The Storyteller THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

New Zealand Tablet, 11 October 1906, Page 3

The Storyteller

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

A few days of waiting followed the departure of Cranston. Then came a letter from him that set Kate's heart aglow with exultation. He had seen and talked with the Senor .Teressano, who indeed was no other than Arthur Terriss The senor was overjoyed to hear that his stepbrother's widow was living in the great Gulf State, and that she had a daughter who was so charming, energetic, and independent.

David enclosed the address and advised Kate to write to the senor. Still, she dared not reveal, to the one most interested, what she had done. She wanted first to guard against any possible disappointment. So she wrote Arthur Terriss a long letter out of the impetuosity of her warm young heart, and asked him to come to D to renew the early friendship with her mother and make her own acquaintance.

The missive ended with a little sentence, framed with much care and delicacy, lest she would hurt the feelings of an old man, and saying that if he . felt he could not afford to make the journey, she would be only too glad to send a post-office order to defiay part of the expense ; her salary had been raised a second time, and she would not miss the amount of the little present. Terriss— or, as he was now known, the Senor Teressano—did not keep her long in suspense. His reply was an odd combination of stilted Spanish courtliness and American sincerity. 'He had heard years ago that Mrs. Rollan was not living, 1 he said, ' but he was rejoiced to learn from Kate that, " gracias Dios," the climate of Texas was fast restoring that most esteemed lady^to health. He would come north to visit them veryr soon, probably in a few weeks ; he thanked his dear niece— so he asked to be permit bed 'to call her— for the offer of the post-office order, but he thought he could manage to pay for the trip. He would gladly give his last " piastre " for the happiness of seeing her mother again.' Now that Kate had time for reflection, she hoped she had not been rash in inveigling a man who" was well on towards sixty years to make an inroad upon his small savings for the sake of a memory of 'his early manhood. ' But no,' she soliloquized, 'if he spends his money I will try to make it up for him. Mother is lonely sometimes out here in Texas, and it will be a joy for them to talk over the days of their youth.' It was late in the summer. Mrs. Rollan still loved to linger at the corner of the verandah, but now she was always engaged with her embroidery ; a New York firm bought all her beautiful needlework that she could send them. Kate sought her in her favorite retreat, and, with Irire feminine diplomacy, led up to the great surprise by talking of David Cranston. Perhaps she revealed more of her heart than she intended, for her dark lashes glistened suspiciously as, /breaking off abruptly, she said .with tender artfulness : ' Now, mother, I have given you my confidence, won't you give me •yours? Tell me a-bout the portrait in the locket!' Mrs. Rollan dropped her work and buried her face in her hands. How could she refuse to unburden her memory to the daughter who was so devoted to her? llt is a simple story, my dear,' she said, at last, raising her head, and gazing absently before her.

' When I was a girl my home was in New York. My mother's friend, Mrs. Terriss (who had been Mrs. Rollan, you know), was very fond of me, and often had me witih her. Thus I became acquainted with her son, Edward Rollan, and her stepson, Arthur Terriss. Edward was soon my lover, <but'_ I liked Arthur better ; and it seemed as if he loved me. -He and Edward, although not related, were 'brothers in affection, and his stepmother had been kind to the lonely boy. Edward, however,- soon became madly jealous of Arthur ; Mrs. Terriss also grew cold to him, "for she wished me to marry- her son ; and -the

end. of it was that Arthur disappeared, leaving a let- , ter in which he saM he had accepted a position in the Central American branch 'of a New York business house that deals in tropical products. There was not a word of farewell to me. My pride was hurt ~ that I had .given my love to one who thus "cast it from him. Edwooed with redoubled ardor. He was very prepossessing, and the future promised him much. I grew to care for him in a milder way, and after a while i we .were married.'

Mrs. Rollan passed over the ensuing years in silence ; but Kate understood. The two women alwajs refrained from speaking of the faults of Edward Rollan, the one from wifely, the other from filial,, loyalty. • .* ' . 'After old Mrs. Terriss died,' the older lady continued, ' I found the locket among her belongings. I kept it, but did not trust myself to look at the miniature. One trinket I did not find— another locked containing my portrait, painted when I was a very young girl, which my mother had given her. ' As a faithful wife, I banished the image of Arthur from my mind, and even when death broke the bond that bound me 1 would not suffer my thoughts to dwell upon the first love of my youth." But since I have been here in this southern country, since I looked at the miniature and have seen you wearing the locket, I have been haunted by 'recollections of the days when I was a girl. And yet for years I have believed Arthur Terriss dead.'

' No, no, mother, he is alive ! ' Kate broke out eagerly, unable longer to keep back her story. ' You have thought of Mm so much, perhaps, because he has been nearer to you than for years before. Mother, he is in Mexico. David, knows him.' Mrs. Rollan started to her feet.

• Arthur is living ? ' she repeated in a dazed way. ' Yes, I have written to him and have received a leply. He is coming to visit us. Dearest ! what have I done ? '

Springing forward, the girl stretched forth her arms just in time to prevent her mother from falling. Mrs. Rollan- had fainted.

1 Of course mother and Arthur Terriss are past the age of romance now,' Kate said to herself with the positiveraess of her twenty years.

Nevertheless, anxious that he should see that her mother had not "altogether lost her comeliness, she persuaded the gentle lady to smarten up her frocks and to turn her wavy hair back from her face in a soft roll, as she had w,orn it long ago. The result was that she did not look a day over forty.

At last the expected guest arrived, and with' him came David Cranston. On the surface everything was absolutely commonplace. From behind the vines of the verandah Kate saw them nonchalantly walking from the station. As they approached the house, however, and the senor caught sight of the ladies on the porch, he quickened his pace and sprang up the steps as agilely as David.

Mrs. Rollan, hospitable, gracious, but self-possessed, hastened forward to greet him. ' Margaret,' he cried, and his voice had the softness of the Mexican accent as, taking both her N hamds in his, he raised them to his lips. Was the impulse but a Spanish courtesy, or something more ? With a stately formality «he led her back to her chair, and then turned to Kate, who was • ready to forgive his tardy notice of her, since she in turn had been engrossed in welcoming David.

The Senor Teressano did not appear nearly so elderly as she had supposed him to be. He was ta.ll and of fine physique, with blue eyes, and although his hair, was grey, his clean-shaven face and slightly sun-browned complexion showed him to be a wellpreserved man ; ' good for twenty years yet,' as he laughingly said of himself. His clothes were of fine cloth, if not perhaps quite up-to-date, and ,he had not only an air of distinction, but of the perfect neatness that bespeaks refinement. The girl decided that lie was one who, under all circumstances, would prove a gentleman. The hotel of the- town was the headquarters of the visitors, but every evening saw them at the little house of the Rollans ; and often during the day the senor was there too, for he loved to chat with Kate's mother while she worked at, her embroidery. A month had passed, when one' evening Kate, who was waiting for David in the drawing-room, caught a few words that were wafted in from the corner of the verandah by the September breeze. „ > 1 But, Arthur, why did you go away ? ' queried the sweet voice of Mrs. Rollan.

The tender earnestness of the senor's answer surprised the girl, and made her forget that she was playing the part of.-feayesdropper. ' Senora mia,' he^ said,; cit was because I -loved you, yet Edward had wooed . you first. I thought you were indifferent to me. Had my rival been anyone but my stepbrother, I would have remained and striven manfully to win you ; but I could not try to wrest from him the treasure I believed he was on the point of gaining. Sometimes, however, " I have wondered if my gojng was a -mistake.' ■

He paused, but

Mrs. Rollan did not answer.

Yet Kate, as she held her breath, felt intuitively that her mother would fain have cried out with pas-

sionate directness, that he might well doubt. Had he done right or wrong to go ? Was his idea of honor the true one ? He had sacrificed his own happiness - iir the name of friendship ; but had htf been iust to " the woman he loved ? '"•-,.' ' - - And yet Margaret had acknowledged to her daugh- .. ter that it was of her own free-will she' had mar- 5 ried Edward Rollan./ Why did she marry at- all ? At - the cross-roads of life, when she found herself separa- , ted from Arthur, she had voluntarily chosen her r p*th; : how, .then; could she blame him for>the sorrows - c of ' her way ? ' . 'If I had stayed, would you have loved me ? ' he urged. . Still she did not speak. Even" though she had : "* been long a widow, the memory of the year's^ \?hen she was a wife prevented her from admitting that her young heart had at first been given to Arthur. - ■ The past, from the first day she. had seriously listened to Edward's wooing until his death, belonged to the man who had been her husband. Since then life had been the succession of grey days 'that sometimes follow a storm. '. The senor sighed with disappointment, but persisted. * • , - .. llt is needless to tell you of my varying fortunes,, except that I came northward from, Peru. Your portrait, painted from the miniature I took away with me, has been the only woman's face I cared 5 to see in my home. Well, we will not speak of the past, but of the present and the future ; your future" and mine at least are in your hands. I love you still, I can keep you from want. Margaret, will you love me now and henceforth ; will you be my wife ?' Kate heard the woman who had been the love of his life tremulously answer ' Yes.' Then she stole out of the house and walked down the road to meet David.

The announcement of the approaching marriage of the Senor Teressano and Mrs. Rollan was received' with pleasure by all save one of the friends whom Kate and her mother had made in D . To tiheir astonishment, David Cranston was unmistakably gloomy over the news. He avoided the Rollana for days, and when he finally called to offer his congratulations, the elder lady good-naturedly gave him a chance to 1 make up '• what she supposed to be a lover's quarrel. n

The few minutes alone . with Kate which he usually so prized now threatened, however, to be an awkward quarter of an hour for both. The girl chatted gaily of the coming wedding. ' The senor will take his bride beyond the Rio Grande, and they have made me promise to go with them,' she volunteered. 'Of course my mother's marriage will make quite a difference to me.' - .. . She was half ashamed at venturing to hint to hiiji thus that now, with her mother provided for, she-her-self was free. But to ' David her words were as a match to a

fuse, and an explosion succeeded. 1 T-hat is just it,' he cried, jumping up and pacing the floor in excitement. 'In bringing about "the reunion of my friend and your mother, I have defeated my own hopes. I love you, I want you for my wife, but they will take you away.' ' And will it be too far for .you to follow ? ' inquired Kate, with a touch of scorn. ' Miss Rollan, is it possible that you. do not understand ? ' he exclaimed, facing her. i The Senor Teressano is one of the wealthiest mine-owners in the southern republic. Can it be that your mother is not yet aware of this ? ' ' Mother thinks he has only a little property,' she - exclaimed aghast. • Why, you yourself tqld— or at least let me suppose — that he was poor.' ' I only wanted to test you,' he admitted.

'Well, at any rate, David, what has his position to do with us ?, ' -'

1 Don't you see, dear,' he said, melting. as she utsered the little word that seemed to link them together, ' the senor will 4>e able- to make a -brilliant marriage for you ? Your mother will naturally want to. see you . well settled ; you yourself — why, every woman likes luxury, and I am only a mining engineer, with good prospects, it is true, but a small ..income. ':- . . - . -. „ > ' Yet you love me ? ' Kate repeated in a voice that thrilled him. ' You still wish to marry me? '

1 I love you, and will marry you to-morrow if you are willing, 1 he answered, forgetting everything else. " ' Then, David,' said the little school-teacher bravely, ' your love is more to me than all the wealth of Mexico, because I have prayed, not for riches, but for happiness. '