COMMODORE NORAH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 295, 20 September 1940, Page 7

COMMODORE NORAH

s i By ANGUS MacVICAR.

:: (Copyright). I

1 Stirring Story of the Sea. ,Jj,

CHAPTER XVIII.

keeping tho affair quiet, he might still make an attempt to win back her affection. Menteith was a supreme egotist and was able to deceive himself into thinking that since Norah had once seemed to be under his influence he- could, by guiles and a parade of devotion, recover his power over her. He would lie low for a while, he thought, and make his big., effort later on in the week. That money of hers could not lightly be given uy . . . Then, on tho Monday, his landlady had brought news of the impending strike. For a. few minutes in the afternoon he had gone out to discover for himself the feeling in the village, and had been alarmed to find that the strikers were making threats against himself' He had hastened back to his lodgings and had sat by the window of the sitting room, watching and waiting. He had wished then that he could have made an escape from Invercon, bur. he had the feeling that he was being shadowed and that if he attempted to get his car out of the deserted hut in which lie had hidden it, the strikers would prevent him from doing so, perhaps with violence. Hours passed, but he had still remained at the window; and at eight o’clock lie had seen approaching the crowd of m/en lie had feared to see. They were coming towards his lodgings, and anger and determination stamped their faces. Without al wordto his landlady he had fled through the back door of the house, running for his life.

“WE TRUST YOU!”

Donald shook his head. He felt awkward and ash a mud. He hated to oppose this girl. He was fond of her and admired her plnck. Ho was loyal to her, bnt ho was loyal, too, to the men, whoso cause he knew to be just. < “Ye’re wrang, Miss Norah. We -a no bullies. For the past month or two I’ve been warnin’ ye. Now), isn’t that right? I’vei yarned yo time and again, and yet ye didna ta-k’ any notice. Can ye wonder that the men are taking things into their aiin hands ” “1 told you I’d give you all a better time —soon. Why can’t you trust me r “We do trttst you, Miss Norah. But the trouble is that we canna trust that sweetheart o’ yours. He’s had a bad influence, and maybe tho influence ayi last unless we get something Written doon in black and white ...” She drew herself up. She was too proud to explain that she had broken off her engagement. “Donald,” she exclaimed, listen to me! Pm giving you an order—you and the men. Get the boats out at once. I’ll give you two hours. If you don t obey by then—well, I’ll give you the sack, every man of you, and I’ll engage crews elsewhere. Plenty of unemployed fishermen in other ports.” She swung on her heel and maiehed away along the street. Donald shook his head. “It’s no good,” he muttered. Man she’s a determined creature.” He turned, to discover three of the men standing in the doorway behind him. They looked sullen and angry, and a little frightened. “We heard her,” said one. vYe heard her threaten to engage outside crews. She’ll pay for that.” The seagulls were swooping over the white-flecked water of the harboui. David’s skiffs were moving out in a contiguous line, the steady throb of their engines filling the air with sound. The Grant skiffs looked forlorn, lying silent in the crook of the pier’s arm. Old Donald wished fervently that Peter Grant, Norah’s father, would suddenly appear in the ■ Main Street, wafted magically from Soiith Africa, so that in his brisk and businesslike way he would straighten out the unfortunate tangle into which affairs had drifted in the village. * * * *

-He ran faster than he had done even at the spo/rts, for now his precious skin was at stake. He heard the shouts of the strikers behind him.

“Come on, hoys! He canna- keep up that speed. Stop there, Menteith.” He did not stop. Ho was better trained ajnd in better athletic condition than the fishermen.

A youth of eighteen, meeting him at a corner, tried to stop him, but his fist lashed out and caught the hoy on the. chin, sending him staggering. He almost tripped -over a. child who Was playing on the pavement, but hierecovered himself, clutching at a doorway for support-, and left the child behind him, howling; He was heading fop.' Norah Grant’s house.

ONE AGAINST FIFTY. Norah and Archie, at supper, .heard the front gate thrust violently open. “What’s that?” exclaimed the boy, and jumped to the window. He looked out and then turned excitedly to his sister. “Norah,” he cried, “it’s Menteith—coming in here. The strikers are after him, shouting to him to stop.” She rose quickly from her chair, and with Archie behind her, ran into the hall. Menteith was already there, liatless, his sleek fair hair falling down on either side of his face, his breathing laboured.

About three hours later the men began to stream out of tho Institute. Brooding talk and argument and lack of food had made them had tempered and irritable. A big, red-headed lad of about twenty seemed to have been appointed the ringleader in any mischief that might be afoot. Donald tried to keep close to this young fellow’s side, so that he might be able to restrain him, but he found it difficult to keep up with the raking strides cf his juniors. He hobbled along, in the midst of the crowd, cursing his rheumatism, his mistress and the whole stubborn, hot-headed clan of youth. The strikers made haste to Hector Menteith’s lodgings. They had heard he had been seen in the village that afternoon, though he was supposed to be in Glasgow, but they had no knowledge that he and Norah were no longer engaged. They had it firmly fixed in their minds that to a large extent he was to blame for the refusal of tlieii mistress to agree to the their requests. They didn’t quite know what they meant to do when they found him, but it seemed that an interview with him might clarify the situation. Donald was of a similar opinion. If the young strikers could vent jtheir anger on Menteith, they might, lie thought, adopt a more reasonable attitude where Norah was concerned. He really didn’t mind what happened to fdenteitli, for he had never liked tho man. But he was determined that no harm should come to Norah, even though she was a dour little rascal. After all, she was Peter Grant s daughter. The people of Tnvereon —mothers, sisters, wives, shopkeepers and children —stood on the pavements to watch the strikers pass.

“They’ll kill me!” he muttered. “Don’t let them touch me, Norah!” She did not hesitate. Outside,. the shouts of the approaching strikers could faintly he heard. She stepped briskly to tho front door and bolted it. “Archie,” she said quickly, “shut, all the windows and tell Miss Mathieson to lock the hack door. Hurry!” He Avas a little scared, but on the whole it was an enjoyable sensation. Ho read Wild Wesfc novels, when Norah A\ r asn’t in tho offing, and he imagined himself Buck Jones or Six-shoot Dan, cornered by the sheriff’s posse and prepared to sell liis life dearly. Menteith also Avas scared, hut the situation did not appeal to him in any Avay. Norah took him into the diningroom and made him sit down. He lit a cigarette AA'ith tAvitching fingers. A few puffs, hoAvever, seemed to steady him. “I thought you had left Invercon,” she said, solely for the sake of breaking an awkward silence.

“I—l couldn’t go aw k ay and leave you all alone—at McGregor’s mercy,” he said. “Even, though—even though I realise I’m not worthy of you, I felt that you might need my help.” She looked at him. She wondered how she could ever have imagined herself in love with this man. He sat liefore her, stripped of al| glamour, and she saw' him for what he was—mean, calculating, spineless. She spoke without thinking. “It appears, however,” she said, “that it is you who needs my help at the present moment.” Almost at once she was sorry for Die sharp sarcasm. She turned away flora him and crossed to the 'window. Archie came rushing into the room, announcing that every door and window was secure. Norah scarcely heard him. She was ‘gazing out into the cold, grey evening. A crowd of blue

“AFTER HIM, BOYS!”

The women waved, some enthusiastically some fearfully. Nor-alh’s ultimatum had become known, in thte village, and many a sober housewife, visualis ing strangers taking the place of he', menfolk in the Grant skiffs, wondered how she was going to make ends msec when wages ceased to come in. But the younger women, who were deprived of the men’s company frequently, offered 1 encouragement with smiles and dancing eyes. Smaill boys and girls ran alongside the marching men, yelling and screaming in delight. The local policemen were disturbed by this unusual occurrence, but powerless to prevent it. So far the strikers were orderly enough and broke no laws by marching through the streets. In any case, even though they tried to break up the party of over fifty ablebodied men, the police would have bc-en thrust aside- by sheer weight oi numbers.

ft was almost eight o’clock when the strikers reached the house in widen Hector Menteith lodged. The redhaired boy in the load stopped sudden ly and point'd down a side street. “There he is,” he shouted. “Slinking out the hack way. After him, hoys!”

The strikers wheeled to the riglu and began to run. Old Donald, protesting, was home along, willy-nilly, in spike of Ids efforts to reduce his pace to a walk. Menteith looked behind him. In Ins heart was terror. Ho ran swiftly, easily outdistancing his straggling pur suers. Since his dismissal by Ncfl'-ah early on Sunday morning lie had remained in his lodgings, trying to find a solution of the difficulties that surround ed him. He had an idea that. Ndrali would try, for her own sake-, to persuade David McGregor not to tell the police of his attempt to destroy the Silver Spray. In such a ca.o3 there would he no need for him to leave the village at once. Ho decided, to await developments, therefore, aind if the worst came to the worst and David did make up his mind to p-rosecufje, he would surely hear of the decision, and he able to make his get away in time. If Nor ah were successful, however, m

jerseyed men wore standing at the front gate, apparenty debating their next move. Children and a few young women stood on the outskirts of the gathering.. iSlie was alarmed by the new, unsuspected anger on the faces of her men. . The young red-liead who was the strikers’ leader, caught sight of her at tho window. Ho pushed open the front gate and was followed into the garden by about a score of his companions. He stood on tho lawn, looking up. “Open that window, Norah Grant! he shouted. Two policemen had appeared on the scene, hut they were incapable alone of maintaining order, in lace of the ugly mood of so many able-bodied men. They tried to follow the red-head and his friends into the garden, but they were jostled away from the gate. Nbrah flung the window high, and a flurry of thin, cold air entered the dining-room. “Get out of my garden!” she cried. “You’ve no right to force yourselves in here.”

Red-head laughed. “Who’s going jj fa put us out?” he asked. i

“Well ” Norah hesitated, “what is it you want?” “We want Menteith. He’s in there with you. We seen him, the dirty rat.” “You’ll not get Mr Menteith,” she returned, white-lipped. “You’ll deal with me. Mr Menteith has nothing to do with this dispute between us.” Red-head frowned.

“Trying to be tough, eh? Well, let me tell you that before we leave we’re going to make you agree to meet our wishes, and we’re going to give Menteith the licking of his life. It’s his fault that you’re against us.” “I’ll not agree to your-terms,” returned Norah. “And I’ll not allow yon to lay hands on Mr Menteith. The sooner you make up your mind about that the better. I gave you a chance this afternoon to carry on, but you rejected it. You’re sacked—every one of' you. Next week I’ll have strangers running my boats.” Red-head and tho others stared, rendered speechless for a moment by her courage and defiance. “You can’t do that,” roared a whitefaced man in the crowd. “We’ll allow no strangers in Invercon. We’ll tear this house down first ...”

Cowering in the armchair behind Norah, Menteith was shaking. “Don’t anger them, Norah,” lie pleaded. Archie regarded him with boyish contempt. “I’ll deal with this myself,” she said hotly over her shoulder. She turned and again addressed the strikers. “So you’ll tear this house down? Fifty men against one girl. Lot of heroes, aren’t you?”

Red-head spoke again. “We’re no’ concerned wi’ being heroes. We’re hear to make sure that justice is done. Let us get hold oi Menteith and promise us shorter hours, and we’ll go away at once. If you don’t —” “Look,” cried Norah. “Here is an offer. This time it really is my last. If you’ll stop this strike now—at once — I’ll cancel your notices and I’ll promise to revise your working hours at a conference with, your loaders —not immediately, but. ‘ within the next few weeks.” '

(To be continued)

RAILWAY ACCOUNT.

PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 17. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, September 19. The railway working account for the four-Aveekly period ended August It, is as follows:

Total railway

From April 1 to August the totals were: Revenue £4,111,854, expenditure £3,587,359; net revenue £524,495. For the corresponding period last year the totals were : Revenue, £3,605,548, expenditure £3,428,166, net revenue £177,382. 1

North Island. £ £ Rev. Exp. Kaihu 263 923 Gisborne ... 1,296 1,604 Main lino and brandies 428,698 -382,899 South Island. £ £ Main lino and branches 241,301 238,819 Westport .. 10,855 7,585 659 1,445 Nelson Picton 2,383 3,269

operation ... . 685,455 636,644 Miscellaneous services . 102,849 77,096 Totals . 788,304 713,740