"PRINCE PUNNIE."

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 24 July 1922, Page 10

"PRINCE PUNNIE."

By W.

SYNAPSIS OT" PHKVrOUS PHAJPTRRS. faptoin Whimster. calleii h> London from a aoianß holiday in the wesl. uikeii in ,-onipaiiy with Mr. Peter I'unnU-ton (less well known as Prime ivter liinishim. is ilisiiirl."! by stranpe voices in bis flat nt nlsht. Hf is relieved next day to (hid that the explanation is that his friend Tarraut who has a flat opposite, lia-S made an experimental instalment nt wireless receivers In bis chambers. The Foreign niHce offers him the position of resident in a buffer Italkan State, whicli it Is hoped to *ci up with Prince Fiinislau as rulin? sovereign. Whimster. returning tn his Hat. is astonished t<. find that Tarrant's flat has been let to a Tnrk who calls hiuiseK Me^ri drel that he had encountered when on of tills man. whom lie had formerly kno-vvn as Man mon<l Pasha, that VThimster had heard over Tarrant's wireless. CHAPTER HI. THE SCENT OF rS T TKIGt!B. As I had been engrossed by 6ome work at the time of Punnie's flirtation with Mrs. Ambrose, I had never seen her. All I knew about it was that be had indulged in the customary panegyrics and that for some reason everything had eonae quite suddenly to an end. Having got him out of similar embroilments before. I undertook this mission without giving much thought to it; but the moment T entered her house, t realised that thi* was likely to Jitter considerably from the other affairs, and dieiiked the job cordially. She received mc graciously and mc a charming smile :ic she ofTer.-d liec hand. ''Of course I know of you. Captain Whimster. and it is no mere convention when 1 say I am charmoc , to lueet you personally." .She spoke fluent English, but her accent suggested Xear East. She was -:>a ly a beautiful wo van dark as night, with voluptuous features and large eye.* full of capacity, passion, and poseiwliti-e. Tunnie had been playing with m->. "I hope tii-t my [i'.OßCrt mission will not detract from i 'ie mutual pleasuic of thi= meet) m. Mrs Ambrose," I replied, thinking tliji" ;>.- fie was fr >-n -he East I misat aa.e!- I.- a "ittk flori.'. She was beautifully gowned and leant back on the OiiesteTfie.d in a pose which emphasised the grace of her figure, while i ehe rewarded mc with another smile. Then she came to the point at once, "i understood you' -wished to see mc about ] Mr. Pujiniston. When is lie himself coming again?" 'iHe is in Cornwall and will not be in. town again for some weeks at least. He asked mc to see you to explain." 'You axe very good to have taken the trouble to come to explain what really might have been written even on a postcard, mightn't it?" "Perhaps it might, but —" I hesitated, as a gleam of anger flashed for an instant in her eyes. She played on my hesitation directly. "If so experienced a diplomatist as you, Captain, is even at a momentary loss for wurds, there must be something much more important to-^-explain." The pause before the word .was full of significance. She ' certainly 'had the art. of making the most of words and gestures. I began to. dislike my job more than ever. If I hesitated, Mrs. Ambrose, it was because, your look inspired a fear that my explanation might be distasteful to you." "You are observant, Captain Whimster/' and whether she spoke ironically I could not decide. "I presume you know something of the relations between Mr. Puniriston and myself," she added before I could reply. "Very little indeed, I'm afraid, but you will know that, while he is one of the whitest and dearest of fellows, be is one of the most irresponsible." ■ she echoed, catching at the word and frowning ominously. "And that means ?•"' "Tse reason for my being here." She began to understand, and paused a moment. "You know that 1 am neifch'er English, nor "American?" ■'Until I had. the pleasure of seeing you, I had. Tieafd virtually nothing' more than youir name." "1 am an Eastern, Captain Whim3ter. My father was a Turk, my mother a Greek, and your intimate knowledge of both those countries will have taught you that we Easterns do not take these matters —irresponsibly." "In that I fear you differ widely from my friend. That is why I used the term 'irresponsible." She (frowned again at this and dropped her eyes, pretending to arrange a trifle of lace. "And your object now?" she asked, without looking at mc. "To propose an exchange of letters, Mrs. Ambrose," and I took out those ■which Punnie had given mc. I noticed that her fingers tightened strenuously, but ehe did not reply. "You will understand mc if I say that this is by no means the tirst mission of the kind my friend has entrusted to mc. There is not one spot of guile in him; but in these affairs he is, Sβ I say, irresponsible. I mean that he 16 apt to act without a thought of serious consequences." I looked for a more or less passionate outburst, but it did not come. After a long pause she said, very quietly and still .without raising her eyes: *'You know that he has made love to mc and "won my love, Captain Whimster?'' "I have already told you all I know of the matters between you, except that 1 understand you have already been married." She was quick in the uptake and I understood what I meant. "I was then! poor and my marriage with the wealthy American, a man nearly three times my age, was one of arrangement, not lovej and all his wealth is now mine." "I fear that that cannot be taken into account. There is a reason which must make it absolutely impossible for my friend to marry you." .'• "And that reaeon?" "I regret I am not at liberty to tell it you." Then came the surprise. "You mean the plan to marry him to MdUe. Olna -Meredja, or Miss Meredith as she ie generally called?" She looked up to see the effect of this, but not so muca as the flicker of an eyelash rewarded her. "Who is Miss Meredith?" I asked, as if hearing the name for the first time. '"The Prince has chosen his envoy shrewdly," she replied. "The prince, madame?" "Prince Punislau, Captain Whirneter." and there was a flash of challenge in her dark eyes ac she met my look of politely indifferent inquiry. * "We live and learn, madame," I said sentenUously, with a wave of the hand learn abourV k y ° U have much to of • wWch ft*? ' 1 *; the country | Wner Stat *° tOTm the nominal Punisla «

(Author of "When I W«* Czar," etc., etc.)

"If such a proposal is on foot, do you deem it wise to speak of it to a mere mi ranger?" paused, regarding mc with her head slightly inclined to one side, and then laughed softly: a deliciously seductive laugh it wits', too; and she shook her head slowly. "You are an excellent actor, Oaptain m Whimster. but you know quite »ell that 1 am not speaking of it to a mere stranger but to the future governor of that country; and you must he equally aware of my object—to secure your influence on my side." '"May J ask what grounds you have for this extraordinary story?" " "Of course, and 1 will tell you: but first do you mean that you do not know it is the truth V Had I been a hardened diplomat, I suppose that T should have resorted to a terminological inexactitude; but I preferred a fencing reply. ' ; If I knew It to be true, yon will gee I could not admit it, madame; but this I will say. the fact that my friend lias the slightest claim to be the of any place, has taken mc completely by surprise." "You mean when you first heard it? , ' she countered shrewdly. I replied with a sliru? and a gesture. "Yet you knew of the prince's projected marriage. Captain," she said, with another of her alluring laughs. "Now, can't you be a-s frank with mc aa I have been with you?" "My sole purpose in coming was to obtain those letters." "Very English. Almost American, indeed, in its directness," she rallied. "Will you give them to mc in return for these?" "I do not want those. What use would they be to mc?" "Permit mc," and I laid the packet on | a small table at her elbow. "A symbol of renunciation?" she asked, lifting her fine brows. "On my friend's part, yeo. madame." "I maki» n'> rrautii'iiii inn in rc'U n. Yon' understand that? The motto of my family is 'To have is to hold,' Captain. We have been robbed of our rights for many many long years, but we have never dreamt of surrendering our claims; and we never sha.ll. I am the last of my line; but have many and powerful supporters; and we shall never submit to be thrust aside now, let the. Allies do what they will;" and her features were set and her eyes flamed with passionate determination. i "I shall of course regard as strictly confidential what you " " j "I do not wish it. Captain Whimster. On the contrary, you can lay the facts before those in authority, and I desire you to do so. I have here the full statement of my claim. It has been carefully prepared especially for you; I should have sought you, had you not come to mc, of course. You English are

a cold people, but fair and justiceloving. Compared with my claim, that of Miss Meredith is a n.ere cobweb of sophistries; and all I urge now is that you will take these papers and study them. Now that I have met you, I know thajt my interests would be safe in your hands.'' "But I have no sort of influence, madame. and '' 'She dismissed the protest with an interrupting gesture of the. hands. "We know enough of you and it to desire it. You will take these papers?" she usied, almost pleadingly. 'You tnglish always wish to know both sides." "And if T take them and study them, what then?" "I am content to leave that, entirely to your discretion. I should always feel perfectly safe in your hands." "Yet you will not comply with my request for those letters?" £he thought for a secind. '"As an act of renunciation, no: but as concession of courtesy to you. yes"; and she took a small packet of papers from her bosom, laid it On the top of the other packet containing the particulars of her claim, and held the two out, hildin" my gazei the while and smiling meaningly. It -was a clever strode. "1 will read j them carefully, madame,' - 1 promised. as | I took the two packets. Then I roe. "■Can you not spare mc a few more minutes?" ' I "Certainly"; and T sat down again. ' i "You will see the Prinze again soon?" "I shall sec my fiend to-morrow, pro- | bably." j "Surely you know that lie is t Prin "c?" I "I prefer'to think of him only as my 1 friend." "And he is fortunate to have s eh a friend. You will tell him what h:is pas-ed and let him see tho«o papers?" | '"F T e does rmt yet t.ke life vctv seriously, madame, but I will certainly tell him about them.'" ' "Tie prefers go'fine to po'it'e-::, el ? jThe links at >fullion are jrond?" she i nskeri with one of her snfl :'llu"inffi lausrhs. " \jid I trust th<> air of Corn-' "mall n;id the rest are curing your head! tro.'.k?" j "Yes, thank you." T could not re-i-'tj smiling at her knowleHpce of my affnirs. j She in return. "You will not be; surprised that we are concerned to know things about you. seeing t!'e iTip rtnnt part you are to play in our afTairs, Captain?'" "The concern of a beaut'fnl woman could only be a source of fl'Mei-in? p'ea-i sure, madnrre." T replied. :ivo'd nr t.hc implied invitation to discuss t ,- e other matter. She read my inten* inn instantly. "There is only o"e p<-i-t I "-i«S to mention. You know Miss Meredith?" "No. indeed." "But the nature of her claim? You know that? ,, 'Wot the nature of any cliim she may have made." "I am glad. You will be able to consider it impartial'y. T v ere are ref«reTesl to it in those pipers of m tip. You will of course meet her- she is v>rv and ambitious, but quite beautiful and attractive, and litelv to imp-ess you j favouratilv—she does so impress nr>ny | men; but there is a faHl flirw in her claim, the bar sinister, dating from her

grandfather's tiue; and she is now sup-1 ported only by those who have strong llnancial interests at stake. They have , turned to her because we refused to listen to them."' I bowed, but made no reply. It needed very little perception to see ths spleen in this. It was clear that Mr?. Ambrose! disliked her rival intensely and was more than a little jealous of her. At this moment, to my relief, some visitors were announced and I got up. "1 shall see you a.<rain, of course? ,, she said as we shook hands. "On my return to town, madame." "Dion my last word now is, heware of Olna Mpredith. Captain Whimster." Those were perhaps the only injudi- 1 cious words she had spoken throughout the interview; and they stuck in my memory. T read them to mean that she was afraid that this rival would succeed where she hud failed, and fascinate Punnie. Had she known him a<; well as I did. she wouldn't have worried about it, any more than I did. (To be continued daily.) I « ' —^