ANOTHER MAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20375, 2 October 1929, Page 5

ANOTHER MAN

A SHORT STORY.

BY ANNIE 0. TIBBITS

It was a blustering wot night, with a grey sky above and muddy roads underfoot. The wind tore unsteadily between the trees and out across the square —a cold damp wind bringing with it heavy splashes of rain. Under one of the trees in flic square close against the railings stood a man and a girl. The girl looked poor and ill-clad, with a white thin face ; that had in it a look almost of desperation. The man was tall and strong and welldressed, with an eager keen-cut face, and he held out his hands as he looked into the girl's eyes. "If you only would, Bessie," he cried. " I'm well off —I could take care of you, and I would —you know that. I'd give you my life." Bessie drew a little away, but she smiled up afc him. "Yes, I.know, Tom," she said, softly, " and if I hadn't promised George- " Tom took a sudden step forward. " Is it only because you promised ?" he cried, eagerly. "It is only because you (liink it's your duty to go to George that you won't marry me ? -My goodness, Bessie, you're not going to many him just because you said you would, are you ?" " No,- no, .but I must go out to him," she said. " lie wants mc. If I'd had the money I should have started two months ago. 1 promised him I'd go directly he .sent for me. Oh, it seems such a long time ago, Tom, since ho went. It's a year, hut it seems much longer, and father hadn't died then, and—and—" Tom Standish looked down at her. A year ago she had not been, the poor girl she was now. In twelve short months many changes had taken place. She had become poor —he had grown rich. Her father was dead, and George Fleming, to whom she had been engaged, was out in Australia trying to make a living, so that she could go out to him. Eighteen months before Tom Standish and George Fleming had both been in love with Bessie Leigh. In those days her father was supposed to be a rich man, and somehow, while Tom hesitated at the, thought of proposing to her while he was poor, George had stepped in and won, much against her father's wish. A few months Inter be bad gone out (o Australia, and a short time after that Bessie's father died suddenly, leaving her, not. rich as everyone expected, but absolutely and terribly poor. She would have been utterly adrift if it had not been for Tom Standish, and he managed somehow to get for her a post as nursery governess to some people lie knew. If it had not been for that she. might have starved. She had been in the situation for two months—it was only three since her father died —and her sole thought now was to get out to Australia •J to George, who had begged her to go to him as soon as she could. _ That letter was the last she had received .from him. It was a long letter, full of what ho was going to do, and somehow it filled Tom Standish with distrust. " Yon haven't heard again, I suppose?" he asked. Bessie flinched a little. " No," she said. " I haven't heard, but I've written telling him what boat, I'm going by, and—and the date and all about it, so that I shall probably get, a letter in a day or two. There's a mail on Wednesday." " But supposing you don't hear? " Tom cried, abruptly. Bessie lifted her head bravely. " I shall go wheTher 1 hear or not," she said, bravely. Tom looked down at her hungrily. If j only she had given such faith to him! If only he had been the man who was i waiting for her, out in Australia! His brow darkened a little as lie j remembered and doubted. For two * months the man whose wife she was going $ be had not written! It was outrageous to Tom. and full of ugly possibilities. He remembered that when George had sailed Bessie's father had been alive and—it-was supposed—rich, and it could have been only within the last three months that he had heard that she was not. Could that account for his silence. Tom wondered ? Could the poor Bessie Leigh who was working so hard for her living be a different person to George Fleming because of it ?

Almost unconsciously Tom's fingers clenched. " But, Bessie," lie cried. " You can't go unless you know —unless lie knows and experts you—" Bessie lifted her head. There were sudden tears in her .eyes. He could not I see them in the dark night, but he could see how white her face. was. " He will expect me," she said quietly, " and even if I don't hear, 1 shall go." Tom stared .at her. | "Bessie, Bessie," he cried suddenly. I " I wish it was me you were going to 1 wish I could do something to make certain that you were going to be happy." He stopped. Bessie looked up again. " But I am. Tom," she cyied. " I shall bo happy." Tom took her hands. " I wish I could do something for you," he repeated. " Are you sure about money? You mustn't mind me mentioning it—l'm an old' friend, Bess, and if I could—l should like you to go first-class, dear. Shall I—could I—" She drew her hand away. Her faco had whitened again strangely. " Oh, no, no, Tom," she cried. "You're vevy good to me, but I am all right—vos, yes, thank you, Tom. 1 shall be all right, and happy." She spoke bravely. But all the same she shivered a little as she turned away, and, to her from out of the blustering • night there seemed to come a sudden swift presentiment of evil. Why was she going out after all ? Why did she still cling to Georgo Fleming ? She half hesitated. Tom beside her was so strong and true and loyal, so willing to help her, so ready to shield her. and Australia semed so far away, and in spite of herself George's silence was worrying her. She could not understand him. She was almost afraid, and yet—she had promised to go, and she would keep her word whatever came unless inI deed he wrote to tell her he did not want her. lie did want. her. Sho assured herself almost fiercely that he did, as she went back across the wet road. And yet before she pulled the bell she stood and looked back across the square with a sudden strange shrinking from the long journey before her.

Tom still stood by the railings. He was watching her, and perhaps it would bo the last glimpse they ever had of each other. She turned again quickly with an odd sob in her breath and leant helplessly against the door. Tho housemaid who opened it a minute lafer thought she looked strange and shrunken and pitiful as she stepped into tho light.

i Jl. Tom Standish slow] on deck with his eyes turned to a little white patch with the sun upon it in the distance, and with the sail, spray beating in his face. It, was a warm bright, morning, and all the vessel was astir with excitement, for they wero nearing the land at last, and the little white far-off patch was Australia. Tom stared out impatiently through his glasses, blind and deaf to everything around him. He was heartsick with disappointment ujid long waiting, and somehow ho was afraid. When ho got on (he boat' at Southhampton his sole thought was to avoid , being seen until they wero well off. He { did not, want Bessie to know that he was * following her-lest she should-ba angry

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and make him go back, and he had gona quietly down to his cabin until they wero almost out of sight of land. Then he had commenced to search the ship. She had given him the tiame of the boat and the date of starting, and so surely there could have been no mistake ? Yet search as he might among the crowd of passengers, he could catch no glimpse of Bessie's face. She was not there! Ho search everywhere—in tho steerage* among 'die third-class passengers, in every liolo and corner, and yet from tho day they sailed until now: be had not once seen her. At the first place they had touched ho had both wired and written to the lady whoso children she had taught, but tho only reply they brought was a telegram to the next stopping place, saying that Bessie had left them on the dato she said, and that they had supposed she was on her way to Australia. After that the only thing left to Ton?, to do was to wait with sickening impatience for their arrival at Melbourne. When they did, and the great boat was drawn up alongside tho quay, he scanned tlie faces of the pasengers, as he bad scanned them a hundred times before, and still failed to seo Bessie's among them. He hurried off. more worried and anxious than he would have tared to own. Had she started after all? Had she ever meant to start? Sometimes, the thought forced itself upon him that she had not intended to come out after all. Yet it was .riot like Bessie, and where she was now ho dared not think. | He hurried along the Melbourne slrec-ls j toward George Fleming's lodgings, Ho I noted r.othing as he went except the direcj tion given him by. the policeman, and when be reached it at last lie waited imJ patiently for someone to come, i The woman who opened the door to him' i stared at him curiously. There was no one named Fleming' there, she said. He had ieft more than a month ago. There were some letters for him, and she did not know where to send t'hem to. - Tom asked to seo them, and when , c be brought them to him his heart sank, for they were Bessie's letters. He asked one other question—i? Bessie had called—and then turned away. A minute later an idea occurred to him, and ho knocked at tho door again. " If anyone should come—especially if a young lady conies—will you give her this and tell her I'm here? There's an hotel at the corner-of tho street. I'm putting up there. Will you fell her? " The woman nodded and look his card, and he went slowly back down the street to t.'we hotel. He, went. Iwith bent head and knit brows. Was he a fooi after all to have come ? Had Bessie arranged to come by a different boat, or for Fleming to meet her somewher# else ? or had something ugly happened—had Fleming deserted her ? It looked like .it, and he could not rpst. Ho went again to tho lodgings late, at night and this time tho woman n<#Jded at him knowingly. " So I suppose it's all right this time, eh, sir?" she asked. "I suppose yuU saw her?" Tom was startled. " Who? " he cried sharply, " not Miss Leigh ? " "Of course, sir. who else? She came just after you'd gone—and very white and thin she looked, sir, and she was that taken aback when she heard Mr. Fleming wasn't here I thought it best to take her in and givo her some tea, sir.'' " Yes, yes," cried Tom impatiently, "and then—-what did she do then?" The woman looked at him- curiously. " Do you mean to say ;.s you haven't seen her ? " she asked. "No, I haven't!" cried Tom quickly. " But go on—what, then ? " "Then," said the woman. "Well, when she was a bit moro composed like, she began to ask me about him. I told her all I knew—that he went two months ago. and she told me she'd come over as a stewardess on board a ship—tho Amazon. I think she said, and I 'spect that's it, for it come in this afternoon, so I heard." Tom started. It was his boat, and sho had been on it the whole time! "Well, well." he cried, "and then?" " Well I told her about you, and gavo her your card, and she just started up as if she had had a shock and went without so much as taking her letters." "Went —gone?" cried Tom, " She went straight out," said tho woman. "A queer little mo.-'al as.ever I see. She wentywithout a word!"

For a fortnight Tom searched the city and hung about the docks. _ For a fortnight he searched and advertised in vain. Bessio had been swallowed up in tho surging crowd that- filled the streets, and was apparently lost to him for ever. Every now and then hei called at Fleming's' old address, but. the woman had heard nothing. Ho had almost given up hope. when, a strange thing happened. Life is full of strange things, and the more one looks under tho surface of things .the mora dramatic we find it. A fortnight after the arrival of the boat, Tom was walking down in the direc tion of the docks when lie suddenly became aware that a man and woman in front of him were quarrelling. Thcv both seemed drunk, and lie was about to pass on when something in tho apearance of the man arrested his attention. He stood still. It was Fleming! He was flushed and excited, and he looked coarse, dishevelled, and dissolute, and the woman with him was evidently his wife! Tom stared at her, and felt a shock o£ thankful surprise. It was not Bessie. The two began to quaft - el violently, and Fleming suddenly doubled his fists. Then Tom stepped forward., As ho did so he was checked by tho sight of a girl on the pavement crouching igainst a wall. He looked at her, caught his breath, and hurried toward her. placing himsell. botween her and the t,\vo who were beginning to scuffle. " Bessie! " he cried. " Bessie. Como away. Come along, darling. Como away! " She looked up, white and dazed and stricken, and obeyed like a child. He took her back to his hotel, poor and half-starved as she was, heedless of the feelings of the outraged proprietress, and engaged a private sitting room. He cared [ for nothing but Bessie just then, and when she broke down sobbing in his arms, an odd thrill went through him. "Bessie!" ho cried, "I'm going (o take care of you, whether you like it or not, now. You can't take care of yourself, it seems, and you'll have to hayo me. If you want to go back to England vou shall go; if you want to stop hero you shall stop, but at least I'm going to see that you don't starve." _ Bessio looked up at him with a thin, woebegone face. "I'm ashamed of myself!" she cried, " I've been wicked and ungrateful to you. Oh. Tom. forgive me. I knew you wcro on tlie boat, but I was working my way over as stewardess, and I dreaded tho thought of your seeing me. Oh, Tom, forgive me. * I've been punished for it since." She had. She had nearly starved herself to death. Tom took her in his arms. " Bessie, how could you '! " ho cried. " All those weeks on the bout and you never let me know ? " She dropped suddenly to her knees. "Tom, Tom, forgive mo!" she cried. " I'll, forgive von anything if you'll marrv me." he said. She hesitated. " 1 can't now—-like, this! " she cried. "It would be so easy—such a simple way to provide for myself. Oh, Tom, I canjj. I must find some, other way of repaying you." Hp caught her to him passionately. " There is no other way, ' ho cried, "Bessie, my darling, I've got you,!and I mean (o keep you. Only try to cai'Q for me a little bit, and I shall be con-, tent, sweetheart." She did trv. and succeeded so well thjjf. they have both forgotten that there'ei« was • another man*