A TEA SHOP IDYLL.

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

A TEA SHOP IDYLL.

Br Nannie Harris Walker. John Dacre was beginning to feel a trifle fatigu-ed ; the pleasant langour of a June afternoon had led him on to 6aunter in lazy, indeterminate fashion through, the quiet, shaded streets which make a network round Piccadilly. He had that morning -been congratulated by his chic on his handling of a case in which he was ■junior, and- a little dawdling after strenuous'work' fitted in with his ideas 'of proportion. A proper time for everything and everything in its nroper time made his unconscious rule of life. Now, on hearing 5 o'clock ring out from a neighbouring steeple, he at once thought of tea, and mentally blamed himself because he was 10 minutes' walk from the special room in which he always had tea when in the neighbourhood of Piccadilly. He stood still for a moment at the corner of — street, debating as to whether he would be able to fit in his favourite afternoon cup with an appointment he had to keep. By a curious chance, " his momentary halt had brought him directly facing 'a card which informed all passers-by of the existence of "The Nest" Tea Rooms. A moment later Mr Dacre had explored a long narrow passage covered with green matting, hacl opened a very prettily stained-glass door, and had discovered "The Nest" to be a charming, low-ceil-inged room, decorated in greys and greens. He seated himself in a comfortable corner. As be waited for \iis tea John Dacre suddenly understood the secret of. the extreme restfulness of his surroundings. He was the only person in the room. It ■was an unusual circumstance, but for the first time in his life the unusual was welcome. In due course the tea came along, and" i with it something still more unusual than having a tea room all to himself in the West End at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. In the wake of the waiting-maid walked a lady — yes. a "lady," John decided — one 1 evert according to his standard, and ho was fastidious. Were it otherwise, per

haps he would .not have put up so patiently with the lady's questions : Whether he liked his tea? Whether he wished for anything more? Whether he found it very hot out of doors? His politeness, however, was about to break under the strain of interrogatives when the lady suddenly said : "Please forgive me for talking. I know it's very unbusinesslike. ' But we were all so delighted to see yovi, _ I felt I must come and say a word or two." "Delighted?" John Dacre's eyebrows went up in their most severe crossexamining style. "Yes," replied the lady ; "this is my first afternoon to open these rooms, and you are my very first customer." There was a touch of pathetic appeal for sympathy in the tone — or, perhaps, John fancied there was, for the speaker was a young and a very charming girl. The position was so interesting that John kept hoping no second customer would come in to divide the honours. No one did, and presently Mr Dacre, the most levelled-headed junior that ever studied a brief, found himself asking the proprietress of "The Nest" to join him in a cup of tea "for luck." - She accepted the invitation, and- he was soon in possession of all the hopes and fears which . surrounded, the starting of a tea shop. He was 20 minutes late -for his appointment — the one point of unusualnees in the afternoon's proceedings which did t not , please him. » - ■ ...•. " • * i It was four weeks exactly since the day on which John Dacre had found himself accidentally standing on the threshold of "The Nest" Tea Room. He was stand' ing there again, but it was with evident intention. Truth to tell, every afternoon of the four weeks had seen him entering "The Nest." Moreover, no complicated legal puzzle had ever caused him so many hours of thought and anxiety as did the prospects of these tea rooms. He did not know what money Miss Ethel Sinclair possessed, but he did know that with such dull business it must be going pretty quickly. On this particular afternoon as he closed the stained-glass door the emptiness of the room corroborated his thoughts of failure with appalling thoroughness. - - Miss Sinclair came to meet him. "You must not look ,6O gloomy," she said. "We were very busy all the afternoon. At 6 o'clock the rush is over." "Is it the rush or the no rush that is making you look so tired?" he said "A little of both, I think ; when a fewpeople crowd in I. "get so anxious it makes me all" nerves^ and' when no. one comes "of course it ' is ." a bit' depressing. But I am full of hope.". - - - '• I "Oh, " yes," said, Jolinj "things are brisker than they were.' T Miss Sinclair smiled. "Thanks to you," she said : "I know that nearly all of the people wh'> have come were sent by you. I'm so thankful, so grateful." ! There was a "suspicion of <teans in the voice. It confirmed John in his supposition that the success of the tea shop meant more to the girl than she was willing to admit. He felt a tightening in his throat as he looked at her. She was co dainty, Iso pretty. Then before he quite realised what he was doing, he" found himself making a proposal of marriage. "Let me take you away from this place and its worries, he said. "I am not rich, but we could manage." "Oh, please don't; please don't," said Miss Sinclair in distress. But John Dacre proceeded with the offer of his home and, in secondary degree (at least, so it sounded), of his heart. In reality his action was not as precipitate as it seemed. In the time he had given every day for a month to the business of the tea shop he had not forgotten its lady. She was, he had decided, just the type of woman he had always meant to have for a wife — a fresh, healthy, handsome girl without- opinions or aspirations. Of course, h& would have preferred to have taken her straight from her home, but as she had to make a living, to be mistress of these dainty rooms, with her maidens about her^ to command, pleased his sense of appropriate employment for a lady. Then most men have- a touch of King Cophetua in them, and the dependent position from which he was to rescue Ethel gave John Dacre an agreeable sense of his own magnanimity. Refusing to see any signs of dissent on Ethel's part John continued his proposal, setting forth his points of view and not taking much pains to hide what a good fellow he thought he was. He was interrupted in the reasoning flow of his senti- ' ments by Miss Sinclair. "I cannot listen any further, Mr Dacre," she said. "Why?" asked John Dacre, more abruptly than politely. "Because," said Miss Sinclair, "you are labouring under a misapprehension. I | really enjoy earning mv own living, and ( I intend >to continue it, and I don't j want either assistance or protection." ( John Dacre felt that something had gone wrong with his method of looking at life. His voice lost its assurance as he said : J'Miss Sinclair — Ethel — you refuse my. offer?" > | • " I do," she said. j "Is there any reason for your refusal , that I can conquer?" he said, feeling, let justice be done him, that he was speaking like an insufferable prig. : Mies Sinclah broke into a merry, ringing laugh. v j "There is a reason," she said — "at least, I consider it a reason — I am not the least i bit in love with you; Mr Dacre." - j John Dacre gathered together his hat, i his gloves, and hie umbrella, and walked towards the door with all the dignity h.e could muster. Before he reached it Ethel followed him. She looked contrite and confused. She held out her hand. "Let me not lose my good friend," she eaid. •I- . ■ ■ The Neet Tea Rooms had entered on a

full tide -of prosperity. It had\bec^^H the "smart thing" to have tea- tb-e^B Ethel Sinclair gave all the credit of,t :^ success — and deservedly — to John Dacreii It was he who suggested a- partner, andi was the means of introducing Mrs Herbertl — paragon of managers and kindest "of! women ; it was .he who explained -_tha.^ moderate prices were a "mistake; — "Charge! half-a-crown and make a compliment " dti providing a table" was the bit of 6ocklwisdom which had filled "The. -Nest."- | r Yet Ethel Sinclair ©eemed to wane, mi looks and spirits in direct proportion t<ji the' increase in .-bhe prosperity of th.4 business. As the weeEs went on Jobjj D acre's visits became rarer "ftrid rarer jij and she began to feel a- loneliness, amidst* the rustling "of silk skirts and the> "clatter! of tea things, that had never oome to "bei; in the days of empty ihairs and undisturbed tables. The longer s however,: the periods between Mr Daore's'l visits the more chilling was the reception^ ha received from Miss Sinclair when, hej did- come. ■ ' He arrived one September^ Saturday aft-ernoon at half-past 6, after anil absence of- three weeks, and Mis& Sinclair^ was so insistent on the fact that^ttey; were just- on the" point' of locking*;, the? door he did -not dare to ask for "-tea*;, particularly as he caw that all- the" waitresses • %ere gone. . ,•_ .- ; .J He remained half an hour, and it'rwas; not until he was ..just .going-, that Ethel > learned the reason of his coming. "" ; - -_^ "I have -been overworking a bit," hi© " said, "and I am going for a long eea trip." "" Ethel smiled bravely 'at the news.' .± ~ "I am glad you are to have- a longholiday," she said. __ She shook hands, looking .. at her brightest, and chut the door — indifferently and hastily thought the man. «__ But tliat last smile was the supremo \ and final effort of Ethel Sinclair's, pride.^ Tears blinded her eyes as she hastily made ! her way into her little private sittingroom.' There she found Mrs Herbert. , "My dear! my dear!" said that lady,? laying -her hand on the girl's .shoulder a as. she saw the tears. The motherly } tone and the affectionate touch unloosed "'' the flood-gates of Ethel's emotion and' reticence. - " "He has been so kind," she sobbed; ."he, has been such a friend. I'll be so" lonely. I'm so sorry." "Who, my dear, who?" ©aid Mrs Herbert. "Mr Dacre," said Ethel. "My brother!" \ kThe exclamation dried Ethel's tears. as , if a. flame had touched them. , • * ■ *" ' "Your r brother f What Viol you mean?" ' } "Yes, "my deaf.* ' I 'always -tjh'ojight it a; .most ridiculo.us r proceeding of'' Jotters.;, he-4 .thought you would* be ,-jprejudi^.ed- against ] me' if. you Knew. "l was I , ;his:' sister. "' Bu'f. j there is the wretched-boy himself ; let huk| explain." """■ " ;\'• '- ," , '-•"", J , It was true. John Dacre was standing in the doorway. ' .' /'I came back ,to tell you about it,"he said, looking at, Ethel. j "Let me get out of such an atmosphere of confusion and deceit/ said Mrs ,He»>; bert, laughing, ""and in- spite . >f '. Ethel's appealing looks she left- her alone .vl.-J .John Daore. . - 1 "I made such an . ass of myself that day," he said ; "I "was such a cad, such a prig, that I was sure you would hate^ anyone belonging to me. t"hat a revenge you have had on me, Ethel : , Every day, every hour, every minute of all these months I have had only one thought, one idea. If she could only love me a little! I would never have dared to tell you only " "You saw me crying and heard. what I a said." - • . "*"-'-' j ' ' "Yes."' . ■ / • 3 "I'm so glad," said -Ethel, as she laid her head on John's shoulder. Mrs Herbert's voice from the shop broke in upon the lovers. "Electric light makes a heavy inroad.] on the expenses, young people," she said j "so we had better be moving befor-'- '-m gets : dark." ' * • ■" i .' 1 By these words Ethel Sinclair' ''was | brought back to a sterner "reality., tliaij business- details. -She -turned pale, - anj| said in a voice which trembled a little : *M "I forgot. I have also a confession 'fl make.- ' I started this shop 'as anexpe\M ment for an elderly relative. - She I JH been ill. I — she looked with some -^M fiance at John — make my Jiving by.wri..^H articles and 'stories. Of' course (hum -^H and nervously) I know this changes eve.^B thing between us." . "^ " My darling !" — it was the conservative- , John who spoke. "I wouldn't care if i you were a Madame d" Stael." « "You still love me?" -•-•; k\ The look in John's eyes answered Ethel. 1 It told the old, old truth that, when love" comes, it is the woman alone who counts, s not any preconceived ideal of her.-^ M.A,P. . - . 1