CHURSTONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHURSTONS.

BY PAUL TRENT. : Author of " The Voir." " Adam," etc., etc. COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER XXV. "Now I have something to say. I, too, can fight, and you will not find victory the easy thing you anticipate. Fortunately I have plenty of capital to spend," said Betty. * .

" Capital has a way of melting away.'* "And I can go on longer than

"' Crosbys.' " • ,- " That remains to be seen." " Why have you told me this!" she demanded suddenly. "I don't quite know. Probably because you should not be able to say that I was not fair and open with you." " Suppose I go to Mr. Crosby and suggest an amalgamation. You are only the manager." " Try it*. You have nothing to offer now I have gone." V " You are wrong. There is one thing I could —and he would accept." As Betty made the statement her cheeks became suffused with colour, and Mark immediately understood her meaning. His 'face became very white, and his fingers clenched. " You would dare?" he cried fiercely. " I dare anything." " Even that?" " You don't know what I would dare if I were driven." Suddenly his face cleared, and he laughed pleasantly. "I know you better than you know yourself; fortunately for my peace of mind you do not frighten me," he said quietly. . But her insinuation had been a great shock to him. He knew that if Betty were to offer herself to Crosby as the" price of amalgamation, Crosby would promptly accept the offer. Betty. . . Crosby's wife! He would kill her first. Julian Crosby was delighted by the result of Mark's visit to London, and was most effusive in his congratulations. " This will be a nasty ' blow, for her ladyship," he chuckled. - " Lendridge, we * have won the first" round. i . You have no doubt about your new engine'/" " Not the slightest," Mark answered with confidence. ~.."""' vi' " Then the fight ought not to last very long.- . . . I'll tell you something that will rather amuse you. Not very long ago I asked Miss Churston to marry me. Her refusal was not very. flattering to my vanity. I generally ■ -what, i want in the end—and I want her," he wound up complacently. " You will find Miss Churston a good fighter. lam sure shr- —ill never marry a man unless she loves him." ■'.'.,■ \ " In that case she must learn to love me. Most women haven't found it a very difficult job.". '-'■■■ -'. : :-•;;»:;; . •'■';; ! :', As he spoke he .-gave an all-conquering twist to his moustache. Mark had never liked; Crosby as a man, and at that moment would dearly: have loved it to" have kicked him for s his insolence and vanity. However, he managed to conceal his anger and only smiled. v •;: ■'"' -'-.*7i '-. ;V- ---.; They f were working - night and day ' to ; get the j new, engine ready for the bench, and Lendridge's time Was fully occupied. .;, . However, he was continually Jthinking; of Betty, and going over in ;his mind all that had occurred during their visit to London. >:?f -wondered if he had been, wise : in ;. saying what he did during the journey back , to Ferhampton.; * Anyhow, she was „ warned : of what he intended to do.

| "The following Sunday afternoon he went ; 4 i; for a long walk, and on- .his. way back was 1 i ! fortunate to meet Janet Forbes. "'""- ' ■ \\ . " What have you been doing to Betty 1" • she asked bluntly.' ' - -• .- I ." Please explain what you mean." * i ;.,*'_ She told me .-.'.had ■ met you in ! : | town, but refused; to give me any details , I of your meeting; 5? Something: must, have; happened, for I have noticed a change in I'; her .-since she came back." '■■■■■-■ •. ■■'<• "'-•

" What sore of a change?" he asked eagerly. j " For one thing, she is quieter." --• .*' Yes '..' he said when she paused.. " And she is inclined to be more reserved. One night when I went unexpectedly to her bedroom, I could not help seeing »that she had been crying." '.. "She is not given to tears ;'. . .. I should imagine," Mark remarked reflectively. •.!;"■": :'?•'[ - ■: "Quite the reverse. . ... I suppose I ought not to be talking to you in this way; '• ' But frankly .J' am "Very i curious.Would; you mind telling me what happened in Londcn'." "I see no reason why:l shouldn't." ';•'•'; Janet smiled once' or twice while he i spoke, and when: he had finished, she | laughed heartily-. / | "A very pretty comedy. I think you I . are I ' playing; your part 'with skill. - Betty" jean _■ be perfectly " charming when she wishes. / I am interested to know why she wished—-on this occasion. Did it strike you she was playing a part ?" "."■ Certainly not," he -answered impatiently. / / '■- - , '. • ; " She is a woman, and might be trying to use a womanls weapon against you." ''She has too: much confidence- in her-* self, and is too proud to do that." : "I am not so sure. And: so you liked this new Betty, 'whom you "had not encountered before?" " I simply loved her. She was beautiful -—and gentle—and lovely." " Those words sound estrange on your lips/* she said' with a laugh. " They sound strange to me. ... . Iv am just beginning to find out I know no:thing about, myself." " It needs a woman to teach a man that. 'You .'have' discovered there is some- ; thing in life which counts much more than do work and ambition." .-'.' I have." '-•.'.■ " When you have learnt your lesson, you will' probably make a very satisfactory lover, from the-woman's. point of. view. Have you realised that in this fight you: are bound to suffer as much as Betty ?" '-"I'm beginning to understand that.'' :',-■ "Every blow that "you .deal her, you; will feel' yourself, and perhaps more , acutely than she will." " I'm prepared to suffer." . ~'- , "And 'in the end you may lose. ,-■ Whynot give up the fight, -before you hays' reallv commenced it? Go to her- now,at this moment. Take her forcibly in; your arms— her'lips and tell her you are going to marry her,"' .j His face flushed as her words conjured : a vision to his eyes; and /he looked-at ; her ' eagerly. But soon be shook.; his. '■■ Head. ' 1. . ' "No. V' She's not the sort; of woman to be taken in that way. 'Besides, she must ; learn her lesson," he said doggedly. '— "And you? You need one, too." -" You are probably right.'. I want the perfect woman—the /.woman 'that Betty ; may become—that "shei will become," he said with emphasis. '" "I;; want a gentle ; loving mother for my./ children, and not ; Tlwom&n; of business. Don't you think ■ Betty was intended for motherhood rather than F a builder' of aeroplane; engines?"' ■ : Janet, did not answer at once, and suddenly placed her hand on his arm. ," Mark, remember that > you are 'playing; ■with a; woman's, soul."When I think I ; a m afraid." Disaster /may 5 come to you, both, despair and untold misery. ;j There ; are great: depths ;in Betty's • character.' •>. She is strong and. will endure to the end. 1 Then there is i'n'er pride. Pride can; i sometimes carry women.:- even.- farther than ; love. Whv not leave her alone? .'-Give.; ; ; her v up, ancl go away from Eerhampton./ i ' During the last few days I have become • uneasy in my mind- . Betty is about the i only human being I "love, and I am con- \ cerned for. her sake." . "I -have thought;/ very carefully. ; 1- ; must go through with it," he said ,-: gravely. * ' ' ..■ -\ i "Well, the consequences will be 'on >.- your own head. I want. cheering up. | • Take me to have tea with your .mother. : s .<'. .-Bj- the by, you ! are not going to > i try to mould Betty to the shape of Mrs. , • Lendridge?" / '.-" Xo. Although my mother is my ideal ' woman. , < '« » "I am glad of -that. ' .You' mustn't attempt ! impossibilities, Mark." ' ' {To to coaifeHKi ea Saturday a«-sW . ; '