IT HAPPENED TWICE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 44, 2 December 1940, Page 7

IT HAPPENED TWICE.

(Copyright).

2 By T. C. BRIDGES. :: * A Story of Mystery and Poison. )►

CHAPTER XIV

ISOBEL’S ORDEAL

A NAME TO MAKE NEWS. f - \ When Peggy’s father had taken her to Switzerland for a Christmas holiday, Peggy had never forgotten that fortnight, and her description of the powder snow, the clean, cold air, the brilliant sunshine, fifed Althea’s imagination. Althea had never been to Switzerland. Now she was keen as possible, and busy days were spent in getting the kit for winter sports. Busy as she was, Althea found time to dance at nights, and thus Peggy found herself again at the Gi’eon Lantern. She was not a bit happy at that experience. She looked round for Edgar, but he was not there. Then Alan Ensworth came up. Peggy drew him aside and asked him not to mention that he had seen her there before. Ho grinned. “Olive has told me that already. All right, Miss Fletcher. I don’t know what it’s all about, but mum’s the word.” “Some day I’ll explain,” Peggy said. “Now I want to introduce you to Miss Rivers.” “Bight, and afterwards you’ll give me a dance.. I haven’t forgotten the way we.floated round that night when you were last here.” Peggy laughed and took Alan across to Athea. He asked her to dance, and Peggy w’atched them with satisfaction. Presently . Althea was claimed by another man, and Alan came back to Peggy* Alan was a perfect partner, and she gave herself up to the joy of the waltz. “That was even better than our last effort,” Alan declared, when at last the music stopped and they found chairs at the far end of the room. “I enjoyed it,” Peggy said, simply. “Me, too. How are you getting on with Miss Bivers?” “I’m very happy with her. No one could be kinder.” “I’m sure she’s a good sort, but I wish she wouldn’t stance with that bounder Trelawney.” Peggy looked up quickly and saw Althea passing, in the arms of Edgar. She shivered slightly. Alan pursed his lips. “Looks as if you didn’t like him any better than I do.”

Within an hour of reading' the news of Leonard Mason’s arrest, Peggy was knocking at the door of her sister’s flat. Isobel opened. She looked suspiciously at Peggy.

“Who are you, please—and what do you want?” she echoed. It was a shock to Peggy to find that her own sister did not recognise her. * * * *

“It was bound to come,” said Isobel later, after a storm of tears. “I begged him to go back to his old business, but lie wouldn’t, and now—Another sob shook her. “And now,”'said Peggy ,‘bve have to make the best of a bad job. What do you want to do, Isobel—-to leave him?” Isobel stiffened. “No, no! He’s my husband. He has always been good to me .1 love him. I’ll manage somehow. You’d better go away, Peggy. It was good of you to come, but you can’t do anything.” Peggy’s answer was to kiss her sister again. Isobel had had a bitter lesson, but she had taken it to heart.

“I can do quite a lot—at least I can try,” said Peggy with determination. “You had no idea what he was when you married him, Isobel?” said Peggy, when her sister became normal again and showed a desire to talk of her husband. “Of course not. I believed he was a motor salesman —he was once. Then he got into trouble over a stolen ear. I don’t know much about it, but I don’t think it was his fault. But he lost his job. •Somehow, he fell in with a bad lot.” Again she stopped and drew a

long breath. “Peggy. I’ve'done all I knew to make him stop. But all he says is that he can’t sea me starve. I’m afraid the police have a great deal against him, but he isn’t really bad,” she ended earnestly. “I’m sure he isn’t,” Peggy said, comfortingly, “but now we have to face facts.” And thus Peggy steered the talk to helpful conclusions. Peggy’s own eyes were misty as she found her why down into the street — but they were happy tears. Isobel, whom .she had lost, was found —she had a sister again. At Sloane-st. she rang up Mr Meakin and made an appointment. She found the old l lawyer in his first floor office, a beautiful room with fine oak beams. H' e chaffed her about her changed appearance, hut they soon' came to business, and Peggy told the whole story. “I read the case,” said Mir Meakin. “There’s not the faintest hope of getting Mason off, but counsel might get a. sentence of three years instead of five. I’ll instruct young Gifford. His fee will not be extortionate. Can you run to five guineas, Peggy?” “Off course. And you are kind.” He smiled.

“I don’t believe I do,” Peggy said, “but he has only once been to Belgrave Square. What’s wrong with him?”

“Everything!” replied Alan, bluntly. “Men loathe him, but he seems to fascinate women. The rum thing is, he’s a mani of good family, and' has a big place in Devonshire, but—between ourselves—l think he’s a crook.” “What makes you think that?” “Lots of things. In the first place his old mother got poisoned and at the inquest he accused her companion of giving her a double dose of sleeping draught. He hinted she’d done it on purpose because the,gijrl had been left an annuity, but any fool could see that it was just spite oral his part. He had to resign from one club after that. No member would speak to him.” Edgar came past again and Alan gave him a scowl. He went on.

“Tell me about yourself, 'Peggy.”

It was a relief to become iPeggy Garland for a while, to talk without having to think of every word you said —above all to get news of John Arkwright. Peggy told Mr Meakin of the (reappearance of Edgar and, for the first time since she had known him, saw her old friend really angry. “The man is hopeless,” he said sternly. Of course he is looking for a rich wife and, if lie finds one, her money will go down the sink with the rest.”

“Almost befons his mother was cold ini her grave ,he was running round with that Jardine woman. She’s devilish good-looking, but as for her reputation—the stories told of her would scorch youyr ears. She; kept him in tow till -he’d spent all he- could raise, then turned him down cold.” (Peggy shivered, but the news about Mrs Jardine interested her.

(To be continued).

“I’ve seen her. I can believe anything you say about her. As for Mr Trelawney, I hate to see Miss Rivers dancing with him. However, we’re going to Switzerland and I shall keep her away as long as I cam.” “Jolly wise of you. Where are yon going?” “Pont/resina. I was there years ago with my father and I loved it.” “Don’t blame you. It’s topping. I love that long valley coming down from the Rosegg Glacier. Fine ski-ing, too.” “Oh, you know it?” „

“You bet I know it. I’ve been there in summer and winter. I’ve climbed Pitz Palu, Rella,vista and Bernina. I generally go out in January for the winter sports.” “Why not come with us?” Peggy suggested. “But perhaps you won’t want to he bothered with a couple of women?”

“What rot! I love ’ company—good company,” he added, looking at Peggy. “When are you going?” “January the fifth. We’re staying at the Kaiserhof.”

“It’s a good l pub. All right, if I can get- a room there I’ll come along. I’ll write at once, and as soon as I hear I’ll let you know. Now let’s have another turn.”

“He told m*s he was going to Switzerland, ”jPeggy said to Althea, as they discussed Ensworth on the drive home. “I suggested he might come with us. You don’t mind, Althea,?” “A splendid idea. He’s a nice man, too. How did you come to know him?”

“A Miss Glyde who lives at my old lodgings at Lower Chaster Terrace introduced us.” Althea nodded.

a “It’s a pity we couldn’t get Mr Trelawney to make up our party,” she remarked thoughtfully. “But he’s going down to his place in, Devonshire in January.”

“What luck!” thought Peggy with am inward shiver.

Althea gave a dinner on Christmas Eve and sent Edgar an invitation which was accepted. Peggy was horribly nervous, but it was a large party, and' she contrived to be very much in the background—a woman with duties to do. It was clear that he had no suspicion of iher real identity, but she sighed with relief when at last it was over and she was able to go to bed. It -was three days afterwards that Peggy, breakfasting alone, tread the first newspapers she had seen for two days. A headline took her eye, because it contained the words “Cat Burglar.” She began to read. It concerned a burglary at Wimbledon on Christmas Eve, in which the intruder was caught by the son of the house. Ho heard the theif at work on the first floor, got up, and wedged the door of the)Tooni-in whieh-the man was busy, then telephoned for the police. _

“The arrested man gave the name Johnston, but the police believed he is Leonard Mason, who is wanted in connection with several suspected robberies.”