"ROBIN ADAIR."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 187, 7 August 1916, Page 10

"ROBIN ADAIR."

By CHARLES PROCTOR, 4

Author of "In Innocent Judas," "My Am J folk," "The Dice of God," "Ashes of i Ycngcance,' r etc. "' CHAPTER XII. ] THE TOOL. j "le there anything wrong, Robin" Valeric Delmonte looked anxiously at i Robin Adaar as she. naked the question, < and cold fear gripped her heart as she 1 met 'his stern glance, for she recognised j at onca that Robin was angry. t from his interview with Shoila snl Mrs. i -Stewart. Robin had driven to VaJcrie'home, and there was anger in his heart, i ''Yes, I'here is something ' Valeric,'' he responded coldly, his handeome fa.cc stem and; grim. "I want yen i to explain in the first place why you lied : to mc last nipjht about Sboil-a Stewart, : why you deceived mc, and r-la-ntfrred ttic 1 girl I love."' Valeric drew in her breath ehsrp'.y, and she recoiled a 'pace, her face paling slightly and l her eyes widening , . "I <ion't know what you mean," she 1 said quickly. "1 told you nothing but the truth. How dare you, Robin. In 1 sinuate I deceived you?" ■ 1 '■1 have just seen Sheila and her f mot/her, and find there"is no truth i.i m-oat you told mc,' 1 saki Robin ateadj'y ( "You said Sheila was engaged to an- ,- other man—that was falt-e. You saic l . ; you found her with her lover —that n!3o was fata?. The man who was in tnc house was merely an acquaintance. Yoi' i Baid she admitted ehe had been foolin;: m<? —again you toldi a falsehood, ami 1 | am forced to the conclusion you a>re a;- , tuated by -hatred and jealousy. Sh-ila ' has n - at been -fooling mc. and has boeu forced to pive mo up bcrausc lior mother , objects to me—that is all." Valeric stared at him for a few minutes in silence, obviouaJy at a. las* for , words, then suddenly sha laughed shrilly ] "Oh, Kobiu, you must be blind I" she i cried jerkily. "Do you think the woiftan . would toll you the truth? Don't you realise she ivm; sirraply fooling you again —lying to you?" "I can't believe it," answered Robin sternly. "I am convinced β-hc and her mother were telling dhe truth, aad nothing jeni can ear will make' mc believe t otherwise." Valerie'e white fare flushed slowly, W <&rk eyes blazed, and she clenched lrer hands in a fury. "You mean that you prefer to accept her word3—the words of an unacrnpulous, common 'Work pirl —against mino?" : she demanded fiercely. "You mean that ■without a s-hred of evidence beytjni h«r bn/=.c word you are prepared to denounce mc as a Hair. Robin, oh Robin, hew can you be so cruel— <x> bliml! She lin? tricked , you, fooled yon, lied to you, jilted you, and now you arc prrrxircj ti. beKevc her and believe in her. You nruet be mad, I think!" "On the contrary: I have considered the matter very carefully, ar.d have deceit*! Mint your false Pt.itf-menfcj were made out of iitalire." rejoined Robin sternly. "'1 'have nothing more to sny end I bid you {rood-night." He turned abruptly to leave, but Valenrie, .with a strange cry. sprang nfttr him. seizing , hU arm. and clinging to him. "Robin, you can't desert mc like thin,' , ] she pirapcd. almoit frantic. "I swear ' didn't lie to yoii-rahe's lalee, Robin •- false. I can prove what I've raid—!'il prove it. 1 ck> hate her. Robin, 1 aOir.it I that—but only Waufe tlie ha; cheat,-! j you, won your love. I can prove sh« is , fake, ami liils lied to you, and you'll be sorry for whut you've said." ''If 1 have been unjust, f ehall cer I tainly apologise nnoet humbly, Valeric," saki Hobin t-oKily. and departwl without' another word, leaving wild ivith feur and fury. ??nc pared the room like a caged tearing , her handkerchief into in her wild raje. sobbing and muttering a= if s:ic hail taken leave of her i=en»p;. "Fool, fool thst I was not to prwent ihis!" she hissed throujii her elencncd teeth. "CJi. 1 could kill her—avoul.l like to tear her heart out. lie lores her— but I'll make him 'hate her, I'll make him apofogße, I'll ruin her—wreck her life " .She Hung herse!f down suddenly anil gave way to tears—not of remorse, but of rage and, self-pity, beating the head of the couch with her clenched fists in her wild outburst. But she quickly grew calm again, and rose, dashing away her tears, and setting her lips. "He shall have proof—and quickly," she said aloud, as she hastened from the room. She had been /making careful inquiries during the day about Sandy Ferguson, and had found out all she wished to know a.bout the honest plumber who cherished such a hopeless admiration for Sheila Stewart, and she proposed to use him to serve her own ends. Therefore she drove at once to Paisley Road, and made her way towards the street, in which both .Sheila and Sandy lived. As luck would have it, she met Sandy Fcrgueon at the corner of the street, taking an evening stroll, and she intercepted him at once. '• Mr. Ferguson, isn't if." she asked with an ingratiating emile, and Sandy, looking surprised and embarrassed. " nodded. " Ay, my name's Ferguson." he said. '■ I saw you when I called on Miss Stewart the other night, didn't I?" Valeric inquired. "Oh, ay. 1 mind you now," exclaimed ■Sandy. " Xh —it's —it's a fine nichi. You'll be going to call on Sheila, maybe ?'' " Jfo, I was really on my way to call on you, Mr. Ferguson," explained Valeric in her most captivating manner. " I wanted to bavc a chat with you about Miss Stewart, and 1 do hope you will forgive thr liberty I have taken in addressing you, and introducing myself." "Eh —oh, that's a' Ticht!" ejaculated Sandy, somewhat bewildered. " I'm awfu' glad you met mc, for my landlady wonld never have let mc hear the last o't if you'd gane to the fooose. She's such an inquisitive ibody, you know, and a terrible gossip, and a single chap like mc has to be awfu' careful." "Of course!" said Valeric, in turn a trifle 'bewildered. " Yes, I'm 90 glad I met you, Mr. Ferguson, I want to talk to you about Miss Stewart, you are in love wjth Sheila Stewart, are you not?" "Eh!— Well, I suppose I a'ra—at least. I've a kind o' fancy for her, and was thinking o' getting married. But she's engaged, so IVe kind o , gi'cn up the idea/ " She? isn't really engaged, and you can win her if only you do what I tell you.'" said Valeric in low tones. "Robin Adair doesn't really want to marry her, nnd : . f only you tell him you and Sheila Stewart are engaged to be Tnarricd. and warn him not to interfere, he will leave you in possession, and you can iimrry her. for you will have the field to yourself, so to speak." •But I'm no' engaged to Sheila, and I don't know Kqbin Adair," proiestetf

Sandy. " I'm no' going to tell ony man a pack o , ' lies, and make myseP look a fule!" " He won't know it is a lie. and will believe you," explained Valeric perauasively. "Once he is out of the way you -will be' able to marry Sheila Stewart. As a matter of fact. Robin Adair is actually engaged to mc, and you will really he domg, both Sheila und mc a service by telling Mr. Adair that white lie. if you will agree, Mr. Ferguson, I shall be pleased to make you a present of £20." Sandy protested and argued, but wu eventually persuaded' to agree, convinced he -would be doing nobody any harm, but, on t!ie contrary, would actually bo doing Sheila a service. Valeric coached 'him very cleverly, -warned him on no account to mention her name to Robin, gave him Robin's address, and urged him to go at once despite tbc lateness of the hour. Consequently Sandy Ferguson, feeling very ill at east, and looking quite fierce in consequence, presented himself at Robin's flat in Kelvinsidc half nn Ivour later, and was duly admitted, lie lisrd seen Robin once before at a meetm<:. but it was tbe first v time Robin had ever met him", and the bisf, red-faced, rod-haired young man fidgctted under the keen glance. ''flood evening. Mr. Ferguson." said Robin politely. " Please take a seat and tell mc what f can do for you. You're from the Mission perhaps?" "Eh? No,/ I'm no' from the mission," answered Sandy, wiping his brow. "As a matter of fact, Mr. Adair, I've come about Sh?ila—Miss Stewart, you ken." | '"Indeed!" Robin sat tip with a start, eyeing hia visitor curiously. "Ay, you eoe, I've 'heard—ch —I've heard you're after her. and I want to tell you she's—she's my lass—she's—l mean, I'm onpaced to her." "You're engaged to Miss Stewart!' , ejaculated Robin, pausing between each word. "Ay. I'm going to marry her if you don't interfere, and I've come to—eh— kind o' warn ye no' to interfere, or there'll be trouble," said Sandy, remembering the instructions received from Valeric Delmonte. "I'm no' trying to threaten you, you ken, but just kind o' wnniing you." "Who sent you nerf?" demanded Robin. "Eh—l—oh. I came by myselV anewered Sandy uncomfortably. "I was in the house wi' Sheila the other nicht when your cousin, Mies Delmonte, called, and I —eh—Sheila explained things, but 1 hear you've been bothering Sheila again, so I thought I'd just tell you. I'm no wanting ony bother, Mr. Adair, and I bear you nae ill-will, but you ncedna' interfere between mc and Sheila." He wondered at the pallor of Robin's (ace as he rose, feding very guilty and ashnmed now he had delivered his messn<re. an<l anxious to get out of the ho-asc quickly aa possible. Robin eat very still, staring fixedly at Sandy, !iis brain in a turmoil. "You are engaged to Sheila, you were with her when Miss Delmonte called, and yon hoard Sheila explain matters to Miss Delmor.tc?" he said slowly, running his hand throuph his hair. "Let mc tell you that only this evening Sheiln informed mc >he was not engaged to anyone, and that the man who was in the house when Miss Delmonte called was a mere acquaintance. Wliat have yon to say to that?" "I've said all 1 have to say,"' responded Sandy uncomfortably. "I'm no' goinc; to argue wi' you. but I'm telling you. Mr. , Adair, you ncedna interfere with Sheila. , I Yon needna tell Sheila I've seen yon, Mr. i Adair. I'll Iv obliged if you'll say no- ,■ thing about it. 1 don't "want any {lies, • you see." He hesitated for a fmv moments, nnI certain whether ho had uaid too little or "I too much, and took his departure feeling 11 extremely uncomfortable and heartily i wishing he had not complied with Valeric Dclmonte's suggestion. ( "I wouldna wonder but Sheila'll be , vexed wi' mc if she flnds out about it,'' » he ruminated gloomily, as ho went back to bis lodgings. "I should have thought I the whole thing out first, for T begin to I seen now that it'll no be sat< easy to pet ? Sheila to marry mc oven if Robin A.lair .is out o' the road. Mr. Adair seemed . soy upset about it liimscl'. and seemed r kind o' fey. Serves him richt. if he's been carrying on with Sheila and his cousin at [ the s:imc time. 1 wonder ony man has ; the plunk to court two lassies! Queer, I but 1 feel kind o' sorry for him, although , he's a kind o" rival." Ffis "rival"' at that moment was , seated with his head bowed on his hands the very picture of despair. Robin had • boon distressed by his interview ivith i Valeric, by her obstinate assertion that she had told the truth about Sheila, and , Sandy's statement ha. , , come like a thimderholt. shattering all his hopes. , "Ood help me—pity mc!" prayed , Robin, in a very agony of soul, "("jod , foreive her—ehc has broken my heart!" , For some minutes ho eat with his face buried in his hands, nnd when at last he , raised his head his handeome face was . white and haggard as that of a stricken j man. "I could have sworn Sheila was telling . the truth," he muttered, rising and pacr ing unsteadily to am} fro. struggling to . master hh agitation. "I could have I sworn there was no other man \in the case, and that Valeric , had lied to mc. And now, it seems, all that Valeric told mo was true—Sheila is engaged to his man Fergueon—and I have , done Valeric a grave injustice—insulted " her. Sheila—oh. powers above! How can any woman be so false, so base and J deceitful. 1 loved her—l love her still— .. and yet " ~ He dropped into n chair again, fighting for 6elf-control. and with a moan of I angnfch covered 'his haggard face with 1 bis hands again. Valeric Delmonte'e cuny ning plan had done it's work, and had i come nigh to destroying Robin Adair's i faith in women. {To be continues mity.)