“Judy Says No”

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1931, Page 10

“Judy Says No”

Sy

Winifred Carter.

CHAPTER ll.—(Continued.)

Judy did not realise that he W trimming his sails to the wind, and she felt grateful. And now Mrs Crawford had taken a> grip on herself; she came forward. r “Of course, lam willing to welcome your grand-daughter here," she said. “I hope I am too just a woman to punish a girl for my own (disappointment.” “ Splendid,” said the old man ironically. “ I am sure you will 16am to ■ love Judy during the six months she fa here on probation," Judy looked at them wistfully. She tfelt -for them. It must be hateful to Ifcave her suddenly pitchforked into lheir midst. “You, Eliza, will help Judy-to fit lierself. to become my heir. You un>lderstand that is part of your work in future ?” . . At that moment the door opened, sand a girl entered, the prettiest Judy iiad ever seen. She had flaxen hair, eleekly shingled, and large chlhablue eyes, and very tiny hands and feet. She was beautifully dressed in in moleskin fur coat that was buttoned * up to her round chin. Her hat had a cluster of deep purple violets on the I (brim, and her eyes' were excited and j eager..' i “I. was told to come here as soon | «s I came. in. You wanted me, Mr Harmer?” Judy, watching her, did hope that this girl would be friendly with her. It wasn’t likely; right from the start,however, Judy admired Enid tremendously. The girl looked, from her mother’s angry face to the old man’s malicious one, and her own became tense, almost wary. ' ; Judy realised that ; Enid Crawford distrusted Henry Harmer, and had evidently good reason to. - It was with that chuckle that she ■ was beginning to dread that the old man introduced them. • a ‘ This, my dear Enid, is my, granddaughter, Judy Warrender. This girl, who in all probability will take ■ (Nicholas' place,” he said. . “ I hope you will be the best of friends.” \ Enid’s eyes were hard and cold as she faced Judy;.then she turned back, her eyes blazing fiercely. “If you think I am going to be y friends with a girl you have dragged, in here to make us all look small, you Ire mistaken,” she said stormlly. “I think you have treated us all abominably! You have just loved to have us all on toast. I am not going to gratify you by cringing 1” . , iiw “Getting up a little spirit! Wonderful,” chuckled the old man. The door slammed behind her. “Don’t take any notice of Enid," ■aid-Mrs Crawford, anxiously, “ she is ' a little .upset.” • “So I thought,” sneered Henry Harmer. , . “I, for one, admire her, said Judy, stoutly. “I should feel exactly as she did' in the circumstances.’? t \ “Hoity-toity, young woman! Your opinion wasn’t asked,” said her grandfather, but he liked her courage, and the Crawfords scowled at her the more blackly. She was clever, this Kiri. She was trying different tactics, from what they had tried. What i? J " facing him fearlessly was the way? ■ They both watched Judy closely, £ut she had forgotten them. Just for a moment her thoughts went to the .vicarage. Oh, no wonder her mother had chosen the path beside her father. And now her grandgather had turned them all against Jb.er. ■He was such a bitter, cynical old man 1 She. was quite sure none of them would ever like her. Privately, Judy did not believe he had ever had the slightest intention of letting the Harmer fortune go out of the family. “ And now I’m tired,” he said brusquely. “Eliza, show my granddaughter to her Dedroom! By the .way, I shall dine with you all.” And then, he dismissed them with a gesture of his hand. Mrs Crawford and Clive went out, [followed by Judy. “Please, don’t dislike me very much,” said Judy earnestly. “I had no idea that I was coming here to take anyone else’s place.” ■Clive turned and looked at her from his superior height as if she had been pome noxious insect. ' “If it hadn’t been you, it would have.been somebody else,” he said coldly. “Mr Harmer has only done what we have always expected him io do—and in six months you will probably find that you, too, have been superseded!” He turned away. Judy wilted (Visibly. ' ' “I don’t know where I shall put you,’,’ snapped Mrs Crawford. , “It is most annoying that your grandfather did not let me know you were coming, so that I could have made due preparations. Come with me.” Up the broad stairway Judy followed Mrs Crawford. Now she was taken up another flight of stairs, and then up again to the attics. Here Mrs Crawford ushered the girl into a most gloomy, drably furnished room. Privately Judy thought it far inferior to her own bright bedroom at home, which she shared with her oldest Bister, Patricia; if the carpet was shabby there, and the furniture makeshift, it had a homely feeling. This room had not been used for years; she was quite sure of that. The door slammed behind Mrs Crawford. Judy sat down on the bed, and tears welled up into her eyes. She . was not given to crying easily. As a rule, there was too much to be done for her to sit down and have a comfortable cry. But she felt lonely, and, Utterly miserable. This house seemed a verltanle house of hate after the jolly, happy atmosphere of the Vicarage. Talk about luxury! “If this is luxury give me poverty!” sighed Judy forlornly. It had always seemed to Judy that they lacked money sb appallingly at the Vicarage that they could not possibly be as happy as a rich family could be, but now she saw her mistake. A lot of money seemed to start folks distrusting one another. Here in this house it seemed as though a black shadow hovered over everything. Her grandfather, with his terrible attempts at getting pleasure out of other people’s misery. That was probably because he was so unhappy himself! Mrs Crawford, with her hard face melting when she had believed Clive was to get Henry Harmer’s fortune, and then the change when she knew she had been tricked. Poor thing, poor thing! And Enid having broken oil her engagement with Nicholas. She, too, must be wretched .... . It was not going to be a bit a happy experience, Judy thought sorrowfully. JBhe had never been anywhere where (everyone in a body disliked her. And Set could one wonder if no one felt feleasant towards her? Wiping the tears from her eyes, sho pot up and went to look out of the {window. But the view was as dreary as her own heart. A brick wall faced her. Mrs Crawford must have chosen the most gloomy room in the big Louse, x That ahoiKfid JU

can’t stay here!” Judy whispered in desperation. “I must go back to them all, to daddy, and Pat, and the others, and all the dear people that I love. ■ Almost in a panic she got up preparing to flee then and there, but there came a knock at the door and an elderly maid came in. She gave Judy a look that seemed resentful. Why, even the very servants abhorred her! Judy swallowed a sob. The mistress says that dinner will be ready in half-an-hour, and your grandfather is going to be there, and he hates to be kept waiting, so please change now and come down.’! "Very well,” said Judy blankly, but wondered what on earth to change into. . When the maid had gone she opened her suitcase and took out the frock that she wore for special church affairs; the socials in the village hall; the meetings when the whole village flocked to some, simple concert got up by the vicarage children. Oh, if only it had been an affair like that she was going to, with Patricia, and the boys, and Aggie, and little girl, Daphne, and Gilbert too. Why, if Gilbert Dean appeared at this moment and .proposed, thirteen times or not thirteen times, Judy would have accepted him, with many thanks too. , “I guess Enid will wear silks or satins,” said Judy ruefully to herself as she surveyed herself in the big mirror. . ■ . For all that she looked very sweet and wholesome when she was ready to go down. The white muslin frock certainly was simple, but it - suited Judy’s artless prettiness. All tne same she found herself trembling a little as she came to the big diningroom door. A Joint Campaign,

While Judy was following Mrs Grawford up to the attic, Clive and Enid were talking over the impossible . situation. 'Clive was ' thoroughly disgruntled. Henry Harmer’s sudden production of a new heir had come as a thunderbolt to him. He had confidently expected to come into favour with the dismissal of Nicholas. His position was distressingly insecure. He was thoroughly disappointed, for his mother had been so sure that he would come into grace. “What a sickening shame! he muttered, pacing up and down the room, his hands thrust into his pockets. ; Enid rounded on him. “It jolly well serves you right, Clive. When you heard that Nick was disinherited you could not hide your triumph. It’s the case of the biter bit, my dear brother.’? “ It. wouldn’t have been human not to have been glad to think that, I had a chance to come into all this, said Clive indignantly. • “You might at least have hidden the fact that you were pleased Nick was disinherited,” said Enid, resentfully. ~ . “ You’re a nice one to talk—who when she heard what had befallen Nicholas gave him his ring back instantly?” „ .. * I was unprepared for it, saia (Enid, sulkily. "I acted on the impulse of the moment." *’ All the same,” said Clive, who 'had a shrewd understanding of the selfish nature that lay beneath Enid s perfect loveliness, “you wouldnt change your mind now, unless Nicholas was taken back into favour. You can’t hoodwink me, 'Enid, I know you too well.” , ' There was silence for a few momente while both thought of what they had lost. Clive, who had hoped -to become the owner of Harmer House and its big. income; Enid, who had lost Nicholas, the man she loved, and being prospective mistress of this Place- , .. , ... Sometimes I wonder if Nick did anything so bad, after all,”' said Enid, restlessly. - , “ You can bank on it that old Harmer would be pretty sure before he kicked Nick out,” said Clive. “ I always thought that Nick was the very pink of perfection,” went on Enid, shaking her head .in bewilder-r ment. „ , . “Still waters run deep, remarked Clive. . ~ ~, ■ “Stop quoting at me, said Enia, with a stamp of her small foot. I think it’s hateful when I’m in such trouble.” . , „ , “Tm in trouble, too. Think of that horrid girl coming to do me out of ■what I confidently thought I was get‘ting'.’* j And they lapsed into silence. Then Enid turned to Clive. . , . “ Clive, do you honestly think that ‘Nick could go and make love to another girl when he was engaged to me?. A farm labourer’s daughter, too. ■ Nick always declared that he never' noticed any other woman because of me.” .. “Men do talk like that," said Clive airily. “This girl he went after is possibly different from you. No doubt she’s dark —a gipsy type. A man can have one woman in his heart and yet have an eye for a pretty girl.” “You can, ycu mean,” snapped Enid. “I didn’t think Nick was like you.” “Oh, you’re intent on being nasty,” said' Clive, shrugging his shoulders. “And, anyway, it wasn’t only the girl, it was all those bills he’d been running up, and then that cheque. It wasn’t likely Henry Harmer, such a stickler for honour, would stand Nicholas altering that I cheque. No, my dear sister, I am afraid'that Nicholas is guilty.” ■ “How I hate Henry Harmer,” said Enid savagely. “Net more than I do,” said Clive.

Now Mrs Crawford came in. She looked at her two children with tears in her eyes.

.(To be continued.)