LEAVES OF DESTINY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12396, 16 March 1926, Page 4

LEAVES OF DESTINY

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT,

By

DOROTHEA CORBOULD.

Author of “A Fatal Friendship,” “His Fair Enemy,” “Held in Bondage,” Etc., Etc.

COPYRIGHT.

SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS CHAPTER. CHAPTER I.—Barbara Denning gazes at her last shilling. A well-bred, wellnurtured girl, she has lost both her parents, and is now on the brink of starvation. Her sympathies are divided between her own necessities and the sufferings of a little boy in the some lodginghouse whose mother is a drunkard. She goes out singing in the streets that night, and with the money earned she gets supper for both the child and herself. The next evening two men speak to her, praising her voice, and she decides to sing in the afternoon for the future. One afternoon she is again addressed by one of the men who spoke to her -on a previous night. He gives her hhs card, advising her to go to a Mr Simpkins, the manager of the Diadem Theatre. Barbara Denning visits the theatre and is interviewed by Mr Simp"feins.

CHAPTER ll.—Barbara Denning's interview witb Mr Simpkins is- almost terminated at the commencement, but he calls her back. She sings and he is satisfied. He decides she will do for the Birds' Chorus, and introduces her to a Mr Beal, the musical director. He thinks she could understudy the Nightingale, Mias MacArthur’s speciality, 06 that lady is often absent through illness. The salary is .£3 per week, and .£5 when she takes the Nightingale. The following morning Barbara attends a rehearsal. Returning to her lodgings, she finds some excited women chattering. Mrs Brown, the drunken of the little boy, Reggie, in whom) she is so interested, has been run over and taken to the hospital. A hospital nurse has called to see about the child, as the patient was so anxious about him. Mrs Bloggs, the landlady, has five of her own, and cannot undertake Reggie. Barbara promises to be responsible for the child, goes to him, and takes him to her own quarters. Two days later Barbara is told by Mrs Bloggs that someone has called from the hospital. Reggie’s mother has not long to live. She has asked to see Mfse Denning. She wants to talk about the child. CHAPTER lll.—Barbara Denning goes to the hospital and is taken to the bedside of Mrs Brown. The screen has already been drawn round her. She tells Miss Denning that her * husband belonys to the upper classes, while she is a blacksmith’s daughter; that he has never dared to tell them of his marriage. They would not -have recognised her if he had done so. She places a packet in Barbara’s hands, and bids her to give it to Don, her husband, who is a soldier, should he return. Barbara asks her husband’s name, and while trying to tell her married name the woman dies. The nurse appears, hut can give no more information concerning Mrs Brown’s real identity. Arrived at home, Barbara examines the packet, but discovers nothing helpful. At the theatre she notes that Miss MacArthur has taken a deep dislike to her, through jealousy. Shortly afterwards Miss MacArthur is ill, and Barbara takes her place, and her singing brings the house down. The following day there is a very favourable criticism on her performance. This notice by the Press of. Miss Denning’s capabilities throws Miss MacAriiinr into a transport of rage, and she plahs to discover something unfavourable about her, and to get her out of the theatre. Cunningly she sets to work by inviting Barbara to join herself and Miss James at Romano’s Restaurant for luncheon. ,

CHAPTER TV.—(Continued.) Barbara had now two fairly good rooms on the first floor, and though she might possibly have rented better ones in a more “genteel” locality, she made up her mind that Airs Bloggs was as satisfactory a landlady as she would find anywhere—perhaps more so, as in spite of her relentless insistence on regular payment from her lodgers, she was kind-hearted, honest, and quite trustworthy, especially with regard to looking after Reggie. As Barbara and the little boy reached her rooms, and she was putting her key into the lock of the door, a man passed them, and stopped, hesitated a moment, then came back. He was young—an ex-Service man, Barbara decided from his tall, erect figure and soldierly hearing—good-looking, with rather large features, and a pair of dark-blue eyes! He was dressed like a respectable mechanic, but when he spoke, in a refined, pleasant voice, the girl told herself that he must be above his position. .“I beg pardon,” he said, “but would you mind telling me the name of the landlady here? I can’t for the life of me remember it,” with an amused smile. “Mrs Bloggs,” Barbara replied. “Thanks 1 I wanted to ask her—hut perhaps you could tell me if there is anyone in Harker’s Buildings of the name of Anstruther—Mrs Anstruther.” Barbara .shook her head. “I have never heard the name,” she said, “it sounds rather too aristocratic for Harker’s Buildings. Could you describe the lady to me? She may have called herself by another name here. ’ Barbara’s thoughts had gone instantly to Mrs Brown—could this man possibly be the husband? His next words, however, dispelled the possibility.“Tail, and fair, very good-looking,” he saia. “She is about twenty-eight, but looks older.” (Certainly not the description of Mrs Brown.) Then he added, with evident reluctance : “She is not exactly a lady—she,” he paused, then added, “she may hav© a child with her, about the age of this little chap. I am trying to trace her, but have been hitherto unsuccessful/ Excuse my having taken the liberty of speaking to you.” “Not at all,” Barbara replied. “I am only sorry I cafinot help you, hut I have seen no one answering Mrs Anstruther’s description. Perhaps Airs Bloggs might know her.” “Yes, I’ll go and inquire/’ and raising his cap, the man went on his way downstairs. “I think I’ll tell him about Airs Brown some time,™ Barbara said to herself; “perhaps fihe had something to dp with this Airs Anstruther, although she couldn’t have been the woman herself. I Bhould:like to find Reggie’s people.” “That was a nice man!” Reggio an-

nounced with sudden abruptness as he was having his tea. “Wish he was my daddy! Mummy said daddy was a soldier. I’ll bo a soldier when I’m a man, won’t I, Auntie Barb’ra?” “Yes, dear, if you’re a good boy. We must try and find your daddy one of these days.”

“Yes, I want my daddy. I don’t want mummy any more,” came the startling rejoinder, “ I like Anntie Barb’ra best. Tell me all about Humpty-Dumpty after tea.” It was nearly a fortnight before Barbara could find an opportunity to speak to Airs Anstruther’s friend about Airs Brown. She .met the man several times on the stairs and once in the street as she was returning home from a matinee at the Diadem Theatre, but they passed with a slight j bow on her part and a raising of liia hat qn his, and it did not seem as if the acquaintance would go any further. Airs Bloggs had told her that the new.lodger had taken a fancy to Reggie, whom he had seen once or twice in her part of the buikling on his occasional visits to pay his rent or arrange for liis board, and Reggie, showed “Auntie Barbara a penny “the nice man” had given him. “Ho saicl he’d like me for lus little boy, and I said I’d like him for my daddy,” Reggie told Barbara, as he displayed his riches, “and I said mummy was* gone and I didn’t want her back ’cos she beat me.” “Oh, Rovgie! You shouldn’t have told him that!” Barbara exclaimed in a horrified tone. “You will never have your poor mother back, because God has taken her away.” “That was very kind of God, was the reply in Reggie’s most solemn and devout tones, and after that Barbara gave up the attempt to talk to mm about the mother who, to his childish mind, was a person to be feared above all human beings. At last the opportunity of speaking to Mr feimtli about Lizzie Brown presented itself. The new play at the Diadem was now an accomplished fact, and preliminary rehearsals were being held for the purpose of selecting the best voices for the chorus. Hurrying home from the theatre one morning, for she was late and Reggie would be wanting his dinner, Barbara suddenly encountered Mrs Bloggs, who, palo and red-eyed, rushed frantically to meet her. “Oh, Aliss Dennin’,” she cried, “Reggie’s gone! We can’t find him anywhere! Slipped out, ’e must ’a done while mo back was turned, speakin’ to the dustman aa ’ad found a shillin’ an* wouldn’t give it up, though I knowed it was mine as Alinnie let it fall in the grate yesterday. I was that upset, as I ’ad ter go an’ toll ,Alrs ’Arris next door, an’ never found out as Reggie ’ad took ’isself off, till I got ’ome agin. I’ve been ’untin’ for ’im everywhere, an’ told the p’liceman round the corner, too. What’s ter be done, Aliss Dennin’?” Barbara had gone as white as a sheet as Airs Bloggs' poured forth her tale. Reggie gone? Strayed away, and perhaps already run over and killed. “I—t must go myself and find him,” she gasped. “He can’t have gone far.” “Which Mr Smith ’e give ’im a thr’penny bit this " morning,” Alxta Bloggs said, “an’ I expect ’e went off to spend it—said ’e was goin’ ter buy ’is Auntio somethin’ ’e did! I wouldn’t ’a let this ’appen for all the world Aliss Dennin’, as yer know I’m fond o’ Reg gie, an’ I’ve took that care of ’im.” “Yes—yes, I know you have. I don’t blame you, hut —oh! I must find him,” ! and the terrified girl set off almost at ! a run, going she Knew not whither. At/ length collecting her thoughts, she proceeded to the nearest police station and told her story to a sympathetic inspector, thence to where the shops were located in the hop© of find-

ing Reggie making his purchase. But there was no Reggie there. “I must find him before the evening,” she thought. “I can’t go to the theatre and get through my part if I keep thinking of him out tn the crowded streets all alone! Wliat shall I do?”

There seemed, however, nothing to lie done. After all she might be wandering herself in quite a different direction that which the little boy had taken. She must go back to her lodging and rest awhile, or she would be quito unfit for her evening’s work, and then go out again. Perhaps Reggie might find his way home after all, or .some kind person bring him. Faint with fatigue and anxiety, and a nameless dread of wliat- might happen to the child, Barbara reached home and let .herself into her rooms, where she sank into a chair thoroughly exhausted. Suddenly there came a loud rapping on the door and Reggie’s shrill voice called out: “Auntie Barb’ra! Auntie BarVra, here’s Reggie! I want to come ini Auntie Barb’ra I” Almost fainting with relief and joy, Barbara* flung open the doors, and beheld the little hoy clinging to thei* hand of a man who stood beside him on the threshold. She recognised the latter at Once. It was Air Smith, Airs Bloggs’a lodger. “I nearly got losted,” announced ! that young gentleman, before the man could speak. “An* Air Stniff found mi© an’ brought me home.” “Oh, Reggie! How could you go away and give. Auntie Barbara such a fright,” exclaimed the girl, as nhe clasped the wanderer in her arms. “She thought she had lost you! I don’t know how to thank you*” turn* ing a lovely face all smiles and tears towards the man, “only think, if you hadn’t found him 1 I have been nearly distracted with fear as to what might have happened to him. Does Mrs Bloggs know he is safe? She has been so upset.” “Mrs Bloggs awf’lly cross with me,” enme from the boy with 'a solemn shake of his curly head, “says that 111 be the death of her, an* ought to b© whipped, but yon won’t whin me, Auntie Barb’ra, like Alummie dfd.” “Where did you find him?” Barbara asked hurriedly, “but won’t you come in and sit down a moment?” (To .be continued.)