THE WASP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3756, 9 March 1926, Page 85

THE WASP.

By Julian Duguid. (COPYRIGHT.—Fok THE WITNESS.) "You are such a careless person,” said Rosemary Mostyn, “that I wonder that you have the cheek to propose to me. You would probably mislay me between the vestry and the car.” Marmaduke Molesworth snorted. "You won’t let me try,” he objected. "I should think not,” answered the girl. “You never take the slightest trouble to keep anything you’ve got, so why should there be any reason to suppose you would look after me?” “You wouldn’t like to have me on a month’s trial first?”

“Now you’re being vulgar,” said Rosemary. They relapsed into silence. Marmaduke looked at his companion out of the corner of his eye. He decided that she was well worth any sacrifice she might think fit to exact.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked humbly.

Rosemary looked up at him, a smile in her clear blue eyes. “Now we’re getting to business.” she remarked.

Miss Mostyn was much sought after in Little Bilborough society, so it behoved Marmaduke to be careful- Her deep blue eyes, bobbed hair and neat figure together with her vivacity had long before now caused sleepless nights and pleasant dreams, according to their natures, among the young men of this country town. As vet she had not shown her hand. It pleased her to keep a string of young squires at her beck and call, for the glorification of her sex and her own private satisfaction.

It must not be supposed that she flirted or in any way raised false hopes in the breasts of her admirers. Nothing was farther from her thoughts. She would have considered herself vulgar and cheap if she had bean caught holding hands beneath the table. or she had been caught kissing in the moon-lit shrubbery. Such things were for typists and shop-girls; very pleasant no doubt, hat not "quite nice.” Little Bilborough had taken her to its heart directly she had arrived there. Indeed there was no reason why it shouldn’t do so, for ‘he had charm and social position, a combination which appealed jointly to young men and to their mothers. Her father, a retired Harley street baronet, had helped her popularity considerably by giving those sort of entertainments which youth appreciates. Youth had responded. Lndouhtcdly Rosemary was a favourite. “What do you vant me to do?” repevted Marmaduke.

'n 80r/,e way (hat you are capable of takiiia care of yourself and your belongings. At present vou are iust the eort of sheep that fleecers are locking for. You re such easy game. Do vou remember the time you olaved cards with those sharpers on the way back from Newmarket ?”

yvarmaduxe did--clearly. lie sincerely wished that he had kept quiet about his misfortune. He was not so much stupid as singularlv simple minded: too apt to tax« people at their face value. A tall well-built young man with a pleasant face and drearnv brown eyes, he was popular wherever he went. His obvious negligences were forgiven on account of his good nature. He was ’ov in r the ...oat unPracticai person in Little Bilborough, perhaps as a set-off against his father, an eminent scientist and man of letters who was mm fully methodical

“Thfin there • was ihe incSdant of the horse, continued Rosemary relentlessly. lou can’t have forgotten the coper who so.d you that blind, broker-winded old crock as a good fencer.” Marmaduke changed the subject hastily. “Won’t you come in and look at my wasps?” hr asked. “I completed my collection vesterday. . All the seventy-six varieties are lying in a row ready for your inspection.” Rosemary’s eyes sparkled. l ? Oh ! tnav I?” s he said delightedly. Wasp collecting .was a powerful tie between the two. For more than a year they had been occupied in catching, blowsetting and labelling .all sorts and conditions of wasps. They had made verc good progress, but Marmaduke possessed four or five more specimens than Rosemary. The previous day he had caught toe rarest all, rescuing it fror under the feet of his young brother. He called it Scipio Africanus as being an easier name than that given in hand-book. Rosemary stopped as they were crossing the road and thereby cansed frenzied exclamations from a passing motorist. She held out her hand for the parcel which her friend was carrying. M M must take that home first,” she said, ‘or there won’t be any lunch for us today. After I've left it I’ll come along to you. Go and get the collection ready for inspection.”

Marmaduke went. His sitting-room was a reflection of his mind—untidy except in those things about which he carrd. The table was littered with old newspapers, books and writing materials. An ink bottlo lay on its side, newly emptied. He swept the litter into a large waste-paper basket and placed the ink pot right way n P-

Then he turned to the wasp cabinet. It was in striking contrast with the rest of the room. Neat, though unpretentious, it stood in a corner, a thing apart, as it were, from the unbusinesslike side of his nature. Seen alone it would have stamped him as a methodical man; seen as a part of the whole room it appeared, as ho was, a paradox. He took out the five drawers which the cabinet contained and laid them on the table. Over each was a thick piece of plate glass, fitted in a groove, to prevent the rhist from spoiling the specimens. Each one was carefully set and neatly

labelled with its full Latin name. In brackets were the nicknames wit which he and Rosemary had bestowed on them. “Hadrian Agricola” was so much easier to remember than was polyfexamphidistrum,” for instance.

Marmaduke removed the gla. .loin the drawer which held his latest conquest, Scipio Africanus, and congratulated himself on his luck. Many men, he knew, had searched in vain for years to find this particular wasp ; and he had found it with hardly any trouble! Then he thought of its capture. Had he been half a minute later his small brother would have crushed it under his heel. He shuddered. Such escapes are apt to unnerve the boldest collector.

There was a tap at the door and Rosemary walked in. She was looking prettier than usual Marmaduke decided. She was flushed. Probably with running, he thought. He flattered himself.

“Now let’s look at Scipio Africanus,” she suggested. “Here he is. I’ve taken the glass off his case. Don’t touch him though. He’s only just set.”

The girl looked at the new specimen for a few moments in silence. Then she gasped. “That’s not Scipio Africanus.” she an-, nounoed firmly. “He’s got the wrong marks round his tail. That’s Mrs Hadrian Agricola, only not full grown.”

“It can’t be,” he stammered. "Mrs Hadrian Agricola is in this other case. She’s quite different.” “Go and fetch a magnifying glass,” commanded Rosemary.

When Marmaduke returned Mrs Hadrian Agricola occupied the place of Scipio Africanus. He looked at the girl, stupefied. She talked on, unheeding, the lens held close to the wasp.

“You see the marks about the tail are not in any way like those of the real Scipio Africanus. The black line ought to be wider and ought to end abruptly just at the place where it goes on ” She straightened herself up. “If you’ve nothing better to show me than a half-grown Mrs Hadrian Agricola I will go back to lunch,” she announced coldly.

Marmaduke showed her out, without a word. He was too bewildered to speak. He knew he had not been' mistaken. Scipio Africanus had been in the case when he ] eft the room; Mrs Hadrian Agricola was there when he came back. Being in love with Rosemary he tried to make excuses for her theft. She was passionately eager to complete her collection, and there is no collector in the world who has not, at some time or other, lusted after the possessions of another collector. Rosemary had been suddenly tempted, he felt sure, and, as suddenly, had fallen. She would probably take some means to return it, with or without confessing. The telephone bell rang. Marmaduke answered it. Rosemary was speaking to him. Vaguely he thought that it was rather a public day of telling him ! \vhat she had done. Gradually it dawned on him what she was saying. “ Marmaduke,” an exultant voice caiue from far away, it seemed, " Marmaduke, I have just had such a piece of luck. I’ve found a Scipio Africanus in a pot of jam. I’ve set him. You must come down after lunch to look. I feel so exultant after your mistake. I know its beastly of me, but I do.” She rang off. Marmaduke realised, as through a mist, that he had promised to go round in the afternoon. He went, taking with him a minute pair of forceps. In the middle of Rosemary’s collection lay Marmaduke’s Scipio Africanus. Before she could stop him lie had pulled up the pin on which the wasp was set. Carelessly he bumped the insect on the side of the case. The namesake of the famous Romac general broke in two. Rosemary screamed. Marmaduke seemed unconcerned. He took from his pocket the tiny pair of forceps and picked up the broken body of the wasp. From the large, empty pouch near its tail ne pulled out a piece of thin paper such as scientists use. Slowly he unfolded it, looking the while at Rosemary. She returned his gaze fearlessly. On the paper was written*. " Property of Marmaduke Molesworth.” Dropping the body of Scipio Africanus he stamped on it. Then he walked out of the room without a word, Throughout, the interview neither had spoken. Late the same night that princess of listening-in, the girl at the telephone exchange, heard the following conversation. It did not interest her very much owing to the . number of unintelligible names used. Marmaduke: "That you, Rosemary?” Voice, rather sulkly, probably Rosemary: "Yes. What do you want?” Marmaduke: "Look here, old thing, I’m awfully sorry I behaved so badly this afternoon. It doesn’t matter a bit about Scipio Africanus.” Rosemary (with a half inaudible sigh of relief, coldly): “I should have thought you might have trusted me that far. Now Scipio is of no use to anybody.” Marmaduke: " What did you want him for, anyway ? ” Rosemary: “ I didn’t want him.” Marmaduke: " Then why did you ” Rosemary (coldly): “Go on—ask it. Why did I steal him.” Marmaduke (appalled at the word) : “ Rosemary! ” Rosemary: “Now confess! You did think I stole it for my collection ? ” The telephone girl pricked up her ears, but speedily dropped them again, overwhelmed in a maze of Scipio Africanuses, Hadrians Agricola, and Marcus Aureliuses.

Rosemary: Why did you think I had done it ? ” Marmaduke (hesitatingly): “Well, to be quite honest, I thought you had been tempted to take it so as to crow over me.” Rosemary (softly): "Would you like to marry me ? ” Marmaduke: “ Darling! ” Rosemary: "You have won me. I told you I would marry you if you showed signs of having the sense to look after your own property. The piece of paper inside Scipio Africanus convinced me that you are capable of looking after me as well as yourself.” Marmaduke: ‘"Darling! To think that • was beast enough to suspect you of ” Rosemary (reflectively): "It’s a pity that Scipio had to be broken, but then you were so hasty. However, we liave a long time in front of us in which to find another one.” The telephone girl had been too mystified to realise what had taken place. It was Scipio Africanus who had mystified her. So the news of the marriage which had been arranged between Marmaduke Molesworth and Rosemary Mostyn came from their own mouths ami not from idle gossip.