The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 21, 22 May 1902, Page 23

The Storyteller

RECONCILED.

CHATTER 1

In his cosy sitting-room sat IParry Lingi'rd, and on tho cheerful hearthrug lay his sole companion, a foxterrier named Jack Jack, whose day had been spent in the frantic but truitless chasimg of sparrows in the snowy streets, looked tired but comfortable ; the handsome face of his master, whose chief employment that day had been the (choosing and despatching of a beamtiful gold bracelet to a certain lu.dy at LindenLea, wore a decidedly sad expression.

' It is g,ood to be a dog,' thought Harry , ' bad to be a married man and have no wife Such a wretch is an anomaly in polite society ' He snapped his fingers Jack," sacrili•cvng comfort to sympathy, rose and rested his white muzzle bet ween his master's hands ' Jack,' said Harry, ' it's hard lines, old fellow • It is not good for man to h\e alone " Not alone," you say You rascal ' Well, not quite, perhaps. Put what do you kviow about Scripture '? Wo used to be great company, you and I, Jack. Bnit that was' lief ore Bessie '

Ato the word Jack sprang round and stood with his eyes fixed on tho curtained doorway, his stump of a tail wagging expectantly ' She won t come, Jack ' Jack resumed his position foi conversation.

' No, she won't,' went on his master, and a dry, husky sob struggled from his bieast and a tear— yes, actually a tear— fell into Jack's ng.ht eye anil made him blink

' Women lnwe no hearts, Jack, nowada.vs, at least nothing to count) on, or she would ha\e come ba.ck long ago to her— to a faithful okl dog that lo\ es her ' Theie w; is a ring at the door bell, and .lack with a bark, rushed through Ihe curtains into the hall, followed hv his master who opened the stieet dooi , and 1 lie light from the vestibule lain]) fell upon as dirt v a little impish face ,h could bu frtund in the city noted for its cleanliness ami saniturv economics ' You Mi Lmgiu d•> ' asked the imp, unhesitatingly '1 am, \ oung man,' i dpi ie<l Harry ' Step in out of the cold \e\i>i mind join tuque ' You won 1 be able to net into it again \o\\ •> ' You ie to come straight with me A gentleman wants to see \mi ' answered the imp 'The lady g.i\e me 10 cents to fetch \ou ' Indeed ' Where may this imperative gentleman h\e, my young Mercury *> '

That s not mv name I'm Joe — I .urn, and I wasn't to tell \on ,ui,\thin' — only to bring jou Harry, wondei ing a little at the imp's assurance laughed, leruincd to the hall foi his hat and coat ami in a few minutes was walking down the street with this strange u,uide Thi-y entered a house in a row of shabby tenements m the Kast End, and the boy led flariv upstairs and knocked at the dooi of a loom on tho first flat The door was opened by a fan-hairod. sweet-faced ,\ oung: lady, who bade him enter

' Ifany, old fellow. 1 thought uut woHild come lam glad to set- you,' came from ,i pair, sirk-10-olcmg young man leclmmg in an easy chair

' Herbert ' ' * exclaimed Harry, clasping the thm, woi n hand 'Is it indeed you 9 '

Annie, said (lie \ oung man, without using, ' this is Harry Lmgard, my sister's husband. My wife, ITarry '

'Your wife 9 ' gasped Hairy, taking Annie's hand and gazing' in tau--priso at the softly-Qjus'hing countenance

'My dear wife," assc\eratod Herbert, with moist eyes ' And the sweetest little woman that God ever made.'

The excitemeuit brought on a violent fit of coughing, and Annie was by his side in a moment.

' Herbert," she pleaded, in her low, tender voice, ' (you moist be quiet.' ' Yes, dear, 1 will be more careful,' said the husband, drawing his wife to him. ' Sit here, Harry , I want to talk to you.

' When I left homo two years ago I was forbidlden my father's house What I was before that, Har-ry, you know. What 1 have since been, Ammo knows—don't you, dear ? ' ho askod, kissing her hand. ' "You have been the best and dearest of husbands,' was the fomd reply.

Then T am what my wife has mado me,' said Herbert, simply. 1 vowed 1 would never enter my father's house again. Then 1 went to Montreal, where I met Annie and married her, and I ha\e found that there is no truer protection un.deii hea\e.n for a man against himself than a fond -and faithful wife. Everything went well with us at first, Harry , but my constitution does not seem to be the bc<-t. Three months ago I caught a se\ere cold, which, being neglected, promises to ' —ho winced a little — ' to lay me up Annie here is the cleverest little woman ' ' Anile blushed and raised a wai nmg fmgei

She can speak French liko a native She is a capital stenographer and t,\pe-\vriter, and she h;is worked herself to death to make all ends meet '

Herbert ' ' exclaimed Annie, ' do not say siicli things, please '

' I wouldn't care, Harry,' went on Herbert, ' if it were merely for my own sake — 'but something must bo clone for her now — and 1 have come hero to pUiv the prodigal — to humble mj self before my father, and 1 want you to lie! p me

ll'arrv took out his watch, but it was remarkable what a tune he was making out the hour

Ft is nine o clock In ten mm,utes 1 shall ha\e a h;,ck here, and .you and Mrs Ti a\ lck ai c going to my house There is plenty of room there, CJod knows ' said H'any, with a bitterness his hearers cuu'ld not understand

".Now, not a word, Mrs. Tra\ick The dn\e will not hurt Herbert , so please lie read> ' Without waiting for further speech Harry was gone, and an liomr later, to .Jack's astonishment, no fewer than three persons wet c cosily grouped around the sitting-room fire, one of whom was \iuing and fair, and, to his intense delight and comfort, wore petticoats Presently Herbert inquired : ' But where is Hess re Harry ° '

ll,arr\ 's face flushed e\en iii the rudVlv glow of the die as he answ erod 'Shi is at home ' 'At home 9 Do \ou mean at Lin-den-Lea •> '

Hanv nodded, whilst Hei bert aivl his \\ it"o watched the sad, a\<rtetd face

■ I uiiiv as well tell you,' said lTqrr\, looking up 'It'will sa\o misapprehension

' Our mumage, Herbert, was a mistake. lies.sic should iia\o married a wealthy man, ami 1 a womuji lijko \our wife ' And he smiled sadly

• Business was bad— w retched, an,d I could not adore] to go the pneo necessary to meet Bessie's requirements This led 1o misunderstandings, a lild, 1 regret to sa\ , bitter words, and she returned to her pmrents' hioime That is all there is to it '

' And does your — your wife never, never come to see you, Mr. jLingard ? ' asked 'Annie, with amazement in her tender eyes. ' She has not been inside of this house for two months,' Harry replied, huskily.

' I am afraid we are a sad lot, we Travicks,' said Herbert. 'We don't seem to be able to run straight. You won't .care to accompany me to Linden-Lea to-morrow, then, Harry.' ' Oh, yes,' laughed Harry. ' Your plarents and I are the best of friends; so are Bessie and I— friends, you know.' And he wondered how she would receive that gold bracelet he had sent her.

Herbert and his wife retired for the night and left their host alone with his thoughts— and Jack. For some time Harry Lingard sat gazing at the two vacant chairs in such loving conjunction on the opposite side of the fire-place, and hia thoughts were bitter as death. Alas- ! how many of these little tragical ironies of life are being enacted every day ! To Harry, Herbert Travick, a homeless outcasts penniless, ill, almost starring, with that fair young life twining round) his existence, was an object of envy. He, with his tasteful home and a competence sufficient to make a woman like Herbert's wife richly contented, comld not keep the woman he had married within his home.

The clock struck 12. It was Christmas Day— a day in all the year sacred to tender feeling and the reunion of hearts estranged. With a groan Harry buried his head in his arms on the table.

Yes, it was a mistake he said to himself, to marry Besstie Tra,vick. Nurtured in Uipcury, the bello of fashlonablo society, with a home and a life that satisfied every requirement^ of her nature, how could he, a mere business man — rising, it was true — hope to make her happy ? And yet, ho thought, ho had honestly striven to do so How often, when brain sick with planning and heart-sick with the fear of ruin, ho had danced a nightly attendance on his beautiful wife in her ceaseless round of gaiety, and weary and leaden-souled ha.d stolen from her side the next morning to renew the stern grapple with the hard necessities of business life ' Then when banks were closing their doors and old reliably houses failing, when every dollar he had in the world was needed to keep his own little ship afloat, she had proposed and insisted on giving a series of entertainments that would ha\e stripped the roof from their heads. What had he done then ? In his desperation he had inveig(hed against the useless extravagance, and when his wife, hurt by his stern words, had answered hotly, he had bade her mind her own affairs and cultivate a betiter temper Then witih tho additional (burthen of tihisi shairp) estrangement round his heart, he had taken his, way down to his office and by dint of clever management and j^ire pluck succeeded in floating his storm-tossed little barque into smoother and safer waters. He had come home that evening not urmatlurally elated with his triumph and ready to make any possible amenda for his harshness and necessary restrictions to fi l nd by his dinner plata a perfumed note from his wife, informing Jjjfm that as she <elt she' hajd) no place in his home or his affectior.s she had resolved to seek the shelter of her parents' roof. Wlheraupon he had sprung from his table and despatched two notes, o>ne to hia wife and another to her father ;. the former stating t,hat her homo was open to her whone\er she. should think fit to enter it, but that he would never ask her to do so ; the latter requesting Mr. Tra\*ick not to interfere, hmt to allow things to run their own course In the light and warmth of the tmiohmg scenes of ton ruga 1 trust and affection which ho had witnessed that night he taxed himself with his fair share of the blame , b,ut his heart was torn with tender regrets and

sore with hopeless longing. Would Herbert Travick s wife, under simi. lar conditions, have acted as Bessio had acted ? He couJd not thmk it possible. Wherein lay the difference? Annie loved her husband . Bessie did not. There was the whole trouble in a nutshell. Bessie had never loved him, and that was his misfortune he worshipped the very image of hie absent wife, and that was his misery Things must tnke their course , that was his conclusion for the twentieth tirn^

' Jack, oM fellow shall wo go to bed ? ' said Harry, rising. Jack yawned, stretched himself, and walked sedately to the curtains Up the softly-caipeted stairs they stole, Jack leading the way. This Was tho nightly performance Ah ! Bessie Lfragard ! coaild you have witnessed tho sad procession, could you have seen the fondly-foolish caress bestowed upon an old dressing-'giown mercifully overlooked in your hurried flight, you had never, as wafe, p,assed a peacefjul night in the luxurious home of your maiden days. But of course only Jack, out of the corner of to)is sleepy eye, saw the pitiflul action, and he never could tell yo,u, though ho tried his best to do so many a time. CHAPTER 11. On Christmas morning, after exchanging greetings, Harry and his guests sat down to what he, accustomed to breakfast alone, could not but consider a cheerful meal. How could it be otherwise, under tho fresh and genial presidency of Herbert's dainty wife ?

Herbert resolved, as ho expressed it, to introduce himself to his parents ' by instalments,' and to leave his ' better half ' for tihe time being at Lingard's. Accoidingly he awl Harry drove down to Linden-Lea in a covered sleigh The latter, having made his Christmas greeting to Mr. and Mrs. Travick, said :

'' I ha.ye brought an old friend with me who would also like to wish you a happy Christmas It is Herbert, your son ' Mr Travick grew pale and stern and his wife agijtatod

' You will not refuse to receive him Mr. Travick "> The poor fellow is ill — a mere wreck of his former self, physically, but in mind and soul a renewed man '

1 Oh. Mr. Lmgard ' ' ci led Mrs Travick / where is lie — m> son ? ' 'He is waiting outside m tho sleigh I'll bimg him 'm ' In a few moments, leaning on Harry's arm, Herbert Travick re-en-tered the doors winch had once been sternly, but not altogether uniustly, closed against him 'A pinerry Christmas, mother,' said Herbert, cheerily ' Oh y Herbert ' my poor boy ' ' sobbed Mrs. Travick, with her arms around him. 'You are sick — d.viug perhaps — and you did not tell us ' ' Not at all, mother , only a nasty cold. I shall soon be all right again now. This is good of \ou. father,' said HerTjert, wringing the outstretched haild of Mr Ttvuick, who just managed to saw ' Yo,u arc welcome home, my son,' olid then walked hurriedly to his own room, where; ho shut himself up alone witji his joy and grief, for he feared Ihat he had read death upon his son's pallid face

Then a stately woman, w,th a 4>ale, beautiful face and trailing- lobe came glidsng down the stans and fjung her arms about Herbert's neck 1 Afli, Bessie, you naughty gnl, I expected to meet you in your own house last night,' said Herbert, playfully ' Herbert — my brother ' But what a wreck ' Yorur poor, thin cheeks ' which, sho ktissed lovingly. ' Your eyes alone are the same.' ' I'm all right, Bessie, I tell you,' Herbert replied hastily, his evesfixed upon his mother's anguished countenance Then poor Herbert went off ttiio a fit of coughing that shook the healthy frames of his

mother and sister more than his own.

Recovering, his eyes fell upon Harry Lirtigard standing, in the doorway, a look of unutterable sadness on his face. Turning to his sister, he said, almost crossly : ' Bessie, don't you see Harry there "> ' His sister l Lushed vivi'cUy, and! with downcast eves she gave her husband her hand for a moment ' Accept my tharnkf, foi this— it is very beautiful,' .she said, turning the bracelet on her wiist. And that was all that passed between thorn Harry left the! Travick family to their joy over Herbert's return and drove sadly to his own home

■ HKurmg the afternoon brother and sister saw much of each other. Of himself Herbert said little, of his 1 wife not a word, but of Bessie's husband he never wearied He spoike of Harry's nobleness and generosity ofi character and of other excellent! qualities which Harry did not possess. Certainly he liked to have his own way. What man, worthy 'of thq name, did not? But he had "a heart as tender as a woman's — more tender than that of one woman he knew At all of which Bessie blushed, read and re-read the pattern ol the caipet, and covertly pressed and kissed the charming bracelet she had worn from early morning.

In the evening Bessie withdrew to her own room and, after a short but satisfactory consultation with her mirror, arrayed herself m the most beautiful gown in her wardrobe Never, even in her maiden days of conquest, had she taken such pains with her toilet Then, enveloped m a rich, fur-lined cloak, she glided down the stairs. Jn the hall she paused. Yes, she would just look m upon them m the drawing-room. Opening the dooi , she stood for a few minutes a msiou of warm;, glowing beauty her lips just murmured, 'Good-bye,' and she was gone, with her brother's hearty ' Goiod lfuck, Bess ! ' ringing m her tingling eais'

Alighting at her husbands handsome little villa, she was hurrying; through the garden gate, when the driver called after her : ' Shall I wait, ma'am ° ' ' No — yes — you had better wait, Jerry,' sho answered, and swept up the snowy path

The window of her husband's sit-ting-room. with the red curtains, partially diawn, looked warm and inviting Yes, .she would peep msuie It wcnild gi\e her time to steady herself and she would then know how best to act With a happy little fluttering of heai t and throat she stepped aside, looked m, and tho shy expression of gladness gave place to painful .surprise, passion, and despair

Sitting side by side wore Harry Liingard a*nd a Unolv woman, his/ dark curls almost mingling with her light, wavy hair They \vero looking ati the photographs m a large albnvm With a painful tightening; of her heart sttmgs Bessie ga?ed and wondered Hairy had no sister she knew And surely no woman any further ipiuduml in kinship had a right to 1)0 sitting alone with him amd so closo to him Just then tho two he aids lifted, and Harry sat gazing at his companion with such aw expression as Bessie ne\er remembered having seen on his face, whilst tho woman's- beautiful e\es seemed bruruninig with tenderness aiul a gentlo pity As a matter of fact, Harry and Mrs Herbert Tiavick were dismissing Bessie's own beauty, as revealed m i\ group of excellent portraits , hut Bessie- did not know that. .She only saw ' eyes looking lovo into eves that spake again,' and the demon of iealousy entered into her and tore the veil from her soul, and for the hist tune in her brief married life she knew how much she loved her Husband

' And T made myself beautiful for this,' sho said to herself in anguish. No wonder he ne\er sought me !

"Lonely!" Herbert said. Very lonely indeed ! A#d I have been breaking my heart and hungering for hi.s love — love such as this. I will go homo and never see or speak to him again. The hypocrite ! with his shameless — oh, it is monstrous !' Tho last words burst upon the stillness of the night, startling her into consciousness of her situation. She was standing in the walk before the door. What was she to do ? ' I am his wife,' she said in low, tense tones, ' his lawful wife. I will not thus be thr,ust from my rightful place. 1 will brave him to his face. When I do leave him again,' she sobbed, and struggled for calmness and breath, 'ho shall acknowledge that I have just cause.' Sho noiselessly opened the door crossed tho hall, and with pale face, her beautiful lips curved with'scorn and her eyes Hashing defiance and unholy triumph— all unmindful of Jack's joyful welcome— she met the astonished gaze of her husband. Anger made her remorseless andi dead to consequences. ' Harry Lingard ! ' she exclaimed, ' what does tin is mean ,? Who is this — this—? '

' Bessie ! ' exclaimed her husband, startled nt her appearance and tones.

' Who is this woman ? ' thundered Bessie, pointing at poor Annie. ' For heaven's sake ! ' pleaded Harry, ' don't speak and loqk like that. This is Herbert's wife — Mrs Travick, Mrs. Lmgard. Hasn't Herbert tol,d y)o|u ? I taiajgjined at! first you had come to see her.'

It would tax the powers of a kinetoscopo to record the changes of expression that played like gleams of ligihtnmg o\er Bessie's beautiful features ' Herbert's wife ?— my dear brother's wife ? '

The cloak fell from Bessie's shoulders and the two women were clasped m each other's arms — and Harry felt himself again left out m tho cold — even Jack had no sympathy for him

' Forgive me — oh, forgive me ! ' pleaded Bessie, in tones of tho keenest distress ' I didn't know. I thought— oh God, what a relief ! I was so— so miserab.e, and now I am so happy."

Then Bessie turned her warm, excited face to Harry and r-aid : ' We must tako her home immediately, Harry. I understand it all — and they will be so glad to see her. I behove the sleigh js Mil] vaiting. Ilun away, dear, and get your things on '

Annie looked at Harry m perplexed inquiry. ' 1 think it will be Lest,' bo said, in answer to her look!.

Now, whilst Annie v*as away, TT'ariy stood, man fashion, with his back to the mantelpiece gazing mournfully on the bent head of nisi wife, who all at once had become absorbed in the photograph album. Fm, illy he said • Bessie, if urn did not come for — for Annie, what did you come hero for "> '

'1 came to — to wish you — a happy Chustmas,' replied his vnSe, with heightened color but downcast face.

Harry sighed audibly and Bessio comfortably. Then Harry went into rhapsodies about Herbert's wife, about her love, her self-sacrifice, her labor and cleverness, her undying devotion to her husband Pie had the pjulpit, and he read his wife a fine little homily, manlike, undoing, nicely the work that Bessie's own heart had been doing for him, and ended magnificently thus :

' Some women lift their husbands "into a heaven on earth, and others take a wilful pleasure in driving them to the devil/

Fortunately, perhaps, Mrs. Travick entered the room ready to start.

Annio was received with open arms by Mr and Mrs. Travick, to whom Herbert had in the interval confided

all, and the upjited family enjoyed a very happy Christmas night.

It was late when Harry Lingard, feeling: litke a spirit ejected from paradise, rose to leave for his lonely home To add to the irony of it all, e\eryboidy followed him into the hall and stood watching him, as he imagined, whilst he put on his overshoes and overcoat. At last he was ready. Raising his eyes to exchange a parting glance with Bessie, ho was disappointed to lind she had disappeared. Crestfallen and hardly daring to lift his eyes again for fear his friends should read his anguisdi, with his heart lying in hig breast like a lump of lead, he suddenly became conscious that a trembling hand was resting on his bent arm. He turni&'d to find his wife standing bonneted and cloaked by his side, and he knew what it meant.

After that I Larry had but a dim recollection of four happy faces beaming warmly upon him, of a soft clinging burden on his arm, uaul a warm, fragrant presence coiling around his heart, setting it all aglow, until he awoke to full consciousness m the closed sleigh and he found his wife sobbing in his arms. Tho novelty of the situation was so startling that he had much ado to persiuade himself that he was not carrying her away against her will, and felt intensely relieved when Bessie, with a final sob, said :

' Won't Jack be glad to have mo homo again ? ' And .Jack was glad. He went wild and so monopolised his mistress's society that Harry had to restrain a mad impulse to kick hr.m out of the room.

' But you were cruel to-night, Harry ! ' said Bessie, with her head on her husband's shoulder

' How was that 9 ' asked Hairy, a little startled.

' You should not have pelted me as soon as j on did with the vn tues of another man's wife I can't lie like A«nic, because 1 ha\e not the chance. Herbert seems to cling- to his wife for help and support, whilst! you seem all-sufficient for yourself. Thero is such a eh/Terence m men ' '

Harry wondered that he had never before discovered what a cle\er, philosophic woman he had married — Canadian Magazine '