SHORT STORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2263, 15 July 1897, Page 50

SHORT STORY.

THE DEMAISE DTE. " Tell," the girl pleaded, coazingly, with her soft cheek againßt his. I " Ask me anything but that, and I will j grant it," answered her lover. " That is a matter which concerns my honour, and go not I even for you can I " " Oh," Bhe interrupted, pettish'y, " I am ' | sick of bearing that cant about your honour. You only promised your father-, and I am sure if be had known me he would have told me ; but you — you are as hard as adamant. You cau't care for me property, or j you would do what I ask you. The very firßt thing I have ever asked you," she ended, pettishly. A.an Dsmaine smiled at the pretty exhibition o£ childish wrath ; then he said gravely, yet firmiy : "It ia no use, Elbie ; you are causing both yourself and me needless pain by constantly teasing me on this matter. Once and for all, I cannot tell you ; bo now let us talk | of something pleasantly. What is the laßt new gown like ? " he ended, smiling lovingly down at her. The girl looked at him — a curious glance, half menace, half malice ; then, veiling bar eyes, drooping before bis ardent glance, she allowed herself to be coaxed, flattered, and petted into a — sesmieg — forgetful mood. " I wonder why the little witch ia so eager to know the secret — a trade secret, too 7 " thought Demaine to himself that night, as he smoked a quiet cigar. " A childish whim, I suppose, or woman's curiosity." And, so thinking, he dismissed the subject from his mind. But he would not have dismiss 3d it quite so easily^if he could have looked into a distant chamber in another part of the house and seen a little fury excitedly pacing the floor, and murmuring to herself : " I will get to know it yet — whether by fair means or foal it matters little ; bat I will get it, and then" " I must be off to the works at once," Alan said next morning to his mother and sisters. " Tell Elsie, when she comes down, that I am awfully Borry not to be able to take her a drive, as we arranged yesterday, but something unexpected has turned up, and lam compelled to attend to it. No eye like the master's— eh, mother 1 " he finished, laughingly. Mr« Demaine looked fondly at her son.

"You are just like your father," she said, proudly. "Ie was aye duty before pleasure with him ; but I'll tell the lasßie, Alan, and maybe you'll be home by dinner-time." " I can't say, mother," he answered, cheerily. ! " Only wait for me." And then they heard the hall door close, and knew he was off. Tbe day wore away, Elsie declined Enid Demaine's offer to drive her in place of Alan, and went off for a long walk by herself. Enid and Cicely looked curiously after her as she walked down the drive, and then Oioely said, half dreamily ; " I do think there is something odd about Elsie. I wish Alan had not fallen in love with her. Do you know," lowering her voice to an awe-stricken whisper, " I'm afraid she is not trustworthy." When Alan came home that evening he seemed in uproariously good spirits. He laughed and chatted and joked and teased, until his mother declared that he was " fey." After dinner he invited Elsie out on to the terra.ee, to " see the moonlight," he declared mendaciously. Very fair and sweet the girl looked in her pretty white gown of some shimmering material, and so her lover evidently thought, for he suddenly caught her to his breast and rained passionate kisses on her brow and lips. Then, just as suddenly he thrust her from him, and stood facing her in the moonlight. The girl was half frightened at his manner. " What is the matter, Alan 1 " she asked, timidly. " Nothing, my pet," he replied, in his old manner. " Only you looked so bewitching I think I lost my senses." " I think you did," she retorted, ccquettishly. "Alan," she continued, earnestly, " do you really and truly love me 1" He looked at her curiously ; then, recollecting himself, replied : " What a foolish question to ask I How many hundreds of times have I told you the old, old story." " But," she persisted, raising her face to hi?, " I never, never can believe it until you tell me that seciet." Hi 3 face darkened at her words. " Did I not tell you last night that your persistency was worse than useless V he retorted, looking coldly down at ber. " Well, then," she answered, passionately, " until you do tell me I will never marry you — never 1 " There was a long silence between them. Finally the man broke it. "Do you mean what you say 1 " he asked, in a low, tense voice. " Certainly," she responded, in a hard, determined tone. Then, changing her manner to one of winning sweetness, •' But I know •you will tell me. You could never, never be so cruel as to refuße." He turned away, and began pacing the lawn in an undecided, wavering fashion, quite unlike his usual firm step. The girl followed him, and laid one hand on his arm. " Tell me," Bhe whispered, beseechingly then she raised herself on tiptoe and kissed him. " I cannot resist," he murmured ; then stooped suddenly, and whispered something into her ear. "Is that all 1 " she asked, in evident surprise. He nodded. The next afternoon Elsie refused all offers of companionship, and went off for a solitary stroll. As she approached a little wooded copse, about half a mile from the house, a young man sauntered slowly towards her. " Well, what success this time ? " he demanded, without troubling to make any preliminary greeting. " Wait a miaute, Hugh," the girl answered. "I am quite breathless with hurrying. That tiresome Enid wanted to come with me. And I wasn't at all sure of Alan not coming too./ The man stood for a moment or two in silence, then glanced at his companion impatiently. " I have got it," she answered quietly, returning his glance. Hie whole face changed and glowed with triumph. "You little darling, you clever little darling ! " he exclaimed, and then took her in his arms aad kissed her passionately. She lay quite passive in his embrace, her dark eyes gleaming with tenderest love. " Now we can marry," h.B whispered. " But you have not told me yet, Elsie. Are you sure you have got the exact details 1 " 11 It is all written here, word for word, as Alan repeated it to me," she replied. He read the paper greedily which she handed to him, then placed it in his pocketbook, and drew a deep breath of relief. "So that is all the secret of Demaine's wonderful purple dye," he said. "Well, I rather think now that tbe monopoly is destroyed. Won't the old-fashioned firm be astonished when they find themselves undersold in the market by a dye exactly like their own { " And'he laughed a cruel laugh of triumph. " I always hated Demaine," he continued — " always. This will be splendid revenge, besides making all our fortunes. Bat come, Elsie," he added, "it is time we j were moving. I'll Bee you to the Park gateß, and then I must get back to town." A month passed away, and E'sio was still visiting the Demaines, still, outwardly, engaged to Alan, of whom, nevertheless, she saw very little. " Hugh," Elsie said to her lover one evening, " don't you think " and then she I stopped in confusion. "Think what?" said Hugh idly, without I looking at her. " That it is not very nice nor pleasant for me to be staying at Alan's home, when I haye — betrayed him ? " she ended bravely. " I don't see what else you can do," retorted Hugh lazily, unless you go back to your aunt's." | The girl crimsoned her to brow. j " Couldn't we be married now 1 " she whispered in shamed tones. i He looked at her sharply, then replied, " Look here, Elsie, it is best to be straightforward, so we may as well end this farce at once. I am engaged to my cousin Marian, and we are to be married next month." There was a long silence. Up in the bright blue heavens a bird was carolling merrily, and in a strange mechanical manner

\ Elsie counted five daisies which were in ft cluster at her feet. Then she spoke : 11 So you just used me as a tool, Hugh ? " 11 Yes," he acquiesced, shamefacedly. I She laughed — a strange, hard laugb. "It does cot hurt very much, after all; not very much," she repeated piteously, and then without another word turned and left him. When Alan Demaine reached home that night his mother and sisters met him with the news that Elsie had been suddenly summoned to meet her aunt. "Though when she got the letter I'm sure I don't know," added Enid, suspiciously. Her brother made no reply, but went straight to his own room. And there, on the toilet table, lay a tearstained note. "I have been a wicked, deceitful girl," the letter ran, " and now the greatest punish* ment I have to bear is the knowledge that I have brought ruin upon you." Then followed an explanation ooncerning her curiosity about tbe dye, and the note ended with a plea for forgiveness. In reply Alan wrote as follows : — " My forgiveness you have fully and freely, and I sincerely wish you every happiness in the future. You must not distress yourself about; ' ruiniDg me,' a 8 the seoret (?) which I told you ooncerning the purple dye ie no secret at all, but a very ordinary chemical preparation well known in the trade. For? give me for deceiving you. I overheard your conversation with the scamp who used you as his tool, and I cculd not reßisb my little piece of revenge. The Demaine Dye is a secret still, so you may cease fretting about .that. My mother, who knows nothing, sends you her love. In a day or two I shall simply tell her that the engagement is dissolved. Three months after the despatch of this letter Alan'B manager ceased from troubling? for the new firm failed irretrievably. 11 Hang it all 1 " said Hugh to his confidential assistant. "We have got the correct ingredients, man. It must be in the mixing that we fail." And when his speech found its way to Alan's ears he simply laughed. "It was Delilah who failed," he said to himself, " not the mixing." And then, with a new glad hope springing in his heart, he joined his Bisters and his sisters' friend Monica in the drawing room.