THE ALLINSON HONOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15483, 15 December 1913, Page 3

THE ALLINSON HONOUR.

BY HAROLD BINDLOSS. Author of ■' 'Die Impostor." " The " Pioneer," " ITawtrey's Deputy," " The Wastrel." etc. CHAPTER (Continued.) A han'T account book, deftly thrown, swept Mappin's desk, scattering pens and papers across the room, and seeing that a struggle was unavoidable lie sprang forward. Caution had hitherto held him back, but hie patience had its limits, and ho was the heavier man. He missed Carnally with his first two blows, but the third took effect with sledge-hammer force, flinging him back upon the office table, and during the next few minutes Carnally gasped and dodged. He saw he must try. to wear his antagonist out, and he watched his ' chance before he clinched. For a while they grappled in the middle of the floor, swearing, breaking ground with heavy feet, striking when they could; and then as Mappin freed himself the door was flung open, and the storekeeper and several of his customers ran in. ■ "Hold on!" he cried. "What's; the trouble? I thought you were coming through my ceiling." •■ .:■ .. - : . Carnally looked round,;; flushed : and breathless. " Stand back! .' The business lias to be got through with. It's pretty well known that the fellow's smart at stealing his boys' time, but he took on too big a contract when he played a lowdown trick on me." He turned to Mappin. "Are you ready, you fat swine, or must I fire you down the stairs?" " Leave them to it," eaid a big logger, with an appreciative grin. "I'll put a dollar on the bushman." " You're wrecking ithe place." objected the storekeeper, indicating the dislodged stove, from which thick smoke was pouring, and a broken chair. "That doesn't count," Carnally replied. " Mappin can meet the bill. He seems a bit slow in moving; they've been too liberal with the corn." One or two of the others laughed, because where maize is grown pigs are fattened on it; but Mappin, who had gathered breath, looked dangerous. The struggle that occupied the next few minutes was a determined and strenuous one, and the spectators watched it with frank delight. Mappin was powerful and could use his strength, but he had lived indulgently, a prey to his appetites. Carnally lived for the most part in the wilds, and hard toil and plain fare had toughened him. Moreover, as a matter of necessity, he frequently taxed his endurance to the limit, and this stood him in good stead now. He was quicker than his enemy, and recovered sooner; when they broke away from a grapple he was the fresher. Mappin began to show distress. He panted hard, his face grew suffused, the perspiration dripped from him. His collar had burst open, and his torn sleeve hung loose about his arm; he looked strangely brutish, and his eyes had a murderous expression. By comparison Carnally seemed cool. His thin, brown face was quietly intent, resolute, without passion; he fought cautiously, avoiding his antagonist's furious rushes, breaking away from an occasional grapple. Endurance was his strongest point, and he meant to tire his man. Mappin, who guessed it, and the advisability of bringing the struggling to a speedy conclusion, clinched again, trying to throw his agile opponent by sheer force, and for a moment or two Carnally seemed helpless in his grasp. He could not get free, and Mappin drove him backward across the narrow floor, while the spectators, who had increased in number, looked on in l tense excitement.

In the West personal combat is hampered by few of the rules of the boxing ring; but there are limits which may be not exceeded, and a rough notion of fair play. Thus- when Carnally, driven hard against the edge of the table, seemed to grow limp, there was a. shout of protest as Mappin, reaching out with free right arm, seized a heavy poker from the wood box. He was ready to strike, when Carnally, realising his peril, rallied his strength for a decisive effort. The poker struck the table with a resounding crash, but Carnally had secured a firm hold before Mappin recovered his shaken balance, and lifted him from his feet. He lurched forward, while the spectators- scattered, and reeling through the doorway plunged down the stairs. Mappin, who was undermost, struck the steps half-way down, but it did not stop them, and they rolled into the store amidst a confused outcry. None of those who watched could tell whether Mappin struggled up or Carnally lifted him from the floor, but in a moment or two they were on their feet, Carnally driving the other towards the exit. Then with a last effort he hurled him backwards, and Mappin went down headlong in the snow. He got up in a half-dazed manner, and Carnally leaned against the doorpost, breathing hard and regarding him with a grim smile. "You can do what you like about it, but if you're wise you'll keep out of my sight," he said. "It won't hurt me to let folks know what made the trouble." Then he turned back into the store, and sat down upon a barrel, hot, dishevelled, and generally the worse for wear. " It's a long while since I felt so good, boys," ho remarked. Mappin slunk away to his hotel, knowing that a grave misfortune had befallen him. He was a hard master, and accustomed to get rather more than the full equivalent of their wages out of his men, but in this his overbearing manner had assisted his cunning. In logging camps and on new roads courage and muscular strength command respect; but now he had been ignominiously thrown out of the store before a derisive crowd his prestige had gone. Henceforward there would be a danger of his mutinous subordinates following Carnally's example. The man, however, was far from a coward. It would be pleasanter to leave the town, where ho was not held in much esteem, until the matter blew over, and he had work going on in other places; but he did not mean to run away from Allinson. Tho latter, of course, now understood that he had been tricked over the location of the food depots, and Mappin wondered what he would do. It was. however, obvious that there was no really effective courso open to Allinson. Carnally had been shrewd enough to take the only possible means of obtaining redress, but his primitive methods were not likely to be adopted by his employer. After removing tho signs of battle, so far as ho could, from his clothes and person Mappin returned to his office and spent tho day there, waiting for a visit from his rival. Allinson, however, did not come; it looked as if ho meant to do nothing, and this caused Mappin some uneasiness. The man was clever and perhaps more- to be feared than he had thought.

CHAPTER XXI; FRESH PLAN'S.' Geraldine Frobisher, silting by the hearth in her drawingroom, glanced coinpassionately at Andrew, who occupied a chair close by. He looked gaunt and badly worn, and she noticed a suggestive slackness in his pose. There was nobody else in the room; the lamps were lighted and a, log fire "diffused a pleasant glow and an aromatic odour. " You are quiet to-night," she said. Andrew looked up with a deprecatory smile. " 1 fear I'm disgracefully dull, but I don't seem able to think of anything except that it's very pleasant to be hero again." " You consider that a good excuse?" " I can't judge; I felt 1 needed one. In fact, I don't know what is the matter with mo since I cftmo down river." Geraldine had some idea; a glanco at the man supplied an explanation. " You arc worn out, for one thing," she answered, sympathetically. He mused for a few moments, and the girl was not displeased. From the first she had felt on curiously confidential terms with him. He was direct and sincere, and,

though by no means shallow, he seldom puzzled her. "No," he said, "it's not altogether that. We had a rather bad time before the relief party arrived, but I felt up.to my work—anxious, of course, but not troubled bv the slackness that has since got hold of me. All this, however, isn't of much consequence. I'm very grateful to you and your father for sending help— we were in a very tight place when it came. But I don't understand how you knew wo needed it." '-. Geraldine looked down to hide her confusion. ' "(I wonder why you associate me with my'father?'' ■ '.' I can't tell you clearly, but I feel that yon had'something to do with the matter. ( Indeed, it! made, the relief more .welcome. Hut you;, haven't given me "an explanation." ;'"."■'■..':"■..■'■' ■'.''■ ■ ■ " ..you understand why you failed to find the food?" . . ■ " Yes,".: said-Andrew, ' grimly. "I've a suspicion. that'vou;know' as .much about it. as : I do." though it's'hard to see how.you came by. the knowledge." .'.,- ■ Geraldine.looked' up with'-a forced smile.' Ho must not guess how-she had led Map-" pin to betray liimelf.- - ,;iy " '."•'■', ; f ■ - "It is rather astonishing, -isn't" it.!."the.thing gave you,trouble and you have some respect for your thinking powers^''' I :'.';- ;''■' ''. I've more respect for (Jarnally's :' hefound the clue. 'But he was• on the spot;'.'-, "And I was. handicapped by being at home-.?. -.Do you know I-->ometimes ..think. I'm not "altogether stupid': .::;>;.; ,"', . ■'. You're" exceptionally 'clever,''-'..'saidAn-drew', warmly A You. have ..a gift for seizing on the. truth, and. sticking ';..to it. I think' it's because the truth is!• in-you that you':-recognise it.' .different ' from smartness." . ':"- She" checked ' him, with a gesture of mocking ' rebuke. '■>". You should '.have learned that I don't expect you to pay me laboured compliments." ■ '. ■'■ "." It wasn't laboured;. I believe it was a flash of, insight ,'■';': Andrew declared. Then he glanced at, her face.-and laughed, looking baffled. There was silence for the next few moments. Geraldine knew what the man thought of her, but she approved of the respectful diffidence he generally displayed. Now lie was safe she preferred that tliey should remain upon a purely friendly footing for a time; he was hers, but she shrank with a fluttering timidity from an open surrender. It was not difficult to repulse him gently. when he grew too bold. Nevertheless his worn and downcast appearance roused a. deep and tender pity. \ She longed •to hear his troubles and comfort him. ■_' . "You suddenly.changed the subject wo began upon," she said. " Were you not going to tell mo why you feel depressed?" " Something of the kind," said Andrew. "It didn't seem a very happy topic." "That was a mistake,'.' said Geraldine, reproachfully. You should not have doubted my interest, and it lightens one's troubles to confide in a friend." Andrew. in his dejected mood, felt a longing for sympathy and encouragement. "Well," he said, "failure is hard to bear, and I've a damp suspicion that I've undertaken more than I'm able Jo carry out. So far I've made a deplorable mess of things. We reached the neighbourhood of the lode with no time to search the ground, and, for all the results we got, we might as well have stayed at home." " But it's something to have proved that the lode exists." ■ " I'm not sure it's worth proving. The value of the ore is the most important point, because a mine coma not be worked up there unless it was very rich. Then there's a risk of Graham's being lamed for life. Mappin ha s beaten us badly at the beginning of the fight." " It's only a small reverse. You would not use the means he employed. Thev were infamous." " The trouble is. that other opponents I ehall have to meet may use similar metliods, and unless I do the same I'll be further handicapped. As ft happens, I'm carrying weight enough already." Geraldine looked thoughtful. "In a way, you're right. I've learned something about the situation."

"If we had proved the lode to be rich, I should have had something to fall back upon; but I've failed. Now I must attack strong vested interests, with the whole influence of my conservative relations against me. My chief antagonist enjoys a high prestige, and has made an excellent profit on the money handed him." Andrew laughed in a rueful manner. "And I'm the fool of the family, who has lately taken to upsetting a very satisfactory state of affairs. Can you imagine the surprise and disgust of everybody concerned?" "But your people are upright, aren't they!" "Yes," said Andrew; "there's no doubt of that. But, with ono or two unimportant exceptions, they're conventional and prejudiced. They believe in what they see; the prosperity of Allinsons, the dividends coming in. They distrust anything that seems out of the usual course, and they couldn't bring themselves to think there could be anything wrong with the house. I, whom they good-naturedly look down on, have to convince them." "It will be hard one can understand that. But the feeling of helplessness that troubles you now will pass. You must remember that you have borne enough to exhaust you." "My body's tired," Andrew. confessed. " One can get over that. The real difficulty is that my mind feels sick." "Is there no connection between the! two?" Geraldine smiled at him. "You make me think it's the first time you have had any serious difficulties." "That's true. It looks as if there were some benefit in being dull. You're saved a good deal of trouble if you don't notice things." "I didn't mean that," Geraldine objected. "You're not really dull, you know." "Then I'm something like it. But you don't think I've been foolish in starting on this campaign? " " No," said Geraldine, with a sparkle in her eyes. "I think you are doing what is fine. You must go on; I want you to win. The difficulties won't look so serious if you attack them one by one, and it must De worth something to have the right upon your side. There is so much injustice everywhere and few people seem to mind. No doubt it's dangerous to interfere, but it's encouraging to find a man here and there who is not afraid." She looked up at a sound and saw her father standing in the doorway. "One here and there?" he remarked. " You're not exacting. In France, they once asked for a hundred men who knew how to die, and found them in one southern town." Geraldine's colour was higher than usual, but she laughed. " I suppose lam a bit of a sentimentalist; but you're too cynical.. I don't see why you shoidd be proud of your detached and critical attitude. You look on as if the sight of , people struggling amused you." " I don't think I really am proud of it, but perhaps there's something to be said for the intelligent spectator who knows his limitations and is content with trying to see fair play. However, I came to take Allineon away for a smoke. If I leave him to you. you'll be sending him off on some new chivalrous adventure." (To be continued daily.)