THE WIFE'S SECRET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20607, 4 July 1930, Page 22

THE WIFE'S SECRET.

By CHARLES D. LESLIE

The clock on the mantle-pieco struck onco, and resumed its monotonous ticking, thereby denoting that ;in hour had passed since midnight. Margery rose with nn impatient sigh, and. going to the window, parted the Venetian blinds with two slim white fingers, peering forth into tho night. There was sufficient light, the moon being near the full, though obscured by the grey clouds riding overhead, to show her that 110 one was advancing up the drive between the road and the house. She dropped the blind with a gesture of annoyance, and turning away decided to sit up no longer. Gilbert had obviously missed the last train, probably bo would take a cab arm arrive some timo during the night, but when, was uncertain. Margery debated whether to leave tho lamp burning in the drawing-room and the gas in tho hall, but finally decided to extinguish both; it was light at three o'clock these long Juno days, Gilbert might not arrive ere daybreak, and she would feel safer in bed if all lights were out.

Jt did not occur to her to feel frightened though there was no ono in the house but two maid servants, and she had never been alone before tho six months they had lived at the Cedars; and their nearest neighbour, a bachelor of the name of Hawkins, lived nearly a quarter of a milo off. She was just a little angry with Gilbert, he might surely have caught the last train if he had tried. After all, ho was just like other married men who neglected their wives and pleaded busi-

ness as an excuse. This pieco of commonplace cynicism relieved Iter mind, and she went upstairs smiling at the absurdity of it. Poor Gilbert! How wicked of her to libel him even to herself! How close the night was! She opened both windows wider, and set tho door communicating with Gilbert's dress-ing-room ajar. Tho window of that room she recollected was open top and bottom. Then she undressed quickly, feeling more than a little sleepy, blew out tho candle, crept into bed, and in a very few minutes, was asleep. There camo to Margery a tjueer, fantasj tic dream, vague and blurred liko the | majority ot visions of tho night: she and Gilbert were wandering somewhere i hand in hand, then presently ho loft her j and disappeared; she heard him going ; away, climbing noisily over locks, nnd j she could not follow; she was alone, where ! she knew not, and in a despondent mood I began to seek him. Suddenly she awoke, I and with returned consciousness, began wondering what the time was, how long she had been asleep, and what had roused : her. As it in reply to the last thought she heard someone moving in the next, room, and all was clear to her. Gilbert had returned, and the sound of his entering tho dressing-room had wakened her. .She raised herself on her el how and was about to call out, when a thought froze her husband's name on her lips, and set her heart throbbihg turnultuously. Someone was in the next room; but it was not Gilbert; Margery was absolutely certain of it. Gilbert would have come to the door and asked if she was asleep, and she would surely have heard him. But no voice had called her name. Gilbert would have struck a light to undress by, but there was no light, and vet there was someone moving in his dressing-room How had the someone got there In an instant the explanation came. The dress-ing-room window was nearly over the porch. While they were walking in the garden an evening* or two back. Gilbert had said, glancing at tho window, " why anyone could climb that porch, what a pity we are married, Margery, we might j play Iloineo and Juliet at the, winnow." Romeo and Juliet were married!" Don t take me so literally. He wasn't on calling terms with the Capulets, was he? Shall we try and imagine you've a father and mother living here who don't know we're married and would shoot me on sight if they saw me, so tho only way I can see you is by climbing tho porch ?" They laughed at the jest and had forgotten the matter, but she had Gilbert's word for tho fact that the porch was cllmbable. Oh. why had she not remembered and shut the window? What was the burglar—for it could be no one else—doing 1 She heard nothing now. Then, in the extremity of her terror an idea came. She bad only to get out of bed and shut the door communicating with tho two rooms to secure herself, the key was in the lock at her side. The other door leading into the she had locked on entering. Obeying tho thought, she sprang out of bed and though shaking with fear, made a step or two forward. Rut even as she did so a faint sound as though a hand had touched the door liandlo caught her ear: she halted, peering and listening, hearing her heart bent tho while. Then to her horror the door noiselessly opened, the shadow of it advancing towards her and behind it. dark and titanic, camo the shape of a man. Dumb with terror, Margery stood a white robed, quivering figure, her blue eyes open with fright. The man came forward another step and saw her. He uttered an ejaculation and stood still.

Dimly they beheld each Other, but the man could see the dumb agonized fright of the woman, even in the semi-darkness, and this knowledge forced from him tho somewhat'absurd speech that broke tho silence.

" Don't ho frightened," he said. The tension relaxed, and with an hysterical ghost of a laugh Margery sank down on (lie edge of the lied. The desire to scream departed, her temporarily frozen brain was working again, and she instantly derided on her best course of action 7ho peril was acute, the burglar who stood within two or three yards of her as terrifying in appearance as any morbid imagination could invent. Ifo was very big, inches bigger than Gilbert, and wore a crape mask over his eyes. But some mstipct told the woman that to throw herself on his mercy and exhibit no fear of him was the wisest attitude to pursue. His voice had sounded re fined, and the throe words lie had uttering reassuring. "That is rather hard to obey," she heard herself saying in an unfamiliar voice, and then went on more naturally, " it would bn more natural for me as I am alone in the house, but for two maids asleep upstairs who would go into hysterics at sight of you " "I know all that; you've got some jewellery, I know that, too, but what I want is money. Give me ten pounds and I'll go away quietly; if you haven't got it givo me, some jewellery, but look sharp and don't keep mo waiting." The man spoke now in a rough, harsh voire. He must be an amatuer burglar driven to an unfamiliar trade by necessity. Margery's knowledge of houso-brcakers was meagre, but this she felt sure of. Ten pounds. Were there ten pounds in the house, or must some of her jewellery be sacrificed, and how little would content him ? Let her only keep her head, and lie would get rid of him both quickly and cheaply,

I'm not sure if I have ton pounds." she began, bravely repressing a shudder, for raising her eyes she saw the man seemed lo lie staring intently at her through his mask, and hot shame coursed through her veins at the. knowledge that she had nothing but her nightdress ori. " I have about five in my purse on the droFfinp table, and there are two pound.*

" Margery the name enmp with n strangled shout from the hnrlv masker! figure, it. rang in hor oars, waking memories innumerable, she sprang to her feet;

A SHORT STORY

(COPYMGIIT.)

" Stipposo Gilbert—mind, I'm only putting ;i case—a wife by accident de-

" Oh, don't ask me that. Gilbert, I think von (lie best and dearest husband in the world, but ! can't explain why you are, except that you are.'' And with this explanation Arbuthnnt was quite content nor did he subsequently, though Harold and he became

great friends, ever learn of the nocturnal visit his brother-in-law paid to the house the day before they met in his wife's drawing room.

the burglar tore off his mask repeating I her name, ami recognition came. With a passionate sob she threw iiersetf into I his Jll'tllS. " Harold, oh my dear, dear brother, j you tuwe come hack. I thought I should neve: sre' you again. Oh, Harold!" I lie joy of the fact overwhelmed nil other thoughts for tho moment, but swiftly rocollection camo, and she released him. " And you come hero a thief in tho night—to rob a defenceless woman. Oh ! Harold, have you sunk to that ?" Her dearly-loved and lost brother had turned thief, the shame of it suffused her 'face with colour, she sat down again on the bed and burst into tears. " Margery!" said the man a third time, and coming nearer sat down beside her and threw his arm round her. The action was familiar; they had beon only brother and only sister—all in all to each other in childhood's days. It gavo her an odd thrill to bo embraced by him again, and she felt twelve again instead of two and twenty. " Mv good angel sent me hero to-night to find my little sister, and be saved from a crime. I was desperate. It's a long story how I've been driven to this. Hawkins at dinner to-night said—but, Margory, are you Mrs. Arbuthnot —are you married? To think of it' Little Margery married ? Who is he, and are you happy V " Gilbert's tho best and kind«st busband in the world, and of course I'm happy. We've been married seven months [ —but Harold, do explain. Why haven't you written ? It's four years since I wroto you of mother's death, and you answered that letter, but you never wrote again, and my letters have all been returned from Melbourne." "I went to the mining districtWestern Australian Goldfields, and nearly made my fortune lots of times. At last I got home-sick and came back steerage, and landed in London with a few shillings. I'd been silent so long, I was ashamed to write to you, and got some wretchedly paid work in an engineer's shop to keep myself going. It was by accident I met Hawkins. I'd known him in Melbourne, and he asked mo down to dinner and stay tho night. There were half-n-dozen of us, and we got playing cards. The stakes were not high, but I lost some pounds and began giving 1.0.TJ. s. One man asked, laughing, bow much they were worth. 1 don't know if he suspected I had no money, but I lost my temper and pledged my word to redeem them within twenty-four hours. When we stopped I was nine pounds to the bad—not a big sum, but I wasn't worth nine shillings." " After I'd gone to my bedroom I sat down to think and grew desperato, having pledged my word, and seeing no way of paving the money. Then I thought of burgling this house. Hawkins had been talking of the Arbuthnots at dinner, and one of the men who joined

us by the last train from Cannon Street, said Arbuthnot had just missed it, so T knew there were only women in the house. I had the mask in my portmanteau. I'd used it in theatrical? in Melbourne. I'd plaved a burglar there That cave me the idea " " Don't tell me any more," said Margery. " What a funny sense of honour you men have! And I've just remembered (you frightened my wits out of mo earlier). I've a ten-pound note, a private hoard, in my jewel box. You must slip quietly away, Harold, and meet mo accidentally to-morrow, and then you '•nn stay and meet Gilbert and be introduced to him." She rose and moved to the dressinsr-

ablc, and Harold had just begun speak

inn when Margery cried " hush." Through the open window they heard a cah drive up to the house and stop. " It's Gilbert," breathed Margery, clutching her brother. '* He's payinc the cabman; he's opening the door. Oh* lie mustn't find you here." " Well, hang it all, I'm your brother —oh! I forgot." " Yes." said his sister, reading his thoughts, " !ie mustn't know you came —to rob the bouse; we owe it to our mother's memory to keep the secret." "Rut how can I get away?" Margery thrust the bank note into his hand, and drew him to the door facine

the passage. " I'll unlock this door as Gilbert comes upstairs, the second he enters his dressing-room slip quickly out and go downstairs, the drawing room is on the left-hand side of the ball, (let out by the window and shut it after you. Ilero he comes." The stairs creaked under Arbuthnot's

boots as she concluded. Harold, as they drew nearer, held his breath. Suppose his brother-in-law entered. tho bedroom instead of the dressing room ; But the snick of the adjacent door-handle as Gilbert entered told him bis fears were groundless; and he crept out into the passage, gentlv dosing the door behind him, and so downstairs. " Are you asleep, Margery ?" asked Gilbert's voice from the threshold of tho dressing room. " I'm very much awake," truthfully replied his wife from the bed clothes. " I heard your cab drivo up. Did you miss th? train ?" Gilbert came in and sat down oil the edge, of 'lie bed. " Missed it by two minutes, dear."

" You shouldn't have missed it. You knew 1 was alone here."

" I couldn't help it, Margery. I'm awfully sorry. It's because I was afiar. you'd be nervous I took a cab at thf cost of thirty shillings, instead of going to an hotel as an ordinary married man would have done. Rut, as a model husband, I thought it right "

Gilbert suddenly stopped in his jest ing speech, and Margery knew the reason. Tho unlucky Harold in tho room below had upset a chair.

" Did you hoar that ?" said Gilbert, in an altered tone. " Ifc sounded iiko somuonc moving in the drawing room, below." " i don't, hear anything," she replied. Listen," commanded Gilbert, and for some long-drawn seconds, Margery lay silent, praying Harold would bo cautious, and not betray his presence. "Gilbert," she said abruptly, "do you think a wife may have any secrets from her husband ?"

Arbuthnot, surprised at the question, forgot to listen, and gavo her his at tention.

" Why, nn, Margery, T don't," ho answered slowly. " There ought to bo perfect trust between man and wife, I think, when the marriage is a true marriage—one of mutual affection and esteem. Why do vou ask ?"

tected a secret, a discreditable secret concerning a third person, say a friend or relative, a fault committed, but, sincerely repented of. Wouldn't, she bo justified in concealing her knowledge from her husband!

Glibert for the moment did not, rep!v. Margery could not son his faco distinctly and dirl not know whether he was listening for further sounds from below, or cogitating h reply to her query; and at that moment her hearing faculties, sharpened by anxiety, distinctly heard Harold -opening the window and getting out. Gilbert did r.ot move, vet he must hear. What did it mean ? .She lav trembling.

Yes," said her husband thought fully. and the utterance of the monosyllable told her ho had heard nothing. " 1 spoke too hastily. A secret concerning a third person, a wife is justified, under certain conditions, in keeping from her husband. Rut why set me problems in ethics at three in the morning?" Margery sat up and put her arms round Gilbert's neck.