A Humble Enterprise by Ada Cambridge

Page 1 of 81

A HUMBLE ENTERPRISE

BY ADA CAMBRIDGE

AUTHOR OF "THE THREE MISS KINGS," "FIDELIS," "A LITTLE MINX," ETC.

_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ST. CLAIR SIMMONS_

Second Edition

LONDON WARD, LOCK, & BOWDEN, LIMITED WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.C.

NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE 1896

[_All rights reserved_]

[Illustration: "Pinned the fragrant morsel to her throat."

_A Humble Enterprise._ _Page 97._]

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL 9

II. HER FIRST FRIEND 24

III. AFLOAT 33

IV. THE HERO 45

V. HE MEETS THE HEROINE 56

VI. THE INEVITABLE ENSUES 69

VII. THERE ARE SUCH WOMEN IN THE WORLD 82

VIII. ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW 92

IX. THE POTENTIAL HUSBAND 105

X. AS THE WIND BLOWS 115

XI. NATURE SPEAKS 125

XII. TWO WISE MEN 138

XIII. TWO UNWISE WOMEN 150

XIV. A WEAK FATHER 159

XV. A STRAW AGAINST THE TIDE 171

XVI. A STAR IN TWILIGHT 184

XVII. "YOU NEED NOT EXPECT ME BACK" 193

XVIII. JENNY IS TREATED LIKE A LADY 204

XIX. WOMAN'S RIGHTS REFUSED 216

XX. SHE CARES NOT 228

XXI. THE BEST AVAILABLE 236

A HUMBLE ENTERPRISE

CHAPTER I

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Joseph Liddon was deaf, and one day, when he was having a holiday in the country, he crossed a curving railway line, and a train, sweeping round the corner when he was looking another way, swept him out of existence. On his shoulder he was carrying the infrequent and delightful gun--reminiscent of happy days in English coverts and stubble fields--and in his hand he held a dangling hare, about the cooking of which he was dreaming pleasantly, wondering whether his wife would have it jugged or baked. When they stopped the train and gathered him up, he was as dead as the hare, dissolved into mere formless tatters, and his women-folk were not allowed to see him afterwards. They came up from town to the inquest and funeral--wife and two daughters, escorted by a downy-lipped son--all dazed and bewildered in their suddenly transformed world; and a gun and a broken watch and a few studs, that had been carefully washed and polished, were the only "remains" on which they could expend the valedictory kiss and tear. Their last memory of him was full of the gay bustle of farewell at Spencer Street when he set forth upon his trip. It was such an event for him to have a holiday, and to go away by himself, that the whole family had to see him off. Even young Joe was on the platform to carry his father's bag, and buy him the evening papers, his train being the Sydney express, which did not leave till after office hours. When they knew how the holiday had ended, their bitter regrets for not having accompanied him further were greatly soothed by the knowledge that they had gone with him so far--had closed their life together with an act of love that had made him happy.

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