LOVE CONQUERS TREACHERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 152, 30 June 1927, Page 22

LOVE CONQUERS TREACHERY.

By HAROLD BINDLOSS

Author of "The Impostor," "The Allinson Honour," "Andrew's Folly," Etc.

r •;/ CHAPTER XIV. After a first-class supper, Lawrence thought himself entitled to loaf. It'did not look as if his arrival at the hotel interested anybody, and he carried a newspaper to an easy chair by the smoking room window. Although the days got shorter, the evening was hot and groups of young people drifted about the wide street. A motor , bus rolled by, somebody noisily cranked a car, and Lawrence thought the fellow swore. Then across the valley the rumble of a Scotch express echoed in the hills.

Afterwards all was quiet but for the occasional beat of heavy boots 011 the stones.' The smoking r -m was unoccupied, a'nd Lawrence tranquilly studied the important provincial newspaper. He liked the'old-fashioned hotel, and if Mrs. Hestan' left him alone he might stop for a day or r two. He pondered <111 ambitious politician's remarks about British industry. A speech like that might go in London, where the company-floaters were, ' but it'would not persuade the forgenien who sweated in the North.

Lawrence could tell the fellow much; Jim, without an effort, would explode his argument. Well, it was not important, and Lawrence had not much use for argument. His business was to make things/aiul his proper tool was the graduated scale. Yet, if he were forced, he could use a fishing rod —Lawrence's smile vanished, for when lie tlirned the sheet a caption feed his glance. Marborough Manufacturer's c - Disappearance. The .paragraph was the sort of paragraph .newspapers print, and Lawrence tliought.he knew Sirs. Hestan's touch. It narrated that Mr.'James Hestan had left his house at night without stating where lie-went,' and had not returned. Siiice he had not altogether recovered from injuries received in France, and had been very closely occupied at the company's office, his relations imagined the strain might account for a loss of memory, and they were anxious for news. Particulars about his height and clothes, and so forth, were accurately supplied. The writer added that the leather had been removed from the shoulder of his shooting coat..

Lawrence glanced at -the spot. .Sometimes a; leather patch was sewed oil a shooting coat. The queer thing was lie had not' remarked that the patch was gone, but the cloth it had protected was fresher than the suiroimding material. Lawrences look got thoughtful: Mrs. Hcstan was an awkward antagonist.

To begin with, she had cleverly implied that her step-son's mind was weak. If he eluded her, it would explain his vanishing and should he venture to return, his objections to the directors' policy would carry no weight. There was another thing; Mrs. Hestan was a haughty woman, and no doubt hated vulgar notoriety. Yet she had inspired, or perhaps dictated, the newspaper paragraph. Moreover, when she resolved to shut up Jim, she, knew she ran some risk. Very well; Madam obviously thought'the risk was justified.

Strome had bluffed Robert Hestan and his figurehead colleagues, but he had not cheated Madam She knew, or suspected, something, the directors did not. 111 fact, she probably knew that unless the loan was floated the company might crash. Lawrence thought Jim knew, but saw an honest plan to support the collapsing house. Anyhow, it was something like that, and in consequence, Lawrence must use his best efforts to see Jim out.

A step disturbed him. Although lie had imagined himself alone, a man crossed the floor, as if he had got up from a couch 011 the other side, and took a timetable from a shelf. Laurence thought his not hearing the fellow come in was queer. His clothes were ordinary city clothes; he was not a country sportsman, aiid he did not look like a motor tourist. Lawrence' believed he could to some extent spot a man's occupation, alid he was satisfied the other was not a shopkeeper in the small market town.

The man put up the timetable and advanced carelessly. Two or three newspapers were 011 the broad window ledge, but Lawrence's chair and a small table blocked the passage.

"If you don't mind, vou might give me the ash tray," the stranger remarked. Lawrcnce's chair was low and the window ledge was a yard oil'. In order to reach the tray, iic leaned forward and twisted his body. He recovered swiftly, sooner perhaps than the other thought, for he did not seem to see the tray. His glance. was. fixed 011 the shoulder of Lawrence's shooting coat. Lawrence knew Iris turning his hack was rash; the fellow had an object for wanting him to move. - "There you are, lie said. ■ "Would vou like the "Post?" The other thanked him politely and returning to the couch, lighted his pipe. Lawrence doubted if he would stop for long, and in about live minutes his doubts were justified, for the fellow went oil quietly. .'lf he were, as Lawrence thought, a private inquiry agent, he knew his job; all the same, ho had studied Jim Hestan's coat a moment too long.

1. In the meantime Lawrence imagined he had gone to the door aiTd he pulled the curtain at the open window behind his-head. The man had met two more iby the porch and they talked quietly. By and by, one went off and Lawrence

wondered whether ho went for a car. Across the street, a motor bus started for the station and a shopboy leaned his bicycle against a doorpost. Since he left the lamp burning, it looked as if he would soon be back.

A train presently started for Carlisle, and Lawrence, stealing upstairs, got his sack and fishing rod and rang for the chambermaid. Ilijs luck, perhaps, was good, for in a. few moments- the girl arrived. "What do you charge for dinner?" lie inquired. She told him and lie gave her the sum and added a generous tip. "You might fix it at the office; I can't stop for a bill. But please wait and keep my bedroom key, for about twenty minutes. That's all." The girl's surprise was obvious,, hut she. knew when the train went, arid Lawrence saw she was ■ willing -to earn her tip. He stole downstairs and reached the street through the bar. The strangers had vanished; one or two perhaps lurked about the hall and a big car rolled slowly up the street, as if the driver meant to stop. The motor bus was gone, and Lawrence got 011 the shopbov's bicycle.

He thought nobody saw I,'nn go, but until he was level with a dark corner he kept the station road. Then he took a side street, and, returning to the main road farther 011, steered, as fast as possible, for open country. A tourist, carrying a ruch-sae and fishing rod, on a tiVdesman's bicycle, might excite some curiosity.

In a few minutes lie was clear of the little town, and the acetylene lamp's reflection touched a good black road. The bicycle went noisily and the large front carrier clanked. Lawrence sweated and pushed the clumsy machine along, but lie calculated. Something depended 011 the chambermaid's keeping his bedroom key, since Mrs. Hestan's agents durst not.force the door, and before the landlord was called and so forth some time would go. Then they would start for the station, but passengers were not numerous and they would soon find out that he had not got 011 board the train. Another line went up the valley not far off, and Lawrence pictured their questioning the porters and studying the time-table.

The train he might have got, however, stopped at a small station four or five miles farther on, and Lawrence reckoned he had left the town about ten minutes before it went. Since the line.curved about the hills, he might, add another fifteen minutes to the time in which he must reach the village. On a carrier bicycle it would be a close race, but somehow he must win.

Silver light swept the "road and his lamp's reflections melted in the dazzling beam. The car was behind him and his.heart beat. If she slowed, hc.musf steer for the wall'and" take the fields. A horn.blew, but the car went by and Lawrence felt his skin was wet- bv sweat.

The road dipped to a .river, and pedal--1 in"- savagely for a few moments, lie let the noisy machine go headlong lor the bridge.

On the other side he fronted a hill and saw the jolting had shaken the carbide and the (lame was dangerously high. A light, however, was not altogether an advantage, and although he burned his hand, lie cut otl' the water and then braced himself for the effort to climb the bill. The heavy machine had not a change of gear, but if he got down, he could not recover the time he lost.

Gasping and straining, lie reached the top, and for a moment or two looked about. Vague, black hills enclosed the valley. In front, two or three dim lights pierced the dark, and he thought ore higher than the rest marked the railway lino. That was all, and only the river's measured throb and the clank of the slack bicycle • chain disturbed the brooding calm. Then he plunged into a pothole and concentrated on the road. If he got another jolt like that, the chain might jump oil' the wheel.

liy and by the machine ran downhill and lie laughed, a breathless laugh. Not long since lie was a British officer, and until three days ago lie occupied a responsible position at Ilestan's foundry. Whether the post was yet his was another thing. Anyhow, his careering down the dale on a stolen fishmonger's bicycle was frankly ridiculous. All the same, lie did not see another line. Luck and perhaps Jim's sister nad given him a low comedian's part; but be had volunteered to take the stage and must do the best lie could. Anyhow, to philosophise about it would not help, his business was to push the blighted bicycle up the liill in front.

The road again crossed the curving river and Lawrence.thought a fresh noise pierced the current's splash. When a whistle echoed in the hills, he knew the train sped down the valley and he bent over the handle bars. A long time since, lie had won a boys' handicap from scratch, but his machine did not carry an iron basket and a large tradesman's name-plate. Moreover, the confounded l'ltch'Sac: lurched about his shoulders, and he must balance his fishing rod.

Where the river swung hack towards the road, he risked turning his head. A mile or two off, a row of twinkling lights sped along the hillside, and Lawrence lbpketl in front. It was goiii£ to he a near thing, but other lights began to shine ahead. It looked as if they marked a station, and now the road followed the line. Lawrence's.skin was vet, his heart heat like a hammer,, and his mouth was parched, but lie,humped hin-self over the handle bars and sent the bicycle along. The roar of the train got louder. Red reflections flickered 011 tossing steam, lights flashed across the road, and he was in the station yard. Throwing the bicycle _ against the wall, lie seized. a porter-and pulled out some money. "I expect a fellow will call for the, machine in the morning, and anyhow,

you'll sec his name. Get me.a. ticket for Carlisle." Waving to tlie guard, he sped across the platform and sombeody threw back a door. When Lawrence was on the step tin; porter arrived. "You must book again at Penrith, sir. llow much for hiring the bicycle?'' "That's for you to fix," said Lawrence, j and the whistle blew. i

Dropping into a corner seat, lie laughed breathlessly. Three, days were gone, but eleven had yet to go and he wondered whether he could keep it up. Well, if Ilestan's, as was rather probable, afterwards sacked him, he ought to be qualified for a job on the movies. (To be continued daily.)