Novelist.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2082, 17 June 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Novelist.

“ALMA.”

♦♦♦ - As Okioinal Australian Story, BY HAROLD STEPHEN. Esq.. Jf.P. OF N E\V ?OCT ; i WALKS. (Ml n .y.!. nr.,rr,-I.) CHAPTER 1.1X.-ICo-, riMH< ) “ InO.-uier. i- i —, joj ir tbe employ of Freeman and fruelove, the solicitors t" I was.” “As confidential clerk to Mr. Freeman, 1 believe?” “ Yes." “ Now, air, be good enough to look at that deed, and tell tba eoiut whether tbe signstore of Thomas Sumner, which appears as witness, was written by yon or not ?” Toere was breathless silence in court whilst the witness bent over tbe deed, oetenMbly lot tba purpose of examining it, bat in reality to gather fores lot tbe eovp d'l’tal which be meditated. At last ha raised bis bead, and, looking Ur. Cutis fairly in tba (ace, said : “ I perfectly remember that deed it was engrossed and wiinesitd by me. That is my signature.”

“ What I" thundered the Professor, whilst Mr. Curtis fell back on bis seat, as H struck by lightning, and the wildest excitement reigned throughout the building. “What! Do yon dare say yon signed that ? ’ The outburst passed unheeded, (or the general noise was not quelled for some moments, and then Thistlethwaitc, pale and trembling, forced hia client to hold his peace, telling him that, even yet, all was cot lost

But nevertheless all was lost. It is not necessary to tell how gallantly Ur. Bumptious (ought to retrieve the day, or bow his attacks were met and parried by tbe equally skillful Sergeant lebjll—ruflice it tossy that tbe Criief Justice summed up deld against the piamtitf, and that the jury, alter retiring lor hall an hour, brought in a verdict lor the Attendant.

Ntithrr Thietkthwaitencr his client waited lor tbe i'*ue. They knew that a pro-eculion lor conspiracy 'i ould pro'-ably follow, and, ere the verdict was banded in, they were far on their way to France.

PRECIS. Sumner goes to America and is killed in a gambling fsloou. Professor eetiles in Munich on annuity allowed by Alma. Tnutl-tbwaits is struck off the roll, though iheta is no prosecution for conspiracy. Dart ger-.les at Tredegar Park, and Sir Charles lives with bin. Harry and Alma live ou the station in Au-tralia, and Harry becomes a leading legislator. Bill Brown becomes Htrry’soverseer, and Susie marries Ssrjeant O'More. Bertie joins .Mr. Harvey as merchant in Melbourne. San becomes a barrister, and finally settles in Melbourne,

CHAPTER LX-AND LABI. TEN TEABB UTII It is Christmas Eve. Tbe snn still stands high in tbe heavens, although it if aix o’clock, aod tbe birds are prepving to retire for the nich:. Under the deep verandah, which encircles the homestead at Mnltrflora Station, is assembled a merry company, amongjt whom we mey recognise some old I riaikds. First aod forsmoat in tha place of honor—(ha Grovsvater etuhl, at Alma lovea to call As huge armchair— it sealed Mr. Standish iXwetlsr. Ten years have passed lightly over bis bead, though his hair is thinner and greyer than of yore, and, at times be complains ol shortnses ol breath. Bat be is still the same jolly old gentleman, and the ehildren prefer a romp with grandpapa even to the grand excitement of a aheep-washing. They rorround him now, palling his whiskers, riding on his knees, and generally teasing him aa mu eh a* they dare in tbe presence of ■nniar There on five of them, four sturdy hoys, aged sight, six and three respectively, and one little maid of nine, staid and grave, as baits her matronly position as eldest of the family. Clone by, reclining on a Singapore ehair, la mamma. A very girlish mamma indeed, both as to face and figure. Alma, for she it ie, has had no ears or trouble to bring wrinkles to bar brow, and, in tbe glorious maniocs air, *ba baa thriven like a child of ■atan, motored on not oral food, and free ham Urn enervating excitements of town hla. She has net even lost the peach bloom which graced bar cheeks when first we met hat at Orabenthal; lor Harry values her iMnlaxion so highly that ho will not suffer her io endanger it ay exposure to tbe fierce dwtrafioa Bummer eon, and she is as free from tan aa if she were a new-ehnm.

By her side, seated on a kangaroo skin, is » agaM little igma, as round as s ball, snr- ' (Winded by a head covered with a forest of WagM wn-gray* h-V •- 1 ’ ‘ c d by n ■nit of-knee ere .. ..uMrtM fM long ago |>. • / Harry to i hia gaartwi to Bathurst, where he now j an idwdvi practise, and, indetd, his

' fame li:'s eit-nded to the metropolis. He ie tos pijing hie annual Christmas visit to Multisets station. The children invariably ; regard his coming with terror, which as in- : variably subsides when they learn that he is not there on business, bat for pleasure, and is thus as available for "larks” as even grandpapa himself. There are other gaeets present with whom

we have nothing to do genial yoang squatters from the neighborhood, and jolly country girls, with red cheeks and buxom figures—lor there is to be a idance, and all young people from milea around have arrived or are expected. Presently the doctor, who has been toying ' with soma cherished specimen of a fern, raises his head, and utters a species of grunt, which is well understood by his friends to . mean that be is willing to enter into conversation. '■ What is it, doctor 7" Alma asks, in response to the signal. “ Das obend-essen 7” be mutters, in a low growl—he will talk German to Alma, but she rarely replies in (bat language. "The supper? You are then hungry again I Doctor, lam ashamed of you I" *• Hoongry 7 Yais of gorse— heir hat man immtr hunger, I ton’t peen regollect de dime 1 tan't been hoongry in dish pleoe." “ Well, you will have to wait another hour I am afraid, for we must wait for Harry and the Leracortes." “ I think they are coming now, mamma," said the little girl. " Don’t yon hear Mr. M'Corkle down at the stables 7” Indeed, it would have been bard to avoid hearing the worthy ovetaeer, for he was administering a reproof to some lagging groom in the very highest tone of bis voice. " They are coming I” shouted the eldest boy, who had been to an end of the verandah from which a glance of the road might be ; obtained, Then, shouting wildly, the children ran off, and were soon followed by the majority of the company. Five minutes later, Harry Luoellea made his appearance on the lawn accompanied by Bertie and Ontee Lracorte. Harry bas grown stouter, and so has Bertie, but Grace i* still the tall, graceful girl of yore. She is childless, and that is the only grief which has overshadowed her life. Bertie has been for some years established in business as a merchant and ship-owner in Sydney, and is in partnership with Mr.Harvey.who manages the Melbourne branch.

Then ensues an immense amount of kiss ing and handshaking, interspersed with such rapid questioning and ans Acting, that the smartest shorthand reporter would fail to record half of what was said.

In dne odnrse, the doctor's ears are ghddened by the sound of the dinner bell, and the company is soon installed around a tah'e, which only refrains from groanin >, at tbe weight of luxuries it contains, becicee tables have not yet developed their faculties sufficiently to be able to indulge in that diversion.

It is a right merry party, and, if the jokes and conversation are not quite as wi ty or epigrammatic as they might have been had tbe entertainment taken place in a large city, be sure (be laughter is more genuine, and the (on better appreciated. Alma has Bertie on her right hand, and they two soon drop into hall-confidential chatter about old times and old friends.

“ Have yoo heard from Seth lately 7” she sake.

“ Not bad a line for over two months, but his time is nearly up, and 1 should not be aorpriied to bear of bis arrival any day." “ Whan was he when yon heard from him teat r

"In Mew York, looking lor hie lather. He wanted to let the old man eee what a swell he had become. I should like to have been present at their meeting. Just lane; the lather’s surprise at seeing bis bo; developed into a lull-fledged English banister, and with an income large enough to render praotiee a secondary consideration I" “ But Seth will get into practice “He 7 Ha is as shrap as a needle I I should tut be a fait surprised to see him leading the Melbourne bar before five years are over."

“ He i« a dev, good boy, and I am sure he will prosper wherever he goes," said Alma. “ Bat now tell me of yourself and Grace—yon have been eneeeesfu! 7" " Tee. We are making money at a tremendous rate, and I am afraid 1 shall die a millionaire. I have just been offered a seal in the Ministry." "How nice I Ton will accept, o( coarse 7" " Grace wishes it, but, since I have been in Parliament, I have been so much away from home, that I scarcely care to undertake fresh duties. She must be very lonely at times," and Bertie glanced with a half sigh at the merry little faces of (he children, thinking that be would give ball his fortune to be able to call one ol them hie own.

With the qu : ck instinct of a woman, Alma beard tbe sigh, and understood its cause. That sorrow did not admit of sympathy, so shcVianged the subject of their conversation by tijuitiog at et Su-ie. " Susie and her husband, the ex sergeant nf police, ate dnrg remarkrlly ’veil," replied Bertie. " Th?ir hotel is actually becoming fashionable, and yon may meet soma ot the greatest swells in Sydney in their luncheonroom."

" Her brother, Bill Brown, is, as perhaps you know, our head-stockman. He lives, with bis mother, at the cattle station on the plains, and is quite steady now." “ The first case of a reformed bushranger I ever heard ot,” said Bertie. " But there was great excuse for tbe poor-fellow—l soppose he had been bred up to it from bia youth. The mother must be a more difficult pvly to deal with." “ No. At firstjwe had our (cars, but Mr MCorkle took her io hand, and has actually converted her to Galvanism. They are allies, and Mrs. M’Corkle tells me that her hneband is sure that Mrs. Brown is one of the eleot.”

Bertie laughed, and the aside ended, for, by this time the dessert was on the table* and old Mr. La*ce!ies bad risen to make a speech, being determined on asmnoh healthdrinking as the ladies would allow. Very soon more guests arrived, and there was a general adjournment to Che drawingroom, off which opened a large, empty room, which bad been set apart for dancing. Grace, after her long journey, felt too tired to indulge in this exercise, and was installed in an arm-chair and given a letter to read, which we will take the liberty ol perusing over her shoulder. It began—- “ Mr Dearest Ana,—

" This should reaoh you ll about Christmas time, so let me begin by wishing you and yours the usual good lock, and happy time. Next Cm ' -‘mas I awear we will spend together ; for, if you don't come to ns, we will even go to you—though how I am going to get Aimee to consent to risk the lives of her precious brats on the deep blue sea I don’t know. Everything prospers with us, as, I am glad to learn, with you. Aimee is very little changed, and sings as charmingly as ever, and the children are good and pretty, though nearly as black as their mother. Sir (Jbsrhs North has now taken up his rei-i----dence with us tor good, and we have another inmate, of whom more anon. With this letter, Aimee sends a box o( presents for the W and Sir Charles has added something also -but, as it is to be a surprise, I must ■ay nothing more. By the way, you rememberthat old rogns, Thistleih waits ? Yon

know, although we did not prosecute him for hie conspiracy, the matter was taken up by the profession, and he was struck off the rolls. Well, the other day Sir Charles met him in London, ragged and out at elbows. He was touting for a coal-merchant, and actually had the effrontery to solicit an order from my dear old guardian. Hu did not get the order, but he did get a twentypound note, which is a great deal mote than the old villain deserved. "In June last we went to the baths at Carlsbad, and, as we were so near Dresden, I took a tun over to tee our uncle, the Professor. The two hundred a year wo allowed him, together with his own earnings, would, I had thought, enable him to cut a very reepectable figure in German society—you may, then, fancy my horror when I found him reduced almost to destitution I He had taken to gambling, it appears, and regularly lost every quarter's instalment within a week after it reached him. He had also so neglected hie business that it bad fallen away to nothing, whilst his character ae a gambler caused bim to be avoided by all steady people. I found bim ill—be had had a stroke of paralysis, and has entirely lost the use of his left arm. He was so changed, and really appeared eo penitent, that I was fool enough—or wise enough—which 7—to forgive him the past, and invite him to live with us at Tredegar Park. Ho has now been with us lor over two months, and, I am happy to say, his reform seems to be genuine. He is,if anything, too bumbleand contrite,but the children have taken to him amazingly, and Sit Charles has learned to tolerate him, and even enjoy bis conversation. It would do the old fellow no harm if you were to write him a short note—l assize you I believe him to be sincerely repentant. " Now you have had all the news—mind you are equally explicit in return. Aimee and everybody else eend love to you all, as does “ Your Affectionate Brother, “ Dab* Tbbdeqab.”

Grace had soktoely finished leading this letter, when there was a tremendous hullabaloo outside, and a general rush to the verandah ensued.

“Lie down, you degsl” cried Harry " Who is there 7”

" Just me, old fellow,” wai the reply, and a figure emerged from the gloom, and walked forward with extended hand.

“By Jove, it’s Sethi” exclaimed Bertie, who was standing by Harry’s side. 11 How are you, old boy 7” The little American larrikin, who had developed into an extremely handsome man, considerably over the middle height, «ms soon installed in the dining-room, and surrounded by hia old friends. After he bad eaten and drank, and lit a cigar, he was pressed to give an account of himself, and delivered himself as follows

“ Yon know all about me till I got to New York, bo there is no need to go over old ground. Well, I started out in search of my father, and was thoroughly unsuccessful until I remembered tbe beer-jirksr, my respected mother-in-law, and joined her in tbe enquiry. Altar a few days I got wind of hqr, and tracked her down to a lager-beer saloon, in a vary unwholesome part of the city. There 1 fouhd her installed as mistress, and had not much difficulty in eliding from her the truth about my father. Of course I did not tell her who I was, or ehe might have made me pay dearly (or the information. 1 found (bat she and my father had quarrelled, and that, two years previously, she, as she expressed it "shook” (be old gentleman, and started on her own aoeonnt. He had drifted from bad to worse, until eventually he had landed in a species of benevolent asylum lor decayed paupers. I went there, found him, took him out, dressed him decently, and exported him to Australia. He is now in Melbourne —perfeotlyjharmlesj, and qnite respectable I assure yon.” Tbe tone of persiflage assumed by Seth, did not deceive hie bearers—they knew bow bitterly he most have felt hie father’s degradation, but they were too good-hearted to embarrass him by any expression of sympathy. “ And that is all?" asked Bertie.

" Nothing more worthy ol note, as the reporters gay. But hold on—now I come to think ol it, I heard something about an old Iriend ol oure which may interest you."

" Who do you mean 7”

“Sumner Johnson Vanderdeaken—whatever yon like to call him. He was shot in a brawl whilst I was in New York. Tbe fellow had made a mint of money in California, and had established himself in a magnificent mansion in Fifth Avenue, but his low tastes never deserted him, and he was killed in a villainous gambling-den amongst some ol the worst rowdies in the city.” “ Poor creature I" sighed Alma. "He was very kind to me onoe.” “No crying to-night, it yon please," said Harry, taking his wile’s hand. “ Fitch away that cigar, Seth, and come in and show ns the latest style in dancing." “ Which I will, and this little maid shall be my partner,” cried Setb, suiting the action to the word. " Yon will dance with me 7" he asked, taming to the child.

“ Yes, sir," was the reply given timidly, for he was s etranger to the young lady. “ That’s all right then—come along. Do you know I mean to make you my wife by and by 7"

And, if Seth really maana it, I, for one, think he will succeed.

So I leave my puppete dancing. Has the show pleased you, gentle reader 7 Humbly I acknowledge that I am no great maeter of my art, and I even fear that I might have done better had I labored more diligently—therefore I expect no high award at your hands; but if, aa the onrtain descends, you will condescend to favour us with a smile, I 1 shall have tbe less regret in patting with the characters of my drama, many ot whom have become such dear friends to me that I hate to bid them, as I do you, ADIEU.