In a Woman's Gift.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13974, 7 August 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

In a Woman's Gift.

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In 7«iV cwrn&jwsth&' musty-smelling , station; " flyleaned back i with a- liii]'&> s?ffi^r.Q£t weariness. , 'irindote-■ pt r the,.rcjpfyfiOf._wh icli . ..four »| mnddy .miles/ make before she tjb&cfied„Her^jSSSiey's. end; "then ( she, glanced who had liwir,-pnslfed[^to''t , fe > cab .jiist as it started; w»th-'rS^Bf&; ".Conveyance? the oftgrecimyeyaiice ye'll get toiak*sye_ »n»~fo't^sTCa'stle.this night!" from. tha 'pcrt^K^iSPI'." 1 '." . .• The/other "tnrouet * was a ,man jr»th i the Soof 'ltk^k^arWfthe? well-cut, well- I --worfiT clotKey *ifensQy -associated with , v ' mouthed "wftli nee- like a. rat- , trap/ t tan'd'> paTr£of#ste§ly "pyes scrutinised: his fafrfneiEfiKnir,'- a feminine huddle of fti^TaiJd'.RKrtsy,with an oval, «live^kfnnect T fa*e» ; ' in :which -. showed ' flasfaesf.iif as'she smiled undec tKe-stiresn . ; • am "MreTSarrinctdn s maid, she Jjeratt;by"irifcftTiSirig hjtai ingratinglyr Brench, 'speaking English cdreßillj'.' '"And, it one _ inav - are' you ?"' -" .'snapped once hfe_spo^^r g Tton;-x-- * 'man,"-The anS we«d :V . I , "Ah!"*- Sh'e>nfinfe a:tiny polite gesture. * , ' Silence fellr ■-'Lprd Emm'otts man : seemed JittleV'dispased - for-. conversation." : -f <.V . •>2kirs . 'Harrington"3. - r -'mrtid • tried j again. <• " - 1 * "'-What' a-di>is'of ,a day for travel-] '"ling v is-sent;it she-.begaii. expansive- ' ly. "My lady cjame up' with the 1 ' train before^".and-'i * must' wait at the I •Jon<?tion. .for.a the v ~4tigga]ge... -Always I (the "JtraTeLsjwith-foi)r # fivevtronks. And I ah, parC example 2 '{ She., makes herself . 'teantifal; for* »a, reason:»'. --XOll - also" were delayed?"**,',' . A" grant .frqm the^tnan.. . " lament, {t.seaScfalj6tis?^(<^>mplained - the -woman.". ' '??Afe"-le.ist 'they might 1 send- dowji. an -ajitmholnlft the 'Castre. instea'dT-oifitliis^r— do von 1 : call * hintPir^^rndspi;: - sharrydamn— 1 'ah, ramsh&cKld!; Jftiljb, jno! From 'there" 2fo English comfort eveiriv: The-pimple barn of 1 stone, tiattGastfe f^SToUvhaT'ent. been ? I, alas, yes! lady proMais "yoilil; JShe ,1»36j her reason. It would/ appear.thafeioineone.' greatly l im-' portant.is theie'.for" the shoot. She 1 nrastj see this Wrlbr^*of;yours; this old 1 ■ Emmott." , •^Emmotfc?",echoed the man "sharply- ."•WhatV;she want - with 1 . him,,eh?". \ .'• *■-■«-: v 1 ■ "She wants ifc* impress, to.-flatter, 1 to -to- I—-enfin. 1 —-enfin. to make: le sweedle with' him],' r explaiped'-ihe French maid, shrngging shapely - ' Shoulders under fnrs. She - 1 definable' clings to the Jast thread of-clothes" - once owned by the misfr^ses'bf-Tmaids. ."She, only I clever- brain of a man, and- her, facons- of a young girl—- • ehe mnst~mak%""friends'with hin>. It - is "necessary- for- 'tKis-' appointment of—of Monsiedr"'Ja<&,'! f " 1 . "Eh? ' -ttying^to• get • a job for somevpet ; oFJhgfs-dnt of. him, is she?" returned; the {maidservant in. his rasping after?" Dropping .'h*er >aice, the .Frenoh-nc - man mentioned; an > appointment —1:01si'dered to strictly by seniority that - bad«. jnst» ;Tfqllen>yacant; "an appointment,"- slie-^adafed. glibly, " th".t lias always beeh 'iil the-gift of a wo-

man:" : • - "What rot!" barked the' man opposite unexpectedly; of all othersl In the gift of a woman!" "It is- the' -tradition; everybodv knows it;" - murmured the lady's maid depcecatingly. " Always, so my lady Bays," this" post has been held by tho brother, the husband, the lover of some -woman who.has kriovtfh how* to obtai t it for Jiim. How should 1 know how ? By begging, bribing,,even threatening, perhaps. . , TheyeftlL-il ' influence, •' said she-. : ; '' fih .bieii, 'Mrs Harringt m wishes to 'influence' this appointmeut for her son. : He. is haijdsoijje as a god. and poor a» ; Moses j . five hundred besides his pay. And now be is engaged to one of. these English debutantes"—with a little ineffable grimace —'' who do their hair so frightful badly and have "dfes.salieres—salt-cellars at the neck ! Enfin, he "must have this appointment. by hook or crook, for his career." His mother'thinks slie t-nt> 'work' tins'also. A beautiful Socii ty woman," sighed the maid, " has always such power ,is we can scarcely guess, we others. . But with your ol 1 Emmott it is different, I believe you " Lord Eiuinotts' man made little sign of listening to this'gossip as he star id before him. Still, the talkative Frer..:li' maid, weary of the silence she had k-?pt during her tedious journey to the North, chatted away as if to the ra*' pympathetie listener in "the world.

"Yes, 1 could tell my lady that!" said she. "So clever as she is, she will not ' influence ' this old Einnni'-t ver' easily. I have heard about, from my former ladies who have talko I. Thev afso would make le sweedle with him* They also —rebuffed! Ho is a soldier: nothing but that. He 'ates women!" emphatically. "As you know .... monsieur.'' Another grunt from Lord Emmott s servant. " This what you call ' petticoat go - vernment,' bah! He," with a. :wift< gesture, ■ "*' sweep all that away! _ It is not for our .Monsieur Jack, this appointment, even though ho is soldier in the Army, in the world.. God knows I wish it for him —me. I. would do the same thing if I were Monsieur Jack's mother, or—or his sweetheart. But, madame, his mother, will onlv make this old Emmott angry. He w'll think our Monsieur Jack only like everv other good-for-nothing! Then, much talk in the smoking-room. We return. Then Monsieur Jack discovers what my lady has been lip to —or alter And then lie will say"- the pretty inflection was dropped for a crisp ring of imitation '"he will say, ' For God's sake, Mater, leave this kind of thing alone. Wire-pulling again! 1 wish I'd known!' and then, tears, tears. And Ito massage her face io>hours after."

She paused for breath. ' "Er He's-a straight sort of young fellow, thfcn, this son of hers—what?" came the gruff voice. "Straight? As a die'/' responded the soft one eagerly. "So beloved in his regiment; and the true sportsma.t. And the women: all the yeung ones, the -old Duchess even —after him —all, all, all! As a flock!" Her eyes glowed, her voice lifted. " But lie —d une vertu terrible, you understand? Horrible virtuous!" ' • ' - " Yoti speak feelingly, observed J,ord Emmott's; ninu with more interest'than he had yet shown. '"You seem to know all about; 'about this young gentleman." ' . She did not answer for quite a mmiitei Then—- ' . "I.love him," said tlie French maid simply, and her voice broke. Her wheedling gaiety fell from about herthe stark truth .made her suddenly effective. That impulse, known by most women,-io pour out the heart's secret to some titter stranger, fell- upoir the French girl now. , Under the spell -r her own words; she went on hoarsely, clenching iber /two small hands .together as' sho spoke. - >- '■ V->\Ycsj-I-" also-love Monsieur Jack. Tieni,! I, adore liim. Always, from the first evening I see him on the stairs. Why not confess it, to you? I confessed it to him, as every woman confesses—with lier eyes, with every tone of her voice, every rustle of her dress. But never with words until."—she moistened lier lips; rain drove against the windows of the cab —-"until one evening/ t My lady was gone to: the theatre, the father ;servants downstairs. 1 in my. lady's boudoir to fetch some gloves -'she :had ■' forgotten.. Monsier Jack comes to seek- his, mother into the boudoir. It is nearly dark there—tw-i----•light, and hill of the scent of syringa ;n ■a bowl on the " .table—white syringa I cannot support-it-now, that "scent of-.the'syriuga. 1 -- . • • "He say,'' Hullo, who's there? That .you/.-Elsiet'- • ■ ■ . <oui, monsieur,.' I say, and - 1 stand out to the red light of the fire.. 1 knew, -without telling,' that I \vas. tres eiiT beaiite^good-lopking—that . evening. A man," she turned • quickly to the roan in the cab,' " > wbiild tiiid iiie gocrd-look-in?" v. v.:-' -7

" Yes," agreed Lord Emniott's man with ; the • griKlgingv curtness of your . true compliment, "you're a pretty woman." . ' ' _ "So I knew. : ..... For Monsier Jack, he .look at me; once. 1 look at him,"' she went'oll breathless;'' "I look, and in a minute 1 am by his side, and my hands- on his coat—so!'—the. small haqds flew up—" and my face -he is so t,ill —-and 1 holtl my- lip.s for for his. kiss." • " She stopped to ebbke down a sob. -Well?"

A pause. Then - . "He would- not!" 'broke..from the girl. " Voir uifderstand? He refuse me! He took both my hands —his hands were shaking—and put them down. * Bi|t lie wanted " —tlie head in the fur toque went up proudly—"he wanted:to.kiss me!' - "How d'you know that?" asked the man quietlv. ■ v '" Know i A woman alweys knows,"' she aaid impatiently. "Then why wouldn't he.?" " Perhaps "he ; thought of his fiance*! 1 —she of the saitTceHars. Rut ho. 1 believe 116 knew it was more than a kiss; taken pour rirey.;for. joke, with me. It. was the real; It was all-my heart I had to offer, even, if I' vvas only He saw.; - ■. -

• v"'My'good girl, don't,' lie say. ,f ' iionsier Jack!' 1 cry, .and look straight into'his face. ' All, Monsieur Jack. . . !' '"'Don't; I- can't stand this,' he sav." 'My good* child, you mustn't, really.' lie take my'hand and pat it once—but his own hands were shaking —and then—then he throw himself out of the room as It shot from a cannon. Out of the house. ■ 1 'ear the door bang • v . " Since then " —tlie . sob broke — "'I do not see him again alone." "Indeed!" . responded Lord Emmott's man gravely. . . And for ' the last mile of the jonr'ney there was silence.

The French maid cleared her throat, rustled and straightened herself in her corner, gathering together her bag and her umbrella as the ■ great lodge gates 'of the Castle passed' before- tlie cab window. - ,

'"Hero we arc," said she, with her dainty affectation' back in her voice. "Enlin! And it is still raining. 1 am fortunate to have had a —a, companion for the voyage.." '"So am I,". said the man shortly. And just before the"cah pulled up at the great-door he held out his hand to the woman who had confided in him, bending forward as if he, too, had a confidence to make. - "1 misled you," het blurted out abruptly, "when-1 told, you I was Lord Emmott's man. Well, in a sense, every man's his own master. I'm Emmott—' that old Emmott' of whom you've been talking." . _ " Milor'!" gasped tlie French maid aghast. "'A thousand pardons! 1 — You did a good turn to that Monsieur Galahad —no, Jack —of yours," he interrupted, gruffly kind. '"1 think he will get that appointment. Hut only von and I, mademoiselle, need know "that it has been once again 'in the gift of a woman.' "