A MAN OF ACTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3475, 19 October 1920, Page 58

A MAN OF ACTION.

By Henry Irving Dodge

(Copyright.)

John Desmond awoke at three in the morning and tossed about in his bed. Within him a fierce struggle between the brain and the heart was in progress. He employed every scheme that he was aware of to court or compel sleep, without success.

Suddenly the truth dawned upon him, like a flood of soft warm light. He was in love. The love of his life, compared with which all his past loves were mere idle fancies.. The battle was over. John Desmond, thirty, lawyer, athlete, man ot the world, was conquered. Being a man' of action, Desmond no sooner acknowledged to himself that he really was in love wiMi Kate Evanston than he resolved to marry her at the earliest possible day.

Kate Evanston was seated at-the piano in the drawing room of Mrs Saulsbury's beautiful home, where she was employed as companion to the lady of the house. The rich light of a middle-May evening pervaded the place. Her fingers were softly bringing back memories of Erminie and other Casino delights as her thoughts travelled back over the past. After a time she arose from the piano, and picking up a number of photographs of John Desmond's friends that lay upon the table, seated herself upon a sofa with her back to the door and proceeded to contemplate each of them. Desmond returning home early that evening let himself into his aunt's house very quietly with his latch key, hoping to catch Kate at the piano in the middle of one of the sweet airs which he had grown of late to love.

He approached the great drawing room doors and took a peep through the crevice which separated them. In an instant his heart seemed to cease beating with almost electrical suddenness, for the sight which his maddened brain encountered filled him with rage and jealousy.

With a heart of ice and lead he was about to turn to leave the house as noiselessly as he had entered when the sinking sun shot a ray of light into the room and revealed something which made the blood course faster through his body than it had ever coursed before. Then he turned away, and, closing the door very softly behind him, descended the front steps of the house and .passed down the street.

Mrs Saulsbury and Miss Evanston wero at their dessert that evening before John appeared. He had left word in the morning that he might be detained until a late hour/ and so they had not waited dinner for him. \

Mrs Saulsbury noticed that her nephew seemed to be labouring under considerable restraint, and bluntly asked him the cause - but the good body's solicitude met only with evasion, and she presently gave up all attempts to draw anything from him, and retired early to her room, leaving John and Kate alone together. No sooner had Mrs Saulsbury quitted the dining-room than Desmond turned to Kate, and said: "Miss Evanston, I'm going to ask you to do me a favour."

Kate looked at him inquisitively. "I want you," he continued", "to accompany me on a bit of a shopping tour. I've got a peculiar mission to execute, and I want your help. Will you do it?" "To be sure. I shall be most happy, Mr Desmond," Kate answered, "and it you'll excuse me I'll be prepared in a very few minutes."

The streets were dark by the time they left the house for the shopping quarter of the town, and Kate took Desmond's arm. They had walked for a few moments in silence when Desmond said: "I want to explain this errand to yon, and no doubt you, too, will think it peculiar. As a matter of fact, I've been commissioned to arrange for the wedding ot two very dear friends."

"Two couples?" Kate asked, quietly. "Why, no I only one couple; a man and a woman," John answered, somewhat puzzled at the question. "And was she a very dear friend?" the girl on his ami asked. "Yes; the dearest, friend I ever had among women; in fact, the only woman I ever really cared for." In a moment John was half-sorry, halfglad he had said this, for he felt the little hand of his companion withdrawn until only the tips of the fingers rested upon his arm. "That's a good sign," ha mused. / For a. moment nothing was said; then Miss Evanston broke the silence. "And didn't she care for you?" she asked. ' "Yes," he replied. "She loved me, and she still loves me." Presently Kate's curiosity got the better of her judgment, and she asked: "And the man—you'aay he's a dear friend too?' "Yes," replied Desmond, "the only one I ever trusted absolutely." "And does he know that you love her, and that she loves you?"' "He knows absolutely that I love her, and he is mighty certain that she loves me." Kate was now thoroughly mystified.' "And which of them asked you to arrange for the wedding?" she asked. "He did," replied John curtly. _ Kate could only say: "Well, this mission, as you term it, certainly is inexplicable." . . \ "Oh, no, it isn't," said John. "It will all seem quite simple when the explanar tion come 3, if any is needed. In fact, I think it will explain itself. Just, you keep those eyes of yours open, and you'll see it all very shortly." Presently John touched his companion slightly on the arm and drew her into the shop of the village jeweller. "Now, I want you to pick out the kind of a wedding ring you think the bride should get," he said- . When he had paid for and pocketed the plain gold band, they resumed stheir walk down the village street, and stopped at the local office of a great metropolitan daily, and Desmond, leaving at one side, went up to the desk, and wrote out a brief notice, and was about leaving with her when the advertising clerk called after him, and said that he had not told him when he wished the notice to be inserted. "Why, to-morrow, of course," Desmond replied. ".Now then," said John, as they turned into a side street, "we'll go and make arrangements for the parson to tie the knot, and. then we will have finished our. mission. They turned into the gravel walk leading to the Reverend John Barclay's house, and had just reached the vine-clad porch when Desmond stopped suddenly, as if - he had but that moment thought of an important thing ? and, turning to Kate, who was standing close to him, almost, whispered: "I want to ask another favour of you," bending his face close to hers, "I want you to let me kiss you before we,go in there." And it was done in; a moment. l " Before Kate could recover from the perfect amazement into which John's action had thrown her, he had dexterously drawn her arm through his, and, leading her up the steps, had rung the door bell. The Rev. Barclay answered the metallic summons in person, and gave John a most cordial welcome, which surprised Kate, for she had always supposed John an agnostic, and didn't think that he numbered members of the clergy among his intimates. "Mr Barclay," began John, when they had entered the snug parlour, where the. good gentleman's wife was seated doing some fahcywork, "I've come oyer to-night to arrange for a wedding,' and I want you to perform the ceremony." "When is it to come off," asked the clergyman, consulting a small date book which he drew from his waistcoat pocket. "Immediately," said John. Reverend Barclay cast a quiet glance at Kate. "And who* are the parties to bo married?" he asked. John took Kate's hand in. his own, and answered firmly: "This lady, Miss Kate, Evanston, and myself." Kate could not believe her ears. She stared at John in amazement. He. hastened to reassure her. "You're excited, my dear Kate. Calm, yourself." The whole truth came home to h<er. The explanation of the mysterious errand was solved. She looked into John's eyes and read love unspeakable, and her own answered in kind. She went through the ceremony like one in a dream, and feared it was a dream, and hoped if it were she would never awaken. The parson tied the knot, and John slipped the ring which Kate had selected upon her finger, and then the parson insisted upon his osculatory perquisite, and then they started for home, both supremely happy. All the way back Kate clung strongly to John's arm. Before they had quitted the' Barclay garden Kate said to Desmond -. "Why did you want to kiss me before we went into the house?" "I'll tell you," returned John promptly, "You see, Barclay and I were class mates, I know his propensities, and I didn't want to suffer the reflection in after years that he had kissed my wife first." When the happy couple, reached their own home, Kate said: • "You are the most audacious man I ever met. You bought the ring, and even inserted a notice of our marriage before you asked me to "marry you. Tell me why you did not ask me first? How did you know I'd not refuse to marry you and make a scene in the minister's house?" And Desmond answered: "When a man of action sees a girl kissing his picture, he knows that the time for action, not' words, has come, and he carries her off to the parson." Kate blushed furiously, and pressing her « face against his shoulder whispered ev« so low, "I love an. audacious man.**-