MRS. DAVENTRY'S MISTAKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 19

MRS. DAVENTRY'S MISTAKE.

By HAROLD BTNDLOSS.

e 'Author of "His Adversary's Daughter," \ "A Wide Dominion," "Blake's Burden," i "The 'Wastrel, , ' "For Love and Honour," * etc., etc. j 1 i CHAPTER Kin. ' Although it was not dark, dusk was rapidh- failing when Mabel and Flora came down from the moor. Rain threatened, leaden cloud wrapped the fell tops, and trails of dingy mist drove across the high ground before a 'boisterous wind. The moor looked dreary and forbidding in the gathering gloom, and the girls felt cheered when they saw the lights of the farmsteads twinkle out in the dale. The heath they crossed with quickening steps had lost its crimson glow, and ran back, damp and brown, into the obscurity; wild cotton gleamed with a ghostly whiteness among the black peat-hags, and it was a relief when they reached the first of the upland pasture. "It's eerie," said Flora, stopping a moment by the open gate. "The moor gives one a creepy feeling at dusk. One can understand how in the old days people believed in phantom dogs. There's something primitive and savage about the lonely waste that excites the imagination. Perhaps this explains the stories about the mysterious sheepworrier." "It doesn't explain the farmers' finding the mangled lambs." "Jvo,"' said Flora; "I had forgotten them. Well, I'm glad the road's not far off. It would be. unpleasant to meet the dog up here." Mabel agreed with her. A sheepkiHing dog is generally a furtive creature that stays innocently at home all day and slinks off unsuspected to its murderous work at night, stealing away if surprised. The animal that now terrorised the countryside was, however, of different temperament. It had boldly turned upon shepherds who met it on the hill, and a farm hand, working late at a turnip-cutter among the lambs' feeding troughs, had been savagely attacked. Having an adze, with the Hade of which he lifted the roots, he was able to beat off the dog, and claimed that he had wounded it. Then two or three women had had narrow escapes after dark, and in rescuing one a gamekeeper fired both barrels of his gun at the snarling creature without apparently hitting it;-—- - better- get on while we can see~fhe ■way," Mabel remarked. They went down through rushes and withered.-grass, between ;two walls that narrowed in towards each olner as they ran downhill, so that sheep driven from the moor would he led. gradually into the comer. Once the animals entered the "wide mouth of the gap a single man or dog could prevent their turning back, and they must go forward until they were -penned up where the walls met. The latter were .high, and built of loose stones, Traf/af their intersection there were rough steps by which an agile person could get over. These, however, ■were some distance off, and by-and-by the girls stopped at the-edge of a boggy patch to look for the best way across. "The drainage works are close to the shoulder of the •hill we crossed." Flora remarked. "How was it we didn't see anybody as we came down?" "They stop on Thursday afternoons, but I. noticed one man moving about," ilabelj replied. ""I think it was Jlr. Stevenson." "Thea you should have called to him and made him take us home; I expect he knows a better way than this. My boots are getting soaked, and the ground looks very wet in front."' They stood hesitating. Both were anxious to reach the road, but they shrank from splashing through the bog, and turn back up the hill was not to be thought of. The mist was creeping lower, and it was nearly dark. Suddenly a wild howl, like the cry of an animal in fear or pain, rang out of the mist, and .was. followed, a. few seconds later by "the report of a gun. Theij there was a hoarse shout and an answer from another part of the hill. Flora started, and Mabel looked back at the .dark uplands in alarm. "It sounds like the dog." she said. "The shepherds seem to be chasing it; I heard the} - were watching." "Then I'm going on as fast as possible," Flora answered. She plunged into the bog, but it was Blow work struggling through the long rushes and skirting the pools, wKile presently a' runlet of water, about which the ground seemed very soft, flowed across their path. They stopped a moment, hearing further shouts, and a spark of light twinkled out in the mist above. '"Somebody has a lantern; they're chasing t he dog down the ghyll I , ' Mabel cried, in a quavering voice. "If it comes through the gate, it must run down here. Never mind the water; get on!" Flora did so, and sank some distance above her boots, but she floundered through and hurt her foot a few moments afterwards in springing on to one of the limestone blocks that were scattered about. Still, this was not the time to stop, for the -hnirts were getting nearer, and she could set ihe lantern plainly whpn shp lookril back. Then the wild howl broke out again, and her imagination pictured the savage, hunted animal running down the hill. For a moment sV.c thought she heard the paf-' ter of its fppt but it was only the wind among the rushes. "Be quick!" she cried. 'It's coming - this way." They stumbled on. because they could not run. Their feet sank in the mari3h soil, rushes and tall gra> s tussocks impeded them, and there wore big, sharp stones to bp avoided. Flora panted hard as she slipped and staggered, for ■her foot hurt, her heart thumped painfully, and she could not get her breath, llabel laboured on with her hands clenched, wondering how long they could keep it up. for this was a new and distressing experience for both. They had been sheltered from toil ..and hardship; tense physical effort was unknown to them, and they had never felt unnerving fear. Now the protection others had surrounded them with had suddenly vanished, and they had only their own resources to dppend upon. Nothing -was left but the strength of their limbs, and such resolution as they could muster. If these proved inadequate, Ihe dog would them. They came out from the rushes and ihe ground got firmer, but there eeemed So be bo end to the walls, and it was obvious from the shouts of tie pursuers •that tfc* dog was close behind. Somebow they mast reach 4he steps before it > *ut Hor* was limpin" - .*•?»^^'* painful foot and trippin"

in her narrow skirt. At last she turned in desperation towards the nearer -wall and took a big stone from its top. "We can't get up, .and I can't $o on," she gasped, and added, with a harsh, strained laugh: "Do you think dreadfully to be bitten. Mabel .stopped close by. She might, perhaps, have run a few yards further, but she was never sure whether she was influenced by a vague thought of helping her companion or if she realised that there was no chance of escape. Looking round in terror, she saw the dog at last, a blurred, indistinct object, running swiftly towards them, and she broke into a despairing cry for help. It was unexpectedly answered. There was a crash of falling stones, and a man jumped down from the top of the opposite wall. Mabel could not see him clearly, but he had something in his hand, and she thought with half-deliri-ous relief that it was a gun. Perhaps he did not notice Flora cowering against the stones, for he ran to Mabel and stood in front of her grasping what she now saw was a draining spade. The dog was close by. coming on with a swift but unsteady gait, a group of hazy figures with a lantern running hard after it. "Be careful!" the man cried. "Don't shoot!" In her agitation, the girl had not recognised him. but now she knew hia voice. It was Stevenson, the steward, but the danger was not over, because he had only a small, narrow-bladed spade, and the dog was running straight towards them. When it was two or three yards off he swung up the tool ready to strike, and then suddenly dropped its point. An astonishing thing had happened, for. instead of leaping upon him, the dog stopped, and grovelled at his feet. Driving the spade into the ground, he stooped and put his hand upon the animal's head, and Mabel thought she saw rt feebly lick his fingers. Feeling faint from exertion and the reaction of relief, she wondered whether she had imagined this. '•?tand back while I finish him! Hold up the lantern. Jock." cried a man who ran forward with a gun. '"Stop right there! There's going to be no shooting,"' Mabel's rescuer ordered them. "What's f saying?" the man with the gun exclaimed. "Xot shut him I'll put an ounce of number four through hie head in two seconds." "My legs are in the way." said Keldar, coolly, picking up the spade. '"If you miss them, you won"t have time for the second barrel." "It"* t' Renshope bailiff and Mi« Daventry," another eaid. "Speak him civil.' , A farmer took the lantern from a shep-h-erd and held it up. "You know mc, sir. Now, we must shoot the dog. I've had two good wethere worried." : "Shoot the beast that killed them by ill means, If, you can catch it." There wa6 a murmur of surprise, and the farmer asked: "What do you nrean?" "Only that you've got the wrong dog," Keldar aiiewered with a laugh. "You c-an see he's one of the old bobtails. The sheep-worr«r'i3 a big ■collie." . "How d'you ken yon?" somebody i'iked, suspiciously. "Because I came upon it trying to get through the sheep-net round the long turnip-field one night, and hit it with a •stone. --Wlren you find the beaet you'll Find my mark." They seemed convinced at la6t, but ac tbey gathered round to look at it the dog crept closer to Keldar's feet. '"It doesn't eev?m very savage now," he said. "Well, I guess you're satisfied; and I can't keep these ladiee waiting." He turned to Mabel, whom Flora had joined, and they moved away together downhill, with the "dog, to which he called, trotting behind. "It's very queer," remarked a ehepherd as the group broke up. "If it had been Mr. Keldar, one might ha' understood/ CHAPTER XTV. One evening, shortly after their adventure with the dog, Keldar sat talking to Mabel in the hall at Renshope. He had a capable household staff, and found it difficult to avoid a certain amount of entertaining. He agreed that he must io what was expected of the owner of a laige country house, though he was glad to leave the management of their social duties to his comrade. Several of hie neighbours had dined with him, but Stevenson was looking after them, and Keldar had no liking for ceremonious hospitality. When the guests bad scattered, some going to play billiards and some to the drawing-room, Iveldar strolled with Flora into the hall, which he liked the best. The room was old, dark-panelled, and occupied the ground floor of the tower. Ite furniture war- of austerely simple pattern, for paxt of it was ancient and the rest had been cleverly chosen to harmonfee with the general tone. i Flora wore the shade of green she affected, and tire light shimmered oa the delicate material as 6he eat with a thin bro:ize slipper resting on one of the old hearth-irons. "I like this room; there are no modern fripperies to spoil it"," she remarked. "So do I." said Keldar. "Somehow, I feel most at home here." "1 can imagine that. Your drawingroom's artistic; indeed, you have one or two cabinets that collectors would get excited about; but I donM; eeem to ccc you spending your evenings there." "~So,"' said Keldar, grinning. "Fve been more to log-ehacks and a fire ibehind a bank of snow. Now, I suppose I the price of i-ome of these old carved things here would buy a Canadian farm; but I don't feel shy of them. Curious, isn't it? Anyhow, it's my partner's draw-ing-room, and be never looks out ol place in it." "That's true,' . Flora agreed. "Your comrade knows how to enjoy good thlnge gracefully; but I can't imagine that you found him ir.cousolatole when he had to d:> without them. It doesn't follow that a man hae no endurance because he has fastidious tastes." "Not a tit. When we drove our shafts through the frozen mud, living on halfrations and working fourteen hours a day, Jimmy did his share with the best of us, and he wasn't last when we broke the trail across the wilds with a blizzard in our faces and the thermometer at fifty below. If there had been any weak spot in him, I guess he wouldn't have been here now." Flora noticed a blunder he had made, but let it pass. Her eyes were softer than usual, and her face had a curious look. Keldar wondered what she was thinking. "One admires self-control and courage," she said. "We are still taught to do so, though I'm afraid their practice is among the vanishing traditions of the old school, and when the strain really comes we're apt to fail. Do you know, I was abjectly frightened the night the dog ran after us?" "Well, I gness that was natural, but you had pulled a stone from the wall. It looked as if you meant to put up a fight" "I wonder. Perhaps if the dog had run at mc I should haw dropped the stone and screamed; my hands ytezo so Tin-

steady that I could scarcely hold it. One wouldn't have felt so ashamed if the animal had been savage, but to find it was only coming to us for protection was a humiliating anti-climax." She paused and laughed. "I used to imagiiSe I had an adventurous temperament, and, ■ after hearing so much about the country, I thought of going to Canada. Girls without money are not wanted here, and perhaps it might be possible to find a rich and enterprising farmer who would fall a victim to my attractions and be kind to mc. Is that too much to expect?" Keldar felt embarrassed; he was half afraid of Flora.in her reckless moods. "Rich farmers are scarce, but I guess you would only have to choose among all there are," he said. "That's very nice ot you." She made him a mocking curtsey. "Of course, I'm extravagant, and my husband might find mc an expensive luxury; but, on the other hand, I'm amiable when I get everything I want. Still, perhaps the Canadians wouldn't admire a girl who's afraid of harmless dogs." '"It didn't look harmless." "Well, since you don't seem inclined to talk about my prospects, we'll change the subject. Didn't you feel you were in an embarrassing situation when you jumped over the wall? There were "two of us, and you could only rescue one. 7, "I didn't see you at first," Keldar protested, with some colour in his face. "I'm not sure that's very flattering. But you did see mc later, and you didn't move." "The dog was almost upon mc then," Keldar answered, awkwardly. Flora seemed to enjoy his confusion. "But, suppose you had had time to choose, which of ns would you have saved?" She leant forward, looking at him eagerly. "1 want to know: it's very interesting." "The nearest, I suppose," Keldar replied, in desperation. ' Somewhat to his relief, she broke into a laugh, and then looked up as Mabel came in with a man of middle age. "What's the joke?" the latter asked. "You seem to be enjoying something." "I asked Mr. Stevenson a question he found it hard to answer. Do you know, Mabel, that he only went to your rescue because you were nearer to him than mc?" Mabel smiled; but she gave them both a quick glance, and Flora turned to the man who had come in. "You can understand that Mr. Stevenson was confronted with an awkward problem. He had to decide which of two distressed damsels he would rescue, and I've no doubt he could imagine the feelings of the one he sacrificed. How would you have got out of the difficulty, Mr. Jevons?" "In the first place, there was no difficulty. If he had killed the dog to protect one lady, he'd have saved the other." "Yes, that's obvious. This is the result of referring the problem to a business intellect. Mr. Stevenson couldn't see the correct solution." '•I. imagine that you saw it," Jevons rejoined. "Then I can't be as simple as I look. But Mabel and I won't bother you; I expect you want to smoke." The girls went away, and Jevona, sitting down, lighted a cigarette. He was a heavily-built man with a face of rather coarse type and an assertive air; but Keldar felt inclined to like him. "I'm told it was by your advice my shooting lease was not renewed," he said, with characterietic Wuntness. "Yes. We wanted the land. I thought we could make a better use of it." "Then I can't blame you, though it upset my plan 3. Hate to see anything that can be used going to waste myself; moneys not made that way. A pity Daventry doesn't realise it. He might have made something of his estate, and it looks as if he was in pretty low water now." "I know nothing about Major Daventry's affairs." 'Then you're duller than I thought. I understand you're a Canadian, but you seem to have imbibed these people's notions of good form. I daresay j-ou have noticed that I don't belong to them. Anyhow, I've a personal interest in the subject. You have been here long enough to guess that." "I can understand that your son has an interest." "As it happens. Max and I are in agreement on this matter. He has my support. Keldar, who kept cool, wondered whether the man meant to give him a hint, or if he ■ merely wished to learn what he could about Daventry's troubles. "That's no business of mine, Max seems to need a good deal of eupport from you." "That i 3 so," Jevons agreed, without resentment. "I'm sorry now I dkln't put him into the business and let him work; but his mother was ambitious, and wanted him in the Army. She was wrapped up in the boy—our only child— and she backed mc pluckily through the hard fight I had at the beginning." He paused, and went on with grave quietness and a look of keen regret in his rugged face: "She died soon after my luok turned, and got none of the fruits of the victory ebe helped mc to win; but I felt I must respect her wishes, and make the "boy a gentleman. It was a blow when he failed to get through Sandhurst. But now he thinks of politics, it's important that he should marry well: and, if I'm a judge of character, Miss Daventry is the right sort." Keldar wae conscious of some sympathy for the man. After all. he was of a better type than hie son; but Keldar had an excellent reason for not encouraging, him. "'You eeem to take Miss Daventry's consent for granted. "I'm pretty sure of her mother's,", said Tevons, bluntly. "The Major's doubtful; but he'Jl have to give in. Max has all my weight behind him." "Biit the girl may object to the match." Jevone gave him a steady look. "Why should she object. She doesn't seem fond of your employer; and he's not keen. She's seldom away from home; and there's nobody else eligible in this neighbourhood." "For ail that, she mayn't admire your son." "It's said Jevons, drily. "I don't always admire him myeelfi but Max has some solid advantages that the daughter of a broken-down Army man is likely to appreciate." ' "Suppose she doesn't appreciate them as much as you think, would you force the match if you had the power?" "I have the power. The Major's up to his eyes in debt. He's in my hands." "I'm not sure he is, but well admit it, for the sake of argument. What then?" "Well," said Jevons, "if the girl convinced mc that sjie'd a downright aversion to my son, I'd stop to consider." "Do you think Mre. Daventry would allow her to shoTT her real feelings?" "If she's weak enough to give in with out a struggle, her feelings won't b< worth bothering about, and she'd soor be content with Max. No man or woinai gets anything worth having, or evei leave to go their own. way, -without i .fight. You and. 1 know that well.'

Jevons frowned, and threw .away his cigarette. "Fve been franker than I meant, Stevenson, but somehow I can talk to you. You've seen trouble and done hard things in the West, and 1 didn't make my money without an effort." He strolled away, and Keldar went thoughtfully back to his guests in the drawing-room, where a servant presently brought him a long blue envelope. "Mr. Elton's messenger-boy brought it on his bicycle, sir," 'he said. "He's waiting for an answer." Keldar opened the envelope and showed Daventry, who was standing near, a paper he took out. "Is it the custom in England for a man who has an agent to sign a lengthy document over a trumpery matter like this?" "Not usual, I think," said Daventry, when he saw what the paper was about. "Still, I expect it means a fee for Elton, and it can do no diarm." "You'll excuse mc," Keldar said to Flora and another girl to whom he had been talking. "I must sign this paper and send the messenger off." "If it isn't very private, may I see it?" Flora asked. "Legal documents have a fascination for mc. They're like anthems, you know, and say the thing they begin with over and over again. I imagine the idea is to see how many times you can express it differently. When I'm married I mean to have a settlement several yards long." He gave her the deed with a smile, and after a few moments she looked up. "This is rather a poor specimen, in spite of the big seal; but it's Mr. Keldar's name they want, and here's a space for the witness before this dab of wax." "Ah!" said Keldar, sharply; "of course, your are right. I'll have to find my employer." "It looks as if you had meant to sign it," Flora rejoined, with a laugh. "But won't you let mc be the witness? I've never 'been one, and I'd love it." "Very well," said Keldar, who crossed the floor to where his comrade sat and took Jlim to the library. "Read the thing," he said, giving him the document. "It relates to a matter of a hundred pounds, which Elton has authority to settle without troubling us." "My opinion is that he expected you to sign it without my knowledge, although oven if you had brought it mc, and acted as witness, he'd no doubt have found it useful to have our signatures side by side. The fellow seems to imagine my suppositious steward is deceiving his master. On the whole, I think it's .» clever attempt to attack you in the flank." (To be continued next Saturday.)