Was She Her Brother's Keeper?

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2727, 9 July 1925, Page 10

Was She Her Brother's Keeper?

fr - ==:^ Should she have kept the promise that wrecked the happiness of another, as well as that of her own?

SERIAL STORY ■ =

By IVAN AD AIK.

“Lil." It was dinner hour at the factory a week later, and Lil Forbes looked up eagerly at the sound of her lover’s voice. That Arthur had something to tell her was very evident, the young man’s eyes were shining with excitement. . ”Lil Let’s find a quiet place. I want to toll you something: some wonderful news really.” They left the big room where the hands gathered for their dinner hour \n(l mid-day recreation. It was raining, but they went across the yard and Arthur Watson led the way into a big empty shed. “Lil. . . .such a chance,” he burst out eagerly. “Thornbur is sending me down to Danestown. They have some wonderful machinery in the mills there and he wants me to learn how it is used and to get used to it. It is my step up, dearest.” She looked at him and tried to bring herself to share in his enthusiasm, but at the moment the only idea that reached the girl’s mind was that Arthur was going away. He looked a little crestfallen. Ever since he had had the interview wilK ‘he manager, Arthur had been longing to see Lil, and to tell her his news; ho was disappointed that she took it so quietly. “When are you going ?” she asked, seeing the shadow that had fallen over the brightness of his face, and slipping her hand insid e his. “At three o’clock,” he told her. “Not three to-day, surely ?” At once his mood changed to one of tenderness—that was why she did not share his eagerness the prospect of parting with him. “Yes. . .and the sooner I get off the sooner 1 shall be hack,’ he said drawing her into his arms. . She knew what was coming next. He would ask her for her definite promise, the promise she held in her heart and longed so to give, the promise,’ that would fill her life with all that was lovely and good and worth having, only she herself knew what it would mean. Cut should she, dare, she ? The voice, the touch of the dead seemed to drown the love music in her heart, to chill the warmth of joy. She must parry that question “Tell me, Arthur. .. .tell me all about It,” she said. "It is so sudden it has taken my breath away.” He began at once, telling her that Thornbur had been very good to give him this chance; that it might mean so much to him. “I can get a much better post, you know,” he s.aid, “more money and a better position in every way.” “Where, in Danestown ?” she asked. “Not so far from Manchester,” he explained, “a short train run. It will mean I can get to sec Mother.” ho added, “indeed, I might even be able to stay with her a few days. I wish you knew mother, Lil; she’s the best little woman in the world. I know you will love her,” The assurance in his voice hurt Lil. She asked him how long ho expected to bo away. For some weeks, he told her; the longer the better. And then he held the girl he loved against his heart, and asked her if, when, he returned, she would be his wife. It was a moment of exquisite sweetness and of exquisite bitterness for Lil. Se wanted fo give that promise at once, but again that cold chill thing ....the hand of her mother, touched her...she drew away from her lover. Arthur was hurt suddenly. He gripped her wrists and forced her to look Into his face. “Say you will marry me, Lil,” he said authoritatively. “You must.” “Don’t ask me to promise definitely,” she pleaded. “Let me wait a little longer.” “But Lil. .. .you love me, you know I love you. Surely there Is no one you love better or even as well; surely there is no question of a choice ?” Hurt lov e and hurt pride rang in his voice. She could not bear it; she blurted out the words. ... “I love jfou.. .but.. .but there is a something... .someone.. “Watson, Mr. Thornbur wants to see you immediately.” The words of the messenger were lost in the boom of the gong that summoned the hands back to work. Under the eyes of the inquisitive messenger boy there was nothing for it but to drop Lil’s hands, to let her go, perhaps out of his life. Watson did so, and the next moment he was speeding across the yard in obedience to the summons from the manager, while Lil, the memory of a look of pain, of disappointment stinging her like a flash, had sunk into the darkest corner, of the shed and was crying as though her heart would break. Presently she pulled herself together and rose to her feet. She must go back to her work, and she feared to excite questions by swollen eyes and a tear-stained face. She removed the traces of her crying as well as she could and returned to face the long hours that must pass before she could be fre c to seek the consolation of being alone to think. But while she worked thoughts raced up and down the girl’s mind... tormenting futile questions. . . .had her mother loved her, could she have when she laid such a charge upon her, but In those days Lil had had no lover? Could she enduce Jim to think of Arthur as a brother-in-law. .. .for to keep her promise she could not be parted from Jim ? ■ Would Arthur allow Jim to live with them ? No, she knew Jim was peculiarly tenacious in his dislikes. He would never accept Arthur in that relationship when there was a chance of the | cushions of Life provided by a well-to-do relative like Thornbur. Not ;

even for liis sister's sake would Jim do this. If Arthur did allow Jim to make i bis home with his sister, and Jim were willing - to do so, Lit knew she would be Arthur’s loved and cherished wife before she was Jim’s sister and slave. Jim knew this too. And now she was throwing it al away: all the best that life could ever hold for her. •' She made a sudden resolution. She would write to her lover and tell him all, tell him of the. promise, beg him to help her out of her difficulty, tell him that he had no rival in her heart, but that she was bound by a promise, a promise, a promise given to her mother. , Because he owned and loved a mother, Arthur would understand. The resolution did much towards calming the girl. She felt more hopeful than she could have thought possible when she came out of the mills that, evening, but she wanted to be alone, and it gave her no pleasure when Maisic Logan came and joined her. "Isn’t it fine about Arthur." Maisie began at once. “The manager is awfully decent to give him such a chance, but he thinks a lot of Arthur I know. Arthur will be a manager some day himself, even a mill owner and drive a mangifleent car; ho is so clever.” Suddenly Lil felt that she did not want to talk about her lover. Probably Maisie was genuine enough in her good wishes; she had known Arthur for a long time. Lil never guessed at Maisie’s own secret, a secret that Maisie was careful to keep hidden. ‘T am tired this evening” Lil said in excuse for her silence. “It has been so worm a,nd so damp to-day.” •’’And so miserable parting with Arthur,' said Maisie slyly. Then, all at once her tone altered. "Poor old Lil. ... I know Its hard luck . . . and there was a girl before he met you . (that girl was herself, but she did not mention that fact.) "But, cheer up, he won't be away more than a few weeks and In meantime you will be getting your love letters.' Lil’s heavy heart lifted a little . of course Arthur would write to her . . . she would give him a few days at first, she had his mother’s address ... It would be al! right . ... it must be all right. Love is always optimistic. When Lil reached home she found that Jim had got there first and had lighted the fire up—a very certain sign of good temper on the part of Jim. He greeted his sister gaily as she entered. “Well .old girl . . . you don’t lock very bright . . . not weeping over Mr Watson by any chance? . . . for my part I shall be able to breathe easily for a few - weeks . . . long may he stay away sav I . . .” Lil made no reply. Her brother glanced at her white set face and said no more on the subject of Arthur's absence. The next few days were full of anxious torture, for Lil. She would lie awake at night longing for the morning that might bring her a letter, and at the mill she counted the hours until postman. But no postman called at the house and at the end of four days the girl Felt she could not stand it any longer, waited for Jim to go out before she sat down 1o write to her lover. Lil began and tore up many let-! tors before she got one that pleased her. She told Arthur the truth, that she had promised her dying mother that Jim should always be first in her houghts. She told Arthur that she oved him more than she would ever love anyone, but that she felt herself bound to her brother by that sacred promise to the dead. Earnestly she begged that Arthur would advise her and not, blame her, and then she opened the inner chamber of her heart and told him of the 3leepless nights and thought-filled | days that her love for him had be- j stowed upon it. It was a very pathetic letter, for it] held a woman’s soul, but Lil fe'ti strangely relieved as she carried it to ] the post. She was sending it to I Arthur in care of his mother, and on the outside of the envelope she had written a request that if he were away it should be forwarded to him immediately. After that she went home to wait for a reply. While she waited Lil avoided Maisie as much as possible, and In her preoccupation she failed to notice that Jim seemed worried about something; Lil lived only for the coming of a letter. But, none came, and at (he end of a week Lil wrote again, and yet again, again ,and then she persuaded herself to take a step that she had dreaded, but which she felt to be her only resource. She asked Maisie’s help. The local Post Office was kept by an old cousin of the Logans, a very deaf old lady who bore the reputation, I a well proved one .of being the worst I gossip in the neighbourhood. Some- ] one had said that it was a surer and; cheaper method of getting news pub-1 lished to tell it to Mrs Coulters than; to have it inserted in the paper. Lil j disliked the old woman, and even Maisie herself described her as a mischief maker and an interfering old lady. But Lil had come to that stage vhen she felt that desperate circumstances called for desperate remedies She met Maisie on the way homo and isked her tentatively, and appropos of

nothing, if the postal service was in its usual order. Maisie stared at her. “Why of course it is, Lil. But why . . ?’’ • It had struck her as odd that Maisie had never Spoken of Arthur or asked for news of him, but a cousin jof Maisie’s was getting married In the near future and Maisie was to be the (chief bridesmaid, so that on the ran occasions on which they had been 'meeting this had, to Lil’s relief, been jthe sole topic of conversation. I "A letter . . what kind of a j letter . . you have been getting j Arthur’s all right?” I Poor Lil. She was suffering from jan intense longing for help and for sympathy. She knew she was doing (something she might regret, but she could not help it. She told Maisie that she had not had a letter from Arthur yet. Maisie stood stock still on the road to gaze at her. "Do you mean to say you have not, had a letter . . not even one? Why, he is ten days gone . . / . Lil .... are you sure?” As if Lil could be other than sure. “Jim . . ?” suggested Maisie diffidently. “No .... I watch for the postman myself .... I thought .... your cousin . . . .” “What could she have had to do with it?” “Oh! only that she might have mislaid a letter . . . "It's most unlikely .... but I’ll ask i her “Maisie, don’t lot it get about,” pleaded Lil. “Mrs. Coulters is given to chatter, and I couldn’t bear it to be talked about in the mills.” “Of course you couldn’t,” said Maisie, sympathetically. “Don't worry, Lil, old girl. He may be sick, or too busy, or his mother may have forgotten to send on your letters. She is old, you know, or there may be some oilier good reason. Gracious! there’s the 171118110, and I have two fines to my name this week for being laic. Let’s run.” Lil felt she could hardly wait through that day and the next until Maisie had time to sec her cousin and report. But Maisie did not delay. Shu called round the next evening with her news. No, the postal service was in excellent order, and there were no letters for Lil. ",I didn’t like to ask too much.” Maisie said, “but my cousin let me look at the incoming mail. There were sevteral letters for the manager and I am certain sure that one of them was in Arthur’s writing.” Then, although she hated herself lotdoing it, Lil could bear no more. She burst into bitter tears. Maisie tried to comfort her. Ho was not worth it, she. said. There wore plenty of other men in the worldbetter men, if it came to that. She appealed to Lil’s commonsonse. to her pride, and she went away leaving a calm and quieted Lil —a Lil with a stone instead of a heart in her breast. ; After that the days of Lil’s life pass- ' cd in a kind of dream. Her lover had gone a fortnight, three weeks, a . month, and there was no word from him. Maisic got a week’s holiday for the ; wedding, which took place in a town not very far distant. She came back 1 looking happy and full of news. _ She came to spend an evening with Lil . . . : on her own invitation for Lil was in no mood for weddings, and during that evening she let fly a barbed ' shaft, “And I suppose Arthur is still grow--1 Ing strong?" Lil had been doing her utmost to keep her lover’s iictnio from cropping up that evening, but she was taken by surprise now and the colour in her face told Maisic as much as the words that escaped her lips before she could restrain them. T don't know. . . .” “Don’t know? Lil, Do you mean to toll me that Arthur has not written to you ?” Lil had not meant to tell her anything, but the truth had come to light. “Why, Tom (Tom was Maisie’s brother), has had several letters from him. He is getting on well, and Tom doesn’t think he will come back to Grcenvalc.” Lil made no reply. In that moment she felt that she had borne all she could. She had no idea that so much more lay before her. During the clays that followed Lil schooled herself to the idea that Arthur had gone out of her life for good and all. As far as possible she would not allow herself even to think of him. She avoided Maisic and made herself busy with her work in the mill and at home. She saw very little of Thornbur, and came to the conclusion that he had | forgotten all about her, until suddenly iho was brought to her mind by Jim. Jim was going along smoothly in 'those days. Ho talked less and read I more. He was not going out so much 4n the evenings. Had his sister boon I less occupied with her own thoughts (and more observant of him, she might have noticed that Jim was strangely secretive and retiring. But of this Lil saw nothing. One morning at breakfast Jim looked up from his bacon to make a remark. “I say, Lil,” he said “Young Thompson has got a job in Glasgow.” For the moment Lil did not remember who "young Thompson” was, nor when she did could she see why the news should be communicated to her. She remembered the young fellow as a pale shy lad who held a post on the clerical staff of the mills. She supposed Jim wanted to make conversation and she did not feel disposed to talk. “Really,” she said carelessly. “It means a vacancy,” said her brother, glancing over at her, 1 She saw his meaning then. “It will soon be filled,” she said. ‘‘There are plenty of young men lookling for such a place.” j “Why shouldn’t I get it?” asked (.Tim. Then he began to talk eagerly, i “It is just the sort of job for me, good I pay and not too hard work and shorter hours. Mother intended me to be tL mill hand, Lil. She educated me for something better, you know she did.” Yes, Lil knew. She knew that her mother had denied herself and her daughter to get “extra schooling” for. her son—schooling that —Jim had never annreciated, but which had

called for (he withdrawal of many a simple luxury and not a few necessities of life for the other two. Not that it mattered now. It was all over and done with. Lil saw the subject of the moment in its true light. “If you had gone to the night school as I wanted you ~ . . “I didn't want to ... . and besides “Besides what?” Jim looked down at his plate for a moment in silence. Then he said slowly .... "Bo you know what some of the fellows call me?” "No?” “They call me . . Thornbur’s brother-in-law .... and . . . .” Nil's eyes flashed with her old spirit. “How dare they; you should not let them. Mr. Thornburn is nothing to you, he never will bo ... . such impertinence . . if I heard (hem at it. . “What could you do?” broke in Jim with insolent, logic. “AniT," ho added pacifically, “it’s only a silly joke, Nil, and they are asses, silly donkeys. All the same if you spoke to Thornbur for me I might get that job.” “I shall do nothing of the kind,” said Lil hotly, “and you have no right to suggest such a thing. Mr. rTsornbur is nothing to me and I have no influence with him.”