SCARLET STOCKINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1171, 18 November 1871, Page 3

SCARLET STOCKINGS.

* {From BroadwayA) how TnEr walked into lennox's life. " Come out for a drive, Harry ?" " Too cold." " Have a game of billiards ?" " Too tired." " Go and call on the Fairchildg ?" " Having an unfortunate prejudice ags'ast country girls, I respectfully decline." " What will you do, then ?" " Nothing, thank you " And settling himself more luxuriously upon the couch, Lennox closed his eyes, and appeared to slumber tranquilly. Kate shook her head, and stood regarding her brother despondeutly, till a suddan idea made her turn towards the window exclaim ing abruptly — " Scarlet stockings, Harry !" " Where ?" and as if the words were a spell to break the deepest day-dream, Lennox hurried to the window, with an unusual pression of interest in his listless face. " I thought that would succeed ! She ish there, but I've got you up, and you are not to go down again," laughed Kate, taking possession of the sofa. " Not a bad manoeuvre. I don't mind; it's about time for the one interesting event of the day to occur, so I'll watch for myself, thank you;" and Lennox took the easy chair by the window with a shrug and a yaws. " I am glad anything does interest you," said Kate, petulantly, " though I don't think it amounts to much, for, though you perch yourself at the window every diy to see .that girl pass, you don't care enough about it to ask her name. ' " I've been waiting to be told." " It's Belle Morgan, the doctor's daughter, and my dearest friend." " Then, of course, she is a blue-belle ?" "Don't try to be witty or sarcastic with her, for she will beat you at that." "Not a dumb-belle, then?" " Quite the reverse; she talks a good deal, and very well, too, when she likes." " She is very pretty; has anybody the right to call her ' Ma belle ' ?" Many would be glad to do so, but she won't have anything to say to them." " Canterbury belle jn every sense of the word, then ?" " She might be, for all Canterbury loves her, but she isn't fashionable, and has more friends among tbe poor than among the rich." " Ah, I see, a diving belle, who knows how to go down into a sea of trouble and bring up the pearls worth having." "I'll tell her that. It will please her. You are really waking up Harry," and Kate smiled approvinply upon him. " This page of ' Belle's Life ' is rather amusing, so read away," said Lennox, glancing up the street, as if be awaited the appearance of the next edition with pleasure. " There ia not much to tell ; she is a nice, bright, energetic warm-hearted dear, tbe pride of the doctor's heart, and a favourite with everyone, though she is odd." " How odd ?" "Does and says what she likes, ia very blunt and honest, has ideas and principles of her own, goes to parties in high dresses, won't dance round dances, and wears red

Jstockings, though Mrs Plantageuet aays- its- ' " EUther a jolly little person, 2 fancy. Why haven't we met her at some of- the teafighta- and muffin-wrories we've been to lately ?." "-& may make you angry, but it will doyou; good, so I'll tell. She didn't care enough about seeing the distinguished stranger to come; that's the truth." " v ensible girl, to spare herself hoars of mortal du'ness, gossip, aud dyspepsia," was the placid reply. " Nhe has seen you, though, at churcfy and dawdling about town, and she called you- ' Sir Charles Coldstream ' oa the spot. How does that suit?" asked Kate maliciously. " Not bad ; I rather like that. Wish she'd ; call some day, and stir us up." " She- won't ; I asked her, but she said she was very busy, and told Jessy Tudor ahe wasn't fond of peacocks." '' I don't exactly sec the connection." '• Stuspid boy ! she meant you, of course." " Oh, Tin peacocks, am I ?" " I don't wish to be rude, but I really think, you are vain of your good looks, elegant accomplishments, aud the impression youmake wherever you go. When it's worth while you exert yourself, and are altogether fascinating, but the *I come— see — and — conquer' uir you put on, spoils it all for sensiblis- people." "It strikes me that Miss Morgan has slightly infected you with her oddity as far as bluntness goes. Fire away; it's rather amusing to be abused when one is dying ot! eji»ui." " That's grateful and complimentary to me, when Ii have devoted myself to you ever since you came. But everything bores you v and the onlj r sign of interest you've shown is in those absurd red hose. I should like to. know what the charm is," said Kate sharply. " Impossible to say; accept the fact calmly,, as I do, and be grateful that there is one glimpse nf colour, life, and spirit in this aristocratic tomb of a town." "You are not obliged to stay in it!" fiercely. " Begging your pardon, my dove, but I am. I promised to give you my enlivening society for a month,, aud a Lennox keeps his word, even at the cost of his life " " I'm sorry I asked such a sacrifice; but I innocently thought that, after being away for five lone years, you might care to see your orphan sifter," and the dove produced her handkerchief with a plaintiff sniff. " Now, my clear creature, don't be melodramatic, I beg of you," cried her brother, imploringly; " I wished to come, I pined to embrace you, and I give you my word, I don't blame you for the stupidity of this confounde 1 place." " It never was so gay as since you came, for every one has tried to make it pleasant for you," cried Kate, ruffled at his indifference to the hospitable efforts of herself aud friends; "but you don't care for any of our simple amusements, because you are spoilt by the flattery, gaiety, and nonsense of foreign society. If I did not know it was half affectation, I should be in despair, you are so blase and absurd. It's always the way with men, if one happen to be handsome, accomplished, and talented, he puts on as many airs, and is as vain as any silly girl." " Don't you think if you took breath, you'd get on faster, my dear ?'' asked the imperturbable gentleman, as Kate paused with a gasp. " I know it's useless for me to talk, as you don't care a straw what I say, but it's true, and some day you'll wish you had done something worth doing all these years. I was so proud of you, that I can't help being disappointed to find you with no more ambition than to kill time comfortably, no interest in anything but your own pleasures, and only energy enough to amuse yourself with a pair of scarlet stockings." Pathetic as poor Kate's face and voice were, it was impossible to help laughing at the comical conclusion of her lament. Lennox tried to hide the smile on his lips by affecting to curl his moustache with care, and to gaze pensively out as if touched by her appeal. But he wasn't ; she was only bis sister, and though she rn'ght have talked with the wisdom of Solomon and the eloquence of Demosthenes, it wouldn't have done a particle of good. Sisters do very well to work for one, to pet one. and play confidante when one's love affairs need feminine wit to conduct them, but when they begin to reprove, or criticise, or moralise, it won t do, and can't be allowed, of course. Lennox never snubbed anybody, but blandly extinguished them by a polite acquiescence in all their affirmations, for the time being, and then went on his own way as if nothing had been said. " I daresay you are right; I'll go and think over your very sensible advice;" and, as if roused to unwonted exertion by the stings of an accusing conscience, he left the room abruptly. " I do believe I've made an impression at last 1 He's actually gone out to think over what I've said. Dear Harry, I was sure he had a heart, if one only knew how to get at it !" And with a sigh of satisfaction Kate went to the window to behold the "dear Harry" going briskly down the street after a pair of scarlet stockings. (To be continued.)