KOODLETON IN LOVB.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9252, 30 November 1891, Page 4

NOODLETON IN LOVE.

Nicholas Noodleton wai a min&ber o! tfct Yabbei Yabber Football Club, and wm woof* aiiad at the best all-round plajcr of th« first twenty. He held that diatingaißhqd i position for three seasons in anccesiion, and would probablj teve ooatinaed to hold it much longer had* not bean for a sad c$Umit j— he fell in love. > Thif ia how it happened. The Y.Y.F.G. aeoopted a challenge sent them by the Muddy Swamp Football Club, and on a certain Saturday afternoon ar»v«d in * drag drawn by four horses, whioh they had hired for the occasion, at the ground of the latter, to play the matoh. A large crowd had assembled at ths gatu to meet them, and as they alighted from th« drag, they were greeted with loud and eon* tinuous cheering. Nioholaj Noodleton was ihs last to alight, and as he did so, joint* thing occurred which he will have reason to remember to ths day of hie death. Ho had jnat plaaed his foot on the ittpi and was about to spring to the ground, whea h« saw, standing among the orowd, a bean* tifol girl. It seemed to him that h« f aat wai th« fairest and sweetest he had ever seen. She was dressed in blaok, and wort • bunoh of roses at her waist. She Mailed, and Nioholai, thinking she was smiling at him, also smiled. The young lady looked, displeased, and turned away, which proved to our friend Nicholas that the smile, had sot been meant for him. After hesitating m moment, and taking a last longing io#k at | the girl in black, whose back was now [ tamed towards him, he joined bis friends, and went with them to the pavilion to prepare fox the matoh. j An ezeiting contest was expected. Botk dubs had met with, great aueoessMmt bad ■over before come together as opponent!* There was a vary large attendance to witness the matoh, and of course most of the " barracking " was in favour of the local club. It leaked out that Nicholas Noodleton was to captain the Yabber Yabber team, and ai the Muddy Swampites had heard of his extraordinary skill at the game, he was the moit-talked-about player on the ground; and more was expected from him than from Anybody else. As the players issued from the pavilion, there was a prolonged yell of delight; thta some on* called out, "Three cheers fox Noodleton 1" and this was the signal foi another deafening ontbarst. A few moments later the game commenced, and there was splendid play onbotb sides, but it soon became clear to all that Noodleton was not up to his usual form. As the game proceeded the impression rapidly spread that Noodleton was a duffer. He couldn't mark, he couldn't give anything like a respectable kick, he was constantly getting " spills " ; in short, as the people declared, the team could have got on better without him. At half-time, the score was — Muddy Swamp, 8 goals 8 behmdi; Yabber Yabber, 5 goals 3 behind*. During the second half of the game Noodleton played even worse than, in the first, and, as captain,, managed affairs so badly that the final result was — Muddy Swamp, 10 goals 20 bebands ; Yabber Yabber, 6 goals i behinds. Of course there was great delight among the Muddy Swampites at the magnificent viotory over anon a for* midable club. At the conclusion of the game ths Yabber Yabber footballers crowded round their oaptain to inquire wlmt was the mattter with _ him. He told thfcm he was rather out of' sorts. They abused him a good deaa, but he took very little notice of what they b aid. The fact is, 'Nicholas Noodleton hnd been bewitohed by the charming girl he hitd seen at the gates of the football ground, and waa thinking all the time of her, so could not keep his attention on the game. Qnoa or twice be thought he could distinguish her in the crowd, and his heart beat wildly.. Considering these facts it is not surprising that the poor fellow played a wretched, game of football. ka he was leaving the ground he observed his charmer in the company of aa elderly gentleman entering a hotel a> short distance away. ••I won't go hetae to-night," he muttered ; " I mtut hare an introduction to tha> girl." When, the time arrived for the Ylttber Yabbee Club to leave, Nicholas told his frienda that he did not intend to return homa till the next day. They were very much surprised, and began to question him but were compelled to leave -without receiving much satisfaction. When they had gone, Nicholas went to the hotel referred to, and inquired if he could have a bed there. " Oh, yes, sir," said the landlord. I've plenty of accommodation, and only two persona staying here — an old gentleman and hie young wife — very nice people. Come into the parlour and I'll introduce you." Had a thunderbolt dropped at his feet it would not have bad a mora startling effect upon Nicholas thaa this intimation of tke landlord's that the charming creature wh« had won his heart— the only girl whose charms had ever fascinated him — vm already a wife. "What is the matter, sir?" asked j. the landlord. "Are you ill?" " I am not feeling very well," replied poor Nicholas, managing by a great effort to control himself. " I— l think I'll go to bed." The landlord took him by the arm and oonduoted him to a bedroom. - " I shall be all right in the morning," he" said. ' "Don't be at all alarmed." The feelings of our unfortunate friend can be better imagined than described, and to give an accurate account of the way he passed the night ia absolutely beyond cur power. Suffice it to say that he did not attempt suicide ; but was up at Btirarise the next morning, and having hired a buggy from the landlord drove with all possible speed to his home at Yabber Yabber. For some time the poor fellow was very much depressed, but he haa consoled him. self with the belief that the old gentleman will not live long. He obtains all the information h« possibly oao ftbonttaaiUvpsjtshijt

pair, tad recently learned wiw mue« a&ui. f»etion that the soffflragnatljfrqra gout. Frequently, on SaniUjs, Nicholas visits the town where they live. He goes to the ohurch, and takes a seat whers ho can conveniently feast his eyes on the charms of the lady he loyea. He has never spoken to her, j«tt his love increases every time he Bees her. We axe watching matters wife the deepest interest, and expect shortly to haVe something of. an interesting—and perhaps startling — character to rereal in oontmtioa with this extraordinary love affair. . .

A t»rge waa & shield or buoklor at one tin* aied in Engl*n«l. Helivetlong thft lires v*U; «ni l^mt aa-»p<nt Lq nat Uvad but tort.