UP-TO-DATE STORIES FOR LUCAL READERS.

Southland Times, Issue 19197, 7 November 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

UP-TO-DATE STORIES FOR LUCAL READERS.

Under False Colors.

Never mind, Nannie, dear, perhaps something will turn up soon. I haven't heard yet about that last story I sent to the Soreecher ; they may take it. You never know your luck ! " the speaker tinished cheerily, though with a half-smothered sob behind her optimistic speech. " Poor Nora ! " said the sick girl, turning a loving look upon her companion, " always so hopeful and so brave. If I were only not like a stone tied round your neck, dear, lying helpless here " " A stone round my neck," cried Nora, going down upon her knees besides her sister's couch, " my greatest blessing, yqu mean ! Why, whatever should Ido without you? Dut let us cheer up, Nannie, my screw for teaching that little fiend of a Harper boy must be due next week, and I have a little money to yo on with. If only I could get something to do in the afternoons or evenings, though I should hate leaving you alone, dear," she said, turning involuntarily to her invalid sister. " Oh, that wouldn't matter. I have my crochet, you know. It's the only way I can make a few pence," the other said wearily. " We won't talk any moro about money," Nora said cheerily, as she kissed her sister and rose from her knees. '• I spent a whole penny on a paper to-day, so as to look at the advertisements, so here goes 1 " and she unfolded the paper. "Hero, Nannie, here is something for me," and she read excitedly : " Lady typist wanted from three till seven daily, nsual terms, apply three to-day. G. C. 1-3, Scribbler-street." "Where is my hat? Where are my gloves ? " she exclaimed. " My clear Nora," said her sister, more calmly, " you have had no lunch ; you mustn't go away hungry." " Oh, that doesn't matter," said Norai as she hurriedly put on her hat. "If I get the post I'll have a double tea afterwards. There's the postman ! " as a knock was heard. " I'll just run and sec what it is ! " She came back looking rather crestfallen with the familiar long envelope in her hand. " My story back from the ' Screecher,' " she said, n little bitterly. " Oh, poor Noni ! " said Nannie. " Never mind, dear, luck must turn some day ; but it is hard lines to got my ' GrTp of Iron ' back, for I know it isn't half bad. Never mind, Nankin Blue, I must be off ; ta-ta ! " and with that she (lew down the tang staircase. "Poor Nora," said Nannie Nugent, brushing away a tear, " with all her spirit and her hope, what is to become of us ? What is to become of us?" and she rocked herself to and ho. , The girls bad had tifty pounds left them by their grandfather, and so Jar had managed to rub along, their only outside means of sub-si-u-nci- lu-injj a misf ruble- pittance Nora earned liy daily teaching, and what Nannie could mi. 'm- by her beautiful wovk.

Nora's heart beat high as -She ran up the narrow, dirty staircase which she Wats told led to the " advertisement."

On the landing outside the door were four or rive persons of various ages, and in attire of varying shabbiness.

One elderly woman leaned wearily against the stair-rails ; another, even more anxiouslooking, had seated herself on a broken box outside th<; door.

At this moment a noise was heard upon the staircase, and a head appeared upon the landing below.

" Good heavens ! " said a man's voice, " there's a crowd there ! " as he looked up and saw the response his single advertisement had brought forth. " Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies," he continued, as he unlocked his oll'inu door. " Now, how shall I interview you ? Perhaps you will come first ? " he said politely to Nora, after ti hurried glance at the other applicants.

" Now, Miss Nugent," said Geoffrey Churnmde, cheerfully, as he hung up hisco.it and hat, " we'll have a good long evening's work at the novel. , Those miserable pot boilers' havr* kept me ba«k half the week. I only sent .'Jones 'half that story for thiy month's " Gossiper," but if he wants the other he is to let me know to-morrow, and it will have to be done somuhow.

" But you look off color ; are you ill. Miss Nugent?" and, an Geoffrey looked at her. he became conscious of a sudden feeling of interest in this typewrite!' girl, whom he had hitherto looked upon as only a part of his machine.

" No," said Nora, laughing, as she imagined cheerily, " I can't afford to be ill." " Hard lines, isn't it? " said Geofirey ; " but I say," he continued, looking at her again, " are you awe you take enough care of yourself ? Isn't this rather thin for a day like this ? " he said gingerly, touching the well worn black cape which was Nora's sole outer covering, '-and arc you sure— women are so careless about that sort of thing " — he said apologetically, " are you sure you have had a good lunch to-day ? " " Forgive me if I seem impertinent, but I know the sort of thing — bread and batter " —or without the butter, Noni thought— " water, tapioca, that is what my sisters used to be so fond of, but hern, you know, one must eat well. Now, what you want is a trood. large beefsteak. Will you do what I ask you ? " lie said more gently. "'What is it? I think wo are wasting time, Mr. Churnside. We had better get to work," she answered.

" Come down with me to' the restaurant round the corner and have some lunch— to please me — now do ! " he pk-aded. Poor Nora's eyes were swimming in tears — half from hunger, half from gratitude for the unaecustonuul dare lavished upon her.

During the intervals of devouring lunch she toldTi im some of her troubles, of Nan's weakness, her own inability to keep the wolf from the door.

11 Sound;; like the tale of a budding novelist," siiid Churnside. •' I've been hungry myself before now. You ought to take to writing. Miss Nugent." •' I do write," she replied timidly. " Oh. you do, do you ? " the man replied. '• For fashion papers, I suppose ? "

" No," said Nora, " I write stories." " But," he continued more kindly, "you haven't had much luck yet, perhaps ? " " None," she replied, with bitterness. " Dear, denr," lie said, sympathetically, " but luck will turn, you know ; it does for us all some day. Bring me some of your work to-morrow ; I will have a.look at it." She had brought the "Grip" of Iron," neatly tied up in a parcel, in her muff, but the whole conversation seemed to have slipped from Mr. Churnside's memory, and her typewriter had to fly more quickly than usiuil to complete the requisite number of pages, ns her employer was obliged to go out. He was in such a hurry he hardly waited to say goodbye, and Nora felt a curious feeling of desolation us she was loft alone with the neatly tied sheets before her, instead of the exultation which would have been hers a ' week ago on knowing that she was free to ] return to Nannie an hour earlier than usual. As she arose to put on her cloak, she heard a step ascending the stairs. , The postman's knock meant a, parcel, and i she hastened to bring it in. The printed , label on the packet showed that it was from the " Gossiper " office. " They may want the rest of it typed — I • had better open it and see," she said aloud. To her astonishment, instead of proof- i sheets, an unused MS. was disclosed as she unfolded the paper. A note lay on the top, which read ns follows : " Dear Churnside : This is not quite up to your usual, and we have decided not to use it. Can't you send us something in one number, more in the style of the last you Rent. Please let us know itt once if you have anything suitable vc-ndy. niid if so please send to-uigut. I will fomtud cheque on receipt." " Loughtu't to have opened it," she sis id ; "but" — then her eyes fell upon the parcel in j her muff, in which the " Grip of lion " lay. " Why shouldn't I," she said. "I'll till j him afterwards." * a » " Can yon explain this, Miss Nugent ? " said Churnside, two morning* la tor. All the day before she hud tried to pluck up courage to tell him what she knew— sooner «r later he must inevitably li.id out — but lise words seemed to stick in her throat. j "Do you remember," continued Churnside, " what I nulled that story of which I sent the first part to the ' Gossiper ' ? I thought it was ' A Iloimuice of last Hummer.' or something iike that, but they must have muddled me up with somebody else, for they cull it ' A Grip of Iron ' ! They're mighty complimentary, too, I must say," he added. Listen : " Dear sir : We have read with nilention your short story Rnd think it is the best thing we have hitherto had from you. Send us as much as you like of thnsamc sort, and we cun guarantee insertion." " You will notii-e cheque inclosed is at nn increased rate of remuneration, and we consider ' The drip of Iron ' worth it." " Now, did you ever hear anything like that ? " he concluded in a puzzled voice ; '■ veiv nice if I iKsoi'tcd it, but I ne\er wrote the thing in my life." Nora's face hud turned to a ghastly pallor. " Mr. Churnsidc," she be^nn, and with speech greater strength cumc to her — "I have a confession to make to you. The ' Gossiper ' sent back part of the story you had sent to them, they — they said it was not very not suitable. I •inciin," she hastened to u<M — " they wanted a story complete in one issre — I had brought down the MS. of a story I bad written to show you — you remember, you asked me to do so ? " and she gained eournge to look at him. "You had evidently forgotten about having done so," she continued timidly, " but I hr.d the MS. with me, and the temptation w-ik too great. I sent it to the * Gossiper' as if from you. Believe me," she implored, " I di-.l not moan to do you hnnn—l only wished to insure that my story would hove the justice of being read. They say beginners' work is never read — I did not menu to hurt your reputation — indeed, indeed I did not." " Seems to me yon have incrensca it," Churnside said rather bitterly. '• Did it never * occur to you, Miss Nuf,'«nt, that you were doing a dishonorable tiling hi opening uiy letters and a dishonest one in using my name?" " I opened the letter with no dishonorable intention," she answered indigiiaiitly 1 "you left early on that day, and you had told mo they might want the second instalment of your story in a hurry — so 1 opened it to see, anil mennt to leavo a r.ote fov you, saying I could either return to type it that night, or do it at home, if you sent me the rough copy." " I was very wrong in what I did, and I am sorry, but if you think me dishonest, I had better go," and she turned toward the door. " Stop a minute," said Churnside, as he fingered the cheque. " This is yours ; I hud better sign it in yonr favor, and then you can cash it. I shall write to the ' Gossiper ' and explain— as they think ao highly of your work— they will probably take more of it— but of course you understand I cannot rmi the risk of your opening any more of my letters." " You mean," said Nora, as she turned and indignantly faced him, " that you dis. miss me ? I think I told yon I was going without waiting to be dismissed — but li.-»|<jn one moment," she cried passionately, " before you send me away in disgrace. I have not stolen yonr money." " " Much as I require It, I would rather not take the cheque. I did not mean to steal your reputation— l only wished to insure my tale being read— for I felt it had grit in it— l have made a dreadful mistake,, and I am sorry, but you don't know — you don't know what it is to be starving like we are." " The lunch you gave me on Wednesday was the first decent irieal I had tooted for weeks; we had no fire all last winter— and I am trusting to what you owe me to meet the rent of our poor little room." " Miss Nugent, will you forjrivff.fne 't " he said gently. "lam a brute ; I confess I was angry and jealous of your being able to write better than I could — and I lost my temper. Here, take the money — it i.s voii who hnvo earned it— buy what yon need, and come back to-morrow at the usual time." » » • The story of the year— some two years later —was said to be one 'by the joint authors, " G. C. and N. Churnside," but Geoffrey says he owes the greater part of fame he now enjoys to his clever and original wife.