"FOR LOVE OF BETTY."

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 23, 28 January 1922, Page 21

"FOR LOVE OF BETTY."

DON'T MISS THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF OUR POWERFUL •NEW SERIAL STORY; I OF lOVX AND INTRIGUE. I I j Another great Romance commences: next Saturday, February A. it is by J MAY CHRISTIE, most popular of newspaper fiction writers. j I You will follow the vicissitudes of I the tangled love adventure in which the i j incomparable Betty is involved with uq- ! flagging interest. You are strongly recommended to I look out for the tirst long instalment j next Saturday. The Story will provide you with a very pleasant quarter of an hour's duily relaxation. I Dick and she would go abroad to- ] pother the moment ho was better fit to i travel. He had an offer from a mining company in South America—a six months' contract that was really wotulerful as to terms. Another offer was from Capetown. Maj'bo that climate would suit the young man bolter. Dick must choose for himself. ; Oh. she was glad, -lad that -she had married Dick, and could look after him. Dear Dick: Always she would make his interest hers. Always slio would be a , helpmeet and a comfort to him. Life would be so beautiful together! That foolish dream. Her nerves were overwrought. She hadn't slept well lately. She'd sleep better once the ' diamond was well sold. The whirring of the carriage wheels reminded her definitely of something. ' What could it. be? Of course, her dreatr.. The whirring of ' the aeroplane. The sound was very much ' the same. And—Mary started! —three explosions! ' Well, that was curious. But, of course, those little noises often . did accompany the motion of a fast-run- ! ning train. The girl's carriage was near (he engine, too —that might account for ' it. She leaned back on her cushions and ' closed tired eyes. Again the three ox- ' plosions! Mary jumped up. There before her waf, the. sink-icr face of Kismet. f The girl made a spring, but too late! ' For Kismet, with one bound, had flung round her face and head a handkerchief soaked in some sweet-smelling stuff that - made Alary's senses reel. CVI.—KISMTET DEFEATKD. Once Mary had been chloroformed, it was an easy matter for the Cirgalee to .ransark the contents of her purse and little handbag. This Kismet di<!. His long, tenuous fingers shook i> little with the excitement of the chose. He must get the diamond this time, sure and certain, j otherwise his master. Julian VandaveeT. I ha<l vowed to throw him out! Mnry'rt purse did not contain the diamond. Immediately tlic Oriental turned his attention to the bag. He jerked it open violently. Jn it were a few papers, a handkerchief, a bottle of Eau-de-Cologne, and a little cardboard box. Kismet's fingers closed upon the box. His eyes closed, too. for a second in devout prayer to some strange god— prayer that at last his chase might be rewarded. Then he removed the lid. Something very small and hard was wrapped up closely in white tissue paper in tbe little box. He tore the wrappings off. He gave a cry of thankfulness and greed. His supplication had at last been' heard! Here was the diamond! With one glance at Mary's quiet figure—lying apparently lifeless on the

I cushion— lhru.*t the precious r j stone intu the pocket, of his tunic, and ; i. swung himself nimbly through the open : v window, ran along In a platform, pulled himself up ana wont into the neXL car. j I In the seclusion of that spot "he began '■ ■ to have i[iialma about Mary's probable 8 I course of action when she should "romo I ..I to-" ! I She and her previous husband had j >' £i\cn him u<) oiul of trouble in th<> last I II few week>! The police were looking for 1 ' him. i But this morningV work had certainly ■' proved a stroke of hick. He—Kismet— ! '' i had been lying hidden in thi- woods I when Mary had passed on her way to 1 1 the railway station. 1 He dare not follow her openly. The ! stationmaster had been given his . ? J "description" by the police. They would '! at np.ee arrest him. Kul Ki.-met knew the train would . slow down at v certain level crossing. ■i He had hurried there. Kismet, the ath--1 i lete. ihad leapt to the platform and had got inside, the empty baggage car. ' The Oriental did not wait for further ! :! '■wondering?." lie sprang out on the' _ j platform. He was eat-like in his move- ' ' j mentj. and po«se.s«ed the proverbial: nine lives of it feline. | , I The train, moving slower still, now ; J crossed a stream. Tliere wa; no inter-j veiling parapet. And Kismet leapt! i I Splash: He landed lightly in the! ' I wn-Ur. With a few swift strokes lie J reached the hank. AJI we! and dripping, i ;he scrambled up and run fur dear lift , . ; When In> looked back the train hud disappeared from view ! His hurried 'j exit had been needless after all! j 1 He saw a lUile cottage close to a ! ,' ' wood. He headed towards it. When he ' I drew near he found a hiding-plaen for his diamond in a erevi.-e of a hig elm tree. No one was wiwching. Ho made n tiny cross with v piece ..f chnlk to. 1 murk the spot. j Then he rapped at the cottage door | and told the labourer's wife who opened .! it. a "hard Itiek tale" about falling in the nriffhliouriiif.' stream, lie offered her , i two dollar.-, if she would permit him to J come in and dry his clothe.-'.' : Her husband was at home. ?:ck in bed. j She needed money. Therefore -although I she did not like the looks of Ki-met -■ she permitteil him to enter. j She lent him some odd garment? of her husband's while his own were being ' dried before tho lire. I Uuostiimiiinp her adroitly, (lip . gleaned ti:e glad tidings 'that a motor- , I bus ran all flip way from liere to New I York. He was lucky! For. of course, j another train jourrtpy on U\\* route would be too ' daiigerou*. Mrs. Dick I Calardin— not to speak of the other j passengers—would certainly have given I information against him «t the tirai, I stopping place. The news would he ; telegraphed hack all along the line, j Without a doubt the railway officials j would be keeping a sharp look-out for him. Now thi* dancer need not be incurred. : A motor- but—oil. this tliriee blessed j vehicle!—ran all the way to town. The j journey would take at three lionrs 1 ami would he tedious. But Ki.-mel j would be j-afe and unsuspected. • ; j Hi.- -lot he- dried, he gave the woman ; tho promised money, and sailed forth. In half an hour lie'ha,l caught Iris bliss and started on his way. And three hours later he reached the metropolis. Once there be telephoned to Julian ! Vnndavwr. I have got it. Heaven be praised:" lie breathed into the instrument. His black eyes sparkled wickedly. "What , : Tome to your hotel , ; Ye«, ' sahib—immediately:" He took a taxi now, and headed for a ifuiet hostelry not fur from the river. It was here that Julian Vatidaveer and his new-made bride uere spending the ' honeymoon. ! Kismet thought the city streets were! drab and dreary. He pined for the . palm-friujred, smooth, wide roads of old ! Ceylon. He was going to receive his i great reward now from his sahib. He j would then urge that sahib to return I to beautiful Ceylon ; The taxi pulled up at his destination, ' and the man descended. lie paid the : driver and went into the hotel. In the vestibule awaiting his arrival wa.s Julian Vandaveer. ' I "We've got a private Rltting-room. I Come on upstairs/ Vandaveer looked flushed -and excited. He was about to receive the longed-for jewel- the thing his heart had been set on for so many | years! ' j Kismet followed his master. He tvaa i literally glowing with itnportance and ! self-satisfaction. They entered the private sitting-room, and Eve—now Mrs. Julian Yandaveer — stepped forward. Kismet, bowed low. "Come on. J.efs see the diamond!' , Julian cried. Kismet handed him the littJfc cardboard box, fitill damp from its immersion in the stream. Julian tore it open. He ' held the jewel to the light, turning it i and twisting it at every possible angle. ! Then suddenly his vrholp face j changed. He turned to Kismet, scowling. I '"You fool! You blundering idiot: ! This isn't the diamond!" he cried sharply. '"This is nothing b,it a piece i of glass—« fake:" (To be concluded.)