A CUP OF TEA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 112, 2 May 1908, Page 3

A CUP OF TEA

" I "I wonder if you would care fur tl>i> nip ui He tin.iv very well that it wa - an t , audacious tiling to do, but In- never remembered lecluig ;u determined about'. anything j'a jjjs jj Ie _ J ''-icy kid crossed over from Dover L , Uilais, an f.\c<?lioii't sailor though JacM ' lie bad not enjoyed t]„| ji,in i m J:U,t th(! g "' l > wUum u V addrertucl, togetticr wkh JU o,i» Hi-ill 111'; (uul tllie J'act tii.it nil.' ■ apparcuuy alone, and that neve,, ' i ,Win ii' 1. °'V ~" u k' inward,\i • :£ i : f tr k iu i,w . *'r, U !', Ull ' J '" spite of iiu youthf'ult ' Ulu ' •"" 1 liappy-jju-lucky air, 111 lealuy a person of no sina'il import, i .iia-e. 1J C , a K-C-( aU(I )K , 1(1 g Jijin) j ■ «ip|>omtjneni in London. Uo al.>o?a Ltu'liclor, this sim h because,' j as a general riilf. gii.i* did not interest' ; linn m the slightest. j ■''ll-1 now, a.t nearly forty years 01/ I age, lie had followed this lair daiii*ci' i from the boat to the train, life. any youngster of twenty, and had approprA 1 a ted lito corner „eat opposite to her in i llii' utiueiit. On Khc platform all ,wa- bustle Hurry; porters who doling abonii' earthing lor reserved seats for passun- ! rs, and tile ISrais'n loarift seemed to» 1 everywhere, endeavoring vainlv, inl very tailing FreiK-k to make known; wants. , 1 For some minutes fc'torinont ami thr" ' 1 «' rl ll " lJ ll ''e carriage to llieniselve-; ' and the Only dkliculty he had expei-i-i 1 enced was to find a topic with which to! j ' start a conversation. There was all' brief interval of silent and brain-rack- [ I"?; 'lien the inspiration dune. Tite: ' white fate opposite liirn— and it' had' * been 60 rosy and jolly b'efore the\> < started from Dover—was jsiniply crvincM out for tlttiifc one thing so dear to'thel I " a Wage Englishwoman's heart—a euiJ ' of tea. , n "By Jove," thongW Stormont, '•«*,( V I »

ns good as an.v introduction,'' and, pil-. "iff up his rugs and bags into his corner sfa, he dil.-l.Vd oil' |o the bullet, j-nd' preeently returned trhunphan'tly to! the carriage with his .steaming hot cuj.l of introduction, and was rewarded w ill! a grateful smile, which made his pulses bent uncomfortably fw«t.

"It was kind of you to tJiiaik of it. ll was liA* oun tiling 1 was longing for. but my French fe fso Jhorribly shuky that 1 shouldn't Jkiv g dared to ask for it myself/' And w thi» ,iee was broken. \Mmt mattered it thMt other English people got into the rarna-je, ;UU I tint* an austvre - looking J'ritish matron was taking in all of the conversition that nhp eonld a\U\h'! .Stormiohi. was supremely happy; and nothing! short of a collision would dircon,-ei •' him now. ,•

Hk- prV> dainty. trim, and mat lin' in e, her bifr, uroiy-'Mue eyes ln»v - looking, cm I y -brown hair--out* lil-11,-wip».p was HuHi'Viug about now from# the of ilio ojK'n eorridor win* dow—and her dear complexion,. ii,i rtvli-idi ytlie lOsvri hud now relumed-;"]? •tlu.so appealed (o ( lwiu strongly. : lllftherto. willi iißf i' women h<- IkkP I to It nervous and very uncertain of hi* ground; Jjut the- wyiupa-thetk* - p-1 iposite him lie felt sure lie could undeiit4and perfed.ly. nl lirat sight; experience wlihih solid common * tsense always scoffs at as impossible in* iprjutical life, ho Ikikl now met face U'! face, and already ho found himkeil' .wondering if phe would like "the pit-r-e • , <of old oak furniture he hid eolleuted.' rind lii&raro dii'nla, and Tipu, liis Jmired terriw. Poor Tipu would Lave/ <o lake second jyhwe now. AH sorts of things t<hey discussed;* hv hvae even drawn into telling Imm* some of lite ftinjues-t professional exand in. a few minute?, or. so< it seemed, although in utility <Uhe dw< t'iince ,wa& about a hundred miles, t'iie\l diad pulled up at Aurieng. ' > She had told him site was only a* far as Paris., pherp her guardian »wa* to meet her and take her on to4be of France for the winter? and .Stormont lifeid explained that, hav-* a»g worked too hard. he wa.s, by doc - ! ftorV. order?.. oiUhis way to Switzerland, | where he hoped to gt't some and skating. And now. for two pins, be would have altered his plan* and ar- I 'l'un.'jenif nt>. aivrt followed bis fair eom-'j <panion wherever slfe went. ' i \H-owever, hy the time line* reached. Pari-, Stormont cvmgratnlated himseil | on tihe good use he Wad made of In.-' } itin.'o: for she ih.id given, ihim permis- I -sum to write to her at an address att <.amies, and had told hi'm thai lut ! JKMIM- wa> llamiilton. lVfore they part-'j < i d >Jie had Klkeu hi- mrd. and Letty—<j *urh a ]irelIy name, he though—had' j ♦promised Ito anvwer bis letters.

1 Ail tliis lilad taken place two years) afjo, and still -Jack Ptormoat was a. Ixielielor. He had loved and lost, anil (lie losing had added many years to Jiis life.

It all cume about very simply. Thcyi Juad written to each other, at first rather formally, and later almost alfec* tionatelv; ]dik>tographs had been given l mid acnejuted, anxl tlhen, taking his' ■courage in bot'li liands, lie had written 1 it" tell her tlmt he loved her, and that) die wa.nter her to marry him, and lii.f unswer had been—^silence., '

lie itad w'aifed n week, and then h-.n!' mritten hewing for some kind oi ! rejdy: hut this Ictk'r hail been return-' ■ell to liim l>y the post-ollico, the wliero-' i'bmits of iliss lhimiltoii not tni'wn.

i- lln If frantic urn' with rit'spau' and 1 disappointment-, Storm Mit had dashed 1 oil' til CVuines to try to clear up thi> nm-lcry, only to Ire met witli a H'hnijit ol'° tin' shoulders ami an al«-olute no,ranee of tilie young lady's addms: She had left l»'l' hotel suddenly, and» lio one knew where «li« had gone. Constant advertisements iu a ston nf Eugliwh ami Continental newspapers! ■fur tivor three months Jiail fn.ilod_ toi bring forth one scrap of information! suul tlw wiKe jolly Jack Stoiniout. ha<» settled down to Ms work at the courU ojftin, a sad and unsociable nra.ll. His' iiitimtatr friends had long since discov-' crcd the reason for 'the nfcir;n>Rlin;u/ icliauge. It stood there, au exquisitely* .executed jihotograpli ill a silver frame' oil the iirdliU'lpi'H 1 * 1 at 3ii« Oliamboi--(rims. they reasoned, once more docs aj iuoiiMii ruin a jolly good chaps lite., iuul thus t another surly bachelor add-l oil lo the world's menagerie. llis Honor. Judge Storniont, the new * h-uppoihk'd judge at the Joaii Strccll County Court, look his seal 011 the! 'Heiu-li. and peered for the days cluities. From the newspaper reporter'-'

|»)int nf view, till' new \va.> a (failure; for lie t"uk lliis woik -eriotiMy, and. tlwre lieuig no jiidieiai! jokes tn'record, tli'-ii- respective editor-' mew continually pruinliling at the dull-' Hess of their "copy.'' ■ A numlier of very ordinary Ht|uab tiles had lwcu duly 'adjusted wlicn the' case of a dressmaker sueing a lady for ti long over-due account of frocks, was Milled, -ludjic. reporters, and spwlatnil looked Iwin-d- ulii-ve really haiS iKfji 11 - the pii«H lwo ur three day-. I'l.imtilV and d-, | ifjiihnit were | Tlion i 4 liAp]><'in'<l. Tin- <lrtVinlant who ini'» tin 1 ! Nw>x wiip M,isH U'tiy Hamilton. IV I nvinipnt liirre.wa* a temp silenre. 1M I ijitiiinsjtlirrc clearly liinU'd at tlie po-

of a scene. The' jiidfjp. after stsn-inj! in ania».m.'M for a few .t-ininls. half-rose in hU hefjan to'-ay somethinfr. tried]mril Tto recover himself, and sat down. Uie pietnr,. »'l' t'lnltfirrassment. As ! nl l.i-tty. sihe blushed crini-on. eliiWihe I tin- woodwork in front of her. uv " ' nhite alumni ill's dcntli, mid turne.!

viway her head shamefacedly. Ami of the people in the lnek of t'» eiirt. then- w;ii- l-.ot one who hail kepi'

■hi- seat. Witt one aetWA tliev wer.» ••raniii" forward to .-ee wh<il would lin?< 1 ,-n Then -lud#. Storimmt reoov I ere.l 111- judicial dignity, (tilled >lernl« for order., ami demanded that the (tisd

should proeeed. v The Account. it appeared. was lon frock* and <>nwns mpfdieit over twd ( veil* ii«o: anil V-onst-amt application , had resulted in only the tiniest of ret J I liiittfliiee*: licnce. the artion. _ I Tlie defendant, in an almost innmli ( :i,|p voice. ami with a. very while far-. ( I'xulninert thmt. when the frocks were, ordered. all ilwr hills were t mul for lieii I>v Iw»r «us>rdtou. \vli<> li'a/1 suwm* peared. letter h'nvin- with, and loot, all her money: and Hint, when sllie w>.« suddenly rtnlleil u|>on to. earn her own livinjr and had taken a' | -i!luilion as a o„vcr,,e-s. «Jie had no" | 1,,,,, (hat tin. ai-eo.uil w-a> im,iaid. SK , had done her to p«v sniflll smnJ tonnrd- Ute -4'Hlemenl. a.nd . it ~'i wcrv aJk.we.l tin 1 /', the "'hole deht' , 1 would In 1 d'.- h irjed. , | T)nrin« tin- r.-i'-lal Id- U..11..V l««':e... ; terribly ill Ml and il wa- "lovl liy a tremendous i iTnirt of will that mi mreoil liiniFielf to pvo imli;»i"iil m a o.oniiKirativtly eallii voice. The defend

J ant must pay a. small sum luoniljJy. 'Alul tin? ih'\i case a.- called, j' 1 litre kid been 110 ,teue, ail'lur all.l is I I'"-' louk y" the judge's face tohO ' 4be rcpontcis plainly limit there would u lie trouble it Ibcij .iiujiginatioßß ullowl .. cd litem to mauuflacturc any sensaujn; lor U>e in tdieiy jounil.tls. : Ij.on .Hit icut of tile weary day drag-. ' ged cut, - Jack yionmont never kneu.' jHlt u,(i «'«rl had hardly clkiscd before ( a in"ii) Springing from a tab, dashed ; _ lip. three yleps at a time, to the trout < J door of the address given by lilie deteiij liaiu in ih<? drcsnuKuki'i; tuo<\ I " l «"»l w see Alisa Hamilton «•„ ( once, jilt-ace.'' , i " Sue's ju»t packing up to leave, -ir. | ( replied the n;tii,d, pointing to a largd! , 'trunk in the hall. "The .tab will Ijt ' ;, liere iu a minute.'' !| Here was a frecth surprise. In tlii»' ease, Jici\ ever, the judg« did not e.\ ■ | I press his feelings by either look or. j woid. '1 he probable reaeo'n for Lottys . ■ dq»aruue was. not very obscure. iu i life .professional uapacity he bad oomci | .*uto?s naurow-infinded mistresse.s be-» j lore, who Would discharge an employe* J «'n the of pretexts. t j '1 wiil wait bore till .M.ii-s Hamilton/ ; tonicv diown,'- J le replied quietly, pur-i j posely r'-lrauiing from giving his name, t ; which niigiht probably be known al. ( j l '<-' ai '. v to tlie servants iu coil sequence > ;of the ease. And at that moment- A 1 tour-whei'lcr drove up to the door. | i ' Wlheii, two minutes later, Letlyv | j , mi'tllen-eyetl, but with delia]ic L . written ; all over Iter, •small figure, stepped out j (if _ her employer's house, it, was a sur- v jiri.se lo her to liiul a. merry-eyed gen* , v aleman Ihohling his hat in one hand, j |, and the tab-door with th e other; while, i 0 from window snul front door, the eagl j, eily-tiirious eyes of domestics took ni ,i the scene. , 0 ''Jump in, Letty, and explanation* tl aftemiirdiV' wtas all that It he maid aits "the door heard, and then the cub roll-' [>, ed away. One hour later, all Lctty's arrange' |„ meiits liaving nieivnv'hile "been prompt- (| ly quashed uy her masterful lover, and v , a long telegram. desifaitohed to Jack'.; Jj mother ill the eoujiit-ry. and Letty s' t |

i j link forwarded tihere, tho long-septiM rled (diij.'lc found themiselvcs in a c\is» r <ojiht a comfortable tea-shop. "J wonder if would care for a tup fA teanaked Jack, with ;i mini dhievous smile, wiling to mind thew.me fateful invitation of two vuar».

1 "Vcn, if yoiu dou't mind sitting down-' •with a convicted debtor," answered Le'tty* hiardly 'knowing whether to sjiialo or cry.

''l thijiik I'll chance it. if in rotun; ■you tell inc whv vou didn't answer my letter."

1 'l3» e 11 Jatk heard how her rascally' guardian, hud dvH-a'iuped. leaving his .waid t wi(h two ,ClO notes in the w'orld a r-tj ranger in a strange land. Also of her >1 niggle* since, ruid how she r.omld ! ,n t bri.nu' htT'<\.i' if . v'-i'MMiKii-ate will l ■the iovvr she Iwd known in Mic day> of her prosperity. All this ,took si long lime to tell.' ihere were many ijue^'tions to aslf and to 1k v replied to. "Apd what itMhe fuiswer to 1 my let - it< i- now. little girl? ' a.-ked .Jack, when Jie hud heard all. 1 The color canik' to belly's cheek,>. m:- 4 wrih a soft smilo, she lai<d (her iKUid 1 ,in his.—J. K. Wade, .in M.A.P, * ,