RAINBOW GOLD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21293, 21 September 1932, Page 17

RAINBOW GOLD

By E. C. BULEY Author of "Sea Urchin." "Calcutta Luck." etc.

SYNOPSIS Dan Prescott and Gordon Wetherby find gold in the arid bush of Central Australia. Their claim may be worth millions or it mny just be " a little jeweller's 6hop." They cannot stay and work the mine themselves, for during the greater part of the year this part of the bush ia a burning desert. If the sold is to bo worked properly, they must liavo capital. They go down to Sydney and meet a man named Slade. who is agent for Milton Medlicott, a London company promoter. "Wctherby and Slade tell Dan that they have been to the mine by aeroplane, and are ready to form a company, which will bo promoted in London by Medlicott. Dan agrees, though he later feels that the plans of Slade and Medlicott " sound a bit crook," especially after the former had mentioned " mug " investors in England. Dan had left England when he was a boy, but he was sure that Wetherby was Australian born, until the latter showed him, up in the bush, a photo, of his finance, Gladys Clements, a London girl. When they had been in Sydney a few days Wetherby sprang another surprise. " Meet the missus, Dan," he said, introducing a pretty blonde. " We're on our honeymoon." Dan is dumbfounded, before he gets furious. What about the girl in England Wetherby has jilted r What about Welherby's trip to England to give Medlicott detailed information whicli will be necessary for floating the company ! Dan had intended to stay in Australia and keep an eye on the mine, but owing to Wetherby's honeymoon, he is persuaded by Slade to make the trip to England. Just before the boat sails. Wetherby slipped a pioco of paper into his hand. On it wis written "Miss Gladys Clements, lruro Villa. Stade Street, Hillingdon/' When Dan reaches England he goes to Gladys Clements address, and while waiting for her is astounded to see his framed phot9graph in the room. He is still more surprised when the girl, coming in, throws her arms about his neck, exclaiming, 'I knew you at once, Gordon." Eve Gilcrest, a typist out of work in London, comes into the story. She has an adventure. Interfering in a smash and grab raid on a jeweller's shop window she is cut a little, and is helped to a chemist s shop by a gentleman who has seen the affair. He is Mr. Milton Medlicott, an outside broker. He gives her a job in his office, where she is asked to work up material lor a pamphlet on a gold find in Australia, bitting in a cafe with her fellow typist* Frances, she hears some strangers refer to " the swindling bucket shop opposite.' Eve decided to ask Medlicott the meaning 01 this. CHAPTER ll.—(Continued) '! Mr. Medlicott," Eve said abruptly. " I wanted to ask you. Just what is a bucket shop ?" His eyebrows went up whimsically, but his eyes twinkled in the usual pleasant fashion as bo answered: " It's a name given to an organisation which professes to execute dealings in stocks and shares, but really takes the risk itself. When the clients win, the bucket shop loses. If they win too much they stand a poor chance of drawing their gains." " I see," Eve meditated. " An outside broker, such as myself," ho went on, "makes his profit on the brokerage commissions. Every time a client buys or sells shares there's a little corner for me. Naturally, I want my clients to make money, just as the bucket shops wants clients to lose money. There s a wide difference." " I can see that," Eve murmured, turning his words over in her mind. Medlicott rang a bell and to the boy who answered, said curtly: " Bring me a volume of the clients' ledger. The first one that comes to your hand will do." When the ledger was brought Medlicott set it beforo Eve. " Take any account here at random, my child," ho said. " You may hit on a winner, or you may strike a loser. But you'll find that the transactions represent genuine purchases and sales, and thtt the office profit is the brokerage on the gross total involved. Win or lose, it makes no difference.' " I don't need to inspect the ledger, Mr. Medlicott," Eve said remorsefully. " Of course, your explanation suffices me. It was impertinence on my part to question you." " I'd not say that," Medlicott answered. " It fjhowed intelligence and a sense of honesty, and, above all things, courage. Those are attributes on which I put some value. Now, shall we go on with our business '{" CHAPTER 111 Dan stood gazing helplessly into the languishing eyes that smiled into his. | Gladys was shaking his hands up and I down and inviting his admiration. Her 9 patent satisfaction and happiness was a pathetic thing to Dan, as he tried to frame some sentence which would effectually dissipate it. He knew just what he ought to say, but the words stuck in his throat. How could he say that he was not Gordon Westbury, but a stranger; that Westbury had married an Australian bride and had been false to the radiant, affection- | ate girl who confronted him ? While Dan jj was struggling with his difficulty she It flung herself upon him again, bearing £ him back into an easy chair, which creaked | under the burden of them. I " Hold mc tighter," she commanded, 1 and then her clinging lips met Dan's H again. Dan was an orphan, and all the $3 affection he had ever known in his life m had been the strong handclasp of some jl wanderer like himself. He almost || swooned under the demonstrative fondness 1 lavished upon him, but he thrilled to it n at the same time. fa A hoarse chuckle from the doorway H caused Gladys to turn her head, and pcr--1 mit Dan to a view of the interrupter. |1 "Break away!" chuckled a stout, little 8 woman, in a gay wrapper whoso lined B flabby face held a pair of rolling, dark i eyes which proclaimed her relationship H to Gladys. |] " What do you want to come butting in lj for, nia ?" Gladys asked, cheerfully, at p the same time rising to her feet. Abashed a beyond all prcurdent, Dan followed her | example. And then Mrs. Clements came a upon him, not with the suddennes of her 1 daughter, but with intentions which were § obvious enough. A hearty smack on each H cheek, and a heartier hug, were bestowed i upon him with the extremity of goodwill. | Whatever else they may have been, the || Clements were an affectionate family, and not ashamed of showing it. | " Welcome to me future son-in-law," H wheezed the mother of Gladys. " I didn t |1 kiss yer on the mouth because I've got a H 'orrid cold in mo 'ead. What would you 1 do, Gordon, for a 'orrid cold in the I 'ead ?" !9 Dan would liked to have recommended §9 a couple of aspirins ; but was too basliH ful still for speech. | " You go and see to the pancakes for i lunch." Mrs. Clements commanded. | " You've all your life before you for bill- | ing and cooing." | As Gladys blithely left the room to ful--1 fil the instruction, her mother said: $[ "And you never set tooth in a better a pancake than my girl can toss. I'it to set I before a king." M The conversation which followed was ja complicated by Mrs. Clements addiction jg to the use of initials rather than names 0 of any kind. Her daughter was G., so H , what was she to call her son-in-law, whose |§ name also began with G 1 Dan gruffly remarked that most people M shortened Gordon to Don, and was in--1 stantly installed in the household as D. H "And let me tell you, D.," Mrs. CleJg ments confided, "I am more than pleased 9 to see you in me drawing room and to fl know that G. is provided for for life. I 8 admit 1 was against her answering your 9 letter when it came fo the house wrapped 1 tip in a package of Australian dried aprifl cots. ' For,' I says to G., ' the man who | wrote that letter may have written a

(COPTniCBT)

A THRILLING STORY OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE

score or a hundred such. By this time he may be writing to half a dozen girls | in England. Knowing what I do of men, I wouldn't put it past him. Dan drew a. deep breath. Undeistanding began to reach him through the haze of words and strange events. He had first met Westerby when they wep both working at a fruit canning and preserving factory at Mildura. The trick of writing messages in the paper wrappers 01 apples or enclosing them in packages ol dried fruit, was well known to him. Like the letters enclosed in bottles and cast into the ocean, most of these communications were lost and traceless, bufc here was one which had borno abundant fruit. It was like Gordon Westerby, when the adventure became complicated by a later entanglement, to send away his partner's photograph as his own, and to leave the outcome to chance. " Even when your letters came, Mrs. Clements went on, " I had me doubts. The first ease my poor mind got was when T saw the photo. Kitty—that s me youngest—K., she turned up her nose when G. showed us vour phiz. But I put me foot down. ' Looks isn't everything,' I sez. ' Behind that face I see honest 'eart beating.' Was I right, D? _ "Oh, quite, quite," Dan said mechanically, echoing a fellow passenger on the boat, whose vocabulary was almost limited to that handy word. So Westerby had never been to England in his life, and his picture of a big-eved wistful girl waiting patiently through the years boiled down to a venturesome reply to a letter addressed to the world of womankind in general. , " Eats are on the table," announced a shrill voice, and a long-legged girl in a short gym. dress, with saucer-like eyes, giggled convulsively at Dan "This is K.," announced Mrs. Cle-

mcnts. .. i.Kitty had all the family characteristics. She rushed at Dan and kissed him with lingering fondness. "Pleased to mee'cha, Gordon, she said. " Gosh, I'll crew over the girls at school this afternoon." The lunch began with fried soles and chips, and Dan, a homeless loon whose diet was ruled by the standard of ar "" ing-houses and cheap hotels, thought lie had never tasted food like it. "he pancakes were all that Mrs. Clements had promised, for this family had a taste for the good things of life and the knack of obtaining them. Dan might have enjoyed the meal even more if Gladys, who sat next to him, had not insisted on expressing her affection by knee pressures and other disturbing and novel contacts. , When lunch was over, Gladys decreed that Dan must take her to the pictures. She settled comfortably in her seat at the cinema house, removed her hat, nestled her head on Dan's shoulder, and took possession of his hands. Dan emerged from the darkened house like a swimmer coming from the depths, half_ suffocated by the wealth of affection lavished upon him. , ~ , There was what Mrs. Clements described as a knife-and-fork tea. and then Gladys disappeared, to make way for the youngei "Gladys is dolling herself "P the pallav doe donse," Kitty explained. She wants to show you off to all the and to rub it in to Tommy Ware. It s her day out. all. right." , , "Who's Tommy Ware? Dan asked Kl "ilis middle name is 'broken-hearted'," Kitty explained, humming a popular air. " There he is, broken-hearted; and he doesn't care who knows it." AC a dance hall Dan was presented to a number of girls, Gladys employing a formula which ran: "Meet me feeonsay; that is Bertha', Gordon." Dan bad to dance with them all in turn. He was inured to dancing in the bush, where the girls put some life into what they regarded as a vigorous exercise. But the male performer must not take liberties at those dances. Holding too tight was an immediate cause of offence. " If you can't show respect to a lady, take your dogs off the floor," Dan had heard said as a mild rebuke. These girls were different. They clung tight, and leaned against their partnei. They' ogled Dan at short range. Bertha, a willowy blonde, with very fair hair and china blue eyes, asked Dan to do her a favour. " Give me an intro. to that of yours," she coaxed. "If Gladys is going to marry half a gold mine, save the other half for me." Tommy Ware became evident as a neat little man, who invented his own dance steps. He scowled at Dan for an hour, and then gulped down his jealousy. " Could you put one away ?" he asked abruptly. " Thanks," said Dan, " but I don t use it."

Incredulous, Tommy Waro retired into a corner. Ho confid'ed dark doubts of Dan's genuineness to every girl with whom he danced. " Calls himself an Aussie, and wouldn't have one," he grumbled. Having seen Gladys home, Dan got away to his hotel about midnight. The good-night salute was a memorable business. " Bertha asked to see me ring," Gladys whispered, and fled indoors. There was little sleep that night for Dan Prescott. How it had all happened was beyond him, but his position was plain enough. Under a false name he had become engaged to a loving girl, whose kisses had set his blood racing in a way that made Dan think he would never regain a normal temperature. To-morrow he .would buy the ring she desired; there was no way out of it. Dan was not sure that he wanted to find a way out. It was wonderful to bo petted and caressed; and there was even some satisfaction in being exhibited as an object of great worth. It was all so novel to Dan and he was not quite sure whether he wanted it to continue; but on one point he was quite determined. The confusion of his identity with that of Gordon Westerby had to bo cleared up; and Westerby was the person who must do it. Lorna or no Lorna, Westerby must put him right, and explain how the whole mistake came about. Ho must do it by cable, and never mind the expense. After she knew the truth, perhaps Gladys would chuck him overboard; Dan was humble enough to think it more than probable. Anyhow, no more sailing under false colours. His first act next morning was to despatch a long and imperative cable to Westerby, and another to Slade, urging that individual to employ his influence on easy-going Westerby. Then Dan called at Truro Villa, and was initiated into the delights of the first emporiums of Ilillingdon. Gladys was a born shopper, with a correct eye for value, and an insatiable craving for new possessions. The ring was bought; and then Gladys was so fascinated bv a wrist-watch that sho came out of the shop .wearing it. Dan found himself buying silk stockings by the dozen: and before he knew it. was confronted with garments even more intimate and expensive. The girl saleswoman shared his embarrassment, but not Gladys. Chocolates were added by the seven-pound crate and a hint sent Dan selecting presents fc* Mar and Kitty. Blonde Bertha came in to tea, and was shown tlie plunder. "What a gold-digger's wife you'll make, Gladys, darling,' she said, veiling her light blue eyes and gla'ncing sideways at Dan. " I'm a born gold-digger myself," Glady's said, with no trace of offence. " But Gordon loves giving me pretties, don't you, GoiVon?" Well, Gladys was generous after her fauhion, too. Dan saw that he need never fear from her the sort of opposition that embitters life for so many married couples. If he had any wish it was her law. She wanted to please him by every means in her power. (To be continued daily)