THE MARRYING OF MARIETTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21961, 19 November 1934, Page 17

THE MARRYING OF MARIETTE

A POWERFUL MYSTERY ROMANCE

CHAPTER XXlll.—(Continued) " / "Jack Anford," he replied. "He took the bull by the horns and a scoundrel round the middle and—bashed him in fair fight. Our darky friend will awake to find himself in quod, but come up into the light, May, it's a sunshiny morning And I reckon we are going home." f . Mariette sighed; she suddenly felt very tired—and with the tiredness a longing to be taken into someone's arms and comforted as a child might have been- 'Yet she did not want the arms to be those ol Roy Carstone. As they clijubed up into the outhouse Anford came forward and took Mariette's hands. "You are not hurt?" he asked. She smilect knowing she must be looking a very forlorn little ghost of her usual self. " No," she said, " only my ankle is twisted a bit." Then, seeing Carrindoii's prostrate body, she shuddered' Captain Jack looked at Roy. " Take Miss Mariette homo will you," he - asked, " and send along some members of the polite force if you can. 1 shall have to hand the damaged goods over, then, to.the authorities and tliev will communicate, with your aunt and my brother as well as Scotland Yard. Ferhaps you could call at the Court, too, on your way, to Marden House." JRoy demurred. " You will want to be home at the earliest," he urged, but Anford was emphatic. He insisted on remaining beside Carrindon till the police arrived.

Mariette lingered to thank him. " I was so afraid," she faltered. "That man is terrible! How is .Vmenne? "/ " Not expected to live," he told her gently. " We left the Court last evening about nine o'clock —but had to put up for a time. It was too dark to locate such 91 place as this. Now, make haste home and remember Roy jnust have your thanks —as rescuer-in-chief." He smiled as he spoke, but Mariette guessed what lay. behind the words. He did not want her —gratitude-

They found that Miss Carstone had left the Court some hours earlier, but she had stayed as long as there was any likelihood of Vivienne wanting her." In the grey dawn, however, Sir Neville had come downstairs with his news Vivienne had passed away. " It was in her sleep," he said. "She was quite Wppy—our fears for her were groundless. I am sure you are as thankful as I am that it happened—this way."

"I am /very thankful she was not afraid," replied Agnes Carstone and then went home, grieving because her lips were sealed. She dared not offer comfort; to 4 man freed at last from a bond whicih had galled him for long years. Vivienne was dead —and all her treachery, all her self-seeking died with her in the heart of the woman she had wronged. And then in the new day

Roy brought Mariette home —a Mariette so tired and nerve-racked that Roy's rejoicings somewhat jarred, and Miss Carstone insisted on taking her niece up to bed at once. " Roy h,as been splendid," she said as she lingered for a few minutes to see Cranny bringing the weary girl a hot drink. " You must be very proud of him, child. I thought he was, perhaps, a trifle young for matrimony, but last njght he proved himself a

man." "He has been very, very good,"

replied Mariette obediently, knowing what she was expected to say, but she " fell asleep' with the picture of Captain Jack, bending forward to help her up out of a darksome prison, before her -eyes. To-morrow she must thank that other rescuer, too. CHAPTER XXIV As soon as Lady Anford's funeral was over, the Court was closed, Sir Neville and his brother having decided to spend Christmas very quietly in Yorkshire with some cousins. Captain Jack called at Mai'den House, bringing a letter from Sir Neville for; Miss Carstone, something more than a stereotyped letter of thanks, no doubt —though she did not speak of it—and Mariette noticed the letter was not opened before them. Captain Jack's brief farewell was disappointing. He had nothing to say beyond the conventional good wishes for Christmas, nor would he remain for tea.

" He looks down," commented Roy after he had gone. "He must sure have been fond of his sister-in-law. I'm sorry he won't be here for Christmas—heV a fine sport-" The Treveens were expected that evening, and Roy had been in high spirits. It was to be a real English Christmas, he vowed, and, if snow had anything to do with it, there was plenty of it. No hunting, of coui'se, but the sjkaters were having their innings. Miss- Carstone made the loss of her favourite sport the excuse for uncertain moods, and Roy saw no deeper, though Mariette smiled to herself. Grey-haired romance may have its ridiculous side in the eyes of youth, and yet there was something of real romance in the love story of Sir Neville and Agnes Carutone. Mariette realised that there must bo a deferring of the final chapter when "they lived happily ever after" in respect of the tragic iittle woman whose grave thpy passed every Sunday in the country churchyard. Mariette had nothing but pity for the dear fric nd who had so callously used her ih the furtherance of h er schemes. After all, the chapter of the past could be since even the shadow of that haunting enemy had gone. Walter Carrindon was safe under lock and 'key and if he escaped the rope, his term of imprisonment would be a long one. " Tbere/s the taxi," sang Roy, and made a rush for the door, nearly tumbling over Tinker on his way. Mariette saw a shade of vexation on her aunt's face and guessed Miss Carstone was not altogether happy in welcoming the husband and daughter of a woman ■who had acted so cruelly toward her brother. Mariette hersalf felt no such resentment and went forward to greet the cripple and his young tiaughteii, Jean was tired and shy—less attractive possibly in this new environment and awed by the big liouse and servants. Mariette could Hot help thinking Roy had exaggerated

(COPTRIGBT)

By MAY WYNNE Author .of "Henry of Navarre." " Gwennola," " Tho Barn." etc.» etc.

the charms of this pale, silent girl who had none of the vivacity he had extolled. And oil her part Jean was not friendly to the gentle, lovely girl whose eyes held more sorrow than joy. It wots Roy who helped to tide over a difficult lioillT, his own delight at the advent of his friends was so spontaneous. He insisted 011 showing Jean over the house, urging Mariette to come, too, and relating with gusto the story of an imaginary ghost. Jean shivered over the anecdote of the Jacobite lad who was shut behind a secret panel and died there because his sweetheart was false. " She married his eldest brother, a blue Whig," added Roy with a chuckle. " and the ghost of poor Jack haunted them both so badly that she and her husband died a year later. It's sure as true as any other ghost tale, though we've never located the panel 1" Jean warmed to real enthusiasm. " Oil, but I believe in ghosts," she protested, " and I am sure there must be a panel somewhere. I do wish I could find it."

" And bows complete," added Mariette with a small laugh of derision. Jean said 110 more, though the colour rose hotly to her cheeks and Mariette felt suddenly ashamed. The girl was younger than she —and yet in many ways had grown old in a woman's cares. There was a strained look in the dark eyes which told of an owner accustomed to face a stormy world, and all at once Mariette felt a tide of sympathy surge over her. Jean needed friends just as she had needed friends when she came to Marden House. It was good and generous of Roy to ask her and her father here, and she, too. must play her part. But Jean Mas not too busy to sympathise with, and her attitude toward Roy's fiancee suggested suspicion if not antagonism. And Mariette, misunderstanding, told herself that if Roy forgot the. story of the past and a dead woman's treacherj", her daughter did not.

Next day the sun was shining, and Roy was impatient for skating. Jean did not skate, however, and was not very sure that she wished to learn. But she came out with Roy and Mariette, leaving her father to revel in the luxury of a well-stocked library. "Dad is happy if he has a book to read," said Jean, "and, of course, he can't come out. Is that the lake? and is it very deep?" Roy was inclined to tease, and drew lurid pictures of the unfathomed depths, then comforted her by explaining that this was a flooded field where no one could possibly be drowned. But, beyond sliding, Jean refused' to join the sport, and presently the other two missed her as she wandered off.

"Siky—she'll be lost!" declared Roy in dismay, and, tugging at his skates, flung them aside to start in Mariette shrugged her shoulders and darted back toward thg centre of the lake. What a great boy Roy was, to be sure! But he would have to be careful or—strange thought!—he would have that little gipsy-faced girl falling in ilove with him. And yet, what nonsense! —since Jean knew or their engagement. Roy did not return to hiu skating till it was time to go home. He and Jean had been gathering holly, and hailed Mariette in triumph continued daily)