SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18267, 7 December 1922, Page 12

SHORT STORY.

A DRAMA IN SMOKE, li BY KAKMIE KBANIOH. * (Copyright.) | <■ Mark Straight looked up as the Swiw waiter removed his empty coffee cup and Placed an open bock, v:ith pen and ink, < on the tabic Ho knew A T hat wm »o- , .o quickly -role the particular* J-hich a vigilant Continental Police demand of travellers to aid them in their ■ watch for suspicious characters. , Ha was in the mooting room of the | , Hotel Bristol at Geneva ; the two Bus- , Mans conversing at the far end of the , x room had already inscribed their name,. ] SSVio what account it pleased them | i of their condition and calling. ! the waiter vent away, leaving the bock , with Mark. . „ , He wondered lazily it. among recent airivala, he might recognise n name. He j glanced at the Russian «gnatur« ead , wreral page 3 signed by A nencan>, the; started in sudden but quickly snppiet-Kfl > . excitement. . . \ once familiar name,, written m <i , well-remembeve,! handwriting . bed his , ores. The better to think thnv.s out. he , < lit another cigar. So Catherine Siangan Pol bck was;' now under tho romc root w.th mm lb* j entry with her signature was dated that | dav. the 23rd of December. There I it \rp.s in Mack and white: ' ; "Catherine Mansan Polio**. ( Veuve. His little friend Kate a widow ! En route for Brindisi she; and he for Marseilles, to catch the French packet j for Australia. Could she bo going back j ihere too, he wondered. He must, fin" j out, and if so, bv Jove, he would go on j tho same host. To the Russians, perhaps; j he micht have seemed idly watchin.: the | smoke as if on a distant, spacious stage, eves, though now apparently vague, saw r scenes and figures move through the I smoke as if ona distant, spacious stage. : \. far awav citv appeared, set on t.ie , shores of a" broad blue estuary ; beneath hot, cloudless skies, its low-roofed houses ; shone white, or red, or dull with, weather-stained wooden walls agamst-th«» = background of the faintly-green virgin j bush; the misty feathery tohage o» eucalyptus trees. ,' j There ho had first met Kate, t.io cnl , wife of en ehlerlv sordid man; there He , had been thrown frequently into her, societv- Captivated by the charm oi , her voath, he? cood spirits and good looks' the feeling grew deeper anct • stronger ti!! a passion assessed him, of i which, howovor, she appeared uncoil- ! ocio-!« He knew that her eyes bright- j oned at his approach; she greeted him i fladlv. took unaffected pleasure in his I companionship, vet all the while seemed , cheerfully indifferent to her husbands; neglect, 'and £ave never a. sign which ; could suggest discontent with her joyless; home, her childless life. And it- was ; there, on a wondrous moonlight nicht — and is the moonlight more wondrous anywhere than in Australia ?—that theirfriendship ended in vio'en-'e and tear?. < They met on that white road curving ■ along the water's batik to the lew hiil which stands between the city and _a ! waste of eand and scrub. She was with ; her cousin, nor was Mark alone; so what : more natural than the two couples j should chance partners. The women, : glad of an escort through the shadows of the plantain grove, 'From thence a little path leads up the hill; its bushclad slopes dotted with the 'nouses of the prosperous. The gardens, shady with the foliage of fig and English oak, of datepalm and mulberry, and graceful peppermint, show dark in their wild surroundings of pale olive trees, and banksias, and countless spikey shrubs of faded green. In one of these gardens stood the house of Fergus Pollock; a low fern* railing it off from the bush, and a path leading past, a little gate which gave the household a short cut to the water. Kate's cousin and her companion, instead of waiting for them there, followed the path as it wandered upwards, zig-zagging from that little gate in the ricketv railings, to others more or lesa remote, till it reached the. highest near tho top. A' persistent coo-ee came from above, calling to Kate, who hesitated to follow. Mark remembered how he urged her to be kind, for his friend's sake, who admired her cousin; and Fergus being absent, ehe consented. It was slow and heavy walking, being little better than a track through sandy soil, but Mark felt as if he trod _on air. Never had her presence, her voice, her touch, so thrilled him. and ho vowed to himself that she must be just as happy, or she could never have that light in her eyes as she looked in his; it could never bo the moon that made her eyes shine so •softly, when that shaft of light on tho water beneath was only a dazzling, danc'ing glitter of ripplea. But on tho summit he grew moody, and Kate grow sdent too, as they retraced- their steps. Then • as thev neared tho gate she turned hei face to ask him if his head was aching. and aa she did so her foot caught ir home trailing growth, or perhaps a mot and she must have fallen headlong ha/, he not been quick to catch her in his arms. Ah, that was too much for Mark —foi many another mortal man —and being ii his arms he clasped her close, and Mvon it was his heart that ached, and much much more he never should have said Poor little Kate was shakm by th< stumble, and then for a moment, be wildered by the passion of the mat straining her in his .arms, and kissing he: on eyes, and lips, and hair. She tried t< push him from her. then besought bin to let her free, for her own sake, for an; sake, for God's sake! But Mark's wilt words and wilder kisses would not cease till with a sob she brought him to hi senses, of which her beauty had bcref him. Then she broke from him. am thottcrh he followed to the gate, implorin; her to speak to him but once, she di,< not turn again, or seem to hear. Tha was to be the parting of their ways Three days later a. cablegram from En£ land brought the news of his father' death. Before tho week was out ho wa on the coach that carried the mail throu'.'h hundreds of miles of dreary silent bush to tho port. Ah. five years ago ! It seemed longer But long as it was ho had never seen girl like Kate. And now here she was under the same rouf! Surely the hair of Fate had led them once more together "When the waiter returned to rcmov the book. Mark was alert in an instant "This lady, Garcon," said he. pointing t her name. "She came to-day I set Give her this card." "Ah, that lady, Monsieur? She ha gone away again—yes, Monsieur." "Gone! Impossible! Why, she oril just, arrived!" "Parfaitemcnt, Monsieur. But I sa her enter a cab. It would bo for ti Paris train: two other ladies were in i "Will Monsieur have another cigar?" Mark had felt =ueli elation whilst I fancied that Fate had led him to hi again, that the disappointment wi keen. He rose and swung out of tl room, and out of the house. The wir: blowing across the snow-covered mou tains, and over the icy waters of tl lake, had risen to a cale by tho time 1 was tired of wanderimr through tl narrow streets of the old town. The Russians were ostensibly playii matador when he returned, but. talkii more, softly and volub'y than .any knov game of dominoes should require. Founded mysterious in the shadowy root where the thrifty Jules had switched c most of the lichts. Mark felt chilled ai gloomy, so ordered a cocnac and wat h*<.\. drank it standing, then took theli to the fourth landing. But instead turning to the left he went down t! right hand corridor and reached the ei of it before ho realised that his roo must hp on t'le other side of the buil ine. Ho wheeled round, impatient whirling his key by the tag, but t strirr.T, being wont, gave way, and t key flow behind a trunk standing in r«!C<VSB. Whilst gropincr about lie heard Voic approaching. " Straightening himself they <kew nearer, he felt sure th Bounded tike English women, and pi payed to meet them, rather than ri weing Buspoctei of felony. They pa* lißlMliMimTiiii

on, however, towards tho landing • •-* youngs, with an older woman, aoo Mark decided to ring for tho port** w move the trunk. But, in a flash tne colour flew to his face and ho started. *> Imrrv after them. Yes there was «° mistaking that graceful head, and iA J that her profile was turned towards he knew that it, was surely Kate. Th«Y paused: he suddenly thought of the* parting, and felt that he must bo set* conscious now. No. ho would wait hornet her alone. Then the older womar, kissed her, ho could hear Kate * cheery! ilnor- was open, he heard her speaK to a woman-then a chambermaid came out, and Kate locked herself in. There was little sleep for Mark that „i„ht He tossed and turned in his bod; he cursed his luck, that had lost him •mother chance, then blessed his st-axo that had led him to her; ho vowed ho wowid meet her in the morning, if ho had to ho in the passage at daybreak, and sit there till dusk. Finally he got up and jvroto her a note ; it was tho first of a series, none of them -was right, and each of them was in turn destroyed. Whfin he slept hia brain was' busy stUl; lie was travelling on one of the gfteat liners, but instead ot the ocean there were waves and. billows of smoke. Ho could never fiiid Kate, jwho was on the vessel, because wheni ever he caught sight of her the smoke i rose up from befe&, and hid her. Again he was back in Australia with a bush ! fire racing around him. He could see Kate waving to him from auwbt a wasto |of blackened stu*ips and twisted I _ thwartcd-looking trunks; of trees; he knew she was fn peri\ but just when lie , sprang to cross the chaim that dmded them the smoke broke <.mt through the - trees, and she vanished* _ . , j He awoke in great coi U«sion of minct; I it. seemed as if some momVrous voice were ! ihoutine in his ear. His throat ached. laud when ho opened lis eyes they Umarted. Good God! that *U* smoke in i'the room. He dashed to t&e window,! : crowds filled the street, lie a'"ld see a I bri"ht shining on hund."« rt » ot up-, ! turned faces. It- seemed as if all their , throats shouted, "l.evcz-vous, sauvez I ' vous." in unison. He rushed foto the j corridor, more smoke : the ghV■ e al, , a I alow of tire lit up the landing Ikevom . : He saw that the upper part of the build- : ing had burst into furious flames- the 1 dome must crash down soon, and set the n ! staircase round about the lift ablaze.. Aj m glimpse of terrified little ones, and a n , | i old woman, aa the lift—worked frantictt>'iy m ! —Hashed clattering past. They looketA ,as 0 if thev were all screaming, though o» | j human voico could be audible above tl,Y> | | rearing and crackling of the flames, | ; wliiiled and buffeted/ and whisked into.', | i fiercer fury by tlie gale that stormed 1 | j without. - A A glance was enough for it all; it was i ' sar.ve qui pent with everyone of the half- | ! dressed figures he saw. Ho must have 1 : slept heavily not to have heard such an i| i infernal din sooner. He saw all doors | were standing open. But where was |j little Kate! Would ho find her door g open too? Swift ns he always was oft _ foot, he never ran as he ran then, to j break it in if need be. And shut it was, i ; and locked. He hurled himself against ■. it, shouting like a madman, but there ' I was no answering sound that ho could ' hear in such a tumult. In vain he tried ; to force it in, and cursed his powerless- ' 1 ner-s to move it. From one still heavier • I onset- it gave way, and he wag in the M room. There all*was dark, but as he - j moved about, he quickly made out the j! white clothes on the bed ; no living form | 3 I was there, although it had been slept in. B .j He tore the heavy curtains back, and I • i wrenched tho blind aside before re- I " i membering he could switch on tho light. I . jßy Jove, there was another- open door | I j '. . . had she loft by that? But no. I ! it wag a press, and dresses hung around B I the. walls, a large trunk almost fiUed it. ;" ! He groped about as if she might be hJ^-! )j ing, then stumbled over something o*i | , e tho floor. Something that lay half in. y half out of tho trunk. He stooped, and looked. Good God ! it must bo she! A -." woman's lifeless form it was; lifeless, or , j else unconscious. [' But Mark had now the strength of ~ ' frenzv • he seized and lifted her, just as r I he might have lifted up a child, though n I lie could not cany her long like that 0 j through the thickening smoke, but stumcl I bled and staggered, nearly tripping when 0j he camo to the sfoirs, for the lift was „ | shattered. Mark never could tell how he reached the street, or escaped being struck „ I by the glowing embers that were begin. • ning to fall from tho dome. But he did, • | and onlv just missed the crash of a mas 3 I I of meta! and burning wood. ' | A cordon had been formed outside, and . i the firemen wero working hard, but quite ,' jin vain; the wind v;as so terrific that it i blew the water from the hose about in ' j spray, which fell upon tho pavement, and 1 j froze into a smooth sheet of ice. Mark j must have fallen with his burden there, ■I | but for a helpful gendarmo who foot t j Kate out of his arms. "Hotel de Russio," i gasped Mark, who remembered the near- ' jest was at the corner of the block. "„ I Soon Kate was in a comfortable bed, ? : I but Mark could not leave her till he saw t her restored to consciousness, and was j assured by the doctor that she was un- • injured. Then, in spite of tho fact that ho was still very airily clad in his sleeping suit, he felt quite in a glow of ? gratitude to the Fates for giving him a chance of finding out whether Kate ever ,'° I thought of hirn kindly or not, or whether j' j she would forgive that folly of his ardent

! youth. ' A sympathetic chambermaid who had | been helping., utterod an exclamation as ' i sho picked up something which looked j like a pocket-book. Mark now remem- } ! hered seeing it in Kate's hand as tho ! ! gendarme carried her in. I j "Tiens!" said tho maid, with an api proving little laugh. "Mais, e'est gentil ''ca ! Behold, madame. Mho only thinks !J of paving tho portrait of monsieur, j'!' whilst monsieur only thinks of saving p ■ madame !" And she held the leather case I ' towards the doctor. , j So all doubts were dispelled ; for it " | was clear that kind little Kate thought of ' j hirn so fondly that she treasured an old * j picture of him more than any other pos- . session. * Kate was so far recovered by Christ- * mag Day that they lunched totrether, and ' socnt several hours of a sunshiny afternoon in that bright salon which over- ' looks the lake, and there Kate consented I to Mark's proposal that their very i pleasantest plan would bo to book their i passages totrether for Australia, as soon ' as a certain quiet, and consequently short, rerenionv could ho performed in ' the little English cliuroh just up the street. s TRAIN TRAVEL " SLUMP/' I y , «, ,v POSITION IN BRITAIN. c The railways of the United Kingdom carried 199,327.510 fewer ordinary pasc sengers last year than in 1920, when! u- 1,141,748,517 were carried. These and j is many other figures dealing with the rail- J 1( ; ways are contained in a Blue Book issued recently. 1P Tho falling off was marked in all classes. io There were 25,287.584 first-class passenic gers, a decrease of 12,387,501. Third-class passengers (911,147,813) were 185,437,343 ,? fewer, and second-class (5,985,610) were '" 1,502,666 fewer. II Among season-ticket holders- the first'f class traveller showed the largest decline. "• In this class there wove 144,8J3, a fall 'ff of 30,018. 1 Notwithstanding the big drop shown ) r . in the foregoing figures, the/ number of f passenger journeys last year was 0 232,000,000 greater than in. 1913. 'j Tho total engine mileage run by all railways in the United Kingdom last year ? was 484,332,599 miles, a decrease of ?« 91,244,640 miles. The average, receipt per train mile for passenger traffie was 10s \l 4.14 d, compared with 10s 0.02 din 1920. a The number of. coaches in use was 54.398, with a seating capacity of es 2.755,479. The number of coaches inaß creasetl by 81, and the seating capacity ay by 38,861. presumably due to the fact that • e . v.iiilo tho carriages drawn by steam power s ',j were 152 fewsr, those run by electricity ed' rose by 233.