DIANA WINS THROUGH

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIII, Issue 2486, 23 June 1939, Page 4

DIANA WINS THROUGH

By MRS A. J. PHILLIPS, Author of "Through Stormy Waters," Woman Without a Heart," etc., etc. SPECIAL NOTE—AII the names, characters, and incidents in this story are entirely fictitious.

SYNOPSIS

befitting to a younger and stronger man.

In the prologue we became acquainted with Bernard Edale, a young clergyman, who is about to leave South Africa for England. He meets a Frenchman who is looking for a man named Melton Seaforth, who robbed him of his wife. Bernard sympathises and primises his help. Meanwhile, in England, Bernard's stepmother is dying. She confides in her old friend, Dr. Little, that she told his assistant, Dr. George Mossley, that a young girl, Diana Durrant, is to inherit her money. Dr. Little persuades her to; alter her will, leaving everything except £3,000 to Bernard. Dr. Mossley, who appears very persuasive and charming, a clever doctor and an energetic social worker, yet is distrusted by many, pays particular attention to Diana, who lives with her widowed mother in a colliery disti ict. Diana leads a quiet life, for there are few people in her small town with whom she can be friendly. She is greatly interested in mission woi.% carried on by Dr. Mossley, whom she admires, but does not love. When he asks her to marry him she is at first doubtful, but he persuades her that he needs her help, and she consents. Dr. Little brings Diana news of Mrs Edale's death; and of her legacy of £3,000. Diana tells him of her engagement and, to her surprise, he does not seem pleased.

Dr. Mossley hides his disappointment when he hears that Mrs Edale has not left Diana all her money. Diana attends the funeral and meets Bernard, with whom she quickly makes friends. He hears of her engagement and asks her if she is sure she loves her fiance, and says that love alone is the great essential. Diana is impressed and troubled by his words, especially as she knows that he has been at college with Dr. Mossley. Her wedding is hurried on, and it is decided they shall live with her mother.

Diana is married early in January, in the midst of a terrible storm, and the honeymoon is spent in London. Very soon Diana finds her husband is very mean about money, and that he expects her to wait on him. With a shock she also discovers that he is untruthful and that to preach as he does at the Mission Church is hypocrisy. Dr. M'tssiey gives her very little money for housekeeping, and she has to use her own money, for she hides her husband's faults from lier mother.

CHAPTER VIII. It was a new Diana who faced her husband the next day. Goorgo came home more aggressive than ever, but his wife did not seem to notice it, and more than once he ghnced at her in surprise. She went about in her old, happy way, and Hani'«h saw to it that very little was seer, of Dr. Mossley until teatime. Diana seemed possessed of some great bidden power which kept her calm during George's sarcastic outbursts, which he seemed to specially keep for teatime. Mrs Durrant generally had her tea alone in the drawing room, and George took full advantage of the fact to be particularly unpleasant to his wife. After a very noisy outburst he waited for his wife to reply, but to his surprise she stared out of the window, a rapt, dreamy look in her dark eyes. "Did you hear me-" he snarled, rapping hard in the table. Diana started and woke up. "Did you speak to me?" she asked the colour flooding her face. "I didn't hear you." "Not hear me!" cried George incredulously, but he said nothing more and presently took himself to the surgery. So the days went swiftly on until Whitsuntida began to make its approach felt. Things had gone along fairly smoothly under the new state of affairs, and Diana and her mother were looking much better. It was really wonderful how little they saw of George, and, though they did not know it, they had to thank Dr. Little for a good deal of it.

Dr. Little had lived most of his life in Penbury, and was dearly loved by all and sundry. He lived in a large house in Stationroad, and an excellent housekeeper took care of him and saw that his daily needs were attended to with praiseworthy foresight. George Mossley had not been long with him as his assistant when Dr. Little found out that all the big cases were left to him and that the young man was very clever in getting out of a good deal of the work; but that sort of thing was not to the older doctor's liking, and George soon found that he had his share of the work to do—and a good deal over, as

So Dr. Little bided his time. He knew that all was! not well at No. 33, Clifton road, for all that Diana lifted her head high, and he guessed that the young man he had tried to like was what he had always feared him to be, under thick veneer—an utter, scamp. He was sitting with the Vicar and his wife in the drawing room one evening, discussing the coming picnic, which was one of the big events at the Mission. "Have you seen, Diana lately?" Dr. Little asked Mrs Stanbrook. "I have not noticed her about for a few days. "She was with me last Thursday," replied Mrs Stanbrook; "but I don't see nearly as much of her as I used to do. I suppose that's natural. What on earth possessed her to marry George, I can't for the life of mc understand." "My dear, George has a way with him," remarked her husband. "Particularly so when he wants his own way. I have found myself giving in to him when I have wanted to thoroughly disagree with him. I consider him to be a dangerous man, and it was with great reluctance that I married him to beautiful Diana." "I agree with you," replied Dr. Little. 'I wish now that I had reasoned with Di, bat somehow one does not want to interfere ir. matters ol that sort. I suppose you want to keep him on at t.iie " "Now why do you ask that?" and the Vicar looked surprised. "A r a matter -i act, I don't. 31 .'-j Mrs Er'nV .uch a helpful Mi l 1c ih( chur-1 w 1 (.a.-. affoid a cuiate, an<! T happen to know of a very able young man. He n.,iuu like to have the mission under his charge as well, but Dr. Mossley would have to drop nut o r it entirel;.said the Vicar, puffing contentedly • - t "I think it would be a very good thing," agreed Mrs Stanbrook. "George's sermons, arc very pretty, but they get you nowhere. He is not interested in anything beyond preaching and he's not happy when he's preaching if he does not make some of his poor hearers weep. Tears are food and drink to Dr. Mossley." Dr. Little laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks. "You are quite right, Mrs Stanbrook, quite right." - "But I'm a little cat to say so," she I smiled. "It's a common fault with some of the clergy, poor dears. They are pleased to dwell on the morbid side and talk too much about sorrows while at the time we are longing to be told of the joyous side of life and of the beauties of this world." "You leave the clergy alone," admonished the Vicar. "Just remember what difficulties they work under, and how hard it is for them to fill their churches." "Quite right," agreed his wife. "Pity the poor clergy and their wives; theirs is a thankless task. But about Dr. Mossley, how do you think he will take it?" "He'll probably be very disappointed, but that cannot be helped," replied her husband. "Also if he cannot preach he will soon lose interest in the place." "I think that will be the case," put in the doctor with a laugh. "At any rate, it is quite natural that if you can get a hard working curate here he will take an interest in the Mission." "We shall take it on between us," said the Vicar. "I am very fond of the Mission, ajnd shall welcome a chance to work amongst the people. I suppose you are not coming to the Whitsun outing?" "No; my assistant happens to be going. It will be his last as leader of the place, only he doesn't know it. Where are you going?" "We are going by chars-a-banc to Rivington Pike. They cater excellently for tea, and the run is interesting." "I have asked Diana to come with me," said Mrs Stanbrook," and I am glad to say she is coming."

The last Saturday in June was the day that had been chosen for the outing and, true to custom and time the chars-a-banc' started off amid much waving of handkerchiefs and loud cheers.

Mrs Stanbrook's char-a-banc was the smallest, but it held twenty people and these consisted of wardens and sidesmen and their wives and others intimately connected with the Mission. In the next char-a-banc was George surrounded by a buxom lot of women.. Sounds of merriment came from his quarter, and he seemed to be having a lively time. Mrs Stanbrook looked at Diana with misgiving in her heart. She leant back against the cushions of her seat as if she was very tired, and she did not attempt to talk.

Diana had had a pretty bad time with George before they had started. He had raved at her for being pale and for letting herself go, as he expressed it; that he had not married a scarecrow, etc; sneered at the simplicity of her attire—and, altogther, had made himself so hateful that the poor girl had left her home trembling from head to foot with agitation. Mrs Stanbrook noticetfthe detached look about, her; she seemed to be miles away from them all, and somehow the older woman felt uneasy.

She bent forward and touched the silent figure. "A penny, for your thoughts," she said laughingly.

Diana smiled back at her wistfully. "You would be very surprised at them," she said quietly. "They certainly ar£ not worth buying." "You don't look well, my child," said Mrs Stanbrook. "Not up to the mark today?" )f "Not quite. Spring, I suppose, said Diana. The day was radiantly flue and e air fresh and exhilarating. Hot sun shine bathed the countryside in a golden glow, and all declared it \\as a long time sincc they had such weather for their outing. Mrs Wardloclt, wife of the organist of the Mission, sat next to Diana and proved very chatty. She told them about her "Billie" and how wonderful he was at school, and how they had hopes of making a real scolard "I don't know where "e gets it all from Not from his father nor me, for I was always a duffer at learning and 'is father is no scolard neither. "He can play the harmonium very nicely, at vy rate," said Diana. "I never ..ea d ' * P'- l ' Ke ho does.' Mrs War .=!!•■'« looked u ry grateful and stored the compliment up in her mind to tell her husband. V'"l), > ilo play lively, ' yw'>

o'et a bit sick on it if you 'ad it as : often as .ve does," she said. Es , that set on pi ay.; C> ouVl l "' e sul 'P ri " sed. See, I ivondn- that Miss Woodland, next door, don't complain.' "Miss Woodland is the last woman to do that," ri'imuked Mrs Stanbrook "I have never heard her say a wrong ! word about anyone, and what ii;'people of Penbuiy woini do without her shop I do.rt k;.o'>*. clu: is a real friend to everyone." When their destination was reached the members of the big picnic party broke up and several groups went off in different directions. Diana found herself strolling along a secluded path with Mrs Stanbrook. < "You are not happy. I fear, Diana," said Mrs Stanbrook. "No." replied Diana indifferently. "I cannot deny it. At least before you I need not play a part." Mrs Stanbrook listened to the tragic story in deep silence. She heard with horror of the reason for the hypnotic wooing, and with acute indignation at the meaness of the husband poor Diana had saddled herself with. Diana went on to tell her why she was going to bear with him, and explained that after her baby's birth there was going to be a change, if being a father did not alter him. "Sometimes being the father of a child has been known to change a man completely. I am only waiting for this, and although Mother wants me to leave him I must give him this last chance." She told her of all they had had to endure at her husband's hands, and how splendidly they were all helping to keep him in the background and Mrs Stanbrook's heart ached for the brave souls who had been suffering such cruel behaviour m silence. "I shall come and see you oftener. No, you need not fear that I shall give your confidence away. I can quite understand that you are both too proud to show your feelings. I think it is a shameful thing that you have to endure him at all." "For my part, I sometimes think that George is not sane. It is so extraordinary to go into rages for no reason at all. It has made me into a sort of slave." "Slave!" exclaimed Mrs Stanbrook. "I never heard of such a thing." "Yet it is true. It sort of protects me to do as I am told—or ordered. But it is only for a time." "I hope so, profoundly. He needs a man to deal with him." "He does not know that in November, if all goes well, he will be a father. I have not told him yet," said Diana after a moment's hessitation. "Do you think I ought to tell him soon?" "Most decidedly. I should tell him without delay. What does your mother say?" "She thinks I am making a mistake not to tell him; in fact, she says he ought to have been told before this. But I want to keep my happy secret from him. Really, I belive I am afraid to break the news." "Afraid? But, my dear, it may do him all the good in the world. You hope that, don't you?" Diana nodded absently. They did not have any chance of talking privately after that, as the Vicar joined them. The rest of the day passed very pleasantly. (To be Continued). A well-known Maorilander jus* returned from a trip Home, visited Birmingham in the course of his travels and was at a wholesale warehouse a lot of elaborately carved tobacco-pipes of allegedly Maori origin. On enquiring the price he was asked iwtcliei he was "in the trade" and unblushingly said "yes." Of course he isn't. He merely wanted to get a little "inside information." These pipes are made in Birmingham and get into the curio shops of London and elsewhere where they are sometimes sold at fancy prices to "collectors." What a world! It isn't quite so easy to fake New Zealand tobacco because of its comparative freedom from nicotine—the resut of the special purifying process it is put through at the factory, and which eliminates m - r t of its nicotine and makes it safe to smoke to any extent. There are only five brands: Cavendish, Riverhead Gold, Dosert Gold, Navy Cut No. 3 and Cut Plug No. 10. They are famous, every one of them, fo/ their flavour and matchless fragrance. Of course they ap being imitated —every good thing is. So mind what you buy.

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