THE BITTER TEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20725, 19 November 1930, Page 20

THE BITTER TEST.

By JESSE TEMPLETON.

(COPYRIGHT.)

Author of "Between tho Tides." "Dead or Alive," "The Eternal Conflict." etc., «tc. A SERIAL OF EXCITING THRILLS. LOVE AND ADVENTURE.

CHAPTER XI (Continued.) " It was great when father ran into (Rob," said Andrew suddenly. "Are men so difficult to get then?" " No. But Hob is different—and you, too. Of courso it was easy to seo you jvero not used to roughing it." " Was it?" " I knew it immediately I saw your face. You know we don't see a great number of women up here. 1 felt Jiwfully scared when you first arrived." " Scaled!" " Yes—blue with fright." Am I so awful as all that?" " Awful!" lie looked at her steadily. You are tho most beautiful girl 1 have ftver seen. It seems almost impossible that you should bo staying with us. [Delia is pretty, but besido you " "Please stop!" she begged. £' Does it annoy you ?" " Yes," sho replied huskily. " I don't flvant to hear that." But you must have heard tho samo thing before? It is impossible that someone has not told you." " Even if they liavo 1 want to forgot It" / Ho was silent for a moment. " I—l think I understand," ho said lilowly. " I am sure you do not, Edward. But Sn any caso I want you to bo just what you liavo always been, a dear, delightful friend.'" Sho was glad to be able to put that barrier up in time. It was evident that this splendid boy worshipped her, and she did not want to hurt him ultimately. 'jWhero her heart lay she did not know. Sho did not want to think about it. She had tried harcV to convince herself that she despised Rob, and it was so very difficult to bring herself to that conclusion. Miles apart as they might be ,thero wye re times when something stirred .within her—something that brought a great pain—and longing. It was necessary/' to fight it down, by applying the wgumont that he was brutal and indifferent to her happiness. Ultimately they arrived at tho station find found Bella waiting. Sho was a <lark complexioned girl with a merry face, and, as Edward had said, distinctly pretty. Sho rushed at her brother with «i> cry of joy and kissed him in front of a score of people, to his great embarrassment. "Steady!" lie whispered. "Don't peck met ! " " I thought you were never coming. How are mother and father, and my darling old parrot—l" She halted as sho saw Olga standing close bvi and looked at Edward questiouingly. J . " This is Miss Sutherland," said Edward. " She and her brother have come jip to help us. Olga—my sister Bella." Bella smiled charmingly and shook Olga'# hand heartily. She had already heard a lot about the two assistants both from her mother and her father, so was not greatly -surprised except at the general appearance of Olga. " How good to be home," sho said. Look /they've put my grips in the car. Hurry—hurry, and get me homo quickly." Sho talked all the way to the farm and Olga found hei a pleasant enough companion. When they arrived home thero .were mpre embraces and kisses. Rob yvas introduced and Bella regarded him .with evident approval—too much approval in Olga's opinion. In tho meanwhile Southcote had decked tho big room with holly and mistletoe. H'hey/intended celebrating Christmas in the food old style and a fat turkey had been illed for the occasion. Bella was as free from snobbery as the rest of tho family and was soon firm friends with Olga. ■ /'College had not spoiled her and sho was dying to demonstrate all tho litest methods in housekeeping. " What an enormous fellow your brother is," sho said to Olga. " Edward .was tilling me how he dealt with that scoundrel Pete, who stole our timber." " Yesy, he is big," agreed Olga. " But bigness isn't a virtue in itself is it ? " " No, but according to Edward he is *he embodiment of all the manly virtues." " Better not tell him so." " I wouldn't dream of it. Never flatter men—they get more swelled-headed over it than even women." She laughed merrily and mounting the steps nailed a big piece of mistletoe over jthe doorway. " I'll gamble you to seo who kisses tho first man who enters," sho challenged. " I'd rather not, thank you." . " Oh, it's Christmas and things like that are forgiven." It was unfortunate that at that very moment Rob entered tho hall. He was looking for Edward and poked his head insido tho door. "Careful!" said Bella, from the top O.F the steps. " You are in great danger." I He looked up and grinned as ho saw the mistletoe. Immediately Bella leaned .over, and kissed him. " That'll'teach you to take such risks," she laughed. Rob backed into tho passage and disappeared. Bella, not in tho least abashed, put tho steps outside. She did not seo tho crimson cheeks of Olga as she bent her head and went on with her work. "He was well scared," said Bella. " I couldn't very well back out, could I ? " But Olga pretended not to hear. Innocent as tho incident was it hurt her all the same. Sho was sure Rob liked it, for Bella was quite pretty. Tears, camo to her eyes. Sho wanted to tell Bella that tho man sho had kissed was her husband—her very own husband—confound him! Christmas.Day set in with a wild wind from tho north. It came thundering down from tho mountains, lifting the powdery snow into clouds and driving it pell-mell across the frozen country. Tho northern / corner of tho house took the shock fairly well, but now and again tho building trembled. " Do you often get it like this? " queried Rob. " About twice during the winter, but X 11 allow this is a bit worse than usual," replied Southcote. The d ; iy oassed pleasantly enough, despite the Moments. Bella played tho pian6 in, tho evening and Edward sang, iliicn Olga was induced to play something. "Your sister's very beautiful," whispered Bella to Rob. "If I were half as good-looking I'd—•" Rob waited for tho rest hut sho refused to finish tho sentence. It may not have been very clear to Rob but it was evident 7 to all the rest that Bella was rapidly losing her heart to the man klip had so abmdouedly kissed. Followed upplojack and toasts to absent friends, talks of/ tie old country and general merriment. Olga, too, gave herself up to tho occasion and strove to forget that (another woman's eyes wero constantly on her husband. Shortly before midnight the party Jiroko up. Tho ladies retired and the .three nip sat and talked ior a while ovor pipes and a glass of pre-war whisky. Southcote was interested in the rumour of a gold-strike up north, but Edward |Was convinced that it was a fake gotten Jip by speculators in land. It was nearly one o'clock when Rob .Went to his room. Tho wind was now [terrific, howling like t*n thousand demons round tho corner of tho houso where his (attic was situated. Outside ragged clouds IWcro rushing past a misty moon. Do had almost entirely disrobed—the noise of the (wind ro£o higher than ever. The wliolo building seemed to shake and then thero camo a crash from immediately below, piingled /with a loud cry. Ho realised that Olga slept in tho room below, and it was undoubtedly her voice. Ho slipped on his coat and opening tho door ran down the short flight of stairs. Olga s door was open and a fierce icy blast smote through it. As ho reached the door a figure in white literally fell into hm arms. I t was Olga, awakened wTi dreairi! f ky the'crash and as yet parely conscious.

" Rob—Rob! What is tho matter? Tho house is coming down," slio cried. I lor great eyes woro tilled with terror, and her warm soft arms woro round his neck. lie could feel the young quick bosom heaving—trembling . . . Tho causo of tho crash was clearly seen in the moonlight which flooded tho chamber. A limb had broken away from a neighbouring troo and the wind had hurled it against tho double windows, smashing them to atoms. Tho invading cold was intense, but Rob was unaware; of it. All ho know was that for tho first timo in his life ho held a woman in his arms, and tho sensation was intoxicating. " Olga," he muttered thickly. "You're beautiful, and I lovo you—love you. Don't von ?" Tho startled eyes stared into his for a brief second. Then tho soft arms were swiftly removed. She suddenly realised that ho was littlo more than a stranger to her, and running to tho door put a wrap round her shoulders. Ho mistook this natural embarrassment for resentment and felt tho sting. " It's tho window," he muttered. "It's broken but I can fix it for to-night." Ho wrestled with it for ten minutes while she sat down and watched him nervously. Then with a laconic goodnight ho went out. It required oidv this to convince him that any advance in that direction was madness. "Never again!" ho muttered. "I must have been crazy!" CHAPTER XII. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. The winter advanced all too slowly, and day by day the cold increased. Now tho river was frozen almost solid and deep snow blocked every track. Tho coming of Bella had changed things considerably, and in more than one direction. Olga, with a heart that was growing over more hopeless, was quick to seo that Bella's interest was in Rob. Whether Rob felt the samo toward the girl slio did not know, but at any rate ho enjoyed her company. On more than ono occasion they had taken skates and gono off for the half-day to a good piece of ico some two miles distant. It was true they had invited Olga, but she was convinced it was only becauso they knew she could not skate. When they came hack both their faces were flushed with the exercise—or something else. To mako matters worso sho overheard remarks made by tho innocent parents concerning the future. Rob was this, Rob was that. Undoubtedly a steady and reliant man—a husband fit for any girl. She wanted to blurt that Rob belonged to her, until sho remembered that up to the present ho never had belonged to her, or sho to him. Curiously enough it was not tho hard work and general conditions which upset her now. Tho disturbing element was Bella. Sho would have worked doubly hard could sho be repaid by the sudden and permanent disappearance of Bella. Yet sho liked tho girl immensely. No, it was not Bella's fault, she argued. It was Rob's. How daro ho cariy on in this fashion knowing all tho time that ho was not free ? She did not know that Rob was as innocent as a lamb in this matter. He saw no harm in skating with Bella, in laughing at her quick wit, and in treating her as a brother might a younger sister. Which was not at all Bella's point of view. " We've had a gorgeous day," she confided to Olga. "Wo ran up the creek for over ten miles and the ico was in splendid condition. There were a good number of people skating and some men had been sweeping all morning." " I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself." " Enjoyed myself! It was heavenly. I bet Rob a pair of gloves I'd catch him in a mile and I gave him a hundred yards start." " And did you ?" " Easily. I captured him before he had gono half a milo." " Very clever of you," replied Olga a trifle coldly. Bella looked at her swiftly with knitted brows. " You puzzle me sometimes Olga," she said. " I am sure you are not happy. Why aren't you happy?" " I did not say I was not happy." " Anyone can seo it. Olga, have you ever been in love ?" " Love! Don't talk to me of love." The retort came heatedly. Bella opened her eye-S wiclo and sat down with a sigh. " It makes all the difference," sho said slowly. " How do you know ?" " Well—l—l—" "•You mean you arc in love—with Rob?" Bella met the fierce eyes for a moment and then sunk her head. The truth was out. It rendered Olga temporarily speechless. Did Rob know ? If not ho was a fool. If so he was a knave. Their secret I could no longer bo kept. She must tell Mrs. Southcote of the masquerade, and at once. " Supposo that—that wero true," whispered Bella. " Thero is nothing to bo ashamed of, is there?" " No, no—but—" " But what ?" " Nothing. Oh, Bella, I'm not well this morning. I have a terrible headache." She ran from tho room and went upstairs. While sho was there Edward came back from tho township with some letters. One was for Olga and it was n reply to one written to her father ovef a month back. He was glad to know that she was well and settling down. Ho dropped a hint that thero was always a homo for her if by any chance she should leave Canada. Ho had had bad luck at speculation and had lost a lot, of money, but hoped to recover it. Did sho know that (Jrane was in Canada? The man had had tho impudence to drop him a card from the Windsor Hotel, Toronto, begging for Olga's address. Of course he had not replied, as he considered the man a cad. Crane! What memories the .name awakened—visions of dances, theatres, memories of compliments, flattery. Sho did not want flattery now, but slio felt sho needed a friend. Why trouble her head about Rob's affair with Bella ? Why troublo about him at all? Why indeed? On tho spur of the moment sho took pen and ink and wrote to Crane at Toronto. Onco started it was easy to magnify her unhappincss. Sho was lonely, miserable. Tho man she had married was utterly indifferent to her welfare. Oh to see a friend of too old days! She was even thinking of going homo. Was lie intending going back soon ? Tt, was not exactly a direct invitation, but surely any man could read between tho lines! Sho gave it to Edward to post at the first opportunity. Then after two days she repented and asked him for Ihe letter back again, but Edward had given it to a neighbour who was going into the township. By now it was on its way. " Never mind," she said. " I—l only wanted to add something." Then two things happened which had the result of changing the face of things. Tho first was a conversation botweon Rob and Olga. She had tried to taunt him about Bella, but tho taunt was lost, for Rob scorned not able to appreciate the hints. She was forced to tho conclusion that lie was totally ignorant of the girl's growing love for him. It left her gasping. " She's a bonnie girl," mused Rob coolly. _ " I fancy young Drake, up tho river, is in lovo with her. Well, iio's a good lad and I hope he'll get her." Don't you fancy sho may have hopes elsewhere?" " Drake's about the only lad of her age for miles around. 1 told him yesterday to get a hustle on." "You—you told him that!" " Well, lio's rather a shy youth." Why did her heart beat madly at that? Why did sho more than ever regret her impetuous letter to Crane? She went away feeling that spring was in the air. (To bo continued daily.)