The Loveless Isle

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 April 1929, Page 7

The Loveless Isle

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CHAPTER XIX. , MISS GEDGE INTERVENES. i Tin: Mountspey entered the .•straits Oi L-eiiu Isle during tlie ingot, and a hen the passengers lookeu nut oi ine.r portholes the following morning they nere thrilled by the sight el the laud, distant and unattractive though it was. Toe early risers roused their cabin companions, and the pre-break-uisL attendance on deck was larger tiian usual. .Pamela was one or the earliest- She did not see Nairn ; indeed. it was not his habit to appear be tore breakfast. In the last two days she had seen a good deal oi Nairn. A change had come over their relationship. All that was so new and attractive to her at the outset or the voyage had lost its bloom i ol noveity, and, indeed, lite at sea had oe.oine somewhat monotonous Thus, i Nairn's company became more acceptaoie to her, particularly as she became 1 more and more eager to know about Lhe country which they were nearing, and Nairn could talk so interestingly 1 about it. In terms something like these > Pamela would have accounted l'or the • iact that she had been seen more and mure in Nairn’s company. But know- J ledgeable passengers would have aecounted for it in quite a different . tushion. . t indeed, that evening, as they sat upon the boat deck together, seveial ‘ passengers, noting their presence, went 1 to the other side oi the deck. ■•Lhe • tall, dark man and the pretty, musical <iirl,’’ someone would remark, which was equivalent to saying that the tune , had eoiue to turn about. •Well. Pamela, this is really the , last free evening we shall have on tlie ship.' said .Nairn. ‘ To-morrow there K is to he the big concert, and on the ( iollouing night we shall, all being well, have landed.' • L 'm looking forward to landing, rcp.ied I amela. “When 1 first came aboard. ,t thought tue voyage won id be too short, but now I’ve had enough u, it. And, of course, there is tue thrill oi seeing Canada. ‘which lennuds me.” said Nairn. •T had a talk to Miss Gedge bcvoie , dinner. and suggested that she might include in tiio programme a J,rip to my paper mill. toie thinks it might he manage.i. and she promised to look up her iiiuerarv and see whether such a visit can be htted in. Bo you think the girls would like -it?” ••I’m sure they would. Making paper out o' trees sounds so romantic. "Ves, and my plant has certain features wliien are not to be seen aii.v----w here else—it is quite unique, in fact.-’ • is this the plant you spoke to me a b 0.,! ages ago.'' Because you told me then it was bankrupt.” •‘Fancy you remembering that! Yes, Pamela.' its the same place. Lint, since then, we’ve hit upon a wonderful idea lor making tlie place pay, and the mill looks like being a line investment alter all.” T ielt,. somehow, that you woulcln t be content to keep it for long ii it didn’t pay, l-iusseli. .Sometimes, Russell, 1 think that you judge, everything and everybody by whether they cun make money. Do you?” ■ One is apt to grow like that, Pamela. when one concentrates on business. \\ hen 1 have time to do a little quiet thinking, 1 realise that business is becoming an obsession. Of course, J. get a lot of fun out of it, but 1 am growing more and more conscious that c'm missing a lot. 1 used to have other interests, but somehow they’ve deserted me. or perhaps I’ve deserted them.' , “Yes, you used to like music.” “I still like it immensely, but now 1 hear music only when 1 meet you. ’ I “A rather heavy compliment, Russell. but thank you all the same. Still, it isn't quite true, because although you’vo heard me play on this ship, it hasn't really been music.” •‘What I’ve heard has pleased me innnensel v, but J haven t had the luck !u hear hiucli of your playing. Did 1 hear you play that pretty p.olouaise hy C liOpi'u oil the piano in the drawingI loom last night.'” • Ye., I attempted it. but 1 vvasu t I pleased with it. Still. L'm glad that • you were able to recognise it. “Ol course I recognised it. 1 shall never forget that piece, although I vc heard it. only twice.’’ •• W hen was the other occasion ?’’ 1 “Vou remember one occasion, then. 1 observed Nairn with a little start. There was silence lor a moment, and above the rhythmic murmur ol the engines i ame the sound of dance music iron) the deck below. “They're dancing.” remarked Pamela. •ic. I suppose that is why everybody has disappeared Ironi here. Would vou lisc to dance:'' ••Well, not just now. thank you. Later perhaps. Again there was silence. • vve were la.king ol Lhe poliiiai.se. pcrsi'ted Nairn. “Were vve ?’’ • Pamela, how provocative you are! lie laughed, as lie bent forward and threw into the water a hah-smoked eioir. ‘Do y.m know, sinee I caught a snatch ol lhal polonaise last night, the tune has never lelt my head, and several limes I’ve been hack in your drawing-room at home." 1 ‘‘Was it really so memorable as ah I that • "It wa> must extraordinary." he re- • plied, ami. turning towards her in a ; lunlidentiai manlier, he added: “i'lt tell vou .something. I’ani. For the better pari of torty-eiuhl hours alter that episode at your home, I was thoroiighjlv unsettled. Business went by the I hoard, and 1 actually had the car out, running round, in the hope ol catching .vou going to your lectures!”. U,. was sitting sideways Jiotv, looking earnestly into her face, his right arm was resting on the back of the bench- behind her; “And why was that. Russell. |- oi- answer, he shrugged his shoulders. and added: “I couldn’t lie!p myself. It was very disconcerting.” “You neglected your business.‘Positively! Made a pretty hash of two days’ affairs.”

“Faucy a mere piece of music making you neglect your business!” “Pamela! it wasn’t the music. Heavens above, no! Jt was you —some sort of spell that you cast over me that night.” As he spoke, his let! hand closed upon hens, as it lay in her lap. For the first time that evening, their eyes met. She smiled, and turned her face from him. “Pam "

But lie got no larther. At that moment they heard the masculine voice of Miss Gedge .somewhere about the head of the companionway. “I wonder if she's up here " Miss Gedge was saying. Pamela jumped up, wrapped her coat about her. and. with Nairn, walked towards the voice. “Are you looking for me. Miss Gedge?” “Oil! There you are Miss Lang trey. “Yes, Mr Nairn and 1 were discussing stars.” "There’s an unusually line sky tonight.” added Russell. “Of course,” responded Miss Gedge, > who was too much concerned with watching her step on the narrow stairway to notice that there was not, ,n> fact, a solitary star to be seen! Pamela’& rest that night v* ius Rot> good. She shared a two-birth cabin with another girl of the party, and it was their custom to chatter for half an hour as they lav in their hunks, before falling off to sleep. On tln. s night the talk was almost wholly on the side ot Pamela’s companion, and she. perceptive girl, soon came to the conclusion that Pamela’s artistic cempctfament was exhibiting its less likeable side. So she bade Pamela “good night” after five minutes’ lutile effort to promote conversation. Thence onward, for what seemed hours. Pamela lay awake. f She was thrilled by the thought of what might have been «aid by Nairn had Miss Gedge not burst in upon them on the boat deck, but she oove Miss Gedge no grudge. Indeed, she was rather glad that it had happened thus She had a sneaking feeling ol relief that Russell’s unusual burst o sentimentality had been nipped be lore it reached the climax towards which A was tending. . . ( .i She had become so used to Ins K" tile” indifferent manner towards her, that his .sudden change, coining so unexpectedly. rather took nor breath When she was a young girl m hoi teens. Nairn had been her hero, and the feeling of admiration had grown and developed so; steadily that not even she could tell exactly where 1 1 I .« d changed into the love she now lelt ioi k Other men might he charming enough in their way, but they were all the more or less alike to hen. > - men. But Nairn was different altoS< pSably the very fact tllP* ww* so unapproachable, .so politely inditteieut., was in itself an attraction. And Pamela knew perfectly well as does anv girl in similar circumstances, that he" loved- her—a fact or winch ke j himself was utterly unaw ate. <rv had | been until the romantic setting oi the boat-deck of a liner ploughing westward through the night had caused him to realise that he was a man as well as a financier. ~ • But it- would take more than this to make him realise that lm 1 5 loved her. Men like Naitn only awakened to the fact that they want a woman when she has drifted out of then rem-h-That, vvas why Pamela was gladl that Miss Gedge had interrupted Nairn rather perfunctory love-making _ Pamela was determined that his lovemaking should be a» ardent as i Ms monev-making before she would yield to S And in the meantime it behoved her to continue to be sweetly iiKiitteient towards him —no easy matto, as "Vims she reasoned with herself, as in her bunk, »nd sku tnrnud from side to side m an effoit to can lure the elusive spirit of repose. And f rn early daylight was penetrating the ; curtained porthole, before she fell asleep. Unlike her cabin companion, it vva, ; not her habit to take early morning ‘ tea. but when the stewardess came "W- 1 the other gi-vl’s cup, she remarked to Pamela • “Excuse me saying so, vou ' look as if you could do with a cup <>i tea this morning, Miss.’ ' “Thank vou. I could,” replied i am- ' da. “I have had a bad night.” I “Ah! i told you early morning tea . was better than after-dinner coffee.’ was the blithe comment ol the girl m tlie lower hunk. But you would have it. Mother always says there’s nothing like black coffee and band.some hoys for ruining a girl’s looks. If Pamela had answered according to her mood, she would have charged hei companion with a long acquaintance with both, but she mumbled something less provocative, and snatched a little more sleep. She skipped breakfast and came up 1 on deck in time for the mid-morning clip of soup, which she took in her deck chair. Most of the girls were playing games, and the chairs about her were deserted. She was endeavouring to wrap her rug about her feet, when along the • deck, with a swinging stride, came i Russell Nairn. He bade her a cheery i good-morning, and iolding lhe rug anew, lucked it about her with a ' thoroughness and neatness that was j characteristic of the man. And. to Pamela’s embarrassment, he took the chair beside her, told her the news, and passed on the captain s information about their probable hour or landing. i Pamela, however, showed little disi position to talk, so he took his cue. “I must be off'. I suppose, or Miss ' Gedge will descend upon us from no- ' where. Strange how that woman ap- ’ pears when she isn't wanted ! I hated 1 her last night.’’ ’ “Perhaps.” stammered Pamela, “her arrival was providential." "That s cryptic. How providential, Pam?” ! “Well, I can’t explain exactly, not now. My head’s not working well this morning.” “Then don’t let me exercise it,” ho responded, good-liumouredlv. “Bve-bye for the present,” and, raising his cap, he "strode away. (To be. continued.)