BARABBAS'S DAUGHTER

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 22

BARABBAS'S DAUGHTER

By A. M. BURRAGE

! CHAPTER IX.—(Continued.) Billie's store of chips was almost depleted when she picked up a hand containing two kings and two •Shcntz had increased the ante, and BiHie put up the extra chips. Naturally, she drew one card. Shentz took two. That meant he either had three of a kind or he was going to run a bluff. In any case .she would have to see him. That sense of desolation common to every poker player who is losing and placed in such a position stole over her. In a second more she experienced one of those delightful thrills which the game also provides. She picked up the card ehe had drawn, and beheld a third king. With a full hand, kings high, she should afford to laugh at Shentz's threes, even if he had them. Only one other player besides Shentz and herself remained in for the hand, and he cautiously bet the minimum. Shentz doubled him. Billie doubled again. The third player dropped out. Billie and Shentz continued to raise each other. Shentz presently looked at h_>r through his lashes. •'Take care, Lady Violet," he said. "I'm dangerous this time." "So am I," Billie laughed triumphantly. "Well, I'll make it a level eight pounds." "Sixteen," said Billie. Once . more Shentz looked at her through his lashes. He had a fine nand, but he had the sense to realise that it was not unbeatable. "Thirty-two" trembled on his lips, but he checked himself in time. "Beware of the player who draws cn'y one card," is the oldest maxim in" poker. Billie might have had four of a kind dealt out to her at the start. She might even have filled a straight Hush. "See you at sixteen," he said. Billie laid down her cards face upwards 011 the table. Shentz glanced at them, and uttered a faint sigh of relief. "Very bad luck, Lady Violet," lie said. "I was born with three aces, md drew a pair of eights." Billie stared at the exposed hand of her adversary, her face blank with dismay. Then she formed her lips to smile. She must show these people that she could at least lose like a sportswoman. "I believe you're my evil genius at this game"' she laughed. "My dear young ladv; you should not expect to be lucky in everything. You have youth, beauty, health, wealth, social position; you should not expect to be luckv at cards."

"You'd have betted just as I did, wouldn't you?" Billie asked. "Why, certainly. As it was I only beat you by a pip. You could not exnect to lose with such a hand. It happens only once in a thousand times." "Well, I must get some more chins," Billie sighed. I hat meant another 1.0. U. and another visit to that house. "What, again?" Beaumont laughed as she approached him. said Billie, trying to smile. "Just lost sixteen pounds on a king full. Mr. Shentz had an aee full." Beaumont laughed in a manner intended to convey sympathy and encouragement. "Oh Shentz is a wicked old wretch. I should avoid his table in future. If he were to play poker with Old Nick I believe he'd win his horns and tail from him." "I believe he would!" Billie laughed "WeH, what can I do for you, Lady Violet? A hundred pounds? Two hundred ?" She laughed again, thoroughly seeing through this obliging man who thought— and thought rightly—that her credit was good. If he were deceived in supposing her to be Lady Viui.'tf Elcliard, a young woman of title whose name lent a cachet to his gambling den, that was his lookout. Anyway he had the cachet, for nobody in the room suspected that she was not Lady Violet. "Oh, nothing like as much as that, thanks," Billie laughed. She considered. She owed Shentz £10. She had very little left in chips, and there was still a few days before her quarterly allowance was due. Could I have £25, please?" she asked. What did it matter? Her allowance, when it came in, would be £250. "Is that all?" Beaumont asked. "It won't give you much of a margin to idav with, Lady Violet." "But I don't want a margin," she answered lightly, "because I've stopped playing for the evening. All I want is to pay my debt to Mr. Shentz and have tuppence to jingle in case I have a breakdown on the way—on the way to the house where I am staying." So once more she committed forgery— innocent forgery. She could redeem this 1.0. U. so quickly. — so safely and so quickly. And if her name were not Violet Elcliard, no more was it Paravel. She had about as much right to the one as to the other. She went back and paid Shentz, but did not resume her seat at the tabic. "Why," he said, with a lift of the eyebrows, "you're not going?" "I'm afraid I must. You dealt me a death-blow just now." She looked at him smilingly, as if she were being playful about a loss which really hadn't mattered to her at all. "I'll take my revenge another night," she added. "The next time you've got Fours I may have a Straight Flush." "You want to make me a bankrupt, Lady Violet," he laughed, as she nodded to him and went.

Billie did not leave the house alone. The young man who had been too often to the sideboard followed her out. He arrived in the hall almost on her heels and followed her into the avenue. She did not like the looks of him and he had not been introduced to her. She hurried in the hope of shaking him off, but it was not easy in the case of a pertinacious young man who wanted to know a Lady Violet. "Lady Violet, Lady Violet," she heard a voice calling behind her. Billie hesitated and looked back. If he weren't to be shaken off by her haste and her very obvious manner of showing him. that she did not desire his company she must try other methods. "Yes?" she said over her shoulder. "I'm in a hurry." "That's all right. So'm I." Billie took the line of least resistance. The thought of rushing to the place where she had parked her ear, pursued by this young idiot, quarrelled with her •sci;i.-e of dignity. .She let him draw

abreast of her and regarded him appraisinglv, hoping that he saw himself reflected in her eyes as a vulgar and unpleasant young man who was not too clean or too sober. "Let's 'ave the pleasure of seeing you home, Lady Violet," he said. "It won't be necessary, thank you. I have a car parked just round the corner." "Well, see you as far as the car," said the intruder, who was one of those fortunate young men who never notice when they are being disliked. "Let him come," Billie thought. What did it matter? It was only a yard or two. She was and weary, and shrank from the sheer physical effort of making herself too unpleasant to him. "Let's see. Don't think I've 'ad tbe honour of being 'ficially introduced to you." "I'm sure you haven't," Billie retorted dryly. "Well, never mind," hiccoughed the Great Unsnubable. "I know who you are. And my name's Wilkins. Sid Wilkins. I'm not a lord or anything likf» that, but I'm all-right. I'm a sport." Billie said that she was glad to hear it. "My dad," continued Mr. Wilkins, who was in the mood to lay all his cards on the table and abjure all pretentions to be what he was not, "left me a very fair 'airdressing business down in Brixton. Well, I never did care much for 'airdressing, and always wanted a bit of a fling, so I sold the business. I've made the money fly a bit, too, I give you my word! How did they treat you to-night, Lady Violet ?" "How did they—oh, I lost." "So did I. They didn't half cane me. Bit hot, some of the players there, you know. Do you know, Lady Violet, why 1 run after you ?" "No. Was there any particular reason ?" "I thought you might be interested, I wanted to tell you. Do you know you've got a double-" Billie felt her heart miss a beat and turned her face from him. "Really?" she said, coldly. "As like you as —well, my two thumbs are alike. I was with some ole pals drinking cocktails in the Metropole about a fortnight ago, and there was a young lady the image of you at another table. I said to one of my pals, 'Percy,' I said, 'who's that awfully pretty girl in blue over there?' And lie said, 'Why, don't you know? That's Miss Paravel. She's the daughter of Paravel, the shipping man.' When you come in the other night I was surprised to hear you was Lady Violet Elcliard. I could have sworn you was Miss Paravel. I never see such a likeness in my life."

Instinct told Billie that this oaf was perfectly honest. He was not telling her in some left-handed way that lie had surprised her secret. He really believed that the girl walking beside him and the girl he had seen at the Metropole were two separate and distinct people who were extraordinarily alike. "Oh," she said coldly and off handedly, "I know Miss Paravel. T went to school with her. Lots of people have told me that there's a strong likeness. But if you saw us together you'd see that it isn't so strong as you seem to think." "Well, that's funny," Mr. Wilkin's remarked, still evidently unsuspicious and only anxious to make interesting conversation. Billie hated him, not merely for being what he was and having the cheek to try to foist his company on her, but for having so nearly discovered her deception. Having reached the car, she dismissed him as if he were a lackey. "Well, here's my car," she said briefly. "Good-night." Mr. Wilkins watched her drive away. "Bit haughty-like, and stand-offish." he reflected, "but then, of course, she's one of the nobs." (To be continued daily.)