MISS PHIPPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18772, 28 July 1924, Page 3

MISS PHIPPS.

' BY KATHERINE TirNAN; ;

(Copyright.) : - CHAPTER XVl—(Continued). The tjmp passed quickly as time does when friends who love «ach ; other are * together. They -were talking over the un-. happy love story of Christopher Talbot and Mary Pierpont. ' "The story current among the people here," said Gabriel, "is th;a.t the, Ciurse 'drugged him whenever Miss Pieroont came. At last his indifference drove her away. She took it very badly in those days. I am not surprised that her , brother, who thought the world and all of her, was angry with; Mr. Talbot, ,even though he was a sick man. Am I a horrid gossip?" She lifted the candid face with eyes jß'ide like a child's, to Delia's face. No one could have looked less a horrid gossip. * "I am inclined not to believe about the drugging," said Delia. "Not that I know otherwise, but there is. something about Miss Phipps that makes her irresistible for propaganda. I wonder how ghe escaped being taken for a German'spy during the war." "She is not a German?" "Of course not. She is from Norfolk, I believe; but if anybody had started it everyono would have believed it." Terry Le Mesurier camo with a proposal thai, he should drive them back to Clyffe after tea. Ciyffo was fifteen f miles awav and Daisy seemed to have had enough of it. The going over wet, ploughed fields ,had been very heavy. It seemed the best thing to be done. Delia conceded frankly thaifc more than Daisy had had enough of it. She felt deiliciGusly lazy curled round in tho deep ! chair before the glowing fire, while the darkness grew in the boughs of the troes around the bouse,, and the children were brought in after their walk;, having been made tidy, Gabriel, with her Norse fair, neis a:nd her queer fancies, was a delicious child, but Delia found Simon even more attractive, being a small white and gold thing, very gentle even when ha romped with his dog, Bustle, a Sisalyham, lind always very, grave. Delia could not discover yet tint Simon even smiled, much Jess laughed. The usual bulletin from Esther, which made very 4 naint reading, had not arrived before they had left Clyffo in the morning. H« j news had been monotonous. Mr. Talbot h: d been out driving with her. He looked v iry pale and they had to havo -the carr »ing-chair. Argus ind Lossie did their dut r. Argus never left the mat outside tie master's door except when forcibly taken for a run, Lossie occasionally mada h<r way .to the Rose Room. Wnenever Either missed hev she looked there and wai sure to find 'her. Sha had been rather r sstless., Argus being no oompanv for her j and on one occasic .i she had been bro ight heme from the village very ragged tnd dirty. -'She must have been desperate "to do it," wrote Esther, "a dog of her b'sedin'. She don't like it to be talked ibout." Christopher Talbot had progressed So .far as to be take i out for very slow drives, which would lot shake biro, on his good days. With so much, they had to be satisfied l ■' . ' CJIAPTEP. xvn. AN XmGENX jtatCAXi. •Driving hoi ee through the mild damp evening, in tie open car, the two men sitting in tht. front, Delia hoped there would ..be the usual bulletin from Esther and that it- mould contain good news. It ■ was time for her to go bafck. Her uerviness had disappeared. The change had wrought wonders. One or two picturesque j'hrases in Esther's ..letters occurred to 1 er, " She creeps about the house after dark like a witch snd that cat of hers-follows with ilia back up., I got a, horrid fright when I met his eyes one nighft on the stairs. . That one's evil,- I'm sure of it. . . . . She -won't have the; lights on in the passages, tays we're wastin'. Poor Dofcbs trod on her cat one night as be went down the passage in the dark and it gpittin' at him, if it had been the stairs be couldn't have saved himself. . . . You'll be fine and welcome especially to the dogs. Lossie don't seem herself— shivery-like. . . . The Master very dead in himself as my old Irish granny used to say. . „ It would be like the spring comin' if you was to come back". . . " Oh, abe had been selfish, she had been selfish, she said to herself, remembering those extracts from the letters and others like them. Absorbed in the happiness that, was turning-the dark, days to gold jihe had been leaving Brown Ghyll to the gloomy and sinister influence of Miss Phipps. -When shs had kft she herself had lost courage and energy.' Now it had come back in full flood, and it was time for her to go home, and bring her atmosphere with her. She' knew how .the"house must miss her. -• This had been Her first quiet time for thinking for many days. Jira had absorbed her, had made claims or her to which she loved to yield. From mdrn- ■■■:■] big tip night she had been busy and happy. Now, with the delight of his presence near her, perhaps tired physically after the unusual exertion she was content to sit still without talking. . She could see the road ahead lit by. the great light that seemed to make furrows where therei were no furrows. Now and again something sped across the road before them,- fleeting from the light—a rat perhaps or a rabbit. Sometimes a twig snapped in a coppice a,s they paased —the birds and the tittle animals frightJ ec'ed of them, making good their escape. Jim would protest against her going home, ehe knew, although ha had said while • tlhey rede, looking afe her with an i ardour 'that made her heart thump in her side, that it would soon bo time for him to be going, that bin affair:! needed him. For many days past now ho had been on the edge of definite, speech. Sh«J had run away from him more than once when she saw "the words coming. She wanted him to speak them, ana yet she was afraid. There was something • exhilarating and wonderful and qjiiet and sweet and shy in this time of waiting. She was in no hurry to end it. Now and again he turned to her with a question. "'All right, old thing?" They bad got to that- easy intimaoy. She Mould auswer that she was all right and the silence would fall , again, except for the rush of tho motor and the stealthy ' movements of little things in the hedgerows and coppices, . There was no letter on the hall table, ■ ■ Esther had not written; but a little later, after she had had a hot bath an it dressed for dinner, she found the letter laid on ' . tlie writing-table in her bedroom. She . had been saying to herself, while she put On the green frock in which Jim had not - yet seen her and arranged tie green wreath in her hair, very shyly, before the glass, for she imagined his eyes, when he should see her, that to-morrow she must go back to Brown Ghyll. She would have to break away from the sweet spell that had held her. Jim would drive her back. Perhaps she would return as an engaged girl with that strong armour of : v Jim's ring and his kiss against the vague terrors of the house. Perhaps. . . Turn-; J .: ing about she saw the letter. It had been lying face upwards. She could not imagine how she had overlooked it. "Dear Madam. —This is to tell you that Lossie is not well and you had better return at once.-—Yours respectfully, . "Estkek Green."

She said to herself that Lossie must be "very ill to make Esther x rite that letter. Her heart had sank as though Lossie had been her own flesh and blood. It was a melancholy Delia who walked into the drawing room, where Jim Lovell, standing with his back to the fire, , awaited her raming; There was no light in the room but the fire. She had come down early, : V knowing he would be there,. ;, - As she came near he suddenly put his arms and caught her into them holding her fast for a few moments. Then ha relinquished her and while she shook out her crushed finery he regarded her with s> half-shy, half-roguish smile, the smile ef a triumphant boy-lover.

"Yon shouldn't have worn that frock if you hadn't meant,, line to hurry up,'.'* bo saitL "V,//- ; .He apiproaclied her;;again with extended arms, but she eladoij him just in time. Tho butler came in, put a log on the fire, switched! on the lights and went out again. " As though we coudn't have done that for ourselves! " said Jim Lovell, switching off tho lights again. " Coming in at much a moment too." She still kept the chair between them, with a feminine perversity averse from the thing she most desired. He cam© and knelt on the chair facing har, took her face between his hands and brought his own nearer. ' " E[ias mo of your , own free will, darling! 1 " he said. " You can't put me off tiny longer. I am quite out oS hand, but 3; won't force your first kisses." She leant across the chair and Irissed him, the first of many kisses. *■■■.■■■ When Mary Pierpont came in the lovers were sitting on opposite sides of the fire. ." What do you think, Mary ? " the young man said in a voice that tried to be dolorous. "We aro going to break up your party. I've got to go back. Old Abraham Skinner of Bays, my oldest tenant, died to-day. I must be home for the kneral. And Delia's little dog is ill. So she must go too. If we might have the car in the morning I could leave Delia at Brown Ghyll and* go on to Keswick in time for 'the eleven train." " If you would like to do it that way? It sounds very roundabout," said Mary. " And, of course, I shall miss you both dreadfully. But vou will come back." "1 shouldn't fee happy unless I knew that Delia was safe at Brown Ghyll. I shall get back here .again, perhaps for Christmas. I've been idling a lot and there are a great many things I have to. look after." "Why, of courso, Jim." "You've been awfully good to us, Mary, a,nd I daresay you won't be very much surprised." He laid an arm about Delia's shoulder, the other about Mary's and drew them

together. " Give us your blessing, Mary," be said humbly. "If I don't make her happy it won't bo my fault-. Isn't she a lovely sweetheart for a man to have ? " " She is indeed, Jim. I can't tell you bow glad I am. But, of course, I saw it coming."

Mary was so beautiful about it all they agreed, hoping, when she had left them together, that her happiness might yet come to pass. She had asked Delia if the letter contained any news of Kit, and had been told that it did not. She had bean wonderfully sweat and sympathetic about ILossie, the thought, of whom was even now a cloud upon Delia's new wonderful happiness. " !l "No more bulletins are necessary," said Delia. "He has been out driving, yon know." When Delia went to her room she found her packing all done, with the things she iihould require for use at night and in the morning left out. She had begun to take off her evening frock when Mary Pierpont, -who had said she would come to say good-night, appeared. Delia had been thinking of ringing for a maid to get out of the somewhat complicated garment, one of her new acquisitions, which was Parisian, fastened invisibly in unexpected places. No one could say that Delia was dowdy these days, and, as Gabriel Le Mesurier said, she paid for. dressing. Mary helped her, hung up the frock carefully on its hanger, and pui; the warm ilittle dressing-jacket about the girl's beautiful bare shoulders. " I am going to brush your lovely hair," she said. "I have never yet seen it down. Now sit quietly while I take out the hairjpins, and we shall have a little, talk." "It -is - wretched hair," said Delia. " There is so much of it, and it is so troublesome to put up." "You ungrateful child!" said Mary, inurmuring to herself: ."Hair such a wonder of flis and floss." jf' The hairpins out, the hair fell like a golden mantle, live, hair too, waving and curling and sending out sudden gold, full ibf electricity, and making a little crackling noise as : the brush went through it. S! " What treat there is in store for Jim!" said M&ry. "He wil.l be wild when he sees it. He has never seen it idown, of course. I daresay be will want to 'brush it, but v don't let him or be will get lit all. into knots and tangles." | Suddenly she stooped and kissed the girl.. : Dear bride! " she said softly. "Don't keep Jim waiting." Life is too uncertain for lowg waits. Fortunately there is no reason .why yon two dear things should wait. Let us buy the trousseau together. I can go up. to London with you as soon ; as yc.il are satisfied about Lossie. . Don't let Gabriel Le Mesurier push me out. After ell, she has Gabriel and Robin to say nothing of Terry, and I am a lone woman."- ,r " As though I should want anyone but you! " said Delia. Mary went on to talk of her own •

" I've been, thinking since vou told me, idarling! " she said, " that Kit was coming to me that day that, if he needs me, I ought to go to him, Only, I dare not fact* what I went through before, when he did not want me, even after be had come to recognise me. ; Now that he i 3 better he will remember again p«rhap3, and if I ought to come you will let me know." t Delia got up impulsively and clasped Mary Pierpont's head in her arms. ii "I know he will want you/' she said. I know he will want you. I know you would mean life to him, health, joy, strength. I will write and tell you about him 'and then you must come to him. You will have to dispossess Miss Phipps and take care of him yourself, and give fciaa abundant happiness to make up for all. he has lost." "Poor Miss Phipps!" said Mary unexpectedly, ".she has been very devoted to him. lam sorry for Miss Phipps." r-- " I don't know that. I'm not sorry for her too," said Delia, and added: " Only I can't forgive her for being cruel to Lossie, and I know it was because of that horrid cat." - •. (To ba continued daily.)