The Love Feast of Stella Lorraine

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17223, 14 December 1923, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Love Feast of Stella Lorraine

= ~ FIRST PRIZE STORY =

(Written for the Christmas “ Star,’*

H. TILLMAN)

The rise to wealth of Henry Lorraine had been rapid. A chef of a* fashionable hotel in London, he had married the daughter of the proprietor, and himself become an owner m turn. He was an artist in the preparing of food. There were people who considered a menu of Lorraine's as pure poetry, and a certain fish omelette had been favourably commended by a king. But now that his daughter Stella was nineteen, it was decided by the mother that hotel-owning was vulgar and impossible. Henry sold out, invested tlio money, and the whole family set out to see the world, because, as Mrs Lorraine told her husband with feminine wisdom, on steamers love affairs move with great speed, and who knows, “ perhaps some chike may fall in love with Stella.” After the family had viewed America they came to New Zealand. It was on the same boat that a real lord was travelling. The voyage was not a success. Stella’s flirtation with the chief officer %vas so tempestuous that it was only the fact that the officer was married that prevented trouble. Father and mother were displayed. At Auckland they hurried her away down south, and on the way to a well-known tourist resort. their far . broke down. Through this the family became the guests of tlie Romney-Browns. This wealthy family consisted of Mrs Romney-Brown, relict of James Brown who had built up a vast estate, a son and three daughters. The womenfolk were the cause of the hyphenating of the name. The girls were now al! married, mating, as was proper, with wealth and position. The one son, James Romney-Brown, up to the time of his father’s death had received none of the advantages of wealth. Lenient to the womenfolk, old man Brown had domineered his son through all the thirty-five rears of his life. Jimmy was never anything better than a station manager. He lived out in the huts among the hills tor months at a tim?while the different niusterings of thirty runs took place. At shearing time he went with the shearers from shed to shed, and ate the monotonous boiled mutton and rice pucjdmg that the men live on out back. The shear ing shed cook lacks imagination. Fried chops for every meal would suit him best. hut. as he must dispose of the rest of the sheep, he puts it in a pot, adds a few chopped potatoes. and so Trish stew is added to the menu. On Sundavs most cooks serve up a brown mess they rail plum pudding Tt is therefore Wednesday before the shed regains its cheerfulness. Although Jimmy had eaten mutton all his life, yet he had yearnings. Lying in his bunk on wet afternoons, his Nat Gould would be laid aside, and, as lie listened to the rain on the iron roof he would dream of rich banquets, roast beef and steak, and of a particularly nice pudding lie had once eaten at a race ball. His father bad now been dead for two months, yet Jimmy had not been able to get away to town life. All the details of the runs bad been in his bands so long that be found it necessary to train others to take his place. He welcomed the arrival of the Lorraines. He felt they belonged to the world in which he wanted to be. Stella and he went for long rides together. The girl flirted well. She could see Jimmy was very eligible, and with his wealth could occupy any social position. A gift of a cup brought him in the presidency of the local sporting club, a few trophies brought the same honour from other societies. A deputation had waited on him with a request that he should stand for Parliament. The spokesman “feared” - he almost shuddered—“that a black ugly wave of Bolshevism was likely to sweep the country, and that they must build a truly British hollow square of earnest young men not afraid to put their hands in tlieTr pockets, ail'd he an oasis in a desert of corruption.” The picture drawn was so touching that Jimmy almost shed tears and promised to consider it. Airs Lorraine, like the good general she was, studied the position. She liked New Zealand. She felt it was sufficiently removed from those who knew that Lorraine was once a cook. She decided that Jimmy’s sisters could secure for his wife a good social position in town life, ami that she would have sufficient wealth to maintain it. Tt was true that Jimmy was no duke, but she did not like sea voyages, and as she told her husband, “those gold braid officers could give a duke tin* first dozen kisses and then heat him.” So after thinking the matter over. Henry Lorraine signed his name to the title deeds of a city home, and Jimmv promised to come and stay with them for the forthcoming big race week. •Timmy came, bought a thousandpound car, took Stella to the races

each!day. and in the evening under the stars they walked together. Miss Lorraine did not tell him about her previous English lovers, and of course not about the chief officer of the R.M.S. Maruia. She felt it would be hardly the thing, yet she could not help comparing them and regretting that Jimmy was t> as she expressed it, “ a bit slow.” *For all that, she, in common with the rest of the Lorraine family, decided that her future name would be Mrs Romney-Brown. In some ways Jimmy enjoyed the life. He knew that when he walked with Stella at night her eyes invited love and her pretty lips semed made for kissing, yet he did not feel at ease with her. She was of a life that ho did not understand. The race week ended, and he stayed on. Oftentimes he felt restless and lonely, especially in' crowded places. He wanted a view of the cloud-hung hills and the rustling tussocked plains. Still, no longing came for the mustering hut and the meals of stale bread and never ending fried mutton. The meals at the Rom ney-Browns’ were all events to him. He had even found out who was the cook. A pretty, dark-eyed young woman he found her, very independentlooking, and very capable. He had thought of trying to get his mother to bribe her away to the homestead, but he knew it could not be done. He had often heard his mother say, “ Yoq can't get a good cook to come into the country. They won’t stand the quiet Airs Lorraine made inquiries, from Stella, found out that anything like an engagement was doubtful unless Jimmy received some kind of assistance. She told her husband about this, ana Henry had an idea. “ I tell you what I’ll do.” he said to her. “ Stella’s birthday is in a couple of days, and we will have a birthday dinner--a feast—a love feast —yes. a love feast it will be. For one day again I will be a chef. J will cook a meal such as has never been seen in New Zealand before; —never have been such dishes and this young man. who all his days has eaten sheep, he will be there, and will eat the dinner--mv dinner. my masterpiece dinner —and when he has eaten it he will be full and inspired. Afterwards all things, all life, will appear beautiful to him He will be entranced, enraptured, and ho will ask Stella to marry him. Stelli shall be a leader in society, and no one will know that 1, her father, was the cook. ’ ’ Mrs Lorraine listened, and after thinking it over she gave her approval In the lonely hours of the night Henrv prepared the dishes'. Ten courses he prepared,'and each one a favourite of royalty. The night came, and Stella dressed with more than usual care. “Your father has gone to a lot of trouble preparing this love feast for von.*’ the mother said, “so you must look your best and you must see that this young man asks you to marry him to-night.” The dinner was a triumph. To Jimmy, each course was a fresh delight. never before had he tasted such dishes. Under the influence of the good things he felt happy and inspired. Stella noted his pleasure and was radiant. When the coffee came. Jimmy leant forward and whispered confidential Iv to her father. “This house shelters an angel, if ever there was one.” “Yes,” Henry answered, “she is an angel.” In the drawing room the guest lav back in enjoyment, and listened, as in a dream, to Stella's singing. Afterwards the girl came and sat by him, and lie appeared to be making up his mind. He was preoccupied, as though some momentous decision was before li i in. He remained in this state till lie retired to his room. Still, all were content. Henry said to his wife. “Jimmy is in love with her all right. He said to me, ‘This house shelters an angel, if ever there was one.’ I reckon that’s as good as a proposal.” But in the morning their guest took liis .departure. He gave no explanation for his sudden wish to go home. “Maybe,” Airs Lorraine suggested, “maybe he wants to fix up his affairs, so that lie can come back and get engaged .and married straight, away.” This explanation sufficed till two days later. when she met Jimmy hurrying along the street. “I don't suppose you’ve heard the news.” he said apologetically, ‘ I er—got married yesterday;” “May T inquire who the ladv is?” Airs Lorraine asked in acid accents. Jimmy smiled. “You know her veil.” he said enthusiastically. “Until yesterday she was—Alary—your cook.”