THE BROKEN WAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21546, 18 July 1933, Page 15

THE BROKEN WAY

By PAUL TRENT Author of " The Vow," " Tho Peacemaker," etc.

SYNOPSIS Marion Hartley, only child and heiress of Bimon Hartley, whose work for the Empire keeps him almost constantly abroad, becomes satiated with tho endless round of pleasures which fill her life and determines to live tho life of a vagabond for a fow weeks. Leaving her nunt protesting, she sets off alono into tho wilds of Devonshire in her two-seater and pulls up for a meal at a little farmhouse on tho coast. Ihe farmer's wife, Mtb. Foster, agrees to let her a cottage on the beach, and after driving to the nearest town, Tanmouth, to lay 111 a stock of groceries, sho instills herself, and then goes for a swim. As she swims seawards, she is followed by _ a strange man, who tells her that the tide is dangerously stron? and advises her to return at once. Though resenting his t° no - B ' lo soon finds he is right and is only able to reach the shore with his help. Over a cigarette at tho cottage afterwards alio learna that he is Robin ITnyne, son of tho local vicar and an official oil the Gold Coast, temporarily homo on leave. Mrs. Poster is Jiia old nurse. Calling at tho farm next morning to offer to do shopping commissions for Robin, eho learns that ho has already set out to walk into town.

CHAPTER ll.—(Continued) *' I'll get away, at once, and I may catch him up. Thero are no 'airs and graces' about mo, Sirs. Foster," Marion cried merrily, and went to her car, but before starting she returned and asked if she could do anything in Tanmouth for Mrs. Foster. " No thank you, my dear. Look after Master Robin, and bo nico to him. He's abroad so much that ho hasn't time to make many friends in England. Besides, he's not easy to know. Some peoplo think he's 'stand-offish,' but then, they don't know him." " I will be as kind to him as he will allow me to be," Marion answered laughingly, and pressed down the accelerator. As soon as she had climbed the cliff, she changed to top-speed, and let tha car out to full capacity, her eyes fixed ahead, but three or four miles were covered without a sign of Hayne. But suddenly, she saw him sitting on a gate, and sue put on the brakes, regardless of damage to her tyres. " Get in," she cried, peremptorily. But he sat there, regarding her with a whimsical smile. , " Does everyone obey your orders—instanter?" he asked without budging. " I'll drive you to Tanmouth," she answered impatiently. " You haven't answered my question," he rejoined with gravity. " Come along, and don't play the ass." Their eyes met and they burst into joyous laughter. Robin, without opening the door, sprang into tho scat beside her, and they moved rapidly away. His eyes rested on her face, and he realised, for the first time, that Marion was an uncommonly beautiful woman, one that most men would find attractive, and it would not be surprising, if she were a little bit spoilt. Moreover, he judged her to possess intelligence of a high order, and she suggested competence by tho manner in which she was handling the car. He examined her clothes, trying to placo the class of life from which blio came. There was nothing about her to suggest, wealth. Of jewellery, sho had none, and many girls of moderate means ran a car in these days. If she had been accustomed to luxurious surroundings, it was unlikely that she would choose so humble a cot as the Fosters' in which to spend a holiday. Suddenly, she turned on him, and smiled sweetly. " Have yon quite finished your inspection?" sho asked quietly. " Sorry. I'm afraid I was rude, but I didn't think you could see what I was doing. I had no idea that you were bo good-looking." " I don't like feeble compliments," sho answered severely. " You're not likely to get 'em from me—strong or weak. You must realise that you are an unusually handsome girl. Last night, I almost thought you plain, with your face washed out, and your hair bedraggled. Don't look so cross, please. I want to bo 'pals.' I'm rather a lonely sort of chap,, and I thought we might help each other, for the rest of my leave. You will be doing me a good turn, and giving mo somo pleasant memories to take back with me," he wound up with boyish nervousness.

"Do you like West Africa?" she asked with kindly interest. " I love the country, and the work I'm doing there. I think there's no finer job for a man than that of empire-making, even if it's in a small way." Marion was about to tell him about her father, but the words died away, and she decided to tell him nothing. For the time boing she would forget that she was the daughter of Simon Hartloy—she would forget that sho was the daughter of millions. There was no reason why this young man should suspect that wealth was in any way connected with her, and sho would givo him no cause for thinking it. Sho did not try to disguise from herself that she was greatly attracted by what sho had seen of Robin Hayne, and if their friendship were to develop it should be on account of herself and not for what sho might eventually possess. If ho were to know that she owned Simon Hartley as father he could not help being influenced in her favour, for tho name of Hartley was one to conjure with in the colonial world. " Tell me about your work," Blie said gently. Ho described his duties in the hinterland of West Africa, where he had spent the last months of tho " tour " as an assistant district commissioner. "I am thoroughly happy, but there is only one fly in tho ointment." " What's that?" Marion asked curiously. " I am under a commissioner that I thoroughly dislike." " That's a pity. What's his name?" she asked abruptly. " Uoulton." "Botilton? I seem to know tho name."

" Just as my leave was due ho went down with tho gold fever and wan ordered homo by tho doctor. I had to prolong my tour until the relief came out. He is a poisonous sort of porson, and, if possible, I want to got away from his district."

"Why do you dislike him?" she asked.

" It is difficult to give any concreto reason. We are opposites in every way, and life out there isn't particularly pleasant when you have to live alone with a person who is continually getting on your nerves."

" ]f you feel like that I hope you will have the luck to bo moved to soino other district." Robin continued to talk of the Gold Coast, and now and then Marion made a remark as she listened, and ho was surprised at the knowledge of the country sho displayed, but ho made no comment. Robin directed her to the old-fashionod hotel, where she loft her car, and he asked her to accompany him to sen his boat, and afterwards to lunch with him. Both invitations woro frankly accepted, for Marion found that she was deriving a very real pleasure from his company. It was she who suggested that she should sail back in the boat and leave her car at the hotel, and ho raised no objection. The meal was a joyous one, and when the bill \yas brought she insisted on paying her share. " Not on your life," he answered curtly. " I want to come out with you—often, and it must be ' Fifty-fifty,' or

A STORY OF ROMANTIC ADVENTURE

(COPYRIGHT)

I can't invito myself. I really mean it," she said with quiet decision. " All right. It isn't a matter of great consequence, and I shan't insist." When they had started to sail back lie found that it was not the first time sho had handled a sheet or tho helm of a boat. Moreover, she did not require to bo waited on, hand and foot, and was eager and willing to do her fair whack of work. " I'm glad you've turned up. Are you willing to be partners, while we're here? You're so sensible that you won't oxpect mo to make love to you or any rot of that sort, but I think our tastes are the same, and we can help ono another to a good time," he suggested, when tho boat had been moored in the cove. " I'm willing. It's a bargain, and there's to be no sentimental nonsense between us. Come to tho cottage and I'll make tea." " Excellent, and afterwards we'll swim. I really am glad wo tumbled across ono another. Let me see —your name's Marion. There was Maid Marion and Robin —Robin Hood. Therefore, wo'll bo Marion and Robin. How does the idea striko you?" ho asked, with a broad grin. " I'm agreeable, although I fail to follow your reasoning. The fabled lady was Marian. I spell my name with an ' o,' " she cried, and there was mockery in her eyes. Tho teapot had just been brought to tho tablo when Mrs. Foster appeared in the doorway and beamed her

approval. " So you did manage to find him?" she said, and then glanced at the jam which Marion had bought. " Master Robin doesn't like anything but the real home-made. I'll run and fetcli you some, and a jug of cream to go with it." Robin smiled apologetically as she disappeared. " Mary spoils me abominably, but it's useless for me to protest. She brought me up from birth, and she's the only mother I've ever known. I could never exjjlain to you how fond I am of her. I write to her every week when I'm abroad, and I go to her with all my troubles. Isn't she a dear?" " She worships you, and you ought to consider yourself very lucky. I lost my mother when I was a few weeks old, and I've missed her terribly. My father has the idoa that I was responsible for my mother's death, and he's never mado a friend of me. Indeed, I'm as lonely as you appear to be. I live with an aunt, of whom I'm fond, in a way, but it's not the same thing. 1 envy you your Mary Foster. It was her friendly smile that made me want to stay here." " She evidently approves of you. It's rather strange, for she always says she has no use for the modern girl, with her bared legs and cropped hair." " Mino is quito a respectable ' bob,' and my skirts do reach below my knees," Marion said demurely. Mrs. Foster appeared, and the girl promptly brought another cup and plate, moving a chair to the "table. " No, Miss—I —" she began to protest, but both Robin and Marion placed a hand on her shoulders and forced her to sit down.

She was only too glad to be persuaded to stay, and sue settled down to enjoy her tea. "I've beon hoping for this for months past,." she announced complacently. " What have you been hoping for?" Marion asked curiously, and, heedlesa of Robin's frown, Mrs. Foster answered : " I've been wanting a nice young lady for Master Robin to play with and now I've found her. Directly I saw you, miss, I thought you. were his sort. He was always mightly particular." " Thank you for the compliment," Marion said, and laughed mischieviously as she glanced at Robin's flushed face. " All the years I've known him he's never had a young lady of his own, and I think it's about time. Before ho left for foreign parts ho would have nothing to do with the short-skirted hussies—thank goodness, and now he's living where there aro nothing but black ncgresses." " You've talked enough, Mary. Miss Hartley is not interested in my youthful amours—or tho lack of them," Robin remarked dryly. " On the contrary, I'm very interested. Toll mo, Mrs. Foster, whon Master Robin was about twenty, hadn't ho any boyish lovo affairs?" Marion asked with a great 6how of interest. " Never a one that I heard of, not even when ho was at tho university. All he seemed to caro about was football and cricket."

"You forget racing," Robin put in with a laugh. " Yes I know how you love to go over to Newton Abbot to have your little gamble," Mrs. Foster remarked with a touch of roproach in her voice. " I admit that is ono of my failings. By'the way, I believe there is a meeting at Newton Abbot next week. You can take me there in your car if you like," he said to Marion, who nodded her agreement. Whi'lo they talked together Mrs. Foster looked on with approving eyes and felt that she must do everything in bcr power to further the romance which she believed was being enacted before hor very eyes. " Master Robin would make such a splendid sweetheart for some nice girl. The sort of ono that she would know ho'd never lot her down." " Shut up, Mary," he cried angrily. " Go on, Mrs. Foster. Don't pay any attention to him," Marion answered, with an ingratiating smile. " He's not as easy going as you'd think, miss,' for ho's ideas of his own, and when he once makes up his mind ]io» ran be as obstinate as Old Nick himself. No one would over have a second chance of deceiving him. Ho hates lies, and don't you ever tell him any," Mrs. Foster wound up seriously. Robin had listened to her with increasing discomfort, and finally jumped up from his chair and loft the cottage. Marion's eyes followed him with an increased liking, and a thrilling laugh escaped her. " Ho's only a boy," blio remarked reflectively. " A man with a youthful heart. I hope ho will never grow old —there are some men who aro built that way. Well, miss, do you lilco my boy?" Mrs. Foster demanded abruptly.

" Yes, very much indoed," Marion added, with sudden gravity. " I'm glad to liear it. But I do hopo you're jiot ono of thoso girls who delight in leading inon on, meaning notliing. I can sco that Master .ltobin is inclined to favour you, and you should consider yourself a lucky girl." " I believe you might be right in what you say." " Might," Mrs. Foster snortod contemptuously. " I know I'm right, and when you've knovn him for a fow days you'll agree with me, my dear/* To Marion's surprise she found herself going over to Mrs. Foster and kissing her afl'octionately. " He's lucky to have such a mother as yourself. I wish I had," she said a littlo tremulously. " I don't think it would bo difficult to find a place for you. My heart's big enough." " Stop that gossiping and get into your bathing gown," Ilobin called through the window, and Marion hastened to obey him. (To b« continued dally)