BEST-LAID PLANS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21553, 26 July 1933, Page 3

BEST-LAID PLANS

11V M. STUART -

Y cs, but it's all vpvlr own fault," cried Billie, i " No girl has any time for a door^,., t . Nan wou](l be utterly different yoLl Wol ,i d ] iavo a bit of spirit." J B.iriy I rat]ljfj n ] oo kc<l more miserable than ever, /what can I do? I can't <' J it I don't adore her, can I?" courso you can," cried Billie y tiling— anyono can." " Not me. I'm not clever like von, Bill." Ihe young man did not look clever at tho moment. On the contrary, 110 looked like a stupid but very faithful sheep dog, so that Billie's heart softened toward him. This was most unfortunate, for, as Dick said, onco Billie's heart started softening you never know whose it would stop. "Poor old Barry!" she said softly, and her golden-brown eyes glowed up at him as she perched 011 tho broad fonder stool. " You're a dear, and Nan's an idiot not to see it. But I'll help you. I toll you what —fall in love with me!" Barry blushed and mopped his brow with something like a groan. " Jt's awfully kind of you, Bill. Always liked you awfully. Rattling good pal. But Dick—" ho stammered incoherently, . till tho clear peal of Billie's laughter cut across his gibberings. "You priceless ass! I don't mean really and truly. I mean pretend to fall in love. Don't worry about Dick —I'll explain. I've found it saves a lot of bother to explain things to Dick beforehand," added Billie, thoughtfully. Barry drew a breath of relief, but •his faithful heart was still troubled. " But won't Nan mind?" he asked pitifully. " Of courso she'll mind —like blazes, I hope," said tho graceless Billie cheerily. " That's the whole point. She's so used to you hanging round, looking like a sick cat—l'm sorry, Barry, but you do —that she can't be bothered with you. But just let you get keen 011 someono else —appear to get keen, of course 1 mean, you idiot!—and she'll decide there's something to you after all." Sitting thus in the firelight, with her short golden-brown curls ruffled, her cheeks bright with vexation, and the thick lashes of her curious eyes turned upward, she was certainly not ugly. No, Barry decided slowly, she was beautiful —much more beautiful than Nan. Only she was not Nan. Still, he would do his best. He did, but it was not a very clever best at first. It was so obviously Billie who made the pace, that even Nan looked on and smiled. All tho same, she found herself surveying tho devoted Barry with new eyes; Billie was the smartest and most popular girl in the whole district; if she found something attractive in Barry he must have more to him than Nan had ever realised. Meantifhe, Billie was tired. Forcing Barry to flirt with her at the poiyt of the sword was exhausting work. At the end of a long day's hunting, during which sport had been poor, and the Minx a trifle sluggish at the jumps, Billio felt exhausted. She was sitting looking rather subdued and very small in a corner of the couch, when Dick returned after a splendid day 011 the big roan that? Billio had earned so arduously for him. He was obsessed by hunting, thought the girl wearily. He had not even noticed that she had managed by sheer force to hold young Barry at her side all through the long cold day. " Hullo!" he cried joyously, flinging himself on the couch beside her. " A ripping day. Did you see how the roan took that second gate? He's still a little over-eager, but he's settling to it splendidly. Did you notico how well ho went on that long, boggy patch?" " No," said Billie bitterly. " I didn't notice anything, except the colour of Barry Franklin's ears as the day wore 011. I wonder if that's what's partly the matter with Nan?" " Eh, what?" asked Dick vaguely. " Barry? Seemed to be sticking pretty close to you, to-day. Suppose he wanted a lead over his jumps. Wonderful how steady tho Minx is." "A lead? I suppose that's tho only reason you can think of for anyono 'wanting to stick to me. Well, if he needed a lead,lllo certainly got one." But Dick only yawned. " Quite a nice kid." "Kid?" Billie's voice was sharp. " He was twenty-six last birthday." " Almost old.enough to marry. Nan can have a catch —if she wants it." . 'This was too much. "Nan? Why Nan ? Men don't always want wax dolls like Nan." " Jolly pretty doll, whether it's wax or rougo. But, for the Lord's sake, let's have some tea, old thing. I'm starved." Tea, indeed! Old thing, indeed! So this is matrimony? Very vulgarly Billie vowed to herself, " Oh, well, I'll learn him!" And that was the first reason why Billie's excellently-laid plan for the winning of Nan went_ most dreadfully a-gley. . Tho second lay 111 poor Barry s inferiority complex. Accustomed for so long to bo a mere- doormat for Nan's pretty feet, tho kindness of Billie went to bis nomewhat thick head like wine. " Nan had better look to her laurels," ho heard Stephen Deane say one evening when he had danced four consecutive dances with tho much-sought-after Billie. " Bill seems to have taken to chickenstealing." growled Roger Blake disgruntedly. Later, greatly daring, and presuming 011 a lifetime's' friendship, Blake even ventured to remonstrate with Billio. "What's come to you? Has young Barrio developed latent charms, or arc you up to some game?" This tone was much more after Billie's heart. Roger at least took for granted that any 1111111 would bo attracted to her; it was her attitude that he doubted. Ho did not laugh and ignore it, like Dick. Immediately she thawed and laughed in the old. friendly way. " Oh. Roger, don't be a silly. You know Barry's devoted to Nan. It's just a plan." And she told him of the little plot to rouse Nau's jealousy and norhaps awaken her love. " The same old Billie," groaned Roger, looking down at tho sparkling face with, an affection he never attempted to disguise. " Always playing with lire. Will you never burn your fingers badly enough to teach you a lesson ?" " Why. Roger, what do you mean? It's a suleridid plan." " And, like most splendid plans, will probably go a-gley. Be wise for once, Billchen. and at least tell Dick all about it now." But for onco Dick remained obtuse, even where Billie was concerned. There was 110 use denying it; ho was obsessed with hunting. Not so complaisant was Nan. At first Billie had so obviously been the one to make tho pace that she could afford to smile and rate the despised Barry a little higher for another woman's attentions. But presently she was not so sure. And then, quite suddenly, the fat was in the fire, and all Roger's prophecies had come true. It was a splendid day for a hunt, and in all the air there was a tang and sparkle that got into men's blood. Tho

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glamour of tho clay intoxicated Barry like wine, so that lie viewed everything with new eyes. But most glainorously of nil did he see Billie, sitting her little mare so gallantly, with her bright liair curling defiantly from beneath the rim of her severe hat, her slim, gaitercd legs and her shining eyes. He did not see Nan at all, although to-day she wore a new blue habit that set off her golden hair and blue eyes to perfection, although she managed her big chestnut gamely enough, and although she cast several appealing glances in Barry's direction. Nor did he see Dick, and this was unfortunate, for to-day Dick was flying danger signals that were unmistakeable —danger in the sullen gleam of his eyes, and 011 his thunderous brow, as he watched his wife. Barry did not notice Roger Blake cither —and this was a pity, for Roger was following Dick closely, and lie, better than any other .man, could read those danger signals. More, Roger had overbeard Nan's words; nor did he blame her, for, after all, a woman must use what weapons she possesses. "Hullo, Dick! You'd better come with me this morning. We can console each other." " Right you are, Nan. Glad to come with you. But why console?" "My dear man, where are your eyes? Well, I've always heard that husbands are mercifully blind. Apparently that's what makes marriage still so popular." Yes, Nan had planted her dart. Nor was Billie very happy, despite the glamour of the morning and the joy of the hunt. There was something in young Barry's manner that made her uneasy. Could Roger really have been right in his warnings? But, nonsense —of course she could manage a kid like Barry. All the same, she would keep with the rest of the crowd. Bub, out a-hunting, however wisely a woman may propose, it is, after all, the horses that dispose. Billie's luck was out to-day. For once in her blameless lifo tho Minx was flighty, and they had already bad one or two tussles in the gallops. Then her stirrup suddenly broke, and Billie got off grim!}. "I suppose Dick never looked at my stirrups before we started. Oh, no! ft doesn't matter about me. It's only his own hunting that he cares about." She fixed the stirrup hurriedly, aware out of the tail of her eye that Barry had left the hunt and was hastening to her assistance. She mounted hurriedly, urged the restive mare to a gallop, and set her carelessly at the next fence. And here it was distinctly Billies own fault. From her cradle she had been taught not to rush her fences, and to look before she leapt. How could the Minx help it if a big ditch suddenly gaped beneath her as she jumped. She did her best, but it was an impossible jump and she fell short, and in a moment was struggling in the ditch. ]t was a sickening fall, and Barry Franklin's face was green with fear as he flung himself from the saddle, bhe must be killed. And then he heard a shaky laugh and a small, muddy face peered up into his own. "My word, that was a toss! But it was a soft landing and I iell clear. n * " Billie, are you really all right?" ho stammered, and lifted her out. But the reaction was too great. His breath was coining in sobs now as lie caught her suddenly to his pounding heart. " My darling, my beautiful love, are you really safe?" " Don't bo an ass, Barry. Of course, I'm all right. But I won't bo if yon choke the lifo out of me. Let me go. " Never, never! Oh, you little adorable thing! You're mine." He was kissing her now and Billie, white as a sheet and very angry, struggled desperately in his arms, lor once in her life she was frightened and aShamed. What had she done. " You're coming away with me today—now. You care for me too 1\ e seen it for weeks." " So lias everyone else, it seems, said a cold and furious voice behind them. " Sorry to interrupt this pretty scene, Franklin, but that happens to bo my wife." Billie was thankful, but she was still frightened, on the . whole more frightened than she had been before. " I don't care whose wife she is. I lovo her and she loves me." " That may be true, but I doubt it. You sec, Billie has these little ways. " How daro you speak of her like that?" Oh, thought Billie weakly, now they're going to fight. Dick with his great strength 1 was actually going to fight this boy! Should she scream? " I speak of what I happen to know. I know that —" " You know nothing at all about it," said a third voice, quite calmly and very clearly. Billie shut her eyes and suddenly felt quite weak with thankfulness. Thank heaven it was Roger. All the same, none of them seemed to care at all about her. " Well," Dick was saying fiercely, " it seems as if I've £ot to fight you too. Do you know moro about my wife than I do?" " On this one occasion, yes. Billie has been a fool—not for tho first time, perhaps —but you know as well as I do that that's absolutely all there is to it, Dick. As for you, Barry, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Were you really such a conceited ass as to imagine for one moment that Billie would look at you ? Have you forgotten tho plan you made —a mad plan, I admit, hut a perfectly innocent one —to appear to fall in lovo with Bjllic so as to make Nan jealous? Don't you know that Billie would never wasto two looks 011 you or on anyono except. Dick, thick-headed fool though he is? Well, I happen to know it—and you take it from 1110. You're a bounder, Barry Franklin, and you deserve the hiding Dick would iiavo given you. And you're a fool Dick and certainly don't deserve the wife heaven has given you." It was an amazingly long speech for the light and cynical Roger. Billie sat on tho bank and listened to hometruths and felt very humiliated. The Avorst of it was that they all seemed to have forgotten about her. She ought by rights to hnvo been the centre of the picture, and hero she was sitting 011 a wet and muddy bank, feeling sick and dizzy from her fall and from the fright afterward —and no one cared. ]f she was only quiio sure she know how you set about fainting, she'd do it, and "learn" them all! "Well, that's that," said Roger to her that evening, " and a very silly business it's been. Anyway, Barry will never look your way again. You've made a, fool of him —or so lie thinks and he's too young to forgive you as tho rest of us have to do. It was all most unfair, thought Billie, especially when she turned out perfectly right in tho end. For, just a month after tho famous day, Nan announced her engagement. " But we're going to live 011 Barry's place in the south, not here. Ho says I'll like tho people better there." Her vindictive glance flickered over Billio and Roger smiled. " Don't look like that," whispered tho match-maker . fiercely. "Especially when you're proved wrong. My plans didn't go a-gley after all, you see." But Roger shook his head sadly. "My child, it's a full-time occupation for a strong man —picking up the pieces after you. But you'll do it once too often."