THREADNEEDLE STREET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 303, 30 September 1940, Page 7

THREADNEEDLE STREET.

By LESLIE BERESFORD.

CHAPTER IV.

FATHER AND DAUGHTER

'Money was taken -aback. “I’d have thought that looking after your daughter was your job, as hoi father?” Very quietly and slowly, in undertones of confidence, Bellow explained. He was, Money learned, a widower, had been so within-the first year of Verity’s birth. An increasingly busy man, building up his position under stress and strain, with little or no time to give to his child, he had been, merely satisfied to provide her, first with good nurses and a governess, then with the best schooling away from home, where she would meet girl friends of the class to which she was destined.

It was not till the day she was eighteen, education complete and social hie begun, that he commenced* realising the result of those many years in which there had been so little contact between them. Her modern self-conlidence, backed by a strength of will and independence ' equal to his own, battled incessantly against the staid ideas he sought to impose on her. “You saw what happened before she left the room, Money,” he said. “Nothing much to it, I know. Youth will be served, must have its fling, and all that modern jargon, with nothing a father can say, let alone do.” “I don’t know much about these things, sir,” Money struggled, making a halting suggestion. “But, I’d have thought softie good hefty, hawklike lady companion—getting elderly, you know—would have worked——•”

“Tried that!” the other sighed, and seemed suddenly to pull himself together. “No,” he said. “Bye tried out all sorts. The girl’s got a lot of me in her. Runs her own, roost. Unfortunately, she’s running it with the wrong people, and won’t bo stopped. “But one thing has to be stopped!” he swung round on Money with emphasis. “The harm the wrong people may do her to get at me. You can see a clear enough picture of that, Money, I’m sure. A man in my position has inevitable enemies. The type not to stop short of involving an adventurous daughter in some scandal—”

Just then the butler, Parks, appeared. He brought Bellew what Money saw to be a cablegram, which the other read, frowning. He ordered a ’phone call to be put through to a number in Paris, said he would take it in his study, and would probably be needing the car later.

“Just as well, as it happens, that Verity did hold up to-night’s birthday celebrations,” he remarked to Money when Parks had gone. He seemed suddenly to have become a different person, alert and dispassionate, his mind running in calculated grooves. “You’re seeing here, as you’ll see time and again while you’re with us, Money, one of those reasons why my personal control oyer my daughter is a mere hazard. I’m the slave of crises, while her-time is her own.”

Ho began to move already towards the door, then turned. “I’m afraid you’re going to he left this evening to whatever you like to plan for yourself. Parks, who’s a good servant, will look after you—-—” “Oh, I can look after myself, sir, so don’t let that worry you.” Ho didn’t feel particularly self-con-fident as he found himself left to his own thoughts, and had taken them upstairs, with himself, to the room set aside for him. A more palatial room than any in which lie had ever slept before. So vivid a contrast indeed to his drab Chelsea lodgings as to be almost embarrassing. PAPERS FROM THE PAST.

However pleasant a- change* it clearly held challenging responsibilities and

A Serial Story of Money, Adventure and Love.

* \ (Copyright)

even anxieties to which he- was not indifferent. Verity Bellew had begun by hinting at a background to his position here, suggesting that he had made a mistake in accepting tine job. Her father had done no more to elaborate that background, so far, than to suggest his duties would lie mainly in doing what he could to prevent Verity from making too big a fool of herself.

That wasn’t what Money had been anticipating when. lire- arrived. U* course, lie could quite- appreciate that a girl ot her cuaracter, widen —lie Jen sure —had better qualities than mere lolly in its make-up, might easily land lien'sell and her father in a morass ot mischief, it' sue were not carotid. That she bad been promising herselt a doubtless wild nigirc at that almost too well-known riverside road--house, “The Moon and Halo,” indicated a singular lack of discretion on her part. Money, as it happened, was well,acquainted with the place, though admittedly .not very recently, it was no safe place for her, unless it had -vastly changed, which he much doubted.

It was ironic that the ‘‘Moon and Halo” should crop up aljvesti here, as if insistently and against his will forcing itself back into the small niche it already had established in his chequered and precarious career. Ho was thinking as much when lie noticed that a servant had unpacked liis suit-cas/es (which had not been locked), distributing his effects to their proper places about- the room. A service to which he was not accustomed 1 quickened, in him an, urgent desire to search for and find something which had till then escaped his mind, and was .not advisedly to be left for the possible prying attentions of servants. He discovered it on a small writing table near a window. hold-all of shiny black leather, rather the worse for wear. He was (relieved to find, that, when salving this from his belongings at bis drab diggings lie had taken the precaution of locking it. He unlocked it nowi, ran through its bulging contents. These were promiscuous private papers, such as most men collect, finding them perhaps too important for immediate destruction and so tempted to save them ii) case of later'need. 'And thesef—letters, newspaper-cuttings and the like —were -not perhaps wisely kept, especially in this house. They established certain facts about him which, at least for the present, possibly even quite definitely, were jjest not discovered by David Bellew. At the sound of a deferential knock on the door, followed by the appearance of Parks, he closed and locked the hold-all, leaving finally decided destruction till a more) -convenient opportunity. Parks announced: “Miss Verity’s compliments, sir. She understands that, the master being called out urgently, you would bo dining alone. . She says—would you perhaps care to join her for the evening ? If so, she will be leaving in her car, if you would be ready in a Quarter of an hour’s time.”

“Say that I shall be delighted.” Money gave that message on the spur of the moment, thougli he could scarcely have sent any other. He was taken by surprise, all the same, while also he felt faintly doubtful as to his wisdom in turning up at the “Moon and Halo.”

But as he changed into his new evening-kit, he decided that the risks were few. It was doubtful if anyone there would recognise him, with his present appearance- of affluence, and certainly not ini such eminently acceptable company as that of Verity Bellew. ' Lapse of time and changed circumstances must preclude any chance linking of him with an incident there which doubtless the proprietors of that colourful road-house desired t-o forget as much a- she did.

He was waiting by the high-powered little car at the gardened front-en-trance when Verity Bellew flashed out .from the lighted hall, passing him with a faint trail of perfume and a flurry of dance-frock skirts. She settled in the driver’s seat with that careless abandon he had already noticed as so typical of her. “I thought you wouldn’t refuse to come with me,” she said to him, when he had arranged, his long legs beside her. “MOON AND HALO” If she was also, well able to drive a car, she was sufficiently reckless about that to cause even Money’s carefullycontrolled nerves an occasional involuntary twinge of the jitters. She seemed under the guidance of a kindly fatality. Excepting for the amazed attention! of more than one traffic policeman and some lurid • language shouted by a. lorry-driver at 'Hammersmith, also an, irate taxi-man further on, her passage was without serious incident.

“(Pity Dad and I had to stage that little domestic scene as your introduction to our happy circle!” she remarked with cool charm rather than cynicism, and shrugged: “Anyhow, it will have served its purpose. You can see for yourself that he and I don’t agrie over some things. I. suppose, after I’d gone, lie went into full details about the doubtful company I keep?” “He certainly., didn’t seem to approve of your friends,” Money replied, “though lie didn’t go into detail. —” “Well, you’ll, be, meeting a few of them to-night, and that’s why I asked you along,” she said. “Not that it matters to mo what your personal opinion of them is. Only, as it seems, you will he one of the family—for a while, anyhow—you’d! host he introduced to my side of the argument. Don’t you agree?” “It’s entirely as you feel about it. Miss Bellow,” lie responded guardedly and apparently without great,interest.

“What I feel about it,” she continued, “is that it’s going to be amusing. ‘The Moon and Halo’ is an entertaining little spot anyhow. But —maybe, you know it?” “It’s been a good deal in, the news, one time and another, hasn’t it?” lie iretorted, still guardedly.

“That’s (Dad’s complaint. He calls it a. thieves’ kitchen, though of course it’s nothing of the sort. But then — Dad detests newspaper publicity, and he’s perfectly childish over his objections to almost everything. I like.” “Here wo are,” she luglied, gesturing towards the brilliantly-lit building into, the grounds of which she was swinging the car at careless speed.

'She need not have been, so informative. Money had reason enough to know where they were. The, rambling

(riverside resort ay as unforgettably familiar to him. His one hope, as they parked the car and Avent inside together, Avas that nobody here wo-uld realise it and' pierce a, reserve of identity it Avas essential hie should maintain at this moment.

Verity became at once the centre of a human Avhirlpool, being clamorously greeted by a dozen girls and men. From the fringe Money watched stolidly, not setting much store, by what lio saAv, or yet much that looked particularly harmful either. He found himself being collectively introduced,. “Dad’s new secretary!” she explained him, so that at once he met a barrage of inquisitive eyes, not —he felt —altogether too friendly. The reason Avas apparent as a young man detached himself from the crowd, a rather bleak smile on bis lips Avhen he confronted Money.

“So you’re the fellow who’s stepped into my shoes?” lie said. “My name’s Draper. And don’t think I owe you any grudge, anyhoAV, Mr —-Money, is it? I’ll ho spotting, and Avish you the best of luck!” At the moment, Money Avas doubtful about the luck. He Avasn’t really paying, any attention to the bleakly-smil-ing Hilary Draper. He had, become suddenly and startingly a wan? of just tile A’orv danger he had l been fearing. That, in the person of a girl, not belonging to the party, but sitting at a nearby table. She Avas pretty and a blonde, and she Avas watching him intently, an ironic smile curling otherwise attractive, lips. (To he continued).

The characters in this story are entirely imaginary. No reference is intended to any living person or to any public or private company.