MEG’S COUSIN TOM

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 9

MEG’S COUSIN TOM

(By F. A. Oroall.) CHAPTER I. Leonard Moore iiad been paying hie usual afternoon call on his fiancee, and ten minutes had passed in tiie most agreeauie manner. uh, by Uie way,” said Meg suddenly, ‘Tom wants me to go m hie. trailer on Saturday. We are to start at eight in the morning, and we expect to be home by six—bar accidents.” “Oh, indeed!” said Leonard drily. ‘You don't nund, do you?” queried Meg, with some anxiety. “It is such fun riding with Tom 1” “You dont appear to have considered whether I ‘minded' or not,” said Leonard. Meg cast a swift glance at his face. It was sot as she had never seen it set before. “I don't see how you could object, Leo,” she answered. “Anyway, iam gomg.” The defiance was a pure experiment. “I think you are not,” said Leo, very quietly. ‘Oh, but I will!” “Oh, but .you won’t 1” “But I will!” “But you shan’t!” “I will!” “You shan’t!” The duet suddenly ceased. Each regarded the other. Leas face was ve.y pale and determined. Meg’s caeca ■•> were flushed and her eyes were sparkling with vexation. It was their first passage of arms, and the lust of victory burned in Meg’s heart. Evidently, frank opposition and resistance only bred the like in Leo. She would try another way. “Tom is my cousin,” she began persuasively. “I ck-n’t care if he was your g. andfather!” “It would be less dangerous if ho was!” cried Meg, thoroughly roused. “A woman may not marry her grandfather, you know. She may—her cousin.”

. “Scarcely if she is engaged to another man,” said Leo, striving not to show the jealous rage "which was devouring him.

“Engagements have been broken before now,” answered Meg. She lifted a defiant f.oo and looked stra ght in o Leo’s burning eyes. “Per sufficient reasons—yes,” be answered.

“Tyranny, to my mind, is quite a sufficient reason,” retorted Meg. “I wonder if you nealire what you are saying,” said Leo, with the calm of extreme wrath.

“Perfectly,” answered the girl, inwardly wondering if it was really herself who was speaking. “I said I thought Tyranny was a sufficient reason for b-caking an engagement. I call it tyranny for you to object to my riding with my cousin. ‘Especially when I have done it heaps of times before!” Leo bit hie lip almost through. , “That was before you were engaged to me,” he answered, still with his voice in control. Perhaps it was his oalmness that nettled Meg. She had meant her words to sting. “I suppose,” she said, slowly, “that before being engaged to you and after being engaged to you are much the same thing.” The colour had all fled from her cheeks now. She knew she was doing a mad thing, but she could not stop herself. “To my mind, they are utterly different things.” “I don’t think you understand me. I meant after having—stopped'—being—engaged t o you. ’ ’ She brought out the words with difficulty, and for a moment there was a dead silenoe. She was trembling all over with agitation. She did not dare oven raise her eyes. “Do you mean that ?” said Leo at last, in a voice of awful calm. “Yes. There is your ring.” She drew it from her finger and passed it to him. Leo sent it spinning into the grate. The girl made an involuntary movement towards it.” “Leave it,” cried Leo. “It is worthless now. It means nothing.” “T don’t believe it ever meant anything,” cried Meg; “I don’t beLieve you ever oared for me.” Leo gulped down something in his throat. She had maddened him almost beyond endurance. And now to cast a doubt upon the love which even now was tearing and lending him within! Stall he controlled himself. There is no ire discussing that now,” he said. “Good-bye.” Meg did not turn round till she had heard the door open and shut- There was a mirror in front of her. It inflected a face that she did not know. All youth and gladness and beauty had for the moment gone from it. She looked at herself for a moment in bewilderment. She could scarcely realise vvliat lugl happened. “What have I done ?” said the pale lips, and the dark eyes regarded themselves blankly.

Then all of a sudden it rushed over her. She went over to the fireplace, and looked for her ring. There it lay, glittering as blithely as ever —the ring she had placed a thousand times to her happy lips, the ring which had been the symbol of all the happiness that was to be! She picked it up, and gazed at it. She had no more rigiit to wear it now. It was Leo’s, not hers. And all her happiness was at an end. She buried her face in her hands with a passionate ciy. “Oh, Leo!” she sobbed, “oome back to me- Forgive me! Leo, I love you !” But Leo was already far away. His heart was full of a raging bitterness. He could not believe that it had really happened. At present lie was too angry uo be sorrowful; but there were many days of many emotions before him yet. CHAPTER 11. Three days la-tor Meg had arrived at the •don’t caae” stage. She had cried her.sell s.ck for a whole night, had suite, ed from a raging headache and a worse heartache next, day, and had found time to forget her sorrows, and felt that she was justly angry before Friday came. Leo could never really have cared foilier if so trilling an incident as that was suiriciont to bring it all to an end. Could any girl on any spirit be expected to stand such tyranny and jealousy as he had displayed? She had returned the ring by post, and had felt a savage joy in doing so. She was apparently in the gayest of spirits when her cousin Tom looked in on Friday evening to make the arrangements for next day. ‘T suppo e you are conning?” he inquired, for lie had been dismissed in mioer.amt.y before, Meg having declined to give a definite answer until she knew what Leo would say! “Oh, yes, I am coming,” she answered.

“Did Moore make no objection ? I thought he ivas almost certain to, in spite of our brother-and-sister upbringing.”

“I don’t see that it. matters whether lie objects or not,” said Meg in a susp.oiousiy tiembly tone. Tom knew his cousin far too well not to recognise the sign. He turned round swiftly. ‘•You havo quarrelled with Leo?” he demanded.

“I suppose so,” answered Meg, her head still held very high.

‘bobout tins?” "Yes, I suppose so.” Her voice trembled.

"Meg, how could you do such a thing? And do you imagine I shall take you after that? The invitation is cancelled. I won’t be a party to any lovers quarrel.” “It’s not a lover’s quarrel. lam not engaged to him any longer. Everything is off.” Tom gazed at his cousin blankly. “Well. I’m blessed!” he exclaimed.

Meg’s lips quivered, and before she was aware of it, she was sobbing bitterly. Tom marched up and down. He had often seen Meg cry before when she was little. Somehow it felt different now.

“Look here,” he said at last. “Let me bo your father confessor. Did you want to break with him ?”

“Yes—no,” sobbed Meg. “That means ‘yes’ Lhen ‘no’ now,” muttered the astute Thomas, who had had some experience of the fair sex.

“Well, how did it all come about?” he asked.

“I said I was going with you, and he objected. Then we both got angry.” “Do you mean to say you announced point blank you were coming? Why on earth didn’t , you do it some other way ? He would never have objected if you bad tried to find out first whether he cared.” “I meant to do it that way. And somehow it suddenly struck me I’d like to know how much of my own way he would let me have.” Tom stared ait her for a moment. “And suppose he had said, ‘All right. Ride m the trailer of anyone you please.* Would that have pleased you?” “N-no,” faltered Meg.” “It would take a wiser man than I to know what you mean,” said Tom. “I oon’t know what I mean myself. I never do. I don’t believe any girl ever does until she has done the other thing. Arid then she finds out!” She lifted a pair of dark, tear-ffllod eyes and looked aggressively at her cousin as if it wore all his fault! He could not help laughing. “Well, you are a nice Little—ass!” lie exclaimed. “I suppose so,” returned Meg, with a meekness that nearly doubled Tom up. lie had seen her in many moods, but this one was new. “You don’t by any chance feel inclined to write and own up, I suppose?” he inquired. “I couldn’t—unless ” “Oh. heavens!” sighed Tom. “Of course she can’t unless she knows he wants it, and he can’t unless lie knows tfhe wants it. And nobody will take the first step! And everyone is miserable tever after! Why was I bom to

step suddenly into the midst of a penny novelette ?”

“I think you are perfectly horrid,” wept Meg. “You see how unhappy I am, and you know quite well it is all your fault!” “My shoulders are broad,” observed Tom grimly. “Well, I don’t mean ‘all.’ I mean it was about you. I know I was a fool. And I’m so miserable. .And I know it will never be right again!” She sat weeping into her handkerchief with plaintive sobs. “If only Leo were here now instead of me!” muttered Tom inwardly. “But I sec exactly how it is going to be.” “Tom, can’t you do anything?” suddenly cried Meg. “You see, I am helpless. I don’t know whether he could ever forgive me for wounding him so. And I’m not going to apologise unless I know- ” “Oh, go on, go on,” groaned the unhappy Tom. “Go through all the phases and stages once more. Look here, Meg. You know you were in the wrong. Why can’t you write and own it ? Say you are sorry and —you love him, and all that.” “And suppose he didn’t want me to say it? Tom, couldn’t you find out? Couldn’t you ?” She came up to him, and looked at him with her pathetic wet eyes. She seemed very young, and very sorrowful, and very lovable. Tom felt a curious spasm within. “Tom!” she said again, entreatingiy. If only she would not look at him so ! He turned his eyes away. “I don’t see very well what I can do,” lie said; then, in his usual manner, “but rather than have the responsibility of two blighted lives ns a constant warning never to ask engaged cousins to ride in trailers, I’ll—l’ll do what I can.” “Oh, Tom, how I love you!” cried Meg. “What a blessing the infuriated one did not hear that!” ejaculated Tom. i CHAPTER 111. Days passed and the luckless Tom | found no mentis of carrying out his pr omise. He did not know Leo very intimately, and was not in the least justi-

fied in approaching him on so delicate a subject. Besides, there were reasons which made the task particularly distasteful. Had Meg really no idea, he wondered. He heaved a sigh. “I expect you’ll get over this all right, he comforted himself. “Oh, pretty cousins, are the very deuce!” Finally, his opportunity came. Leo and he had been guests one exening at the same house, and neither had any womankind to see home. Tom hung on to the unfortunate Leo, who was prepared to leave the house with Satan himself sooner than with this disturber of liis happiness. But Tom was not to be shaken off. He stuck like a leech, beLieved they went the same way, offered a cigar, and generally so conducted himself that he could not escape without extreme rudeness. “Have you seen Meg lately ? I don’t think she looks at all well,” began Tom shortly. “She seemed very well last time I saw her,” said Leo, stiffly. “Lovely night, isn t it?” Tom smiled in the darkness. “Yes, wonderful,” he assented. “But I’m surprised you have not noticed Meg’s looks. She is growing into a perfect skeleton, mere skin and hone,” he went, on warming to his theme, with a total disregard of naked truth. “I am sorry to. hear it,” returned Leo coldly. “I thought it much less lively at the Smith’s to-night than it usually is, didn’t you ?” “Well, Meg wasn’t there for one thing ” “Look here,” burst out Leo, “I don’t know what your object is in draging your cousin’s name into our conversation in that unnecessary way. I’ve shown plainly enough I do not wish to discuss her.” “I know I am making an unwarrantable ass of myself,” said Torn, “but it’s all in t.b i cause of humanity. I’m quite aware Meg and you have fallen o-jit. Like the Merchant of Venice, I am the unhappy subioct of these quarrels.’ It’s not a part that quite appeals to me.” “I o mot see how you enter into it at all.” retorted Leo. “Well. I’ll tell you. If you have withdrawn I have evo-.v right to go in and. win. Meg does not ca o a straw for mo m that way, but she is iust in the

frame of mind to take me if I aak her, 'Just to show you how little she cares.” A silence followed.

“I suppose you know what that means ■with a girl?” supplemented Torn, smoking hard. “Do you think she really ” began lioO.

“I don’t think anything about it. I know. You have had a silly row, and she was aggravating, and you got angry, and between you somehow made a mess of it, over a ride, too, that never came off 1 But are you to be miserable all your lives on that account? Somebody must take the first step. You can hardly expect her to, even*if she felt she was in the wrong. Only, if yon don’t want to make it up I shall try my own luck, that’s all. ’ There was silence for a moment. “I shall write to her to-night,” said Leo- then. ‘Td go and see her to-morrow rather, if I were you. Things are much better spoken.” It was 'Boo's turn to smile. “You have had a lot of experience, it appears!” ‘Yes, I’ve had a good deal one way and another,” admitted 1 Tom.

‘You were not very serious over—over Meg—yourself, were you P” asked 3L»eo.

C T was serious when* I said she was in the state of mind to accept me if I asked her. Only she does not happen to care a brass farthing for me in that way. So perhaps it’s a pity the right man should not have the first chance.” He spoke lightly, and Leo accepted bis words as a mild joke. “I am very grateful,” he said, as they shook hands and parted. Tom paced along the street at a great rate. He had given his happiness into another man’s hands. “Well, you’ve done it,” he said to himself; then, after a pause, “and Meg will he grateful.” Well, it would be something to hear her eager burst of happy thanks. Perhaps she would treat him to that exclamation which always gave him a thrill, even though he knew it meant nothing. “Oh, Tom, how I love you!” The next evening he called at his uncle’s, as if by accident. Meg came running in.

“Oh, Tom, I had a visitor this afternoon, and he brought me back this”— touching her ring—“and. everything is all right again. So I shan’t need to bother you after all. It was foolish of me to think we needed a go-between.” Tom stood for a moment looking down at the eager, happy face. “Explanations did not apparently go far enough to include me!” he thought only.

“My heartiest congratulations!” he said aloud.

“But why do you smile so queerly?” asked Meg. “I was just thinking we might celebrate the occasion by a spin with the trailer!” he answered. “Do you think Leo would object?” “Ob, Tom, how I hate you ! I think I always did!” cried Meg with a distressful smile. And this was Tom’s reward.