NEAL BINGHAM'S MISTAKE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 15, 11 August 1893, Page 21

NEAL BINGHAM'S MISTAKE.

(From The Queen.)

They were a bride and bridegroom and tremendously in lore. In addition to this, they were a runaway couple, and had not much money on which to support existence. Runaway couples very seldom have an income, until the elders come round, and make the best of what they consider " a bad business." When Neal Bingham proposed to Jcsepbine Fane, her father, who was a rich stockbroker In the City, would not hear of tbe match. The young man had no means, or next to none. He had not even a profession, or any expectations worth speaking about. In old Mr Fane's opinion, his proposing to Josephine waß a piece of noparalled impertinence. He considered that his only child and heiress ought to make a far better marriage. His thoughts soared towards the aristocracy, for whom he entertained a decided partiality. Nothing would have rejoiced his paternal heart more than to have heard her called "My Lady." He did not caae two straws for Neal'a good looks, his gentlemanly manner, and soft, well-modulated voice. What were they in comparison with a title ? But, unfortunately, Miss Josephine thought differently, Her mind was cast in a romantic groove, and she preferred an ideal man-god to a noble lord. The one had early, chestnut hair, twining like the tendrils of a vine round his pillar-like throat. He had deep blue eyes which flashed and Bparklcd, a merry smile, the frame of an athlete, and muscles of iron ; whilst the other only Btood five feet six in hia stockings, and was altogether a miserable Httle creature to look at, Consequently, when Mr Fane sternly refused to give the loving pair his consent, she took she matter into her own hands and eloped.

They were not absolutely paupers. She had a little money left her by her mother, and between them they mustered about five hundred a year. On this sum they determined to live until papa gave in ; for, of course, they never doubted but that he would do so sooner or later. Directly they were married, instead of going to Switzerland or Italy, and letting themselves be robbed by a pack of greedy hotel-keepers, they very sensibly made up tbeir minds to spend their honeymoon in Norway. Neal was an enthusiastic sportsman, and he and he had been there before. He told Josephine — or Jo, as he familiarly called her — that if ehe did not object to roughing it a trifle, he knew of of a charming 6pot far up the Sogne Fjord, where fa r accommodation might be obtained at a most reasonable prioe. T

11 Landemand," he Baid, was a friend of his, and owned a capital river where the salmon ran uncommonly big. He had offered to let him fish it whenever he (Neal) chose, free of rent.

"And the beauty of the thing is," argued the newly-made husband, "we can live there for next to nothing." The truth was he had set his heart on the rrojcct-, and was most desirons of making Josephine see matters with his eyea.

"That would be an advantage certainly," said the prudent little wife, " since, with all the goodwill in the world, we cannot live on love alone." And she glanced np at him, her pretty face full of tender admiration.

"Jansen will let us have a sitting-room, and two tiny bedrooms opening out of i*, for twenty krones a week," continued Neal persuasively. " Twenty krones are about twenty-two Bhillingß of oar Buglish money. For this we get milk, butter, eggp, and potatoes included. Our principal food will, of conrsr. consist of the fish we shall catch ; and very delicious it ip, I can assure yon. I know few things better than a good, juicy salmon steak. If we have a junk of meat in addition, sent out once a week from Bergen, it will comprise the whole of our expenses. There is only this to be Baid, Jo. You are a little woman, who have been accustomed to luxury all your life, and I would not for the world take you there on false pretenaeß.

"Nonsense," she interrupted. '-Just as if I am not perfectly happy anywhere with yon." Bhe had not been married very long, and still retained most of her illusions. The man-god was therefore Secure on his pedestal, luckily for them both.

Neal smiled benignantly. He liked being worshipped, and found it far more satisfactory than worshipping. Most men do.

"At Sommerdal," he went on, secretly pleased with the magnanimity of disposition which determined him to keep nothing from her, " one leads the life of a peasant, more or less ; that is to say, one must turn one's hand to everything— a little cooklngr, a little bedmaking, sweeping, dusting, and mendirg. In Bhort, one strives to be self-supporting. I put it all plainly before you, Josephine ; so that if you decide in favour of Norway, you should not expect to much, or feel disappointed wben you get there. And now," turning a rather anxious pair of eyes upoa her," what do you say ? "

Jo gave the answer of a twenty. four-hour-old bride. She vowed that tbeie was nothing she sd delighted in as roughing it. although she admitted that her experience in the art was limited. She pouted her red lips, and protested with the most charming of smilea that she was sublimely indifferent to such a mundane, material consideration as comfort. " What signified food," she demanded, with pretty indignation, " when ber dearest darlinp, ber king, her Neal, wae there? '' and she voted decidedly fjr a place where they could be quite, quite alone, and free from outsUe interruption. In short, her wishes coincided with hia ; for at this blissful period of her life the dear little woman had not an idea apart from him. She looked at everything through rose-coloured ppectaclee. 8d they packed up their trunks and piscatorial apparatus, and started for Hull. The North Sea gave them a boisterous welcome, greeting them with its own peculiar Bwell. The waves swept the vessel, and induced a sensation of sickness and misery. For several hours our bride and bridegroom entertained very grave doubts as to their wisdom in leaving terra firma, But they revived after reaching Stavanger, where the steamer entered tmooth water, and were quite jolly by the time they arrived at Bergeu. The nest day they embarked on a fjord boat, and recommenced their journey. Jo had never been out of her native land, and she was enchanted with the scenery. Shh was greatly impressed by the beauty of the high, barren mountains, the leaping waterfalls) that resembled threads of silver, the clear green water, and the glittering sunshine, which cast a mellow, yellow light light upon the landscape. They slept that night on board, or rather tried to sleep, for the creaking of tte donkey engine when they touched at eaco fresh landing stage, the perpetual booting of the B'eamer, aod the vibration of the screw, effectually prevented slumber.

On the morning of the second day, at the early hour of 4 a.m,, they reached the small cluster of red, white, and yellow painted houses, which constituted the village of Bommerdal. Here they bade farewell to the boat. Jansen met them in persou. He was a fairhaired, blue-^yed man, who spoke very decent English, and could not do enough for them. Thankß to his assistance tbeir luggage was removed from the steamer, and piled into a small open boat. In this they took their seats, and were rowed some seven miles further up the Fjord, Fortunately the morning was bright and warm, elfe the journey would have been conducted under very diflEareut auspices. About half-past five the boat'd nose was run on to some big stones, and they stepped out on the shore. A mile's walk along a narrow, dusty track, too rude to ba termed a road, brought them to their destination, a rough wooden building, approached by five uneven atone steps. Jansen openei the door, and they catered a diminutive pasiage, from which a kind of steep, tumble-dcwn lad ier led to a oft. With some difficulty, Joe succeeded in climbing up this elegant taircase. In the loft above, there hung, from a hook fixed :n the ceiliogj a pite^ of raw Balmon. Beneath it was placed a plate, crimson with drops cf blood, A string of onions and a dried-ap aide of

salted pork also swung from the rcof. Huge blue-bottles buzzed per* eistently round these delicacies, whose fragrant odoar can be better imagined than described . Jansen then proceeded to show his guerta into a good sized sitting-room. The floor was boarded with plain deal boards, and had recently been tcoured, A smell of soap still lingered in the air. The furniture wan remarkable fcr its simplicity. It consisted of two tables, an iron stove, a brass spittoon, one horsehair sofa and two chairs to match. There was an aspect of Bptce and emptiness about the whole, which, no doubt, had its advantages. The bed-rooms were about 10 feet square, and contained a wooden bedstead with a straw palliasse, a tiny washstand boasting a baiin the size of a pudding-bowl, and a beer-bottle full of water, with a thick glass tumbler ornamenting its neck. Neal lookad around. In his bachelor days he had cr ntrived to make himself very comfortable in these primitive quarters, but, somehow, since be bad turned Benedsck, they seem to have grown smaller and meaner. He glanced uneasily at bis wife. The expression of her face reassured him, It beamed with fun and good humour. Apparently sbe took it all at a joke. He heaved a sigh cf relief, and thanked his stars that he had had the luck to marry a sensible woman, who evidently did not mind putting up with things, and who could do ber own hair of * morning, without being obliged to drag a maid aboat wherever they went.

" Do you think you can manage here, Jo 1 " he asked gently, and in a tone of apology, " I warned you beiorehand that it waa different from anything you bad been accustomed to."

"Do I " she exclaimed. "Of course I can. Yon dear, big, foolish boy. When will you learn that I can 'do ' with anything where you are I He gave her a kiss, nay, several ; and after that Mrs Jo seemed more content than ever. They were a very silly, fond couple ; laugh at them if you please, but all the same there was something beautiful in the folly ; and at any rate it rendered them happy.

For some days all went well. Neal was perfectly satisfied flog* ging away at the river, and Jo never tired of watching the noble, manly movements of her beloved, as he flung the line lightly over hit curly Greek bead. When he aplaehed boldly into the water witb bis big fishing boots, she likened him to an Apollo. It seemed such easy work fishing that she longed to try, and Neal rigged her up a tront rod, and gave her gracious permission to fish for email fry after hit majesty, Jo was very much astonished, however, to find how many difficulties the piscatorial art presented. As a mere onlooker she had not realised how hard it was to get the fly out straight, and avoid tangliDg the gut. There was « youth of about sixteen, named Johann, who constituted himself her gaffer. Every time that her line got hopelessly caught up, he showed his big yellow teeth in a contemptaonsi and slightly sarcastic grin. The sight irritated Jo, and put her on her mettle. What with casting and a certain amount of billing and cooing on the river's bank, the first day or two passed agreeably enough, But alas I love-making alone fails to satisfy the aspirations of an ardent sportsman. He mu9t always ba killing something. Bringing down the matrimonial biid soon becomes tame. Neal began to weary for a fish. Hitherto he bad not been gladdened by a eingle rise, Jansen assured him that it was an unusually late season, aDd the salmon were not yet np in any number from the fjord. The might, however, he declared, come any day, and before long patience and perseverance were bound to meet with reward. There was comfort in this, and Neal took heart. At the beginning of the week he flogged with cheerfulness and expectation, at the middle with doggedness and despondency, and at the end with sullenness and despair. Then be flung down his rod, and swore an oatb, thaj he would not touch it again until the weather changed. " It's all that beastly sun," he said ; " not a fin will rise till there comes rain." And he glared resentfully at the luminous orb in the blue sfcy over* head. " I wish to goodness," he exclaimed irritably, " that the thing would hide its brassy face." Jo was very sweet and sympathetic. She could not think what the fieh meant by being so sulky, wh«n guch a delightful fate awaited them at the end of Neal's rod. She wai sure that if anything could tempt tbem from their hauntp, such perfect casting would. If sbe were a fisb, she would be quite unable to resist it, etc. Little by little, with lound smiles and speeches, she lured him back to good humour, and persuaded him to try again. In vain. Fortune resolutely turned away ber face, and sided with tha silvery salmon,

Meanwhi!e, a difficulty presented itself. The commissariat went badly. The meat, which they had brought with them from Bergen, waa nearly exhausted, and, like the celebrated Mother Hubbard of nursery fame, the cupboard was bare. Hunger stared our young couple in the face, for the abundant supply of fresh-run fieh on which they had co confidently counted proved delusive. When the day came round for the steamer to touch at Sommerdal they were truly thankful, and gladly paid a email boy half a krone to walk over the bills and bring back their Bupplies by a short cat. Imagine their consternation when he returned empty-handed, declaring taat he bad waited until the steamer's departure, but there was no " kjod " (meat) for Herr Bingham. Owing to some mistake it had not come. Here was a pretty state of affairs

Neal looked at Jo, and Jo looked at Neal. Both knew that the non-arrival of the meat meant short commons for at least a week, unless — but, no 1 they had given up hoping. They really believed that there was not a single fish in the river.

At length Jo said, in a very subdued voice : " Well, it can't be helped; but we shall have nothing for dinner, that's very certain.' 14 No," eaid Neal despairingly ; "1 am afraid not." Then, with grim playfulness, he added : " We can look forward to a new experience — the experience of hunger. One readß about it in books of traye 1 , but I can't say that I know much about the sensation. Do you ?"

"No," answered Jo, somewhat ruefully, "for as long as I can recollect, I have always had ihree good meals a day." "We have not eyen any tinned stuff with u°," he remarked regretfully.

"No; we made so sure of catching plenty of fisb, that we did not think it necessary to bring any eton-s." •' TheD," said Neal, with » kind of desperate calm, "we must starve" His voice was terrible to bear. It web full of unutterable woe.

Jo made no reply. For a time ehe sat buried in thought. Ay length a smile broke over her face, and she crept softly from the room.

" Where are you going ?" he inquired. " I'm going to try to get something to eat," ehe responded. " It's no use sitting here with oar hands toided, and not making an effort." "But, Jo, what can yon do ?" And he glanced at ber sceptically.

"I don't know. Neal, dear, will yen lend me your big rod? I fcave learnt to cast pretty fairly, and I promise faithfully not to harm it." He burst into a derisive laugh. It was was tbe first time since their marriage that any tone of his had jirred on her sensitive ear. " Ha, ha 1" he exclaimed. " How truly ridiculous I and I warn you that you propose going on a wild-goose chase. Why, Jo, you silly little womaD, I have whipped every pool until I am sick of the sight of water ; and if I can't catch a salmon, you won't ; you may make np your mind to that. With the river so low and clear as it is at present, jou have not the ghost of a chance."

" Perhaps not," answered Jo, humbly ; though her lips closed over her white teeth in a curiously >.letermin> d tnthiun, for she was not ont of those who give in easily. " Still there is no harm in trying. My theory is, if you don't try, jou don't got." Ho eaymg she marched towards the door, not impervious to hie ridiculf , though bent on risiDg above it. On the threshold she paused and hesitated. " Won't you come with me, Neal, dear," t^he said, persuasively.

The papers had just arrived from Eugland, and he was busy reading the Home news. If the small boy hud brought no food for the body, he had at least brought fojd for the mind, and Neal was devouring it with the appetite of a man far from his native shores. "No," he answered carelessly, ''it's not good enough; it's only a waste of time flogging the pools until we get rain. He spoke rather brusquely ; for if the truth mnst be told, what with bis non-snecesa and the prospect of no dinner, he was thoroughly put out ; and ■uperior beings aB men may be, very few of them ate proof against minor discomforts. Anyhow, Neal was undeniably cross, and, as Jo's experience of his preßent mocd was novel, she looked at him for a moment in surprise. A ray of sunshine came pouring in at the window, and lighted full on her small, oval face. It was so bright that it made her eyea glisten. Bhe turned away without another word, and he could hear the nails in her thick shooting boots c'ankicg against tbe wooden ladder as she cautiously descended it.

Jo had not been gone above twenty minuteF, when his contcience began to smite him. Tbe room seemed lonely in her absence. He missed the sound of her voice, the sense of companionship ci nferred by her presence. After all, there was nothing in the newspaper*-, and he could read them some other time. He did not take stich a vital interest in Mr Gladstone's oratioDS bu f what their perusal might be deferred for an hour or so. He was turry te had spoken rudely, and told himself be was a biute not to have accompanied Jo to the river, when she had aeked lim so nicely and prettily. Many women in her plac » might have wined and •jrurnbitd at the reverse of foitune. Some would have turned fretful, others would have gooe to bed with a sick headache, or bhtd weak tears of self pit). Jo had done none of these foolish, feminine ibinpr, but, like a brave, cc. sible girl, Bho directed her energies towards remedying ihe cvi . It wa 6 not her fault, poor little wiman, if her power to do so was slight. Ai he thought of her many quail ies his heart grew sof', and she was perfectly right, and set him a good example. It did not do to give in.flSbs was slight end frai), while he was strong, and did not know

the meaning of the word fatigue. It was for him to make another effort to supply the table, not her. Thus thinking, he rose from the horse-hair coucb, on which be h u d been reposing his lordly limbs, and sauntered in the direction of the river. Merciful heavens 1 What was th.t? In an instant his indolence deßerted him. He heard a scream , another and another.

It was Jo's voice calling for help. His heart stood still, then thumped violently against his ribs. Had she miesed her footing? Was ebe drowning? Good heavens I and to think that he had refused to go with her. If anything were the matter, heßhculd never forgive himself. He bounded like a chamois over the rocky ground, and, running at all speed, arrived in tbe nick of time to see Jo, dressed in his big wading boots, and up to her waist in water, battling with a magnificent salmon. Tbe fish leapt clean out of the water as he approached, and could not have been less than thirty pounde. Tbe little bride's face was hot and flushed, great beads of preepiration stood on her brow. She was sightly made, and the strain on her physical powers seemed almost more than they could withstand. At best, Jo was but a frail little thing, with small bones and tiny hands ; but her spirit was high.

When she perceived Neal, a look of intense relief passed over her countenance.

"Oh 1 " &he gasped. " I'm so glad you've come. 1 could not have held ou much longer. My arms ache so, and I hardly know what to do."

" How long has he been on ? " asked Neal, in a state of fierce excitement.

" For ages and ages, I hooked him at the very third cast. Do you know what I did, Neal ?" witb a triumphant smile. " I gave out ever such a lot of line, and let it float down the stream ; and then I wound it up very gently and slowly ; when lo I all of a Budden I felt an enormous tug. Then, whirr, whirr went the reel. I was afraid I should have no line left, and jumped into the water, and ran over the stoneß as hard as I could. I must have run quite half a mile from first to last. But, oh I" giving a sigh of fatigue, "it was such hard work I Once I fell head over heelp, and nearly lost the rod altogether. You see lam wet through. However, I held on like grim death, for your words kept ringing in my ears, ' We must starve, we must starve, we must Btarvf,' and I vowed that we shouldn't, if I could help it. Bu 1 , oh 1 Nca'. please make baste and take the rod ; for I'm tired out. '

Nothing loath, he did as desired, and Jo proceeded to stretch her strained armp, and to straighten ber weary back, which ached intolerably. Tba fish was pretty well spent, and directly he felt & strong hand on him, showed symptoms of giving in.

'•Run, Jo, run!" Neal called out, " and tell L»rs to bring the gaff at once. It is hangiog up close to the door in tbe loft."

She flew at his bidding, first divesting herself, however, of the big boots. In 3ve minutes she returned, accompanied by Lars who seemed to consider it a perse nal insult that a fish should have been taken in his absence. The salmon made one or two last runi? but they were both shoit and feeble, and before long Neal towed him out of the current into a comparatively shallow bay.

" Come, Jo," he said, turning to his wife, " this is your fish, and you deserve the honour of bringing him to bank."

Whereupon Josephine once more grasped the rod in her Email hands. Laia took off his shoes and stockings and stole into the water, crouching like a tiger ready to spring. He watched his opportunity, and, when it came, with a quick, cure thrust of the gaff he secured the pnz ■. And a pnz a , indeed, the captive proved, for a finer salmon ne^er was been. Hia sides were clean and bright, and hhone like silver. He was in the piuk of condition broad, wi h a te&ntiful t-m.ill head, and the s^a-lice still clung to him with lenacious affection. He bad taken the fly ravenously ; the hook was imbedded far down in his throa', and Lars h«d to cut it out with a big knife. Then Neal whipped cut a wughmg machine and proceeded to weigh him.

"By Jovi ! little woman." he exclaimed. •• you have distinguifbed \ourself. and no mistake. Oueps what he weighs." " Fifteen pound*," baid Jo, at hazard, not having any notion aa to the real s ze of Ler capture.

" Nonsense, you're awfully wide of the mark, What do you say to thir y-two pounds and three-quarter?, eh? Here's hip, hip, hip, hurrah for the female sex. Abuse it as we like, it manages to score

over ours every now and again." And, unbeedful of Lars' presence, he put his arm round her waist and gave it a squeeze.

Jo'i face was a sight to see. It rippled all over with smiles. But she pursed op her pretty red lips very comically and demurely, fSPd made answer, "If I can't catch a salmon you won't. Yon may make up your mind to that, eb, Mi Conoeit?"

At this Neal looked rather foolish r but Jo gave him a kiss — yte, straight ont before Lars ; she didn't mind him one bit— and then he laughed, and then she laughed, and then they kissed again. Foolish young people t But they were very happy, and th«ir folly was of a kind which often puts wisdom to shame.

They weot cheerfully back together to their wooden cottage, an<*, thanks to Jo's first ealmoD, had an excellent dinner after all. And during the rest of their stay at Sommerdal they never came near starving again. The seaßon proved an excellent one ; and, once smitten with the piscatorial mania, Jo cared as little aB her husband to leave Norway until the beginning of September. By that time Papa Fane's heart — which was not naturally very hard — relented, and he wrote to his daughter a kind, patetnal letter full of forgiveness. Bo the last drop wanting was added to Jo's cup of happiness.

Mr and Mrs Binghani's friends are just a trifle tired of hearing the story of ' Her Fir9i Salmon." It is one which the Binghama are very fond of telling ; but they venture to hope that, if it possesses no other charm, for you at least it may possess the charm of novelty. Mns Edwaed Kknnakd.

BOPBIBTOB