WELCOME THE TRAVELLER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 147, 3 April 1941, Page 8

WELCOME THE TRAVELLER

By ARTHUR HARDY. . ::

A Vigorous, Romantic Story with an Old-World Background.

CHAPTER X. HERO COMES HOME.

The morning following the light was full of new and pleasurable experiences for Robert Berry. The farm hands at work rested on their tools as Robert came along; they were all grinning and although none of them spoke their mind, their looks were eloquent. They were doubly proud of working on Wood Farm and they meant to monopolise the talk at the ale-house at night when they looked in for a pint and a game of darts, make no mistake about that. The girls at the chicken farm beamed at Master Robert, hero worship shining in their eyes. In the afternoon he saddled Rufus the cob, and rode into Tanswortli to see Adam Lawley. On the way lie was saluted or greeted orally from almost every car he passed. He felt a new importance and marvelled at-the power of the Press.

Robert hitched the cob to the railings outside the old fashioned offices of Lawley and Lawley, solicitors, leaving it to paw the wide pavement as ho always did on such occasions, and leapt up the worn stone steps to the door. “Is Mr Adam in, ‘Cheeps ?” he asked addressing an old clerk with bent shoulders, who was writing out a deed in meticulously precise caligrapliy. The clerk who must have been nearly seventy if a day grinned, showing alarming gaps between his teeth and jerked the handle of his pen. at a door marked “private.” “He’s got a gentleman with him. But I don’t think he will be long. I’ll tell him you are here.” He hobbled to the door, knocked upon a panel, went in and soon came again. “Mr Adam says wait. Take a chair, Mr Berry.” The clerk placed a rickety mahogany chair for Robert and dusted it with his handkerchief. He peered over the rims of his glasses with twinkling eyes. ‘‘You beat Slavin in a round and a-half,” he chuckled. He made a pass at the air with his right list. “What it is to be young, what it is to be young.”

Robert sat down. “Who is-in with Mr Adam Cheeps ?” he asked. “A strange gentleman whom I have never seen before and don’t like, a Ml' Peter Marlow, sir, of Oldbeech House. Said his business was too important for him to wait when I told him that Mr Adam had a client with him, went to the office and thrust himself in. Mr Hinks, the tailor, was there, but lie ■gave way to this stranger.” The clerks eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. “I don’t think Mr Marlow will cut much ice with Mr Adam that way. “Do you know what Marlow,wants, Cheeps?”

“No, sir.” Robert stared at the panels of the shut door. He did not like Peter Marlow any more than Cheeps did, and he began to wonder what was going on in there, fdarlow had been closeted with Mr Adam for more than half an hour, Cheeps said. The swagger of his intrusion had blustered Hinks the tailor into swift retreat. * * * * Left alone with Mr Adam Lawley, Peter Marlow had frowned down haughtily at the solicitor. “Mr Lawley?” he said gruffly. “Yes, Adam Lawley,” answered the solicitor. He had studied Marlow closely at the fight on Monday night, he had chuckled oyer’Tom Shulgrave’s story of the bet, Ire was aware of all Marlow’s doings at Oldbeech House, on which money was being spent f lavishly by Eagle Films, Ltd., the company that acknowledged Peter Marlow had gone about openly boasting that Eagle Films, Ltd., was going to make Tanswortli. Adam Lawley did not like men of Peter Marlow’s loud and bombastic type.

“X don’t like to beat about tho bush, Mr Lawley,” said he. “The fact is, J want to buy the property known as Traveller’s Buildings. I havo been told that the town wants it. Very well, a< d five hundred pounds to the price they are prepared to pay for it, and I’ll lake it.” NOT FOR SALE. Adam Lawley settled himself back in his padded chair, pressed his finger tips together and eyed (Marlow shrewdly. “For what purpose do you want the building?” he asked. #“I bought Oldbeech House for Eagle Films with a view to establishing a film colony here and to purchase tho right of locations; but the house is not big enough for the purpose, I find. Now, Traveller’s Buildings would suit me admirably. I would remodel the building, refit it, do it up. I’d make it into a private hotel for the use of my stars and the executive. It is in the heart of the town. It would, prove a valuable advertisement.” “For which, the film company or tho town?” asked Adam Lawley, slyly. “You know what I mean. How much do you want for the place, Mr- Lawley?”

“X don’t want to sell.” “But that’s absurd. Everything has its price. How about ten thousand pounds?” “Twenty thousand pounds would not buy it, Mr Marlow.” “What? Are you out to sting me?” “Not at all. The town has already offered eighteen thousand pounds for the building as it stands, and it is their intention to pull it down and to build in its place a new town hall. But they can’t have it for eighteen thousand pounds, not even to pull it down.” Marlow did some swift thinking and then spoke “I’ll make an offer for twenty-one thousand pounds, then; say ten thousand pounds to be paid at the time of signing the agreement and the rest when the deal is completed and the property delivered according to law. Only, mind you, I have got to have it now.”

Adam Lawley leant forward, resting his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands.

“1 dislike beating about the bush as much as you do,” he said, his keen eyes meeting the other’s. “I’ll be frank with you. I will not sell the property for the purpose for which you require it.”

“Eh? What will the owner have in say?” I

“I am the owner, Mr (Marlow. I can do exactly what I please with Traveller’s Buildings. I have nothing against them, but I don’t like glamorous film stars parading this town. I am a Tansworth man. When I do sell Traveller’s

(Copyright).

Buildings I want a, Tansworth man to buy the placej who will dovote it to a use I approve of. Turn Oldbeech House into your hotel for your film stars.” Looking discomfited, Marlow dropped his cigarette, crushed out its glowing fire with,his shoe heel, selected a fresh one from his case and lit it, a nervous gesture. He was not used to being beaten. His forced smile was intended to be ingratiating. “Come, come, there must lie some basis of agreement we can reach. Supposing you name your own terms? I am keen on buying that property, Mr LawIcy:” He was graciousness itself. “Furthermore 1 will endeavour to meet your wishes as to reconditioning the place to your requirements. I am sure you are much too wise a man to throw away good money.” Adam Lawley smiled indulgently. “X am not avaricious, Mr Marlow. 1 have sufficient money for my needs. X am old fashioned enough to place some some store by sentiment. Lovelyi buildings, often eloquent with history and tradition, are being swept away wholesale throughout the country to make room for modern utility buildings which may or may not be wanted, but this property 1 mean to,hold. 1 am sorry. I am stubborn, and there it is.” Peter Marlow had enough sense to recognise the note of finality. “Then it is no use my bothering you any further?” “I am afraid not.”

“Very well, sir, I will wish you good afternoon.” ‘Marlow stiffened, reached for his hat and his gloves, rose from his chair and frowned at Lawley. Unmoved at his disapproval the solicitor pressed the button of an electric bell. In the outer office (Cheeps leapt up from his chair. He winked at Robert Berry and opened the door of the private office. “Show Mr Berry in.” “Mr Lawley is ready to see you,” said. Cheeps. Robert almost collided with Marlow as lie entered the inner room .

“So,” drawled Marlow, wedging a monocle against his left eyebrow. “I think I saw you performing in the ring at the New Arena on Monday night?” Robert smiled slightly. “Financially,” lie answered, “you have reason to remember it.” “I MIGHT SELL!” “Robert,” said the solicitor as the door closed, “draw that chair closer and sit down.” Adam Lawley eyed him grimly. “Robert,” he said, “1 have just sold Traveller’s Buildings to Peter Marlow.” Robert Berry sat bolt upright in his chair, his smile vanished, his eyes dilated, his lips tightened, the colour forsook his cheeks.

“No, sjr—er—I mean, I am sorry tc hear that.”

The half a minute’s silence that followed was broken by the solicitor. “No, Robert. I was only teasing you. .‘Marlow wanted me to sell the Buildings to him, but I dislike the man and rather than let him have the property I’d sell it to the town.” A warm pink coloured the tan of Robert’s'expressive face, his smile returned, his eyes softened. “Do you care all that much?” asked Adam, noticing the flush. “X believe 1 do, sir. 1 confess that until lately the building appealed to mo as a lovely and an interesting one, but it never meant anything vital. Now I think 1 would do almost anything to prevent its being destroyed, sir.” “How would you like to buy it, Robert?’’

“But I’ve got no money.” “You earned sixty pounds fighting on Monday night.” “I have not much to add. to that, sir.”

“But you would buy Traveller’s Buildings if you had tho lhoney?” Unemotionally Robert considered the point. “I believe I would.” “I could sell the property to the town for twenty thousand pounds, Robert. It’s a lot of money, but then the site is unique, the best in Tansworth. Meanwhile 1 draw a pretty good return from the rental of the offices. The cost of repairs in nearly all cases is thrown on the tenants and I can afford to keep the property.” Adam Lawley leant across the desk towards Robert. .

“Now get this point; although 1 would not close with the tentative offei of twenty thousand pounds from the council, but might sell to-morrow, 1 prefer to keep the property in trust for a buyer who would preserve it, and 1 might let him lia've it for a much less sum, perhaps ten thousand pounds. AMy ancestor Stephen Lawley bought it cheaply. Hoes that sound odd to you?” Robert smiled broadly. Adam Lawley chuckled. ; . “Well, there it is. That’s what 1 think about it. I can afford to indulge my whims, Robert. That was a surprising show you made in the ring on Monday. What are your plans ? Do you intend to go on with your boxing? It might offer a career.” “What would Prunella think if I gave up farming for lighting, sir?” “Prue is a woman. She is proud ol your victory. If you go on with your fighting she will rejoice in your triumphs and bemoan your defeats. But I know she hates farming. She has bought a' paste-in album, and do you. know what sho is doing with it?” “J. can’t guess, Mr Lawley.” “She has stuck in it the pictures of the fight and all the portraits of you that hatfo been printed in the newspapers, sho has given an order to a news cutting agency to supply her with all matter concerning one Robert Berry. She is already posing as a fight expert; but then you were always her hero since a boy, Robert.” At that moment the telephone bell rang. The solicitor picked up the receiver and spoke. Covering the mouthpiece of the instrument, he darted a quick glance at Berry. “It’s Daniel Shelton, Robert. Yes, lie’s here, Daniel. All right—-I’ll tell him.—Robert, he says he wants you to call at Wood Cottage. Says it s im-portant.—-Hello, Daniel, it’s all right. Robert, will see you on his way back. I suppose I must not ask you to divulge secrets.—You want Robert, to go on with his fighting? You have somo nows? —Ah, yes, I see. Good luck to you both.” Adam Lawley replaced the receiver.

“Bob, Daniel Shelton wants you to sign a contract he has prepared for you

which would make him your manager. Well, he’s honest, and I know nothing but good of him. I think you might do worse. It is possible for you to make good money in tbe irng. I should think no less of you if you turned professional fighter for good. As for Traveller’s Buildings, they will remain as they are.”

(To Be Continued!.