SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18455, 19 July 1923, Page 14

SHORT STORY.

fcN THE BEACH AT PAPEETE, ' ■:■;'■ : "■'-' ■ ■ ; '- : '. '' ' i'

•BY BEN BOLT.

■ ■■■.".■■; - : .'.-' »'...•';"::<■■.. ■ -~- - ....': , • '.',, •:■.:....' -.'■'.: '>;'/.'.:'■; , '..''- ; !..i>;--'''.''r:.;;;.:-.. ''■'-' l .' ■■ »..' 1 ~'Vi. :'./.' j, .:■;■>-' :'•'•'• (£aj>y«sht.) m , /:' , Ifjp the broken ''.{road; thai led to the . ; Tails of Fontana fled two, men. . One was .•*!■'• tall .and; golden, ."' while /the v other was *-•; medium-sized *with skin "that was almost if ;< swarthy, and hair that was black as night ft ■,';'■ but both era 1 clad in : ragged pyjamas, V ">;. and broken canvas shoes, \ with grass'•' hats • to shield their heads from the tropical ''•. sun., The road they followed was a dream ■•; •'•''; of beauty, and the cool water of the y yZ " r - stream ; under : ' the tropic greenness was '■■'. -•':.'■ inviting; but with the sweat of their ' endeavours standing out on their bronze ; ;; skins, the two men pushed upward along '■■.' '-I the narrowing path, until a sound .of , laughter brought them to a sudden halt. That was a man's laugh!" said the ; . shorter of the two in a whisper. I The golden-haired one nodded, and ini;;; stantly his companion left the path, push- \ ing his way into the thick undergrowth ■. ■ until ;he was completely lost ,lo view. -■;/.> The tail-man did not immediately follow him, but for a little time stood: where he was, looking up . and down the empty S : i road until v the man in the bushes called • ' to lura in an impatient' whisper: ** Don't stand mooning there, Ingleby. , You'll give the show away." With a last look up and down the >.-.'."v road, the golden-haired one turned and ;•• pushed his way through the lush green until he came to. his companion, halfconcealed.. in "a dense growth of guava bushes, an anxious questioning look upon his face. '

. "Seen any 'of those confounded genv darmes be - asked sharply. 4f; - " No," replied Ingleby, "there's no .":;_ one at all on the road." " They may be ahead of us," said the other thoughtfully. ~

That* is uossible," agreed Ingleby; and then as he wiped the. sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his pyjamas, gave a dry laugh. "I don't know that I. care much. I'd as soon cool my heels in the calaboose with & gendarme to shepherd me as run like a fox before the hounds."

" Calaboose!" snorted the other. "It's not the calaboose for me; it's back to that inferno at New Caledonia if they get hold of me."

"By Jove — I was forgetting that, Farrow."

" I ain't likely to forget- it," replied

Farrow, with a bitter laugh: " An' yon .-.,( jj wouldn't forget either if you'd been in the chain-gang at He Nou, Ingleby." , i j: The tall man nodded sympathetically. »■- "That is very likely." He thrust a i; • hand into the pocket of his pyiama jacr ?'-;d; ket, ■ brought: forth a packet of papers, .'■f;& and with a wisp of common tobacco pro- )*%: ceeded to roll himself a cigarette. While i'.;- he was doing so he!glanced at the other's -..; v./'tense .face: /" I: say,- Farrow,", he said; jrj| "how did you come to hit New Calei.i \ |.v. donia! I don't think you have over told ■*** ' me."/""■ ■','■'''.""•■"'/ ..' > '.--•. ... * '; f " No? Well, it was nothing more rot;j \ ten than poaching pearl arid shell down ! .•j:V in the I'aumotas.': A French gunboat hap-" ;j J pened along, and: in a row when I was • : | ; ,';, trying to break away, I hit.-'a lieutenant r 7,tV over the head.' That did ; for'me. They • confiscated the schooner and sent me to '*«?.■•.. New Caledonia, for five years. It's two ?. •■;;-•' months since I - broke loose and stowed ii'., away,* and I've been'. in Papeete ■'; for a , month j waiting for an American • boat to .'■ # happen along." 'f' ' '""'"";-?-"'": T-' ■•• -' '*' i.; "And now the authorities are sweeping us off the beach, putting us in the calaboose if-we don't clear out," Ingleby laughed cheerfully. "To be nunted by _'•;,: '^froggy.'.gendarmes is ' a i new y experience, "*'s'£A anyway." > ,', ; r-s'-" v "; .> t-;-..-, v!'.■_■..•:; •" '.' '.■""" For you, mebbe, but not -for me. : I've been at the game before, an', it ain't / no catch." As he spoke he' slipped up the sleeve of his pyjamas, and in the fleshy part of his left arm showed a ;; '[ ; ■'!newly-healed Wound.- " A Auliet did .•';••' that/' he said truculently. "The.frcggies ; don't mind firing at an 'unarmid . ' '_■ man."'; , '- ; "'" '•* . '•'- (Joqd target practice: far them, . I ■'■■■■ ' suppose, "commented Ingleby,: and proV v ceeded to light his cigarette. . ;;; : • "Target! Farrow broke off his ';;, explosive utterance, as on the still after-: ' . . noon air came a sudden burst- of feminine • ;--laughter. : "Girls!" he . ejaculated. "No need to ; crouch here.' They'll be bath- '.- ing in one of :■ the -pools; an' if those blighted gendarmes happen: along : they'll V bath: too. Come on, ingleby, we'll' push .\- on to -the mountain. We'll be safe -'/' enough up there." " • * ' ,""

:■',":■' As he spoke ho began to thrust his ', way back to the pathway. His companion ;', followed him indolently* as if deprecating ■ \ all this fuss and splutter about a few .}■■ gendarmes, and once they. were back on >; the path laid: a restraining hand on the '• ' other's shoulder. ■"*'.,.' \ , > . .--.*>. " Look . here, Farrow, there's no need .V' to overwork the willing horse. It's ten \ <:,' to I one the . gendarmes aren't coming this ; .*-;; way at all, and even if they are, it-twill '•'.:;;', be a$ well to save one's : wind for: a - ':;;• ' spurt."- •-'".. ' .;'■' >.a <-' ; " That's all right," growled the, ..other/ "but you haven't been in that • infernal -;' prison of lie Nou—" ■-■ ' - <.'•'- ' -"', ;j \;. ./"And dbnt.,• want to go .there,!' U\ laughted Ingleby, "so we'll keep mod-' ~: erate pace, so -, that we'll be able to run .''£■ if occasion arises." . \',r:fi-V- : 'V ;^ '; . The dark man.growled, ' but moderated i '■,]:', his pace, and. without speaking they pursued the uphill.; path, till again the sound of laughter reached them, and as ■ Farrow came to ."af; standstill, Ingleby •■.•'•'. spoke:''. _' l ... "There's a pool, just ahead. I know v ■■•-it. It's the pool where Pierre Loti surprised Earahu that afternoon when for .;. , a scarlet ribbon she let an ancient Chinaj, ..man kiss her naked shoulder." '. ' "Lor*," cried Farrow, '* what rot you talk!" Then his black visage, wrinkled in a grin. "Oh,, I remember; Loti is that writing fellow who in real life's a U'rencn nc-miral, isn"t he?" " Yes, Admiral Viand." "Well, it. don't matter much to us cither way. All we've got to do is to ; avoid being seen, so we had better give the place a' wide ; berth. There's Europeans up there by the sound of things— Yankees. No island girl ever laughed like that! They—" :>/ He broke off as a voice cam 6 through •-;■ the screen of fern, granadilla vines and ' ; shrubs, in laughing expostulation. "No i ' Princess Noanoa/it is too high to dive 1 ,{ S- ' "Told you so, Ingleby. That's pn : English girl." He checked suddenly as . ,-he caught the startled look on his companion's face then he asked curiously: iV «* Something bit you, Ingleby, or have you seen a ghost : >;;."No," answered the other with a, hol>f low laugh. "Only heard one!" '•.':. a sound behind them made Farrow :■ ..H, turn : his head, and as he did so he gave '.a' warning cry. "Two gendarmes were .'.just breaking from the, bush- not twenty • .yards down the path. Ingleby. swinging round caught sight of them.

..." ' Halte!" . •■•••»'■' '; \'U, The hail; reached them as they began • , :^ ; ; to run.' Farrow "leading, with Ingleby five yards behind. A second later the • : "OBiraand wru repeated, and on the beds : ".'of it a phot crashed.' The fugitives heard "ihe bullet whin© over their heads as *iH;V":.':.'S;y<'::;'!■;..:' ';■'■■. ''..'.;•', .:;•.■•''.•• ■"■''" ■■■.'■.''•:'..■•. '■."■■ .-. ■■ L.' ' i iiy.r-'i'-i;V-i'- :.'•-.::-; : ' -ny:■->?:■;■ ,-:■,•■'■-:•: -V' ..■•'-■•.•■:. ' >■.•.■■■■. ■ Vim&&is.ww.; '■:<(■ ,xa.. ■"■ ■ ■■:.■■>. . :>: . ,

they flung themselves in -the bushes, running now. ; for frieir lives. Within : two 1 minutesi r . the - golden-haired Englishman lost sight of his companion, but followed in {the/ direction he supposed him to have' gbho,v^wiiich-was.; toward ; the pool. He had • gone but a : little way, : however, 1 when misfortune overtook ; him'. Plunging through 'the thicket, starred with the pas-: ; siori: ; flowers of ; the granadilla, ; ho trod unexpectedly , on . air; and fell - down a straight apiece of cliff' overgrown' with creepers.' The fall was not more than nine feet, but it jarred r him, and twisted His ankle so badly that even before he picked. himself up, ho knew 'that he 'twould run no more for some days. ' For a; full minute he lay quite still, recovering breath, and as he rolled over was utterly startled to see a tall girl, dressed in awhite pareu, such as the Tahitian women wear when bathing. Hut this was no native of Tahiti. Her skin was white as milk, her features clear cut as by a sculptor's chisel; and while her hair was black as night, her eyes, lit - now by, surprise, were blue as the Pacific skies. For a moment she stared in wonder, then into her eyes leaped a light of, recognition to meet that which had kindled in his own. t

" You!" she cried in a startled voice; then swift came the question: "What are you doing here, Roger

"Running away from the gendarmes," he answered with a laugh that was touched with bitterness. "You must have heard the shot—-"

"Shot!" A swift light of apprehension gleamed in the blue eyes. "They are after you? They tried to shoot you "Yes," he answered, and as he spoke, a voice a little distance away shouted in French: ;:■-'"■ ' "Par ici!" "They are coming," he said, and added with bitterness: "You can give mo up. I can't run. I've hurt—" "Give you up!" The clear cut-face flushed deeply. "Roger, how can you. Oh, they are coming," she whispered apprehensively: "Quick! There's a cleft at the end here. Crawl into it, Roger. Oh, quick, quick! I will save you yet."

Roger Ingleby looked up, saw the apprehension in her face, the urgent light in her eyes, and without a word obeyed her. Scarcely was he in the cleft when over him was thrown a white drill skirt, other feminine garments, and he as crouched in the cleft he heard a voice in the bushes overhead asking' for information in French. "Two men. No! One there was! He has gone by the cliff over the waterfall." "Sacrebleu!" . r . There was a noise of someone thrusting through the thicket, another voice asked a question, and then the noise of retreating steps. For what seemed an intolerably time nothing else happened, and Ingleby divined that his saviour was waiting until the two gendarmes were out of earshot. A voice, speaking in soft Tahitian French, cried something, and he heard the girl answer that she was coming, then the clothes were jerked from him. and tho girl addressed him in a swift whisper. -.

"You must remain here," she said. "The gendarmes are gone; but I must talk with you/ Roger. lam with friends camped above the falls. I will come back in half an hour. You will wait?" • "If you insist!" ■''■■'■' "' "I do!" . .' -• " • '"'"Therr---'' :

"I shall count on you." .'.'',''.-, She slipped away and presently mingling with the ripple of water, he caught the* swish of feminine garments. A moment or two after he heard the soft Tahitian voice . again close at hand this time, and as the English ; girl replied, using ; the : new-comer's name—Princess Noanoahe knew that her companion was a daughter of the deposed royal house of old Tahiti. Presently the sound of departing steps reached him and : turning cautiously he sat up, and looked after -the two friends. f His eyes fixed themselves upon the English girl, with the wet pareu over her arm. There was an enigmatic expression on his face as he watched the tall, graceful figure skirting 'the edge of the rock pool where she had been bathing; an expression which deepened to one of. perplexity as she passed out of sight. .

"Why must I wait here ?" he muttered. "What's the good of-—■" '

-"•■: The increasing pain of his injured ankle interrupted his thought, and he gave it what attention : was possible, then twisted himself a cigarette, and once more gave himself up to reflection. The sound of a distant rifle shot impinged on his ears; and he looked up toward the mountain. "Must have -sighted Farrow," he said aloud. "Poor beggar, I hope they don't get him. lie.Nou must be the step beyond Purgatory."

Again he slipped into reverie, and 'so remained : until'the gleam of white muslin dress through the bushes moved him to rise to his feet, or rather to his one serviceable foot;: for the injured ankle was so. painful that to put his weight upon it was agony. !3o he stood balancing himself against the rock, until the Englsih girl halted a yard or so away from him. "Well?" he said in a hard voice, "I have waited as 1 you see. What do you want with me, Barbara

; The girl flushed crimson at this greeting, and a little sparkle of anger came in i her eyes, but quickly passed:* "I wanted to tell you how glad I am to see you, Roger!" -"But your husband, doesn't he——"

V "My • husband! The girl laughed a little tremulously. "I have no husband, Koger."

"He is dead then ' She shook her head. "No! I have never been married.!'

"You have never been married!" he cded in' astonishment, then his voice hardened again. "But why this delay Gerald Gledshaw, is not the man to have the grass grow under his feet!" "Perhaps not! Just now now he is in Somaliland, hunting lions. He went there when I changed my mind, and told him very plainly that not withstanding my father's wishes I could never be his .wife." ,'f/"<- ■ :- : :''.' ? ■■..'.■,■■-■:' /- . : '...,".•. : /'=

"But I read the announcement in. the Times, I mean the announcement of your engagement with the information that the wedding was to take place within two months.".

■■'■' 'The last was a lie;. and for the first while it. was true, I broke it because I suddenly discovered that there was only one man in the world whom I could possibly marry, and he—and well, he had run away." • ';'; "Yes!" ho said harshly, "because of your perfidy." < •...' . "Roger," she said patiently, "you can guess the pressure that was brought to bear to persuade me. You know how my mother worked to bring about an" alliance with Lord Gledshaw and —" "You agreed," he said still harshly. , "And then recanted— dust and ashes," she said tremulously, "and set off across the world to find— find the one man whom I could marry." There was no softening of his face as he looked "at her, - but into his voice which was still harsh there crept a little note of wonder. "You came to look for me, Barbara?" "For the one man I could marry." The wonder that had been in his voice manifested itself in his face, then ho laughed with a bitter laughter. <Jf' L^° k at , rae /V^ e said 5 and as he himself glanced at his ragged pyjamas and broken shoes, he flushed suddenly-with shame for himself, though the girl did: not guess what had caused the blood to surge so suddenly in his face. "You can see wnat I am—a beachcomber with the gendarmes at my heels to run me into a calaboose, because I had not obeyed the notice to leave Tahiti in the prescribed time. The man who was with me is an escapee from New. Caledonia, and for the last month we have herded with halfcastes and other men on the beach; we have slept in- a disused native hut ,and been dependent upon the generosity of of native women," v i

He saw her flinch at the last statement; which 'had been ; made brutally, .with, the mere ■ intention 1 to hurt, 7 and as -Ingleby I caught'; the look in - her eyes, he laughed mirthlessly; arid heM his '.arms wide. , "Now," he cried : suddenly, "you know what I am, a man 'on the beach,' a companion 'of ' failures and spongers and beggars; am I still the man whom you would marry ;".;:■■.'"•'.•.. ' ' ■v'.'v She looked ■at him : with - unflinching • eyes. '-'You know that best, Roger," : she said quietly. "If there is anything that should come between us,'you <; know it better than I, and——" ; --*'f "'■- --•> "Before God, Barbara." he cried amazedly, "I believe you mean ; it." '• • '■■. . "Before God, I. believe I do," she answered with a pitiful attempt to smile., "You would take me as I am—a beachcomber; a pariah whom the gendarmes are hunting; a— pyjama-man?" "I feel I owe you even' that atonement" . she , said, softly, Vfor. I sent you here." ' ■'■'■ '' . ' •, _• "Atonement!'? he cried ; roughly. ."I want no atonement, Barbara. I want your "Even that— — she began tremulously. • "Barbara!" he interrupted; his voice shaking. "Barbara, you mean it?" "Yes." :/■;■■ .'■■ "And you will marry me like this? he glanced at his not very respectable attire.' ..:';■ "■'.'■' '.■'■■' •■.'!'. 'J (J ■ "If you haven't another suit of— — "This is my wedding-suit,'_' he said, his voice hardening with determination. • > "Then so bo it." "We will be married at the English Consul's as soon as I can crawl down, if. I can escape the gendarmerie. This, foot of mine will be a handicap " "I will make arrangements," she interrupted. "Oh, but I must," she said, as he began to protest. "I will not have it said that'l took my bridegroom from the calaboose. You must indulge .me: so far, whatever else— —" ,-• • ■"... ' "Barbara ■ you're a brick!" He held.out his arms . : >»Vitingly. "Come, my dear, he said in a voice grown suddenly tender. . "I am waiting—" she began with tremulous laughter, and left the sentence unfinished, her face buried on his shoulder. Two days later the English. missionary looked with astonished eyes at the couple ' whom he was asked to marry; whilst the Consul's eyes betrayed a certain quiet amusement. When the missionary drew him aside and whispered his doubts as to the wisdom of such a marriage, for the . girl, the Consul told him to have no scruples, and when the ceremony was over that official, after wishing the bride much happiness, turned to the bridegroom. " I believe I have a wedding present for you, Mr. Tngleby." ,'■"",.' "It is very likely," replied > Ingleby, with a laugh. " You have letters ?" "Several. > They are here. You saw that advertisement ?"•■'. ' "Yes; three days ago. But I wasn't free at the time; I had a chum who— — " He broke open a long legal-looking envelope, took out a folded sheet of paper to. which was pinned an obvious credit note.. glanced at the • paper, and then nodded to the Consul. " Lady Ingleby," said the Consul, with a bow, '" allow mo to congratulate you." " Lady■!" began the girl in a startled voice, and ..then looked swiftly. :at her bridegroom, who nodded and laughed. "Yes, Lady Tngleby.V ; * "You- know," she cried, "you knew all the time?" ■ • . : -

"I guessed," he answered "but I wasn't going to let you know.".; "Why?" / .' .. ■ ,■:"■■■- ."; •■; ;.; " Because you might not have married me if you had known that I had succeeded to the baronetcy. Oh,' I know you, Barbara." he i laughed.' "You" would have been -afraid lest I should think that you were fortune-hunting, and you would have -refused to marry me, and so I let you -marry the . beachcomber." * . ,

" Who is no worse for, being a baronet," laughed- the Consul. Roger— Roger—l—l could shake vou!" cried Lady Barbara, but.kissed him instead.' - . ■ ■:....' ; . .'■:.:■:-.--

Ten days later, when, in a dainty schooner which the Consul had chartered for them, tboy set out to continue their honevmoon among the Islands, with them sailed* Farrow, the escapee from He Nou, who, as from the deck he looked at the rockv heights of Eimeo, cried suddenly: " Lor'! — believe luck has changed at last!" -

And it unquestionably had! ;. - (The End.)