"The Broken Fence"

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 13 (Supplement)

"The Broken Fence"

SILAS K. HOCKING

CHAPTER XXVL | The Answer. Aral reflected as he waited for CSathay Chat she was as elusive as a sunbeam. ( Twifte she had escaped him without giving him a definite answer. He did not intend to let her escape a third time. She was only five minutes late, but daring those minutes he looked at his wrist watch-half-a-dozen times. He was no longer doubtful what her final answer wold be, but there were difficulties in way, and she would no doubt Win*; him to consider them all before giving her reply. ' He was not in the mood, , however, to Consider difficulties. He wanted the; assurance of her love. Nothing else mattered. When at length she appeared he ran to meet her, and before she hsd time to speak he had caught her in his arms, and was kissing her with a warmth and passion that took her breath away. I Oh, Paul," she gasped, as soon as she was able to speak, "you £* ve B fl ue€Ze ® all the breath out of me." , "Do you love me, Cathay ? _ he demanded. "That is the only thing that fll&tter?." , "You know I love you," she faltered, with shining eyes. "Love you more than j you can possibly love me." , , "More than you love met" he laughed. "But that's impossible!" and the next moment she was in his arms again, an : he was trying to demonstrate how immeasurably greater his love was than Cathay laughed and submitted, tore herself away, and fell ' bis | again. She was' so supremely happy that she forgot all the thingß she baa come oat to say. Now that she had confessed her love, and all her dnubte and j fears had resolved themselves into glorious certainties, she felt as though ane had got into a new and brighter world, a world from which strife and, hatred nao been banished, and love and peace ana gladness reigned supreme. A little later, however, as they eat I side by side on the dry, warns «-*nd. With their backs against a towering rode, she 1 spoke of the troubles and difficulties that lay ahead of them. Bnt P»ul only 1 laughed. "We'll cross our bridge® when we come to them, sweetheart," he said; gaily. "As soon as your father returns j I'll go to him and tell him the truth- , _ 1 "No, no, Paul," she protested, "that is tty task. It will be very difficult* but I don't intend to be a coward any longer. IV# been afraid too long." "Brave little girl," he iaid. wtttf tflaetiooate squeeze. "Of OoQrse he will eut up rough, call me all manner of VneDmplimentary names, trot out all the ®ld bogies of tradition and convention, threaten terrible and impossible things, W prophesy dire disaster and perdition

at the end. Never mind, sweetheart, we have each other now, and we're going to be happy in spite of everything." _ She snuggled closer to him with a little sigh of content. Tm not afraid, dearest," she whispered. "I'm too happy to be afraid." The sun sank lower and" lower in the western eky, the sea laughed and rippled in its golden light, the gaßs wheeled and screamed overhead, the waves made music among the rocks, and still they sat on, forgetful of the flight of time, forgetful of everything save that they two had found each other at last.

The stars had begun to peep out when Paul left her at the lodge gates and turned* his steps to Lanjeth. It taxed all Cathay's courage to face her father on his return and tell him what had happened. But love had greatened her. In a Bense she had been reborn. She was no longer a timid girl, but a resolute woman. It was a finer Cathay that faced him. As Paul had predicted, Sir John stormed and raved and swore big oaths, and threatened all manner of pains and penalties. But Cathay stood her ground. "Of all men living," he sneered, "the son of old Peter Pendean."

"Paul is not responsible for his father any more than I an responsible for mine," Cathay replied. Sir John nearly jumped out of his chair. „ . "What's that," ho roared. "What!_ What! How dare yout Yon are responsible to me anyhow." "Up to a point, dad," she replied quietly. "And I have been obedient and dutiful, and hmve kept within the ringfence of tradition and convention. But I am of age now." "And you intend to break flown the fence, eh, and run wild?" "Not run wild, dad," she smiled* "but run free. My life i« my own, yonmnst understand, and I daim th« right to' shape it my»elf." . „ "The day you marry that scoundrel, he shoute<C "you eease to be a daughter of mine." "I am sorry, dad," she replied. "I have obeyed you in moet things, but in this I must choose for myself." Aftmr Hut the subject was allowed to drop. Paul wanted to heard Sir" John in his deo, bat Cathay would not hear him alone, dear," die pleaded, ' %nA, meanwhile, let us pray for his eonweeks later Paul took Cathay, to see his mother, and the old lady hinged Imt and kissed her, sad even shed tears over her. "I can't tell you how pleased I am, she confided when they were alone together. "1 have been so afraid Paul would marry a girlll.couMn't take to. Mind you, I didn't think he would look *

so high," she added naively. "But there, though you are the squire's daughter, Paul is worthy of you. He's a good son. There never was a better, and a good son makes a good husband." "I am not afraid," Cathay smiled. "You needn't be, my dear. He may not be of the money-making sort, though he's made a fortune for his father." "Indeed ?"

"Hasn't he told you? Oh, well, Paul is not the kind of man to talk about his doings. It was the day you returned, I think, he made the discovery. He'd been at it for months, testing and analysing and experimenting. Radium, he calls it. A bit as big as a pea is worth hundreds and hundreds, they say. He says the Bluff is dusted all through with it. Well, chemists and professors and financiers from London have been coming and going ever since, and last week father was offered a terrible big sum for the rights. I don't know how much. Peter is close about money matters. For a professing Christian,.! don't mind telling you that I think he's a bit too close. But we're all as God made us, I suppose. Anyhow, there it is. Paul says there's sufficient radium in the Bluff to buy up the parish, Crows Hill and all. "What a joke," Cathay laughed. "Joke, do you call it? Well, anyhow, it will all be Paul's when we are gone." am sure t*aul will want you to live to be a hundred, and I'm sure I shall," and Cathay laughed again. "You are a sweet little maid, and I love yoa like my own." And they kissed once more. Paul's name and fame spread rapidly throughout the scientific world, and the following Sept-ember he was offered a professorship in the Bristol University. This was a long step from being a science teacher in the St. Clements technical school, and Paul closed with the offer at once. A few weeks after his installation he walked out into Clifton and called on Mrs. Lister. Aunt Dinah received him with evep' mark of pleasure, insisted on his staying to tea, and after tea led him to the snuggery, and commanded him to light his pipe, while she smoked innumerable cigarettes. Paul was at all times a good talker and he entertained the old lady for nearly two 'hours. She fell in love with him on the spot. She knew the story of his early struggles, of his unaided fight* and he seemed to her a bigger man than Cathay had pictured him. "I suppose you and Cathay will be getting married now?" she questioned as he was leaving her. "As soon as I can find the wherewithal to furnish a little house," he langhed. "You leave that to me," she commanded. "11l look out for a house in this neighbourhood and see to the furnishing, with Cathay's help, of course. ■We've get to be near neighbours. Cathay is my favourite of all the Tregennas. Her father has more pride than brain —h j| 50 years behind tsie times, and Jus brothers, the Colonel and the colonial Bishop, are more benighted than he. Oh, Lord! If I had an acre of them I'd give Satan the land to take away the crop." Paul laughed and took the old lady to his heart light aw*y«

Before the time appointed for the wedding Sir John capitulated. Two or three factors contributed to this. In the first place Jasper took Ca'thay's side from the start. "Pendean » a sport," he asseverated, "and the fastest bowler we've had in the county. Besides, don't forget what he did for me. I expect I've some of his blood in my veins still, and if he wants Cathay let him have her."

What could Sir John say when his son and heir took sides against him? In the second place old Peter Pendean had become a rich man, how rich nobody knew. People said Peter's 60 acres were yielding a richer crop of gold than his (Sir John's) 60,000, and Paul was his heir. "Great Scott!" he muttered, "the world's turned upsidedown."

And in the third "place there was the Tregenna pride. Humiliating as it was to climb down and eat his words, it would be more humiliating still if Cathay got married in a registry office, which she had threatened to do. Afte> all Cathay was a Tregenna and it would never do to have the name disgraced. So he took the plunge. The formidable fence of pride and prejudice, of convention and tradition, went down as suddenly as did the other fence before the onslaught of the men of Carloggas. It was a hard and bitter experience, but a salutary one. Ever after he was a better man in consequence. So Carloggas had its grand wedding after all, and this time there was no hitch. There was more bunting than ever in the streets. The bells clashed during most of the forenoon. The old church was crowded to excess. To the thrilling strains of the wedding march, Cathay, beautiful as a dream, walked up the aisle leaning on the arm of her father. Paul stood waiting for her, looking proud and happy. The Colonel, looking fiercer than usual, stood by the side of Lady Tregenna. Peter Pendean and his wife had seats in the front pew. The colonial Bishop, in lawn and gaiters, assisted the vicar. The choir boys sang quite thrillingly "The Voice that Breathed o'er Eden." The service ended on the word "amazement," the benediction fell softly on bowed heads and then There was a big reception at Crowns HilL Everybody who was anybody had been invited. Toasts were drunk with great gusto. The bride cut into the wedding cake amid hearty laughter. The bridegroom made a neat little speech that delighted everybody. Liady Tregenna kissed Paul on the right cheek. Sir John shook his hand warmly when saying good-bye. In his heart he was proud of his son-in-law. The servants gathered in front of the house to witness tha departure. There were cheers, and tears and laughter, and rice and confetti and old slippers. It is only necessary to add that through the earnest and persistent efforts of his friends, a minor colonial appointment was secured for the Honourable Charles, in consequence of which he resigned his seat in Parliament, married the Lady Ann, and on a dreary November day they left England together to take up their residence anion" the natives of Natal. ° In the by-election that followed Sir John refused to take any part, and the "outs" became the "ins." (The End.)