CATCHING UP

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12146, 25 May 1925, Page 5

CATCHING UP

BY HENRY C. ROWLAND, Author of “The Dear Eccentric,” “The Pedlar," “Duds,” etc., etc. (Copyright.) CHAPTER XXX. Though hound to acknowledge that Calvert was right in maintaining the imperative necessity of keeping Agnes out of Howard’s clutches until they might lie able to investigate his record, Juanita’s keen instincts told her nevertheless that this was an afterthought on Calvert’s part. Under an exterior which could he cold and hard as diamond when occacioa required she was actually temperamental to the point of folly, and in the last few hours she had begun to feci for Calvert an attraction with which no other man up to this timo had inspired her. If truth were told there was probably no great difference in her designs on Calvert from what she suspected Howard's to bo for Agnes. She was furiously angry with him for having left her to play out her hand alone, though this was her own suggestion. The sinister i iking, watching her through the slits of his mask, did not miss the gleam in her tawny eyes as they followed the progress of Calvert and Agnes oil their way out, He saw how bitterly sho resented her abandonment to a stranger, and as his cold blue eyes passed in appraisement of her glowing personality there ♦ was kindled in him a sort of saurian greed. He saw liig opportunity and determined to profit by it. “There go two fools, Titania,” said he. “If you don’t mind my saying so, your Yankee escort has the wrong costume. He falls rather short as Oberon. He should have had the ass’s head of Bottom. Fancy leaving a girl like you to take that silly flapper home.” “Yankees c re apt to be like that. They’ve got a tort of mawkish sentiment that we Colonials share in to some extent.” He gave her a quick hard look. “What’s that? We Colonials?” “Yes, I'm ust rail an by birth. Unless I’m quite urong you are, too, though it would take another Australian to guess it.” “By jove, you’re keen, hut you’re right! I left there when I was fourteen.” “And I the first year of the war. Sly husband was a colonel in the Anzir'.s.” “.Still living?” “No, killed <t Gallipoli a week af ter he landed. He Was thirty years older than I.” “Really? Nearly time, wasn’t it? Here's peace to his soul.” Ho raised his glass. “Hope lie left you provided for?” « “No fear. He was Scotch, and owned a little station or two about the size of France —sheep and silver. It used nearly to kill him to buy wie a new dress.” “I know the' sort. Lived in holy fear of an earthquake or volcano that might 'and him in the almshouse Wanted you to make your own. gowns.” “And darn his socks. There were about a dezen children, though, so 1 get only my widow’s third—a paltry fen thousand a year. But think <if all the fun I’vo missed.” The cold glare that shimmered through the bufl mask might hav* frightened come women. “Quito so. That’s why you’re catching up. Y’ou ought to he able to toddle along, even on a crumby ten thousand pounds a year.” Sho took liis proffered cigarette and lighted it, then without waiting for an answer beckoned to a passing waiter and pointed at the nearly empty bottle. “My treat, Baidur.” “Oil, come!’’ “I’ll eahlo them to kill another sheep. The jingoes get n few thousand every year. It won’t bo missed.” The bhio eyes were fairly chairing the eyelets of the mask., There is probably none more easily deceived than the deceiver. a “I say,” said the englamoured How-

ard, “why did Oberon bolt off—galled or what?’’ | “He’ll le back. I fancy your Col- * umbiiie poured cut her woes. ’Train ! you’re a bad lot, Baidur.” ' The waiter brought another bottle ! Nita jerked her head towards the i change, ail amount almost equal to j that of the wine. Draining a tall glass, she suggested that, they dance. “Let’s kill the bottle first,” said Howard. “You must finish it. I’ll help a little. . Don’t want to get squiffy. And mind your step, Baidur! I like this sort of thing, but I play safe.” “I say, Titania, you don’t mean to let me down like that? Never to see you again, after just a glimpse in? I’m not altogether a bad sort.” “Who said you were? Y r ou may be a duke for all I know, and then again you may be a tout. But there are a lot* more of the latter than the for- ] mer.” “Oh, come! I’m neither one nor the other. You’ve enchanted me to tho point of tellirqf the truth. I’m what you said a while ago.” “What's that—a bad lot? Well, anyhow, youlro a good dancer; and that’s a deal more important now, just as a good swimmer might be the best partner in the shipwreck. The business of the moment is dancing, so you’re it.” She laughed and rose to her feet, while her fascinated partner drained the residue of the bottle, then took her lightly but strongly to lead her through the reeling swarm. They finished dancing rather breathlessly, and stood for a moment watching a Wild acrobatic revel. Her partner’s arm was over her shoulder; Nita disengaged herself. “I’m going to bid yon good night, Baidur,’™ said she. "It’s been a good spree, but we shall never meet again.” “Don’t say that!” he begged. “I’m crazy about you. If you would lunch with me to-morrow ” “Where?” “The Madrid.” “Ail right. What name?” “Captain Howard Townley.” , “That’s not enough. You’ll have to let me see your face.” “Well, that's fair enough—if you’ll let me see the rest of yours.” “Not yet.” “Then why should I?” “Oh, very well, then—good-night and good-bye.” She slipped airily away from him and moved to the door. He followed, protesting. “Titania! I know you’re a fairy, and that fairies are heartless, but for just this once do have a heart!” “And exchange faces?” “Well, then, here goes!” He passed his hand behind his head and ripped off the mask to reveal a physiognomy not dissimilar to what Nita had expected to see, except that it was handsomer, older, and more forbidding, in a hard, impenetrable way. The eyes were set too closely to the high-bridged nose, wliieli was thin in its upper part hut rather broad below, and with sensitive nostrils which opened upon a cruel, full-lipped, Roman mouth. There was no fault to find with the ican, tanned clujks and trim ear 3, which were closely set. witu black, thick hair clustered at the tips. The chin Nita had already observed to be strong enough, though rather pointed, the jaws going hack to a breadth which was mostly muscular. “To-morrow, then, Titania.” he pleaded. “Well, to-morrow, then,” said Nita; roleutingly. “Mind now, you don’t mix your dates! This is to-day.” “A day I’ll never forget, lovely queen of the fairies! Where - what hour ?” “You know the little pond in the Bois behind the Cascades?” “Bien—sure —the duck pond the Cascades flow out of.” “Yes, you can lopk for me there a little before five.” “Topping! We can walk to the Pro Catalan for a cup of tea and a dance or two.” “That sounds amusing. A domain!” (To be continued.)