“HER DAY OF ADVERSITY.”

Taranaki Daily News, 2 January 1926, Page 14

“HER DAY OF ADVERSITY.”

(By Mrs. Patrick Mac Gill.) “If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small.” — Proverbs. Chapter XIX. ROGUE’S STRATAGEM. It took Carol nearly a week to regain the ground lost by the ill-timed visit of Nadia Halkin. It was at night, when she had no longer the stimulation of Lottie’s presence, that thoughts of David overwhelmed her. There was no doubt about the passionate sincerity of her love, and it was perhaps natural that, in proportion to that love, Carol was jealous of the very evident warmth of the friendship between David and her hostess. Elated at the earn at which she had prevented Carol’s letter from falling into the proper hands, gratified that the paragraph in the Press relating to the fired letter-box had escaped the household's observation, Nadia felt that the time had arrived for the next move. Her visits to Carol's bedroom grew more frequent, and though Lottie had neither love nor trust in the charming visitor, still there was nothing that even her i owd eye could discern, and she could hardly suggest to the sister of the man who owned the house that as her visits invariably depressed Carol it would be better if they were a little less frequent. It was not because Nadia did not do her best to amuse the sick girl that Carol was invariably heavy-eyed anid listless and lacking in all appetite for the rest of the day following a visit. At Nadia’s suggestion they played draughts, dominoes, and later on a game of Nadia’s own invention which was based on the well-known “Consequences.” Privately Carol thought it a rather tiresome game, but as it had been invented for her special benefit she could scarcely be churlish enough io indicate her true j feelings. To some of the questions written on a separate sheet of blank notepaper Carol wrote “Yes” as required, and to others “No,” acording to what she herself felt. She signed herself “Carol Stone” at the foot of each sheet of paper, this also' being in accordance with Nadia’s instructions, although it sent a little shudder of disgust down Carol’s spine to see her new legal surname coupled with the one which her mother’s voice had uttered at the baptismal font. It. was a great- relief that Nadia did not suggest another game that afternoon, and certainly, when she gathered the used papers and said nonchalantly, “I’ll take them down with me, my dear. They make the room untidy if they are left about, and the charred pieces fly all over the place if they are burned.” “Thank you very much,” murmured Carol, feeling furious with herself that she could not be more grateful to this gracious, smiling woman who seemed to take so much trouble on her behalf.

Two bright patches of colour, due to suppressed excitement burned in Nadia’s cheeks as she went quickly to her own room, and, addressing an envelope to David Murray in an extremely illiterate hand, so that he would imagine, that Lottie had been entrusted with the task, she enclosed the sheet of paper on which Carol had written the single word ‘‘No,” signed with her newly’ acquired name. When David Murray was called into the Governor’s office to receive his letter his heart gave a wild leap, and in his excitement seemed to miss a beat.

The writing was not Nadia’s, and, as she had intended, he immediately imagined that the envelope with the writing sloping all ways had been addressed by Lottie. He toyed with the letter for a few moments before opening it, permitting himself the luxury of a day-dream; there is plenty of time for day-dreaming in an English prison. He pictured Carol, a little pale perhaps, but definitely lovely sitting up in bed reading, his letter, her eyes growing big and shiny like those of a child, and then clouding with tears when she recollected Jacob Stone. Somehow, since, the verdict had robbed him of all hope for the future, David had been able to think of the moneylender a little less harshly. It was, of course, absolute nonsense to say that a single blow, or even a succession of blows, combined with the worries of Carol’s disappearance, had been sufficient to bring about such an awful result. It was, most probably, a simple case of Nature revenging herself for a long and continual violation of her laws. But surely, now, he would release Carol and not hold her to a meaningless ceremony, which was ail that bound her to him ? If not, he and she would go abroad, and

But beyond that David did not dare to think. He tore open the envelope and spread the single sheet of creamlaid notepaper on his knee, with a feeling of ecstasy thrilling every nerve. Then as his brain grasped the purport of the single word it seemed as if a grey drizzle descended on the sunshine of bis spirit, transmuting its gold into the heaviest lead, rendering connected thought ap impossibility in the chaotic whirl of emotion that succeeded the reading of Carol's brief message.

Hour after hour that night David Murray stared into the darkness, striving to soothe his wounded love with the cold salve of logic. After all, perhaps it was too much to ask of any girl to live with a man—even a lover who would hail with joy the opportunity of marriage when it came—and have to fly the red flag of defiance in the face of the world and the rules which govern the conduct of all who would keep within the social pale.

It was always so much harder on a woman than a man, and—David forced himself to carry his argument in defence of Carol to its ultimate issue—if there were children, as the law now stood in regard to the defenceless little creatures, they carried the stigma of their parent’s unlawful love throughout their lives. All these thoughts chased each other through David’s mind until he grew weary and his brain refused to operate further. But at the bottom, his heart decried what his reason approved. He had believed that Carol’s love, like his, was fine enough to surmount all obstacles, especially under such circumstances as those which prevented their marriage.

And. day by day, Carol watched eagerly for another letter, although she did not allow herself to hope too greatly, for she knew that the number of a prisoner’s letters was restricted. It was only when Nadia came in with an air of conscious triumph and told her that a letter from David had arrived by that morning’s post that she felt a sharp stab of jealous anger. She wanted David; to the uttermost corner of her essentially honest little heart she had to admit to herself that he constituted her whole happiness in life. “David’s going straight to South Africa when he comes out; he has asked me to see about booking his passage,” remarked Nadia, trying to sound casual, but not succeeding. It was quite true that David had asked Nadia Halkin to do him the favour of booking two passages to Natal, one for himself, and one for Stringer, whom he intended to take with him. This was in response to her plea to be allowed to serve him in some way—any way. If she had not been so insistent, David would have asked his lawyer to book the passages for him. Nadia wrote to a cousin in Natal to warn her of an approaching visit, and proceeded to book three passages on the liner.

“But David won’t go without coming to say good-bye to me,” said Carol, when her brain had grasped the fact that he was really leaving London at the earliest possible moment. “I am afraid that the boat train leaves just two hours after he comes out at nine o’clock in the morning, and that only gives him about twenty minutes to spare,” said Nadia slowly. “What day does he come out?” asked Carol in a queer, choked voice that did not seem to belong to herself.

Nadia Halkin named a day a week in advance of the time that David anticipated his release, explaining that he had earned the seven days’ remission of his sentence by good conduct-. Privately she resolved that by some means or other Carol should not be in the house when David Murray really left the prison. To this end she began throwing out hints which were unmistakable, both to Carol and Arthur Wrangel, and of the two, they hurt the former the more. (To be Continued.)