"PRINCE PUNNIE."

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 191, 14 August 1922, Page 10

"PRINCE PUNNIE."

£>' t/Z-T/iL',? V 7. _y\IARCHMONT.

, (Author of "V."i-„ 1 CHAPTER XXI. I'lSyriETlNi; NKWS. Ina laced the embarrassin_ -ituatior ( [th surprising pre_.-nce of mind. an. while 1 w-as fumbling for some means t. stop Admiral Brunnicke'e -tory, .-hi JU-t smile| and shook hand- uit h him "Ot course 1 remember you now." slu said. "I've often thought of that night, voi know, and the wonderfully convincing Turk you made, Whimster.' Not a sou among us had a suspicion you weren't one really. Bamboozled you. too. \l>Meredith, eh'" "If you cuuid not recognise him. liu'a could I?" "One of tiie best men tho Secret Service ever got hold of. 1 hear you've left it, by the way." " ' "-es, when the armistice came." "Fancy us three meeting in Bond Street in this haphazard way. Wonderful place. 1-ondon. Hub of the world. X'ow, you must come and have some tea with mc so that we can talk it all over again. I was tremendously interested in H, want to hear every word." "I'm very sorry but I really cannot. I have to got home. Admiral Hrunnicke. Via already later than 1 meant to be," said (Una. " "Oh, come, humour an old salt. 1 did you a good turn that night in allowing the Bey to have a word in private with you. remember." "I'm sorry, hut it's impossible;" and she held out hor hand. "Too bad. Too bad of you." lie replied a_ they shook hands. "I'm longing to hear that story and how you found one another again." "Good afternoon. Captain Whimster. I'm going in here. So I won't keep you from the Admiral and you can tell him the story:" and she went into a shjp. leaving the Admiral in a condition of puzzled surprise. "Have I put my foot in it, Whimster?" he asked as v.-c moved away. "It's of no consequence." "I'm always a regular lubber on shore. 'Pon ray soul. I took it for granted you two were engaged. It didn't need half an eye that night to see how the wind was blowing. I'm wretchedly sorry." "Xo need to make too much of it. Xo harm done. She's engaged to a friend of mine, and, as that little jaunt of mine into Turkey was a closely kept Becret. 1 didn't feel free to satisfy her curiosity _nd to tell her I was the Bey. But now the war's over, it's of no sort of consequence." This led him off that part of the subject, and when we reached his club 1 told him as much about the adventure at Ursa as was necessary, followed up with my experiences at Salonica, and got away as soon as I could. I wanted to think it all over. It wae obvious that tbe position had undergone a considerable change now that the identity of Iladi Bey was established: and it was difficult to see how Olna would take it. Would she guess my motive in not revealing .myself? If she did. it meant the end of our present relations. As Punnie's wife and a reigninc Princess, it was inconceivable that 6he would consent to have as the political adviser of them both a man so unplatonioally in love with her as I was. My pseudo flirtation with Celia might put "her off the scent: she had been chipping mc about it just at th? moment the Admiral came up: and if .she believed I was in love with Celia. she wasn't likely to think I could be in love with somebody else at the same time. "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good"; although that particular wind had a nasty bite in it for mc. Would it re-awaken her distrust and send the thermometer down below zero HRain? That would also mean the severance of relations, just when there had been a decided improvement in them. And judging by her attitude toward mc after the Admiral had blurted out the truth, the thermometer had dropped already. One point was plain—the matter must be cleared up at onec; so I went straight off to the. Mostyns and asked for her. It was Celia who came, however, ami she rushed up, beaming with smiles, and •anted to put both her hands in mine. "This is perfectly lovely of you," she exclaimed. I declined the double-handed greeting, . dropped the flirtatious manner, and explained -that I had come to see Olna on official affairs. '•Whatever's the matter with you?" she cried with a pout of reproach. "I don't like your friends, Miss Mostyn." "How odd you are to-day. What havp ■By of mv friends done to cause such a change in you?" "There is no change in we, I assure yon." "But you're so different from the other day." "Do you think there is any change In -ifher of us?" "I have not changed, if that is what you mean." 'That is precisely what I do mean." Her strange eyes were beginning to •peak, and the glance she gave mc was anything but friendly. "And what have I done, pray ?" "Been to see Mrs. Ambrose." The thrust was unexpected, and she could not restrain a start of uneasiness, although she tried to carry it off with a light laugh. "Poor little mc! And was that a crime?" "I think you can judge that better than I." "Indeed I cannot." "Then I apologise for having mentioned the matter. Can I see Miss Mere-j dith now?" "Do you want to tell her about Mrs. Ambrose?" There was quite an angry! glitter in her eyes as she asked this. I "Why should you resent my doing sn?" "Are you trying to insult mc, Captain Whimster?" "Nothing could be farther from mv wish." "Then yon merely desrre to make ___• chief?" "Again, no. Miss Mosfyn: hut sur ' ihe possibility of mischief would lie i I lie act itself, not in the report of it." "I presume r can choose my own .riends." she exclaimed indignantly of yours » mbr ° Se C ° Uld neVer be a f " r ' eDcl j it w y not?" She made a sneer of "Because her ",-* .- >.. m&ke use ol ™ v ! ntlon la mwl v to t * mc b you and s h» secure an object 5 "And what is t oat T a,l - T desi "-" \ . * shook mv _** -f " _?» Please." ttlat must be enou „ h _ l t IS not «_f_i__ <* r too ___-_ or

Was Czar," etc., etc.) V.:''p. I ||;ivc a right ;o a.-k your mean"ll must rest with the warning, if you 1 ! '"''. ! r,°' ' ... i " i hen you arc bravo onoiign to insinu- ..:••. Imt tin inwardly t.< explain." i "If Mr.;. Ambrose has boon as frank 'with you as -i'.o was wiiii mo you will I know what I mean already." ( i "I 'lo not know; and you will toll mc. , unless your discretion prevents you." A I .-..'iteniiitlK.il> i-n r1 of the lip on the ii - I "discretion."' You are scarcely just to my disere- : .ii. I have enough of it to go straight 1-1 Mrs. Ambrose with you now. toll her 'what I have said to you. and thresh the ! matter out with ion both." I his was checkmate, of course. Such j.in interview would have led to disi closures she had no mind to face. At a 10-s what to say for the moment, slip I fell back on the flirtatious tone. "I think you are vorv horrid to mc, you know," she simpored. "I am; if it is horrid to warn you against walking open-eyed into a danger. j <liis trap. You will come fo regard it I rather as the act of a friend." "I do now, of course, laptain. But ; T know I am silly at times. Will you ; forgive mo? !>>:" and she came sidling up to mc. "There is nothing to forgive, and nothing to remember, except .ny warn- | ing. Don't forget that": and "f shook 'bands with her as a gentle hint that I should not be offended if she went away. | "I'm so happy now that it's all ri,lit with us again I'll go and tell dear jOlna you want to see her": and away j she went. She turned at the door to i give mc a parting googly glance, apparently under the impression that that would please mc intensely and at the same time pull the wool over my eyes. She was certainly a strange mixture. Clever in parts, like the curate's eg_. a good actress, but with lapses of "selfrevelation, and shrewd, but apt to overestimate her shrewdness and thus liable to make pitfalls for others and then j tumble into them herself. , She had certainly dene this in the case jof Mrs. Ambrose. Designing to use her lln separate Punnic from Olna. she was j really being made a cat's-paw by that : much more a__ute woman for her own | plans. j Would she heed the warnin- I had i given her? I bad said enough to put any j ordinary woman on her guard: but she was quite likely to suspect mc of attempting to mislead her. Commonly the case j with those who plume themselves on .their cunning. It would perhaps bo better, when a chance came to speak more | plainly. ' j The opportunity offered directly for she came back with a letter from OJna. I "Dear Captain Whimster,—Excuse mc if 1 say that I would rather not see you on any 'official' business to-day. You will readily understand that lam somewhat disturlwd by what occurred this afternoon and really in need of som % quiet hours. To-morrow I shall be -lad to see you at any time.—Yours sincerely, OIAA MEREDITH." "Dear Olna hopes you won't mind, Captain. I think she has a fearful headache," said Celia, as 1 looked up from the letter. "Sot in the least, of course. In fact as rather fortunate because it gives mc an opportunity of saying another°word or | two to you on the matter we did not quite agree about—Mrs. Ambrose." "I'm afraid I was abominably rude to you. 1 am so ashamed of myself, but 1 thought .you had forgiven mc." "Please don't use such a word, Miss -Mostyn. All 1 wish is to warn you that Mrs. Ambrose is a very astute woman, her whole energies are concentrated on securing one object, and she has the help and counsel of those who are much more shrend and far-seeing than herself Do you know her real object V "You mean her claim to the throne of the new .State?" "J, h , at ' and tlle motive behind if" \\ hat motive?" peniTu-T,' that ' ier Haim Woul J "«" just as „, the owe of Mi sa Meredith I can state that with absolute certainly •• She laughed at my earnestness and cernThl l " shmiU ** an unco , you% l on'\ n^^ t ne do i 5 - c ; r a e r,tain? t Si, r , ' v ' that." a Jot -bout I hesitated whether to tell her that I that -t Tf 3 gn!Bt man ? -' that she had gtven her secret away n_l°e r YIV leCided t0 St * r t the ~->£ riage flirtation with mc. "You can't mean me' to think that what seems to be in your mind has any owfr, V m „ >' our manner toward me?' she added, while I was stall hesitating, "ft would be too absu rd.'" I "Then r won't say any more except |to a.sk you to keep always in mind , what I have said to you about the marriage. | "I'm not likely to forget anything you say. when you're so serious as you are now, but don't go on misunder- ; standing mc. j I murmured something about having |no wish to do so. and got away as soon :as practicable, with the disquieting C onI viction that there was something at the back of her mind which she had been clever enough to hide. I had _old her in virtually so many words that Mrs. Ambrose was resolved to marry Punnie, and in return she had flouted the idea. Laughed at the knowledge that tlie man she loved was to marry, another woman! Good actress as she was, it was unthinkable that she would have shown such indifference, bad there not been some strong reason for it. The only inference was that Mrs. Anrbrefi*. had given her assurances which -lie had been credulous enough to ■l my way home T dropped in to tell "i"i<- the result of my interview with a : but he had not returned, and his i told mc he had wired that he would i return until late. Hie next morning I had a surprise -it from the Pasha. He was dressed in his most dandified fashion, appeared lo l%e on excellent terms with himself and the rest of the world, and was particularly friendly. The result of his having read my "diary" possibly; an J I met him with appropriate cordiality. "Congratulate mc, Captain, I am ever ' so much better." he said. i "You certainly look it, Pasha. I do congratulate you." "It is all thus London of yours. People abuse the fogs and the dirt and rln ° f *' * ut H ahva ?s does mc Son-'*" 11 " eVer bCtter tban en in

As he had not come in to talk about j either the weather or his health, I j waited to hear why be had come; and presently he told mc. "I want to have j a long talk with you, Captain. I am ■no; .i';o'_v;'er satisfied with the pro-I 'Any time. Pasha. Now. if you like." ■ I "liiis morning 1 have to go out. jTo toil ion the truth, as it is a line ] day. 1 am going into tho country, up the river, in fact: and I want you to do mo the great favour of dining with jme at Richmond, .lust our two Wives. iWe can have our chat, and I'll have a J car to bring us back. Will you honour ] "I shall bo delighted. What time aud where shall we meet?" 1 "Shall we say six o'clock at the Crown j Hotel?" "Suit mc admirably," I agreed, with j great cordiality. j "I think that we shall got to underj stand one another if we have a talk of j the kind, especially on the business affairs in which 1 am so much interested." j "I'll do my best, Pasha." I agreed; I and this sent him away s.milin_. j Why did he want to get mo out of j London? Xot fo have a dinner, wine.. •we could have had easily m town and with equal privacy. Did it mean another attempt to get mc out of his way? dr was there some deeper scheme in his wily old head? At any rate, I had not the remotest intention'of going. A little later (Una telephoned to say that she would prefer uot to see mc that day. I "Entirely as you wish, Miss Mere|dith." i "It will not inconvenience you?" "Xot in the least." I replied, and then in response to a sudden thought I added. "If for any reason you wish to see mc 1 .shall be' at home 'all day and all ih» evening." , "I won't forget, thank you"; and the conversation ended. 1 had plenty to do during the day, and about six o'clock Punnie's man ar- I rived, looking very scared. 1 "What's the matter. Steven*?" "It's about Mr. Punniston, sir. He didn't come home last night, and T'vcjnst got a telegram." anil he gave it mc. "Am going out of town shall no! want you tell Captain Whimster," ran the message. "He's never l%ecn away a ni_M before without letting mc know, anil he's got no clothes with him. sir: and you knowhow particular he is about then:." ho said as I looked up from the message. "It's put the wind up mc, sir." "Why. Stevens?" "Well. sir. that wire of his last night to say he'd !«. late. He never did that before. If he'd been going away he'd have told mc then, ad sent some order about his clothes. Ho hasn't _o n e of his own will. There's been foul play of some sort. I'm certain, sir." It looked uncommonly like it: and when T read the telegram again, I noticed something wnicn not onir confirmed the conviction, but also suggested whose foul play it was. (To be continue., daily.)