THE BROKEN MEERSCHAUM PIPE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 45, 2 March 1888, Page 27

THE BROKEN MEERSCHAUM PIPE.

(By Vibginia Tatnall Peacock in New York Freeman.) ( Conducted.)

During all this little arrangement John had been on the porch. unßeen by the two conspirators. Though he bad heard only a few broken words of their conversation, he had determined to move oat of ear. shot, but, on rising to withdraw, he could not help observing Stephen in the act of measuring the young lady's engagement finger, and John, our poor John, was too deeply interested in Milly to escape the drawing of a very swift, a very natural, and a very erroneous conclusion. When Milly reached the porch on her way to the hou. ), her hero was smoking a clay p'pe and making wry faces over it. He waf quiet and preoccupied in manner, and Milly, after numerous attempt! to entertain him, followed by signal failures, gave up in deipair and weni to bed, " He'll come ronnd all right when he gets his pipe back," she said in a practical way to herself, as she ran lightly up the stairs. An hour later John went in, lit his candle, and Btarted to bed also. "Is it possible that they are engaged ? That account! for it all." he said, as he fastened his door. " Wouldn't even let me forgive her last night. Ah, me I Why didn't you Btay away !" The next two weeks were long and tiresome for John and Milly both seeming to continually misunderstand each other. Stephen was taking a holiday in Baltimore, and had promised Millj in a little note which John carried home to her from the post-office— to bring the gold band on his return. To this event Milly anxiously looked forward, and when at the end of a week Stephen failed to 1 come, and John's birthday was only a few days off, she grew uneasy and started at every click of the gate or strange footstep. None of this excitement escaped watchful John, and he too grew anxious and uneasy. At last Stephen arrived ; John and Milly were sitting together on the porch when he came through the gate. Milly, in her eagerness, ran forward to meet him ; then catching John's eye, she blushed. Stephen invited her to walk, and Bhe Baid yes, and thej went off together, leaving John alone. The glow of the setting sun had long since faded from the sky, and the moon was well risen, before their voices again reached John, Stephen was talking veryquietly, with his head bowed towards Milly, who leaned on his arm. They stopped, as usual, by the gate, and Stephen took from his pocket the gold band and tried it on Milly'g finger. "It fits exactly," she said. " You're so good and kind to go to all that trouble, Stephen. Now I'll go and get the pipe, if I can, and you may carry it away to-night ; aad have it for me just as soon as possible, because, you know, Tuesday will be his birthday." "Does he seem to mind as much as ever?" called Stephen, as Milly went towards the house. Then she ran back tv him. " Hush ! he's on the porch. Don't let him hear you I" and sha ran off again, returning soon with the pipe. " Come down the road just a step ; I don't want John to see ma give it to you. If he should miss it, he might suspect." Then, slipping the gold band from her finger, she gave it and the pipe to Stephen, thanked him again, and came back to John. The young sailor had noted with pain the eagerness of her greeting to Stephen on his return after so short an absence, the gladness of her netting forth for her walk with him, the ill-suppressed excitement of her coming and going back and forth before she could be conteat with a last farewell for the evening ; and the faint glimmer of hope that up till now he had secretly cherished died out in his heart. " Ob, brother," cried Milly, going straight up to him, " I feel so happy to-night." " Why 1 " asked John, and his voice was very dry. " Oh, I can't tell that just yet. You see, it's a secret, and you know I never was a very good hand at keeping a secret. I'll tell you by-and-bye." " Hadn't you better tell me now— tnat is, of course, if you wish to 1 " " Why now ? " asked Milly. " Because I'm going away." " Going away ! — when 1 " " In a day or two — not later than Monday." " Why are you going, John ? " He looked at her for a moment, almost convinced her distress was real. Then he said : " For the best reason in the world. Because lam tired of idling about here, and I need a change." Milly sat down in silence, for there was nothing more to be said. This indifference, then, had not beea caused by the loss of his favourite pipe after all, but because he was tired— tired of home, of mother, and of Milly. Yes, she would let him go, and he should never know about his pipe or the pains she had taken to have it restored. So oq Sunday night John again turned his back on Overlook. He would not listen to his mother's pleadings, nor would he see th« tears which filled iMilly's eyes as she bade him good-bye. On Monday (Stephen brought the pipe, beautifully and securely put together, and Milly laid it carefully away—" to remind me," she said to herself, " of whao a foolish girl I have been." It was shortly after this that Mrs. Morrison's health began to fail, and Milly's duties consequently to increase. By Christmas time the invalid had to give up altogether and keep to her bed. Then Milly wrote a few lines to John, Bimply to tell him of his mother's failing health. Later on she wrote again, but never said a worJ of hersolf ; and when in June", nearly a year after John's sudden departure, Mrs. Monison's condition becamj so critical ihat it was deemed advisiblj to sjnd for her son, i he besought Stephen to perform thi* difficult task for her. Andthe did. He wrote a long letter, fully informing John of the sad truth, He ended by announcing

that, as for himself, he had become a Benedict. " But," he added, " \ \ suppose this is no news, for Milly has no doubt told you all about it.' Then John came home. He put by his disappointed feelings and came home for his dear mother's sake. " Oh, John," said Milly, when they met, " I'm so glad you have come. I was afraid you might not think it so bad as it really is. And 1 have been so lonely sometimes, and frightened. But now— now it s£sms all right, and I feel as if I could rest." " But Stephen," he asked, looking pityingly into her pale , tired face ; " was he not a help and a comfort* to you ?" " Stephen f " she said, inquiringly. " Stephen— oh, yes ; he is always thoughtful, and so is his wife." " His wife 1" quickly echoed John. " Yes, his wife. Yon knew he was married, didn't you ? They are very happy. You remember, they were engaged last year, when you were at home." "Are you sure there's no mistake, Milly 7" asked John, like one in a dream. 11 Mistake 1" said Milly. " How 1 " Then she smiled and said ; " Wait till you see Mrs. Andrews She's a dear little creature. She'll give you evidence for your eyes and ears that Stephen has not made a mistake." When Milly came back from a visit to her patient she found John still buried in thought. " What is it, brother ? You don't look comfortable. Come with me, and I'll give you something to make you feel more at home. " And she took him over to the library, unlocked a drawer in one of the cases, and brought out his pipe. " There — don't you recognise it?" she said, holding it up before him. "My pipe 1" exclaimed John. " How beautiful it is I How good of you, Milly 1 Wheo did you have it dove ?" John looked as pleased as a child over the restoration of a favourite toy. "Do you like it ? I had it done ages ago — nearly a year. It was for your birthday —now, don't you remember? And you were so wicked, and would go away before it was finished. Stephen had it done for me in Baltimore." John was again plunged ia deep meditation, and Milly filled the pipe ; then, putting it in his mouth, she said, playfully : " There, put all your thoughts in here and smoke them out," and she stood by and lighted it for him, as she had done so often in the past. " This is delicious, " he said, looking at her through the blue smoke. "Do you know, Milly, I don't think I shall ever go away again — that is, if I may stay at home and have you to light my pipe and make me happy." " Have you read th« inscription on the band, John ? ' she asked timidly, without looking up. No, he had not ; but he did so immediately— " United we stand. " " What about the rest of the motto, Milly — ' Divided '? " "Divided?" repeated Milly. "I don't know about divided, unless it is ' Divided, we fall away and get very thin ' " and she glanced at John's hollow cheeks. Mrs. Morrison grew daily better after John's return ; and in the autumn there was a pretty little wedding in the village church, and Stef hen played the weddisg march on the organ. John never went away to sea any more, for he found too much happiness in his love for Milly. And, reader, considering the excellent nature and magnitude of such happiness it is hardly worth our while to take into account the auxiliary comfort he derived from uninterrupted devotion to the rehabilitated " Meerschaum Pipe." [the end-]