WILL HE WIN HER?

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 59, 28 July 1880, Page 4

WILL HE WIN HER?

BY JAMES GRANT. . - . » — '-'.■:.■■. . ■■ ■ . Ghaptbe XXXIX. With his Highland pistols tied to his neck, the gallant Seton and a few others ; struck out for the shore, only to become ' entangled among the slimy , weedi^ and: ' trailers/that rose up a hundred feet m length from the bottom of that tropical sea, and to perish : there miserably, a yiey to the innumerable sharks. „.' : "The story, oL their bravery and generosity," said Bonteine, •** would fire even the heart of a Quaker $ and that^ is saying a great deal/'^ ;■-■•• - : : . v"^ "In anything wherein money is not concerned," added the doctor dryly. ;(; * Then they debsiled to me the storming of Macomo's stronghold, the six * attacks on the Waterkloof ,- arid all the operations of the army, down to the present march it was performing to attack the great Basuto chief, whose defeat would.— a« it ultimately : did—^ put an end to the Caffire war, "This long story of yours,"- said young Calder, "is like' one of old Somerset's despatches, as dreary as the overture to Wagner's ' Tannhuser'—about the^ most cicj.*ruciatiug ' piece of musicthat Wver,was/;.coHCOßted by a ineanaering niustblau"'' . "You are enntiyed, my little man," retorted Bontoine. "Not at all. I am jolly as a sandboy—as Sandilli himself," replied the ensign, caressing what he supposed to 1 be a buff-colored moustache. j " Fanny— MtfsT'iDouglas;" I*~mean— never saw Carysfprt, I suppose, after bis being wounded at the Dutch vil, lage '?"■ said I, longing. to^hear more of those m whom he felt a deeper interest than for the details of a barbarous war. ''greyer/ replied Bonteine/; ; " and perhaps it was just as- well/ ! -^WhyP" • ' "I don't think she could ever have cared much for Carysfort." /'How do you think so?" J a'slccd abruptly. " I happened to be doae by whori Douglas dried the pretty widow's tears,'" said Bonteine, lowering his voiced "* And after all that lias passed, you love me still, Gerard P' she said, dexnurcsly, casting down her long eyelashes, ' P^s^onately,' responded our captain 7 of Highiandersi 'I feel very grateful and happy, dearest,', said she, ' with the conviction of being loved by one so good, so gentle, and J;p_ kind as you. I was Douglas's groomsman soon afterwards, and/rrr^ What th? deuce is that boy* sniggering at P' ' "At your love story, Bonteine— rthat is all," replied the unabashed Ensign Oalder ; >' so don't quote" the Mutiny Act about laughing at one's superior pfficer. .1 knew that^tho; fair Fanny was • a , bridis the moment tsaw her." ; ■• ' "HowP Why should you know about it P You were on detachment at Port Armstrong.'* *-i v "Her marriage ping looked sp new, and fitted the tiny third QngeP^pi tighay." ..; ; ; ' •■ ■Jt is a fine thing to talk "rakishly, find it costs nothing but respectibility," -paid the doctor, gravely. "But pass that: bottle, young fellow, and look (sharp, please." "And how about ypur wife's wedding ring, my lad ?" asked Campbell who had taken no part m this camp "chaff ." V:Wifei Don'r think I shall ever haye one or go beyond an affaire dv pceur with a handsome young flirt, married to a rich old party, having a good winecellar, and no tattling incumbrances m the shape of children, to tell who kissed mamma's hand m the shrubbery. 'All «uch observant brats should be strangled." Listen to young morality fresh from 3andhurst," exclaimed the doctor. " But a kiss of the- hand is not a very deadly affair," said Bonteine laughing. " Don't encourage the boy to talk m this loose fashion,'' said -the doctor, angrily. " I am older than you Qalder— — " " More than twice my age, J should think." . " Yes — and age learns more than youth." "Youth learns to love," lisped the ensign,,. ; ■ ,- " Yes, and age learns to lose as well ai to love," retortod Forbes, and his wowh, and still moi'e his tone, told of soms secret for the present company. " \V"a-? the "health of Miss Haywood impaired by \vhab she has undergone I Luiuirod, with 411 aip of casual iudiffoi'caj^, Tf'jihS'lyin'4 'on the green sward wlnah foidipd the ilo&e of the tent, imj.ubibing with intense satisfaction the fragrance of a ftae havannah. '" No. She looked a little pale, and perhaps careworn ; but such, mi^ht bo expected. "I'll' sxvear" thjit she blushed . red enough when that fellow Graves kissed her," said the incorrigible ensign. '/. flow P— where ?" asked > Bonteine. " How ? — as people usually do : and where P — on the cheek." "When, Mr Calder ?" I gasked. . "On the day t)ie Firigoea brought them into camp ; but we were all m» ciined to do the same thing, so overjoyed were we to see them alive and safe." "On the cheek P" I repeated, with a sterness that I could not conceal. " Yes. It seems to hare made an impression upon you," oontinued the saucy Calder. " How that brat's tongue runs [on !" growled Dr Forbes. ' J v " And Graves went with them to Jamaica P" I resumed. "Yes," replied Banteine, who went blundering on m a fashion quite as bad fts;Calder, talking barrack-room rubbish, perhaps, but such rubbish as proved Very. v annoying to merrT-maddemng, \£ fuck t "Gi i aVes' went with them—witH Jier, I should say," .-.;■•' ■" ■'-, ••■/■".•■ ■ .:., V: Becausiei if they are not engaged, they should be. Wo heard that you had been spoonoy on hej? ; but so were : others-r-som* of the 12th Laucers, and c^e of the Rifles especially. Graves, >O#eter, was seldom away froqa her side tfteif that, hideous, skeleton was found to the wood by Sergeantßurns of ours. He ihought all was square then; I shottld know how engaged people look— l»f e been engaged myself tta

times; but never was hooked yet, and I donjt mean to be till I get my spurs by breyet or the murrain among the majors. How mighty and mysterious are the secreti of your engaged stupidities— how nicely they open pedal communications with one another, and- squeeze hands behfnd curtains or under the tableclothj I know all about that style of thing, and; hare/ done it r - scores ; of times, "thojigh engaged oalj y tpa jtu»>sj< as 1 Tiaresaid." - - ; ihcredulouily, taking these speeches at their current jvalue ; but thej Scotch doctor gaid, with one of his most saturnine grins— > "■■♦ 1 1 can s endorse his v assertions of ink, quijty. MEe has got a ; diamond and d gold watch and appendages which to mjj certain knowledgeatjleast ten girls hare .worn m succession.'' '"; « Every one [of whom was spoony on yours truly, Jack. Bonteine, till the route or letters of readiness camel";" : ? Or till you got* soine 'one of "ours who was on ltave to, telegraph, as your father or uncle, that you were about to cut off with?a shillihgT "Then the watch and ring were returned ; but they ari as well known . Jn, mpjs. garrison to^rns as the goat 'bl t'h'e JWblih Fusi- • liers." ■- ■ " ;. " " , r ' \. T : -\ flt is profanity m. you,; Forbes, to mention such tender ' mysteries; Yes," resumed the£ .laughing, -Bonteine, " Graves went witE ■ la' 'hefte^Glnrice, and notwithstanding the Dutch — «• What was the iellow-s name ?" ! Van Nieukerque," said" lhuskily. " Tea ; being present, he will improve the. : golden, opportunities— and; we ajlL kn|ow. that they are manifold— afEoMed' byi a long voyage at : sea; PaJss the ') Gape '' f Smoke, ffad'donV 1 ' j^o'd 1 . don't drink, old fellow." «■ j c Thanks," said I, and swallowed a bunjpep to hide or to drown- ; ray char, grin. -- - . '••/■' ;•■ • ' 'f. ; .***:: *..&■:* f Pill again/Had.dqn," said; Bonteine ; ; "y^ou look as it you lacked the Circean cup that cheers but not inebriates." ' ' -^1 . : - ; i\- .-1 '■;■":>'■ -.■'■'■ j'tfay, but it does/ said I,''' iC T° tt read the classics arigbt." j'soth6i£th£ clifssiesj yDori'j: talk of jtnem ; it makes it makei *me tfiiulc of iniy old cramming and grinning days 'atjSandhurst,'jiajdjQa^r.___._ jPoor, rattlepated boy! He perished nejxt day of a sunstroke when on the march, and^was "buried under * alpine tree m the 'wide and desert karoo over which 1 liad so lately fl.ed. IJndeteiTedbv the troubles, that had Jbeset me, my ttrit u intention had been tojaccompany my old friends, the 74th" m! the new campaign' against Moshesh the B,a*uto, to giye-voner-nvire :dasp - to "fch|» war medal which I knew to be. raydue, and to write by the -first mail to Ijpu^las and Clarice, at Jamaica ; but th'e information I had received, m the bantering manner -j unrelated, made a cojmlete alteration m my plans ; and.so, w^ieu next morning the tenta jfere struck at -daybreakv- and: the^ai'niy resumed its march, I bade adieu to my whilom comrade*, and taking advantage of; the companionship and escort of soj-qe twenty men of the various oorps, wlio, under an oflSeer, wero going back to] the town of Burghendprp, being found unfit for field service ; and with sojmething.oF a sorrowful heart, I heard ■the^aiJ^olJh^pipe^aijd-'tbjßj-tap of the dr.um dfe a»ray by the banks pf The Gf<>at Orange River, as we turned on our homeward inarch over the almost pathless karoo,- - '