SECOND CHANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 23

SECOND CHANCE

CHAPTER, XII. TWO IN LONDON Ferguson reached Euston on Sunday morning half-an-hour before the train from Mossford was due. A casual observer would have imagined that he was a reasonably prosperous business man. His slender, well-set-up ligure gavo. almost an impression of jauntiness. The suit he wore had actually been made for hiin four years before, but it had been made by a good tailor and, to any but an expert in men's fashions, might have come from that tailor a few weeks before. Ho knew how to keep his clothes and how to wear them. The black folt hat he wore was the one addition he had made to his wardrobe since ha left Mossford. According to the indicator the train would be on time; it actually rolled into the great station two infinites before it was due. She was leaning out of the carriage window and her face lit up with a smile as she saw him. "Mary!" he said as she sprang out. "John!" She kissed him and slipped her arm in his as they turned away. "You're prettier than ever!" he said. "It's the new hat," she laughed. "But you're looking fine!" "It's the new hat, too," he said. "And I've got a job." "John! How lovely!" "Not much of a job. But look here, where are we to get lunch?" "It's ijiv show," she said warningly. "Nonsense! I told you I'd got a job. And when we've had lunch, we'll go 011 the top of a bus to Richmond." They lunched in a quiet little cafe in Tottenham Court Road. "What's the job?" sho demanded. "Not much. Peddling books." She looked mystified.

"Complete editions of Dickens and so on. And the Empire Encyclopaedia. I get a guinea for each set I sell." "How much is the Encyclopaedia? I've always wanted one." "No!" he said firmly. "Nothing doing. 1 managed to sell two last week —for a start. But I've got several other irons in the fire." "Go 011! Tell me . . ." "I ran into a solicitor I used to know called Fingleton. He's going to look out for something for me. And I think he will. It was ho who took one of the encyclopaedias." She nodded. "And then I had this," he said. "Yesterday morning." She read the letter twice. "What's it all about, dear?" she asked. "1 don't know, I went yesterday afternoon and looked the place up. They're stamp dealers. Foreign stamps. Expensive stamps for collectors." She glanced at the envelope. "They evidently knew you in the old days," she said. "That looks hopeful. But you must know something about them?" "1 don't. I can't even read the signature on the letter " "Do you know anything about stamps?"' sho asked. "I've heard some of them are worth a great deal of money." "Yes. I used to collect them. I once had a valuable collection, but I sold it." "I should certainly keep that appointment," she said. "Yes, I shall. I'm puzzled as to how he got my address in Percy Street." "What kind of a place is it ? Your address. I mean."

He shrugged his shoulders: "So-so. It's riot Number Five. How is your aunt?" "Splendid.. She sent you her love. J told old Mumford that I was meeting vou."

' "Oh?" "He asked me to remember him to you and to toll you that he missed you. William Trevowe raised Cain when ho heard you had actually gone. Maynard very nearly got the sack over it." "I'm glad he didn't." "I rather wondered if William Trevowe might help us." she said, tentatively. But he shook his head: "No. I feel I've let him down. But I simply couldn't stay on there after it all came out. How's the Inspector?" "He always asks after you. He's heard from ..." "The police in London,"' he suggested. She nodded: "He wrote to them. There was a man at the station ho knew." "He's a decent chap," Ferguson said feelingly. , _ , "I've never been to Richmond before," she said, as they took their seats on the top of a bus. "I used to go there very often." It's a long ride, but to the man and pirl on the bus that Sunday afternoon the time seemed to pass only too quickly. Much of the time they said nothing. They were in the front seats and hei hand was in his. "T told Mother," sho said. "What did she say?" "Bather a lot ... to start with. She's all for George." . "Verv wise of her," ho said, in a melancholv tone. "I don't agree. And I'm the one that counts. Auntie's solidly on our side. Sho and mother had a fair old pow-wow over it, I understand." "Once I get a decent job I can faco your mother." . "And you're goina to. I his book business is onlv a stop-gap. And in any ease, wo shall be happy oven if we'ro poor." , , A At Richmond, lie took her up to the Terrace. It was a perfect day and tho river below them sparkled in the sun. "The ancient river, smiling as ho goes New-mailed in armour, to tho ancient sea."

He quoted Henley's lovely lines. She nodded, watching his clear-cut profile as he was speaking From a seat near the end of the I orrace they watched the river with its boats, and the people who passed and re-passed in front of them. "I thought I was full of things I wan tori to say to you," she said, after a silence, . "So was I. But now I'm with you; it's enough." She was suddenly awn re that he was watching a man and girl who had gone bv. "Do you know them?" she asked. "T know him." he said grimly. "You evidently didn't notice him." "I didn't." "It was Sternberg . . . leddy Wilson." ,_ . ~ "But isn't that Lucia Desmund,' she said, ns she looked after them. "No. Tt's another woman. I wonder what he's doing here?" "They were in Brimlev last week. 1 looked it up in the 'Era' in the library,'' she said. "I should think they are in a bad wav —tiie whole show. I mean." "He always looked prosperous enough." . "Yes. Still, I'm not going to let him spoil our day." "Rather not! He'll get it in the neck before he's done." she added quietly. "I'm not particularly venomous or revengeful, but T hope he docs." " Well, tin's is the Terrace," 110 said with a smile. " Shall we go down to the river?" Sho nodded and rose.

They walked down the hill and along the Surrey shore as far as Eel Pie Tsland, where they had tea at a table overlooking tho river. " Yon know," she said suddenly, "we shall always remember to-day." " Always," he said. "Tn years to eome we shall look back on it." . " My memory of this tune, my dear, will be one of gratitude to you." "Nonsense!" sho said sharply. "What I've done—if it's helped at .all—l've,done for purely selfish motives."

By HOLLOWAY HORN Author of "George," "Two Men and Mary," etc., etc.

(COPYRIGHT)

A moving human interest story of a man with a past, and a woman's devotion.

Ho smiled: "Go on. I'll buy it," ho said. " I happen to lovo you. I happen to want you to make good—as you'ro going to —becauso I want to marry you." " My dear girl, you haven't a single selfish instinct in your make-up." " if that wero true I should just be a confounded nuisnnco to everybody. But it isn't. Look at the way I treated George! Is that so selfless?" "I'm only concerned with the way you'vo treated me." "In any ease don't let's have any more silly talk about gratitude. We love each other." " I love you. But why you should give me a second thought is beyond me." " I refuse to tell you. It would make you conceited." " It's 'a curious thing, but once, years ago, I used to be conceited —1 thought the Dickens of a lot of myself." " Of course you did. And you will again." " You get a brutally clear idea of your value when you offer yourself in tho labour market under the conditions I've done." " Oh, that," she said, and dismissed it with a gesture. " I'm not altogether a fool and I chose you. And you were not the only pebble on the beach my lad." " I know that." " But you arc now." " L hope so. Incredible as it seems." " Therefore you'vo got no room for an inferiority complex. It's a poor compliment to me, remember. This is the main thing I came up to tell you. Now, how are you off for money? ' " Quite' all right." " How much have you got? I want to know, dear. I don't want to be put off with vague assurance." " 1 can hold out for three months with reasonable comfort, if I don't earn a penny. And I made a couple of guineas" last remember," he added with a smile. " No. I want to know how much actual money you'vo got." " Over fifty pounds in actual money. It's in my pocket. Like to see it?" She smiled at him: "It shouldn't be in your pocket. Put it in the Post Office Savings Bank to-morrow. Keep out a few pounds, of course. Supposing von lost it?" " that is an idea. I will. You know you're a marvellous woman." " It'll be a big relief to Auntie co know that you've got something behind you. The old darling's been very worried about you." Afterwards they walked back along the Middlesex shore. The evening was impregnated with the faint, slightly acrid smell of the river as they passed Glover's Island with the punts and boats huddled alongside it. Her arm was in his as they walked, and the pressure of her arm was more eloquent to him than anything she could have said. They walked in a universe of their own; the world about them hardly seemed quite real. It was a magic even-ing—fairy-like, as the blue mist of evening settled on the ancient river, iridescent in the sunset. " What were those lines of Henley's you said up on the Terrace?" she asked. He repeated them. " 'Smiling as he goes, new-mailed in armour,' " lie said again, as if some significance in the words, which lie had mTssed before, had just come to him. " That's just it." she said. They came to the old, grey bridge, with the buses crawling across it and tho spell was broken. "You see, iiow, we do love each; other." she said. And ho understood exactly what sho meant. , Ultimately she caught the later tram. I They walked to the end of the long platform after they had secured her There is a curious atmosphere at tho end of that platform. Great trains glide in and out, but overhead are the stars. Surely the ghosts of a million lovers must haunt that spot. . . . lovers who were there to say good-bye. Behind them were the lights and bustle of , Euston, but there they were alone. " Good-bve," she said quietly. He took her in his arms and felt her near to him, her lips on his. "I love you!" he whispered. She looked up at him. "Say it again!" "[ love you!" "Nothing else matters, beloved." Slowly they walked back along the platform. Other people were in her compartment and they were no longer alone. "Good-bye," she said as tho guard s whistle sounded. He stood on the platform as the train moved and gathered way. He watched her until the train had passed out of the station into the star-lit night, until its tail-light had disappeared in the darkness. But he was not alone, for with him was the memory of her kiss, of her brave smile and of her courage. Punctually at ten o'clock the following morning, Ferguson entered the shop of"the National Stamp Company, Ltd., 42 Regent Square, W.l. It was a turning just off Piccadilly and was obviously the establishment of a very high-class dealer in foreign stamps. It had been closed wiien he had examined it on Saturday afternoon, but ho had noticed stamps in the window marked at £lO each. "Good-morning," he said to tho middle-aged lady at the counter. "I had this letter. I'm afraid I can't decipher the signature," ho added with a smile. "Mr. Simon Dale," she explained. "He's expecting you. I'll just tell him." She went through a door at the back of the shop and reappeared a moment later: "Will you come in?" she said. Simon Dale was a man of fifty, dressed in a black coat and waistcoat and striped trousers —the conventional attire of a business man in those parts of London. He was grey-haired with a pleasant, open countenance, and roso as Ferguson entered his office. "How do you do, Mr. Hallett! Sit down!" Ferguson had met him before —of that he was certain—but he failed to place him. "We've met before," lie said. Simon Dale nodded. "We've met once beforo. And then wc didn't speak, i was at one end of tho long table in tho dining room at the Cosmos Club and you were at the other." "That was it. 1 was arrested the following day." "Quite. I was very interested in your case, Mr. Hallett. You see, I happened to know both Trevitt. and Foskett— your colleagues." "Yes." said Ferguson, who was wondering what it was all leading to "Particularly Foskett. He was a customer of mine, as well as a friend." "I remember ho collected stamps. He always took the ones he wanted at tbe office." "I saw him while he was on bail. He told me the truth abort tho whole melancholy business. And I was in court during your cross-examination." "It all seems so incredibly long ago," Ferguson said. "And yet it isn't really. Doubtless you wonder how 1 got into touch with you?" "Yes, I did. But I fancy I can seo now." "The hall-porter at the Cosmos. A good fellow. I had occasion to speak to him the other evening about a letter and he asked mo if I remembered you and told me that he bad seen you in the Park." (To be continued)