THE DARLING OF DESTINY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1926, Page 18

THE DARLING OF DESTINY.

By MILDRED BARBOUR,

!i CHAPTER VII. Meeting the Family. Sup awoke the next morning in a flood of golden sunshine. She lay quietly and looked about the unfamiliar room. It was a pretty' place done in grey and rose, a vast contrast to the simple little dormer room which had hitherto been hers. Downstairs later she found the Colonel, whom she had met briefly the night before, pacing up and down the verandah, scowling ferociously. At sight of Sue his face relaxed. She looked tiie spirit of the morning, all youth and freshness in her simple blue gown. "Why, you are just a little girl, after all," be greeted her. "Last night you seemed to be a grown-up young lady." "Oh, but I was very worn and tired," Sue replied with twinkling eyes. "I looked every bit my awe." Scrutinising her in the bright morning sunshine, the Colonel shook his head and sighed. "Ah, youth, youth. 1 have not forg.itten what it is to be twenty." A soft laugh interrupted them. Jan came out looking cool and fresh. She kissed Sue lightly. "Morning. Sue dear: it's awfully good to have you here. Was dad beginning to philosophise already? it's a bad sign when he starts before breakfast: we all ha\e to watch out for the rest of the day. Shall we go in? J think mother is waiting to give you a cup of her famous coffee." Mrs. Ulanchard was already ensconced behind the percolator. She, too, drew Sue to her and kissed her. "How much you look like your father." She sighed, "and to think that 1 didn't see him for twenty years, and now it is too late." She began to fumble for a handkerchief. "For heaven's sake." roared the 'Colonel, "don't start that! I'm in no condition this morning for anything but/ peace and quiet—what with the market reports " "Sssh!" warned Mrs. Ulanchard. "Remember we decided that with Sue's coming there would be a change in the breakfast table discussions." "Oh. please." pleaded Sue. "don't let my being here make any difference." "We all hope that it will," Joan spoke up suddenly. Mrs. Blanchard threw a warning glance to her husband and her daughter, and began pointedly to talk about other things less personal. Roger did not appear for breakfast, but lie came later into the garden. He looked a trifle haggard and seemed not ln the best of humours. It was there that Sue met Josephine for the first time, she came breezing up to them looking very smart and charming in a white flannel sports costume. Trailing in her wake was a big young man. also in •port- attire. "Tony and T are on our way 'o the club." Josephine announced. "We just dropped in to meet the new cousin." j Joan made tile presentations. Her casual cool poise seemed to have deserted her. She was quite flushed an 1 Sue noticed that her eyes avoided those of the young man whom she introduced as j Tony Carrar. i "Such a sweet child, really, isn't she, Tony?" gushed Josephine. "Now that ;We have a little saint in thp house we J must all lie very, very good. eh. Roger':" I She looked at her brother witii «!>' malice. I "You are not looking particularly I joyous this morning. Has Corinne heen ! putting yon over the jumps':" ; "I wish you would stop that," Koger ( told her in a savage aside. ! Josephine shrugged. She turned again |to Sue. .) "I'm going to give a little dinner for , you to-morrow night: just a few family friends, and, therefore, very boring. You . won't mind, will you?" I "It's very kind of you." Sue smiled with wide-eyed friendliness, "but," she hesitated. "I'm afraid 1 have nothing to wear for a party. i "Nonsense, you look charming as you , are. You will he quite novel, and—er—• | refreshing." There was malice in the cool tinkle of her laugh. | "Come, Tony." she laid her hand I possessively on his arm and drew him | away. Koger looked after them angrily. I "Josephine has always been a fool, but j I thought Tony' had better sense. Look here, Joan," he turned around to his aister. but she. too, was looking after , the departing couple and she did no: | ieem to hear him. There was a strange look in her eyes I which made Roger whistle softly between j his teeth. Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he sauntered away. | Sue looked at Joan curiously. There I was no doubt about Joan's being in love j with Josephine's Tony. I CHAPTER VIII. | "Little Miss Innocent." i It -was Sue's first dinner party. Mrs. i Blanchard had seen to it that one of j Joan's gowns was provided for her. It . Was a little soft green frock that • brought out the glints of gold in Sue's fair hair, and intensified the creaminess of her flesh. She looked at herself in the mirror with shining eyes. The sight of her bare throat made her feel the woman's eternal instinct for adornment; the only ornament she possessed was a little string of corals which her father had given her. She held them against her gown and felt acutely their inadequacy. ! Suddenly she remerahered the lovely ' pearls. She got out the bag and searched through it carefully for some marks of identification. There was nothing to distinguish it from a million Other bags carried by well-to-do women. ! Sue was puzzled to know what to do. It was futile to try to find the woman, and it was obvious that the woman could not find her, since she had not evel asked her name or where she was staying. In view of the situation, .Sue decided that she was not doing wrong In wearing the pearls, even if they did not belong to her. Joan called her, and, throwing a scarf around her shoulders, Sue ran downstairs to join the family in the car. '■ The other guests had already arrived when the Blanchard family came in. Tony was there, and Haskins, the theatrical manager. Josephine's husband was mixing the cocktails. There were several girls about Sue's age, very -elaborately made-up, in extreme decollette, and inclined to be rather patronising toward Sue. Wlien the latter removed her scarf, she noted with a sense of embarrassment that all eyes were turned to the ornament around her throat. "My dear, what gorgeous pearls." "•xehrimed- Josephine. "Wherever did you find them? I have been looking for something like that for ages.*

■ 1 ; "Why—er—l have had them for some • time. They were a —a gift.'' ! In spite of herself a little betraying ' flush crept into Sue's cheeks. r 1 Josephine exchanged a significant J * glance with the other two girls, then * turned to her husband. 2 . "Well, now for the cocktails:'' 1 : '"Which do you prefer, iliss Drum- ; I niond ':"' asked .lack. > j Mrs. lManciiard readied over and I touched liis arm with her fan. " : "1 think Sue would prefer just a little : orange juice. Jack, dear, - ' she said sig-nilii-anth. j "(Hi, yes, thank you," murmured Sue ; softly. ' J 'Here is your orange juice, little Miss 1 ; Innocence."' He laughed as he indicated , a gla=s in the right hand corner of the I tray. , ; I " 1 hank you.' she smiled demurely. ! For an instan: her hand hovered over " I that tray. With a deftness which amazed Koger. she transferred the glass I he had indicated to the opposite side of 1 the tray, and removed one of the other • glasses. ■ ■ The eyes she raised to his astounded ' ones were as innocent and guileless as a kitten's. j I CHAPTER IX. 'V: ' A Man of The World. I : "Too bad you are not allowed to drink, . f Sue." declared Josephine, as she drank her cocktail expertly. [ "Perhaps I shall learn in timp. - ' mill'- , inured Sue, sipping daintily from her glass. > Koger went over and seated himself i; beside Sue. He looked at the empty s glass in her hand and then at the cool, guileless face above it. "You are a wonder. You know, I'm getting to be afraid of you. That was < , the neatest trick I ever saw. How did , you like it V" ? "It was very refreshing, thank you."' He shook his head hopelessly. ' Sue smiled. She was not ready lo explain to tiiis newly-met cousin the : reason for her ability to manage the j , cocktail so neatly. ! Much later in the evening Haskins | came over to Sue, who sat demurely | beside Mrs. Ulanchard. I '".May 1 take her for a stroll?" he asked the latter. "There is going to be • , a moon, but I won't promise that it is ' ' the pretty moon you have in the country. ; ' However, let's go out and take a look at it." " ; 'He very careful of her." Mrs. Blan- \ chard admonished him. "Remember, my niece is a very young girl and she does ; \ not know anything about the world, j . I Don't say shocking things to her like you i ' do to all the rest of us." i "Dear lady, my bark is much worse ' than my bite." he told her laughingly. , "I'm not so sure of that —but. no matter, take care of my little girl." i .As they strolled on to the terrace the . tinkle of a banjo drifted up to Sue and . Haskins. and a tenor voice singing "Pale Hands." i , "That's Roger doing his stuff." Has- j kins indicated the direction of the song. | . "He is a marvel with the moon and the i { banjo. Wliy do all women fall for I tenors ?" | "Rut 1 don't care for them at all." ( ' j protested Sue. Slw? sank into the nest 'I of cushions he arranged for her in a ; j wicker garden chair. , I He seated himself beside her so that his own face was in the shadow, while hers was bathed in moonlight. With an abruptness that was one of his salient characteristics, Haskins j dropped the subject of tenors; he leaned over and touched Sue's necklace with an inquisitive forefinger. 1 "That's a lovely thing. Is it an heirloom ?" Sue was puzzled about the interest which her ornament seemed to excite, 1 hut she answered evasively. "Xo. some one gave it to mc recently." He stared at her hard, and there was a slow, significant question in his eyes. 1 "Who gives you real pearls, child?" Sue was startled, but she hid her ' amazement well. "What makes you think they are ; real?" \ CHAPTER X. A Question of Rivals. In answer to Sue's question about her ' pearls, Haskins shrugged. I ; I "Anyone who knows anything about i i;' jewels can tell in a minute. 1 happen | * j to be a pretty good judge; I've bought , : j enough in my time." ! "How interesting!" murmured Sue. ! i "Do explain how you can tell the real [ 1 from the false." [ 1 "The same way I can tell the real j from the false in women." he answered i ' briefly. "And now, having failed to i ■ change the subject, which you very cleverly tried to do, suppose we return to the discussion. Didn't you honestly know your pearls were realV' - Sue lifted her eyes and gave him a slow ~ smile. I f "Well, sometimes I have suspected t i 4-" a : He looked at her more closely. \ x } I "Ux>k here, are you kidding mc. or v ,! are you just putting mc in my place r 1 j for asking an impertinent question?" ! t '1 think a little bit of both." she re- a ; plied demurely, "but you mustn't be', . ' angry." ■ j 1 "I never take the trouble to be angry! r with women—they mean too little^to c ,! mc." ' j r | He leaned forward suddenly and laid * his hand on hers. " i 1 - "Come, let us lw friends. What do ' i you say?" | v a I "By all means." Sue agreed nuicklv. x g|"l need friends badly. You see, I'm . ; very lonely." , 0 j "You won't be lonely long down here. T J But you'll have to 'watch Josephine, t 'j She will try to steal all your beaux d ' I away, just as she did Joan's." ■ | "Oh!" Sue's eyes grew thoughtful. ! c "So that's the way It is. But she is , married!" \ ti j Haskins looked at her siispiciouslv. I r j | "I wonder if it's possible for anyone ; I to be as innocent «a yon look. Are you r j trying to make a fool of met" ' She opened her eyes wide at that. ! I 'I "Oh, no!" she protested. "If I ask t j silly questions, you must forgive mc; I, * j don't understand the situation here at 1 * i all." i j 1 "Do you want to have it all dearly I » 8 mapped out for yoof* " j ; c Sue nodded. j r* "Then come to lunch with mc to-mor- ( " j row in town." he "T'll send ] "•my car to the train to meet you. You I needn't mention it to Mrs. r>l:ir,,-liar<l. : . ■ She is likely to disapprove." i t' "Would it i>e fair to deceive her!" - Sue protested. t TTaskins tilled lier face up to the " moonlight. "Have you never deeeired \ d anyone in your life?" , r "Never," she said, and her glance did < • not wartf, . ,

He gave a short laugh. "You are a little liar," he said with a shrug, "but. you are darn clever at that. Now. suppose you tell mc whether or not you are coining to-mor-row." "Of course. You are very kind to ask mc." ";iood! Get Joan to br,ing you in. You can trust her." Footsteps were approaching on the gravelled path. Josephine swept, up the steps to the terrace with the air of a tragedy queen; her cheeks were flaming, her eyes glinted dangerously. Following in'her wake was Tony, looking rather sheepish and uncomfortable. "Oh. here you are?" Josephine greeted them. "[ wondered what had become of yo'.t. My guests always have the queerest way of vanishing directly dinner is finished." She seated herself on the arm of Sue's chair, turning a cool shoulder on Tony who hovered awkwardly in the background. "Come and sit down, Tony." Haskins pushed forward a chair. "Sorry, I'm afraid I must be off now. I have an early appointment in town in the morning." He made his adieux to Sue: but when he would have bent over Josephine's hand, she snatched it angrily from him and dismissed him witli a haughty inclination of her head, scarcely interrupting her nervous chatter to sue; and directly Tony had departed, she excused herself and went into the house. Haskins whistled softly. "Well, all who run may read with regard to that little scene.' He looked at his watch and got suddenly to his feet. "I ought to be getting back to town. t«o. 1 promised to call for a girl at the close of her show. She has the devil's own temper; if y uu keep her waiting, you pay for it."*

He turned to find that Roger had come out on the terrace, and from the expression on his face, it was obvious that he had overheard. Sue, looking up, was a little frightened as the two"men faced! each other. She sensed the tense drama of the moment. There was Haskins. | calm, world-weary, confident, smiling a , maddening little smile of cynical tri- I , umph. and there was Roger boyish and | \ • desperate, his eyes hot with jealousy. I , Sue rose swiftly. | "Please take mc in, Roger," she laid j her hand on his arm. "I'm sure your mother will be wanting to go home." j He obeyed reluctantly, and Haskins bade them a brief good-night and stalked off with his provoking air of triumph. When Sue went upstairs to get her wrap, she found Joan cuddled in a ! wretched little heap on a couch in Josephine's sitting room. Joan sprang Up at Sue's entrance and endeavoured | unsuccessfully to dash away the trace of her tears. "I—l—l—l have a beastly headache, I simply could not stand it'any longer. 1 but I did not want to spoil the party. Don't mention it to mother —please—she . Worries so—or —or to Josephine." 1 It was not difficult for Sue to put two and two together and arrive at the real i explanation of Joan's tears. She was i too thoroughly a woman not to know i that a headache is the usual feminine camouflage for a heartache. She began •: to hate Joseplune at that moment. I j (To be continued daily.)