THE ROMANTIC ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19929, 24 April 1928, Page 18

THE ROMANTIC ROAD.

BY ROWAN GLEN

• CHAPTER XlX.—(Continued.) While the sting of Prescott's mild remack remained Tressett, too, saw Maude, ;and, seeing her, stood back and buttoned :his' dinner jacket as though preparing lor battle. But he did not strike the blow which, in truth, ho had no wish to ictrike —though the desire was theie. The flushed and anxious girl placed herself between the men and looked, srom •one to the other bewilderedly. " Don't Eric!" she exclaimed. " Even if Mr. Prescott was coward enough-and ■cad enough to hit you, you mustn't .make •a scene here. You know how to be dignified if he doesn t." Then she flashed round on Prescott. "How dare you!" she demanded. J U st because you happen to be so big :and strong and because you feel spiteful to Eric " , , , She frowned and her face puckered, i6eeing that all the fire that had been tin him faded. " I'm mighty sorry that you saw' that, .Miss Felton," he said. " I like you, .and I think that you know it. Anyway, :i do like you. I'm not going to explain why I gave Lord Tresset t that friendly little pat. Alt I'll say is that I was rrather annoyed about something. It was very weak of me to lose my temper. 1 thought I'd conquered that sort of thing, for in the old days it got me into more "troubles than I could count. Perhaps it's too much to ask you to forget it, 'but I hope you'll try." She was breathing rapidly, and, genuino ■though her admiration for him was, and "though deep down in her there was a Jiking strong as bis, she bar] said a temporary good-bye to reasonableness. In her •own way she was suffering, and it was because of this suffering that she allowed Iherself a freedom of speech which in a calmer moment would have been denied. .".You're surprisingly tactful, Mr. Prescott," she told him, and gave a little nronical bow. " But—no Eric, you're not to say anything!—l think I know exactly why you lost our temper with Lord Tresset and insulted him. The whole ikernel of the business is—Audrey Haver;ton. There! I shouldn't be saying that, ibut I'm going to speak out, for once. "You're mad with Eric because he's going to marry her. Oh, you needn't look so rinnocent! You're in love with her. I know that though no word has been said to me about it by anyone. I won't :say anything about the money side of things. I believe you're decent enough to think little about that. But you've ■been beaten in this love game, and all ;you can do is to behave like a spoiled ihoy. Oh, I'm ashamed of you! Ii JAudrey knew " A hand was laid on her bare forearm, arid Tressett whispered: " Quietly, Maude. Audrey's coming." When Audrey joined them she seemed ■very cool; very much the great lady of iWarklev Chase. " What's all this bother ?" she asked. "I saw you from my window, and though I didn't hear what you were saying 1 gathered that you weren't swopping funny stories. Any explanations from anybody ?" ■ , It was Maude who answered: " I don't. thirik so, Audrey," she said; "We three ■were having a little bit of an argument, liut it's all over, and—-honour is satisfied. I'm going into the house to see if there's a chance of one rubber of bridge. I'm taking Eric with me for he* spromised to be mv Haven't von, Eric?" "Yes," glibly; ''Come on then." He went with her, but he contrived to nudge Prescott ere he. did so, and the . nudge, as Denis knew, meant " Keep j things to yourself." When, the others Jiad gone" Denis,' with a nervousness quit? unusual to him, looked at his companion and saidi ...... •- '••• • " Audrey! I hone von won't ask me any questions. I didn't think I'd !>e see- j sng you again to-night, and I'd meant , that our interview to-morrow should be j "very brief and business-like, but as you're j Jiere and I"m here—that reminds me of j some silly song T heard once—suppose we have what will probably be our last talk alone ? . . . Let's go over to that «eat yonder for orily five minute's." She went with him readily enough, and. tvhen they were seated, the graciousness and glamour of her affected him so much that he said something which he had longed to say but had vowed to himself that he would not sav.

" You're going to get married very soon, Audrey, and I hope with all my heart that you'll be happy. When I fame from Canada it wasn't because 1 >v£,nted a holiday. It was because I wanted to find you''find tell you that the wonder of wonders had happened. My father had died anc'l it turned out that he wasn't poor, bull that only a little while before his death he had come info S lot of money. At almost the same time n mine in which I had sunk every dollar of my savings, some years ago and which Was thought to be dead and done for, Was working again and every hour of [working meant cash for me.

"I came home to find out and to chance >nv luck again. The luck was out. Well! there it is! I've more money ihan I want, but I'm a poor man because I've lost the only prize that life jcoald offer me, and that I valued."

She laid a band on one of his. " You mustn't talk that way, Denis Hear," she chided him gently. "My engagement to Eric Tre-ssett, and the announcement of our early marriage is to "be made to-morrow in what Lady Trespett calls an official way. But first I'm going to have a talk with Eric, and with his mother, and with Humphrey Jenkins, the lawyer. I want you to be present at that talk, and to abide by whatever the result may be." Prescott shook his head as though he Bid not understand, which indeed lie did pot.

" I can't say more than I've done, and probably I've said too much as it is," he remarked. "It won't be on my conscience, anyway, that von went into things with your eyes shut. That's a poor enoueh consolation but as it's all I've got I'll have to make the most of it. I don't want you to be sorry for jne, Audrey. I'm doing all the sorrowing that is necessary. And yet I'd like to think that, if by any chance I could Jielp you in the future—no matter in ]*vhat way-—you'd let me know. " So far as I can see I couljd remain in the idler class for the rest of niv life, hut that doesn't appeal to me. It's not ft question of being virtuous nor of wanting to help the world's work along or anything of that sort. It's merely that I've always been active and that I'd be miserable if I hadn't something to do. 1 can make holiday with the best, but for most of the year T like to l>e busy." " You're going back to Canada ?7 " Yes—and soon. Probably within a week. I'm going to Cradle Creek, though 1 don't say that I'll settle there permanently. I'm going to be my own boss from now on, and have the sort of ranch that I've always wanted to have; a big place but not too big; well-stocked and well-worked, and with a really comfortable homestead. Perhaps you think that I shall settle in England or in my native Ireland, but I don't see myself doing that for a good many years. Maybe when I begin to get old I'll want 'my final resting place back where I started life, hut it's wa-sting time to plan so far ahead ps that." She was not looking at him, but wistfully through the dusk toward the drive plong which a tall, solitary figure was poming slowly. "Not a bad picture of a future either," phe said quietly. " I've got no quarrel With life in England, except that I haven't got used to it, and don't believo I ever really will. I'm not pretending that I d like to bo poor again—as poor, I ■mean, as I was before Mr. Humphrey Jenkins came to call on father. I'm fls fond of comforts as anyon>, but *—oh! I don't know—there's too much jtarchiness about all this society business for ine. I may haive been born to it M every one keeps telli/icr me. but I'm Hot accustomed to it. I'll often think

A POWERFUL STORY OF STRONG LOVE INTEREST.

(COPUIIGBT.)

about -you, Denis, when you're out on your Canadian ranch. I know exactly the sort of thing that you'll be doing." She spoke with an effort, and it was merely because she had a scheme in mind and believed optimistically that this scheme would bear good fruit, that she remained as calm as she did and talked with so great a reserve. " You say that you hope I'll be happy. Well' I hope that you'll be happy, too. One of these days, perhaps-,' you'll be marrying and " "I'm afraid not,", he interrupted. "I said once to Jenkins that I would possibly take a wife to myself some day but that was said thoughtlessly. . . I wonder who that is over yonder? He went to the door and I saw Smelton speak to him. He's coming this way. . . Must l>e someone looking for you." They watched the approaching: stranger, and presently Prescott snapped a finger and thumb.

" Why! good lord!" he exclaimed in a whisper. " It's either Cedric Barton or someone exactly like him. What in the world can he want ? " Less than a minute later they knew, for Barton, uneasy in his man icr, yet bearing himself with a certain arrogance, reached them and, having taken off his soft hat bowed clumsily.

" I hope you'll forgive me. Miss Haverton—and you, Mr. Prescott," he started. "I'd no A" gilt to walk in on you like this but something made me do it. I won't keep you more than a few minutes." They had glanced at each other and Prescott said: '''What's the idea, Barton? When I bade a good-bye to you in Athens the understanding was that you were to get back to London and make a real effort to settle down and to go straight. Also there was to be no question of your ever attempting to interfere in my affairs again. Might I ask who sent you this time, and if " The other shook his head. " I can t blame you for doubting me," he returned, " but I came here off my own bat. I wanted to see you and Miss Haverton, and I'd an idea, too, that I wanted a few minutes alone with Tressett. But I think I'll give the last part of the programme a miss." " I don't understand all this," Audrey said. " I'm not going to talk about that Skyaria affair, Mr. Barton, but I think I'd" just as soon that you hadn't come here. How did you discover where, we were ? " He turned toward her and spoke gravely and with obvious sincerity. " That was very, simple," he answered. " I've never bec-n troubled much by a conscience. Miss Haverton, but I seem to have either refound one or grown one within the last, week or two. Fate may have helped me—l don't know. Anyway, I've had a bit of luck that I didn't deserve. An aunt of mine who never parted with a penny to me, but who's always been rather keen on me for some unknown reason, died, and left things so that I'm comfortably fixed—unless I make a fool of myself. I think I've learned/ my lesson. Maybe it was a sort of feeling of thanksgiving that urged me to come along to see you two, and apologise for all the low-down games 1 tried. That's really all—and this time it will be a final good-bye. I don't suppose I'll ever 3lieet you again, but if I do " he paused and there was something of pathos in his smile—- " I hope that you'll recognise me as a reformed character." There was silence. Then, as the other was moving away Prescott spoke: " I think this is rather sporting of 'you Barton," he said.'* " Queer, the impulses that come to one. I forgive you all right, and I think 1 can speak .for Miss Haverton, too. I told her certain j of the things which I discovered from you, but it seems that she wasn't prepared to believe us." "What?" Barton-exclaimed sharply. " Not believe us ? Well! if she cares to bring Tressett out here or will take me in him I'll very soon make her believe."

Audrey had risen, and now she bowed to him.

"Thank you, but I'm tired of scenes," she remarked. " Like Mr.. Prescott I think it was sporting of you to come here, but we'll let that good-bye stand, Mr. Barton. You got off lightly, but I'm going to warn you that, you must, not attempt to hurt Lord Tressett in any way." He went from them and a minute or so later had disappeared. " Let's go indoors." Audrey said " I don't want to talk any more to-night—-even to you." »To De concluded to-morrow.)