his brother Mick, savagely, forcing his mount past. " But it looks as if honesty Avas the best policy after all," he added pointedly/ and with a gleam of triumph. Lew's laugh was somewhat hollow, but ho remained unsubdued. " If you're thinking of calling at Mason's store," he called after the retreating Mick, " you can save yourself the trouble. There's a counter-attraction!" Mick's answer was inaudible, but the very 6cund of it was insulting. Ho kicked his horsey into a gallop. Lew shrugged his shoulders. " All right," he remarked, resignedly to empty air, "Don't believe your own brother!" Shaking up his reluctant mare he proceeded leisurely, while Mick pursued a headlong course toward the township. It was quite clever of Lew to have »pokeji of a " counter-attraction," Mick reflected ruefully, as he rode in his brother's wako some time later. There was no doubt Lew had the brains, as their mother was wont to remark. Mick, to balance matters, had the looks, but looks apparently were at a discount. Disgustedly lie reviewed the evening's doings. Gaining the township, he had, as usual, tethered his- horse behind the small hotel, washed the dust from his throat, and proceeded down the 6treet to Mason's store. Now, two hefty, healthy young men do not visit such a store as Mason's regularly twice a week without good reason, and the reason in this case was a girl. She was old Mason's niece, a bronzeheaded, blue-eved little hussy, whose smile had captivated these susceptible youths along with various others from round about. Although she had been in the store only a little over two months, the trade in cigarettes, matches and similar small articles had gone up enormously, and old Mason was going about chuckling and rubbing his hands. Except in rush hours, he was seldom to be seen in the store ' now, the girl coolly and competently carrying on the business, and numerous flirtations, at the 6ame time. Mick and Lew, however, were the most favoured, possibly because Miss Sadie was getting a great deal of amusement out of playing one against the other. One evening a week she sat in the draughty picture hall with Lew, and one evening a week with Mick, varying the order every little while, so that the hopes of one went soaring and the other driven to despair. And just occasionally, by way of a change, she slipped out the side gate and went with sopieone else, leaving a perplexed and finally despondent swain to cool his heels on the pavement outside the front gate. /, There were only two picture nights a week, and to-night it had been Mick's turn to sit with Sadie. But Lew, by a low-down trick, had stolen a march. As it turned out, each might just as well have saved himself trouble and heart-burnings, for when Mick strolled into the store and leaning across the counter, drawled, " Give's a box o' matches, please. Coming same time as usual?" she had laughed at him,, shaking her neatly-waved head. " Afraid not, Mickie. I'm otherwise engaged, to-night, aren't I, Ponty ? Whereupon, from behind a pile of biscuit tins had appeared a head —and such ' a head! Gingery hair stood on end all over it, and weak eyes, that reminded Mick of a white rabbit that he and Lew had once owned, blinked at him from an expanse of pale and somewhat pimply countenance. Ijarge buck teeth and a receding chin enhanced the rabbit effect. "Did you thpeak to me, Pet?" lisped this apparition, a hand to its ear. " I was just telling Mick that I'm engaged for this evening." Tho cupped hand dropped, the weak eves blinked again, first at the girl, and then at Mick. Then a body, stooped and ." ungainly, emerged, and the youth was observed to ,be polishing a pair of huge black-rimmed spectacles. Having adjustedthem carefully across the bridge of his puttv nose, he blinked at Mick again, over the "top of them, and coming forward, said, " Good evening, thir. What can I do for'you?" Mick's jaw had dropped, but finding himself thus addressed his teeth came together with a click just fn time to stop him replying "Go to blazes!" Instead, he stammered, " Nothing, thanks, anc ' cast an'imploring glance in Sadie's direction. But that young lady was busily arranging a pyrmid ot' tinned fruit upon a counter, and only turned to give him a sweet. Good-night, and a smile th*~t was half apology and half coquetry, but completely captivating, as he went out. Outside Mick stood and scratched his head dazedly. Surely she couldn't mean it! Ponty! It sounded like one of those disgusting, sniffling little Peke apologies for dogs! Wasn't unlike one to look at either. Who and what was the blighter and what, in the name of everything, could she see in him? She must be joking. Anyhow, lie wasn't giving up yet not going home to be jeered at by Lew [without making another bid for her favour. He hung about till closing time, but his luck seemed out. She left the store attended bv the apparition, and though Mick followed them hopefully at a distance there was no chance of a word with her alone. Ponty not only accompanied her to the gate, but went in with her. After that there was only one thing to <lo; It is regrettable to have to record that Mick swore luridly at frequent intervals all the way home, and if Ponty s ears weren't burning all the evening it wasn t iiiek's fault. Entering ignominiously by the back gate he was met in the yard by Lew. ' Well, •what do you think of the counter-attrac-tion ?" he inquired. There was an unexpectedly friendly sympathy in his tone which soothed Mick's injured feelings and melted his ire. He groaned. " It's awful," ho said. " Ought to be idrownad! " "Or ' stuffed and presented to n museum," Lew contended. " Talk about the missing link—! Wonder what she sees 111 " Hanged if I know. Perhaps it amused her. She might describe it as ' quaint. Lew shrugged and the moonlight accentuated the ironical twist of his thin lips. " She might. On tho other hand, it may be,just a gag to tease us. Women are full of those tricks," he remarked sagely. " We'll see. She can't mean it seriouslynot Sadie ! " .. By the end of a fortnight, however, it began to Took to Lew ana Mick as ".sh® ■did mean it. Not once in tha{. fortnight had she been out with either of theni, or had more than a bright word and a brighter smile for them. Every night the " counter attraction," scathingly nicknamed the " Peke," saw her homo, and in spite of their most earnest efforts they had not been able to get a single word with her in solitude. Meanwhile, the township, Which for some time had been smiling fjlyly behind its hand, began to grin broadlv and openly Times of trial will usually prove the truth of the adage that blood is thicker than wiiter Mick and Lew came simultaneously to the conclusion that something would have to be clone about it, and said so to each other one day as they stood looking at a huge totara log, which they meant, all in good time, to saw into post lengths. ~ '• He'll have to be scared off, somehow, Mick siyd dourly, contemplating his huge brown fists suggestively. " If only I could catch him alone " " Yes, if—" Lew retorted a little impatiently. " But he's oever out of her ®ight as far as we can gather, so if we

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want to catch him alone we'll havo to do some wangling. Get tho dust out of your brain-box, my lad, and think a bit. Problem number one, how do wo get him away ? Problem number two, what do we do when we've got him? " " I'll soon fix problem number two," Mick remarked blood-thirstily. " Give me five minutes alone with him, and " Lew hitched at the knees of his pants and sat down on the log, a slightly scornful expression on his dark face. " And it's doubtful if Sadie would know him again," he chantei sarcastically. " Don't bo so crude, my dear good fellow, and don't try to put the cart before the horse. Problem one comes first. Just let me think a bit," and he screwed up his face and began to chew his lip. Mick sat himself down, too, and waited in respectful and expectant silence. When Lew began to chew his lip like that you could depend upon him thinking up something effective. After a lapse of several minutes Lew straightened up. "I've got the idea!" ho said triumphantly. " Listen! Seeing that he never stirs away from the shop except he's on her heels we've got to kid him out, and naturally wo can't take him far without arousing his suspicions. Well, that big store-room across the yard behind tho shop should do nicely for my little plan. I'll go into tho shop and ask for a bag of spuds, or something that they keep out there, and say I want to see thom—pick my own bag. Meanwhile you can cut round tho back into tho yard and be waiting there, and when I get him inside the storc-rooin along you como. We'll have him down and tho koys off him in two hits and I guess he'll soon do what he's told when he sees we've got the whip hand." "By jove!" Mick exclaimed admiringly, "I believe you've struck it." " I believe I have," Lew returned complacently. " It's a great thing to have brains." Several days passed before thov could got away from the farm together to execute their plan, but tho following Saturday evening found them side by side, riding amicably into tho township. Having tethered their horses and visited the hotel Lew went briskly down the street and entered tho store. A moment later Mick slipped round the corner and through a door in the high, rickety board fence, and found himself in a small, sunbaked yard. There was a pile of packing cases jumbled in one 'corner and among these he took cover, keeping an anxious eye on tho back door of the store. Before many moments had passed the outrageous Ponty appeared followed closely by Low, who was grinning maliciously at the back of the ginger head. Mick saw his brother's sharp, black eyes search the enclosure quickly as he passed through it. Ponty fumbled with a key; then the door swung open and he disappeared into the semi-darkness. His lisping voice drifted out to Mick, rapidly extricating himself from his hiding-place. " Here they are, thir. Jutht mind your toes againtht the boxthes —ouch— grrr—" and the voice ceased abruptly as Low's arm was thrust unceremoniously round his throat from behind and a hand was clapped over his mouth. Ponty struggled wildly but in a moment someone had swept his feet from under him and he was dumped hard on tho floor. " Don't you open your mouth till you're told to," said a grim voice in his ear, " unless you want that carrot-top of yours knocked in." Ponty sat quite still, blinking stupidly over the top of his spectacles, his hair more on end than ever, while Mick shoved a huge fist under his nose saying hopefully, " You move— just one little inch—and see what happens!" Before the unfortunate youth had realised what had happened to him Lew was plunging straight to the point. " Look here, young man, this isn't a joke, it's just a friendly warning! You're to let that poor girl in there," jerking his head toward the store, " have a little time to herself. • What d'you mean by hanging around her all day and half the night as well ? What d'you think she wants with a pie-faced son of a sea cook like you treading on her heels like a poodle wherever she goes ? Can't you take a hint unless it's given with a boot ?" Ponty bristled visibly and his mouth opened and shut like a fish out of its element. " W-w-why thouldn'fc I?" he stammered indignantly. " Th-the's—" "She's fed up!" Lew cut in tersely. "Fed to the teeth! Who wouldn't be? Living with a mug like yours all day and then being seen home by it every night! It's a wonder she doesn't have nightmares and go soft in the head." " It's no wonder she's beginning to look pale and sick-like," Mick supported. " So you see, you mangy-looking weasel, when your time's up at the shop you whisk off home just as quick as you know how, and give that girl a bit of peace or we'll dump you in the river! See?" " After I've done using you as a punchball," Mick added bloodthirstily. "The Peke " was quivering but not, surprisingly, with fear. Suddenly he struck Mick's hand aside, kicked him hard on the shins, and with one convulsive heave was on his feet before he could be slopped. " H-how dare you !" he shrieked. " I'll tell my uncle of this; I'll have tho law on you!" "You will, will you?" Lew asked sarcastically. " Yeth. 1 will! I will!" Ponty danced with rage, nimbly frustrating Mick's attempts to lay hands on him. " It's againth the law to threaten anyone. Why thouldn't I take her home? Who'th going to thtop me going about with my own thithter? Eh? Who ith ?" and ho glared from one to the other. " Your—whatV asked Lew and Mick in the one gasp. " My thithter!" Ponty said with defiant satisfaction shrewdly noting their dropped jaws. " Y-y-you didn't know that, eli ? Well, thee ith! And if you think I'm letting her out with every moonstruck bumpkin that comlh along—" He raved on hut neither Lew nor Mick was listening to him any longer. They were looking at each other. " His sister!" Mick said, and " His sister!" echoed Lew disgustedly. They looked at each other harder than ever. " Gosh !" exclaimed Mick unexpectedly, " If you were to get her, Lew, ho," he nodded at the still raving Ponty, " he d be my brother!" " And if you were to get her," Low rejoined hollowly, "he'd be my brother! No—he'd be our brother! Pimples, carrots, buck teeth, putty nose and—" Mick's groan cut him short. " Don t! he implored, his face working. " I'or heaven's sake, let's go homo!"