A SHORT STORY. A LABOUR OF LOVE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 276, 26 December 1914, Page 4

A SHORT STORY. A LABOUR OF LOVE.

[Copyright.]

[By Winifred Graham.]

"Good-bye, darlings; I am so sorry to leave you on your holiday." A very pretty woman bent down to kiss a pair of rosy-cheeked boys. They hung round her neck affectionately. She did not seem to fear their little brown fingers would soil her immaculate lace dress. The kisses had an evil effect on her large picture hat, but she soon rectified the trouble before a mirror in the hall.

The day school Teddy and Roy attended economised its holidays—a whole one proved a great event.

Mrs Stuart's dainty little feet stepped into the victoria; Teddy caught a glimpse of very high bronze heels, the colour of his mother's hair, in the sunlight. "You have a treat in store to-day," she said. "Don't forget you lunch with Uncle Robert.''

Sir Robert Dunbar was seldom at home; he lived in a great house a mile distant. The boys were devoted to, him—perhaps the proverbial love of the eow for the haystack had something to do with their devotion.

the carriage drove away Teddy followed the large picture hat shielding: its wealth of red-gold hair with big, wistful eyes. '"lsn't she pretty?" he said, sighing deeply. Roy nodded assent, as he stooped to pat a shaggy poodle, whose thick winter coat gave him a hot, unfashionable ap- ! pearance on this glorious spring morning. "I wish we could do something for her," went on Teddy, continuing his line of thought. '' I don't believe she wanted to go to, that wedding —she would rather have been with us on our holiday, but the wedding was settled a long time ago. I wonder why people get married! " Roy considered a moment.

"Oh, it is because they are in love," he said, proud of his superior knowledge oh the subject. "When a man loves a girl, I've heard.-he always wants to do something her, so I suppose he marries her because girls like to get married."

"Then I expect I'm in love with mother," replied. Teddy,. with childish logic. "Boy, I've got an ideal"

He fixed his eyes on, the ehocolatecoloured poodle basking on the sunny steps.

"Mother said only yesterday she did want Pompey shaved. He feels the heat and looks so wintry. She asked father to do it, but he had not time. You remember how smart Pompey looked last year with half his back bare and two little Rosettes of hair, left on each side? The horse clippers are in the we do it for a surprise ? Mother likes to take him out driving, with ribbons on his head to match her dress, when Ms coat is cut. She would be awfully pleased."

Roy thought it a wonderful idea, and together they journeyed in search of the beautifying instrument.

Enticing with biscuits the unsuspecting poodle to* a distant shed, the two amateur hairdressers consulted seriously; together.

"It was this half of his back that was shaved last year, from the middle to the tail," said Roy. ■'' I suppose it would npt do to have it the same two years running. "

'' No, I suppose not,'' murmured Teddy. "Mother likes change; she says fashions alter very quickly. The things in our house are not a bit like other people's.. That is why visitors so often walk round, as if they were at a bazaar, and call out: 'Oh, what an original room?' when they ought to sit down and drink, their tea. I guess mother woxild be quite grateful if we could make Pompey look ' original.' "

" Well, .why not begin with the other end; clip his head and the first part of his back, letting the last half hang long? It will be very hard, because the hair is so thick, but we must use the scissors first."

With many coaxing words and a renewed supply of biscuits Pompey was induced to submit to their well-inten-tioned operations. In deep earnest the small fingers set to work with astonishing skill. Love gave them patience, defying weariness, though their faces flushed hotter and their arms ached, while the boyish curls grew damp from the moisture on their foreheads. The horse-clippers were not easy weapons to wield, but Teddy mastered the difficulty with a suecess that surprised himself and filled Roy's soul with reverent admiration.

Before the task was half-finished the loud ringing of a handbell resounded through the garden. Eoy let go of Pompey and danced to the door.

"It's Maria ringing for lis to come in and wash our hands. It must be time for us to start for Uncle Eobert's! It wouldn't do to be late; we want to be ther,e as early as we can. lam longing to see the great big live monkey he has brought from Australia and the baby kangaroo." Teddy did not stir. His face was very grave, and he looked Eoy up and down with an expression of fine contempt.

'' If we go out to lunch,'' he said, "we shall not have time to finish Pompey, and mother will come home to find —this!"

He gazed sadly at their incomplete work.

"Uncle Eobert promised me cherrytart, with cream on it," said Eoy, convinced so strong an argument would justify desertion. The thought gave Teddy a pang, which he knew to be unworthy. \

"So you wouldn't sacrifice a helping of cherry-tart —for—for mother's sake?" he muttered, growing very red. "I should be sure to have two help-

ings, and perhaps three," answered Roy, stubbornly. "But we started our work to please her," said Teddy. "I can't possibly finish alone, without you to help me. Only think what a tame ending! You would go away—now, in the very middle—and spoil'every thing. Because you want to amuse yourself you are willing to leave Pompey in patches, with one side of his head bare as my hand and the other just like a mop. It's a wicked idea! I really could not get on by myself, you know that —it would not be possible for one person to manage. See, Pompey," won't stay still an instant 1 Instead of good, all we have done up till now will turn to harm. How can Pompey go out driving in such, a state? Mother would not be the least proud of him. We are doing this to please her—you can't have forgotten that. Of course, I want to go to Uncle Robert's just as much as you do, but we musn 't think of 'ourselves now. I did not know it would take so long- but if you love mother you will give up everything to get finished.'' Roy still kept his hand on the door.

<<Uncle Robert .always gives us a shilling each. I had meant to buy a kite with mine," he said.

' Teddy did not mention his intended purchase, though he knew it well enough, and the memory brought a wave of temptation which' seemed calling him from his labour of love, from workalluring pleasure. On one side he saw an unselfish task to please his mother; on the other rose visions of gilded halls and cherry-tarts, of delightful gallops round the park, mounted on the same horse with Uncle Robert.

He stood liis ground staunchly. Roy must not see how great an effort it was for him to stiek to his guns.

■ Teddy's unrelenting attitude had a strong effect upon Roy. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself. It was not a pleasant sensation to know his brother despised him.

The older boy 's influence told on the younger. His example stood out clearly as a thing that niusf; be followed. Ahead lay the path of sacrifice, and there could be no turning aside. It means a holiday spoilt, but what matter? It was to please mother, to give her a happy surprise who so often arranged unexpect; ed delights for them.

. "P'raps I'd ! better tell Maria not going," he said. His voice shook slightly, and he staved through the open door very hard. '' Yes, she knows we may do exactly what we like all to-day for a treat* Maria must walk to the hall and say we are too busy to come to lunch. She might tell Uncle Robert we are sorry, and give him our best love." ■ • •

Roy obeyed, leaving Teddy in charge of Pompey. The dog sat up and shook himself. Teddy put a small arm caressingly round his neck. - <' You 'll be so cool and comfortable, old chap!" he said, and Pompey licked his face in canine worship as the boy gently scratched him with a broken piece of comb. ".' '.' h

The shed appeared to grow suddenly very misty as Teddy hummed a little defiant tune to try and keep up his spirits.

Boy heard it as lie came slowly backit seemed to give him fresh heart. He tried to .pretend lie was not disappointed; at any rate he .would do his best to make Teddy; think so. His quivering.lips found it very hard to smile, and something in his throat made speech impossible. He paused outside the shed, bending down to tie the lace of his little canvas shoe. A hot tear dropped on his hand, a tear he brushed hastily aside. "I won't cry/' he thought; "it isn't manly! Father never cries; but then,; perhaps, he's never disappointed. When I am grown up. I shall arrange that these sort of troubles don't .happen. ~ With set lips and only a lew suspicious sniffs, which might possibly be put down to a slight coldj Roy returned to his post, holding his head very upright and keeping his childish features rigid as a mask. Only, now and again, an unaccountable moisture upon his eyelashes had to be reckoned with.

Teddy, for some unknown reason, kept his eyes turned away. Roy supposed it was from consideration.

So together they recommenced their arduous task without exchanging a word —each hoping the other did not notice the signs of emotion which were so difficult to control.

For quite a long time Teddy went on humming. What was a sacrifice worth unless it could be undertaken cheerfully. '' At last!'' cried Eoy, stretching his arms, as Pompey sprang from the table, gleefully revelling in freedom.

A shower of brown fluff and loose curls fell to the ground. The boys appeared almost as pleased to be released as the dog himself. The three bounded out to the garden for a wild race round the lawn. They expanded their cramped lungs by shouting as they ran, Pompey joining in with shrill barkings. He apparently forgot that flower-beds were made for ornament and borders demanded respect, for tin the new glory of his hairless state he I became like a puppy again. It had seemed an eternity—those hours in the shed. The boys were reminded'of it by aching muscles and strained nerves. Pompey's unwillingness to assist by lying still made the labour momentarily more arduous as the afternoon advanced. Only very stubborn determination could have completed a task the magnitude of which they fully realised as difficulties increased and physical fatigue supervened. Now they flung themselves down on the grass, breathless and relieved, to survey their handiwork.

'' I never imagined it could have taken so long!" said Teddy. "I think, don't you, it's a great success?"' "Yes," a little doubtfully from Eoy. "I'm not quite sure I did not like last year's fashion best.' '

'' But that was just the same as every other poodle."

:■■ "Suppose we go and show him to Maria. It must be tea-time, and I am awfully hungry."

They scampered back to the house, acaccompanied by? a strangely grotesque object. The victim of their ; attentions suggested a poodle as seen in a nightmare," or the illustration of some weird fairy tale on " topsy-turvydoin '■ '! Maria greeted Jhe brown apparation with a scream of dismay, and shook her aproii at him as he tried to jump Up and lick her hands. "Why! Master Teddy—what have you been, up, to?" slie cried, in accents of horror.

Teddy tried to look unconcerned as he answered with pride: "We did it all ourselves, and we never hurt him once"

"V"/' e11,., of all the hideous sights—but, there! You wait till your ma comes home! I can't think what she will say, for she is such a one • take a pride,in, tfc dog, dressing him up with ribbons i and the like. I should guess it will go I near to break her heart." ~

''Don't you . think —er—-he looks nice?"

"Nice! Well, I never- —if that's your taste!" and a jeer cut the sentence short. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but to see a dog looking such a caution is enough to send a body into hysterics!" "Come away," whispered Teddy to Roy. "She does not understand. We' know mother likes uncommon things; I will try and explain it to Maria after tea."

Roy leant against a tree and stared at the sunset. „

'' But fancy if mother wasn't pleased, after all," he said, his lips trembling slightly. The lugubrious suggestion sent queer little shivers down T'ddy's spine. "Oh! it couldn't be," he leplied, stoutly. His young heart defied the first breath of. misfortune, allowing the mere idea no place in his calculations. He felt the bitterness would be too great to bear; such a thing was impossible in this bright world of spring! The very atmosphere was'full of sweetness, and the promise of summer hovered round them like some unseen magic presence. The gold sun sinking slowly shed a benediction on this garden. "You'll see, it will be all right," he declared, with unli; ited faith in the future, and Roy readily believed him. When Mrs Stuart returned the boys were having their supper upstairs. Lights had been lit in the hall, and Pompey, who barked loudly on principle whsnever the front door bell rang, gave forth his noisy welcome, thus forcing attention instantly to his grotesque personality. Husband and wife came together into the light. A cry of horror escaped Mrs Stuart; her eyes dilated as she pointed to her pet. "Alfred," she gasped. "Oh, Alfred, just look at Pompey!'*

<» Maria, answered their starled questions in hushed accents. There was a funereal air about her, as if J a death had taken place in the house. "It was the young gentlemen's doing," she said, severely; "it kept them busy all day.! They gave up going to lunch, and told me, ma'am, it was to please you! Nothing I could say would persuade Master Teddy it wasn't a very good piece of work, and they are proud as peacocks, for all I've scolded theml " Maria loot d terribly; forbidding she gave the story. Mr Stuart was kneeling down examining the poodle. "The young rascals," he said, as Maria retired, "they deserve a good whipping—and they shall get it, too — spoiling the dog for the whole season!"

As Mrs Stuart gazed at the brown poodle his hideous appearance became suddenly transformed to her eyes, and she saw in the piteous object only a living monument of her boys' very genuine, though ill-expressed affection;

- ''lt was to please you." Evei the irate Maria had owned as much. Mrs Stuart guessed with all a mother's intuition the kindly motive wh|ch inspired them, involving the sacrifice of their longed-for outing. They had talked for weeks of what they would do at the Hall "when Unele Robert returned from one of his many foreign tours.

|> She bent down over the! dog- and looked at Alfred from under her big ! picture-hat. One hand lay on Pompey's [shaven head, the other rested detainingly upon her husband's arm. I "Dearest,"- she whispered, "I want 1 you to do me a favour."

"What is it?" he asked, smiling. Her serious expression puzzled him.

"Those small creatures meant so well. Will you leave it in my hands! Will you rely in -my judgment just this once?" The pleading blue eyes were irresistible. Such eyes were made to gain their way. , "Of course, darling, you shall do as you like," he replied gently, touched by the earnestness of her words. " Women, I know, have strangely keen intuitions, and if you feel strongly on any subject always follow your instinct, it is bound to be right." '■'.'■

She left him with a light laugh. * «You are a dear,'' she said. Very softly she stole upstairs, but the boys heard the rustle of her. dress and came running out to the passage.

In a moment her arms were round them both, and she was listening to the history of their love labour with smiles that spoke gratitude. " "It was a delightful surprise.,',' she cried, "to think you hid been thinking of me."

'' We knew you would be pleased,'' declared Teddy, radiantly. "We don't mind anything now, only Maria could not understand."

"But I understood," said the sweet,

low voice.

And as she spoke, all the relinquished pleasures of the day were a thoiißandfold repaid.