In Wellington Was Consolation

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 June 1901, Page 669

In Wellington Was Consolation

Illustrated by J. Kilqour

fIMMY Me ANDREW belonged to Dunediu, but something had happened down there which was to him more deplorable than the silting up of the channel, and he came up to Wellington in search of an off-shoot from the waters of Lethe, so that he might- drink and forget. Consolation he knew there was none. He was but twenty-two, then, and probably had not heard of the wonderful cures affected by a physician named Time. These things put into more prosaic language mean that Jimmy had fallen in love with a married lady, who was given to flirting with young men of immature notions. Jimmy was of her last gathering, and had taken himself and his emotions with much seriousness, this being his first experience of the kind. At a certain stage of things McAndrew, senior, observing the folly of his son, casually offered him an advanced position in the Wellington branch of his business, but with considerable tact did not press the lad to accept. Bob Graham, a friend of Jimmy's, was told off to advise a removal from the scene of disaster. Graham and McAndrew, senior, smoked Vol. lI.— No. 9.— 40.

many pipes and drank many whiskion while arranging 1 the plot, all of which was unknown to Jimmy, who worked right into their hands by accepting his father's offer. So il; catno about that a boat from the South landed him in Wellington one day, and a hansom took him to the house of a certain Mrs. Russell in Thorndon. Mrs. Russell was an old friend of his mother's, who from stress of circumstances was pleased to receive and chaperon well-referenced young men or maidens in the sanctity of her homo for a monetary consideration. The McAndrews knew their son would be safe from the wiles of married Delilahs in that atmosphere when they arranged for him to board at Mrs. Russell's.

On the morning aftor his arrival Jimmy walked along the Tinakori Road with the intention of getting down town to wire his mother of his safe landing. Mrs. Russell had given him several directions about the way, but each one being more obscure than the other, he left; the house knowing ho must discover a way for himself. This he eventually did by crossing the earthquake-

rent gully, and then sagaciously bailing up a letter-carrier for the rest. After sending his wire, he made for the beach and sat down to consider his case. He was due to report himself at the office, but that could wait, he thought; for he wanted to have a little melancholy season all to himself before he took up the dreary burden of office graft again. The tide was coming in, and a soft breeze was blowing off the water, and altogether conditions were conducive to sentimental reflection, and as he gazed dreamily towards Petone and the Rimutaka Mountains, beyond

woman — just as good as a woman should be who has never had to work out intricate life questions for herself. Jimmy was a good son, and loved her it is true, but at present he loved that other woman quite a hundred times better. For of such things is a mother's harvest. As the memory of the woman down South troubled and saddened Jimmy, a girl came along the Esplanade, and catching sight of him, approached, and in a free and unconventional manner began to talk to him. She was a Miss Carre, an orphan, and a friend of Mrs Russell's, under whose care she had been left. Mrs.

them came to him the vision of a woman in far off Dunedin. A Bible lay in his coat pocket. His mother had put it there when she bade him good-dye at Port Chalmers. She had thoughtfully marked several passages for his benefit, the seventh commandment, a line in the tenth, and a particular word of advice from Solomon to his son, which always has value because of that monarch's experience. Jimmy recollected the book, but the face of the woman in Dunedin came between it and him. He sighed. Mrs. McAndrew had meant well, poor soul ! For she was a good

andaconsiderable'dowry of land to a surveyor. Mrs Russell declared, furthermore, that all the surveyors in the early days married Maori ladies, and got land with their brides, thus convincing Jimmy that Providence must be on the side of the surveyor. A Christian church had baptized Miss Carre by the name of Josephine, but her mother's people corrupted this into Hoipini, and as such she came to be called by all her friends. Neither the young lady nor her story had interested Jimmy very much, because of the absorbing gloom of his own affairs ; but now as he looked into her dark, handsome face, he

Russell had obligingly supplied Jimmy with the young lady's history the previous evening, aud being an old colonist, Mrs Russell, was well versed in people's histories. This, many of them had as a grievance against her. Miss Carre, it appeared, was the granddaughter of a noted Maori chief who had been on the side of the English during the war. His appreciation of the people who had come to dominate, led him to present his only daughter

began to recall the things he had heard of her. Other days these two would meet, always in a hap-hazard way down on the beach between office closing and dinner time. Thus Jimmy, finding Miss Carre sympathetic concerning his life and doings, confided his tragic love story to her. The Maori strain in the girl swiftly answered to anything in the form of reckless, lawless romance. She was astounded at Jimmy leaving Dunedin in such a lame, half-hearted fashion ! Why had he not induced the lady to fly with him ? Why had he left her with that wretch of a husband, when she must be pining her life away for her lover in Wellington ?

Jimmy was rather taken aback ! He was not at all sure that his lady love was pining her life away for him. Indeed he very much doubted it, and that was where the sting lay. Certainly she wrote him beautiful letters, and had promised that none of the other very young and foolish men, who dangled after her at dinners and dances, should ever take his place in her estimation ; but his friend Graham had advised

husband, thereafter, and ho know his father would make a fine fuss over that sort of thing in their family. Jimmy had not outgrown the influence of home opinions, which was well. There was a good deal of caution in the lad, more than his parents gave him credit for, but Hoipini of tho eloquent voico, the big passionate eyes, and tho strain of a former barbarism in her blood, made him promise to do things which his soul would have abhorred weeks ago down in misty, sleepy Dunodin. Without any more to do he was to take the lady he lovod away from her lawful husband. If she declined to go, then of course she must be abducted. Tho pair were to sail off to the Fiji Islands or thereabouts. Hoipini was to supply funds for the undertaking out of ground rents in Wellington, which Avere to bo in her own hands very shortly, for she was nearly twenty-ono. Jimmy was much averse to being under an obligation to anyone, lot alone a girl, he said, and so Hoipini suggested that ho might grow kumeras or bananas

him to accept this kind of declaration with Bait. Graham was close on forty, and not given to dealing in illusions, so Jimmy had unwillingly admitted that very likely the advice was good. Beyond his salary in his father's office, Jimmy had no visible means of support whatever, and though there were many things he had not yet thought out, he knew he could

not take upon himself the responsibility of annexing another man's wife without having some capital to work upon. Besides there might be legal complications with the

after a while, in order to refund her money.

This idea settled the question, Jimtny thought, and one day he took a ticket to Dunedin as directed, and met

Hoipini afterwards on the esplanade to have a last chat, and bid her good-bye. It was after six o'clock in the evening, and a fine soaking rain was falling. The conspirators did not appear to mind it in the least, as they sat huddled up in cloaks, sharing one umbrella, and whispering mysteriously. Both had forgotten about dinner. Time weut on. Presently two hungry overtime men raced by to their evening meal. "Fools," said one, alluding to the pair under the umbrella, " why, they must be getting di'enched sitting there in the rain." " Devilish keen on one another, I should say," replied the other. Hoipini, oblivious of this brutality, was begging Jimmy to write, and keep her posted up in proceedings down South. "You bet, I will," promised he with much fervour, and then came a silence. Thoughts began to start through the young man's mind, quite new thoughts he imagined them to be. There was a good deal of latent poetry in Jimmy McAndrew, though he was of Scotch parentage, and consequently not reckless about change. The poetry was coming to the surface now. What a musical voice had this Hoipini ! What a magriificient red under the brown of her cheeks ! Was it true the lady down in Dunedin made up her complexion? Graham swore she did, but then he was a very cynical dog. Still that complexion was not to be compared with — . Here the train of thought became derailed by the action of queer sounds beside him. Had Hoipini a cold? She stoutly denied having any such thing. Jimmy con-

sidered for a moment, and then spokn out. "Youai'e crying, Hoipini." "You great silly ! " (This most contemptously). " Hoipini, I don't believe you want me to go away with Mrs. Matthews at all." This from Jimmy with much conviction, probably born of hope "You want to go — then go!" Now this was most unfair of Hoipini, and Jimmy was indignant. " Well, I'm hanged ! And who is making me go ? " "Not me!" This being untruthful as well as ungrammatical. But Jimmy only noticed that a sob followed it. " I say, Hoipini ." A pettish jerk, and a face turned away. " Can't you turn your head till I tell you something? " It was evident she could, for she did. Later on portions of a steamer ticket fluttered wildly into the darkened harbour waters, and two damp people stumbled breathlessly into Mrs. Russell's abode, but they were smiling cheerfully in spite of the fact that one of them would have to go into explanations over things. Mrs. Russell did not look pleased. No wonder, for the post office clock had struck eight-thirty. " You can't beat change of air," Graham remarked, as he handed back Jimmy's letter to his father applying for the parental blessing on his engagement. McAndrew senior, chuckled and looked clubwards. They were close by, Graham understood, and nodded. So they entered. Once more those two drank a whiskey over Jimmy.