A Complete story

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 39, 14 October 1925, Page 11

A Complete story

Dr. Morton paused in the act of pushing the bell for the next patient and swung around in his chair to look at the girl who had entered without ceremony. “Sick, Eugenie?” She was a tall, fair-haired girl, and her fur, coat had cost more than the expensive fittings of the doctor’s consultation room, but her attitude' was that of a weary and perplexed child. For answer she put her head in its violet crowned turban, upon his plain tweed shoulder and moaned. “Sick unto death, doctor; sick of parties, sick of money and society, sick of all the things we didn’t have a little while ago. 1 want you to send me down to Aunt Teresa’s. Mother’ll think I’m crazy to go there in the middle of the-season lest you prescribe it. It isto use her favorite expressionthe dullest hole, in the world.” Dr. Morton put firm hands on her slim , shoulders and looked at her intently. “I don’t need to perjure my conscience to prescribe rest for you, child. You are like a walking ghost of the blooming girl you were before this mad round of outshining the Joneses began. When are you going to marry Bob Bradford and begin to lead a normal, sane, useful life?” Instantly her young body was taut with remembrance, wrath and defiance. “I am never going to marry him. He is the stubbornest, hatefidlest, most arrogant man I have ever met in my life. He is going to Alaska to explore ice fields, and I hope I may never see him again as long as I live.” The doctor whistled and then shook his head gravelv. J) ° “Alaska is a cold country for a chilled heart, Eugenie. Better make it up before he starts.” The girl’s white hands gripped the table edge as she answered with forced nonchalance. “He’s leaving to-night for Chicago. That’s the first lap of the journey.” The doctor dashed off the prescription with all his professional decisiveness. As he gave her the .paper he said: “Tell your father-to send you to ... Miss Teresa Wyatt in the fastest car he lias, and when you get there’ take a dose of* this and go to bed and sleep.” The girl crumpled the bit of paper and stuffed .it into her purse. Dr. Morton’s handwas on the buzzer, but as she went out- of the door he called: “The Chicago train passes Kimbly station at 5.15.” ; But she did not answer. An hour later she sent' the chauffeur away at the gate and

TWO ESTRANGEMENTS

walked up the elm-bordered drive at Aunt Teresa’s. ■ “• To Eugenie, as always, this was home- . coming. The square white house among the | tall .trees, the low-lying barns at the rear,' the gardens, the clucking fowl, the patches - of green on the brown hillsides. All these were the indispensable background of Aunt Teresa. But Eugenie told her story over the luncheon table and Aunt Teresa looked grave J and nodded h£r head over the doctor’s prescription. The girl was really tired almost ; to the point of exhaustion, and she did not protest when her aunt helped her .into ltd ■ and tucked her in as she had often done when Eugenie was a child. Eugenie felt herself slipping into the dark - seas of utter oblivion. Sleep came like a dark pall that blotted out every sense of impression. How long she slept she did not know, but she was suddenly acutely conscious of the sun-filled room again. She heard the x fire snapping on the hearth and the draperies stirring at the windows. Out of the . mass of impressions that assailed her con- 7 sciousness she was finally aware of human | voices, one petulant, the other deep and insistent. The deep voice was arguing and pleading, while the other was rising steadily and gaining a, measure of defiance. 'i They took every note in the scale of unpleasant emotions. There was pleading,’! vexation, indifference, triumph, bitterness, sarcasm, cruelty, pride, reproachbut most of all anger, unreasoning, resisting anger. Suddenly she was alert, listening with all the strange intenseness of a mind drugged-f to every sensation save one. There game to her ears an unmistakable sound, the, low despairing sob of a heart-broken girl. r Eugenie tried to spring up but her body did | not respond to her will. She tried even to move a hand toward the voice. She had a notion that the girl was face downward on the foot of her. bed. ’ , - The sorrow of such grief shook her. She H tried to cry out. Anything to stop that girl’s stifled weeping. How could a heart, break so utterly ? How could such suffering* be endured by a finite being? Eugenie struggled to see the girl huddled / on the foot of her bed. She fought for a sight and looked again and again. Finally she realised it —there was no one thereal-C though the sound of the girl’s sobbing had ; scarcely died in her ears. ‘ || The shock of it was too much. She scream-. ed and flung herself toward the other side of p her bed. A strong, firm hand took hold of X her wrist and she looked up into the twinkling eyes of Dr. Morton. Both he and Aunt

Teresa were sitting quietly beside her bed. v | “I had to pass this way, Eugenic,” said { ••'and . I thought I had better ..see you again. Your Aunt; reportsr that you have been sleeping steadily for four, hours. ■ ' At that rate I think you’ll soon be a normal girl again instead of a nervous wreck.” Eugenie was not listening. She was , straining her eyes to see in all parts of the room. Finally her eyes came back to her aunt sitting, calm and serene as usual. “Where is that girl?” she cried, “and wheie is the man she was quarrelling with?” “There is no one here, my dear,” said her aunt gently. “I have hot left your side. Even when the doctor came, Esther showed him in and we have scarcely spoken a word for fear of waking you.” “But F heard voices. Two people were quarrelling. They said all the unkind things they could think of to each other. The girl, was spoiled and contrary, and the man was hard-headed and impatient. He said some very hitter things to her finally—l couldn’t understand a thing they said. If. was just the tone—but when he went away it nearly killed her. She was here at the foot of this bed crying so hard that I knew her poor heart was broken.” Eugenie stopped suddenly, for Miss "Wyatt uttered a little cry as if of pain, and Dr. Afbi ton turned and walked away to the w indow. His face was white as chalk. Some dim conception of the truth forced its way into Eugenie’s brain. She could only stare speechlessly at the two who were so much affected by her dream or whatever it had 'been. The voices could not have been —..theirs. 4 he gild’s voice was hard, petulant, wilful. Aunt Teresa’s voice was mellow, sweet, and motherly. The boy’s voice had - been youthful ami aggressive, while Dr. Morton’s, voice had all the depth and timbre of maturity. There was a degree of practicality in Eugenie which her own family rarely observed. She formed a complete theory in an instant and in a perfectly matter-of-fact voice requested the doctor to permit her to get up. He took her temperature, found it normal, and told her that evidently she had slept away most of her fatigue. Half an hour later Eugenie was dressed in a heavy skirt and sweater and stout- boots. She walked into the sitting room where Dr. ■ "Morton and Miss Wyatt yore talking before the fire. The doctor had accepted an invitation to dinner. . . Eugenie was pulling a felt hat on over her bright hair. “I am going to meet the train at Kimbly Station,” she announced. “I’ve sent a telegram. Boh will surely get it at the next station.” • . . - She went out in the chill dusk, with love and glory and submission in her face. She came back to dinner with the tall young man who had , paused— indefinitely— on the way to Alaska. They sat by the - open'fireplace that night, n .while Dr. Morton ami Miss Wyatt remained > vat the candle-lighted ’ dinner table .talking of books and medicine and politics, ~ and . Eugenie pieced out the story for Bob as best she could. You see. he was just a young’ physician twenty years ago, and I remem- - her hearing often that he came down here

and stayed-for weeks before my grandfather -died. I have no'idea why granddad put his ■faith in such a young man. But I never knew that he and-Aunt Teresa had been, in ■ love. And 1 never “knew that Aunt Teresa, my angel aunt, was a spoiled, silly girl or that Dr. Morton was a pig-headed and sallow youth. I don’t know what they -,quarrelled about, but I do know that they'had not met for twenty years before to-day. They had about forgotten each other probably. -. “They sat down near my bed this’afternoon, and they scarcely spoke "a .word, think of that, Rob—and think of ’them each following a road of troubled memories that led back to that .room twenty years ago. Think of the bitter words that came swarming hack, think of the old anger that flamed possibly for moments in their hearts.' Is it any wonder that the very walls took up the old remembered quarrel and shouted it so loud that I heard it?” “I think it was a nightmare,” said Boh, "hose imagination could compass the unknown white spaces of the poles but faltered at the threshold of the psychic world. ‘ Indeed it wasn’t,” Eugenie began indignantly, and thou she stopped.' Eugenie the wilful, the wayward, the perverse, smiled a tender pitying smile. “I shan’t quarrel with yon, Rob.” she told him. '.'l shall pretend you’re right even when you’re all wrong, for T love yon. somehow, and I don’t mean to break my heart, over you as the girl my Aunt Teresa used to lie did.” Ihe explorer of the' ' Arctics gathered her up in an embrace that testified to his appreciation of such a sentiment. When she presently emerged she laid a finger on his lips and whispered, “Listen.” From the dining room came voices, deep, measured, quiet voices, rich with the mellowness of maturity, resonant to-night with newhappiness. “ Bookshospitals—polities— religion —listen, Rob. I wonder how much of that they’ll have-to do before they get around to the real point of all their conversation?” And the real point is?” Rob looked down upon the bright head in the circle of his arm. “I said it last,” she countered) “The real point to the story.” said Rob, “whether Dr. Morton tells it to Miss Wyatt again after - twenty years—hr whether I tell it to yon after an estrangement lasting almost twenty-four hours, is— F love yon.” The Majuifirat. MUSIC EXAMINATIONS ST. MARY'S CONVENT OF .MERCY, . CHRISTCHURCH. The following candidates from St. Mary’s Convent of Mercy, Christchurch, .were sue■cessful at the recent .rinity College Theoretical examinations: Art of Teaching—Mary Regal, Ella Alarshall, Eileen Waldron. 1 Senior Honors Florence Downing 91, Florence Dangerfield 84, ’ Louise Gilders 82. Senior Pass—Gwendoline Taylor 75, Ellis . Gilders 74. 1 ■ t - Intermediate Honors— Mini Diui 97, Isabel, Watt 93, Verna Jack 87, Moira Woderellß7, . Edith,Bell 85,. Lorn .DeLa ; Coiir 85,

Lilian Delian 85,-Russell Tullock .85, Joseph Carey 81, Annie Laurie Rennie 81. Intermediate Pass- Helen Torrence 69, Joyce Burrell 67. / " Junior-Honors —Alai,sic Evans 100, Azalea Peoples 05, Harry Armstrong 94*, Jose Banfield 93, Grace Carey 92, Noami Lynch 02, Mona Coggin 01, Kathleen Leggett 91, Iris Templeton 88. . Preparatory ' Honors — Constance Barker 99, Gerard McDermott. 98, Betty Rennie 07, Jan Bain 02, Patricia McDermott 92, Kathleen Copsey 89. Royal Academy" Theoretical examination; Qualifying paper for L.A.8., Adeline McGrath; rudiments, Dorothy Blake. - Scholastic Results. The following pupils of St. Mary's High School, Colombo Street, were successful at the recent examinations: Pitman's Theoretical 1 Shorthand —Margaret Petre. Mary Ormandy. National Business College, Sydney: Advanced Book-keeping- ie Pennell, Ivy Fowler. dunior Book-keeping— Elizabeth Madden, Peggy Flood, Mary Kyle, Helen Thomson, Ellen Greaney, Veronica Sloane, Moira Wederell. -Junior Shorthand —Helen Thomson, Elizabeth Madden, Janie Smith. Veronica Sloane, Ellen Greaney. Mary Kyle. Peggv Flood, Moira Wederell. NEW PLY MO FT 11 CONVENT. At the practical examinations held in con--nection with the Trinity College of Music, London, by Mr. Cun del I, on .September 26. and 28, the following pupils- of the New Plymouth Convent were successful : Licentiate Diploma (L.T.C.L.) ‘Katie Hynes 78. Grace Benton 78. Mary Crawshaw 74. Associate Diploma (A.T.C.L.) — Lulu -Richards 75, Dorothy Mills 71. Vita Bishop 70, Monica Glengarry 70, Verna Jones .70. '. Higher Local —Ena Cornwall. 70. “ U; . Senior —Evelyn Grey 77, Elsie," LongstfifF 77. Esina Goldsmith 76, Whittle' 71. , Intermediate Jean Bennett (singing.: honors) 84, Lizzie Gilhooly (honors) 81, Ajgnes Coy 71. ■< > A?:’Junior—Thelma Simpson (singing,"honors) 80, Mary Jeffries (singing, honors) 80, "Monica Glengarry (singing) 78, Colleen Hyggett , 76, Frances Rogers 76, Una Cornwall (singing) 67. Preparatory— Eunice Barlow (honors) 84, Mary Gribbon (honors), 83. Ursula, -Jones (honors) 83, Kathleen McPHillips (honors) 83, Dorothy Reeves (honors) 83, Marjory Sole (honors) 82, Irene Mischeivski (honors)-80, Clydie 11 nggett -(singing) ; 76, Agnes - Coyne (singing) 74, Eileen Lynch 69. Elsie McConnell 68. ■ ' ; : ? - - First Steps—Mary Devine (honors) 84, AI. Monagha n (honors) • 83, . Jean Daley 78. ’) At the Theory examinations held in June, examinations held in June,' Miss" Gwendoline Leech passed the . Art - of Teaching the Violin examination, ■ thereby completing her A.T.C.L. diploma. ’" • WATTARA CONVENT. ... v' At the practical examination held, in connection ’ with . the .'Trinity College of Music, London, hv : Air. Cnndell on; September, 29,

■ v the following pupils of. the Waitara Convent were successful: —Associate: ’Constance BadX Hey. ; Higher Local Ellen Hosie 70. Inter- ■■ mediate : ■ Brenda P eric a (violin), honors, 80 ; - Phyllis . Chittenden 78; Janet -Graham 69. Junior: Berys’ Surrey 73; Kathleen O’Snlli-

van 73. Preparatory: Catherine Frost ( (honors) 82 ; Magdalen La Pouple-,68. First ) Steps: Leo Cole (violin) 74; Colin O’ Sulli- ] van 71. At the Theory examinations held i in June, Alice Crowe passed the Art of Teach- 1 mg and Rudiments. > " ~ •