Miranda of the Movies.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 147, 23 June 1926, Page 18

Miranda of the Movies.

By ERIC LEA CROFT.

Author of ''Winter Corn," "SflTersanfls," j Etc, Etc CHAFTEB XX. "A g-entleinan to sec you. air." said Grimsdike at tbe efadj door.Mr. Thorpe greeted h;s vis-lior grarelj with that a.:r of xbe grand eentlfman that Ladj He-seltir>e had e]«;§ w isaed that she could bur for her husband as : easily a.s he had obtained his pe-ersse. j and i: his eve dweh sonibre'j on the fur j caat it trss only for the ibos-i Seet.nz j of moments.. "Mt name is sa.!d the iittle ' man. "1 have the pleasure of know;ng ; members of your family."" Mr. Thorpe seemed to think this un- . likely, hut ■sra-i .silent. "And I'm pleased to meet the head of i it. ] dares.sy you noticed c>".ir caravan- I s*rai up there." Mr. -lonah nodded his head towards .the height from which he | had iaiien. i -I—ah—hadn't noticed." replied Mr. Thorpe. ""Oh. it's quite amusing. I""c made a hobby of the thing for a numhsr of ; years. and Ym not tired of it yet. Run up and see any t.me ■nhen you ye nothing "r>etter to do. Mr. "Thorpe nodd-ed absently. Evidently thk :e:'.fioTr Lad l<een sent to repeat the offer of that fellow ■wbos* , name ■wasn't ■""orth try:ng to remember, but trhotn it had been quit« plea.sant al>ont3his business in s-uii-abie term?.. But somehow tne pro--pe.-t of rei>eatin2 the crush.n: rro.-es? c-n this ne-w -visitor did not £p7>?-- to h.m a* it ■"ould have done only a l.ttle while ago. Ke felt a ■curious a numbnes* of his inst.r.:-ts. a lots of .combative appetite. He spoke up wearily, but with bis usual frankness. -•}dr—ail—Tudas. 1 belie" c 1 know what you have come to ask mc. "i ou may spare vours«-lf ahe trouble. My decision is final" "You're not interested* ,, asked Mr. Jonah brightly. "Wen. well: Every msn to iii* 1«S-W. But " c could ha'-e shown you some fun. and wxe dashed pietiy <;ir]s. too." iie smiled roguishly, -ith that h'.nt of a leer that went «i;h most of his smiles Bmt for ail the re pons* he go". he might as ■"■ell Lave ieert-d at one o: ■ Thorpe's lichened walls. ""I &aii yir. T'.orpp. "that you have called on mc to repeat a =■ £■ £estion made a fe's" weeks arj :>y a Mr.—Mr. Pimento, who had the imr:u----denc-e to jpeak o: hiricg Thorpe for the ! purpcese of moving pictures." i "Never heard of him," said Mr. Josals • sin«rely. "And as for hiring your delii'htful residenf-e —well, don't ne-^<3 to. though I'-fi much obliged u> you for the suggestion.*" Mr. Thorpe ro&e. The :oo hvmij might as irtll come 10 an eafli "You se-e." s-sid Mr. lonah. I the hint, "your hoite is so conveniently ; situated that we can bring it into most I of otir sK-ene? without giving you any ! trouble at aC. It makes an ideal backI ground, if yo-j"U alloiv rrs vc> s.ay ~:.. Mr. Thorpe- gasped. I "Do 1 'jriaerftaDd you to meaii that i you intend to —cr —take photographs of ' Thorpe from a distance, j "That's- it. said Mr. Jonah e"j ia:-ly. j "It's a very small distance, you knov. i You'd be astonished to know what we I can do with our cameras. V» hy, i when you ~w the Sim—and 1 do hope ; we sha'3 have the pleasure of s-f-einjr y.'U ■ at the private view —Ttu'.l that you're riAnding right under ycur c-n i Willi." ! Mr. Thorpe's fiphtinz made . sizns of creeping from the hoi? in winch • n had so unaccountably niiden itse.t. "You're a scoundrel." he s.aid. "I know I g'.re that impression." said J Mr. Jonah sadly. "I forbid you to do anything of the j kind." J "Well, we!]." sighed Mr. Jonah. "I i hoped that we should have your good- ', will, even if 1 didn't venture :o a«k for your co-operation. But if you take that i view. I ruppos* there's nothing more to i be said." "Xothing." agreed Mr. Thorpe. "I'm — ah —glad that you look at it reasonably. ! "i had meant to. ask your assistance in one or two trifling details. But :: you can'; r-ee your way to help up—l : quite realise that you country gentlemen are people in these days— vre mus: iu>t carry on as Viest we can." "So ior.g as you give up all idea •:: ■ photographing tbe houea. . ." ; "Ah. no:" cried Mr. Jonah. "I'a afraid that's out of the question .you know. That mean changing all our plans —a most expensive business, to . say nothing of the delay. W e must really bring in the house —1 do assure you we I musi.'' ""But I have forbidden you to do anything of the kind." The fighting -p:r:t was lifting its head irto full view: bet .Mr. Jonah was pleased not to notice it. j "Quite so. my dear sir. quite s>o. But j you can't, you know. If this were warjtinie. now. and Thorpe were a scheduled j area, I admit it might be .awkward. But I 1 don't know of any law that forbids . one i-o photograph a house, so long as I one doesn't intrude or the owner's land. ! Vn-d you may take my word for it ■ ! that we haven't the least intention of ! I ... i ' trespassing.' j Again that infernal leer. Mr. Thorpe! ' Open-ed tiis mouth to speak, and shut it : again for lack of words.. He stretched ; J his hand to the beil. j "Griaisdike. show —ah —Mr. Jumbo ' • out." Then he sought his wife. She was I in her usual station on the sentry's ■ I walk. ' i "Susan ." I '""Well, dear*" , i '"I —ah —believe I'm going to be ill.*' It was Mr. Thorpe's boast that he had never had a headache in his life. The ! house-hold was in a conspiracy to forget ; j tii£ occasion, some lew yexrs before.; when he had contracted a quite un-in;s----t-akafele cold io the head. That he should I admit that he vras feeling ill was almost j ! as startling a; if he had confessed to I overriding hounds or forgetting to shut j i his farmers' gates. j Six hours later the incredible fact wa? ; ■ confirmed by- Dr. Hewetson. Mr. Thorpe , had influenza. i "It's everywhere," explained the har-, ras.sed practitioner. '"'Heaven knows how , it spread, but it's reached the remotest j ■corner of the moor. Luckily it".s a mild form, and with a man of Mr. Thorpe's eonsaitntioa we needn't be in the. least . alarmed. Keep him warm, and don't let J him worry." The first injunction was easy enough to follow, even "in the mediaeval chill of I Thorpe, for autumn had bKHight a spell of warm days of crystalline clearness, and the heat her-covered slope of the moorhung like a rosy -cloud against a pale) blue sky. But ilr. Thorpe proved to be ' of a breed th*i does not take kindly J _«r> *»pTsvi«y. _ - . j

i'irst he fen: Janet To his solicitor u> ascertain what lejral right, if any. he could assen aeraiDet the intruders. Janet broueht back tile expected answer. There was so c-opyright in houses, and so long as Mr. Jonah's forces refrained from technical trespass, they mig-bt help themsfive? to Tho-rpe with all the resources -of their vaunted cameras-. When it came to publication. Mr. Thorpe mignt P'Oss:b:T have £ -.-as-? for seeking &d injtinctjon. But it waj extremely donbtful if he would be able to sustain it unless he could show that he was likely ] to suffer material damage from the I Tinsolicit-ed advertisement. : This --{fined t■■ h:m to be a further! j fosannation c-f "he law's malign bias j ■ asrair.-t property. Bu: there wa? dearly j nothing to :•- dc-ne in this d:re:tion. I I Tne nex: <■:*:• to write to Lord 1 i Kfseit inc. He dictated to Janet an; I incr-e-dibly tactless letter, irhich she! I prudently so::e~rd before it went into the j I >C'St. The answer did not surprise her— ' pc*»ibiy :>€-:-a'jse sne had written a dis-' • ;rer". commen: of her own on the back ! :of her father's letter. Lord Heseltine , repliej briefly :ba: Mr. Jonah was acting. [not cmij with h:* full consent, but as ' i his agent, that he was quite ready to give ; ai! weight to Mr. Thorpe"? repre-! i sensations, but that on the face of it ihe could not quite understand in what the owner of Thorpe conceived himself to :.avr a grievance. Mr. Thorpe's rext move we- the outcome of prolonged aci unaccustomed ! bra is work. I gat.'irr." he sa-.d to Janet rext Tnorn-f-enta:.on of the roid-ii? ape* " Janet arrr-ed t'r.-a; it .-ecu.;-; to be some•fling c>: the pert "And I ;n:ag.r : tha: they car.'t pbotcjrraph T.'iorpe frc'nj H«-s«.-It.ne's .-and trith- -- ur- n.f-.rta !e prem:cl"..-:-n of w'r.a: "T*:: Mr-. BfVf-rlf-y "h> r>d.""; . ).?.r.z otit ih.-- ah—wa*h.r.i' c-r. :h? s-fatrj'- ■ Ke ccv? '::■:- a ::.-.:rr.-. hart p'.anre Jay c w:; rs-a'.'i ; ,.;i: i.t-:\:ing her j little ga-t' of i '3i;} Ten m.r.u;-:-- '.a::-z the sentry'- walk flu-.s i-:£ar.:-e st the 'enemy '.n b snowy '..-■ .f bllljwing and 1 "Jr.mis;aka '- ~a.r'jr.- rr.- Mr. Tiiorr-e'?- 0~2 ; nightslr.r. -.>j-..yi :r:uciy in the i-entre lofthe *. '■■:. j.- .- :■ - .: \hau*ted :y b.s : una -us: -••! rtir- ■:-'■:. feii into a .deep and :-\i". .:.: rileep His rampa.—.- ---' wer. 2c2r.e-i. Ke had met rjn-ing with bt:*': tiie rentry? walk wa< once •more fulfilling .:; :■ :r;»:irr of --aving To ;* :-'.\.-^~- : dai>