“THE MISCHIEF MAKER"

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 278, 25 November 1935, Page 9

“THE MISCHIEF MAKER"

Puny human vows; So passionate, so sincere and deep-rooted In the soul, Immutable as the virgin rock, they thought. But the storms come, the frost drives In its wedges of ice; the rock is split and rent asunder; the Ore of the sun burns out the wedges to send it crashing down the mountain side to violent disruption. Nature creating a new world from the old. Life,, perhaps, doing the same. Something too vast to be understood. Her mother’s life, her father’s life, her own and Michael’s life—out of the wreckage of them what emerged? What single, hope of reconstruction? Nothing. Disruption only. Pain and more pain. Oh, Michael, Michael! Her numbed heart in anguish of re-awakening •cried out for him. Would he ever return? Knowing now what had driven him away, there seemed little hope that she would ever see him again. For he was thorough. Already he might be two thousand miles away.

She passed through the, shrubbery and came to the doo'r in the wall; the magic door of Fairyland it had once seemed. How often she had come as now and opened it to Michael. A sudden Impulse seized her. She must open the door again, must see with her own eyes the emptiness beyond before she could believe. Tho idea gripped her Imagination. To react the old days, to pretend Michael was, even now, coming up the lane. Another few seconds and he would reach for the latch. She began to count tho seconds and then suddenly noticed that the .bolt was on. She 'drew it ' silently, held her breath, and flung open the door. The next instant she staggered back, gasping. . . Michael was there, leaning against the wall. One dry little sob, a start of mingled amazement and fear from Michael, and she, was in his arms, pouring out incoherent words, tearing at the dark pall that had oofne between them. And in that supreme moment, Michael was not ashamed of the tears of joy that dimmed his sight. CHAPTER XXX. Jimmy was in a vile temper. Southward bound again, and Sinding still at largQ. He had chased all this way on a fool's errand. Curse that imbecile who styled himself detective. Ha wasn’t fit to chase a kid’s hoop. A glimmer of reason demanded a hearing. Grudgingly he admitted the man had been right. No doubt he was still on the trail, but he might have had tho sense to leave behind some message in case Jimmy himself turned up. And it was no false scent. Jimmy knew that for he had been to Blea Rtgg Farm, but only to find that Michael had packed and gone off with someone or other the night before. He was so annoyed that it did not occur to him to ask the other man’s namo.

There was nothing to do but return to Arden Hall and await further news. He was now on his way. The train drew Into Crewe station. Jimmy went to the window to call a newsboy. Too late he spotted Kate. She had already seen him. He forced a smile and she got in and sat opposite to him.

“How nice I” She favoured him with an expansive smile. “I thought I was going to be bored with my own company. You don’t seem a bit pleased to have me descend on you like an angel from heaven.” “Delighted—cr—awfully glad," murmured Jimmy.

“You don’t ask me what I'm doing so far from home. But I’ll te,ll you. I've been calling on a designer In Liverpool. He creates Paris models. But 1 oughtn’t to tell you that. It’s a trade secret. We buy the Paris name on tabs and sew them In. Fifty shillings worth of material, a Paris tab, and there you are—a Paris model at a special price to you Moddam of forty guineas. Never pounds, of course. Guineas are the ultrafashionable gold standard and, my dear man, those extra shillings run a Rolls Royccjr—not mine unfortunately." She was rattling off the first nonsense that entered her head.

“Why have you been avoiding us?” she, demanded in the tone of one determined to have the truth.

Jimmy shifted uneasily and made a feeble a..:.mpt at evasion, but she pulled him up short. “Yes, you’ve been looking for Michael. Wo know that.” She tilted her head. Every day?” “Well, no, not every’ day,” 'he ad•mitbed. “The fact is— 11 “Don’t tfry to humbug- me," she retorted swiftly. “The fact is, Jimmy Raike, you’re a fool.” He gave an exasperated little laugh. “Really 1 Isn’t that a bit too —” “Oh, don’t misunderstand me. No bigger fool than any other man. You’re all big overgrown babies. You expect the one girl to believe you’re the only wonderful man in the world, even though you know jolly well you’re not. There’s masculine logic for you. If she loves you, you can’t bear her worshipping anyone else.” Jimmy was caught off his guard. He plunged headlong into the trap. “Loves me!" he exclaimed bitterly. “I’m afraid you’re a bit off the track.” “How do you know? Has she told you so?” “No need for that. She told me enough in ,so many words.” “Stuff and nonsense. The girl was half out of her mind with worry, sue told you Michael’s life and happiness meant everything to her. And so they do. Shall I tell you why? Because she owes everything, her own life and happiness, to Michael.” Kate once in full spate was apt to be utterly reckless of incidental consequences. She poured out the whole story, and, when she had finished, Jimmy knew Iho story of his father’s escape, knew Elbe's courageous part in it, and Michael’s 100, and he understood why Eflie would have given her very life for Michael in return for saving her in the blackest hour of her life. “She’s’just one big foolish lump of gratitude and generosity,” concluded Kate. -

She was already beginning to fear sue had said too much. Jimmy had fallen into deep abstracted silence. He was thinking of his father in the

(By ALAN GREY)

Instalment 29. I

light of Kate’s revelation. The *ull ..truth he was to learn later, too late Indeed to bring Dr. Arnold Brooks to task for bis sins. For Dr, Arnold Brooks, overjoyed at the fate of Sir Timothy and his own release, held his last and final celebration with the whisky bottle,, and was p'cked up at the bottom of the stairs with a broken neck. As the train drew into Euston, Kate touched Jimmy’s arm and smiled her warm, motherly smile. “You will come soon, Jimmy?" He was despondent, shaken, uncertain of himself.

“I—er —I don’t know. If only—look here, Kate, tell me honestly, does she care a little, do you think?" Kate stamped her foot impatiently on the platform. “Bless th G man! Do you want me to fling her into your arms?" She softened suddenly. A tender mischievous twinkle danced in her eyes. "She’s eating her heart out for you, Jimmy. Don’t dare ask me how i know. She told me so." In full view of the scurrying throng Jimmy lifted her bodily and kissed her. Then he was off in a streak. Before she reached the barrier Kate caught a glimpse of him leaping into a taxi. She was still smiling, but the corners of her mouth began to droop a little wearily. CHAPTER XXXI. “I can’t realise it’s true, Michael, that you are really here in the flesh, ’’ Margaret exclaimed wonderingly. “When I opened the door and saw you, it seemed a miracle." “I was waiting,” he told her, “trying to pluck up courage. Elliott brought me up from the station. I got him to drop me at the end of the lane. That’s how I came to be propping up the wall." “But why you came back, Michael, I still don’t understand. What made you change your mind?” “Ah!” exclaimed Michael softly. “That is another matter. I owe it to Basil. He made me come." “Basil!" in astonishment. "Yes. Basil did a fine thing, and I’ll never forget It. He risked his whole career for me. He won't have it so, but it really amounts to that. After what he had done to bring me back I Just had to come,.’’ “I’ve never cared much for Basil," said Margaret, thoughtfully. “I’ve been unjust. I suppose I can’t have known him properly. What was it he did, Michael?”

"Well, when he got the pater’s latter, he went round to see Eflle and questioned her. As soon as he knew I’d taken climbing gear ha remembered a holiday with me some years ago among the fells. He gave Elstree a miss, even though he knew they wers shooting an important scene that very day, and took the first train to Windermere."

Margaret gasped as she realised the possible result of such independent conduct. Producers could be equally independent, and with less inconvenience to themselves. “Oh dear!"

“As it happens, no work was done yesterday or to-day. The producer is apparently down with ’flue, for which heaven be, praised.” “I’m so glad. Oh, how splendid." The ailing producer might have found her sincerity a trifle galling had he overheard. "It was fine of Basil to do that.”

“A debt I can’t very well repay," said Michael, with intense feeling.

As the last red gleam In the sky deepened into russet and the mantle of night crept steadily across the land,' the light of a life was rapidly setting. A marked change had come over Sir Timothy.

They sent for Margaret, and she came. He was sinking fast, they told her. He lay there so. still, scarce breathing. Yet, as she took his hand, shte fancied he knew she was there beside him. His fingers curled around hers with a feeble pressure.

They left her alone with him at the last. She wished it so. And when the end came, to her dying day she would remember the sudden radiance that illumined his face. He had been so still, so terribly void of expression. And then, out of the dark void came the blaze of light and touched his lips, his eyes, his face. He was radiantly alive. "She is walling," he cried, in a clear, thrilling voice, and his arms reached upward. “Clare!". . . he tried to raise himself. One little ■sighing breath and he. was gone. It seemed to Margaret thsit his body sank back like a cast-off chrysalis. Not death, she thought, no, not death, but life set. free. Many months later she tried to explain It to Michael. They were paying a pilgrimage to the little churchyard. “I can’t grieve,, Michael. It was a long lane for him, a lane shut Jn between high walls. But he found ■the way out at the end. It was the one perfect end. He has come into the open and the light again. He has found his happiness, Michael." As they passed the church porch it was the hour of Evensong. Parson Qualle’s husky whisper came to them through the open door. He was reading in his simple devoted way from the' Psalms. “For with tlie Lord there is mercy: and with Him is plenteous redemption. And Ho shall redeem Israel from all his sins."

. Young husband and young wife looked deep into each others eyes and understood. And Michael breathed a fervent prayer of thanks to God for the miracle of a woman’s compassionate lova