MESSENGER'S MILLION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21007, 19 October 1931, Page 13

MESSENGER'S MILLION.

By T. C. BRIDGES.

(COPYRIGHT.)

Author of "The Home of Her Fathers," **The Price of Liberty," " The Other Man's Crime," etc., etc.

CHAPTER X.—(Continued.) Whilo tho Merrills were talking, Bobby Barr was driving to Black Tor to fetch Gilbert's suit. He brought it home, lunched, and later in the afternoon drove up to Elford where Gilbert, who had just finished work for tho day, greeted him with joy. " Brought your kit, old son," saul Bobby, as ho handed over a cardboard box. " Don't suppose they'll bo much good for anything," said Gilbert rather ruefully. " And I havon't oven paid for 'em yet. Decent of you to tio 'em up so nicely."- Ho cut tho string as he spoke, openod tho box and stared in amazement at the contents. " Why, they're as good as new!" ho exclaimed. " How the duco did you do this, Bobby?" " I didn't. It was Chard. Ho cleaned and pressed them." " He's a nailer," declared Gilbert delighted. " I'll thank him myself when I seo him." Then his face changed. " Havo you seen tho paper, Bobby?" Bobby chuckled. " You bet. Gives you a good ad., " I think it's rotten," said Gilbert sourly; " but who did it? How did thoy get all that stuff?" Bobby laughed again. " That fellow Goodbody is one of their reporters. You didn't know wo wero entertaining angels unawares." " Devils nioro like," growled Gilbert. " Nance —Miss Aspland will be awfully sick about this." " Don't worry. She won't think it was your fault." " I hopo she won't," said Gilbert wistfully. " Bobby, do you—do you think sho and her father would como to tea one day?" " Ask them," said Bobby briefly. " But hero I mean," said Gilbert looking disparagingly around his rather baro sitting room. "Of course they will," declared Bobby. And you can show 'em the quarry. They'll bo frightfully bucked." Gilbert looked cheered. "Do you really think so?" "Of course I think so. I'm jolly sure of it. Get .1 few flowers and somo cakes from Tavorlon, and it'Jl bo a top-hole show." •' I thought of Thursday afternoon," said Gilbert. " Cowling will let me off at threo o'clock. 1 asked him. And can you come, Bobby?" " Horry, old man, but I'm going to London town on Thursday to stay till Monday. There's au old Wykehamist dinner on, and I've promised to go. But von carry on, and I'll tell you what. I'm passing Tho Boost on my way home, and if you like to write a lioto 1 11 leave it." " You're a brick," declared Gilbert gratefullv, and pushing tho cigarette box toward Bobby, sat down to write his letter. . lie got the answer next day—his hrst letter from Nance. She and her father would be delighted to come. They would be with him about half-past three. And Gilbert was not to worry about that stupid stuff in the paper, for Mr. Barr had told her.who was responsible. That very evening Gilbert rode into Taverton. Cakes, flowers—everything must be of tho best. Sturrock, the baker, promised delivery on Ihursday morning, and vowed that Gilbert should have no cause for complaint. All Thursday morning Gilbert was in a fuss which did not escape the keen old eves of his employer. But Cowling made no remark. His lunch hour Gilbert spent in putting tho final touches to his room. Two big vases of chrysanthemums added tho needed colour, and tho cakes were all that Sturrock had promised. Fresh rolls, too. and tough cakes, and saffron buns, and a bine bowl of Devonshire cream. An hour's work in the office, clearing up for the day, then Gilbert went back to wait for his guests. At twenty past threo ho heard a car coming, and hurried down to meet tho Asplands. Nance hadn't said that they would ride, but the afternoon was overcast, and perhaps they had thought better to hire. He knew they had not a car of their own. Beaching tho door, ho found the car already there. But surely this was no hired car. „ ~ " Hulloa, Stratton, how are you ? My sister and I decided to come and look you up. Hopo you're not busy." Ihe voice was that of James Merrill, and Gilbert's heart sank to his very boots. Of all tho rotten luck! Now Ida and Nanco would meet, and, worse, Nance would think that ho had asked tho Merrills to meet her. Gilbert might not know much about women, but he did know that Nance Aspland and Ida Merrill would mix about as well as oil and vinegar.

CHAPTER XI. GILBERT LEARNS ABOUT WOMEN. There was good stuff in Gilbert. Even Ida watching him keenly could seo nothing but welcome in his face, though she suspected —you might say knew — that he was raging inwardly. " Do como in," lie said, cordially, as he helped Ida out. "My rooms aro upstairs," he explained, as he led tho way. " But how charming!" cried Ida when she entered tho room. With the bright fire, tho big vases of chrysanthemums, his books and his pictures, Gilbert s sit--1 ing room did indeed look most comfortable and cosy. < „ " You do yourself jolly well, Stratton, added James genially. >t " I ain expecting somo friends to tea., Gilbert said quietly. " But don't bo afraid. There'll bo plenty for all of us. James laughed. " You're becoming quito a society man, Stratton. I thought you told mo onco that you knew nobody." " That was true then," Gilbert answered simply. " You and Miss ]\len ill started ise, you see." As ho spoke ho was getting fresh cups and saucers out of the cupboard, and putting them on the table. The kettle was already on tho fire. In work of this kind Gilbert was handy as a woman. Lifo at Clamp's had taught him many things of which the average young man is completely ignorant. But all tho time ho had ono cyo on tho window, and sure enough in a few minutes ho saw Nanco and her father riding up. " You'll excuse mo a minute whilo I bring my guests," he said, and was out of tho room with a swiftness which did not, escape Ida's notice. " He's in love with that girl," she said to her brother as tho door closed behind Gilbert. " He'll bo out again before you'vo finished with him," sfl id James confidently. Gilbert meantnno was hurrying downstairs Here was his chance to explain, and ho must not lose it. Nanco had pulled up, and ho saw that her eyes were on tho car. " It's the Merrills'," he said in a low voice, as he helped her off. " Miss Merrill and her brother havo just turned up. T—l didn't ask them." Nanco made a little face. " What a bother! Never inind. It can't bo helped. Where shall wo put our ponies ?" " I havo a mail here to take them. There's a stable where thoy will bo quito safe." Then as ho led them into tho house ho asked Nanco: " Havo you met the Merrills' ?" "No I supposo really we ought to call since wo havo had Tho Roost longer than they havo been at, Woodend. But Dad has never lived down bore, and I never paid any calls while I was on holiday in Devonshire. You'd better introduce us, and I'll explain things to Miss Merrill." Gilbert managed the introductions very creditably, and was relieved to find that James and Mr. Aspland began to talk at once. But the .two girls did not hit it off so well. Gilbert was conscious that | they were far too polite one to another.

A POWERFUL STORY, PACKED WITH THRILLING INCIDENTS.

For himself, ho had to bo busy making the tea, for the kettle was already boiling.

"You can see Gilbert's cut out for a bachelor," laughed fda. " Can't you, Miss Aspljyid ? Look at the way he warms the teapot before putting in the tea." Nance looked up sharply at Ida's use of the Christian name, but Ida went on. " Gilbert and I are old friends. James and I take credit that we were the first to make him come out of his shell." She laughed again. " The worst of these men who start late is that, once they are started, there's no stopping them. Gilbert's becoming a regular flirt." Gilbert saw a shadow cross Nance's face. Ho broke in quickly. " Tea's ready. Won't you come and sit down. We're going to have a schoolroom tea, and all sit round the table." It was a very good tea, and the Merrills and Mr. Aspland seemed to enjoy it; but Nance ate little and for Gilbert the whole thing was completely spoiled. Ida kept up a constant flow of talk, but Nance was very Bilent. Gilbert was thankful when it was over. " Now come and soe the quarry," ho said. " I think wo ought to be going," said Nance. lie gave her a quick look. " No, please. It's quite early still, and the quarry is worth seeing." " Very well, but we mustn't bo long," replied Nanco. "It gets cfark quickly theso evenings." Work was over for the day when they reached tho great gash in the hill side — that is, the men had stopped and gone to their homes. But in granite quarries blasting is done either during the dinner hour or after working hours, and a blast was due on this particular evening. This Gilbert had forgotten, and it was not until the party had climbed tho hill at tho back of the quarry that he noticed the red danger flag flying. "Stop, please!" he cried quickly. " Get back all of you. They're going to fire a charge." lie hurried them back from the verge, but before they had gone half-a-dozen steps there came a sudden deep boom, sounding like heavy artillery in the distance. The wholo hill side seemed to jump upwards under their feet. The men staggered, Gilbert caught Nance and saved her, but Ida, who was standing a little apart from the rest, fell heavily. There followed a deep-toned roar as a huge mass of granite dislodged by the force of the explosion toppled outwards and fell into tho bed of tho vast pit. Nance was the fust to speak. " Miss Merrill is hurt," she said quickly; and Gilbert and James both sprang forward to, where Ida lay flat oil her face on the rock hill side. " Not hurt, I do hope," said Gilbert anxiously. " Stunned," replied James as he lifted her. "Or else she's fainted. Help me carry her in." Ida was no light weight, and both the men were breathing hard by the timo they got her back to Gilbert's sitting room, where they laid her on tho sofa. "It's a faint," said Nance presently. " I don't think she's hurt. some cold water, please, Mr. Stratton, lie ran into his bedroom and fetched a basin of cold water and a sponge, and Nance bathed tho other girl's forehead while Gilbert stood by, a good deal troubled. Presently Ida sighed and stiried. " She's coming round," sai<i Nance, and stepped back a little. Ida opened her eyes and gazed up at Gilbert. " Gilbert," she said softly, and stretching out her arms flung them round his neck. She did it in a dreamy, dazed sort of fashion as if she hardly knew v*hat she was about. Then suddenly she seemed to wake up. , . , " Oh, how silly I am!" she exclaimed, and laughed again. "I quite forgot that anyone else was here. Gilbert was scarlet He burned with rago and misery but tho others could not know this. To them it- looked as though he were merely abashed. Nanco spoke. " Don't mind us, Miss Merrill. llien she too, laughed; but both her tone and her laugh were unlike anything that Gilbert had ever heard from her. " lin any case we are going. Gome, Dad. She picked up her coat. Gilbert moved to help her on with it, but sho had already handed it to her father. " Good-bye, Mr. Stratton," she said. She was still smiling, but her voice was ice. " Thank you for our nice tea. ]No, don't troublo to come down. Wo can find our ponies. The man said ho would wait." Sho went straight out. Gilbert followed, but sho paid no more attention to him than if he had not been theie. Tho man was waiting with tho ponies, and Nanco swung to the saddle without help. " Oood-bve, Stratton," said her father, and to Gilbert it, seemed that lie, too, spoke coldly. Ho watched them ride away into the gloom of the autumn night and turned to find the Merrills in the hall. " Quite timo we wero getting on, too, Stratton," said James. " We're going into Plymouth to a dinner to-night. Thanks awfully for looking after us so well."

" Good-bye," said Gilbert. " I hope you'll have a good time." Nothing in his voice or manner betrayed the anger that burned within him; but when they wero gono he went slowly back upstairs, dropped into a chair, and sat very still staring into tho fire, a prey to the bitterest thoughts he had ever known. " Sho did it on purpose," he said at last. And then, after a long pauso, " But why? I don't understand. I don't believe sho really cares." Ho laughed bitterly. " Bobby said I should learn about women. By gad, he was right." Ho was roused by a knocking below, and getting out of his chair went down. Ho took it that the foreman wanted to see him about something, but when he reached tho front door it was not the foreman, but a smaller man wearing a leather coat and goggles who stood beside a powerful motor-bicycle. " Good evening, Mr. Stratton. Aro you busy?" said the man, and Gilbert peered at him through tho gloom. "Why, it's Mr. Goodbody, isn't it?" ho said. " It is, and I'vo come all the way from Plymouth to sen you. Can you spare me a few minutes?" " Como in," said Gilbert, and as he took the man upstairs ho wondered what had brought him all this distance. But the reporter seemed in no hurry to tell him. Ho settled himself comfortably bofore the fire, lit the cigarette Gilbert had given him, and stretched forward his cold hands to warm them at the fii'O.. ' A nico little place you've got here, Mr. Stratton," he said, peering at Gilbert through his glasses. " You didn't como hero to tell iric that," returned Gilbert; and Goodbody grinned. It was a genial sort of grin, and Gilbert saw that his visitor had very good white teeth, and that his eyes,behind their big lenses, were a clear and pleasant grey. Though his hair was untidy, his clothes dusty, and his boots badly blacked, Gilbert found himself rather liking the man. " That's a fact," said Goodbody. " I came to talk to you about last Sunday." Gilbert grunted. " Seems to me you've said about everything there was to bo said, and a bit over." Goodbody grinned again. " It wasn't a bad bit of copy, though 1 say so my self. Our circulation was up nearly five hundred." Ho paused and blew a cloud of smoko out of his nostrils. "That bridge," ho remarked; and his keen eyes did not miss Gilbert's slight start. " Ah, you ngreo with me. You know it wasn't rotten." "Just what do you mean!" demanded Gilbert. ' Just what 1 said. " I've crossed that bridge a score of times. Not a month ago I saw four men on it at once. If it had been going to break it would havo broken then. What do you know about it, Mr. Stratton ?" (To bo continued daily.)