AT CUPID'S CALL

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1922, Page 8

AT CUPID'S CALL

LIV.- THE tyiTTFR CIRL. N>"hilp Eve was weaving ou; her -plots and schemes Miss Mary Drew- in another bedroom of tile White LiOdffC — was also wide awake. There must be something in telepathy in Lhoii2ht-t-ra-n«niisPion. Kor Mary had a very clear and definite] impression that her presence in this fine country mansion was not entirely: wanted. ' The thought wa* not a pleasant one] if drove sleep from her. The day had been so full of queer, adventures, too. Tier experience wita; the ("inpralee this very afternoon upon the lonely country road —il would have rViprhtencd any jjirl! And then to find that the sinister-looking Oriental was actually the servant of .Julian Ya-nda-veer. a man whom Mary instinctively disliked and distnistedl Dick's story of the midnight light in Kimbe.rley came back to Mary's mind. Dick must he warned. Shadows were gathering" round him. These people in this country hoiirie —they were all at heart antagonistic to him. each in hi* own peculiar way! •Lilian YandiWecr was a ra-cal who would rob Dick of hi,? diamond, or his money, or bin reputation. The > ingalt'C was but a ca-fs-pnw in the game but hadn't he already tried to murder ' Dick ? Eve Rochester pretended that -he cared for Dick-hut, she had lied about him. She didn"t know the meaning <>f the wor.l ""affection." Materia! advance-j ment. worldly comfort these ,vere the things she wanted: thc*o were the things for which she would betray a man. Ilivjn'r Mary actually witnessed .Eve's perfiMy—Eve ' who had sworn she cared for l")ick. and yet had -uttered Julian Vandavcer's embraces when she thought no one would see! And Carrington Bellnirs —he. too. had Tried to "use" Dick for his schemes! His Mexican mines—it Mary hadn't interfered, he would have persuaded toick to invest his money in that rocky venture. "Oh. I mur-t get away from hire—l ; can"t endure ir any longer!" Mary ' tossed, wide-eyed, upon her pillow. A desperate longing came to her to marry Dick at once—to free herself r or ever from thi-s antagonistic atmosphere. Rut common sense, on the other hand, informed her that no sensible Woman rushes into matrimony on a few short days' acquaintance with a man. however charming he may be. and however she may feel she cares for him. Love must be struggled for. and won. The wofth-while Woman know'- thi-. and desires no easy yielding. Ilcf lover must first prove himself —must wait — must definitely convince her in a thousand ways that she. and she alone, is the one woman in the world for liini. Her present post might be rfistas+c'ful. but it was hierattve: and Msfry couldn't afford to throw it up. She hadn"f an;.' money to fall back upon: siie was too : proud to let Dick help her: and wellpaid secretaryships weren't to be picked up every day! This dreary lying-awake was very trying. "If only I had that book 1 left down in the hall!" she thought, regretfully. Reading might induce a sleepy condition, and in Mary's present nervous siatf she wanted sleep. There were other hooks at hand, of course. The little sitting-room that opened off her bedroom was well stocked with the newest novels. Mary rose, switched on the light and was about to walk through to the other room, when her glance fell'on the frot-k she had been wearing' fhrit evening. ''My pearl brooch! I've dropped it somewhere! And I wouldn't lose it for the world!" She stared dejectedly at the laces of her pretty gown, where the truant brooch had been affixed. Yes. if was gone. And Mary valued it immensely. It had been the last gift that her mother had given her, and Mary .looked upon it as a mascot. And then a ray of hope lit up her pretty lace. 1 "I must have dropped it in the hall," she said in a ha If-whisper. Why. yes—of course! Tn talking to t"he aunt of Carringfon Bellairs, Mary remembered that the fastening had been loose. As she talked she had been Ifingerrrig the li title .brooch— a foolish trick of hers when she was nervous. The brooch had slipppd and fallen to the floor, without a doubt. "I wouldn't lo>e it for the world! I'll go right down an-efget it! Maybe if I delay some of the servants will find if in the early morning' and keep it!"' And Mary, acting on the impulse, slipped on h wrapper, thrust her slim feet into bedroom slippers, and valiantly sallied forth. She hadn't far to go ro reach yio hall. Rut great was her chagrin to fin.l ho trace there of the missing brooch. She spent live minutes searching" diligently. It. was rather cold and eerie in the gloomy hall. S'hc found' the book .-he had left behind", but the little pearl ornament was gone! At last .-he ascended sadly to her bedroom. As she turned into the upstairs corridor a door at the end of uhe Ipassagc opened, and there in a strcatn of light stood Carringtoti Bellairs. A queer expression came to his face as he saw Mary. And then he spoke abruptly: "iiiss Drew! I thought you were a burglar.' Isn't it rather odd that you isliouM roam around the house at dead of night?" LV.—"DON'T APOLOGI.=F7" Carrington Bellairs repented of his words the moment he had spoken them. For Mary's little face bore such a startled look. "1 — 1 only went down to the library— 1 dropped my brooch " she stammered, standing there before him with the candle in her hand. With the other, she drew her wrap more closely about her slender figure. "It was a brooch my mother gave mc. I was so fond of it " "Please don't apologise," lie cut in lightly, his eyes upon the charming picture that she made. Her confusion was so tjshuine, too—like everything else about Miss Mary Drew. And—jove! — she did look pretty, with her dark hair curling on her shoulders, and framing her small oval face. "I'm ' sorry." Mary whispered once again. "T know it's inexcusable of mc to roam about the house at this hour — but I felt so worried—" Citrrington Bellairs lifted quizzical hrovu*. She was making mountains out (■;' ii'.-lrhiii-. v..i- -i-i- lit t!c girl: A fuss

By CHRISTIE Author of "For Love of Betty," "The Marriage nf Ann*;' <iWd "Belerie's Married Life

about a brooch lie wondered if there bad not been sonic other reason behind Mary's mid night peregrinations. Her confusion was so great, too— unnecessarily so! It did seem odd. Maybe she had stolen downstairs for sortie' with that fool (alardin/ Blu no. She was diooreet — conventional. tlf course, when a woman was in love—he fervently hoped she did not care for Dick- but if she did. the whole affair might have gone to- her head a little. larrington Kcllair.- waa naturally of a suspicious turn of mind. Cut aloud he merely said: ■rt'rf jiist a trifle late for chatting. so well leave that over till the raorning. liui might I a.-k you it" you found your brooch?" Mary shook her head. "We'll, that's a pity. No doubt, it'll turn up in the morning." said the man. A cynical little smile hovered about hi?" lips.' "'•ond-nigfht'." said Mary softly, still embarrassed over this unexpected meeting. She hurried down the corridor to her room, slipped l in and closed the door behind her. locking it. Oh. what a Mol she had been to run the risk of such an oiir-oiinter! CaTfington Bellairs had looked at her a.? though she ha-d had some hidden lhotive in her downstairs rambling. She almost fe'ltshe hiited him for his censorious eye=. Rut pretty soon she was in bed aridsound asleep, her troubles temporarily forgotten. Kve was noi an early riser. Siie liked hec tea in bed. with the blinds etill draivn. and a ro*o shaded lamp casiino; a becmninsi glow op her complexion. Arrayed in a fetching boudoir cap, a satin negligee, with a potvdpf-pivff so mc where close at hand for all cmergeiirieif? Kve felt fortified to begin Iter day. She felt, considerably atiivoycd. then. when a* ha'ri drill of gravel wits thrown against her bedroom window, awaking her from slumbers, at what she considered was a perfectly ungodly hour. "f suppose its O'arring'fon. wauling mc to go out riding! Well. I won't fa Ice a scrap of notice." 7 She fumed round to the other side and drew tlir fjnilt more snugly round her ffhwrfhlers It Was dclicioi'tsiy warm a-nd comtfdrf!a'ble in, this Louis XIV". bed- she wasn't gofng to leave ir'--no, hof likely! Han.g! Thud! Another hcrri of tiny: pebbles hit flic window. Kve switched on her reading lamp a-nd glanced peevishly at her wrist watch. It was ju*t seve'ri' (.'"clock. Thud! Ariothrr sharp perci>ss-idn. And Eve. irVutteririg some ex.-f.re-'sioTe? that were fofcil.ly if not eritifely pretfy. slipped rrnt of bed. she crossed fhc (Idor and jerked the Mind aside. To' lift astori'ishmont she then perceived' that her ctcfty riYofriin-a RoTfieo was not hef guitrdian. Cafrrngton Bellairs. buf fhc much-admired insouciant Julian \aridaveer. who was even now gazing tip af her with a killing o^le. A stable hoy was with him and a couple of horses, and .fniiari himself was immaculately urrayind in ridingbreeches, coat. cap. gauntlet*, and all the paraphernalia of a tfamlv in the Row. "It's a glorious morning! Come' on out and have a cantor!" .Julian Waved an impe'ftoits hand. LV].— "WE BELOXtI." Kve -sorely agarftst her will— was forced to acquiesce tfne'ti -lulian her to come for a fid*. I*l*. cijred for .Tuliari. She must do his bidding. She moist play whatever role he chose for her. Quickly she' dressed and found her riding things, muttering little angry infprecations all tffe' wTirle. She didn't look her Best 7is morning—and she" knew it. Besides, she felt tffed and sleepy. Oh. for another hour or two in bed! Hut no trace of her chargip was visible when—fifteen mifitrfe/s later— she nronhfed lief Hotse out ift th* grounds. assisted by her escort. Iter little fdo.<* —artistically powdered— held f.vrti glowfn<r spots of colour in each' cheek. Xvi? hoped that -Tulian would put the pretty glow dovvn to the keen morning air, and not to it* rigiftfiil source—whioTi was Parisian, and manufactured, in a cardboard box. But nothing in the! World could ever "take iff' Julian Vjindaveer! He hrtd known too riiariy artificial wrmien in liis 1 day. However, tHough he saw through 1 Eve's pretoriees, he' tnoTlgfil none the less of her for what, he termed lief "camouflage." Tn his own curious way he liked the girl. His feeling for her Was scarcely of a stronger nature. lie was a man of very slight affections- -a, strong eye fixed perpetually on the "tfiafc chance." But he admired IJfe for fhtiriy reasons. He had rio use for any bread-and-butter niiss. He liked a worldly type of gifl—out who had few illusions—and who wasn't 100 particular in her choic* of '"pals."" Kve would make a good pal. he told himself. She' appealed lo a certain type of man—the soft of than that he associated with in business arid pleasure.

If things went as- he' hoped, hei had "serhyu* thoughts of asking' Kve to become his wife. Not becaHtse he loved her-—for he sneered at love!—but simply because she'd be a useful a*set in his ■"business" schemes. And without a- doubt there would be money in the case,, 100. They canteTed si«te by side across the meadows. "Xiee little placo your guardian's got down here." he volunteered at last.. "He must be worth a good bit of cash, eh?" Kve frowned. She wa? sharp enough fo s*e that thi-r remark was scarcely in the best of taste. "I don't know much about his business affairs: you'd- better consult Miss Mary ©few for in'forrriatioi! on that poim." was her tart comment.. •Itvliul* smiled. He tirmly believed thtft every woman was intensely jcaJltms: awl' Kve's previous exhibition of j«Mi.loil=y lou'afds the other girl had flattered' and amused him greatly. ' But aloud he sand: "I haven't the faintest interest in Miss M'aTV Drew. She strikes me' as an insipid little thing.'' He wheeled' his horse closer lo Eve's side and' added: "But" I'm tremcn'doifedy interested in everything that concerns yon —Kve." Kve'.- heart—that hitherto invulnera'blc organ—gaPve an unexpected flutter. ft was a- feeling totally new to the you-rig Woman. It rather" worried' her. Her "poise" was something that she'd a'hvavs lieen assured of. Nothing in Che world had ever really touched her feelings. .-Vnd yet this curious insrnj'tablc. slovrd raw ling man seemed to .have broken down her fences in the niost amazingfashion. "Are- -arc you —truly— interested in me—.lll-HanV" she sta'nvmeTod. slowing her horse' into a walk and gazing' info •hiHan's eyes. "Of course, I am—you silly little thirig! " ff« gaiirttlotod hand rlos".! over hers. He lowered hi* voice to a eafessiri-g note. "Eve don't you think that yon and I would pull magntiiceirtly togethef 7" The wording of thiit question savonred Hist a trifle of the lmfomanti.'. But Kve' heard it very gladly. ' She n>usn'"t lel him sec her feelings, though. Ffer old creed a s to handling men came back to her nt this crisis. Mc must He "played" with. "Other men have asked mc the same thinj mfny times: " she tossed her head. "And I' don't like your pfrra*e rfbout "pulling fogefbef magnificently'— it sounds too much like" f sfffblo'."' Jiili*rt regarded her with a frileratr. and coniblareent smile. •'You've fooled men pretty often, haven't you. Rut. Kve. you can't fool mc!" Before she could proven* him he bad >*KHif Birfiself forward iri hi* saddle and had kissed her on fhc lips. "Tou—you mirstn'f! JuTian —have you gone crazy?" He laughed outfight. "Voii fry fo humbug mc," h» cried, "fyiffle" phila-rid*reT! Ton and f b*>lorig. that's all! Before a we"e"k is ov*f yoti'M be coming fri mc a'nVl teliiilg mV so! Yera know a'lfeady fhal it is the truth! X<\i never felt towards any rhsri the way you've felt fo mc! I kridxv it!" Kve sf'iiwrhere'il oirf a protest. But with .li*li-aivs cnridtt-ly m'agfi*fiV eye? np6n her she' felt she' couldn't say a 1 Wofd. Over this yotVn-z girl the man seemed to e\erci-e ?oinc . species of hypTtof ism. (To be continued daily i