"THE RIVAL BROTHERS."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15101, 25 March 1911, Page 2

"THE RIVAL BROTHERS."

[All Rights Reserved.]

B? LOEIN L'ATHROP, Author of " The Shadow of Divorce," "ill- Smith of England," "The Sin , of David," etc., etc.

CHAPTER, IV. THE INTERRUPTED CIRCUIT,

Basil laughed. Ho had. his sweetheart all to himself now, and thero was half a day before them.

" l'ou see, Dolly," he explained, " Ben. nett acted as though you were his private property,and so I was afraid that people might misunderstand the situation."

"They won't misunderstand it any longer. As soon as we are missed all the girls will begin to gabble." " That's what I thought. I thought it would be better to make everything perfectly clear." Dolly turned eyes upon him so brimming of fun that he almost thought ho saw the laintest,, daintiest shadow of a wink.

"What a allocking temper you have, poor Basil," she said demurely; "now I think it ; is rather nice that you aie a little"- jealcas of me, and I would lather be here'with you alone, than back there among all those people. But, my dearest boy, but it is very foolish of us." , " I don't care," blustered Basil, " I wasn't going on with that fat brother ogling you all 'the time, and trying to think what he could stuff you up with at lunch time."

" Never mind," said Dorothy, "let's enjoy ourselves to-day." Her tone was >sad, and ehe drew a little half-unconscious sigh as she spoke. " Wnat is it, darling?" he cried, alarmed at this sudden change. "Don't you see what we have done?" she responded; "this is the beginning of a long,'long engagement." "Why?" ,

" I might have, managed Bennett; now we have thrown the gauntlet to him. Now it is war, Basil, he will' not make the allowance."

"Absurd!" ho cried, hotly; "he is brand to provide for me. He can't with common decency refuse to give me a share of tho money father left him." ".With uncommon indecency he will," answered Dorothy firmly. "Basil, a girl sees Jots of tilings in • a flash t and she doesn't know why she sees them ot how. Oh, ho is deep and quiet, Benjjett is; and he goes quietly to work and no one sett his hand, but it is there all the time, pulling the wires. Basil, he is going to make you and mo dance to his music." "Well, ho will fail."

"We will.fail; but the music may go on so long that it will become a, dirge for

"Why, Dolly, darling, this isn't like you a.t all. You tare disheartened already. Where's your pluck \

"Basil,: dear," she said, tenderly, "it isn't plucky to refuse .to see things that .are right in front of your eyes. I am plucky enough. Oh, yos, I am going to stand by you through everything. But it is going to be a long, hard fight. Basil, it came to me in a- flash. Bennett caies • for me in his way more than I thought— and when he has made up his mind he is flint. Perhaps I could have managed him; I don't know."

"Yes," cried Basil, bitterly, "perhaps you could. You could have answered his .smiles, you are thinking, and flattered him, and talked to him about dinners, and wheedled him—and I should be standing by eating my heart out. Oh, yes, perhaps you could have managed him." She put a' loving hand on his, and looked at him with a faint hint elf reproach in her fearless brown eyes. " Did I manage him to-day?" she asked softly, "or did I turn at tho first hint from you and come away, 'oven though I knew it was throwing away our chance of an income?"

He squeezed her hand, and began to utter bitter. eelf.-reproachES, but these were suddenly interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a pony cart from out of a gateway. Basil restored his hand to the lever just in time to avert a serious accident, and the motor sped on its way followed by fluent maledictions from ft little boy in buttons who was driving the cart. Dorothy laughed. If the laughter was a trifle forced, Basil did not know it.

!' You can't drive a motor and make love at the same time," she cried, " let us forget to-mbrrow and enioy ourselves today." And Basil agreed, and they hurled themselves forward against the wind until the tears ran. down their cheeks, and Basil never drew rein on his iron horse until the steeple of Gloucester Cathedral loomed urn in front of'them. "Lunch at the 'Beill?'" cried Basil.

Dorothy nodded. To-day was theirs— their last, probably, for a long time. She was redness, defiant. The storm would burst when she got home. What mattered whether it was-an hour-sooner or later?

It was 3 o'clock 'by the time they wore seated at the table in the coffee-room; and neither love, nor the. looming shadows of the future, prevented youth from doing its duty by the cold roast beef, the "single Gloucester cheese," on which the cathedral city prides itself, and the apple tart.

"Out first lunch together, away from everybody," said Basil gaily, when they had finished; "my beautihil belle and the 1 Bell' at Gloucester will always chime together-in my heart." "And the wedding bells; they, too, shall ling," murmured Dorothy softly; and the waiter, who was coming with the bill, discreetly , rattled the plates beforo ho approached. It was 4 o'clock before they started, and when they were oh the open road Basil left the medium gear in operation. When love drives the motor car towards home, it is not, like tho horse, eager for the stable. " I shall have it out with Bennett tomorrow morning/' said Basil, after along silence.

"I think it will come all right," said DoTothy, who did not think so at all, but would not discourage Basil, nor send him to the momentous interview with his sudden temper ready to flame; "be very patient and tactful, dear," she counselled, "and do not get angry with Bennett if he is cynical or disagreeable. Remember what hangs on it for you and ifis." " Even.if he does play the cad, I can make a living for us," cried Basil, confidently. Sensible Dorothy immediately combat-, ted this view, lest her short-tempered lover should too easily accept Bennett's refusal. " Basil," she tried, "I will always bo true, and-I will wait if thingG do not comc right at first. But tho waiting will be long a.nd dreary for us both. I could bo hippy with you on two hundred a year (foolish girl, she really believed it), but yea know, Basil, you and I cannot be happy on nothing at all; and you know, dear boy, you have never been trained to cam a penny." She could not help but laugh at the idea of Basil's earning money at all. Dorothy, brought up in a. household where a small income was stretched to its utmcst farthing, well knew tho value of money, and how exceedingly difficult it is to get; and £')m knew that.Basil did not ■underotand its value at all; r.or could ?hs think of any way in the world by which l:c could possibly make sure, through 'his own oxertions, even of such a ridiculous sum as one pound per week. As most women would, she thouglit this helplessness somehow rather crcditablo to him; cind indeed it was not his fault, but rather that of tho system under which ho had been educated. He had plenty'of ability, but the world was crowded with men of equal ability who were no longer amateurs at twenty-four; hence he was sadly handicapped in the race. Basil stopped the car, end got down and connectcd the lamps with tho gear. It was getting dusk, and tho elcctric lights flashed out two long beams on the road ahead.

"Pcot mother, poor Dorothy," sighed the young lady audibly when the car was again in motion. *' What now, tlcnrosb?" criod Basil. " Mother denied horeeli a lot to give me the year I wanted at GLrton," said Dorothy; it hasn't mado me a prig, has it?" Basil scouted the idea,

" Well, it taught me to think a little.

Mothers always want to save their daughters from trouble. Of course, that's natural. But the troubles that mothers know about are those tliey themselves Jiave had, don't you see? If mine had married somo rich man whom she never loved, and if she had. been very unhappy, and hadn't become hard anil worldly, she would have wanted 1110 to be suved frcm her fate. She would have said, ' Many a poor ma,n if you love him;' but she married a poor, man,, and has-always had money troubles. Now, you know, Basil, she has really had fewer caws than most people; but, like most people, she remembers the and not the joys. . Now I havo to suffer. She is dead set, determined, fixed, that' I shall marry Bennett—for my own good. And, Basil, you have little idea how terrible it is for a daughter to bo at odds with a weeping mother, who is always looking reproachfully at you, who asks you to pour the tea in the morning with a sad pathos in her voice, and who kisses you good-night with a maddening martyr-like forgiveness. You men have it all out in one talk; it is finished, one way or the other. But mothers, Basil, mothers never slop, not even for a flag of truce. It is fight, jight, fight all the day for me—or else absolute surrender. It is dreadfully wearing for her. Oh, yes, for her, too, as well re me. She will suffer more over what I havo done to-day than a father would if his son had forged a cheque,' burned a rick, and slandered the vicar's wile. And "

How long this discourse on mothers would have continued there is no means of knowing, for it came to a dead stop with the car.

"Miles from everywhere, and the car gone wrong," cried Basil. " Only five from home," cried Dorothy, cheerfully, " we can walk it in no time." "Dolly, you're-a brick," cried Basil, as he rummaged amid .the machinery, in the vain hope of discovering the trouble; " and I 6ay," he added with admiration, "what a lot you. know about mothers." Dolly laughed excitedly. She was glad of the accident. It meant an hour longer with Basil, an hour's postponement of the conflict.

" There's somebody coming," she cried, and almost as sho spoko Luis Lester's voice was heard . from the dusk, as he pulled in his horse beside them. "Is that yea, Miss Howard?" he said. "What's up, Basil?" '' My machine has jibbed," answered Basil, annoyed that his precious motor should have failed him at this crisis.

"Too bad," answered Luis, without allowing the slightest shade of amusement to appear in his tone. An Englishman might have had in his heart sincerer sympathy for the little accident, but he would hardly have been •able to restrain the temptation to chaff. But Luis had Spanish blood ill his veins, and was said to ,lack a sense of humour.

"If you cannot go on, perhaps Miss Howard will allow me tho honour of driving hoT home. lam 6orry, but my buggy only holds two." . ' " I am afraid that is the only thing," said Basil, reluctantly, " and then I can go up to Tonknot Farm and get them to haul the car under their shed."

"Than): you, Mr Luis," said Dorothy, quickly, " but it is not fair to desert a comrade in distress. I will walk with you, Basil, to the farm, and they will lend bs a cart to drive home in."

" I would liko that wetter," said Basil, quito frankly; "but it isn't fair to you. The farm is over a mile away, across clay fields, shockingly muddy, and you would

be awfully late lictor. Your mother would bo anxious. I will come to your house as soon as I can. Yoti go on with Luis." Commonccn.se told Dorothy that Basil was right; so, against her will, she gqt into the buggy. " Come soon, sweetheart," cried Dorothy, as they drove off. " Right you are," answered Basil, and be laughed to himself at her frank and fearless way of announcing their engagement, to his half-brother. Then, with a malediction on motor cars, he started for the fa mi.

Luis, stung by jealous rage, immediately made violent protestations of love to the frightened girl; pointed out to her that Basil was a mere dependent, who could not take care of her; that he had aji independent income, that he was determind to marry her.' He lost his head completely. "Is this fair; is it honourable?" gasped tho amazed Dorothy. " All is fair in love and war," ho cried. "Oh!" cried Dorothy, "I have dropped my glove." She stood up and looked behind.

Luis reined in the 'horse, leapt from the ibuggy, and ran ito p(ick up th'e lost article.

No sooner had ho disappeared in the darkness than Dorothy drove rapidly away, heedless of tho calls that camo from behind. 1 Dorothy well knew that Luis Lester was no athlete, and that his Canadian trotting mare was celebrated for rapid action, so she felt secure that she could not be overtaken. When she had driven about a milo she turneo from the high road, doubled back through a lane, and before long had pulled up in front of Topknot farmhouse. Sho gave a loud halloo, which was answered by Basil. " You're a thoroughbred, and so is Luis," ho cried. "Come, farmer, follow me.* So saying 110 got in, and in a few minutes all were assembled by the side of the brokendown conveyance.

" Fasten the horses here." he said. Then he went behind, and in reaching into a locker for a piece of rope he moved a tin of grease. ' Instantly the lights of the car flashed out.

"I am an ass," he cried, "that tin established a short circuit; but everything is right now. I' can take her on myself. Farmer, take your horses home, and thanks, awfully. Dolly, I'll go ahead, and you follow far enough behind' not to frighten your horse. He clattered off. How glad Dorothy was that she had mado no explanations. Basil would no doubt pick Luis up quietly, and all would be well. Had she explained, Basil would have been sure to attack Luis then and there.

Basil, nearly home, overtook Luis, and pulled up to take him in. He was dumbfoundered when the latter, with a cry of rage, rushed towards him with a stick, which came down roundly on Basil's uplifted arm. He leaped from tho car and promptly knocked his half-brother down. " Get up. and be quiet, you madman," lie cried, "hero is Miss Howard in your buggy," . Luis rose, dazed, as Dorothy pulled up beside them.

"I am obliged for the use of your buggy, Mr Lester," aho said. " I will return it now, and go on in the car." Sho sprung out, and Luis got in without a word. He brought his whip fiercely down on his impatient mare, and the

latter started madly on, nearly running full tilt into the car.

Dorothy and Basil stood looking at one another, listening to the cruel punishment the man was inflicting. " And he calls himself a. Lester," said Basil, as they mounted the car.

CHAPTER V.—MONSIEUK LE COM.TE DE SOULOUQUE. It was a lucky thing for Luis Lester that his Canadian mare was as well broken and as quiet tempered as these animals usually are, or lie certainly would not have got home that night without a serious accident. When his groom, the only man-servant that bis mother's simple establishment afforded, unharnessed the horse, he swore roundly at his absent master, as lie noted the weals that streaked the shiny skin on each side of the back. Though wages were fair, and his work not exhausting, he gavo notice the next day, saying bluntly that he did not care to work "for them as had no feelings for 'orses." It was nine o'clock when Luis entered the house, and he was surprised to find that the dining-room was lighted up, and that places wero laid for three people for supper. His mother sat in front of the fire—nobody else in the county had started fires as yet—toasting her tiny feet, and crooning to Diabolo, the appropriately named marmoset, who lay purring in her lap, sniffing with delieht the heavy perfume on her handkerchief. Her crimson silk gown, of antique cut, creased and somewhat rumpled, exhaled the heavy sachet of peau d'Espagne, and her necklace of rubies gleamed in the firelight, as it rose and fell on her dark brown breast. She flung tho inevitable cigarette into the fire as 6he saw the expression on the face of her son. "Luis," she cried, "what is the matter?" He made 110 answer, but went to the sideboard, poured out nearly half a tumberful of brandy, and drank it down without adding water. The glass clattered against his teeth as his trembling fingers in vain attempted to hold it steadily, and as he drained the last drop lie actually bit a rounded bit clean out of the edge of the tumbler, oddly enough, without cutting himself. He took the piece from between his lips, and flung it into the fire, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world to take toll of the glass as well as the contents. Hastily stuffing Diabolo into her pocket, whence his tail protruded like a boa, Lady Lester went to her son, and /put a hand on his arm, and then he scomfed for the first time aware of her presence. "Poor Luis," she said, "you have heard?" "What?" ' "About Dorothy." " Yes, from herself. I forgot myself, mother. I drove her home. She sat close to me ill the buggy. I have never sat like that with her by my side, all alone. She was beautiful, and her voice was music, and she had the scent of violets—and I, how could I help it, mother, I raved, 1 think." The mother rolled ft cigarette between her thumb and finger, and gave it to Luis. "Sit down and tell me, my boy"; she said, " thank the Lord you are not like theee cold-blooded English' people. If your father was an Ejiglislanan, you are a true son of the tropics. How could, you help it, poor boy; though she is no match for you. She is marble, like them all. Forget her, Luis. She could never have mado you happy, anyhow. Theio are beautiful women in my own country, Luis, whore the sun shines; and they laugh and sing—and they can love, Luis —go there for your bride." He burst into hysterical weeping, the natural result of his intense excitement. His mother carried Diabolo to the conservatory, and left him there. The sound of woeping always upset him. Then she hurried to the side of her boy, and caressed him; but she drew her hand away quickly. It was covered with dust. "Yes," sobbed Luis, "Basil knocked me down." Lady 'Lester fingered lominoualy the handle of a tiny dagger paper knife which she earned in. her belt, while Luis told her the story.. "Bah!" exclaimed her ladyship, with supreme disgust, " you tell her that you love her—and she steals your buggy. A lady of Santo Domingo would not thus act." " He shall pay, Basil shall pay, curse him," cried Luis." "Luis, Luis, be,careful," implored his mother, " the laws of England are cruel. Ah! my son, the pity of it. You, so fine, so handsome, so sympathetic, so different from these coarse Lesters, you should be Sir Luis. You should have tho title and the money. I wish I could kill them both, so that my boy could come to his rights." "Tliey are so beastly answered Luis, who was growing more practical as his excitement abated. " Basil has zeal for his brother/' said 1 Lady Lester. " Why for his brother?" "He watches over Dorothy so carefully."

" Ho is going to marry her, curse him." ".Oh, no, it is Bennett." . " Basil." " Bennett; he told me so himself." " She told me herself it was Basil," said Luis. " There is a mistake somewhere, and the only thing that is clear is that sho is not going to marry Luis." Thero was a sound of wheels outside. Luis romembered the table and his mother's unaccustomed finery. Ho looked at her with inquiry. " The Comte de Soulouque," she murmured. "I,had to have advice ;'I telegraphed; he is here." " I cannot see him to-night." " Go, my son, and rest; I will receive him, He may spend some time with us. Forget this girl, Luis; she is not worthy of you. Hide your heart from these Bennetts. Do not quarrel openly with your half-brothers. Bennett is powerful. Sometimes I need lm help." Luis ran' out of the room as the doorbell rang, and Lady Lester seized the moment to steal- a littlo of her strength from tho brandy bottle. "Pouf!" she muttered, " and for how long nuist I bo polite to this beast?" She passed a tobacco-stained finger over her forehead, as though to smooth out the frown, and when the maid opened the door and announced Comte, with a desperate attempt to pronounco tho name, Lady Lester stepped forward with a cor-

dial smile, and extended a greeting hand. The stranger bent low and impresesd a gallant kiss on the brown fingers, while the lady .curtseyed after a forgotten fashion. " Dear Comte, you are prompt," the murmured. " Who would not be when your ladyship commands?" ! " Bloxham," enid Lady Lester, to t!:o maid, " please carry the Comts's bag to Ms room, and theu you need not wait up." Bloxham withdrew, closing the. door alter her, and then the hvo stood alona. looking curiously at- one another. Monsieur lo Uomte do Soulojques was a little man, 45 years old perhaps, with a brown, wizened, seamed face, llivid pouches under the eyes, a huge, bristling moustache, and wiry hair, thick, black, slightly kinky. Irreproachable in black' broadcloth, ho might have been suspected of mourning had it not been for the brilliant red tic. This spot of colour redeemed tho whole man, and tinged his sombre dress and grave manner wilh a euggeslaon of buoyant youth.' Its carried himself very erectly, and there was a suggestion of power'in his wide clust and in his abnormally long arm?. No sooner had the door clored than lie advanced familiarly and said, " You don't look a day older, Dolores." Lady Lester raised a warning brad, and rolpeated a step. "Walls—ears, Monsieur la Comte," Bhe murmured. " Will you take a swt i 1" (To be continued.)