The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, 9 March 1916, Page 3

The Storyteller

4 MISS INDOLENCE' ;.-•-:' 'There goes "your/Miss Indolence I'- Robert turned sharply at his mother's words, his glance following hers through the window to the languidly moving figure of a young girl under a dainty .parasol. * \. •'.'. 'A- : •:. . She's going down to the Point,' Robert remarked with studied indifference, ' and her brother is not with her, nor that fellow Brown, either.? He gazed longingly after her, but it was evident his mother' wanted to talk to him. y, >'■.;' '■•\>y.-, ;' •.. .;■•

What you and Jack Brown can see in that girl is more than-1 can understand,' she announced irritably. ' She never does a useful thing— know very well you have never seen her with a needle in her hand,' and Mrs. Lee looked down at her ' own hands busy making a useless little handkerchief out of cobweb lace. -<■(■■ '■' Well, it's vacation time, you know, and we all are taking it rather easy,' Rob returned loyally. Not for the world would he have acknowledged that he thought Dorothy rather overdid it. Her habit of yawning when he was treating her to some highly . original or clever conversation was at times disconcerting, and once she had actually gone to sleep while he was reading her a love sonnet. Other people had noticed this languor also; indeed it was in reference to it.that the household of summer boarders had delightfully changed one letter of her name, and called her ' Miss Indolence ' instead of Miss Ingolence.' Beyond a withering look, Mrs. Lee paid no heed to her son's remark.. '

The girl is a flirt,' she continued. 'She is just keeping you on her string, because she is not sure she can get-Jack- Brown. He's got packs of money, they say.' ■ Rob winced. He had anything but -' packs.' ' She's not that kind of a girl,' he said firmly. 'lf you will excuse me, I'll go and join her now. 'lt is just possible I may propose,': and Rob passed ' through the open French window and down the piazza, his head, very high, his hopes very low. The Point was some distance from the house; a, path led up a steep hill, then the gradual downward slope ended in a point of land jutting into, though high above, the great Father of Waters.' He paused as he neared the place looking about for Dorothy; and then the picture presented to his view, he kept forever after in the book of memory, as the fairest of his life. ■ Beneath his feet, .verdant, intensely green, the grass was as a velvet carpet. To one side a patch of vivid color, a' group of black-eyed Susans, nodded gaily to one another. To the right, to the left in the distance, the-sheen of the river showed blue, and ensconced in a hammock was Dorothy. She smiled with pleasure at sigh? of him. 'l'm so glad you came,' she said, and there was something akin to enthusiasm in her voice.

He beamed delightedly. 'I wanted some one to swing me,' she explained. Though it was the hottest day of the season, he proceeded to do as he was told. • 'Your brother is not with you this morning,' he remarked presently with more politeness than regret., ' No, he was feeling pretty good to-day so he, went fishing with some/man.'. . Watching Dorothy's face, Rob noticed immediately when the long lashes began to droop. The swinging stopped with a jerk; the girl sat up to gaze" at him in wide-eyed, wondering reproach. : . jS*. 'Rest awhile/ she encouraged him, and then, mischievously, 'on the bench.' . ;■• .;' - He examined the bench conscientiously. / , : " ,•' Chigres and/spiders,' he announced. -;, She shuddered slightly/ and -he glanced meaningly/at/ the hammock: 'You could take the cushions out,' he began. She flung him a cushion quickly./ // " -f- ■',. ..'■/ \ >

- /Of course, you can 'have a cushion' if you want it; l " for myself, I'm tired of swinging,' and in-a moment she was on her feet. 1 There was nothing languid in the movement. She stood beside him, tall, alert, good to look upon, and a glancing s sunbeam turned .the browncurled softness ~ of ■ her hair,- to gold. ■ - • ~ -Somewhat disarranged: that hair had become by her : reclining attitude in the hammock, and a daring wind lifted a ' ' loosened curl, and playfully caressed it. "Madness came upon Robert: He leaned over, caught the truant curl : and touched it to his lips. He saw the hot flush mount from her neck to face and brow,-while in absolute hurt silence turned away from him. .;v ■.•'. ; Desperately. he sought for words with which to apologise, to explain. 'There were none in his vocabulary equal to this emergency. Then gravely and simply . he offered her his love and asked her to be his wife. V;: Still there was silence; still her face was turned from him her wistful questioning glance had passed to the golden wheatfields over the river, stretching to the purple' mountains that were ever bravely reaching for the sky. Then breaking the tension at last, in a tree above them a bobwhite called shrilly to its mate; and she turned in glad surrender, her answer in her eyes. '"" Some one cleared his throata footstep sounded back of them, and Brown was there. He had come upon them unawares, for the Point was hidden from view until the downward slope of the hill began, but it was obvious to him that he had interrupted a tete a tete, .which he considered was a wise and proper thing "to do in this case. '•'..* 'I came down to take a look at the river,' he re-, marked affably. 'I see you have been reviewing it also.' ' Yes, it's still here,' Bob returned disagreeably, and all three gazed with - unseeing eyes at its blue waters. ' This is a . fine day,' it was Brown who volunteered the highly original remark, when the silence had grown oppressive. \ You do-not find it warm?' There was something of a challenge in Bob's tone; actually the nerve of this man in joining them was being excelled by him stay- . ing. Dorothy spoke abruptly. 'l'll run on up to the house,' she said; ' I've just got- time to dress for lunch. No, I don't want either of you to come with me. Stay, and look at the river,' and with a laugh hidden somewhere in her voice, she was gone. Rob did not insist on following. It had occurred . to him that Brown ought to be told the news, for he was gazing after Dorothy with a calmly possessive glance. ■■■■>'' •.'-'. <: 'Nice girl,' he remarked approvingly, as he « searched his pockets for matches preparatory to lighting a cigar. . ? ' .■_-■- > Yes, and she's going to marry me,' Rob informed him, wasting no moments to present the news in a diplomatic fashion.'. ',, Brown's face did not change a .particle. . ; The match fell from his hand. , " ' >• , 'Let me, congratulate you,' he said, then, with apparent sincerity and he advanced to shake hands with Bob.. I'm so glad you told me of this interesting matter, as I leave here to-night. Doubtless you had heard of my intended departure?' Rob had not heard; indeed, Brown himself had only so decided on Bob's announcement. : 'You must manage to be on hand to dance at our wedding,' the fortunate man remarked. The taunt struck home. ■" .; •. 'Who knows what may happen?' Brown replied meaningly, 'she has not married you yet.'- .. V But Rob I turned,; and walked toward the house, asking himself whether he had been rather brutal, and realising that hereaftera black-eyed Susan would bring . a bitter ; memory : to Brown ; and the song of a .river must be ever hateful tohim.-,;.' * : - -\ ,{ ~■ •Luncheon was the usual boarding-house affair; •- and .the: length of - the table was • between Rob and Dorothy. When the >meal y was over an old-. lady de-

tainedl.Rob; to tell him about her son who had died at just about* his age. He finally managed to escape, but Dorothy was nowhere in sight, though he searched all ? her favorite outdoor nooks. Coming on the landlady in the neighborhood of the dairy, he. asked her if she could inform him of the girl's whereabouts. ' Why, yes, she's with your mother in the livingroom,' the woman told him.• 'I wonder now,' she continued, eyeing him sharply, '■■'. if it's settled V ' .. - Rob knew that Mrs. Moore and Dorothy were good friends. )$* I don't mind telling you,' he returned smiling, that it is.'- / r v : W., •- ' Well, I'm glad,' she said sincerely, ■« Mr. Brown, .they say, has more money, but in my opinion you are the better man. .., I do hope, though, you'll stop Miss Dorothy from working so hard.' • V /Rob stiffened. Was even the landlady making an ill-timed jest of his. love's failing.' , ' What do you mean V he questioned, and there was anger in his tones. \ ; /. 'My, my,' Mrs. Moore answered, '.There I've let the cat out of the bag, after promising Miss Dorothy not to tell, but I'll have to explain now. . The whole family used to come out here for the summer, even when they were considered well off,, but when Mr. Ingolence died he didn't leave anything except debts! Miss Dorothy was a delicate slip of a girl, then attending high school, and Mr. John was at college, with a reputation for being somewhat wild. A rich relative •offered to take the girl, considering Mr. John a good-for-nothing, unequal to supporting her. The young man was furious and, of course, the brother and sister wanted to be together, so Mr. John said he'd show the relative what he could do. He and Miss Dorothy took a little flat together, and things went nicely until he discovered that his sister was writing picture* plays to help out their income.' He forbade her doing as it was up to him to 'support her. No ■ Ingolence woman had , ever worked before. : : They are great on blue, blood and all that stuff, and this work he claimed was lowering—beneath her. She gave it up, but his salary as a bookkeeper was inadequate without the assistance of her'earnings, so he brought home extra work to do at night, and his health failed. The doctor ordered rest and change, so they came to me, but still Mr. John is as obstinate as ever, and in his nervous state it does not do to cross him. He believes all

expenses are being paid from the sale of a diamond ring of their mother's that he gave Dorothy to dispose of, but she felt it was too precious to sell if there was any other way to manage, so night after night she sits up .(after. he has gone to sleep) to write the stories that pay their bills. . I feel sorry for her, if he discovers the truth; and, of course, she means to tell him sometime.' .":•''."

' So that is the reason,' Rob said, slowly, while a very tender look came into his eyes, ' that she is tired and sleepy sometimes. I,must go and find her at once.'

Entering the house, Rob paused at the open door of the living-room. 'Yes, Dorothy was there, seated just opposite the door, though not facing it. } Over the back of her chair he could see the .brown curls he loved, arid one little hand hung down at her side, but close beside s her stood Brown.

Was it a betrothal? , So it seemed to Rob. Wild rage was in his heart.' His mother had been right after all. The girl was only a flirt, unworthy of a man's affection. He sprang upstairs to his room. He would go away at once. .. Of course, Dorothy would claim that she had never said she would marry him, which- would be quite true as far as words went, but he would not trouble her to explain, since she was that kind of a girl. From its place on the dresser Dorothy's picture, a "sna'p-shot, smiled at him. He caught it. up, wrathfully determined oh destroying it, but as -he looked at the brave eyes and smiling lips something seemed to choke him. Ah! the pity of it that one with eyes so true could be so, false! . ,-. r . . '■'■'■■■■ With other of his belongings he dropped the picture into his valise. *' ■ - '•

Why, Robert, what are you doing?' His mother stood on the threshold of his room, reviewing with surprise and dismay, his efforts at packing. > 'l'm going back to town,' he announced gloomily. it, .She gave him a keen little glance, then smiled her "approval. ' You mean you have come to your senses in regard to -—— that.girl?' r . 'I have,' he acknowledged. voice, ' for she is -just the laziest piece of impudence I ever struck. Here, I'll pack your valise for you, dearie.' She proceeded to do soscientifically. Yes, only this afternoon I took. Dorothy into the living-room and gave her a good talking to. vl thought possibly I could get her to see the error of her ways. 'l' told her hov» necessary it is for a woman to be industrious. There, Robert, the valise is all packed; if you hurry you can catch the three-fifteen train.' ' How did she take your lecture Rob asked, interested in spite of himself, as he lifted the bag and went out into the' hall. 'O, just as you could expect.she fell sound asleep. I was so insulted I just got up and went out on the verandah,' and it just served her right, too, for when that Mr. Brown came in he kissed her. I mean to tell her about it some time.' ~ -' : .With a slam Rob's bag dropped to the floor. r..'You mean,' questioned breathlessly, 'that Dorothy was asleep-when Brown.kissed her?' [.' Why, of course, didn't you see him yourself when you came to the door that time?' • But Rob had waited for no more; already he was at the door of the living-room. Yes, she was still there —still asleep. Poor, tired little Miss Indolence. Softly he crossed the room and tenderly, lovingly, he looked down at her. At length she stirred and her eyes opened. , She smiled up at him. ' I 'was waiting for you,' she laughed happily, and simply as a little child she lifted her face for her betrothal kiss. Extension'Magazine.