THE STORYTELLER.

Colonist, Volume XXXV, Issue 7193, 12 December 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE STORYTELLER.

1 FOUND IN THE SUMMER- ! HOUSE.

I ' By Jove, what a nuisance, there's I a couple just going in,' cried Fred ; Lusliington, looking across the moon- | lit lawn of the Grange towards a rusj tic summer-house whither lie and his j companion had intended turning their I steps for the treble purpose of making ' their cigarettes, getting out of the ! way of their hostess, who was doing : her best to cater for the amusement of : her girl guests by pressing all the | eligible men into tlie service, and of I talking racing, which these two usually j did when together. I ' Well, we can't disturb a flirtation, J we will stroll down by the side of the house, the night is warm.' ' But I wanted to go there,' said Fred, ' there are arm-chairs there, and we should have been quiet.' ' Not if spoony couples are in the habit of invading the spot,' laughed his companion, a much older man. 'Yes, and with Hugh Effingham, too,' said Fred carelessly. ' How on earth did you know it was Effingham !' asked the older man curiously. ' Ob, by his. height, and his walk ; you know that slouching way of his, and his way of bending over the woman that he happens to be talking to, as if he were fathoms deep in love with her. Yes, that young lady must be a rapid one, and no mistake, to be wandering about with him.' As luck would have it, however, some half hour after, as the two men were about to enter the house, they saw the couple in front of them just entering the doorway. ' I say, let's have another cigarette in tbe summer-house, cried Lusliington. Major Johnson was nothing loth. ' Well Effingham knows what he is about,' said Fred, throwing himself down in one of the much coveted arm-chairs, with a sigh of relief, I would rather spoon a girl here than drag her round in a ball-room on a night like this. I hope Mrs Markham won't come here to hunt us up, there is no rest for the sole of one's foot in her house when there is a dance on.' • I hope it was not Lelia Markham,' said old Johnson, ' Effingham lias : paid her great attention lately. I should be sorry to think that such a : young pretty girl would be taken by ' him.' 'All women are, more or less,' re--1 marked Fred, ' but I don't think he ' he affects young girls particularly, pretty though they may be ; married women are more in his line.' Then he pulled himself up, as he [ remembered that one of Effingham's , particular favorites among the married women appeared to be Maior Johnson's ' own wife, with whom Fred, as a friend of her youth, had often had words on the subject. _ Just as he spoke, something gleama | ing brightly in the moonlight a few J I paces from him caught his eye. He ,f j stopped and picked it up ; it was a i diamond locket, j

'- * What are you groping after ?' asked Major Johnson, who was nothing if not inquisitive. •I dropped my fusee case,' said Fred, slipping the locket into his waistcoat pocket, and proceeding to light another cigarette. He did not want the gossiping Major to see the booty he had secured, and prate of it to Tom, Dick, and Harry on entering- the ball-room. But Major Johnson took care to tell his next partner, who happened to be a very old young lady, that he had seen Hugh Effingham go into the summer-house after one of the dances with a young lady ; he feared it was Leila Markham. The next day, at an afternoon tea at wliich the Markhams were not present, this old young lady remarked to a friend that Lelia Markham had been seen goiug into the summer-house with that fast Mr Effingham. ■ Such a dreadful man, my dear, really the stories one hears of him are quite shocking. I'm sure he must have kissed her, and it serves her right going about in the dark with him.' And so the story grew and grew, like the game of Russian scandal, until at last the report got about that pretty little Leila Markham had been caught by Major Johnson with Effingham's arm round her waist in the summer-house, that the old man had threatened to tell her mother, and that Effingham had knocked him down. When Fred Lusliington went back to the ball-room he looked curiously round to find a locketless lady, but all those he inspected had some sort of ornaments round their necks, and lie did not quite know how to find the owner of the diamonds in question. He met Leila Markham as he pursued his quest ; she was commg out of the refreshment room with. Hugh Effingham. Fred intuitively glanced at her neck ; a most innocent-looking little turquoise and gold pendant hung there. Had he looked a little higher he would have found Miss Lelia's blue orbs gazing at him deprecatingly, but he avoided her glance. It was a little tiff with Leila that had caused him to seek Major Johnson's society — some mistake about a dance that Fred took to heart. The girl was now very penitent, for she found that she had been in the wrong, but, after satisfying himself about the locket question, he passed on hurriedly to fetch his partner. He found her in tlie refreshment room, surrounded by a crowd of adorers, and ruthlessly tore her from them ; Mrs Johnson was too good a dancer to lose. She was a piquante little brunette, very lively as a rule, but to-night she seemed rather distraite. Her neck was adorned, too ; she had a broad velvet ribbon round it, with a diamond solitaire in front; how was Fred to know that when she entered the ballroom a locket had hung below the velvet Mrs Johnson had just discovered her loss without having the slightest idea where it had taken place, and she feared to proclaim it to the world at large, lest it should get to her husband's ears. He had often lectured her on her carelessness, and she felt that in this instance she had been unjustifiably negligent. She had sewn on the locket jto the black velvet just before starting for the dance, and oi course had not sewn it on firmly enough. She confided her sorrow to Fred during a pause in the dance, and that young man thought lie would give her a good fright. ' You must hunt about for it in all the rooms in which you have been,' he said gravely. ' Have you been out or the terrace, by the by ?' 'Yes, no, at least—-' stammercc Cicely, growing very red, and startim visibly ; ' yes, I have been out there.'" ' That is unfortunate,' replied Fred ' a3 so many couples have been walk ing up and down there. If yoi dropped it there I'm afraid it must be ', crushed into the ground, or perhaps ii has got caught in some hole or cornci where it will never be found.' ' Wnat shall I say to James if '. . can't find it !' said poor Cicely, looking • ready to cry, 'he gave it to me on m; > last birthday.' b ' You ought to take more care of hi presents.'

' I will go out on the terrace at once,' said Cicely ; ' I may see it sparkling in the moonlight.' ' I will come with you,' said Fred, ' I have very sharp eyes.' He knew perfectly well that Mrs Johnson wished to get rid of him, so that she might make at once for the summer-house. They wandered up and down the terrace, Cicely bestowing only a cursory glance here and there, and then went back to the house, where Cicely eluded Fred very soon. The latter saw her go up to Effingham and say something to him with a distressed expression of countenance, and then Effingi ham in his turn left the ball-room. Fred, not having a partner for the next dance, went to the open window, and saw Effingham enter the summerhouse. Fred chuckled to himself. He watched her as Effingham approached her and whispered a few words, saw the droop of the usually smiling mouth, the terrified look in her eyes, and then Fred could bear it no longer. Crossing over to where she sat, quite alone, for she had excused herself from dancing, she was too much worried and perturbed in spirit, he slipped the locket into her hands. The change in her piquante little face was instantaneous. ' Oh, Fred ! you have found it 1 How good of you ! Where could I have lost it ! Do tell me where you picked it up.' ' My dear girl,' said Fred, shaking his head at her with comic gravity, it is not only murder that will out ; I found it in the summer-house.' And he left her to her reflections. If the matter had ended there all would have been well, but, unfortunately, Major Johnson's love of gossip had already precluded that possibility ; and about a week after the dance, on Cicely's return home after a few days' shopping in town, Fred came to her with a long face and a dismal story. When the rumor ran through Over- ■ stone that Miss Markham had been kissed by Mr Effingham, its little world was overjoyed thereat, and stones were thrown in every direction. ' That demure-looking girl!' 'But I always mistrust those ultra quiet people, my dear.' ' And the mother, who always gives out that she has chairs put on the terrace in front of the house so that people may not have any excuse for wandering off into the garden. ' She talked of poor Lucy Travers, you know, just because she met her taking a ride with young Jephson, when they were secretly engaged all tho time.' ' Comes of bringing up a girl so strictly, they are sure to kick over the traces, &c, &c, ad libitum. Of course the report got to Fred Lushington's ears, and he tracee it to its source. But his lips were sealed ; , he could not rise up and proclaim to these people that Mrs Johnson was the lady who had occasioned the whole story. Desperately in love with the girl himself, he imagined that every one knew his condition, and that, there- , fore any zeal on his part would be misconstrued. He must go to Mrs . Johnson and see what she would do. ; Cicely shrugged her pretty shoulders [ as she ' listened to his tale of woe.' ' Well, it can't be helped, Fred, as far as I can see,' she said at length, [ ' you know what these people are. If -, this story is disproved they will only ■ get up another one.' • That is not the question,' said [ Fred grimly ; ' you have been the j innocent means of getting a girl talked j about, and, mind you, your husband was the one to begin the story ' j ' Poor dear, how little he thought y tbe heroine was his own cherished 3 wise', interrupted Cicely laughing heartily. ' ' You are incorrigible, Cicely !' cried Fred, though he could hardly repress I a smile at the idea of old Johnson be- ' ing hoist with his own petard, ' yoi really must be serious, and take somt steps in the matter.' ' What am Itodo ? Am Ito wall I through Overstone in a white sheet o proclaiming that I and no other othe: V sat out a dance in the summer-hous< 1 with Mr Effingham ?' 3 ' You know better than I how yoi can put things straight for the poo

girl, Cicely, you are sharp enough for that*' ' Tell me, Fred,' said Cicely, ' looking fixedly, at him, ' had, the victim been any one but Lelia Markham would you have been so zealous V • I hope so, but I don't mind telling you that Miss Markham is more to me than any other girl could be. This is between ourselves ; she does not know it, and I shall never tell her unless I receive more encouragement than she has given me as yet ; but the fact remains. 3 Mrs Johnson sat musing for some time after Fred had left her. Mea culpa was not a favorite exclamation of hers, but this time she intended to shriek it on the housetops, if by so doing she could prevent any gossip about the girl Fred Lusliington loved. There was a very tender place for Fred in the little woman's heart; he was a year or two younger than herself, but at one time what had been nothing but a boyish flirtation to him had been something more serious to. her, and for the sake of ' Auld Lang Syne' she would do what he asked. An opportunity soon presented itself. The very next day she happened to be sitting opposite Hugh Effingham at a dinner party at which were present two leaders of Overstone society, and three of its most inveterate gossips, amongst them the lady who had started the scandal after Major Johnson, Cicely took advantage of one of those pauses that will sometimes arise at the best regulated dinner parties, to lean across. the table, and address in her clear voice that could be distinctly heard by every one. ' Did I tell you, Mr Effingham,' she said calmly, « that I found that locket. after all!' ' I am delighted to hear it, Mrs Johnson,' said Effingham, too much a man of the world to show the surprise he felt at being thus addressed on such a subject, • it would have been a great pity to have lost it.' ' Yes, Fred Lusliington found it in the summer-house. I sat out a dance with you there, if you remember, at Mrs Markham's. It was lucky that it did not fall anywhere else, and get trodden on ; I think you and I, and Fred and my husband were the only people who invaded that retreat.' Then she turned and addressed her right-hand neighbor, whilst the scaudal loving lady glared at Major Johnson, who grew purple in the face, and inwardly resolved not to give his suspicions such positive form again. ' Bravo, little woman,' whispered Fred to Cicely, as he held open the door for the ladies to leave the diningroom, ' I am your friend for life.' But Cicely shook in her shoes when the time came for her to drive home with her lord and master. The latter, however, abstained from any remark on the subjected she dreaded. His only fear was that Cicely would hear the story he had originated, little thinking that she had already done so, and devoted lier energies for the next few days to going round to the various commeres, and imploring them not to let it get to her ears. He was not very well received ; the ladies were irate at finding their prey had escaped them, for Mrs Johnson had so calmly showed Overstone that she cared not for its prattle, that it would be no pleasure to put her under an interdict. One lady went so far as : to condole with Major Johnson on his wife's behaviour. ' It must be dreadful for you Major . Johnson, to have found out that it was ! your own wife, when you seemed so [ shocked when you thought it wa^ Miss i Markham.' Fred chaffed the poor Major most ; unmercifully, and between them all I the latter had rather a bad time of it. ; Since then he has become very much more cautious in his statements, and I more lenient in his judgments upon 3 others, and the sight of his wife.s - locket was so distasteful to Mm., that i he cheerfully agreed when she asked him . if she might^give it as a wedding present to&eila'- Markham, wbo was mari ried to Fred Lusliington within three , months frbin the time of her mother's r dance. 3 Lloyd Neilson.