THE FAINT HEART.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 124, 28 May 1925, Page 18

THE FAINT HEART.

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/ BY RUBY M. AYRES. Author of "Richard Chatterton, T.C.,' "The fear" etc. CHAPTER XVIII. "So tlicn , i? romance even in a quii't Village like this." she sni'l. lightly, afl Hayward tucked a shabby rug ronml lier' and started tin- engine. "Though I should hardly have thought Mr. llohvay would care very much fur such a chilli ps Balis Wye Smith." Hayward glanced at her sideways. "Ho cares very much about her, from fell account*." he said, drily. -Besides, J'vo seen with my uu 11 eves." He drove the car forward at tremendous speed. "That nay (if the storm when the big plm was struck up «t th.» Colonel's jilace," lie weiu ni \nluli!y. "Slinyle and iliss Hill..- were in the drive together, pnd had a imrriiw rwapi- from being ptruck ilicin-chc I was driving by at jthe time, and shw it linppen." "Lena -lihcivd. -oh. how dreadful," phr said, faintly. "Oh, they didn't seem to mind." Hay-jß-anl aii.-u'crc,!. coarsely. "1 should have gone til their help, only 1 saw tliej didn't need any. They were ill eael other's arms fast enough, and glad o! the excuse. 1 daresay.'' Lena turned her head away. She fell tehe could not bear the scrutiny of hi: eyes just then. "They are engaged then?' , she foreei herself to say. Hayward shook his head. "Not unless its on the Q.T. arul.be jtween themselves, i happen to know that tho Colonel has other ideas for hi: daughter." He tried to give the impression thai 3ic was embraced by those views, bin jLena was paying no attention. Bubs and. Shavle in one another': linns: how dared they, oh how darei they'; She clenched her hands beneatl the shabby rug and bit her lip till i Weil. "And where are you wanting to go }Irs. Elkin , :"' llayward inquired smoothly. Lena "hesitated no longer. She did not care now what he thought —she did not care what anyone thought. The picture of Baba in Sliayle"s arms tortured her, and she hated the girl for her youth and unspoilt innocence. "I want to gr> to the cottage hospital," JBhe said, sharply. A sudden suspicion !eapt into the farmer's eyes. "Mr. Holway will have lots of anxions jnquiries for his health," he said, with t touch of jealousy. Lena turned and looked at him. "I have known him for years," she told him, deliberately; "he and X lire old friends." j There was a short silence, then Ilay[fvard laughed. "Oh, I see! -, he said, with a faint pneer. Sliayle was no friend of his, but he preferred him to the colonel's son, so, after a moment, he went on, "Well, p'raps, if the need ever arise*. I can give you a piece of information about last night's doings that may help your friend quite a lot." There was a world of meaning in his voice, and Lena's heart missed a ueat, but she spoke quietly enough. "I don't understand. What do you flneaii?" Hayward kept his eyes on the road. "Never mind now. But just you remember —if there's any trouble about Jast night you just come and toll mc." Lena stared at him for a moment with puzzled eyes. She disliked Hayward intensely, but her instinct told her that at the moment lie was sincere. "I did not know , you were such a friend of Mr. Holway's", , ' she said with a touch of cynicism. "I'm not." be answered bluntly. "But I prefer him to that young blackguard Wye-SmiUi." i "Jim! you mean Jim?' , she cried in I amazement. He turned and looked at her with hard eyes. "Yes, I mean Jim as you call him," lie admitted. Lena flushed. She imagined that this man must somehow have got to know of her friendship with Jim, and was preparing to hold it over her head :is a weapon, but she was wrong. Hayward ■was intensely inquisitive, and made" most things his business, but so far he had not discovered how frequently Jim had visited the cottage. "But he has never done you any larm, lias he':" she faltered. "Perhaps not," he admitted, bluntly. "But he's never clone mc any good either, and, any way, I hate the young devil." Lena said nothing till they reached the hospital, then she turned to him before she left the car, with her very sweetest smile. "I shall keep you to that promise, Mr. Hayward," she said. "And if there is any trouble about last night I shall come to you." He looked at her with a sort of inEoient familiarity. "Yes. you come to mc. That's a bargain," he said, and drove away. Lena went slowly into the small stonebuilt building to which Colonel WyeSmith had more than once been a generous patron, and this inoniing it was bathed in spring- sunshine, with muslin blinds fluttering in the breezt at open windows. The front door w<l3 wide open, too, and, as Lena entered, a pleasant-looking nurse in spotless uniform came down the stairs, sihe looked at Lena interestedly. It was seldom one saw a woman of Lena's type in the little village. Bhc^ 0 JOU WSnt t0 See th ° niatron? " Lena shook her head. " I have come 1° \"Y"' C aftCr Mr ' Hol «"ay." she answered, nervously. "H e is here i=n'< he? My name is Elkin." the L eou W ra"eV' aV<! '' er soul for lint Kne'ilid not dl'iie. *° m '"" Wif< "" The nurse hesitated. •■fome into the waiting room" M,e said at Inst, "I will inquire for ™, i know he is very ill." ' ' She led the way into n plainly furnished sitting-room, and as she went nwi dosing the door softly behind he r Len ' Btuv Baba standing liy the window' iJEryE ii ' io,irs sii — «•« smu';:!r-t'!r^ m ' d " v rti *^v ye . "Yes," Dull* ,li(l not sound very friendly, and her pale face wus white mid haggard with distress. Si, e l m ,i ,„,( been allowed to see Shayle, but she knew his life was in great" danger, and her heart was breaking. "X suppose we are both here ,-pn the Same mission," Lena continued, BTTeeilv «To sec how poor dear .Mr. Holway is r Bubs winced.

j ''You see it happened in our house," J slio said painfully. "So, of course, we feel sort of responsible.' , J.riia smiled sympathetically, but her "So very distressing,'" she murmured. I "But accidents will hnppcn! I am very ! sorry for the Colonel.' , i "It's dreadful! dreadful!" Babs saiu. j passionately. For the moment her dis]trc.--< broke down tho barrier of vague ! /antagonism that had always existed ] between herself nnd Lena. I Oh. Mrs. Klkin, what shall we do if he die.?----j lliere was such passionate pviof in j hor voice that it was impossible any I longer to doubt her love for the man I who was lying between life and death, and the hot blood rushed to Lena's f.ve and a sudden gleam filled her eyes us she said, hoarsely: "Yon seem very interested in Shayle." 'lhere was an eloquent silence, durj ing wlikh the two women looked steadily 1 Uit ono another, then a slow, dawning 1 , knowledge crept into Kalis' blue eyes. j She tried to speak, but no words would : come, and Lena said again, lightly: "You see I know him so very well! mi see, I've known him for years! And although, of course, he"s a charming man. perfectly charming! It is rat'i-r too bad tho way he keeps his family skeletons locked in their cupboards. It leads people to form such a wrong impression of him." Bubs took a step forward. "What do you mean?' , she asked, quietly. She had been tortured since her departure from Shayle by the fflct that Jim had tnld her he was always flt the cottage, and she was being tortured afresh now by the quiet sneer in Lena's voice. "I don't understand," she said asain. "Mr. Ilnlway and 1 are friends. Please explain." Lena smiled and shrugged her shoulders. ■'.My dear child. 1 meant no harm." she protested. "Please don't look bo indignant. I spoke entirely for your own pood. 1 merely thought, knowing Nbnyle as well as I "do. that in all probability lie has not told you he has a wife living.' , (To be continued daily.) Wear a muffler on wintsr evenings. The Finn of Fowlds have them in silk and wool, in white and other shades. — (Ad.)