THE BITTER TEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20722, 15 November 1930, Page 16 (Supplement)

THE BITTER TEST.

A SERIAL OF EXCITING THRILLS, LOVE AND ADVENTURE.

/ CHAPTER VIII. THE NEW WOULD. Th*" rough trip across the Atlantic flvas a thing destined for ever to be Tf mehibered l>v Olga. Nor was the turbulent sta and the sickness of tho TitsL lew days the worst part. I ravelling steerage was a nightmare. By a Itroke of bad luck Rob had struck the roughest lot of steerago passengers that Lad ever taken ship. Jho majority t.f them were Polish Jews, who for some rcasc/n best known to themselves had banded together OB tins particular occasion. , ... They had no manners and were dirty end ! altogether repulsive. Mixed with these were one or two better class men and women evidently down on then luck and looking forward to a new utart in life. Immediately Rob realised what kind of company be was among he (lied to get transferred to another part of the ship, but failed owing to luck of accommodation. ... For himself he cared little, but he was genuinely sorry for Olga and once tiied to tell her so. But slio saw in this, merely a desire on his part to torture her! and no amount of expressed , regret would convince her to the contrary. To make matters worse she displayed her /repugnance a little too often, an I,eca.no the butt of this degenora o mob. On one occasion a dirty little, ruffian deliberately insulted her. Bob happened to be in hearing and promptly laid the man out. It might have ended in murder but for the prompt intervention of the mate, who threatened to place the little man and three of his companions in irons if they didn t behave. All the same, tho rest of[tho vovnge was purgatorv to Bob and Olga. " I'm sorrv," he said for the second time. "We struck a particularly bad .. ,

You never cease to humiliate me," ehe Replied. It was with a great sigh of relief that Tlob saw the coast loom up one morning. The /ship berthed and a few hours later they were 011 the train bound for Toronto. Here they managed to find furnished apartments, and the search for a job becjan afresh. " Olga," he confessed. I made a bargain with your father. If you still feel the same as you do now in a years time, I will send you back, and sever the bond for ever." ~ " I shall feci the same in ten years. P ho replied. " Don't you understand what it means to a woman to be diaggeu across the world against her will by a man! who had no regard for her happt-

ness?" , T , "That is not true. One clay I hope to prqvo it.'' "One day —one day! Always tomorrow !" "'Yes, cake to-morrow, but never enke to-day," he laughed. " But cheer lip. Don't you know that there are millions of people in the world who would jump at our chance in life ? 1 housands of poor, half-starved, disabled devils who would give the rest of their lues for one week of glorious health ?'* " I hate comparisons like that. " Comparisons help to give perspective. But let us talk business. To-morrow I nm going to sec a man I knew in If ranee. He may be able to give me some valuable tips. Look, here is some money will /you do what is necessary as regards housekeeping?" Ha handed her a wad of notes and she took them mechanically. She knew absolutely nothing about housekeeping, and felt a little ashamed .of herself, for some reason difficult to fathom. Ihs thing that surprised her was Rob's optimism and light-heartedness. Prom the 'moment of stepping ashore he had been different. Here he was the magnificent purposive Rob, with eyes open and cars alert for. any cliincft. She wished she could feel like that, but couldnot. Het< efforts in the domestic line were truly astonishing. It ended in Rob taking over that department, as well as pursuing that phantom- —employment. It was not long before he realised that the <ity was suffering in a slightly lesser degree than similar cities in England Canada had its unemployment problem too. But he jvas assured by the friend he liad hunted up that away in the West labour was welcomed and he soon began to turn his eyes in that direction. " \,Ve'll have to make a mov,e, Olga," he said. " Where ?" " Further west. We're a little too close to civilisation." " But that may be worse than this. The harvest is in everywhere and the winter is coming.'' She shuddered as she thought of the Canadian winter. Having no ideas of money values she imagined that they could well stay in their present flat, but J!ob knew that by no account of economy could they see the winter through unless he found work. " We've got to get fixed up for the winter," he said doggedly, " and we're going to." It was then that luck favoured him—the only stroke of good fortune that had come to him for years. He was returning home one evening with particulars of promising places when lie heard a disturbance from close at hand. He turned swiftly and located the noises in the avenue behind him, and to his left. A few steps brought him in full view of tli2 trouble.

A man with his back to the wall was lashing out with a stick at three men who wore assaulting li i in. Before Rob could get to him one of the assailants laid out the victim with a brutal blow on the temple. The man tottered and fell heavily, arid instantly the others pounced on him. Rob arrived as they were rifling his pockets. He hit the nearest man under the jaw, and, pouncing on the stick, began to lay about him. In three minutes he hail cleared the avenue.

The man on the pavement was recovering consciousness. Rob leaned over him, and saw that lie was an elderly maij of the farmer type. There was a bad cut on his temple from which the biood was issuing. '/Hello! Where the —!"

" It's all right," said Rob. " They've pone. How are you feeling?" " I'm all right I guess, but the skunks got my watch. I saw you coming along before that skunk knocked me out. Geo, I wonder if—" He felt in his hip pocket and produced a thick wallet. A sigh of relief; left his lips as he opened it and saw that his moriev was safe.

" But for you they'd have got that," he srtid. " Shakes, my head feels liko Jin alarm clock!"

He scrambled to his feet and Rob tied n handkerchief over his wound. " -My name's .John Southcote—Victoria Hotel. Glad if you'd call round to-mor-row. I I'd like to thank you—" Ho staggered and Rob caught liiiri in tiiri/s to prevent him falling. See here, Mr. Southcote, yon can't go home like this. You've got a nasty wound. I've got a flat not two minutes away. Hang on to me." Giving him no time to refuse Rob piloted him to the flat. Olga was out, he remembered that she said she might go to the cinema. Leaving Southcote lying ion the settee he ran out and got a bandage and some iodine at a chemist's. Half an hour later tho injured man was us well bandaged as if a doctor had clone it, .and was sitting up taking nourishment.

" Wal, you've saved me from losing a thousand dollars, Mr—" " Sutherland's my name."

" VYal, Mr Sutherland, if ever yonr're pp Alberta way just call ori uie at Swallow h

By JESSE TEMPLETON. Author of " Between the Tide.." " Pod or Alive," "The Eterna,

(COPYRIGHT.)

Springs, and 1110 a "il the missus will be proud to give you our hospitality. \ou did me a darn good turn. "Oh, that's all right," said Boh. " Sorry 1 couldn't prevent tlicm from getting away with your watch." "It wasn't worth ten dollars. Now don't forget if there is anything I can do for you just say so."

From the way ho looked at Boli it was clear that this was a hint that ho wanted to make a monetary reward. Bob shook his head, and then suddenly remembered his immediate problem.

" I'd be grateful for a little advice he said. " The fact is I'm hunting a job.

" What Tiind of a job? '• Anything. I'm not particular so long ns it will tide me over the winter, or until I can find an opening in niv own profession—engineering." " l)o you know anything about farming ?" , " A bit. My people used to run a small farm in the old days." Southcote slapped his knee, and sized up Bob with his grey eyes. " It's queer you should mention that. I'm on' the look out for help myself. One of the things I was going to do while I'm up here was to advertise for a man and a woman—" " A woman!" gasped Bob, who at that very moment was wondering what to do about Olga.

" Sure. The missus isn't so young as she was. We had a lass but she was no good—alwavs hankering for the city. ' "I can find you a woman too, said Bob. " She's living here with me. My —my sister Olga." Tic was glad he remembered to conceal his real relationship with Olga. .As things were it was impossible for them to go as man and wife. It would arouse curiosity and give rise to much embarrassment. " That's fortunate, said Southcote. " Tin willing to take you both—darned "lad to have vou. No, I don t want to see your recommendation."

"Thanks!" 44 I warn you that the work is heavj away back. 'There's no township within fifty miles, and it can be darned cold in Alberta." (> " That won't scare us.' " I like vour style. I'm travelling back next Friday. Will you come with

me ? " " Yes—that's a bargain. " I'll pay you each fifty dollars a month all found." " That's satisfactory." Half an hour later they shook hands and Southcote departed. When he had r»one Rob sat down to reflect upon what he had done. He felt he had acted rightly. Pride had to go before hunger. What matter whether a man was engineer, farmer, or navvy so long as the work was honest. But Olga what would Olga say to this? "

When she came in he lost no time in telling her what had happened. She seemed interested enough in the story of the scuffle but when he mentioned the matter of the billets her eyes opened wide will amazement and horror. " You a labourer and I a—a common domestic! "

"Why not? Is there anything disgraceful* in looking after cattle or cooking a meal ? " " Yes, there is when one has been decently brought up. Is this the best you can do for me? You who promised to love and honour me. \ou are dragging me down and down — '

" Stop! "he cried angrily. " Let me tell you that better women than you have washed dishes and cooked meals, and better men than I have ploughed and sowed. Besides, you've got to remember that this is not England. You are in a country that has been built up upon the labour of men and women. 'I here is no room for anyone but the worker." " Then let us get out of it." " When we can do so honourably—when we have made good." " You talk like a copybook." " I'm sorry my speech is so irritating

to you. " We can't go on like this." " There is no reason why we should. Olga, let us call an armistice at least Until we are settled down in the West. This eternal wrangling only ends in hurting both of us unnecessarily. Believe me, I tried to act for the best. I couldn't go alone and leave you here." " Why not ? " Because you're- my wife." " It's an extraordinary excuse when vou know I would rather stay here a thousand times than —"

" Than work as a menial? And yet I have heard it said that that is the acid test of character —to be able to work as a drudge and still keep one's self-respect." She had no more to say on the matter, but she thought a great deal, and the more she thought about it the more she hated the job in prospect. Looking after someone else's house, cooking other people's food perhaps—was there anything more uninteresting ? Nevertheless, Friday found them at the station, where they met Southcote. That he was deeply impressed with Olga was evident. Despite the fact that she had deliberately donned her oldest clothes she was still beautiful enough to look at. No amount of shabby clothing could kill her supreme beauty of face. " How do you do, Miss Sutherland! " " Quite well, thank you! "

She shook the horny hand of Southcote

and smiled at his shy glances. She could riot understand the miss, but took it to be a shortened form of " missus." " Your brother and me met in strange circumstances. Maybe he told you about it?"

She nocjded, but gazed at Rob immediately for some explanation of this strange reference. " I forgot to tell you," ho whispered. " I had to tell him that." She was furious with him during the whole course of the long journey. Since his motive was obvious there was absolutely no ground for this display of annoyance on her part, but for some unfathomable reason the masquerade hurt. Tt was perhaps that she had a suspicion he was ashamed of her. Ashamed! 'lhat was the last straw.

When, after days of boring travel, they reached their jumping-off station, a very ramshackle Ford car was waiting for them. Tho driver was a good-looking youth of about eighteen whom Southcote introduced as his son Edward —commonly called Ted.

The luggage was transferred 'o the car in drenching rain and with the pas-

sengers aboard the remainder of the journey was commenced. Through the mica windows in tho hood Olga saw a rain-drenched country stretching away into nothingness. Across this ran the two, deep, waterlogged trenches designated as " road."

This was her first glimpse of the. West and it was not one that was calculated to arouse enthusiasm. She did not stop to think that any country would look as bad under the reigning climatic conditions. All she saw was mud, mud and monotonous space. " A bad day to arrive," said Rob calmly.

"So this—this is what you have brought me to," she replied hoarsely, and then to his surprise burst into tears. Fortunately, old Southcote was sitting beside his son, and the noisy engine drowned everything. Ilob let her cry, hoping the tears would wash away some of the pride and prejudice from her soul, but all the same his heart went out to her. With God's help he sworn to male rmends. (To I,- lined dully.)