HER WILD OATS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20740, 6 December 1930, Page 16 (Supplement)

HER WILD OATS.

CHAPTER I. Robert Furnival lookod keenly at his confidential secretary, who was seated opposite hirn, with pencil, expectantly in hand. " Miss Blake, you look very pale this morning.. If it were anyone else I should imagine that you had been* jazzing till the early hours of the morning.'' ho remarked lightly. "It was exactly two o'clock when I finished typing the Bolivar report," she answered, with just a suspicion of dry-

A fur coat, with an old-fashioned cut, but of excellent quality, boing a legacy from the past, was put on, and she hastened away to keep her dinner appointment. Furnival lived in Berkeley Square, und sho was about to -get on a 'buo but changed her mind and called to the driver of a passing taxi and got in. Miss Furnival gave her a warm welcome and dinner was served at once. Afterwards, her brother announced that ho was going to tako them to the Savoy Hotel to watch the dancing, and Viola could not conceal her surprise. " Wo are becoming giddy in our old age," Miss Furnival explained lightly. " But 1 can't go like this," protested Viola.

ness. " Why didn't you hand it over to ono of tho shorthand girls?" he rejoined impatiently. • " I didn't think it advisable. For ;©no thing, it struck mo as being a jbighly confidential document. Moreover, there a number of figures which 'jtequired extreme accuracy. " You were right in what you did. "I'm afraid I've been working you too Jiard.'! " I do feel a trifle weary," she replied, •\ Smilingly. J " Let me see—when was your last fjoliday V - " I've been with you for threo years. (I've had two short holidays in that time. IPlease don't think I'm grousing, Mr. |js?urnival. I find my work very fascinatllng, and I hate the idea of being away !from the office, and getting out of touch 'jwith things. But as a matter of fact, 'l am really tired. We've been working 'at very high pressure for the last few 'inonths. "You're right there. But I think [we've got things in such shapo that I can safely spare you .for a few weeks," lie answered cheerfully, but there was a doubting look in his eyes, that gave her pleasure. Viola Blake took her work very seriously, and her three years of service with Robert Furnival, a financier of international reputation, had been ono long effort complete efficiency in her duties. She had been nearly twenty years of age, and just finishing off at .the Cheltenham Ladies' College, when her father had died. All her life sho had been brought up to consider him ji 'man of great wealth, and she had /been indulged in every possible way. There had been great affection between them, and sho was so overwhelmed by his death, that it was somo time' before she was made to realise that her circumstances had changed completely. It was with difficulty that her father's .estate had been mado to realise twenty shillings in the pound, and that had been ; jonly effected by tho skill shown by his friend Furnival, in the handling of : it.' Viola had; received the soundest of {ieducations, • at the famous school, and jit was at Furnival's suggestion that sho 'had undertaken a concentrated courso |of instruction in the writing of shorthand. Absolutely alono in .the - world, lehe had placed herself in the hands of I,the financier, following his advice implicitly, and had been quite content to enter his office as a junior shorthand iwriter and typist. Furnival showed her no favour, but her knowledge of languages had quickly. brought her to the front, and sho was rapidly promoted to positions of greater responsibility, until she had finally taken the place -of his confidential secretary, who had decided to start business on hia own pccount. ■/.■■■ " I should have liked to see the Bolivar concession signed and in your [hands," Viola remarked quietly. - ' j "We can do nothing more. . Senor Valdcz is on the way to Europe, and he - is .bringing yith Kim full power to complete. I have every reason to believe ..... that his choice will be made in. our favour," Furnival stated with confidence. • " I'm afraid, of Corven. He has been ,very quiet lately, and that usually means I danger when ho is concerned,'' she said (.earnestly. Furnival lighted a cigar, and then be- , gan to chuckle quietly to himself. -Viola watched'him with inscrutable eyes, but made no remark. . She had trained herself to be silent unless speech were absolutely necessary. ■*' It's good/ to see you ' show some feeling. I always look upon you as the perfect machine, but when the name of Mark Corven is mentioned, an expression comes to your .eyes that bodes him no good." " Haven't I every cause to hate him ? He hounded my father to death," she cried fiercely.. " That's hardly fair to him. Your 'father and Corven were rivals, and they "fought to tho bitter end. It happened that Corven .proved to bo the victor. I, myself, am waging some such war .with Corven, but I'm not so foolish as to place all my eggs in one basket, as your father sid." / " Mark Corven ruined my father—i broke his heart. Can you wonder that '.I hate him V' /'. J " Perhaps, it's only natural. By the ibye, I hear that things haven't been go.ing too well with him. He's becoming jan old man, but unfortunately he has : a. son, who has just joined him, and may be able to relievo him. of somo responsi- ! bility. I wish I could say the same of ' myself," Furnival remarked with a sigh. " I didn't kiiow he had a son. What's be like 1 " / " 'Varsity, public school and that, sort of type. I've never met the boy, but [they say he's a worker. Miss Blake, ; you'd better come to dinner with us tor night. My sister was saying she hadn't seen you for a long time. We'll talk over ycTur holiday, and see what can bo • managed. Heaven only knows how I j shall carry on without you," ho sai'd with a Sigh. I Viola rose and walked to tho door, j His eyes followed her with paternal affection, noting the tall slender figure, .with its proud carriage, and he sighed j.with regret tliAt he did not possess such j i,a woman to /call daughter. Sho went ! briskly to the table in her little office and rang a bell to summon a typist, fllieri she dictated for some time from the instructions that Furnival had given, and j when she had finished and was alone, her bead rested on her hands in sheer weariness. For weeks sho had fought against ever increasing weakness, and now she realised that sho could go on no longer. Just a few weeks of idleness, in strange places, and sho would come back to her work with renewed energy. When sho left tho office she got on tho top of an unenclosed bus to breatho in< the autumnal air, alighting at Gray's Inn and making her way to an ancient buildt ing in its precincts where she, occupied i a tiny flat on tho top floor. .It was tho ■ homo of a " bachelor girl," who worked t for a living, with simple comfort but deyoid of feminine " fripperies." A " char" did the necessary cleaning, but Viola very I rarely saw her, for she had left for the i olfico by the timo of her arrival. | j The bedroom was severely furnished, r and Viola opened tho door of tho wardrobe, .viewing its contents with distasto. During these years of work she had paid little attention ; 'yto her clothes or to, her personal appearance, and she stood be- , fore tho looking-glass, glaring at her re- / flection. Her thick hair was closely smoothed back, showing a well-formed I brow. Her eyes and lips had no sugI .Beation of make-up, while her skin was white and transparent. ont the first gown that I|-. and hastily put il on.

" It's the commencement of your wellearned holiday," chuckled Furnival, who was in high spirits, and for the rest of the evening seemed to find some cause for quiot amusement, which his sister shared. Viola sat at tho table looking around her with dazed eyes that followed tho couples who were dancing. " Tho first lesson," Furnival said cheerfully. " It's eleven o'clock, and 1 want you to coino homo for a chat," he went on, addressing Viola with a kindly 6mile.

When they reached his house his sister followed him to the library, where ho sat down and wrote out a chequo. " Here you are, my dear. You've earned every penny of it," ho romarked, as ho held out tho slip of paper. "What is it for?" asked Viola. " For you —to spond," ho answered. " But fiVo hundred pounds. It's absurd."

" You'll find it won't go very far. Viola, my dear, we look upon you as one of us, and wo want you to havo a really good timo. My eyes have only just been opened to what I havo been doing. I've been a positive slave-driver as far as you are concerned, and I'm going to make amends. v No money can pay you for tho devotion you have shown to my interests," he wound up gravoly.' " I can't accept such a sum." " Nonsense, my You will not only accept it, but you will spend it. I shan't allow you to enter the office again for at least a month. The sooner you start away tho better 1 shall bo pleased. Didn't the pretty gowns you saw tonight mako you envious? That was tho reason I took you to tho Savoy. You have forgtten that you are an uncommonly good-looking girl, and you've got to make yourself remember it," ho said vigorously. " But it's such a lot of money." Miss Furnival camo over and gave her an affectionate kiss.

" Don't be obstinate, dear. Robert has made up his mind, and by this time you should know what that means. Besides, you can havo no objection to giving pleasure to two old people," sho said with a smile.

Viola drew in a deep breath, and looked from one to the other.

" Very well. Have it your own way, but you must be responsible for the consequences. All the timo I havo been working I've held myself in, and if I onco let go—" Sho paused and laughed merrily, and excitement was in her eyes. "I will enjoy myself, and without restraint. I'll live like a millionairess for a month. Tho South of France is the place. I want sunshine, and joy—and laughter—and happiness. I'm only just beginning to suspect what I havo missed," she cried, and, throwing her arms round Miss Furnival's neck, Kissed her. " You are a dear. Both of you." " That's all right. I'm glad you are seeing things in, the proper light. Telephone to the office and let us know when you're leaving. The sooner the better, so far as I am concerned," said Furnival. " Very well. I will keep in touch with you so that you can send if you want me back," Viola answered gaily. Furnival's car took her home, and she wondered if. she were awake or dreaming as she climbed the stairs to her flat. Nothing to do for a month, except to think of tho enjoyment of the moment. Unlimited money to spend. If the five hundred pounds was not sufficient, there were her savings on which she could draw. No need to get out of bed till half past ten o'clock. If it -were necessary, she could even have breakfast brought to her bedroom.

It was a long time before sho fell asleep to bo awakened by the " whirr " of her alarm clock. In an instant she was ont of bed and had switched, on the electric kettle to make tea before she remembered that there was no need to get up. So with impish glee she climbed back to bed, and lay down to dream of the pleasure to come. Mrs. Stevens, tho " char." admitted herself with her key and camo into the bedroom. "Law. Miss, are you ill?" sho asked sympathetically " No, lazy. Please make some tea, and I'll have eggs and bacon," Viola answered laughingly. "Oh! Miss, surely they haven't given you tho ' push ?' " Mrs. Stevens asked anxiously. " Not a bit of it. I've started my holiday—that's all," was the cheerful answer.

A proloneed hath instead of a hurried ono, and Viola had just started to dress when a telegram was delivered.

"Ring up office before leaving—Furni•val," it ran. Viola was not content to follow out tho instructions, but sho set out for tho city. Much .to her disappointment Furnival was not thero but had left a message for her, to tho effect that Senor Valdez had changed his plans and had sent a wireless to say that he was going to stay for a few weeks in San Remo before coming to England. "Didn't Mr, Furnival leave any further message for mo?" she asked. " Nothing at all, except tho ono that I have delivered. He has left town for a couple of days. I hope you will havo a pleasant holiday, Miss Blake," said tho girl who was taking Viola's place until her return.

" Can I get in touch with Mr. Fur nival ?"

"Ho said that he didn't wish to be worried by anvono. Those wore his exact words," was tho answer. Viola was very thoughtful when she left tho office. On the way homo sho cashed Furnival's cheque, and on to Thomas Cook and Son's office, obtained a letter of credit. This done, sho returned home and packed her dressing-case, which was handsomely fitted, for it had been a birthday present from her father. Then she strapped an empty trunk and sat down to think over her plans. Paris must .clearly be her first destination, whero she promised herself a few days of perfect enjoyment in the choosing of gowns. Sho would tako nothing with her, but would provide herself with a complete outfit, everything of tho latest mode. Fortunately she owned one or two valuable pieces of jewellery which had belonged to her mother, and which Furnival had managed to save from the wreck of her father's fortune. A ling, consisting of a square emerald, and a string of pearls would be sufficient for all purposes, and sho decided to lake thern with her.

Upon looking up the. boat trains for Paris, she choso the Southampton-Havre route, on account of the longer sea-cross-ing, and it was with a pleasant senso" of adventure ahead that she took hor seat in tho train at Waterloo. Tho boat, was not crowded, and sho had no difficulty in booking a cabin. Excitement had given her an appetite, and she sat down in tho saloon to order supper. There wore few women among tho passengers, and tho men woro of various types and nationalities, with the French predominating. The steamer had left Southampton before tho seat next to Viola's was occupied, and when the new-comer gave his order sho gave him a quick glance, for sho liked the sound of bis

(COPYRIGHT.)

/ A SERIAL BRIMFUL OF PATHOS AND HUMAN LOVE.

By PAUL TRENT. Author of " The Craven Mystery," " Baxter's Son," " The Vow," etc.

voice, with its quiet air of command, and accent that suggested Oxford. " Calm as a mill pond," he remarked conversationally, and ho turned to-her quickly. "Do you mind my speaking to you. If you were American I shouldn't ask. I can sec you're English, and I've got out of English ways. " But you are English," she said with conviction.

" Quite true, but I've been staying in Bolivar for a wliilo, and one gets out of touch." " Bolivar—how interesting! Ivo been wishing that I knew the country. Perhaps you will tell ino something about " I've novcr lived in the country. I was only a traveller." f> "Travelling for pleasure—lucky man. " Not altogether for pleasure. In fact I was concession hunting." Viola had. difficulty in steadying her voice when she spoke again. " How exciting 1 What is there ia Bolivar? Rubber or oil, or what?" "As a matter of fact, I was only interested in a proposed railway to carry the produce," ho answered, and she noticed that a look o! admiration had appeared in his eyes. " I hope you obtained the object of your visit." "Not entirely. Nothing definitely settled, "but I havo hopes," he cried gaily. " Yours must bo an interesting life, visiting different countries, and making money at the same time.'' " Ono doesn't always make money in my business. It's very much of a gamble, and sometimes there are heavy losses. There will be one if I don't pull off this concession," he said grimly. Viola, now, had no doubt ns to the idontity of hor fellow-passonger, and sho had difficulty in hiding her excitement. Hor brain was at work to try to devise some advantage to her employer from this meeting, and she decided that on no account must he be allowed to suspect that she was in any way connected .with Furnival. " I supposo you are going to Paris ?" he remarked diffidently. " Yes. I've brought an empty trunk with me and I'm going to fill it up with new clothes. Then I'm going on to the Italian Riviera, probably to San Remo," she stated casually. " How perfectly splendid ! That's my destination, also. By the byo, my name is Corven —Richard Corvcn, and completely at your service," he said with a bow.

" I'm Viola Blako, an unattached female," she answered lightly. "Travelling for pleasure?" " Very much so. I'm going on deck for a breath of fresh air before I turn in."

" May I como with you ?" he asked eagerly.

" You may join me when you'vo finished that plate of excellent roast beef. It's too good to miss," she cried and hastened away.

So this pleasant-mannered man was the son of Mark Corven. To all appearances ho was a gentleman, and one to command confidence. Yet ho was the son of the man who had harried her father to dsith. What should she do? It would be easy enough to go to her cabin and avoid any further conversation with him. Perhaps that would bo the better plan. Her mind was almost made up to this course, but further thoughts came. It would almost seem as though Providence were taking a hand, for there could be no doubt that young Corven was on his way to San Remo. with the idea of meeting Senor Valdez. Was it not her duty to make some move to prevent him from attaining his object ? " I'll go to my cabin and think it over," she muttered, and hastened below.

Viola shrank back when sho saw Corven coming from the dining saloon, and she smiled to herself, as she watched the impetuous way he mounted the staircase. However, her passage was free, and she mado her way along to her cabin. For a time she sat down and thought over the position. Before beginning to undress, she had written out a cablegram, whtc'h she intended to dispatch to Furnival as soon as the steamer reached Havre.

Please send me a power of attorney to net on your behalf re concession to Poste Kestunte, San Remo. Writing fully. Viola Blake.

" I wondor if his trust will go so far. Anyhow, I will not look on and bo powerless, sho told herself as sho climbed into tho bunk and settled down to sleep.

CHAPTER 11. There had never been close relations between Richard Corvcn and his father. Indeed, the financier was not the man to inspire affection, and it had been his habit to treat his son as a comparative stranger, allowing him to go his own way without any attempt at interference, until Richard had finally como down from Oxford, more famed for his " Rugger " and cricket than was his learning. Almost immediately Dick hnd been summoned to the city and given an office adjoining his father's. " Look around and keep your eyes open. See what you can pick up about tho business, and I'll have a talk to you later on," were his father's directions. Richard possossed intelligence, and a degree of, tact, so ho asked no questions, but proceeded io make .friends with the manager, Ben Taynton, and to extract from him as much useful information as possible. From tho outset the manager and the rest of tho staff liked his free and easy manner, and did all they could to help him. Mark Corveil, apparently, was unconscious of what was going on, but before very long Richard realised that he knew all that had happened, and there was born .in ever increasing respect for his father's ability. Still ho might havo been a .anger instead of a sou, and with the respect there was ijo suggestion of affection. In the conduct of the business there wan continuous evidence of a hard and ruthless nature, with a love for fighting, which inspired a reluc'/mt admiration. Very gradually, more responsible work was allotted to him, but all the time he was conscious of being watched with cold, relentless eyes. There was sufficient of his father in Dick's nature to cause him to take an interest in the business, and ho extracted a good deal of amusement from'the making of money. Not that he valued wealth unduly, for ho had never suffered from the want of it. Indeed, his father, since ho had left school, had made him a generous allowance for the spending of which lie had asked for no account. Then had come the summons In tho ofTico and tho offer of a cigar—a double Corona—an unusual act. " Sit down. You'll have time to smoko it before I've finished with you," Corven began grimly, and his eyes were fixed on Richard as though ho were weighing him up. " I'm not disappointed with you. You might have turned out worse than you have. You may as well know that I've had confidential reports of your behaviour ever since you camo of age'."' [ (To bo continued daily.)

A serial, " Tho Great Fairfax Mystery," by Joseph Keating, author of " Marriago Contract," " Flower of the Dark," etc., will commence next Saturday. It is a story full of thrilling adventures and perils. Readers should not miss the opening chapters of this splendid romance, instalments of which will be published from week to week.