A MAN AND A MAID.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 90

A MAN AND A MAID.

By Gladys Harvey.

The air was full of the incense of summer. The breeze that stirred the trees bor« a hundred fragrances on its- wings. Over the jasmine scrub, across the lily flats, and. along the tea-tree margined banks of the creek it caught and held the blended perfumes; It fluttered the stray Jiaif of a eirl standing on the brow of a grass-clad hill.' She put her hand up to her "head and straightened her falling locks. , _, "It is good," she exclaimed rapturously — " so good. Oh, how I have starved for this!" . Helen -Meredith was a pretty girl, and .a irne-bom Aiisti alian.Tßer father, an Englishman, .of the ,old School, had, when bis daughter arrived, 'at the age .of sixteen, sent' her to jus .people_ so that. her education -might be conducted as_ befitted one of her name. But -three years at one of the .best ."schools in. Europe had left the hush .girl quite unspoiled: ; She /had only .arrived' home the previous day, and this, ter 'first mornlngr was being spent in seeking out her* old "haunts. . • ', H«leD had no- mother, and the void in iher heart was, in part, filled by her love pf Nature. .._•* She" gloried ia every changing cloud-r-every .varying shade in the mountain^ curves, where" violet darkened to blue* and where the white crags were sunkiseed to*~golden. "It was, good to see it 4gap.' . , The J' girl looked, at. it lovingly : tEen her ■> mood- fell back- -into a -restful dream; -in which retrospection played a 3big ' ,- ■ At last her reverie ended, and sfee came ix>_ a , big -grey boulder, where she had been wont to dream^ her childhood dreams. Nature had played a strange freak here. The big grey rock had one corner shapen .like an easy chair. This had always been' a favourite resting place of hers. Suddenly hoof-strokes sounded on. the hard road- behind her. -The. rider came on whistling.* Helen Meredith stood up, .feeling more than -seemg 'the presence near her. The rider' rounded the spur of the hill, and saw the figure before him. He pulled up with a jerk,' and looked a very figure of equestrian grace- on the" back' of his big brown horse.' ' He swung out of the saddle wid^came forward,-* But he stopped a few ycrds from, her a:nd^ took in every detail 'of- tie, graceful girl standing expectant teforf\himr .'The dancing «eyes, '.the. smiling lips, .the hands, - and, .more than all,. her well-cut clothes and air of grbwn-upness. Mark ■ Cheriton. was lithe and tall and pleasant to behold. He wa« dressed in typical - bushnxan'sl attire, wi^b soft shirt, loose trousers , encased to the .knee with well-worn legg|ings ; - his knotted scarf was . deep maroon, and bhe handkerchief that did duty for a belt was of the same hue. He looked a healthy, hardy Australian — a toiler of the bush, — but the "word gentleman was stamped on his personality. "Mark ! It is surely Mark !" and a little gurgling note of pleasure rippled on her lips. "Is it Helen? Little Nell Meredith!" The man's eyes were bright with surprise. Btit his words came somewhat slowly. "Nell, how good it is to ccc you again. I did not know you were home yet." , "Then this is a chance meeting?" "It je that. . 1 just came on to report ia mob -of our, cattle going through, and never bargained for this." . .The .man looked at the girl with keen tidmiration. "You are grown up, Nell ; you have grown away from me ; you are more Ross Merjedith's daughter than ever "now." But she shook her head. "You are just as imaginative as ever. i have not changed one little bit." " I hope not." "Do you think Cavalier will let' me pat Jiim ?" v ; "You know him, and he was only a Colt when you went away?" "When may I have a ride upon him?"' " Any time you like." "Suppose yon -out me up now — just for § Canter along the flat. I \rould love- to j feel a saddle under me again." "Right you are, but won't you spoil your town togs'?" "My town togs, indeed! Why this i-. tny sere;e travelling frock ; it has done some Alpine climbing, too. ~ A, Mark, you could have seen that Alpine scene I viewed when jirst I donned it. Great valleys of white, great spires of white, and ■walls showinsr- a ehostlv grey at their base, where the 6now of years, lies, and a dazzling white where the ice was a thine of months only. It was glorious, fr'ark — glorious to feel one's _ f tronirth and youth and iovous animal spirits. As you know, I climb well, but I never climbed anything tougher than Mount Ida. Xook at it now with those gleaming lights upon it! Do you remember our mountain picnic, and how we got lost, and you were jammed in a crevice, and I thought you were never going to get out?" "And you cried !" "I did not! But lend me your hand; I must have this canter." He swung her up easily. "You have had "some practise eince I left." "Only mv cousin Madge, aged sixteen, and Lily Crossley, aged fourteen." £ 'How dreadfully precis© we- are 1 " "Thought jou would be interested in the fact." Helen rod« off. and Mark stood and •w&tched her as she shook her reins and Cavalier stretched his long neck and dropped into a long easy canter. She esune back Rowing with excitement, and invited Mark in to morning lea. Bat a«

he - crossed the threshold he knew that there was a nameless feeling of antagonism from Helen's father. Mark' closed his lips, but the light of battle was in his eyes and a new resolution in his heart. Mr Meredith gave his daughter a royal home'-eoming. There was to be an oldfashioned station ball, and he drew out a list of those to be invited. Nell noticed with some surprise that Mark's name was not upon the card. She came to her father with flushed cheek. "How- is it that Ernest Cheri€on's namt> is among those to be invited' and Mark's is absent ? Is this an omission, or is it "intentional i" •"Well, I am not quite sure. Mark and I aTe not on the best of terms. He is inclined- to treat me with less respect than I like, and you must remember he is working for his -cousin." "Yes, but Ernest would not be such a cad as to keep him away from my dance. In I should like to see any man attempt to keep- Mark away from a dance at Yarrow.". - "I am afraid he won't get a chance of accepting." v - -./'But her .will. I'll eend him an invitation myself." - -" I ' request you to do 'nothing of the kind, r and_ while we are discussing the ball: I want to know if you have anything decent to wear. Daphne Carew wears beautiful gowns, ' and I don't wish her to eclipee my daughter altogether. By the way, I hear they have a baronet staying with them, so be particular that Mrs Carew gets an invitation for herself and friends. Carew mentioned to me that their visitor is very nice and. has any amount of money, so he will be an acquisition to. our. dance." ,- "Just so," and Helen gave her father a swift, searching glance that confused •him. "What is the name of this wonderful man? " " Sir Vernon Morton. '* Nellie gave a start, but did not say anything. A few days later Mrs Cheriton and her daughter Madge drove over to call upon her. Mark's aunt and cousin were special favourites at Yarrow, and to the latter Nell confided the rank injustice done to Mark, and when they drove away Mad.ge carried back a dainty little note with a special invitation to Mark from the young hostess. The broad verandahs of Yarrow looked veritable bowery of loveliness/ Nellie ■had done, things very smartly. There were- alcoves of rustic simplicity ; there -were" alcoves like bits of Belgravia transplanted to the bush ; cosy corners 'abouiiidi&d, * but, best of all, Nell had left 'plenty' of -dancrog room. Her one disappointment was that Mark had written .to say his cousin refused to give him leave' to attend her dance. Nell would not believe, it, and when she saw Mr Ernest Cbsriton arrive with his mother and sister only her heart grew very sore and hot. But she had not time for regrets. Mrs Cai*ew and her daughter -were coming in. The newest arrival looked handsome and imposing in her rich evening l^own; her daughter Daphne very fair and regal looking in the prettiest dress in the room. She complimented Nellie on her brilliant achievement ; then, she turned to her escort. " Let me introduce Sir Vernon Morton to you, Miss Meredith" — but a soft ripple of surprised laughter broke upon the girl's lips and a joyous exclamation from the man. " Sir Vernon and I are old friends. We used to play tennis together at my aunt's place in Sueeex." . " And jolly .good tennis we played too ; but I remember you best in the "saddle. Do you remember our Quorn meeting?" „ "Don't I, indeed. How Mollie Leegh and I did go that morning. It was my first fox hunt, and I shall never forget it." And to Mrs Carew's amazement and annoyance they started a rippling fire of reminiscences, .and she andi her daughter were quite overlooked. Helen Meredith had two dances with Sir Vernon. She grew confidential over the second, and imparted a secret to* him. Mark was present, _ unknown, to his cousin, but it was in the shade of the vines or in the darkened recesses that he took his vantage point.. Sir Vernon, who held a very warm spot in his heart for his young Australian friend, constituted himself her ally on the spot. She x&s, going to dance with Mark, but she wanted Sir Vernon to take her indoors after it was over. He agreed willingly. He declared he was longing to have a cigar in the cool garden, and gloried ins the. touch of romance promised. So Nellie ha,d her dance ; away down among the shadows of the end verandah Mark and she whirled backwards and fro to the dreamy music. When it stopped Sir Vernon took ;he girl back to tR© ballroom. Mr Meredith glanced at them approvingly. Three times during the evening Mark succeeded in having Nell as a partner ; once it was his cousin Ernest's dance ivhich he appropriated, and again- it was Sir Vernon's. The night wore on apace, and the young hostess stole into the supper room to put some" fresh touches to the tables. This room was not opened to the public, therefore it was quite understandable that Mark should have waited in it. When Sir Vernon asked Nellie if he might accompany her she flushed and laughed, and openly owned that she wa6 going to talk to Mark for a while. ** "Take me- in and introduce me," he retorted, and she was forced to accede to his request. Mark rose from the depths of his easychair with an uncertain light in his eyes. But Nellie laughed softly. " This' is a friend of mine, Mark — Sir Vernon Morton. He cays you 'rooked' him for a dance, a,nd he wants have it out with you." "I'm intereet&d in you." returned the baronet. "There is something out of the common in all this." His very friondli-

ness charmed' Mark at once. The feeling ! seemed mutual, and while Nellie turned up the lights and placed a few additions to the table Mark and Sir Vernon stepped out into the garden and had' a friendly confab. , In the end Mart returned alone, and ; Nellie kept the supper waiting five minutes while she protested against Mark's masterful wooing. Finally she fled from him with glowing cheeks and tingling ears and her lips hot with his betrothal kiss. Sir Vernon took her in to supper. "I ■like that knight -errant of yours,' he said. "I irish his cousin would give him the sack — notice how colonial I have become already, — for I have .something in view for him. The only objection is that the situation is for a married man." Nellie blushed divinely, and the man laughed teasingly. "Do you think you could persuade him to alter his state?" " "Sir Vernon, you know what has happened? " • "Well, I quite expected that you -would have some news for me ; .but don't look so conscious — your fatlher has hie eye on me. I believe that toe would favour me as a~son-in-law more than Mark Cheriton ; but I can't do it, Nellie — I really can't ; lam already booked. Do you. remember Doris Landew, with whom we picnicked on the 'cliffs of Llanigaloo? She has stolen my heart.. I 6pent" last Christmas wdth her folk, and fell deeper in love than ever. We are to be married next year, and I would like to carry back your congratulations with me. She always declared that I tried to .win you, and that you were half in. love with me. I told; her you were only flirting. That was right, was it not?" " Certainly it was, for Mark was always Mark to me ever since I knew' him." When Sir Vernon bade his hostees g6odi-bye he told her she would hear from him before he sailed. Ernest Cheriton and Mark had a big row when, the former found the trick his cousin had played upon him. He dismissed him abruptly. Mark at once rode over to Yarrow to oid Nell adieu. He met Mr Meredith, J3&ho gave him a very cool welcome, and declined to ask him inside. But Nellie came out holding a letter in her hand. " A 'letter I i-eceived enclosed in one from Sir Vernon. He told me to leave it until you called here." Mark tore it open, and Mr Meredith looked hard at him while he* read. A rippl© ran over his brown face. . "Sir Vernon has bought- Dartmouth Downs,- and' has offered me the position" of manager -with a salary of ' £300. ; I 6uspect-you~ar.e x m the secret. What does it mean, Nell? " , , . " FrieHd'ship .and business - combined, I fancy. He hinted to me that if " you .could get yourself dismissed' by your cousin he could assist you, but as one of the conditions was that you were to be married I did not say anything. I think, however, that the present would be a good opportunity to ask father for his consent to our engagement." "Then this has come to pass unknown to me.'-'* ' '" "Nellie and I have loved each other for years. I trust that you are going to give your consent ,21-aciously." The older man laughed. "I see you don't intend to observe any objections, go I think', for obvious reasons, that I had better consent graciously, as you term it." He kktsed his daughter andi laid her hand in the broad, brown palm of the bushman. " I think he will be a tower of strength against which you may safely lean. The fates are with you, theref orev it is no use -brushing against them. ' What is to be to be .is,' cays Gordon, and I agree with him. Get away inside. I'll 6ee your horse is turned out, Mark."